   March 1988 

   MUSIC AND THE NEW AGE

   Joseph Schimmel

   Michael Jackson, a best-selling singer, songwriter, producer, 
movie star and dancer, is the uncontested, outstanding male recording 
star of the 80's.

    In February of 1984 he was awarded an unprecedented 
eight Grammy awards, a feat never before accomplished in Grammy 
history.  At that point his album Thriller had become the biggest 
selling solo album ever, an album that covered everything from sexual 
fantasy to demon possession. 

   Michael Jackson's life offstage has been 
no less fantastic than his life onstage. Throughout the years he has 
reportedly done everything from collecting mannequins and attempting to 
purchase the bone of the Elephant an to spending part of his life 
living in a plastic bubble.  Jackson has not only led much of the 
already lost world further from the truth and deeper into the fantasy 
explosion, but has become one of the most influential proponents of New 
Age ideas in the last days.

   A favorite even among some deluded Christians, Jackson believes he 
is a prophet sent forth as a messenger to the children of the world.  
He claims I worry about the children, all my children all over the 
world, I live for  them...

   I was sent forth for the world, for the 
children, but have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now.  
Michael Jackson attributes his creative ability to the "force within" 
and reveals that his songs are given to him by way of revelation 
through "dreams" after being assembled in another realm.  He says, the 
whole thing is strange, you hear the words, everything is right there 
in front of your face, and you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry, I just 
didn't write this.' Its there already.  I feel that somewhere, 
someplace, it's all been done, and I'm the courier bringing it into the 
world. 

    The Word of God reveals three different sources of dreams: 
natural (Ecc. 5:3); divine (Matt. 1:20); and evil (Jer. 23:32; 27:9, 
Zech. 10:2).  Therefore the Lord instructs us to test those who claim 
revelation as a "dreamer of dreams" (Deut.  13:1-5) and if they speak 
not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them 
(Isa. 8:20).

   Sadly, the closest Michael Jackson gets to the Word of God in his 
lyrics is to promote as truth the very lie God reveals will cause many 
to be damned (2 Thess.  2:9-11). 

   His song We Are The World was sung by 
an all- star line-up of over 40 singers ranging from Kenny Rogers to 
Cyndi Lauper. It was first done for famine relief in Africa and ended 
up being sung as an anthem during Hands Across America.  the message 
Michael brings to his children is that we are all a part of God's great 
big family and that the world must come together as one...we're saving 
our own lives.

    The song goes on to say, as God has shown us by turning 
stones to bread so we all must lend a helping hand.  Compared with 
Matt. 4:1-5 it does not take much discernment to detect the spirit 
behind the song.  The co-writer of the song, Lionel Richie, is 
described as being "in shock" as to how fast Michael Jackson wrote the 
music.  Interesting the book by the same title  describes the lyrics as 
being "summoned."

   In Jackson's song Another Part of Me from his latest album Bad he 
sings:

   We're takin over, we have the truth, this is the mission, to see it
   through...this is our planet...and this is our message to you.  The
   planets are linin' up, we're bringin' brighter days, they're allin 
   line waiting for you...We're coming together...

   This song parallels the New Age Harmonic convergence claim that our 
planet was finding it s rightful alignment in the "galactic community" 
and summoning the New Age.  Jackson performs this song, in a short 
movie played at Disneyland where he is seen as a savior transforming a 
decadent society into a paradise with his magic power.

   This is not to be taken lightly in that his message is drummed into 
the hearts and minds of millions via his music and as early as 1984 it 
was being reported that a group had emerged claiming he is the "Messiah 
returned" and the "Archangel Michael."

   If we as discerning Christians reject sitting under the teachings of 
other false teachers, it is my prayer to God that all would reject the 
musical ministry of Michael Jackson.

   SCRIPTURES: God, in His Word, warns and alerts us concerning 
spiritual deception in the last days (Matt.  24:4-5, 11, 23-26, 2 
Thess. 2:3-12, 1 Tim. 4:1-3, 2 Tim. 3:8, 13-14, 4:1-5, Rev. 13:1-18, 
16:13-15).



