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Note: I have referred to Joyner speaking with
spirits here although from his own statements it appears that he believes
they were deceased Christians who had already received their resurrection
bodies. Joyner claims that whilst in heaven one of these people told him “We
have our incorruptible bodies now” (p. 88). This would be impossible
though since resurrection bodies are not given to those who have died
until after Christ’s return, (1 Thess 4; 13 -16). Enoch, Moses,
Elijah and Jesus are of course the exceptions to this as they already
have their incorruptible bodies).
3 i) Ministering
spirits: Joyner claims that “the
most important parts” of “The
Final Quest” are in sections “IV and V,” (p.
7), of the
book. These record what Joyner believes were his visits to heaven. During
these experiences he claims to have talked with many well known Christian
leaders who have died in the past. These include St Paul and several leading
revivalists from the more recent protestant era. Joyner presents these conversations
to us as important prophetic messages, (see p. 133).
However I am unaware of there being any examples in scripture of any Christian’s
ever receiving prophetic messages from the spirits of people who have died.
Isn’t this
what the mediums and the spiritualists seek after and instead don’t
prophecies always come to Christians directly from the Holy Spirit?
“do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are
of God,”( 1 Jn 4:1).
‘ Give no regard to... familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to
be defiled by them,” (Leviticus 19:31).
“ There shall not be found among you... a spiritist, or one who calls
up the dead,” (Deut 18; 10, 11).
3 ii) Resurrection
bodies: Saul once called upon the spirit of Samuel after
he had died, and this was considered a serious sin, (1 Samuel 28:15). Samuel
had obviously not received his resurrection body back then. There is one instance
in the bible where Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah who appeared to Him when
he was transfigured on the on the Mountain, (Mk 9; 4), but they and Enoch
were the only three people to have received their resurrection bodies at that
time, (see Jude 9, 2 Kings 2; 11 and Gen 5; 24). No one has received their
resurrection body since then except those who were raised with Christ at His
resurrection (Mtt 27; 52). This doesn’t therefore include any Christians
at all as they will all have died after this. All Christians await the return
of Jesus before they will receive their resurrection bodies. Joyner, however,
claims that he has seen someone whom he had known in his own lifetime, who
has already received his resurrection body, “my old acquaintance responded...We
have our incorruptible bodies now and you do not” (p. 88). Again there
are echoes of the “Manifest Sons of God” doctrine here which teaches
that an elite group of superior believers will become so spiritually advanced
that they will receive their resurrection bodies in this age, subdue Satan
themselves, and then rule the church and world before the return of Christ,
(see end of section 5 for more on this in relation to The Final Quest’s
call for a Christian spiritual civil war).
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus... that we who are alive and remain
until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven... And the dead in Christ will
rise first,” (1 Thess 4; 14- 16).
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