Movie: Let The Lion Roar

There is all this hype going on in my area right now about the movie "Let the Lion Roar".

Now, let me state at the outset that I have not seen the movie.
You may think it a little presumptuous to form opinions before seeing the movie, but let me explain: The information that is being pushed around to promote the movie is fairly general and bland - there is little detail in the promotional material, and even the "preview clip" does not reveal the nature or premise of the movie.

So, in order that I might decide whether it was even worth seeing to check on it, I went searching for information.

Let me further say that the information I found was on the official website, so it is information that they approve of.

And again, on investigating the information, their stated purpose is a good one:

However, the focus of our particular message is that God's covenant love was for the entire Jewish people, as much for the unfaithful as for the faithful. Clearly He deals with the unfaithful very differently from the faithful, but the key point we make is that they have never ceased to be His chosen people despite their unfaithfulness.

(Second paragraph, FAQ "Why don't you say more about the remnant of Israel".

However, I have some very serious concerns about this movie, probably the greatest of which is:

Let the Lion Roar did indeed begin with a repeated prophetic vision and a word of knowledge to 'Complete The Reformation'. But it was tested for over 20 years, so that its interpretation and application fitted with the 150 verses which Escaping The Great Deception quotes.

(Fourth paragraph, FAQ "How sound is it to base Let the Lion Roar on a prophetic vision?)

The Bible is plain about one thing:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

There is to be no words of prophecy added to this book. Whether you want this to be only the book of Revelation, or the whole Bible makes no difference to the fact that there was to be no further revelation once the Bible was completed.

This passage aligns perfectly with:

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Now it for another time to discuss this thoroughly, but that which is perfect is the Word of God - the whole subject of this passage is knowledge, and the Bible says that "when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away". And then it tells us what is "in part" - knowledge and prophecy. The last words of the book of Revelation tell us that the Bible is completed, and therefore extra knwoledge and prophecy is done away.
We don't need any more special knowledge and new revelation, for we have all that we need in the Word of God.

Even Peter put little store in visions:

2Pe 1:17  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

He says in this passage that we have a more sure word of prophecy, but note what it is more sure than: "....this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount."
Peter said that they saw the Lord transfigured on the mount (See Matt 17), but that the Word of God was more sure than even that vision - which was a real physical thing they saw with their own eyes, not even something in a dream.

 

 So to base this movie on some sort of prophetic vision is simply not biblical.

The second concern I have about this movie is the claim with regard to "completing the Reformation".

Only God can complete the Reformation. However He will do it through His body, so that no one usurps His glory.

(First sentence of FAQ "Isn't it pretentious to claim that you could complete the Reformation?")

I have an issue with this because God's goal has NEVER BEEN to complete the Reformation.

The very idea of the reformation was to "return the church to the truth", but that church - the Catholic church - never had the truth. They were based on a faulty and unbiblical premise from the first, and have never held to the way that Jesus taught and bled and died for.

Likewise the Reformation, started by men who saw the false doctrine and wrong teaching that was rampant in the catholic "church", was about bringing truth to the Catholic church. When they would not accept that truth, these men started their own "break away" churches from the Catholic "Church", but they based their new "churches" on the old one, just with the little bits of truth that they had found from the Bible.

But they did not forsake all the false teaching of the Catholics, and they also invented some of their own.

We agree that there has always been a remnant, but it was never found in the Catholic "Church", nor was it found in the Reformation or protestant churches.

There has always existed a number of people who have followed the Word of God alone, and whilst among these there has been variation of belief in the lesser points of doctrine, there has always been those who have taught salvation by grace through faith and not of works. (Eph 2:8,9)

The Reformation  and the protestant movement was not against a "church that had lost it's way", but in fact a false "church" which was not a church at all, and who preached another gospel which is not another." (Gal 1:6,7)

How can "completing the Reformation" be condoned of God when the purpose of it was never to return to the Bible, but simply to add some more Bible to a false system?

And let's not forget that the reformers were just as hard on the  true Christians of their day as the Catholics were. Both Luther and Calvin hated the "anabaptists" or "rebaptisers" or whatever other name they chose to call them by, and persecuted them by direct order, often with death.
And plenty of others joined them in their persecution of true Christians.

Personally, I don't want that work finished. I don't want the Catholic "church" reformed - I want the people in it to be saved by the precious blood of Christ, and to .."come out from among them" (2 Cor 6:17).
And I don't want the reformation work of the persecution of true Christians completed either.

I won't be seeing this movie, and I won't be recommending anyone else does either.
It is based on an unbiblical vision, and it has an unbiblical purpose.

There can be no value for any true Christian in this movie.