The movers and shakers of the Seven Mountains Mandate (7M) saw Donald Trump as their ticket to government power. This mandate (also called seven pillars and seven spheres) aims to take dominion of education, religion, family, business, government/military, arts/entertainment, and media to usher in the return of Christ. It grew out of dominion theology with the addition of “prophets and apostles” from C. Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Proponents of NAR include Bethel Church in Redding, Calif. (Bill Johnson), Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena (Che Ahn), MorningStar Church, Charlotte, NC (Rick Joyner), International House of Prayer (Mike Bickle), Aglow International (Jane Hansen), and TheCall (Lou Engle). 7M has connections with Latter Rain, Joel’s Army, Manifest Sons of God, Word-Faith, prosperity gospel, and charismatic spiritual warfare heresies. It was given impetus in 2013 with the publication of Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate, co-authored by Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, a veritable hothouse of charismatic error. 7M is based on an allegorical interpretation of prophecy (such as Isaiah 2:2) and replacement theology. Some promoters of the Seven Mountains, including Paula White-Cain, were spiritual advisors to President Trump and had access to the White House. White has said any number of nutty things, including, “I saw Trump riding a golden horse alongside Jesus during Armageddon” (“I Saw Trump,” The Business Standard News, Jan. 8, 2020). Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz, is an “apostle” who promotes 7M theology in his book A Time for Action. Many of the charismatic prophecies of Trump’s 2020 reelection were by 7M proponents. On Feb. 25, 2020, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk told the Conservative Political Action Conference, “Finally we have a president that understands the seven mountains of cultural influence” (Right Wing Watch, Feb. 27, 2020). The 7M proponents claim they have divine “authority to administrate over earth and all demonic opposition.” It is dangerous heresy. Biblical churches have no such authority and no such mandate. Christ’s Great Commission, which is emphasized in Scripture by a five-fold repetition (Mt. 28; Mr. 16; Lu. 24; Joh. 20; Ac. 1) is to preach the gospel to every soul in every nation and to baptize and disciple believers in New Testament churches. There is not a hint of a Seven Mountain Mandate in the book of Acts and the Epistles. Even as an apostle, Paul exercised no such power and led no such program, and he said, “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Philippians 3:17). The Seven Mountains Mandate is a demonic alternative to Christ’s Great Commission, and doctrines of demons produce confusion rather than blessing. False teaching ultimately brings reproach upon biblical Christianity. (For more about these things, see The Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements: The History and Error, www.wayoflife.org.)
(Friday Church News Notes, July 30, 2021, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)