Serious Deception of Falling in the Spirit!

Serious Deception of Falling in the Spirit by Prof. Johan Malan, South Africa

The phenomenon of falling (being slain) in the Spirit is an unbiblical practice which surfaced in the charismatic movement for the first time during the second half of the 20^th century. Since then it has spread all over the world and become an instrument in the hands of the devil to establish a false kind of mystical spirituality in the lives of millions of people. This practice still continues, and it is imperative that young believers should be warned against its dangers.

Falling in the Spirit (or slain in the Spirit) was originally popularized by preachers such as Kathryn Kuhlman, Kenneth Hagin and William Branham, who were later followed by Gordon Lindsay, Jim Spilman, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Rodney Howard Browne, Reinhardt Bonke and others.

Since then, the movement has spread widely and been accepted by many Pentecostal churches. The pastors who have the ability to bring about falling in the Spirit are regarded by their followers as specially anointed men of God who function on a higher level than ordinary pastors. For many of them, this manifestation of supernatural power brought instant fame and wealth.

The prophecy of Joel 2:28 is generally applied to falling in the Spirit. It is alleged that this is the Holy Spirit’s special way of manifesting Himself in the last days, and for that reason it was unknown to earlier generations. Critics of the movement are warned that they should not resist the work of the Spirit – that is why many of them hesitate to even apply a basic scriptural test to this strange phenomenon.

Forms of falling in the Spirit

This ‘touch of power’ can be bestowed upon individuals or large groups. The persons are usually prayed for, sometimes they are blown upon, or they may be pushed over or only touched; the preacher may sweep his hand or merely snap his fingers, after which the person(s) will fall down backwards. When it only happens to one person at a time, an assistant will catch the falling person and lay him or her down on the floor. Towels are often used to cover the legs of women who have fainted and fallen backwards after being slain in the Spirit.

But there is also a chaotic way of falling in the Spirit which happens to a whole audience, or part of it. When certain words are uttered by the preacher, or when he sweeps his hand, the entire group of people will fall over backwards and cause a chaotic situation. Chairs are pushed over or displaced and people are falling on each other. Some of them bump against the chairs or pews and may even sustain serious bruises or cuts for which medical treatment might be needed. Groans, babbling, laughter and other strange noises intermingle to underscore the chaos.

Experiences during falling in the Spirit

An investigation of this phenomenon has revealed that those who have fallen down all experienced a certain degree of absence of their mind. They may be placed in the following three categories:

Firstly, there are those who almost immediately recover again. They had no desire to fall, but were pushed over by other people and yielded to group pressure by falling down. They do not have any specific experience while lying on the floor.

Secondly, there are those who lie down for 10 to 15 minutes. They go off in a light trance during which they are still conscious of voices around them. They have nice feelings of peace and joy which they describe as the presence of God. They are convinced that these feelings originated from a spiritual realm outside their bodies.

Thirdly, there are those who remain in a trance for up to six hours. During this time they are not conscious of anything. Many of them attach great significance to the length of their trance since they are under the impression that God conducts His work of inner healing during this time. Benny Hinn calls it “God’s operation table.” The ‘inner healing’ is done while the person is unconscious and is therefore not dependent upon repentance or the confession of sins.

Significance of falling in the Spirit

The significance of this experience is described in various ways. The view is held that this is an overwhelming experience of God’s power and glory. Human beings cannot resist it and fall down unconscious when a current of this power flows through them. Kathryn Kuhlman said: “All I can believe is that our spiritual beings are not wired for God’s full power and when we plug into that power we just cannot survive it.” They are strongly convinced that they are spiritually uplifted by it, of which there is no concrete evidence.

In certain groups falling in the Spirit is equated with salvation since unsaved people are also stricken by it. Ezra Coppin said: “I have seen many people so slain who were not Christians, and the experience had the fabulously glorious result of making believers out of them! They rose to a new life.”

The view is also held that falling in the Spirit is an initiation to holiness for beginners. Such people were spiritually immature and need an experience of this nature to get going. Morton Kelsey said: “An experience of going down under the power may give just the push that is needed to start an individual – like a car with a dead battery – moving towards growth in the Spirit.”

Apart from the general need for spiritual growth, falling in the Spirit is also associated with a baptizing or anointing with the Holy Spirit. In this way, gifts are imparted to believers. Various manifestations and gifts of the Spirit may follow this experience. It is also said that during these times the Lord Jesus appears to believers to make promises to them or to give specific commands.

New manifestations

Various other phenomena, such as laughing in the spirit, prophesying in the spirit and dancing in the spirit, which result from falling in the Spirit, are also attributed to the Holy Spirit. Many people blindly accept these phenomena without testing the spirits, despite the danger of spurious satanic imitation in such manifestations.

Most of the Word of Faith preachers create strong expectations of powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit. However, there is no scriptural basis for the signs that allegedly occur at their meetings. Apart from the signs already mentioned, one of the more recent phenomena is the so-called “New Wine” meetings where people stagger like drunks. This is accompanied by falling, dancing and laughing in the spirit, also pogo stick jumping and making a wide range of animal noises such as barking like dogs, bleating like sheep, crowing like roosters and roaring like lions.

Physical symptoms that accompany these experiences are severe shaking, electric-like surges, the loss of physical strength, labored breathing, fluttering eyelids, trembling lips, the seeming appearance of oil or gold dust on parts of the body, uncontrolled laughter, a feeling of drunkenness, nausea, vomiting, complete disorientation, mystical visions, audible voices from the spirit world, the absence of pain, a feeling of weightlessness which makes you jump up and down, a feeling of heaviness which causes a person to reel to and fro and fall down on the floor, shouting and the making of various animal noises.

Some of these manifestations also occur at the services of TB Joshua in Lagos, Nigeria. One of them is vomiting in the Spirit. He teaches that the evil and spiritual impurities hide in a person’s stomach, and that vomiting during a service can remove it. Some of the objects that come out resemble pieces of stone, shells, worms and blood.

A very common manifestation of the anointing associated with falling in the Spirit is the ability to prophesy in the Spirit. Such people claim that God speaks to them directly, not through His written Word, and that they conduct dialogue with one another on various matters. It is very obvious that these people entertain a serious misconception about God speaking to them as they merely project their own thoughts in the second person to God and then mistake it to be His voice. They often distort biblical truths and always have personal messages from the Lord to other people. Because they elevate themselves to a level where God speaks to them personally, they do not have a teachable spirit to heed other people’s Bible-based correction of their views. They also attach great significance to other extra-biblical experiences such as dreams, visions, and angels who appear to them. It is obvious that they are caught up in a strange reality which has been created by their own imagination. Deceiving spirits may also play a role in deluding them to believe what they do.

There are many examples of self-appointed prophets who proclaim false prophecies derived from unbiblical sources. The Berean Call of November 2006 says: “There are so many false prophets on radio and TV (most of them on TBN) that we couldn’t begin to name them all. The most popular today is Benny Hinn... His false prophecies are too many to recite. One is enough: On December 31, 1989, claiming that he was in the very throne room of God, Hinn declared: ‘The Lord also tells me about ’94 or ’95, no later than that, God will destroy the homosexual community of America by fire.’ It didn’t happen. Yet the more false prophecies he utters, the larger Hinn’s following grows and the louder do Paul Crouch and his TBN dupes praise him.” Benny Hinn is a big supporter and practitioner of falling in the Spirit.

Evaluation

The following discussion and evaluation of falling in the Spirit was done by Rev. Denzel Dick of South Africa:

The only true test for falling in the Spirit is God’s Word. The common argument that, in terms of the prophecies of Joel, God is doing something new, amounts to reading meanings into Scripture which were never implied by it. In this way, the devil can give any new experience to open, naive people who will accept it without testing the spirits. Paul says, “Beware lest anyone should cheat you through... empty deceit” (Col. 2:8).

During falling in the Spirit in meetings people always fall backward to have a positive experience with the Holy Spirit. The Bible, however, mentions four instances where people fell down backward as examples of God’s judgment and rejection because of their infidelity and sin:

1. “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward” (Gen. 49:17).

2. “Then it happened... that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died” (1 Sam. 4:18).

3. “But the word of the Lord was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught” (Isa. 28:13).

4. “Then – when He said to them, I am He – they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6).

John 18:6 is commonly used by supporters of falling in the Spirit. However, the following needs to be said about this practice from a biblical point of view:

Firstly, the people who allegedly fell in the Spirit in John 18:6 were the enemies of Christ, including Judas Iscariot.

Secondly, the falling backward was not a condition of unconsciousness or fainting. It was rather a reaction of shock by lost people after meeting the Lord. John 18:6 can, therefore, not be used as justification for the present practice of falling in the Spirit, because it clearly suggests that those who fell down were lost sinners.

Thirdly, in the Bible people fell forward on their knees or face. Every time when that happened (about 30 times) the results were good and profitable.

The following Scriptures are used in defense of falling in the Spirit: Gen. 17:3; Num. 16:4; 24:4; Lev. 9:24; Jos. 5:14; Jud. 13:20; 1 Kings 18:39; 1 Chron. 21:16; Ezek. 1:28; 2:1-2; 3:23; 43:4; 44:4; Dan. 8:17; 10:9; Matt. 2:11; 17:6; 28:1-4; Mark 5:33; Luke 5:8; 8:47; 17:16; Acts 9:4 or 26:14; 16:29; 1 Cor. 14:25; 2 Cor. 12:2-4; Rev. 1:17; 4:10; 5:8; 19:4.

Although supporters of falling in the Spirit use these scriptures to justify their practice, the contrary is true. These verses explicitly refer to a falling forward on the knees or face. That was mostly a conscious act: “Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him” (Gen. 17:3).

It was also a traditional way of greeting and a form of showing respect when people bowed down before their king, or slaves subjected themselves to their lords. It was also a sign of humbling and showing respect and fear to a holy God – cf. Peter who fell down at the knees of Jesus (Luke 5:8), Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:4, and John humbling himself on Patmos when he fell down at the feet of Jesus (Rev. 1:17).

In ancient times it was the most natural thing to fall on your knees or face to take on a position of prayer or honoring someone. It was in no way associated with fainting or incoherent talk. In Matt. 2:11, the wise men “fell down and worshipped [the Child]”. 1 Cor. 14:25 refers to a member of a congregation, “falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among [us].”

The reason for the falling down was not, as some people say, that the person was stricken down by the Spirit of God. The Bible never says that the Holy Spirit struck people down. They fell because of one the following human reactions:

Fear (Num. 16:4; Jos. 5:14; Jud. 13:20; Dan. 8:17; 10:9; Matt. 17:6; 28:1-4; Luke 8:47; Acts 9:4).

Joy and thanksgiving for blessings (Lev. 9:24; Matt. 2:11; Mark 5:33; Luke 17:16).

Honor, humbling and worship in the presence of God (1 Kings 18:39; 1 Chron. 21:16; Ezek. 1:28; 2:1-2; 3:23; 43:4; 44:4; Luke 5:8; 1 Cor. 14:25; Rev. 1:17; 4:10, 5:8; 19:4).

The Spirit of God rather set people on their feet than striking them down. When people have fallen down because of one of the reactions mentioned above, it is often said that the Spirit of God raises them to stand upright. Ezekiel says, “...the glory of the Lord stood there... and I fell on my face. Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet” (Ezek. 3:23-24).

Even the falling forward gets little Scriptural support or encouragement because God, Jesus or an angel often tells people to stand up (Ezek. 2:1-2; 43:3; Dan. 8:17-18; 10:9-10; Matt. 17:6-7). In Matt. 17:7 Jesus said to His disciples who fell on their faces because of fear: “Arise, and do not be afraid.” The Holy Spirit is rather associated with the act of rising than with falling.

There is indeed a spirit that makes people fall down, but that is not the Spirit of God – that is an evil spirit. There are various examples of this in the Bible. Mark says, “For [Jesus] healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried...” (Mark 3:10-11). In another case a boy with a mute spirit was brought to Jesus, “and wherever [the spirit] seizes him, he throws him down... Then they brought him to [Jesus]. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and he wallowed” (Mark 9:18,20). After Jesus rebuked the spirit and commanded him to leave He assisted the boy to get up: “Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose” (Mark. 9:27). A case has also been recorded in Capernaum where Jesus delivered a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit: “Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be quiet and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him” (Luke 4:35).

The supporters of falling in the Spirit also have a big problem to prove from the Bible that this experience may be linked to a baptizing (or anointing) with the Holy Spirit. Except for cases where people had problems with demons and fell down during the process of deliverance, there is no relationship in the Bible between healing or anointing with the Spirit and falling in the Spirit. The supporters of this strange experience have a double problem: firstly, to find a similar phenomenon in the Bible, and secondly, to connect this experience to baptizing with the Holy Spirit.

Easy salvation

The normal way in which God deals with sinners – i.e. through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus – is brushed aside and substituted by a strange experience such as falling in the Spirit. In this way, biblical truths are ignored or wrongly applied. In this way salvation is made easier and cheaper, i.e. without repentance and counting the cost by those involved.

Falling in the Spirit is used as a crush-pen for salvation through which people are forced or manipulated; consequently, they are not confronted with a choice whether they wish to repent or not. The experience of falling in the Spirit replaces a conscious decision that sinners must make when they are convicted of their sins. Suddenly, they find themselves in a mystical trance. After recovering their consciousness, they regard themselves as believers who were changed by the power of God.

Because of this way of dealing with lost people, preaching the gospel of salvation has virtually become redundant – unbelievers only need to fall in the Spirit. But the problem is that such people’s lives are not built upon the foundation of Christ but upon a mystical experience. In this way, the biblical message of repentance is bypassed. That is one of the reasons why preaching on sin has become such a rare feature of modern evangelization.

It obviously does not trouble the leaders of this movement that the basis of salvation through falling in the Spirit is unbiblical. Coppin says, “Even if there were no biblical basis for the phenomenon, it might be contended that since many are strengthened through the experience, it is worth entertaining.” The general approach is: “Be open to new ways in which God by His Spirit may be speaking to the Church.”

The distorted view that unsaved people, who are still in bondage of sin, may have certain experiences with the Holy Spirit is completely foreign to Scripture. The biblical way of salvation is that the Holy Spirit first convicts people of their sins. Only after they have confessed and forsaken their sins and put their trust in the Lord Jesus to save their souls by virtue of His work of atonement on the cross, are they regenerated by the Holy Spirit who will then establish His presence in these persons’ hearts.

After the experience of being born again they must continuously be filled with the Spirit.

It also does not make any sense that people can have many experiences of falling in the Spirit. Some people refer to the new experiences as a recharge. It is obvious that a deeply-rooted discontentment and opportunism lies at the basis of falling in the Spirit. Sinners are looking for an easy and physically tangible way to become Christians without really changing their lifestyles. Many Christians are not content with the normal views about spiritual growth and are looking for extraordinary experiences in their spiritual lives. They want to be baptized in the Spirit in one dramatic moment and also obtain special gifts to enhance their boring lives. This approach opens the way to various forms of deception.

In this way, the door is opened to the sensual and the spectacular, thereby enthroning the flesh. A humanistic self-image is stimulated which may have an outward appearance of the person being Christian, but in reality he/she has no inclination towards true spirituality. The new gifts and strange manifestations are used to glorify the self, and are practiced for entertainment rather than the promotion and extension of God’s kingdom on earth.

The Holy Spirit warned us that in the last days the devil will succeed in even seducing believers to accept wrong doctrines which are propagated by deceiving spirits: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). John says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

Slain Of The Spirit II

SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT by Let Us Reason Togehter Ministries

What Charismatic’s enthusiasts say is when the Spirit comes upon you it will overcome you with power, slaying you. Today this has become the common denominator of the Spirits presence with power and is sought after as proof of receiving the anointing. With such people as Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, Richard Roberts and a host of others who have developed it to be a trademark of their meetings. This is not to discount that the Holy Spirit can do unusual things, however before we put a stamp of approval on a practice to be a normality instead of the unusual, we need to see if it is promoted as such in the Scriptures.

What do we find? We do not see any of this practiced or even hinted in the Scripture. When the Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism He came up out of the water; He didn’t collapse and sink down! The Lord Jesus had power to heal even the worst cases of disease, blindness and crippled limbs, and yet no one who Jesus ever touched fell over “slain.” Nor do we find Peter or John touching people and causing them to fall over. They did not ask other disciples to stand behind those they were going to lay hands on, to catch them as they toppled backward by the power. The New Testament has no people lining up waiting for the “anointing” to be passed on from another, not even the Apostles. Can you picture any of the Apostles running up to people and slapping them on the forehead, or lining people up to be slain? No soft music or repetitive choruses were sung to set an atmosphere for the anointing to fall. No one yelled repetitive phrases like, “Fire!” or “touch” or “More, Lord!” So where does this all come from ?

Those who advocate this practice need to consider what they are really attributing to the Holy Spirit. There is no Biblical precedent for being “slain in the Spirit” as we see practiced today.

Jesus is the baptizer, who anoints with the Holy Spirit. The power really comes only from Christ, just what are people receiving through this experience? Do these displays of power become the convincing proof of God’s presence? John 10:41-42 records, “Then many came to Him and said, ‘John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.’ And many believed in Him there.” John convinced the people without a display of miracles. It was the truth that converted them and made them into followers. It is by knowing the truth (the Word) that keeps people following faithfully, not displays of power. We don’t need to be slain “in the Spirit”, but cut “by the Spirit,” the Word (John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12). One way is by expositional preaching the other is offered by experience. One comes by the Word that is objective, that teaches and convicts through the Holy Spirit, the other is subjective, by a person touching you or imparting a power. The Word is Biblical, the other is not.

The Old Testament has many examples of saints who fell to the ground. In Genesis 15:12-18 when Abraham was put to sleep horror and great darkness fell upon him, but it was not pleasant. This was a special event signifying God’s covenant with Abraham as God told about his offspring’s future. This act was not repeated for any of his descendents. Notice the passage indicates that the experience was not enjoyable. Genesis 17:3 Abraham falls on his face, but this does not describe an involuntary act of being slain in the Spirit as some claim. Abraham fell face forward toward the ground on his own accord, in reverence, in an act of fully conscious worship.

Scriptures used to validate this as Biblical are:

Gen.15, 17:1-3; Josh.5:13-15; Ez.1:28,43;1-5, 44:4; Mt.17:5-6; Rev.1:7, 7:11, 11:16-17; Acts 9.

Many fell backwards in Scripture, but it was not a blessing! In 1 Samuel 4:18: Eli fell off his seat backwards on hearing of the death of his sons and the capture of the Ark and he died. Isaiah 28:13 the prophet speaks of God’s Word sent to refresh, but if not heard it became a judgment “that they may go and stumble backward, and be broken.” In all these examples it is a judgment, not a blessing! In 1 Samuel 28:20 we read of Saul immediately collapsing “full length” on the ground upon hearing of his impending death from Samuel after consulting the witch of Endor.

2 Chronicles 5, describes God’s glory filling the newly completed Temple. It says, “The priests could not continue ministering ... for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God” (v.14). This cannot be made into a normative occurrence for today’s Church, as many have tried to do. This was a celebration because the temple was completed, the ark was brought in and Solomon had the priests assemble inside the most holy place. Inside the glory manifested physically as cloud in a contained place, the rest of Israel was still standing outside. In 2 Chronicles 7:2 and I Kings 8:11 the priests could not enter the temple or perform the priestly duties of the LORD because the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.

In Ezekiel 1:28 and 2:1 the prophet is overwhelmed by the vision he saw and falls forward in worship. Those who are holy fall forward in conscious submission to God’s Holy presence. They do not become dazed and confused, as in some spirit services today. Those who are enemies fall backward when confronted with God’s true power. Philippians 2 says every knee will bow. Those who are conscious of who they serve bow forward, willingly and fully conscious. Those who fall backward overwhelmed, show a lack of submission, and rebellion.

Daniel, in 10:4-11 encountered a powerful angel and said, “I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale, and I was helpless... I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.” Daniel fell on his face; he fell forward. This was not without purpose. Daniel, a prophet, was receiving revelation that would become Scripture. Since in the Old Testament those who were affected in this manner were not born again, indwelt permanently by the Holy Spirit, this experience cannot be used as normative for the Church today. When John saw Jesus glorified in heaven (Revelation 1:17) he describes that, ‘“I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.” John was overcome with fear; he did not recognize Him as the Jesus He knew on earth.

What about Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9? Those who promote the “slain in the Spirit” phenomenon cite Saul’s encounter with the appearance of the Lord on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:3-4 for Biblical support. Saul was an unbeliever on his way to his next extermination. He was knocked to the ground by a light (the Sheckinah glory) and he had a revelation of Christ. When Saul fell, no one touched him and no one was there to catch him. The Scripture doesn’t actually say how he fell, but the Greek language seems to indicate he went to the ground on his own volition. Jesus does not appear to be the source of Paul’s falling to the ground, Jesus did not allow Paul to remain on the ground, but told him to “arise and go into Damascus.” Remember Saul was unsaved at the time, so this does not provide any justification for regarding it as a model for believers to practice today. He was consciously carrying on a conversation with the Lord. In Acts 26:14 Paul, recalling the event, states all who were with him saw the light and fell to the ground, but only he heard the voice (Acts 22:9). This was an extreme measure designed to get Paul’s attention, as he was on his way to kill Christians. The others with Paul who also fell were unbelievers and stayed in their unbelieving state. Therefore, this incident involving falling to the ground (being slain by the Spirit) cannot be used to support the idea that it is a spiritual blessing, as commonly said today.

In examples from either the Old Testament or the New, the men affected did not have a permanent indwelling of the Spirit. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, in John 18:4-6 He reveals His power in a unique way. He identified himself to the soldiers who were arresting him and they “drew back and fell to the ground.” Jesus first revealed Himself by saying His divine name, “I Am,” making it clear who it is they came for. When He identified Himself to them, they fell to the ground in judgment. These pagan sinners did fall -- backwards. They did not experience revelation or receive an anointing, or conversion, they got right back up and arrested Jesus. There was no change in them; they were still enemies of Jesus. Also, none of Jesus’ followers fell down during the arrest. Certainly none of this represents a pattern for the Church. Those who practice the artful ritual of being “slain in the Spirit” today deny or ignore these Biblical facts in order to embrace an experience that is not endorsed in the whole New Testament.

This is even stated in the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements “There is no mention of the Spirit here (Jn.18:1-6) and John portrays no relationship between Spirit and power and Jesus. The text remains enigmatic, especially since John offers neither explanation for, nor effect of their fall.

Those who are in rebellion to God seem to fall backward in Scripture. This just may be a sign today, not as a blessing but to show that these people are not submitting to His Word; so it is a sign of judgment. The idea that God is doing a “new thing” is without any biblical precedent. Their attempt to justify and defend this practice is by going to texts from the Old Testament. and yanking them out of their context and background. Trying to use the few incidents in Acts one cannot make them normative for the Church (believers) today.

The power is suppose to get people up not put them down and out. At the gate Beautiful Peter said to the blind man, “silver and gold I have none, but in the name of Jesus, RISE UP and walk.” Most of these new anointed dispensers of power can’t say the same because silver and gold they have abundantly. The power of God got people up, those who were thrown to the ground shaking and having convulsions were not possessed by the Holy Spirit but often demon-possessed in need of deliverance. They were not reacting from receiving God’s power they were in need of God’s power for it to stop.

Many travel to crusades to get this anointing from the anointed mediator who dispenses it. What is the purpose of someone being knocked to the floor and they are picked up and the whole procedure is repeated up to eight times. Was not the first time enough to receive an anointing. What is the purpose of this experience all about? Who is getting the attention at the time? We are not to be drawing attention to the vessel but the Lord who is working through the instrument. Is the first anointing that he places on people not enough? Or is it for show? He sometimes has people falling together like a violent pile-up on a freeway. People are lifted off the ground resembling a martial arts movie. Nothing glorifies God with this behavior. Martial arts, Chi power, the Gurus touch people ( as in the occult), and can certainly knock them over. These are similarities that cannot be overlooked. Can someone say touch or wave their arms or point their fingers and release the anointing having someone go down. When we see Tele-evangelists blow on people they go down yet when Christ breathed on the disciples they did not. When Jesus touched people they did not fall. God has not entrusted this type of power to any man today. The biblical model is whenever the Spirit fell they were not expecting him. The Spirit is called the comforter, the helper another one like Jesus. When Jesus left he said he would send us another like himself. His role was to replace the physical Jesus by indwelling all believers giving them a relationship with God. the question we need to ask is did Jesus act this erratic and have power displays? If not then why should the Spirit act this way when he is to point to Jesus. Is this the nature of Jesus or something other then him operating? How is it the person who dispenses this power that can knock people down, can stand through it all. That they can touch people even the catchers and they don’t go down during the service. How is the same person who just was felled over by his touch can afterward be hugged and not go over. Who then is in control if it only happens at the wave of his hand or when he says the word? Why does this only occur at the big crusades and where they meet for service and it does not take place during their days chores.

Charles Hodge one of the great theologians had this to say about this experience “..There is nothing in the Bible to lead us to regard these bodily affections as the legitimate effects of religious feelings, no such results followed the preaching of Christ or his apostles. We hear of no general outcries, faintings, convulsions, or ravings in the assemblies which they addressed…”It is evident that loud outcries and convulsions are inconsistent with these things, and therefore ought to be discouraged. They cannot be from God, for he is not the author of confusion” ( C. Hodge p.80 1851).

The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The question those who are open to new experiences should ask themselves is… would God offer me an experience that has me sacrifice a characteristic of the Spirit? Would He cause me to act in a way opposite to His nature and what He himself is trying to conform me to? Ephesians 5:18-19 tells us “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This is an ongoing command, we are to be continually filled with the Spirit. But is this to be an experience all the time, does it show itself physically? No. Paul says to be filled with the Spirit, means self control and joy, singing. The opposite of the true Biblical filling of the Spirit is to be out of control, laid out on the ground. He is making a CONTRAST. The Bibles definition simply means for us to yield and be under his control, the opposite is to be out of control as a rag doll on the ground, drunk and incapacitated. Paul says to be filled with the Spirit gives one self control. To be filled means we yield to the Lord and give Him control of our lives. He wants us active doing His work, not knocked out, numb or dumb. Being filled with the Spirit does not produce the same effects as alcoholic beverages, it is just the opposite. If it did the people who enjoy it would be coming to the church for their natural high fix. Many people say it is the joy of the Lord , but the joy of the Lord is our strength not weakness, it does not make one unable to rise off the ground.

Many incentives prepare someone for this supposed spiritual experience. First there is the anticipation of this happening; the autosuggestion of going down. They accept the experience because they are already predisposed to the idea that one falls when the Spirit comes upon them, and already accept this experience being from God. They are open mentally to this being from God. Therefore when someone touches them or points their way they comply. Another thing to consider is the peer pressure to conform to what is going on and expected in the gathering. When someone comes up in a big crowd they are expected to go down. They might be embarrassed not to fall down when everyone else is falling, or they may be considered unspiritual, and others might think something is wrong with them. Falling down at the right time becomes a learned methodology. Many people had admitted later they went down so they would not disappoint the speaker. Others may go down in hope that this might bring an experience they never had before. Still others say they were overcome by a power.

We need to consider a possibility that if true, can be unspeakably dangerous for the participants, that is, the operation of demonic powers. Many who have studied occult phenomena in false religions find that “slain in the Spirit” is not a new phenomenon. This power is found in Hinduism, the wife of Shiva the destroyer is kali known also as Shakti the force. When a devotee receives the touch from the Guru on the forehead they can be knocked to the ground, they can laugh, shake or experience being caught up in some ecstatic illumination experiencing Nirvana and light. There are many pagan religious practices, such as “shakti-pat” by Hindu gurus, which when observed looks exactly like being “slain in the Spirit.” The only difference is that their practices came first, preceding the modern Pentecostal practice. The cults also describe the Spirit as a force. Bruce R. McConkie, who was an apostle and authority of the Mormon Church wrote, “The Spirit of God which emanates from Deity may be likened to electricity” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 752-53). Isn’t this what we are hearing from those experiencing these manifestations?

The only way to know the true from the false is to test it. Jesus had the greatest anointing, yet, when He prayed for people they did not fall over; neither did Jesus go down when He was anointed. The Spirit came upon him as a dove, as a gentle companion. This phenomena and practice is foreign to Scripture. Can the Holy Spirit be thrown around like a force? This Spirit goes where the conductor tells Him to go. Biblically we are to submit and take our guidance from the Spirit, this is the opposite. Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit goes where He will, He chooses how He will be known in the heart and life of a believer, and it is not for any man to decide when His abiding in another is to be. In John 3:8 we read, “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot not tell where it came, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” No one knows where the Spirit comes from or where the Spirit goes. The Spirit is likened to the wind. Those who can dispense the anointing seem to tell the Spirit where to go and know where He will go next and what He or “it” will do. Think, my friend! Where do we find these experiences? Even the apostles did not have such experiences! What is operating? What is the source? Remember the Spirit is God himself who is supposedly thrown around the room. Whenever the presence came in the Old Testament all were affected but today the dispenser of this power stands strong while the participants all go down. Are they alone immune to its affects ?

The Bible commands us to test it. Mature Christians test the spirits; babies, weak and carnal Christians avoid testing, (Hebrews 5:13-14) because of naiveté or just insecurity and wanting to avoid know the truth. The result will be the same for all who do not guard their souls. They fall into destructive and non-Biblical practices that hurt their own Christian walk and testimonies. Much like the speaking in tongues as proof of the Spirits presence, this too has gone beyond the Bibles boundaries.

One of the earliest stories of this occurring in modern times outside the shamans is from a woman named Maria Woodsworth-Etter (1844-1924) She was a preacher in the holiness movement in the 1880’s. She gained a reputation by falsely prophesying that San Francisco would be destroyed by an earthquake in 1890. She describes her power from a vision ...Maria had a great vision. Angels came into her room. They took her to the West, over prairies, lakes, forests, and rivers where she saw a long, wide field of waving golden grain. As the view unfolded she began to preach and saw the grains begin to fall like sheaves. Then Jesus told her that, “just as the grain fell, so people would fall” as she preached. (Wayne E. Warner, “Neglect Not the Gift That Is in Thee,” Etter Sermon from The Woman Evangelist p. 10)

Alan Morrison of Diakrisis Publications in England discusses the phenomenon that made this woman famous. “In her preaching in the 1880’s, she advocated a religious experience she called the “power”, and she would often go into a trance during the services, standing with her hands raised in the air for more than an hour. Nicknamed the trance- evangelist and even the voodoo priestess, she was often accused of hypnotizing people. And here is where we come to the very crux of the “slain in the Spirit Phenomenon.” Morrison identifies this hidden power that Maria discovered which was non other than the ancient art of hypnotism that almost a century (1734-1815) before was practiced with the same results by Anton Mesmer. “As one researcher of the occult has noted, the phenomenon that are now defined as hypnotic emerged from the faith healing activities of Mesmer at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. (James Webb, the Occult Establishment Open Court 1976, p.352) “

Mesmer could actually be considered the father of slain in the Spirit except that he was plainly an occultist. Mesmer claimed to have discovered what he dubbed as animal magnetism. Having an interest in ESP and doing a doctoral study on astrology, He took a scientific approach on reaching spiritual contacts and trances through animal magnetism (universal fluid). “ What he discovered was an activation of strange powers in man that would help him gain insights into cosmic truths hidden from most of humanity by a veil of ignorance.”

He had written in his doctoral dissertation and repeated in a series of writings, the hoary fallacies could be shown to have essential truth within in them when interpreted scientifically-Astrology, alchemy, Oneiromancy (divination by dreams), divination. He then explained it through animal magnetism. Others who were also influenced by Mesmer were Samuel Hanneman founder of Homeopathy (New age medicine). Phineas B.Quimby who was also a mesmerist, he first attributed the power to Spirits for the use of this unknown energy but later said it was the mind. He healed Mary baker Eddy through this power who then became the founder of Christian Science a mind science Cult.

Helena Blavatsky the mediumistic founder of theosophy read Mesmer’s works which gave her a working foundation in mysticism. The evolution of this method went from calling it occult power to hypnosis. When looked at carefully there the differences are hardly noticeable. John Weldon in his book Psychic Forces and occult Shock records on pg.255 “In fact , no occult phenomenon found in Mesmerism is lacking in hypnosis.”…It appears that, in essence modern hypnotism is mesmerism. Martin Ebon, fairly well respected as an occult authority, even connects the two: “The Mesmeric, or hypnotic, trance bears a close resemblance to the mediumistic trance.” Mesmers activity could hardly be distinguished from what is transpiring in some of the charismatic wing of the Church today. “Mesmer marched about majestically in a pale lilac robe, passing his hands over patients bodies or touching them with a long iron wand. The results varied . some patients felt nothing at all, some felt as if insects were crawling over them, others were seized with hysterical laughter, convulsions or fits of hiccups. Some went into raving delirium, which was called “the crises” and was considered extremely healthful” (R. Cavendish, the magical arts RKP 1984 pg.180). What was described is people feeling good, uplifted, felt a release and had a sense of well being from the experience. Mesmer could actually be considered the father of modern “slain in the Spirit” experience, except that he was plainly an occultist. Imagine, the same conduct and results coming from non- Christians! Hmm.

Dr.Fritjof Capra a physics professor at Berkeley university and new age adherent says “Shamans used therapeutic techniques such as groups sharing psychodrama, dream analysis, suggestion, hypnosis, guided imagery{visualization} and psychotheraphy for centuries before they were rediscovered by modern psychologists. (The Turning Point p.337 1982)

By pursuing a blessing they have abandoned truth in place of a supernatural experience. This not a Biblical experience but can be a supernatural one. In so doing they have inadvertently become open to deception by accepting this without any testing. Mr. Hinn has been called a spirit fanatic by some, this is not something new . Martin Luther who began the reformation said that there were a certain group of preachers of his day who confuse their own spirit with the Holy Spirit “they think they have swallowed the Holy Ghost feathers and all.” John Calvin warned “the fanaticism which discards the scripture, under the pretense of resorting to immediate revelations is subversive of every principle in Christianity. For when they boast extravagantly of the Spirit the tendency is always to bury the word of God so they can make room for their own falsehood.”

People have succumb to the oldest charade, in their pursuit of a blessing they have abandoned truth in place of a supernatural experience without ever testing the source for Biblical proof. Does the Bible show people line up in a church service in a row and have the power dispersed from an anointed person. There are no conduits for his power, Jesus has and always will be the baptizer of the Holy Spirit we don’t need any other mediator. Jesus is our example. When Jesus was anointed, the Spirit came upon him as a dove, not as a wild animal like a rhinoceros.

Those who participate in this practice need to consider what they are really attributing to the Holy Spirit. There is no Biblical precedent for this and need to consider the source of the activity. We are not excluding that God cannot overwhelm someone with his presence, what needs to be questioned is when it becomes a normal practice in the church that represents the Spirits work.

Mr. Hinn has been called a spirit fanatic by some, this is not something new. Martin Luther who began the reformation said that there were a certain group of preachers of his day who confuse their own spirit with the Holy Spirit “they think they have swallowed the Holy Ghost feathers and all.” John Calvin warned “the fanaticism which discards the scripture, under the pretense of resorting to immediate revelations is subversive of every principle in Christianity. For when they boast extravagantly of the Spirit the tendency is always to bury the word of God so they can make room for their own falsehood.”

Truly the ancient words of the prophet Hosea ring true for us today, as it did then, “MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE REJECTED KNOWLEDGE” (Hosea 4:6)

When experience replaces Biblical knowledge, we have abandoned God’s standard. Knowledge can be painful when it corrects us, but it can cost much more to follow falsehood, which by its nature is easy to swallow and soothing to those who refuse the truth.

See also:

Slain Of The Spirit I

Is The Phenomenon of being Slain in the Spirit, Biblical?

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

Slain in the spirit!

"Slain in the Spirit" is occult, non-Christian and unbiblical!

		Slain in the Spirit: Unbiblical and of satanic origin!

 Comparison Chart

	What produces(ed) the "falling"	Purpose of the "falling"	How did/do people "fall"
Being slain in the spirit according to charismatic Christians	human imposition of hands the individuals who fall (1) fake it, (2) are pushed over, (3) are under a form of hypnotic suggestion, (4) demonic force weakens them physically	many diverse reasons, physical & emotional healing, giving of "gifts," anointing for service	99% fall backwards, there is the need for others to "catch" them when they fall. Women who fall have their legs covered with clothes due to immodest positions they fall in
Biblical accounts of people falling	supernatural appearance of angels, or God Himself	revelation of Gods will, usually set down in the canon of Scripture	All fell forward, no one "caught" them, no women fell in the Scriptures

Slain In The Spirit? Pastor Larry Thomas makes this insightful observation regarding being slain in the Spirit at Toronto Blessing meetings:

I saw on videotape one time, everybody in the place was laying on their backside. He finally turned around and realized that the choir hadn't been blessed yet. And so he said "you all up in the cheap seats need some of this," and he went like that and they all fell down, except one old man with a hearing aid. And he looked around at everybody, and when he looked this way, you could see on the camera the hearing aid, and you knew why he didn't fall down, he didn't hear the command. And he looked around and then he [falls down]. Aw, c'mon!

Do you believe the Holy Ghost is something you can roll up in a ball and throw it across the room and knock people down? What blasphemy! Do you think that the Holy Ghost wants us to imitate animals? I don't know what we've got to laugh about. The world's going to hell in a handbasket. Our loved ones, our families, our kids, our neighbours, are on their way to an eternity in hell and the church is sitting around laughing. This is no laughing matter. (Larry Thomas, No Laughing Matter, Audiotape, October 10, 1994)

The Revivalists Apology for the Manifestation The Toronto Blessing FAQ Revised April 1997

FALLING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT- this is when we fall to the ground because we can no longer remain standing when the power of God is on us!!! Sometimes we remain on the ground from several minutes up to several hours, our body simply cannot move very much because our flesh is corrupt and cannot stand in God's full presence!!

II CHRONICLES 5:11-14 - And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy [place]: (for all the priests [that were] present were sanctified, [and] did not [then] wait by course: Also the Levites [which were] the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, [being] arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, [saying], For [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: that [then] the house was filled with a cloud, [even] the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

MATTHEW 17:5-7: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And

when the disciples heard [it], they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

JOHN 18:5-6: They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground.

ACTS 9:3-4: And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

A Biblical Examination
To begin with whenever you make comparisons, for them to be honest correlation's you must, obviously, compare "apples to apples." None of the above texts resemble anything remotely close to what happens when believers are slain in the spirit today. My wife and I have observed less than 10 people fall under the power with no human intervention of some variety in 30 years of combined charismatic experience. When people get slain it is due to the direct ministry of another person, not a sovereign act of God, as we see in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14.

Invariably, charismatic people fall down when hands are laid on them. There are no examples of people falling down when hands were laid on them in the Bible which is the exact model which is to be compared.

In Chronicles we read of the dedication of Solomons temple. In that dispensation God manifested His presence to His covenant people Israel. This case was no exception, God manifested His presence to demonstrate His approval of the temple. After that initial service, His presence was confined to residing above the ark of the covenant. Note also that all the priest fell down, not just some. There is no record of a Pentecostal or charismatic service where all the people fell out under the power of God simultaneously. Also keep in mind the amount of priests at the dedication numbered in the hundreds and all had the exact same experience.

Matthew 17 gives us the incident where Jesus took Peter, John and James up to the mountain top where He was transfigured before them. There is nothing in the text which indicates that God slayed them in the spirit. The text states "they fell on their face, sore afraid" it does not say "the presence of God was so strong they could not stand." Nor does it say "the power of the Holy Spirit knocked them on their faces." It says "they fell," Peter, John, and James chose to fall. Why? They were afraid! It was a voluntary act on their part, not a sovereign act of God upon their bodies. Please note also, that at no time were they unaware of their surroundings, i.e. they did not loose consciousness, which is common with todays spurious manifestation.

Also, in Mark and Lukes account we read of Peter seeing Moses, Elijah and Jesus and then Peter speaking with Jesus. These two accounts do not even mention them falling down at all. It does mention them being afraid, but no falling. It is textually impossible to validate what happens in charismatic services from Matthews account.

The last text they use to shore up their doctrine is the account of Paul encountering the Lord on the road to Damascus. What is interesting in the Acts 9 account is that only Paul is slain, i.e. falls off of his horse. The men with Paul, were (1) speechless, (2) heard a voice, (3) saw no one, and (4) did not fall down. Another facet of this account is the fact that this extraordinary manifestation is Pauls call into apostleship. This text cannot legitimately be used to prove the machinations taking place in charismatic circles. No one laid hands on Paul. According to the Biblical record this was not a regular occurrence in his life or ministry. Paul himself never testifies to laying hands on anyone and having them slain in the spirit, nor do any of the other writes of the New Testament, or Old Testament for that matter. Paul never lost consciousness, his faculties were very sharp, he was able to speak, he rationally answered the Lord.

John White used the following two verses in his book When The Spirit Comes With Power to justify falling down under the Holy Spirits power:

Daniel 10:9-10
But the sound of his words came to my ears, and on hearing his voice I went into a deep sleep with my face to the earth. Then a hand gave me a touch, awaking me, and putting me on my knees and my hands.

Rev. 1:17 - And when I saw him, I went down on my face at his feet as one dead. And he put his right hand on me, saying, Have no fear; I am the first and the last and the Living one;

In the event in Daniel we encounter the writing prophet at the banks of the Tigris. He alone sees the angelic being who has come to deliver to Daniel a sweeping revelation concerning the prophetic economy of God. This Old Testament account is totally devoid of any comparison of what takes place in Pentecostalism. First, Daniel was a writing prophet and as such the Lord manifested His Word to those prophets in various ways (dreams, visions, divine appearances, etc.). Second, Daniels experience was unexpected, whereas people fully expect to be slain in the spirit. The purpose of the manifestation was to reveal a significant prophetic word to Gods prophet. Next, while Daniel was overcome the angel touched him and gave him strength. This is something we do not see in todays services. I have seen multitudes fall, but none receiving supernatural strength. Note also that Daniel fell face forward, almost one hundred percent of charismatics who are slain fall backward, thus the reason for catchers (it is very difficult to catch people who are falling forward). It is interesting to note that in the Biblical accounts when people have fallen, it is the sinners who fall backwards (Jh. 18:6).

There simply is no legitimate manner in which this verse can be used to shore up a doctrine of being slain in the spirit.

The text in Revelation 1:17 also fails to meet the test when examined. John the beloved was an apostle of the Lamb. There are no more apostles today. Secondly, John saw the resurrected Lord which was the reason he fell. The purpose for the Lord Jesus appearing to John was to give him the final installment of the canon of Scripture. John was given a revelation of immense importance. John never lost consciousness and also fell face forward.

Comparison Chart

	What produces(ed) the "falling"	Purpose of the "falling"	How did/do people "fall"
Being slain in the spirit according to charismatic Christians	human imposition of hands the individuals who fall (1) fake it, (2) are pushed over, (3) are under a form of hypnotic suggestion, (4) demonic force weakens them physically	many diverse reasons, physical & emotional healing, giving of "gifts," anointing for service	99% fall backwards, there is the need for others to "catch" them when they fall. Women who fall have their legs covered with clothes due to immodest positions they fall in
Biblical accounts of people falling	supernatural appearance of angels, or God Himself	revelation of Gods will, usually set down in the canon of Scripture	All fell forward, no one "caught" them, no women fell in the Scriptures

The falling of people in todays services, especially in this latest revival has no relationship whatsoever to the few Biblical accounts they attempt to use to prove their beliefs. Every text they have tried to use is taken completely out of its context and these leaders are guilty of wresting the Scriptures in a vain attempt to validate their practice.

The leaders of the Holy Laughter movement prove nothing by the Scriptures they use except that they do not know how to properly interpret the Scriptures. They are attempting to compare apples-to-oranges and not apples-to-apples. The simple fact of the matter is that they have no contextual evidence to prove what is happening is Biblical. Try as they might, the best they can do is to twist the Scriptures in an attempt to make "a round peg fit into a square hole." The Biblical accounts and what transpires today simply do not compare with one another.

Pastor John Arnott(false teaching) said the following (paraphrased) regarding people laying on the floor (slain in the spirit) screaming out:

1. The Holy Spirit could be expelling demons from the person, so we say "more Lord."

2. The Holy Spirit is bringing back past painful memories to heal them, and the person is screaming out in agony, so we say "more Lord."

3. The Holy Spirit is blessing the individual so tremendously they are screaming out under His power, we dont want to stop that do we?

4. The person is simply faking it to fit it.

5. The Holy Spirit is doing something prophetic in the persons life and we do not want to interfere with that do we?

The only problem with Johns definitions was that he used absolutely no Scriptures to validate any of his five points. In fact he contradicted himself on the video when he said that upon asking people what was happening to them while on the floor the people responded "we dont know, but we know the Lord was doing something." If the slain individuals did not know what was taking place how in the world does John Arnott?

See also: Is The Phenomenon of being Slain in the Spirit, Biblical?

Slain Of The Spirit II

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

Is The Phenomenon of being Slain in the Spirit, Biblical?

 -by Tony Warren

But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1

See Slain In The Spirit’s Resemblance to The ancient Hindu custom of Shaktipat or Divine Touch(click here!)

The phenomenon of 'falling down backward' is one, which has gained unprecedented popularity in today's churches. However, it is a phenomenon, which has absolutely no biblical standing whatsoever. In fact, it would indeed be laughable if it weren't so deadly serious an issue for the Church. There are many Christians who are curious about these odd occurrences and have asked if there is any biblical validation for these events. Subsequently, I am obliged to give a response, and a warning.

This phenomenon is usually declared to be the product of the act of 'laying on of hands,' which is the belief that a person receives the Holy Spirit of anointing when this is done. The subsequent falling down backward is defined as the physical response to the strong power of the Holy Spirit coming upon these people.

These curious events are known by many different names, including, 'falling down backwards, falling out, drunk in the Spirit, sleep in the Spirit, going down, slain in the Spirit, overcome by the Spirit, resting in the Spirit, and the sleep blessing..'

As best we can tell, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter, a woman who preached in the holiness movement of the 1880’s, started this practice by falling out in her popular services of the time. She would often go into a trance-like state and fall down during her performances. She died in 1924, but her legacy of falling down backward in Church services has lived on. In modern times, it was brought back to great popularity by people in great numbers falling down in a small church in Toronto Canada. From this resurgence, many have also labeled this, The Toronto Blessing,' where it is mixed with what is termed holy laughter.

Many Charismatic claim that apart from the anointing, falling down backward is also a phenomenon, which brings both physical and emotional healing. They believe that it is a blessing of the spiritual gifts that God gives. However, the most agreed upon explanation or purpose for this act is that it is that of the anointing of the Spirit for the service to God. Much like Christ was anointed for the service of God when the Spirit descended like a dove. But all of these explanations are in stark contrast to all of the actual Biblical references to falling down backward. These are 'always' (without exception) seen in the context of God's judgment upon man, and are 'never' seen as any type of blessing, anointing, or healing. So if falling down backward is not anywhere seen in scripture as good or a blessed thing, then the question is, why are some professed Christians emulating this?

In order for faithful Christians to honestly establish if there is any real support in the scriptures for these experiences, we must be willing to examine the passages, which have been offered up by these people as evidence that it is a Biblical practice. Therefore, in the first part of this article, we will examine the scriptures, which actually speak about people who fall backward. And in the second part, we will address some of the scriptures which Charismatics use in an attempt to support their belief. If falling down backward is really a biblical practice, then we should clearly see it illustrated in the Bible. And if it is not a Biblical practice, then what we see in scripture should illustrate that this falling is unchristian, and unprecedented. If we are willing to surrender to the authority of the Word, we can clearly tell what is not the product of the Spirit of truth, and what is the working of a seducing spirit of deception. Because it's not as if God has not warned us false practices were coming upon the Church.

Passages Illustrating Falling Down Backwards

When we search through the scriptures we are struck by the realization that the witness of canon is that any and all 'falling down backward' is invariably in the context of God's Judgments upon man. It is never in the context of believers receiving the Holy Spirit, or of any blessing or benefit. We should not lose sight of the 'fact' that all other scriptures which those who profess belief in this phenomenon offer, do not actually speak of any 'falling down backward.' And most speak of no falling down at all. The first reference we will look at is in Genesis:

Genesis 49:16-17
"Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward".

Dan is your classic example of a man under Judgment of God who goes forth an adversary, that others may fall backward under that same judgment. The tribe or family of Dan was infamous for it's fall to idolatry (Judges 18:30-31), and their turning away from God to serve false gospels and false gods. In Genesis, Dan is equated with the serpent who bites at the heels of horses that the horsemen might 'fall backward.' i.e., it is a spiritual picture signifying his bite is to make the strong people to fall into judgment. In point of fact, the name Dan itself is the Hebrew word [dawn], meaning 'judge.' Indeed, Rachel herself declared that she named him Dan because God had judged her. Dan being 'the serpent' biting at the heels that one falls down backward, is God inspired spiritual truths concerning the evil spirit and God's judgment. From the beginning in the garden of Eden, in Genesis chapter 3 we see this symbolism of that Spirit Satan, as the serpent:

Genesis 3:15
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Dan is equated with this serpent, Satan. He lies by the way attempting to bite the heel of the strong (horsemen are a symbol of strength) people that they fall backward, coming under judgment of God. Dan is a vessel of judgment. This tribe brought idolatry and false gospel to Israel so that it is cut off and not even mentioned in the census of revelation chapter 7, of the 12,000 sealed of "all" the tribes of Israel. By Dan's wickedness, he is used to Judge Israel. Much like God prophesies that he will send deceivers (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12) with lying signs and wonders to deceive the unfaithful of the Church who will not receive the love of truth. It is illustrating that God uses false teachers to judge His Church. [See Footnote 1]

Likewise,

Genesis 49:16
"Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."

This falling backward of those whom Dan accosts, signifies they are come under Judgment. In no way does this scripture showing 'falling backward' signify the anointing of the spirit, or a blessing of God. On the contrary, it signifies God's judgment, and an evil upon man.

1st Samuel 4:18
"And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years."

Likewise, this falling backward is in the context of the judgment that God sent upon the people of Israel for their rebellion. There was a great slaughter of Israel by the Philistines, and the ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's promise to Israel, was taken by the heathen. God had foretold of His judgment upon Israel, and now he was bringing it to pass. That any of the examples of falling backward in scripture can be construed or used as proof that it illustrates a blessing, or an anointing, is beyond all rational thought. This man fell backward, broke his neck, and died 'because' the Ark of Israel was taken in Judgment. In no instances of scripture is falling down backward ever seen as anything but judgment. The Charismatic church should testify to the passages which 'actually' speak of this falling backward.

Isaiah 28:13
"But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

The Lord is speaking here of rebellious Israel, that they would not hear His Word of truth, and He declares that they would be broken, caught in their own snare or web, to be trapped. And He uses the terminology of His judgment as them, .'falling backward' We see that all roads lead to the same conclusion. And the conclusion is that the Biblical references of 'falling backward' do not ever signify the anointing of the Spirit of God, but signifies the wrath of God in his judgment upon rebellious man.

Likewise, when Judas betrayed Christ and the soldiers came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsamene, Jesus asked them who it was they sought, and their reply was, Jesus of Nazareth:

John 18:6
"As soon then as he had said unto them, I Am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground."

Note that the word 'he' is not actually in the original manuscript, it was placed there by translators in an attempt to make the sentence flow smoothly. Jesus literally says, I AM, announcing He was the Great I AM (Exodus 3:13-14), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As soon as Christ said I AM, these wicked men who would come to accuse God, fell backward to the ground, signifying their own judgment. They had come to arrest righteous God for violation of the law, and God (not willing to stop His arrest, but to show forth His Authority), has them all 'fall backward' at the sound of His Glorious Name, 'I AM!' This isn't the picture the Charismatics want to paint of those who fall down backward, but it is the picture which God paints. No one 'caught' these men who fell backward, no one saw or alleged any anointing of them by the Spirit, and no one claimed that this was God's blessings upon these men. Because falling backward is a 'sign' of God's Judgment in scripture, not His Blessing. And in an ironic twist, this verse of John 18:6 is one which many attempt to use to support their claims of Biblical precedence for their belief in falling backward. On the contrary, it illustrates just the opposite. That it signifies those who come under Judgment of the Great I AM, and not those who are blessed of God.

These are the passages which speak of falling backward in scripture, and not one of them give one shred of support to such doctrines as Christians being slain in the spirit or Holy laughter. It supports the truth that this event signifies God's judgment. If we are going to go by the scriptural record of what men falling down backwards entails, then we have clear validation that it involves those under the Judgment of God. It is not something which any Christian would ever want to be associated with.

Passages purported to support Falling Down Backwards

Advocates of this practice allege that there indeed is Scriptural warrant, but does this claim hold up under close biblical examination? There are no explicit biblical references, but there are some passages which Charismatics say 'imply' the act of falling down backward or being slain in the spirit. The passages which they most often submit as supporting their beliefs are Genesis 15:12 and 17:3, Numbers 22:30 and 24:4, Joshua 5:14, Ezekiel 1:28, Matthew 17:5-6, Revelation 7:11 and 11:16, and Acts 9:3-4. Let's look at each of these scriptures in their proper context, and without prejudice.

Genesis 15:12
"And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him."

This scripture says a deep sleep fell upon Abraham, it doesn't say a word about being slain in the spirit, falling backward, fainting, or passing out. Nor does this biblical reference bear any resemblance whatsoever to what goes on in the Churches today. This passage fails miserably as a proof text for the teaching that Christians fall down backward as a sign of anointing. At best it says when darkness came, he fell asleep. It doesn't say that Abram fell, it says a deep sleep fell upon him. A totally different context.

Numbers 22:27
"And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff."

This Hebrew word translated fell is [rabats], which means to crouch or to lie down. In no instance does it mean an involuntary falling backward. To use this passage as support for such events is taking liberties above and beyond what can be 'honestly' justified. The ass simply crouched down or lay down under Balaam because of what he saw. He did not fall backward, nor is there anything here that would allow this episode to be used to support such actions in the Church today. It's ridiculous to say this proves we can fall down backward in the Churches.

Genesis 17:3
"And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying," (See Footnote II)

Joshua 5:14
"And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?"

Ezekiel 1:28
"As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake."

These are people going down to the ground in reverence for God, a 'voluntary' act of obeisance, respect, and submission, not the spirit knocking them down or putting them to sleep. Obviously these people have no concept of the application of the Hebrew word 'fell' [naphal] in the sense of going down. Nevertheless, these also do not show an involuntary falling either backward or forward. We plainly see all throughout scripture that the prophets of God, acknowledging the Glory, Vision, and Magnificence of God's presence, would fall (that is to say, drop or go down) with their face to the ground as a sign of reverence and obeisance. None of these Holy men were stupefied, fainting, passing out or confused, nor were they prodded by other Prophets, nor did they fall backward as is the practice of Charismatics. Scripture tells us that they fell on their faces, which is a synonym for going down to their knees to kneel and bow in fear and reverence to God. None of these scriptures support the phenomenon of falling down backward. They are used by the proponents of these doctrines unjustifiably. It is simply another classic example of people 'reading one's own views into the scripture,' rather than actually reading these scripture.

Numbers 24:4
"He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:"

This passage doesn't speak of being slain in the spirit, doesn't show the act of falling down backward, or falling at all. And again, it doesn't bear any resemblance to what is today's Church phenomenon. It merely speaks of a man receiving a vision of God, and going into a trance. The very same application used if we were to say, 'the soldier fell into formation.' It is not falling 'as in' losing balance and falling down, but he fell in the causative sense of having gone into the formation. Likewise, the application of the word here is that this prophet has gone into a trance, not physically fell down. There are many different applications of the word fall, as we saw it used in the sense that prophets (voluntarily) fall (go down) with their faces bowed in worship. These have nothing whatsoever to do with a Preacher touching a christian on the forehead, and him falling backward to the ground in an uncontrollable fashion. More examples of this voluntary going down is illustrated in New Testament passages such as Matthew and Luke:

Matthew 17:5-6
"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

Luke 17:16
"And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan."

Again, just what saw in the Old Testament passages. The Apostles of God fell to their face voluntarily, in fear, or reverence and obeisance to the presence of God.

Revelation 7:11
"And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,"

Revelation 11:16
"And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,"

To suggest that these verses are picturing falling down backward or being slain in the Spirit would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. What this actually does is support just the opposite. Namely, this falling on the face is a voluntary act, and in reverence and to worship God. It is not the anointing of the Spirit, and it is not falling down backwards.

Acts 9:3-4
"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

Even in our day (in war for example), when a man comes face to face with his opponent who has the power to kill him, he goes down to the ground or to his knees in submission and fear. We saw this in the Gulf war. How much more Saul standing in the presence of the Light of God from Heaven? But it has nothing to do with being slain in the spirit phenomenon. Man is in fear when in the presence of the Almighty God, and he falls to the earth in terror at the voice of God. We have scripture after scripture in the Old Testament Proving just that, and I'm sure we all know them. Man falling to the ground in fear has nothing to do with being drunk in the Spirit, but with his knowledge of his frailty before a great power, or that he is in the presence of the Almighty God, the Great 'I AM!'

And so considering all these scriptures which the Charismatics use in the attempt to support their actions, we can only humbly conclude that not one single passage supports this unbiblical phenomenon. It is a case of men grasping at straws in order to rationalize their unGodly actions. Moreover, in none of these verses, was there ever anyone actually falling down backward because of things that happened during a worship service or a Church gathering. In fact, there was no falling down period, there was a voluntary falling to their face in reverence or fear. This is very significant. It is the same as if we were to say, "Bill saw the vision, and fell to his knees in prayer." For someone to take from this statement that not only did Bill fall down backward, but that this also now gives us warrant to do this in the Churches, is nothing short of ludicrous. These men did not lose control of their senses. They did not fall down. They were not twitching and jerking uncontrollably. There is no warrant in any of these verses for the practice that we see in the Churches today.

Conclusion

In this study we have shown that there is no real scriptural support for the falling down backward experience. The precedence in scripture is that such experiences signify God's judgment, and this seems to me in perfect harmony with the Churches which practice this. They are false Churches under judgment. No 'Bible believing' Christian should want to have anything to do with this plague of falling down backwards. While Charismatics claim that they are following the Bible, this is an untenable declaration, as the witness of Holy Canon is void of any accounts, testimonies, experiences or doctrines like the ones they are attributing to God. These are very serious offenses, and are not non-essentials which we can just wink at.

Search as we may, we will not ever find anything in scripture where Christians were lined up, catchers stationed, and The Apostles or Christ tapped them on the forehead and watched them 'fall down backward.' The idea is foreign to scripture. We're not going to find it there because it is a ridiculously unbiblical practice. When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, anointing Him for His ministry (by the baptism of John), Jesus did not fall down backward. No one that Jesus or the Apostles ever touched or laid hands on fell down backward. The truth is, this is a doctrine pulled from the dark inner minds of the imaginations of men, not from the pages of Holy canon. It does not draw from Scripture. The claim of a Scriptural foundation for it does not hold up under the light of God's Word. Both the historical and the modern 'slain in the spirit' services are more from pagan themes and the occult, than from anything in scripture. And since these experiences are obviously not by the Holy Spirit of God, we can only conclude that it is by the spirit of disobedience. Another substitute (anti) spirit, masquerading as the Spirit of God. A spirit of lust for the fleshly and temporal experience. A spirit of deception, wherein Satan's lie is made to appear as God's truth. The spirit of Dan, a serpent nipping at the heels of horsemen that the rider may fall backward and be trapped or caught in a web. A spirit of Judgment, where the wrath of God abides upon it. For no false gospel shall be a Saving gospel, nor false spirit a Saving spirit, and no sign of Judgment a sign of Blessing. Christ is not in the business of mocking Himself. These are two different gospels, and two different spirits.

In conclusion, we can see that the popularity of this phenomenon is just another example of a 'spiritual' falling backward. A falling away or apostasy which is devastating the Churches in our day. It is professed Christians departing from the faith, and falling away from God. We are in a time where there is little reliance upon the Authority of the Word of God, as men change these laws to suit their own agenda and beliefs. God has always used falling as a 'sign' that His people are coming under judgment.

1st Timothy 4:1
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

People of the Church giving heed to seducing spirits, not the Spirit of Christ, and because of this they shall be Judged. As the Bible clearly indicated, falling backward is a 'sign' of Judgment. The product of a seducing spirit, not the anointing Spirit.

To be sure, when true believers fall, it isn't a involuntary fall, as the Charismatics do, but rather a fall or quick decent to our knees, faces bowed to the earth in humble prayer and worship of God. No preacher pushed us, we fell to our knees voluntarily. As did Jesus Himself, our precious example (in the Garden of Gethsamene). He fell on His face before His Father giving Him reverence. He did not actually 'fall down,' as Charismatics attempt to use the word, rather, He voluntarily dropped or went down with his face to the earth. To fall is by implication, to go down. It doesn't mean literally falling as these suppose, and as was so clearly illustrated in that garden:

Matthew 26:39
"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

Jesus, as all the Prophets and believers, fell forward in prayer, not backward. And they fell or dropped down in reverence. Falling backward is shown by God as Judgment, not anointing, healing, or blessing. So let us all in subjection pray that many will begin to learn the difference between falling backward, and falling on our faces to worship our God.

And may the Lord who is Gracious above all, give us the wisdom to 'Stand' and to discern His truths in these days of the rampant degradation of the Church.

1st Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Amen!

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation