Index to All Four Sections PART I ... Introduction. The never ending quest for signs and wonders. Slain In The Spirit. The final arbitrator - When it comes to spiritual matters ALL our decisions have be based NOT what took place in this ministry or that, NOT on anything anyone may claim or teach, and NOT on personal experiences (whether our own or someone else's), but on what the Word of God says - Nothing more, nothing less. YOU ARE HERE  PART II ... Is There A Biblical Basis For Being "Slain" or "Resting" In The Spirit? Examining the 'Proof Texts' . PART III ... Related Phenomena - Is there any Biblical support for Shaking In The Spirit, being Drunk In The Spirit, "Holy" Laughter, or Trances? PART IV... Comparing the supposedly 'Christian' phenomenon of 'Slain In The Spirit' with the ancient Hindu tradition of 'Awakening' Kundalini - an intelligent and contagious life force associated with the goddess Shakti. Can You Tell The Difference between the physical manifestations of 'Slain in The Spirit' and an 'awakened' Kundalini On This Page
Is There A Biblical Basis For Being "Slain" or "Resting" In The Spirit? Examining the 'Proof Texts' ... Involuntarily Falling People Fell Before The Magnificence of What they Were Seeing
Something No One In The Modern Church Can Claim Many People Who Fell Were Either Helped Up Or Instructed to Stand. Paul - The Road to Damascus Peter - Acts 10.10 Jesus - John 18.6 The "Ministry" of the Catchers Summary Foot Note I - Voluntarily Falling
Is There A Biblical Basis For Being "Slain" or "Resting" In The Spirit?
Some years ago Bill Jackson of the Vineyard wrote an article entitled What In The World Is Happening To Us? saying
The most common phenomena we have seen in our meetings is people falling down, commonly called "resting in the Spirit." Often they remain conscious but engaged with the Lord. They feel weak and find it difficult to do anything but rest with God. We have seen that as they lay with the Lord, they have had significant changes in their lives. [02]
Claiming that the Slain in the Spirit phenomena is "documented both in Scripture and in historical texts, providing solid Biblical precedent for what takes place. [03] He then presented arguments in favor of the "Biblical and historical viability of exotic phenomena such as laughter and falling". Although the article was written a while ago - in 1994 to be exact - The Biblical verses Mr. Jackson points to are typical of the usual "proof texts" used to support the phenomena. The problem being that it is impossible to find any similarity between the Biblical occurrences and what goes on in some charismatic arenas. for example, there isn't a single instance in the Bible of anyone falling down when another person laid hands on or prayed for them. When the Bible tells us that people 'fell on their faces' it wasn't a power or force transmitted from one person to another; it was a human response to God's glory. Yet, (Benny Hinn aside) in the modern church people are only 'Slain in The Spirit' through the direct ministry of another person, usually by being physically touched by that person. This fact alone should give any thinking Christian pause for thought. Unfortunately, in our day and age vast numbers of believers rely more on what they feel and experience than Biblical knowledge. Note however that several people in the Scriptures voluntarily fell before the Lord which was not an unusual practice in the day. However, this article is focused on the few recorded instances of people in the Bible who involuntarily fell to the ground in the presence of the Almighty God. See Footnote Voluntary Falling.
Examining the 'Proof Texts' ... Involuntarily Falling
A Proof Text is a portion of Scripture that, when taken in context, validates a particular position we are taking. The Context is the part of a text or statement that surrounds the text in question. No Biblical author simply strung together a number of lofty sounding phrases disconnected from one another. Much to the contrary every single verse is an integral part of a particular point the author was trying to make. Thus no one should read, much less base their beliefs on stand alone verses. In order to accurately determine the message that verse or passage was meant to convey, one has to read the immediate surrounding verses, the entire chapter, or even more than chapter.
Reading the context carefully will illuminate the passage in question and very often will throw a different light on it. In other words it may not mean exactly what you thought it meant or had previously been lead to believe. See Context is CRUCIAL Thus if you genuinely wish to know whether the Scriptures actually support the 'Slain in The Spirit' phenomenon then you have to be willing to carefully consider the context and the circumstances surrounding the so called "proof texts" - not just superficially read only the passage in question (something no believer should ever do). I believe you will find that although people did involuntarily fall to the ground in the presence of Almighty God, it happened very rarely and always under very unusual or special circumstances. With the exception of the prophet Ezekiel who fell on his face several times when face to face with the "glory of the Lord, all other incidents were unique one time experiences, neither repeated time and time again nor continually sought after. In fact they were never sought after at all. And they bear no resemblance to the modern ''Slain in The Spirit'' phenomenon. The portions of Scripture used to try and validate the experience including Genesis15:12, 1 Samuel 19, 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, Ezekiel 1:28 and 3:23, Daniel 8:17 and 10:9, and John 18.6. However, this is a classic case of reading into the text what you have already decided to believe because as proof texts all of them are non-starters. Genesis 15:12: Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep (Heb. tardêmâh) fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.
There are only seven occurrences of Tardêmâh in the Old Testament - four when the Father caused a deep sleep to fall on someone for a very specific purpose So the Lord God caused a deep sleep (Heb. tardêmâh) to fall upon the man (Adam), and he slept (Heb. yâshên); then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. (Genesis 2:21 NASB) So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul's head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep (Heb. yâshên), because a sound sleep (Heb. tardêmâh) from the Lord had fallen on them. (1 Samuel 26:12 NASB) For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep (Heb. tardêmâh) , He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers. The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot, for it is sealed." (Isaiah 29:10-11 NASB)
John Wimber (founder of the Vineyard Churches) says that Bible translators incorrectly translated the word "sleep" in this verse. "How the interpreter gets "sleep" out of this, I'll never know. The word is yashen and it means to be slack. It means to be languid... It does not mean sleep. The Hebrew word for sleep is quite explicit. There are three words that are used commonly. This is not any of these three words". [Hank Hanegraaff. Counterfeit Revival. Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Expanded Edition (July 30, 2001). Pg. 201]
Used only about twenty times in the Old Testament, Strong's says Yâshên only means to be slack or languid by implication. The following examples show that it very definitely means literal "sleep" He lay down and slept (Heb. yâshên) under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." (1 Kings 19:5 NASB) So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept (Heb. yâshên), and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. (1 Kings 3:20 NASB) So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul's head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep (Heb. yâshên), because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. (1 Samuel 26:12 NASB) I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep (Heb. yâshên) in the woods. (Ezekiel 34:25 NASB)
What happened to Abraham is light years away from the concept of 'Resting in the Spirit'. The entire incident was a special event that confirmed God's covenant with Abraham (See Footnote II) Although Abraham would have both land and descendants it would not always go well for them. The "terror and great darkness" relates to the very next verse which has God telling Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years in a foreign land. (V.13) John Wimber and the Vineyard
While espousing a Biblical Christology John Wimber crossed the line to Eastern spiritual methodologies.The fact is that the Vineyard does adhere to a sound doctrine in statement. But the words don't line up with the deeds. 1 Samuel 19 He (Saul) proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (1 Samuel 19:23-24 NASB)
How can anyone can point to what happened to Saul as an example of something good is well beyond me. Please read the circumstances carefully. Chapter 19 is all about Saul's intent to kill David and how the Lord stopped him from doing so. Saul was being humbled when he lay down before the Lord for a day and a night. This is the story in brief. An evil spirit from the LORD came on Saul and he tried to pin David to the wall with his. However David managed to escape and the spear embedded in the wall (Vs. 9-10). Saul then sent messengers to David's house to kill him - a plan that was foiled by Michal, David's wife. Saul however was very persistent. He then sent messengers to Naioth at Ramah where David had taken refuge with Samuel. However, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's henchmen who began to prophesy. This was repeated two more times with the same result - the would be killers again did nothing but prophesy. (Vs. 20-21). Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah but the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah where he stripped off his clothes and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. (Vs. 22-24)
Sending the Holy Spirit on the men Saul sent to kill David was God's way of protecting David and sending Saul a message. However, when Saul did not heed the Lord and would not humble himself God the Spirit prompted Saul to divest himself of the symbols of royalty and lay down before the Lord in order to humble him.
People Fell Before The Magnificence of What they Were Seeing -
Something No One In The Modern Church Can Claim
2 Chronicles 5.13-14
The books of Kings and Chronicles relate the effect the presence of the Lord had on the priests of the Temple. Anyone who reads the context of these verses has to be struck by the sheer magnificence of the occasion... Solomon had just finished building the temple and filled it with the things his father David had dedicated to the Lord (2 Chronicles 5:1). He assembled the "the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel" and "all the men of Israel" (Vs. 2-3). After which the priests and Levites then "brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent" (Vs. 5). Then after the sacrifices were made, "the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. " (Vs. 7). This was followed by the Levitical singers, their sons and kinsmen all clothed in fine linen, standing at the east end of the altar with cymbals, harps and lyres, along with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison. It is then, as the Levites, singers, and musicians with one voice praised and glorified the Lord, (Vs. 12-13), that His glory descended and filled the house so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. (Vs. 13-14).
To compare something so sacrosanct with people rolling on the floor in a church or on a stage - often barking or howling is nothing more than sacrilege - the misuse or desecration of something sacred and worthy of extreme respect:
People Who Fell Were Often Helped Up Or Instructed to Stand.
Ezekiel As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. (Ezekiel 1:28 NASB)
Ezekiel chapter I describes everything the prophet saw that day. In summary, he saw a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, within which were figures resembling four living beings with four faces and four wings that gleamed like burnished bronze. Below their feet were four wheels like sparkling beryl and over their heads was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal. Above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne that looked like lapis lazuli on which was seated the likeness of a man'. above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. There was something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around and there was a radiance around Him.
The chapter ends with the words "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. The very next verses say "Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!" As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2:1-2 NASB)
This was EXACTLY what happened two chapter later on another occasion, So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house. (Ezekiel 3:23-24 NASB)
On both occasions Ezekiel didn't just lie there but was set on his feet by the Spirit and spoken to/given instructions. Please Note: When Ezekiel wrote was "something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal" over the heads of the four living beings he was describing something very significant - something that was earlier seen by Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu plus seventy of the elders of Israel, and much later by the disciple John. Actually, the story behind John's six words in Revelation 21:1("there is no longer any sea") is one of the most fascinating studies in Scripture. See What And Where is Heaven? Part VI - No More Sea? Daniel
Both Daniel and John had hugely important and related visions that described very significant events that would take place at the end of days. However, neither man went into a trance or any other kind of altered state of consciousness. And both were helped to their feet. All Emphasis Added So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. (Daniel 10:8-11 NASB) When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, "Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision." So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end." Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. He said, "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. (Daniel 8:15-19 NASB)
Although the Bible describes Daniel as falling into a deep sleep on both occasions, the words he "retained no strength" in the first quote sounds almost like he collapsed - what he saw was too much for flesh and bone to stand. In any case, the angel was very quick to 'bring him around' as it were. Also remember that the message or explanation of the vision was then relayed orally, which means that Daniel had to remember every word of what was told him. John When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (Revelation 1:17 NASB)
In this case John was overwhelmed by the sight of "one like a son of man whose appearance was more than magnificent (See Revelation 1:13-16). However, even after John fell at His feet like a dead man Christ touched him and reassured him that there was nothing to be afraid of then instructed the prophet to write the things he had seen. Quite obviously John was quite capable of hearing, understanding AND writing. What Jesus had to say to John began in verse 17 of chapter 1 and continued all the way through the third chapter. However, it is interesting that in the very first verse of chapter 4, John is told to "come up hither" and he would be shown the "things which must come to pass hereafter". John then says "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. (Revelation 4:2 NASB).
While one can not be certain of exactly what John meant by being in the spirit, it does show that this happened only after Jesus finished speaking. So there is no apparent correlation between falling as one dead and being in the spirit. Besides which, the only reason the Lord appeared to John was to give him the final chapters of the Bible... a far cry from the triviality heard in most churches today.
Paul - The Road to Damascus
Acts 9:3-4 says
As he (Saul) was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:3-4 NASB) (Also See Acts 26:14)
Saul was a professing Jew (See Philippians 3:5-6) who wholeheartedly believed that Christianity was an abhorrent perversion of Judaism and needed to be eliminated. Which is why he was traveling to Damascus intending to arrest anyone who belonged to "the Way" when the Lord dramatically intervened and changed the course of his life. However, when Luke wrote that Saul "fell to the ground" when "a light from heaven flashed around him", he did not tell us whether Saul was knocked off his horse by the Almighty or whether he simply fell off. Additionally, since it must have been terrifying for Saul to realize that he was suddenly in the presences of the great "I Am" - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, it is quite possible that he voluntarily fell on his face as did so many people in the Old Testament when in the presence of God Himself. Since Luke did not choose to clarify what caused Saul to fall off his horse, people tend read into the incident exactly what doctrine they wish it to provide support for. The only thing we know for certain is that there is absolutely no Biblical record of Paul ever falling again, nor of him ever 'slaying' anyone else in the Spirit. In fact, not one of the New Testament authors ever speak of this phenomenon.
Peter - Acts 10.10:
Certainly Peter fell into a trance when he went up on the housetop to pray but can we please remember that not only did he see a great sheet filled with four-footed animals, birds and crawling creatures but a voice thrice instructed him to "kill and eat". And that is not all. This was followed by the arrival of three men about whom the Spirit said
"But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself." (Acts 10:20 NASB) What is truly important is that this vision and the subsequent meeting with Cornelius and his family set the stage for the Gospel to be take to the Gentiles - after Peter related what had happened to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:7-20) Again a million miles from from the worthless false prophecy heard today in these sessions. See Prophets Or Deluded Charlatans
False prophets do not know what the word 'truth' means. Sadly both they and their followers have lost sight of the role and importance of Biblical prophets. Their highly exaggerated and delusional concept of their own importance has led them to portray themselves as hand-picked men and women of God when in fact, their so called "prophecies" are not only extravagant but usually couched in pretentious and grandiose language. What's worse is that few, if any, actually come to pass. Spoken today - forgotten tomorrow.
Jesus - John 18.6
When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, He
.... knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, "I am (Gr. ego eimi ) He," they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6 NASB)
About this verse Bill Jackson writes As Judas and the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they had an interesting encounter. "When Jesus said, 'I am he,' they jumped back and fell to the ground." Here we see an immediate falling back in response to the presence of Jesus. They were apparently able to get up shortly thereafter because they went on to arrest Jesus. [04 ] Note: The word "He" is in italics - the translators way of indicating that this word did not exist in the original Greek. The phrase ego eimi (I Am) was also used in John 8:24, 8:57-58 and John 13:19. Jesus was using the title that Yahweh used of Himself at the burning bush - a clear affirmation of his identity, Making this passage a 'proof text' for modern shenanigans misses the entire point. John's narrative clearly shows how much Jesus was not a tragic victim but in complete control of His arrest. "For hundreds of fully armed soldiers to fall to the ground in the presence of this unarmed man shows that He could have obliterated them as Elijah called down fire on the cohort sent to arrest him (2 Kings 1). He was not merely "Jesus the Nazarene"; He was God in human flesh!" [05] What is truly astonishing is how the soldiers got back to their feet and, ignoring this glimpse of power, proceeded to arrest Jesus.
The "Ministry" of the Catchers
Many churches that practice knocking people down with the supposed power of the Holy Spirit usually use "catchers" who are positioned behind those receiving prayer. Their job is to "catch" the people who are being 'Slain in The Spirit' lest they injure themselves falling backwards from a standing position. The "catchers" gently lower the person to the ground and often use a sheet to cover the lower halves of women lying on the floor.
I believe that some Charismatic churches even have written guidelines for catchers. However, this "ministry" has been unquestioningly accepted without giving the matter any thought nor applying one ounce of common sense to it. 1) If God is the one responsible for "blessing" people by dropping them to the floor why do we have to catch them? Is He not capable of seeing to it that they are "blessed" without injuring themselves? 2) It is also impossible to believe that He would allow His daughters to fall with their dresses hiked up and their legs at very inappropriate angles. DO you seriously thing His "blessing" would place a woman in an embarrassing position.
In any case, in spite of the best efforts of the "catchers", people have been injured in these church antics. At one of Benny Hinn's meetings held in September 1986, Mrs. Ella Peppard, an elderly lady was quickly pulled off stage by the ushers who sat her in a pew where she cried out in pain for 20 minutes... "The woman's family alleged the ushers refused to call an ambulance because an ambulance would not look good at a miracle service. A lawsuit was settled out of court. Hinn say he never knew the woman was injured or he would have sought medical help. [06]
Summary and Conclusion:
The Biblical occurrences have several points in common that show they bear no resemblance to what goes on in modern churches thus cannot be used to support the 'Slain in The Spirit' phenomena.
1) None of the Biblical figures were ever touched by another person and there is not one single instance in the Bible where the "power" is channeled through another person. They were not knocked down or put to sleep by the "spirit" but as a result of being overwhelmed by the presence of God - there never was any middle man. Yet, in modern day services God apparently only "moves" through an intermediary. (See Voluntarily Falling below) 2) They were in full control of themselves. None of them uttered gibberish, laughed hysterically, convulsed on the floor, described feelings of peace and tranquility, or the sensation of "electricity" going through their bodies... all of which are, in varying degrees and proportions, par for the course in today's manifestations. 3) At no time were any of the persons in the Bible oblivious to their surrounding but, much to the contrary, were all in complete control of their senses. For example, Joshua fell, then asked what the "captain of the host" had to say to him. Whereupon, the angel gave Joshua instructions to take his shoes off, which Joshua immediately obeyed. He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my Lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the Lord'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:14-15 NASB)
4) In several of the instances the Father Himself, Jesus in (Matthew 17:6-8), or even an angel, either lifted the person back onto his feet, instructed them to "arise", and/or told them not to be afraid. Multitudes fall in modern Charismatic services, but none have ever received supernatural encouragement to get up again.
The fact that something that took place on rare occasions, under some very exceptional circumstances, has become an every day occurrence in modern churches should raise questions about it's authenticity. To use these incidents as excuses for those who wish to get their whoop-de-doos down at the altar is to trivialize them beyond belief, and shows a very limited understanding of the importance of these occurrences. It reduces genuine encounters with the Lord to the level of entertainment and cheap thrills. But, in our "me" centered society we have, as usual, taken the focus off God, His prophets, and His message and placed it squarely on ourselves... what we feel, what we experience, what happens to us.
Foot Note I - Voluntarily Falling
In the past the expression to 'fall on ones face' was a well known and well understood euphemism for prostration or placing one's body in a prone position. In the east this prostration took the form of falling to ones knees then touching the earth with the forehead. It was a sign of respect for and submission to a superior being such as a king or other leader. It is also well worth noting that in at least two cases the Bible records that even demons or "unclean spirits" fell before the Lord Jesus. See Mark 3:11 and Luke 8:28 In the Bible people often voluntarily fell forward, their face to the ground as a sign of reverence and in acknowledgement of the glory and magnificence of God's presence. For example, Genesis 17:3 says "Abram fell (Hebrew nâphal) on his face, and God talked with him, saying..." Nâphal has been used well over 400 times in the Old Testament both for literal falling and as an expression (Then he fell (Heb. nâphal) on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. (Genesis 45:14 NASB) When people fell on their faces in the Old Testament they either heard someone else speaking, saw something (Abraham laughed) or said something themselves. In other words none of them were 'out of it'. Joshua 5:14-15: He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord." And Joshua fell (Heb. nâphal) on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my Lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the Lord'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:14-15 NASB) Judges 13:20-22: For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God." (Judges 13:20-22 NASB) Ezekiel 1:28: As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell (Heb. nâphal) on my face and heard a voice speaking. (Ezekiel 1:28 NASB) Ezekiel 3:23-24 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell (Heb. nâphal) on my face. The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house. (Ezekiel 3:23-24 NASB) Daniel 8:17: So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end." (NASB)
Similarly in the New Testament Luke 17:15-16: Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. (NASB) Acts 9:3-4: As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (NASB) Revelation 7:11: And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, (Revelation 7:11 NASB) {PLACE IN TEXT}
Foot Note II - God's Covenant With Abraham
The most serious, significant, and solemn covenants were sealed with blood. As David Guzik pointed out in his commentary on Genesis
In those days, contracts were made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. Then both parties to the covenant would walk through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. (See Jeremiah 34:18-20)... Abram fully expected God to come down and walk through the animal parts with him, However God, represented by the smoking oven and the burning torch, passed through the animal parts by Himself; as Abram watched. God showed this was a unilateral covenant. Abram never "signed" the covenant, because God "signed" it for both of them. {PLACE IN TEXT}
End Notes
[02] Bill Jackson. What In The World Is Happening To Us? http://www.evanwiggs.com/revival/manifest/holylaff.html
[03] ibid. [04] ibid. [05] Steven J. Cole. Jesus In Control (John 18:1-11). Bible.org. https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-93-jesus-control-john-181-11 [06] Rev. Robert S. Liichow.. Does the Bible Support A Doctrine of Being Slain in the Spirit? Part 2 of 3. Discernment Ministries International. http://discernmentministriesinternational.wordpress.com/tag/maria-woodworth-etter/ Continue To Chapter III - Is There a Biblical Basis For Shaking, Laughing, Trances or Being Drunk In The Spirit? HERE | 
