Beni Johnson, who allegedly changed her first name to “Beni” to honor heretic Benny Hinn, is the wife of Bill Johnson–the leader of the Bethel Redding cult.
One of Beni’s popular skits is “Wakey, Wakey.” It appears Beni first made known her unbiblical, extra-revelatory, communication with angels in a blog article titled: Wakey Wakey. Beni has since taken her story on the road, which includes the below performance during the 2009 Bethel School of Worship.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q25oPxQ7zH0&w=420&h=315]
Seeing and/or communicating with angels is nothing new in Charismania–especially among those involved in any one of a number of false revivals over the last 25 years (i.e. Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Revival, Pensacola Outpouring, Lakeland Revival, etc.), as well as one of today’s false spiritual movements, the New Apostolic Reformation.
Tragically, Beni’s popular story, like much of Bethel Redding’s teachings, has at least one striking similarity to every godless worldview, including the societal push to legitimize same-sex unions–no objective standard. Beni does not subscribe to any real, objective, and authoritative standard for right or wrong, truth or error. Having rejected the Word of God as the final authority and arbitrator for discerning right from wrong and truth from error, the authority to which Beni subscribe’s is her own subjective views of reality. Whatever comes into her mind (whether she believe it is true, or she known it is a lie) she deems authoritative. Sadly, whatever comes out of her mouth is heard and perceived as authoritative by those who listen to her, follow her, and believer her–believe her for no other reason than “Beni said it, so it must be true.”
Members of cults are conditioned to set aside wisdom and discernment and, instead, are conditioned to trust the wisdom and discernment of the leaders of the cult–to simply take them at their word because (as members have been conditioned to believe) the leaders have a special spiritual pipeline to the supernatural realm and those who dwell there. After all, why would the leaders lie? That’s an article for another day.
Without the Word of God as her standard for truth and as the only reliable barometer for discerning what is of God and what is of Satan, or what is of her own vivid imagination, or a lie she has believed for so long she now believes it is true, Beni has hopped onto a spiritual slippery slope and invites those who listen to her to join her for the ride. Similarly, those seeking to legitimize same-sex unions have no moral standard beyond their subjective opinions and the desires of their own deprave and wicked hearts. As a result, the slippery slope of sexual immorality is long, steep, slick, and lengthening and accelerating day-by-day. And where has that downhill slope taken a fallen world thus far? Bruce (aka: Caitlyn) Jenner.
There are 282 occurrences of the word “angel” or “angels” in the Bible (ESV). I encourage you, the reader, to read the verses for yourself. You will not find a single instance, not one, that even remotely compares to Beni’s alleged encounters with the “angels” in her “Wakey, Wakey” story. You will not find a single instance in the Word of God where a person exerts authority over an angel, like waking them from a sound sleep.
While Beni’s story fits well with a theology that allows for treating angels and the Holy Spirit like divine butlers and genies in bottles, it is not compatible with the Word of God.
The argument I anticipate from Beni’s supporters and fellow spiritual practitioners is this: “Well, just because it’s not in the Bible doesn’t mean it can’t happen!”
My response: By what standard, then, do you determine if what you experienced is of the Lord, of Satan, or of your own imagination?
“Cricket. Cricket. Cricket.” Silence. That’s the typical response I receive when I ask someone to validate that their subjective experiences are of the Lord.
What Bethel Redding has trained their people to do in response to any form of scrutiny is to employ the ad hominem. “You have a religious, Pharisaical spirit.” This is one accusation, one attack against the questioner’s character made in an attempt to discredit the questioner.
Like the atheist who tries to assert any standard for morality, or the liberal progressive who tries to assert a moral justification for changing what God has defined as “marriage,” Beni Johnson and those like her have no objective, morally or spiritually binding standard to assert her stories about play time with angels to be true.
“Well, I believe it’s true!” Some will say.
Irrelevant.
It doesn’t matter what Beni and her followers believe. It doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is whether or not what we believe is true.
And what is “truth.” Truth is that which conforms to the mind of God. Truth is whatever God says.
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2).
God still speaks. He speaks to His people (Christians) through the only means the listener can know with certain what he is hearing is true–the Word of God; the Bible.
Beni Johnson’s “Wakey, Wakey” story is wacky, wacky. Join me in praying Beni will repent of her unbiblical practices, which are legion, including the false practice of waking angels.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is whether or not what we believe is true.”
This is SO important – the consequences of departing from the TRUTH of GOD as the benchmark / final authority / basis of belief, is fatal, as seen in the principles underpinning the following caution:
=> 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and ***lying wonders***,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they ***received not the love of the truth***, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
this Proves we are in the end of Days! Jesus Spoke of the Seven churches in Revelation which cause me to Fear GOD ! She is A Picture why i refrain from seeking to Join churches – seems Satan has Moved in.
her angel ‘theology’ is just the tip of the iceberg….she’s so entrenched into univeralism’s new age beliefs and that they are taking them back from what the devil stole from God’s people at the fall…she’s trying to get everyone synched into the vibrations of the universe….I left my AoG church of 20+ yrs about 5 yrs ago b/c they came under bill johnson’s influence (including starting his school of supernatural ministry)….I was part of the office staff and have loved (still do) these people for a long time – they are all very dedicated to the Lord and to His people….but are smitten with bill johnson, randy clark, mike bickel, john arnott, rick joyner, etc….many many churches are being drawn into this ‘cutting edge’ new thing ‘God’ is doing….and on the non-charismatic side of things, you have rick warren…..so very sad…but the Lord did wonder if He would find faith on the earth when He returns…..thank you for researching this information…sites like these helped me to realize I wasn’t alone or going crazy when I first started questioning what was going on …..Craig of CrossWise Walking has done extensive research…. Warren Smith, too….. God Bless you and I pray many are awakened out of this stupor! 🙂
About time someone put the truth out there for people to see.
Thank you.
My daughter and son in law were great believers in Bill Johnsons abherant theology, his ideas that God is doing a new thing beyond Gods Word and the weird esoteric Quantum Physics . They have now turned to New Age beliefs and God is no longer in the picture. Bill Johnson started them on the slippery slope. I am praying that they will find Gods’ truth again before it is too late. They were once pastors , very strong in the Word.
This month July 2022 Beni died and her name was on my heart. I began to research her life in retrospect as recorded on the internet to try to understand what might be gained from examining the path she took. I have previously been aware very much of the dangers of the NAR and Ecumenical Movement within the church having come to a knowledge of God and delivered out the grasp of New Age and cult movements 30 years ago and myself needed much counsel and learning of God’s Word to be set free from webs of lies woven into and about my life through the very cunning lies perpetrated by people who are not really following Christ even though they insist that they are.. I had to get to a place of desperation and begin to realise that I had taken the bait of many lies and was suffering endless torment and not able to finding any lasting peace with God at all. ..when I had such a revelation of my own deeply imbedded sin and distance from God… and even as a born again believer who had realised God was real I finally cried out to God for deliverance from the tormentor of my soul.. Through a vision of a rainbow which connected a theological college and a prison God showed me that training in God’s Word is vital and essential .. though not necessarily obtained from Theological Colleges as such for many who teach in those institutions (not all) water down and diminish and distort the truth of Scripture…if you are going to be an overcomer of sin through Christ and learn to defeat the destroyer and Liar, who is masterful in deception, the Lord equips His body with effective weapons of protection. The Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon as Christ demonstrated mightily in his temptations defeating every while the devil used against Him with the truth of Scripture. The helmet of Salvation is provided to protect our mind while the whole armour of God is his gift to us but we MUST put it on. We are not defenceless against our tyrannical oppressor who can disguise himself as an angel of light..but we must take refuge in God, our Saviour and learn to use the weapons He gives us effectively. We, who are of his body the church must be well trained in His Word and through this training and purpose of heart learning every day to overcome the evil one, fueled by a heart that loves God and loves His truth passionately and also hating our sin which gives the devil footholds in our heart. If our enemy could lead Adam and Eve who were perfect in mind and body away from their perfection to the cruel end we now all are destined to experience of death and hell when we dont know Christ.. an end which only Christ could deliver us from through much suffering and sorrow taking our rebellion upon his own sinless frame to death at Calvary, and then rose to His glorious resurrection so that all the sin of mankind is taken upon Himself that we who believe might experience wonderful freedom of being made acceptable to God through Christ. Jesus tells us: you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free in John 8:32. However, He who is that truth is impossible to find with out faith and without the Father drawing them to Himself…Jesus said I am the way the life and the truth.. and freedom from our debt of sin came to us at such exorbitant cost to Himself. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever would believe on him would have everlasting life. We can only find Him if we search for him with all our hearts and God knows our hearts. He knows who will be saved and who will be lost.
It is happening even today as God said it would. Even His Bride, the Church will have members in it who are not of His body and who will be growing up along side his true Church as tares and weeds (weeds stand out because they have no weight and can stand tall and proud whereas the fruit bearing true seed have bowed humble heads heavy with fruit ) At the last day, the Lord will command His angels to remove them before he carries away His true Bride to be with Him in Eternity forever. We who love him and keep ourselves pure and free from the leaven of the false teachers will be safe as long as we don’t get drawn into these web of lies and carried away by the false doctrines like prisoners paralysed injections of poison to the mind, the doctrines of demons are traps to catch those who do not love God with all their heart soul strength and mind and who do not examine the teaching for themselves as the Bereans did and were highly commended in the Book of Acts.. or ask God to help them discern the good from the evil. God will indeed help those who love Him. He certainly will not give you a serpent if you ask for bread.
God does not speak to His people today through visions. See Hebrews 1:1-4.