Benny Hinn and the Return of Jesus Christ

by Bud Press, Director

Christian Research Service

www.christianresearchservice.com

August 4, 2010 

   

On December 31, 1989, Benny Hinn, then pastor of the Orlando Christian Center in Orlando, Florida, delivered a series of prophecies to his followers. One prophecy in particular mentioned the coming of a world dictator and the return of Jesus Christ:

Oooh. A world dictator is coming on the scene. My. A short man. He's a short man. I see a short man, whose a perfect incarnation of Satan. Never in my life have I had anything happen like what's happening to me now. This man will rule the world. The next few years you will see him. But not long after that, you will see Me. ["Benny Hinn's False Prophecies for the 1990's," word-for-word transcript by Bud Press at http://www.christianresearchservice.com/BHinn1.htm ]

Obviously, the "next few years" and the 1990's came and went with no sign of a world dictator or the return of Jesus Christ. Further, it is important to note that while delivering the prophecies, Benny Hinn clearly stated that, "God tells me to tell you" and "The Spirit of God tells me to tell you" and the "Lord tells me to tell you this".

 

Benny Hinn claimed to receive divine revelations from God. But out of the twenty-plus prophecies Benny Hinn delivered that night, not one came to pass.

 

Hinn-spin with a grin 

 

On April 2, 2000, Benny Hinn made a guest-appearance on the Trinity Broadcasting Network's "Praise-A-Thon" telecast, during which he stated the following to Paul and Jan Crouch, as well as untold numbers of viewers worldwide: 

The hour is urgent. Many of you have known me for many years. But I'm telling you right now, things I hadn't said years and years and, years ago. I believe. Hear this! Hear this! I believe that Jesus, God's Son, is about to appear physically in meetings and to believers around the world, to wake us up! He appeared after His resurrection, and He is about to appear before His second coming.

 

You know, a prophetess sent me a word through my wife, right here, and she said, "Tell your husband that Jesus is gonna physically appear in his meetings."

 

I'm expecting to see--I am telling you that I feel it's gonna  happen--I, I, I, I'm careful in how I am saying it now because I know the people in Kenya are listening. I know, deep in my soul, something supernatural is going to happen in Nai, in Nairobi, Kenya. (Audience applauds) I feel that. I may very well come back, and you and Jan are coming too. Paul and Jan are coming to Nairobi with me. But Paul, we may very well come back with footage of Jesus on the platform.

 

You know that the Lord appeared in Romania recently, and there's a video of it, where the Lord appeared in the back of a church and you see him on video walking down the aisle? Yeah!

 

Paul, do you remember when I came on TBN years ago and showed you a clip of the Lord appearing in our church in Orlando, on the balcony on the wall? Yeah. You, you remember that?

 

[Paul Crouch, Sr.:] Very well. I, I saw it.

[Benny Hinn:] That was '80, '80 something, '86, what, whatever.

 

[Benny Hinn continues] You know I always wondered why the Lord, why did He do that? Do you know why now I look back? That was the beginning of the greatest move of God in our church. Because '83, '84, and '85 were horrible years for me, horrible years. '86, the blessings of God began, but they began with a, with, with this manifestation of the Lord's face on, on the balcony, that stayed for eight weeks--eight solid weeks! The Lord has done this in the past, but He's about to do it again.

 

Now hear this! I'm prophesying this! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of His people, for one reason: to tell you He's about to show up, to wake Up! Jesus is coming, saints!

 

You have held back from the Lord in the past. Don't you dare do it now. The day will come you'll stand before Him and give an answer. How dare we not give to God. How dare we hold back. Who do we think He is, some neighbor of ours? He's God almighty. We fear! We fear the Lord God of hosts! [Watch and listen to Benny Hinn deliver these prophecies at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1SHI7mkQA ]

 

[End of transcript]

Again, note one of Benny Hinn's prophecies during the TBN telecast:

Now hear this! I'm prophesying this! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of His people, for one reason: to tell you He's about to show up, to wake Up! Jesus is coming, saints!

Again, it is obvious that Jesus did not return, nor did He make a physical appearance anywhere on earth. Also, note that Benny Hinn prophesied to TBN's followers that "Jesus Christ" would "appear physically" to tell them that "He's about to show up."

 

So, Benny Hinn said Jesus would show up to tell people He is showing up. This is classic Hinn-spin with a grin. Anyone who has the ability to read Matthew chapter 24 would know that Jesus has already spoken about His return:

 

"For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:27).

 

Dare we forget what Jesus said in Matthew 24:26?

 

So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

 

Jesus' warning covered outside and inside.  

 

With his false prophecies for the 1990's under his belt, Benny Hinn added to his list of false prophecies in 2000.

 

Prophets without power 

 

Benny Hinn's prophecies about the appearance of and return of Christ are not exclusive, they are in-line with cultic and occultic movements that have prophesied the appearance and return of Christ many, many years before Hinn came along. 

 

History records that Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, New Agers, and a list of individuals too numerous to cite have prophesied, predicted, and set dates for the return of Christ. Hyper-heretics within the Word of Faith and Prophetic Movement claim to have seen "Jesus" in dreams, visions, and in bodily form.

 

But false prophets have lied to and deceived their followers, and garnered Ooh's and Ahh's from those who trusted them the most. False prophets failed to take Jesus and His words serious and believe them over their own personal agendas. Yet, false prophets are more popular today than at any time in the history of the world.

 

False prophets claim to operate under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit--regardless of how many false prophecies they deliver. However, Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and that He

...guides the believer into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come (John 16:13).

 

The Bible informs us that false prophets teach lies, pretend to be true prophets, and teach corruption (Jeremiah 28:15; Matthew 7:22-23; 2 Peter 2:10-22). They, like false teachers, tell their followers what they want to hear, and provide false hope at the same time (Ezekiel 13:16; Proverbs 26:12; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:1-7). Those who follow false prophets sing their praises and gobble-down their words like hot buttered popcorn. 

 

God's written word commands Christians to ...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11). False prophets dance to the tune of a false spirit, operate within the realm of demonic darkness, and produce rotten fruit (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Matthew 7:15-23).

 

There is no fellowship between God and false prophets. One can't be a false prophet and Christian at the same time. False prophets are prophets without power. Therefore, there is to be no fellowship between false prophets and Christians.

 

God's word and the return of Jesus Christ 

 

Until Jesus returns, there will be false prophets, and their numbers will grow. In the meantime, the Bible has much to say about Jesus' return and where Jesus is presently:

 

Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him (Matthew 24:23).

 

So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them (Matthew 24:26).  

 

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Matthew 24:36).

 

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:42). 

 

For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will (Matthew 24:44).

 

But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Mark 13:32).

 

"They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day" (Luke 17:23-24). 

 

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority" (Acts 1:6-7).

 

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10).

 

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

 

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen (Revelation 1:7).

 

So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you (Revelation 3:3).

 

Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame (Revelation 16:15).

 

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).

 

Although Benny Hinn and other false prophets have tried and failed to prophesy the appearance and return of Jesus Christ, no man or woman knows when Jesus will return. However, Jesus Christ will return:

 

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). 

 

Until Jesus returns, He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and in heaven He will remain until His return:

 

So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).

 

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time (Acts 3:19-21).

 

The Scriptures are self-explanatory.

 

Prophetic pandemonium 

 

For years the Word of Faith movement has taught that a prophet of God can deliver false prophecies and still be a prophet of God. That is a lie and an outright denial of what God has said in His word (Deuteronomy 18:20-22; Isaiah 9:15; Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 14:14; Matthew 7:15-23; 2 Peter 2:1).

 

A true prophet of God is 100% accurate, not 40% or 60% or 99% as many have been led to believe. 

 

Benny Hinn's false prophecies are not simple mistakes or a slip of his forked tongue. He proclaimed himself as a prophet and claims to receive divine revelations from God. However, unlike true Biblical prophets of God, Hinn has failed miserably and has established himself as a false prophet--many times over.