Joel's Army

This article was originally published in the Fall 2020 Jonestown Report at Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple

When the people of America awakened to newspaper headlines announcing peace after Germany accepted Armistice terms on November 11, 1945, an overwhelming sigh of relief could be heard through cities and towns from Los Angeles to New York. The United States joined in a celebration that could be heard around the world. War and suffering had been exchanged for peace, and all nations could now begin creating plans for a better future. Sadly, this celebration was short-lived as government officials realized that treaties and declarations could never prevent global war in the future, and that the threat of a third world war began the day World War II ended. On July 4, 1948, just three years after the armistice treaty, the Truman Doctrine declared that the Cold War was a recognized threat. Feelings of peace and security were replaced once again with thoughts of war – only this time, it seemed that the threat would be coming to American soil.

Religious leaders within an extremist sect[1] of Christianity began to predict a destruction of Biblical proportions originating from both Communism and U.S. government, alleging that the focus would soon shift to their religious communities and halt their form of worship.[2] According to this school of thought, Communism had infiltrated the Christian faith through what they considered to be "cold formal churches,"[3] and influenced American politics. This was the final stages of an event far more devastating that the first and second World Wars.  According to their predictions, Christians were witnessing the events leading to the End of Days.[4]

The movement began with William Branham,[5] a self-proclaimed Pentecostal[6] faith healer from Jeffersonville, Indiana.  Posing as a Baptist minister[7] interested in the Pentecostal faith,[8] Branham toured through the United States and parts of Canada giving rise to the Post WWII Healing Revival.[9]  For a period of time, multiple groups of Pentecostals united to participate in the revival. The revival formed a new sect which became known as The New Order of the Latter Rain, or simply "Latter Rain".

Using key passages of text from the Old Testament, leaders of this new sect began to join together in proclaiming that while the forces of evil grew within the cold formal churches, the forces of good would also grow within Christian sects who separated themselves from those churches. This growth, they claimed, was the restoration of the Church as described in the Bible and would include the restoration of all attributes and roles of the ancient biblical Church in greater power, from apostles and prophets to supernatural gifts and prophecy.[10] As the new religious movement began to form, leaders of the movement promoted themselves into the biblical roles, entitling themselves to the same authority over scripture and doctrine that mainstream Christianity gave to the biblical authors. Suddenly, apostles and prophets[11] became commonplace within the movement. With this new authority, religious speeches began to transition from sermons which studied passages of the Bible to prophetic sermons readily accepted as new additions to the Bible Canon. These additions held equal importance: the Word of God (Bible) and the "Spoken Word of God" (their additions to the Bible) were presented as one single Word of God. In some cases, their new additions were viewed as superior to the original Bible text.[12] Leaders of the movement began to claim that their Spoken Word would bring new life[13] to Christians that accepted it as holy. Those who did not accept their teachings were demonized and believed to require deliverance.[14]

Recognized names in the Christian faith began to join into the Latter Rain movement during the early days of its formation.  Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, A. A. Allan,[15] T. L. Osborn,[16] and hundreds of evangelists[17] and ministers[18]joined the Voice of Healing movement spawned by William Branham's The Voice of Healing publication.  Branham's occultic doctrine[19] fanned a flame that quickly began to spread throughout the United States and Canada. A number of ministers and evangelists joined the Latter Rain Movement which launched as a result of Branham's series of healing revivals, and the two groups converged with a unified message.[20] Evangelists in both groups cross-pollinated, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.[21] The movement eventually birthed neo-Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, the Second Wave and Third Wave of Pentecostalism, the Toronto Blessings, New Apostolic Reformation, Kingdom Now/Dominion Theology, Progressive Revelation, Revival/Harvest, Joel's Army, Replacement Theology, Post-Millennial Eschatology, Signs and Wonders, Territorial Warfare, Ecumenism, Restoration of Apostles and Prophets, Jubilee/Feast of Tabernacles, and the Post-denominational Church[22] along with other, less recognized groups. Ministers in the movement preached the "Gospel of Divine Healing," claiming that their ministries could reproduce the miracles seen in Biblical times.[23]

This militant stance against cold formal religion became a central theme within the Healing Revival, and eventually the traditional and even less formal denominations of Christian faith were given the disparaging label. Members of mainstream Christianity were viewed as cold and formal by leaders of the movement that used Branham's doctrine in their sermons.  Even Pentecostals who did not join in the movement were labeled "cold and formal".[24]  The authoritative view of new religious teachings and predictions as God's Spoken Word gave rise to the notion that God Himself was being made manifest through these new self-appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. This categorical list became known within Latter Rain as the "Five-Fold ministry."[25] Leaders in Latter Rain frequently referred to the second chapter of the Old Testament book of Joel as their proof text, redirecting its prophecy from its original context of ancient Israel to that of modern times by alleging that key phrases within the chapter symbolically pointed to the 20th century. The "day of the Lord" (Joel 2:2) was repurposed to mean "End of Days," the "northern army" (Joel 2:20) and "desolation" (Joel 2:3) referred to the World Wars, and verses 21 through 25 became the proof text used to declare the movement's authority and position as "spiritually elite" compared to the rest of Christianity. The movement declared itself to be the "latter rain" that would fall near the End of Days, and claimed to be the "restored" church, God's army of "Christian soldiers" rising against the forces of evil:

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

Joel 2:22-25

William Branham, who claimed that his ministry fell within the prophet category of the Latter Rain Five-Fold Ministry, made frequent use of the title Spoken Word of God[26] for his sermons, which were eventually recorded, branded, and sold with this title.[27] Branham believed that the Five-Fold office of prophet (his particular gift) had superiority to the other offices, alleging that Jesus Christ would be manifested in the form of a prophet.[28] Combining verse 25 from Joel chapter two with John 10:34 from the New Testament, Branham taught members of his sect that they were gods[29] through the manifestation of God present in his own Spoken Word.[30] This doctrinal position was popularized through George Warnock's 1951 book, The Feast of Tabernacles, branding the doctrine Manifested Sons of God[31] and eventually giving rise to the New Apostolic Reformation movement. It also spawned a group of militant Christians – claiming to be the army from Joel 2:25 – which would for a period of time be known as Joel's Army. In the movement's infancy, however, another sect would emerge: Peoples Temple, the followers of one-time Five-Fold minister[32] and Latter Rain evangelist, James Warren Jones.

Jim Jones joined Branham's sect of the Latter Rain movement through Latter Rain leader Joseph Mattsson-Boze[33] after being introduced to the sect in a Columbus, Indiana, Latter Rain Pentecostal church convention.[34] Like Branham, Jones presented himself as a prophet, and his followers referred to him as Elijah[35] in the pattern of Branham's Manifested Sons of God Theology. According to Branham, the Elijah of the 20th century was the return of Jesus Christ:

The Elijah of this day is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is to come according to Matthew the seventeen-…Luke 17:30, is, the Son of man is to reveal Himself among His people. Not a man, God! But it'll come through a prophet.[36] – Branham, William.

This Manifested Son of God theme would be used throughout Jones' ministry, both during his time as a minister and evangelist in Branham's Message[37] cult following and afterward. Using the same passages from the Bible, both the second chapter of the book of Joel and the 10th chapter of the book of John, Jones declared himself to be the manifested Christ:

I swear to you that, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. This is that which was and is to come. (Voice strengthens and rises) This is your salvation. You are looking at the Temple of the Holy Ghost. You are looking at the body of Jesus Christ. (Cries) Some are in the room, are sick and asleep because they don't discern the body of Christ. They don't understand the Godship degree. Jesus said, we all are gods, and I had to come back to remind you what I told you 2000 years ago. I'm on the scene to tell you, ye are gods. And not take it away. Won't let you take it away. So don't be judges of the fact, that my people say I am God. Jesus said, ye are gods. Ye all are gods.[38] – Jim Jones

Though it has been argued by some that Jim Jones may have been an atheist,[39] research into the Manifested Sons of God foundation for Jones' theological platform suggests that the term "Christian extremist" may be more suitable. Jones claimed that his affiliation with the Latter Rain movement was short-lived after learning that William Branham did not believe the Bible,[40] and Jones himself began introducing religious doctrines most Christian theologians associate with other world religions. While mainstream theologians would consider such extra-biblical doctrines to be incompatible with Christianity, members of the Latter Rain sect were accustomed to their Five-Fold Ministry leaders introducing religious beliefs not based on the Bible Canon.[41] Because followers of their teachings were trained to believe that the voices of these leaders were capable of the literal creation of new Scripture,[42] extra-biblical teachings became biblical simply due to the authority of the speaker who was making the statement. Adherents to the Manifested Sons of God sect believed that as time progressed, the manifestation of God in their specific central figure would increase in power to the extent that the speaker could become a creator simply by speaking life and/or objects into existence. The speaker would become immortal, the manifestation would overcome the human body, and the human would become God. This doctrine originated with William Branham, who claimed to have the supernatural power to speak squirrels[43] into existence:

Did you notice? When He went to make water into wine, He took water, first; an already created substance, and turned it into wine. When He fed five thousand people, He took a fish that once swam in the water, broke it, hand it out, and multiplied creation. He took bread that was once wheat, baked into bread, broke it and hung it out to the…hand it out to the people, and it returned back again. Multiplied creation! But in the last days, where there is no sign of creation, He speaks it into creation, anyhow, shows to be the same God that was in the beginning. He can create squirrels, He can create whatever He wants to, because He is God. "Greater things than this will you do, for I go unto My Father." The Word is infallible, and It has to be manifested and has to be fulfilled. "Greater than this shall you do," not multiplying, but speaking out into creation. Notice at the Word now when He promised. Where, where we at, then? What day are we living in? What is the hour? The manifesting of the Word of God, like it is in all hours. You got the Message on The Seven Church Ages. Watch exactly how each one of those beasts that went out, and the Beasts that followed them. Watch exactly if it didn't hit down through the reformers age, and every age, just exactly the way it was supposed to be, exactly what the Word said. And so will the Holy Spirit manifest today just exactly what the Bible said it would be.[44] – William Branham

This was the premise for Jones' position of authority over members of Peoples Temple, a doctrinal position that would remain his foundation over two decades after his involvement with William Branham and Latter Rain[45] in Indianapolis, Indiana. Researchers familiar with Jones' seemingly atheistic statements about the Bible are familiar with his open declaration that he did not believe the Old Testament's authority or accuracy, and from the surface, atheist would seem to be an accurate label. Some of the statements made by Jones in his sermons sounded as though they were ridiculing the Bible by using examples popular in the atheist community[46] such Judges 1:19 stating that God "could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron."

That's what the book just got through saying, he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots made of iron. (Ministerial fervor) What kind of a penny-ante little weak-kneed {sounds like} hackneyed God is that? What kind of God is it that cannot drive out a bunch of people, because they got chariots made a iron? You better give him up.[47] – Jim Jones

In the very next statement, however, Jones declared his achievement of reaching unity with God in the Manifested Sons of God doctrine, telling his listeners not to listen to the atheist reasoning because he himself was God incarnate. His intent was not to reject the Bible, but instead to replace the Bible – as was common among leaders in Latter Rain[48], especially within the Manifested Sons of God sect.  Not only was Jones a Manifested Son of God to his followers, he was God incarnate.

No, I'll tell you the God I serve, the God that I represent here, the God that I am incarnate and manifesting, he can do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you are able to ask or to think.[49] – Jim Jones

While it may seem atheistic or anti-biblical to mainstream Christianity, this notion of the Spoken Word replacing Scripture was a fundamental part of the Manifested Sons of God sect. As William Branham propagated his version of the Manifested Sons of God doctrine, he claimed that each age had a messenger, each messenger had a message, and the message for a past age was not valid for those living in future ages:

Now, God's promise to Noah won't work for us today. God's promise to—to Moses, we couldn't have Moses' Message. Moses couldn't had Noah's message. We got the Message of the hour. We couldn't have had Luther's message. We couldn't have had Wesley's message. This is another time. God allotted His Word to each age.[50] – William Branham

There are many branches that grew from the Voice of Healing and/or Latter Rain revival that began shortly after William Branham's 1947-1948 campaigns through Canada. Many of these branches were not named until years after the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. Joel's Army, for example, was not widely used to describe members of the Latter Rain movement until C. Fuller Wagner, John Wimber, and Rick Joyner named their set of doctrinal beliefs in 1990.[51] Yet these branches are based upon Branham's teaching.[52] When one takes the time to examine Jones' doctrinal teaching from the time he worked with William Branham and Joseph Mattsson-Boze to the infamous "death tape" of 1978,[53] it is evident that Jones used Branham's Manifested Sons of God theology as the foundation to his ministry. In fact, Jones himself made this declaration in December of 1966:

The whole of our revelation could be summed in those few words, that we are here to make manifest a spirit of the conscious presence of God, which is the source of all supply and the satisfactor– satisfier of every good desire.[54]– Jim Jones

I have come on the wings of this morning to make God manifest, to dwell in your midst (Psalm 139, esp. Psalm 139:9-10, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Also, reference to Jesus as manifestation of God, esp. at 1 John 3:8, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."). And I know that I have not counted some sort of principle that cannot be recreated or maximized in our midst. Because he said, when it was spoken of Jesus, why are you the– called the son of God? He said, is it not written that ye are Gods and sons of the most high? (John 10:33-34, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?") And did he not declare that he said these things shall you do and greater, because I go to the Father because I have come? (John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.")[55] – Jim Jones

As late as the 1970s, Jones admitted that the Manifested Sons of God theology was the only way of escape for members of Peoples Temple. According to Jones, he had received deity status, and in order to escape, his followers must also achieve their ascension to become a Manifested Son of God:

We're in a mess. There're all kinds of laws that are taking away our freedoms, while these bunch of jacklegs get up and say, well, it's all right now, honey, just keep waiting on, wait on, 'cause Jesus gonna come pretty soon and take us out of this mess. What I'm trying to say to you, nobody gonna take you out of this mess until (cries out) you do something about this mess you're gonna stay in this mess. That's why I say shocking things, like saying I'm God manifested. That's why I shock you, so you'll be able to shock yourself into seeing that you are what I am, that you have to be exactly what I am, or you're not going to get out of your mess.[56] – Jim Jones

Maintaining his position of authority, however, required Jones' level of manifestation be greater than that of Peoples Temple members. Jones alleged that his current level of manifestation was the highest level in the history of the world – more than Branham or Jesus Christ Himself. Like Branham,[57] Jones positioned himself as Messenger of God.

And it's so often the case, that my people around, even Peoples Temple, who've met the highest degree of God that's ever been in the universe, people in this atmosphere have met the highest manifestation that's ever walked on earth.[58] – Jim Jones

In the future, as I've said, you are privileged now, you've known the words social, we're now translating it to apostolic. Now it's the highest manifestation of God, or the very strongest messenger of God, or the only voice of God.[59] – Jim Jones

Jones even used the Manifested Sons of God foundation to incorporate themes from other ancient religions into his ministry:

That's what Jesus came to manifest, Krishna, and all the prophets of the great holy orders came to manifest, that we are temples of the living God. Today we have come desperately in this hour, seeking a manifestation of God. For if God is not manifest in our midst, how are we to believe?[60] – Jim Jones

In some cases, Jones' reference to the Manifested Sons of God theology was subtle and might have otherwise gone unnoticed. When Jones quoted scriptures such as "He that liveth in me" and "He that believeth in Me," the casual listener might assume that Jones was referring to Christians accepting the Holy Spirit and believing in Christ. His reference, however, was to the Spoken Word of Jesus, which Jones claimed to be manifesting. It was his Spoken Word that healed the sick in the 20th century, not the words of Christ.

He that liveth in me, and believeth in me, shall never die. We are seeing this demonstration, this unfoldment take place before our very eyes. Each service we see cancers expectorated, we see cripples walk. Last week, there was one that was lame, lame for some 20 years, unable to walk, but the Spoken Word went forth, and the discernment about her condition was given, and with that inspiration of faith, she moved instantly, out into the aisles, and she danced and run as a young hart would prance forth through the water brook.[61] – Jim Jones

The Manifested Sons of God doctrine was the foundation for Jones' healing ministry. Christian listeners who were unaware of Jones' usage of the doctrine might assume his reference to the presence of God was similar to that of other Christian pastors who call upon the Holy Spirit to enter the congregation for a healing touch. Jones claimed that he was living in this consciousness, however, alleging that he was not calling the Presence among his congregation, he himself was manifesting the Presence through himself.

Yea, the cripples are walking, the blind both spiritually and materially are seeing, cancerous growths are passed in every service, every form of miracle known to man are being manifested in our Peoples Temple Garden of Eden acreage here in Redwood Valley. This is the source of supply, the actual conscious presence of God, and if we will invoke the spirit of good will and harmony towards all people, that God is no respecter of persons, and live in this consciousness, that he is with us today, as he was in yesterday. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.[62] – Jim Jones

Manifested Sons of God theology was the foundation for Jones' prophetic ministry. Jones alleged that the Word was incarnate anew through his prophetic gift, usage of the word reincarnation in Jones' ministry referred to that of being a Manifested Son:

With his coming in the One Hundred Fold degree of expression, manifesting the will of the Father in the Spirit of Prophecy, the Word becomes incarnate anew. Our bodies are made whole, and our minds are renewed as on that Pentecostal day.[63] – Jim Jones

That's my desire. I did not come this far by faith to just end this race as being one manifested son. I'm in a school of prophets. This thing is, as I said, as reincarnatable as the breath you breathe. It's just as reincarnatable as the smile of a child, and we want to learn God's ways. Live him and personify him. Say, well, why haven't you sent people out with the gifts before now? You've got to have the fruits of the Spirit[64] – Jim Jones

After Jones purchased the Happy Acres ranch in Redwood Valley, he published his first issue of The Living Word,[65] a phrase Branham commonly used for his Manifested Sons of God theology[66] and likely Jones' claim to be the Spoken Word for Peoples Temple members.[67] The title was not the only reference to Branham's theology, however. The publication was filled with references to the Manifested Sons of God based on Branham's teaching. Reading the segments of the publication pertaining to the Manifested Sons of God doctrine, it was evident that Jones was attempting to create Joel's Army. According to Jones, this age (referring to William Branham's "church ages"[68]) required Manifested Sons of God to lead the faithful into the new age:

By manifesting His Greatest Infinite Supernatural Presence through our beloved Pastor, Jim Jones

…another sister who was miraculously delivered by the power of Christ working through Pastor Jones. Praise God for this divine manifestation!

What the age needs now is a manifestation of the Sons of God; not servants to God, not slaves of God, but the very Sons of Almighty God!

Today God is preparing a people to lead the world into the New Age. In these last days before the ushering in of this new millenium, the Holy Spirit is quickening within the Sons of God.

The Sons of God are given experiences from which knowledge comes.

Because we have seen The Holy Spirit made manifest in him, we do know and can affirm the Spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Living Word incarnate.

The most chilling example of Jones' usage of the Manifested Sons of God theology, however, is found on the "Death Tape." Immediately after Peoples Temple member Lue Ester Lewis referred to Jones as the Savior and before stating that "you must be prepared to die," Jim Jones referenced the Manifested Sons of God theology. Jones stated that he had "made [his] manifestation," and that Peoples Temple members must leave this world in order to testify to the other people in the current age:

I've saved them. I saved them, but I made my example. I made my expression. I made my manifestation, and the world was ready — not ready for me. Paul said, "I was a man born out of due season." I've been born out of due season, just like all we are, and the best testimony we can make is to leave this goddamn world.[69] – Jim Jones

The tragic loss of life that followed is a reminder to all that there are grave and sometimes deadly consequences to involvement with movements having a foundation that is incompatible their mainstream counterparts. Though intentions may seem justified in the its infancy, critical thinking and examination is required to ensure those intentions remain valid as the movement begins to grow roots. In the case of the Manifested Sons of God doctrine and its modern form, where supreme authority and/or deity status is given to religious leadership, checks and balances do not exist. Without those checks and balances, the tragedy that happened at Jonestown will become history repeated.