What is wrong with this picture? Well first of all, the Psalmist is painting a picture by using a metaphor. God is not a bird beloved. Therefore the wings in this verse are not actual wings with actual feathers. To cite this verse as justification for feathers falling on your head indicating a supernatural sign or wonder is to simply not understand the Bible at all. Unfortunately for Mr. Johnson, the story gets worse when you consider that in the Malachi verses the term "wings" actually refers to the rays of the sun. Just go read nearly every commentary on the matter. Is there healing in God? Absolutely! Can that be considered a sign or wonder? Absolutely! Does it have anything to do with feathers? Absolutely not! Also, for the "angel feathers" crowd - the Bible gives no indication that angels have wings, let alone feathers. The confusion stems from human artwork depicting angels having wings but the Bible does not say that is so.
Johnson then goes on to state that there were times when gold dust just appeared on people's hands or started falling down during worship. Wow! What a sign and...wait a minute. Why? Why in the world would this be considered a sign or a wonder? Is there any example in the Bible of gold dust magically appearing or feathers for that matter? Did Jesus say that the signs that would accompany them would be gold dust, gemstones, and random feathers? The answer of course is no. In fact there is only one mention of gold dust in the entire Bible:
If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. - Job 22: 23-25 (ESV)
This verse is from the chapter where Eliphaz incorrectly blames Job for his problems. In this small section he implies that Job needs to change where his treasure is. To bring the riches of this world, such as gold, down to an even level with dust. Thus, these verses do not even have anything to do with gold dust at all. The larger point however is it certainly does not set a Biblical precedent for why God would suddenly decide to start sending a gold dust manifestation to Bethel Church. Usually at this point the truly deceived become indignant that anyone would question the veracity of anything supernatural. Here is an argument taken from a website promoting the gold dust phenomenon as a move of God:
Some people think it is strange that God would reveal his majesty in this way, but we should try to let God out of the box. He has every right to display his glory and reveal himself in whatever way he sees fit! Nothing is too difficult for God!
The old "you place God in a box" argument. I am not kidding. I hear this all the time from people who like their leaven more than their Word. The truth is that God provided us with the Word and it has no limits. Its only design flaw is that one must actually READ IT. This argument is patently silly. Can God have dropped feathers on Bethel Church? Of course but again the question would be - why in the world would He? Why would God, who is not the author of confusion, manifest His presence in an extra-biblical manner? The answer of course is He wouldn't. Later in the video, Johnson claims that because the presence of God is so thick on him that people would randomly fall out when brushing past him. Another example he gave is that when he walked into a store someone started laughing uncontrollably and ran out of the store only to peer at him through the store window while still laughing. Where is that in the Bible? Who gets the glory in that situation? God or Bill Johnson?
So we come to the "glory cloud." Johnson explains that during worship, a layer of "the smoke of His presence" began billowing out above everyone filled with little flakes of Gold. Wow. Talk about a sign and...wait a minute. Does the Bible mention glory clouds anywhere? The answer is no. The closest excuse they use to justify this manifestation is this:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. - Isaiah 6: 1-4 (ESV)
Does this one episode in Scripture justify what we see on that video of Bill Johnson? Go watch the video again and pay attention to the reactions of those in attendance. Are they falling down in reverent awe of the glory of God or are they taking their phones out to take pictures of it? When Moses saw the glory of God he turned white. When the Apostle John saw it he fell down as if dead. Even Isaiah right after these verses exclaims - woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips! When the glory of God fills the temple we do not stop to take selfies with it!
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