Marc Dupont is a Church leader and so called "prophet" of the Toronto Airport Church, formerly associated with the Vineyard Fellowship, and has written specifically about the "roaring" or growling phenomenon witnessed as part of what has been termed the "Toronto Blessing". What follows is an assessment of his views as quoted in an article entitled "1994: The Year of the Lion" published by Mantle of Praise Ministries Incorporated, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Dupont insists that Amos 3:8 applies to today, and that it is the Lord God who is currently inspiring the "roaring" phenomenon. He writes, "There have been many people who have been roaring as lions in the meetings as the Spirit of God has come on them." A cursory reading of the context (Amos 3:1-4) shows that in this, as in just about every other reference to "roaring" in the Scriptures, this was a sign of God's judgement of Israel, and their imminent punishment. Any good Bible concordance shows conclusively that references to "roar," "roaring" and "roared" found in the context of a lion have to do with the presence of evil, of destruction, and, when applied to the Lord God, refers to His impending judgement of sin, not blessing. With the same lack of regard for Scripture, Mike Fearon asserts that "roaring people are usually intercessors involved in promoting unity" (A Breath of Fresh Air 1994: p.99)

The bankruptcy of Dupont's exegetical abilities is evident when he has to quote from the fictional story, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," by C.S. Lewis, to explain the reason for this apparently new way of Divine working. Referring to something "Aslan" the lion says in the book, Dupont asserts, "This in essence is the revelation that the bride of Christ needs today...." I suspect Dupont and others caught up in the roaring phenomenon have been influenced more by Walt Disney's film "The Lion King" than with the Spirit of God. Clifford Hill comments on reports linking this "Blessing" with people making roaring animal noises.

(PWM Team Ministries, November 1994)

Clifford Hill points out that the prophet Jeremiah associates "roaring like a lion", with the occult spirit of Babylon, and their shouts of laughter as a sign of their impending destruction.

Ignoring this warning of judgement, Dupont equates the "Toronto Blessing" with what he describes as "a party the Father is throwing," an idea taken from the Parable of the Lost Son. Others have similarly compared it with a banquet. This is actually a form of "realised eschatology" where promises that relate to the future are applied to the present.

The Scriptures teach that the "marriage supper of the Lamb" will be in heaven in the future, not now, on earth (Isaiah 25:6-9). Yes, there is joy and times of celebration now, but essentially the Christian calling is one of battle and toil (John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; Rom 8:19-25; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:1-6; 1 Peter 2:21). We look forward to the banquet with sure and certain hope (Revelation 19:7-9).

With reference to the challenge of discipleship, Dupont states,

It is most inappropriate to claim that Jesus was "troubled by the price tag He paid to be obedient." It is wiser and more reverent to retain some sense of mystery about the uniqueness, and the extent of the agony the Lord suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Lord was always obedient (John 14:31). Obedience did not trouble Him. I do not believe we can come remotely close to understanding what He must have felt, knowing He would shortly suffer separation from the Father for the first time in eternity, and take upon Himself the sins of the world. That is what caused Him intense suffering. There is no comparison between the cross we are called to carry, and that which Christ carried for the sake of the world.

It is also worth remembering in Hebrews we are told,

For Dupont to claim this is a "time when He is going for the nations" again suggests an ignorance of the work of God over the last 2000 years, and an exaggerated view of his own church's self importance in the fulfilment of God's purposes. Has God never before been concerned to reach the nations? Dupont also insists that "radical evangelism" associated with "miracles" is superior to mission and evangelism, and is "a sign of what is to come." This is simply "power evangelism" under another name, something which, has now been discredited. (see John Wimber, friend or foe? by Philip Jensen, St Matthias Press, 1990).

Dupont suggests that Joel's prophecy relates to now in what he calls this "end time restoration", and seems to ignore the fact that Peter understood this to have come true on the Day of Pentecost, 2000 years ago. This may indeed still apply today but we have been in the "last days" for rather a long while. Furthermore, those who want to apply Joel 2:28-29 as being fulfilled now, conveniently ignore the following verses 2:30-32. Why the one and not the other? Neither Joel nor Acts indicate that we should understand their fulfilment to be associated with the kind of manifestations associated with the Toronto Blessing. In this respect Dupont also misuses Acts 1:8.

Dupont talks about being "clothed with power" as if it were an end in itself without recognising that the "power" God promised was given to enable the church to be witnesses. He insists that whereas people (at Toronto) may have had an experience of the power of God, they are now being, or need to be "indwelt" by God. This is to deny basic Biblical references which teach that the believer, from conversion, is "indwelt" by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:13) It is nonsense therefore to suggest that this is something to be sought or a description of what is happening now.

Most worrying of all, Dupont's paper is littered with biblical references to Divine judgement which he insists will fall on those who doubt or question that this movement is a work of God. It is very disturbing to find so-called Christians speaking in this way of other believers. It is significant, however, that this is precisely how heretical "Word-Faith" teachers such as Benny Hinn and Kenneth Hagin criticise their opponents. Dupont refers to, or quotes from, an amazing array of passages to silence criticism. These include 1 Kings 13:4 (the unbelieving King got a withered arm); Judges 1:2; Judges 20:18; Proverbs 6; Isaiah 58; 2 Cor 3:6; Malachi 3:16; 2 Kings 5:26 (Gehazi's disobedience led to leprosy); 1 Kings 13:26 (the disobedient prophet was killed by a lion); Ephesians 4:30; James 4:5; John 15:2 (the branch cut off); Jeremiah 6:14; 8:14; Isaiah 42:13,16. In fact the entire paper seems to be designed to do just that-silence criticism. Dupont is at least honest when he says, with reference to the story of the prophet mauled by a lion, "This may sound like a harsh Old Testament story for Christians today, but I believe this is really a picture of God's jealousy over those that He gives revelation of Himself to."

I think Dupont ought to read John 10:27-30 (in relation to our security) and Revelation 22:18 (in relation to all these new extra-Biblical revelations).