THE ‘PILGRIM PATH’ OF JESSE DUPLANTIS AUGUST 1988 - ‘HEAVEN’ MARCH 2000 - BELFAST The latest ‘health and wealth’ man due to visit Belfast [Ulster Hall] on 25 March will be Jesse Duplantis. I wrote a short article about this man and his false teachings in the March 1993 ‘NEWS FROM THE FRONT’.
Let me explain the heading to this article. I recently watched a video of Mr Duplantis giving a talk entitled ‘Close Encounters Of The God Kind’. Speaking to many people Mr Duplantis gave details of claimed encounters with heavenly beings beginning as early as when he was 9. At 17 he claims that only the intervention of the Lord Himself [grabbing his shoulder during a car accident] saved his life. The climax came in August 1988 when, following advance notice by an angel who spoke to him as he slept, Mr Duplantis claims he was sucked out of his hotel room and ended up in Paradise/Heaven.
He claims some people in heaven were dressed differently to others and defends this by stating that the believer’s ‘robe of righteousness’ differs from the ‘gown of salvation’. The scriptures speak only of one item of clothing for believers in heaven although it is referred to by various names. In Matthew 22:11-12 it is "a wedding garment"; in Isaiah 61:10 it is "the garments of salvation… the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself… as a bride adorneth herself"; it is the "white robes" of Revelation 6:11; it is "the righteousness of God" of Romans 3:22.
The truth is that the believer’s righteous covering in heaven will be Christ On 2nd June 1861 C.H. Spurgeon preached on "Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord Our Righteousness" [Jeremiah 17:6]. Compare these teachings by Mr Spurgeon on the dress of the believer in heaven with the false ‘dressing differently’ of Mr Duplantis. Mr Spurgeon stated -
‘the life of Christ constitutes the righteousness in which his people are to be clothed… He was through his life spinning the web for making the royal garment… Christ in his life was so righteous.. that it is righteousness itself… Jesus Christ was righteousness impersonated.. his life was righteousness itself… When we believe in Christ.. the merit of his obedience is imputed to us for righteousness... You stand before God today robed in your Saviour’s garments with his spotless vestments on, holy as the Holy One... It is also everlasting righteousness.. the robe shall never be worn out... Thy good works do not improve his righteousness; thy bad works do not sully it. This is a robe which thy best deeds cannot mend and thy worst deeds cannot mar. THOU STANDEST IN HIM, NOT IN THYSELF… thou man greatly beloved, come forth now in thy garments and offer acceptable sacrifice, seeing thou wearest the garments of Jesus, our great High Priest’.
On a number of occasions Mr Duplantis irreverently exclaims ‘My God’ as he is supposedly escorted through heaven. Hank Hanegraaff in his book ‘Counterfeit Revival’ comments [pages 112-113] on one aspect of this claimed visit to heaven and makes this assessment ‘If he [Mr Duplantis] had tested his experience in the light of Scripture he would have come to the inevitable conclusion that his revelation was a counterfeit’.
Space does not permit me to detail all the disturbing claims made by Mr Duplantis concerning sights he saw and people he met. But briefly let me paraphrase a few. He claims that parents, who lose a young child, if they themselves have a long life, will meet that child [now grown up] when they get to heaven. After first meeting Abraham, the child will be the next person they meet. If they themselves die shortly after losing the child then they will raise it in heaven. He claims the "tears" to be wiped away in heaven belong to Jesus on judgment day even though Revelation 21:4 states "And God shall wipe away all tears from THEIR eyes".
The reason for his visit is eventually revealed when he tells us that Jesus sends him on his way with this message ‘Go tell my people I’m coming’. Satan often tries to delude people by interspersing his lies with a grain of truth from God’s Word. God’s true people long and look for "that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" [Titus 2:13]. We don’t need the delusions of Mr Duplantis to tell us for our Lord tells us Himself in His Word "Surely I come quickly" [Revelation 22:20]. "Amen!" (Source: Take Heed Ministries, UK - Cecil Andrews)
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