The JoCo

"Their greatest joy is plundering the wealth of the world for their lord." -Bob Fraser, director of The Joseph Company



Part 1 -- The Church..."Left Behind"

The Joseph Company is less about "ministry in the marketplace", and more about a provisioning scheme for the end times. It this manner it differs little from the Y2K schemes that plagued the church just a few years ago. A simple review of the vision statement provided by the Joseph Company will confirm this to be true.


The premise of this concept is that there will be a great end-times judgment (there will) and the emergence of "the (left-behind) Bride of Christ" to release "abundant supply." In this manner, the Joseph Company distances itself from the pre-tribulational viewpoint held by many (most) Protestants. Although it is often confused and contradictory, the theology of the Joseph Company, and many charismatic churches today, is post-tribulational and typically a variant of post-millennialism. 15 years ago most charismatic churches were pre-tribulational. The theological shift is significant. They now believe that the church will not be raptured.

The usual response is that such talk is devisive. Can't we all be friends?

Friends discuss the bible together. Consider this:

It is unknown how "the bride will be the epicenter of supply and sanctuary" without taking the mark of the beast, as all commerce during the end times will be regulated by the anti-Christ. This theological slant is worth noting simply because few proponents of the Joseph Company have thought this through.

As bait for the bigger picture, they emphasize the "ministry in the marketplace" (lay ministry) aspect of this program. It is far more than the simple model promoted by organizations such as the ICWM. The JoCo organization, and parent church (Kansas City Fellowship) has its roots in Kingdom Theology (Dominion Now!) and this can been seen in their vision statement. In extreme versions of this warped theology Christ never makes a physical return to the earth, but the body of Christ somehow morphs into Christ himself, negating the need for a physical return in the end times.

The usual response is that such talk is devisive. Can't we all be friends?

Ok, just for drill let's pretend that theology is not important. Let's talk about wealth. Any fool (outside the church) knows that gold corrupts. Let's "follow the money."

Part II -- "the power to get wealth"

"This plan must surely stir every member of the body of Christ to step out and play their part in this plan and plunder the ungodly of their wealth and pass it on to the extension of the Kingdom."

The "Great Transfer of Wealth" (GTOW) is another hallmark of this program. Seen by many names, the concept is the next logical progression from the now-stale Charismatic prosperity gospel.

The concept behind GTOW is that God will ordain the transfer of wealth (from the wicked) to the Godly. As explained by Latter-Rain theologian C. Peter Wagner, the GTOW looks more like a multi-level marketing scheme than anything God would have in mind. Really!

Which fits right in with the Joseph Company, if you review the internships offered for seemingly exorbitant sums of money.

Mention of this has (wisely) been removed from the JoCo website(archive), but the deal is this- if you "qualify", you could be invited to invest into business incubator-type programs. Presumably, the "qualification" is gullibility and a thick checkbook. The investment-scheme flavor of this program should make anyone with an IQ above room-temperature uncomfortable.



Joseph Company founder Bob Fraser calls those who take money from the wicked the "treasure bringers" ("providers" in Wagner's scheme shown below). According to Fraser, "The Treasure Bringers are those with an anointing from God to facilitate this massive wealth-transfer." "They are spiritual 'Robin Hoods.' Their greatest joy is plundering the wealth of the world for their Lord." Now that's a religion that's easy to sell. link


The GTOW concept is not new. Here is another explanation of this concept:

The bible sets forth a divine plan of God that as we draw near to the second return of Jesus, his Kingdom will grow through out the world and his kingdom will draw in the wealth of the ungodly and will use it to bless and bring the Kingdom to the poor and lost and the last and the least. This plan must surely stir every member of the body of Christ to step out and play their part in this plan and plunder the ungodly of their wealth and pass it on to the extension of the Kingdom. link

The key verse quoted by JoCo and others is Isaiah 60:11 which is often quoted "so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations." Interestingly, KJV says "the Gentiles", which describes most Christians today. I might mention that Isiaih 60 talks about the Glory of Zion- so this third-wave interpetation is made by those who do not believe in a literal restoration of Zion, but believe instead that God is finished with Israel and that the Church has become the spiritual Israel. Not all of us are convinced.

Part III - "Cities of Habitation"

Finally, it is worth noting the Latter Rain concept of "cities of habitation" promoted by the Joseph Company as noted in the vision statement. This is a central theme in the third-wave movement (see "The Third Day Church" sections 5 & 6). It is hard to differentiate this concept from cult-like communities such as the Branch Davidians. Indeed, little is said about this, but according to testimony from the late 80s, it in fact has been the intention with the Bickle crowd from the start:

"We also asked him in a congregational meeting about the so-called JosephCompany, which we had heard about. This was to be a community that he was beginning, which would be totally independent of all outside needs, such as electricity, water, etc. . ..Mike denied that such a plan existed. "While in his church for a meeting, they passed out literature asking for electricians, builders, etc., to help in building this community, the Joseph Company." link (see page 50)

The concept of "Cities of refuge" or "Cities of habitation" is common within the third-wave movement; Rick Joyner has been embroiled in controversy in North Carolina with county officials who are seeing their tax-base eroded as more and more property becomes exempt.Charlotte Observer

The Jo-Co concept of "Cities of Habitation" with "self-government" should alarm localities even more. As stated earlier, "It is hard to differentiate this concept from cult-like communities such as the Branch Davidians." Hard, because in a practical sense, you cannot.

The Sum of the Parts

Eschatology is important, even if many do not want to discuss it. I think it is interesting that the last time the church was involved in plundering was when it thought that the millenium was finished. In 1095, a thousand years after Christ, the Church started a series of holy wars known as the Crusades. A prominent feature of the Crusades was the plunder of wealth from the ungodly.

Now we have a church that thinks, once again, that things are coming to an end, and that we must somehow by brute force (Joel's Army) establish His kingdom on earth. The call to plunder, ultimately to finance the "cities of habitation" is the natural evolution of such a mindset. In King James, the word "natural" is typically rendered "carnal." It is.

Originally posted June 11, 2005

Footnote: A good discussion of the last-days viewpoint of the Kansas City Fellowship and its confused eschatology is here.

The Rod of Iron

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:5 (KJV)


"Some believe that the second coming of Jesus is to be “in the Church,” before he comes for the Church. That the Church, his body will actually become Christ on earth, glorious and triumphant. They will go Conquer the land and then rule the nations with a rod of iron." link

Rather than try to explain what this militant end-times church will look like, let me quote some of its proponents, or articles illustrating these points. They will speak for themselves.



We all have a problem when Mike Bickle promotes an “elected seed generation” theology for his “Movement” that is so wild and so preposterous that it could only have come out of visions from his “prophets.” For example:

Their literal children, those born since 1973, are the “elected seed,” hand-selected by Jesus and the angels from “billions of little round yellow things” up in heaven to be born into the families of the “Movement.” The “little yellow things” are seeds from actual bloodlines, and they are the “best of every bloodline that’s ever been--Paul, David, Peter, James and John--the best of their seed unto this generation,” predestined and hand-picked to be part of the “end-time Omega generation.” They are described as the “chosen generation of all history” who will “possess the Spirit without measure.” This specific generation is the “bride of Christ...the man-child of Revelation 12...the ministry of perfection...the Melchizedek priesthood...the manifested sons of God--Romans 8:19-23...the 144,000 servants--Revelation 7:4...Joel’s army,” etc. link (large file)


Joyner's Bloody civil war in the church

His (Rick Joyner's) end-time scenario is that just as in the American Civil war there will be a war in the church - between the blues (federals) and the greys (confederates). In the prophecy a Grand Ball is held where both sides mix and dance until war breaks out and the blues and greys once again fight to the death. The blues fight to free the church from slavery against the 'grey' confederates, who defend slavery. What Joyner means by slavery is slavery to God's Word (the Bible) What he and his side will effectively be fighting is those opposed to 'freedom 'in the spirit'.

Joyner declares that 'the party' that God is currently 'throwing' (the alleged global revival) will presently give way to a bloody civil war in the church when those who war with the 'blues' will 'either be converted or removed from their place of influence in the church.' Joyner believes that the 'grays' - effectively those who refuse to move from their belief in the Scriptures as the Word of God - will thus be eliminated from the church, by force. link

Full text of Joyner's Vision scroll down 1 page.

Here is an interesting response to Joyner from a Charismatic:

If there is a Civil War in the church, I am convinced that those who participate in it will have no part whatsoever in the coming move of God. Surely it makes sense that God would give all these visions of the coming Civil War as a WARNING, not as some kind of invitation to participate in it!?link



Latter Rain gives all the above names and possibly more for the same elite group within the Church. They will be Christ incarnated on earth and are considered equal to Christ as his body on earth, Jesus being the head. Their teaching is that Christ must first come within the church before he can come for the church. This teaching envisions a civil war within the church in which there will be a dismantling of denominations and traditional organizations and judgment on those who will not buy into this revival, even to the point of bloodshed (Phineas Priesthood). They will take over the world for Christ and most of the world will come under the domination of the church.

J. Preston Eby, who had some contact with the 1948 Latter Rain, has lived to be a contemporary Latter Rain teacher. He sums up their mission by characterizing their movement as “a people being prepared for the coming third outpouring . . . this third great work of the Spirit shall usher a people into full redemption—free from the curse, sin, sickness, death and carnality.”

In Joel chapter 2, by an allegorical interpretation, the locusts are figured to be the church militant (Joel’s Army); in Revelation 12, the woman is the church who gives birth to the elite “Man-child” company who rules the nations with a rod of iron. The Church and Jesus are equal as parts of the “Christ.” All the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel are applied to the church. Many of the Messianic prophecies concerning the reign of Christ are applied to the church. link



We are the man-child, we are the fulfillment of the prophecy that have just been birthed. Who are we? The true prophets of the last days bear witness to the truth that the five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists will march in rank bringing the last days message to the world and that we are clothed with the sun and Jesus has placed the crown of apostolic order upon the woman's head with us as her jewels. This many membered man-child in the beauty of holiness with the fullness of the spirit will rule the nations according to His promise and joined with Jesus as our Lord. The proclamation of this truth will bring forth the restoration of all things and the latter rain outpouring unto all the earth, reconciling man and God in preparation of the harvest before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. This royal priesthood will come forth with the anointing and power to bring the church into the holy of holies and fulfill the prayer of Jesus that we should all be one. The enemy seeks to devour the child, take courage. link






The proponents of the Latter Rain / Manifested Sons of God theology belive that the church is "Joel's Army," that is, the "horde of locusts" spoken of in the book of Joel. This theology is a violent theology, one that pits believer agains believer, and one that advocates bloodshed. In this scheme of things, this is necessary for the Church to rise up and take its rightful place in rule and authority.

In my discussions about the Joseph Company I allude to these militant overtones. To some it may seem a bit "over the top." If this article has raised red-flags in your mind, please take it upon yourself to study the resources in the right-hand column, especially those specifically on the Latter Rain movement and the Manifested Sons of God. It is a lot of study but it is extremely important to understand exacly what is behind the third-wave movement today.

Originally posted June 11, 2005