What is the Seven Mountain Mandate? Is it Biblical?

The Seven Mountain Mandate (7-M) is an anti-biblical and politically motivated prophecy / strategy that is mostly promoted by the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement.
The 7 Mountain Mandate has gained a following in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and has been popularized by leaders such as Lance Wallnau, Bill Johnson, Paula White and many others.

The theology and deception behind this teaching is to push a social, cultural, economic and political agenda which leads people away from Biblical Christianity and the true Gospel so that followers focus on issues that are temporal, political and related to the worldly and demonic systems of the world.
The 7 Mountain Mandate is particularly popular among many NAR churches and groups which associate with the false prosperity gospel message and the Word of Faith movement. However this mandate and teaching is based upon a false prophecy of the end times and a false understanding regarding the details of Christ’s second coming.
The 7 Mountain Mandate is also known by other names such as the 7 spheres of influence or 7 mountains of influence.

According to advocates of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), God in these last days will empower the church and NAR prophets and apostles to take control or dominion of 7 major institutions or 7 spheres of influence so that they may govern the nations of the world.
NAR leaders and followers of the Seven Mountain Mandate believe that Christ cannot return to earth unless the church has taken dominion over the 7 institutions.

 

In order to understand the deception of the 7 Mountain Mandate, it is important to understand 3 issues.

1) First, it is imperative for us to understand that in the spiritual realm there are only 2 major kingdoms which are at war with each other. These 2 major kingdoms are the kingdom of God and then there is the kingdom of satan.

Jesus Himself would speak of 2 kinds of kingdoms. In John 18:36 Jesus said the following: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But My kingdom is not from the world.”

Jesus also said the following about how the world or kingdom of the world hated Him:
John 15:18-19 – “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

2) Secondly it is imperative to understand that satan has a measure of control and influence over the systems or kingdoms of this world. In fact, satan not only controls these kingdoms, but the devil is also responsible for creating many of the worldly systems that exist in the world. It is the very reason why the world hates Christ – it’s because the systems have been created by the devil who is also described as being “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
2 Corinthians 4:4 says: In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

3) Lastly – during a time when Jesus Christ was fasting and praying, the devil tempted Christ by offering Him “all the kingdoms of the world” in exchange for Christ’s worship. Whilst tempting Christ, the devil also made particular mention that as satan, he has power to give these worldly kingdoms to whomever he wants.

Luke 4:5-8 says: And the devil took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to Him, “To You I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If You, then, will worship me, it will all be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'”

The Seven Mountain Mandate is ultimately part of the NAR deception and dominion theology which subtly leads people to seek after the temporal systems / kingdoms of the world, rather than to seek after the eternal things that pertain to the kingdom of God. The 7 Mountain Mandate also subtly deceives people into seeking to manage and control the very earthly kingdoms or systems which Jesus Christ Himself refused when He was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:8-10 & Luke 4:5-8).

 

These 7 Mountains (7-M) are the following:
1) Government/Military
2) Media
3) Family
4) Business/Finance
5) Education
6) Church/Religion
7) Arts/Entertainment

It is important to note that it is not evil at all for an individual(s) to work and even excel in any of these 7 sectors. So it is not wrong if a Christian is employed or excels in his/her profession within these sectors.
However it’s about the bad theology and false end time prophecy that these 7 mountains are meant to be “invaded” or “dominated” by Christians is where the deception truly lies.
The 7 Mountains theology opposes the Scripture’s account of what will actually occur before the return of Jesus Christ. The Seven Mountain Mandate also distorts the true teaching of the gospel and how we should live the Biblical Christian life.
The 7 Mountain Mandate creates a distorted view about the kingdom of God, the purpose of the Christ’s Church and Jesus Christ Himself. The NAR strategy of the Seven Mountain Mandate points to expectations of the arrival of a “false christ” as it distorts the Scriptures.

 

FALSE BELIEFS & TEACHINGS REGARDING SEVEN MOUNTAIN MANDATE
Within the NAR movement some of the terminology used when referring to The 7 Mountain Mandate is the following: “spheres”; “domains”; “pillars” or just “the mountains”. Those people who attempt to implement this strategy and theology are known as “reformers” or “influencers” or “shapers”.

The Seven Mountain Mandate theology is characterized by the following false beliefs:

1) Jesus Christ cannot return back to earth unless the church takes dominion of the 7 Mountains
Therefore the NAR believe that it is “the church” that has control pertaining to when and how Christ will come back. So they believe that the longer the it takes for “the church” to take dominion over the 7 Mountains, the longer it will take Christ to return because according to NAR theology, Christ cannot return to a church that is not prepared, or a church that has not taken dominion of the world’s systems. So according to NAR teachings – if the church does not achieve economic, social, cultural and political success by taking dominion of the 7 Mountains, then the church will delay the second coming of Christ.
Therefore according to the NAR it is up to Christians to excel in their various professions, jobs, sports and spheres of influence to a point where by they infiltrate and control these 7 mountains in order to expedite the return of Christ.

 

2) The church must be ruled or governed by apostles and prophets
The NAR movement believes that since the year 2001, God has been restoring the office of apostles and prophets. So since the beginning of the 21st Century there has been an incredible rise in self-appointed apostles and prophets. Despite the office of apostle and prophet having ceased because of the existence of the full canon of scripture, there has been a rise in the unbiblical concept that these self-appointed prophets and apostles sit at the top of the “church hierarchy” and therefore they should also be known as “spiritual fathers”, “God’s generals”, “spiritual coverings” and that their teachings, prophecies and extra-biblical revelations should never be questioned or tested by anyone. NAR apostles and prophets believe that it is only they who have direct revelation from God.
Therefore one of the purposes of NAR apostles and prophets is to provide followers with governance and prophecies related to where God is taking the church and techniques of how to implement the 7 Mountain Mandate.

 

3) Misinterpretation of The Great Commission & the kingdom of God
The NAR movement also believe in a distorted gospel. They believe that the gospel of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a complete gospel. To the NAR, the gospel of the kingdom as mentioned in the Bible is not only about the work of Christ, instead the NAR version of the “gospel of the kingdom” is about “the church’s” effort and work to establish the “kingdom” on earth through taking dominion of the 7 mountains.
They believe that the only way for the NAR version of the “kingdom” to be established on earth is when the church has political, social and economic success through the implementation of the 7 Mountains strategy.
The NAR further misinterpret the words of Christ in Matthew 28:19 about making “disciples of all nations” to mean that the only way the church can “disciple nations” is by taking dominion of the 7 Mountains. So it is believed that whoever controls the 7 Mountains will have influence over nations and therefore this is how nations will be won to Christ for the Great Commission.
Therefore according to the NAR, the Great Commission and the Seven Mountain Mandate are interlinked.

 

4) Great wealth transfer linked to the 7 Mountains
The NAR concept of God transferring wealth from the hands of the wicked is linked to the 7 Mountain Mandate. To the NAR whoever controls the 7 Mountains is the one who has all the wealth. Therefore according to the NAR, the church is mandated to seek dominion over these 7 spheres of influence in order for the great wealth transfer to occur.
It is therefore no surprise that many leaders and followers who are linked to the prosperity gospel movement and also the word of faith movement eagerly welcome and accommodate the New Apostolic Reformation teachings and heresies.

 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE 7 MOUNTAIN MANDATE?
It is important to understand that the NAR prediction of the end times is unbiblical and dangerous. The 7 Mountain Mandate is based on false prophesies about the end times. Furthermore it distorts the true gospel of Jesus Christ and deceives people into seeking the systems of the world as being part of the Great Commission. The Great Commission has no connections to taking dominion of the world’s systems.

The Bible is very clear that during the end times, the world will not get better. Instead the state of the world will only get worse. The Bible is clear that in the end times true Bible believing Christians will be in the minority and that many people will depart from the true faith. The Bible also says that in the last days there will be many difficult problems and issues in the world because man’s heart will grow more wicked.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 – But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

2 Timothy 3:12 says “… evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

According to Scripture, in the last days, the church or Christians will not be controlling the world systems just as Christians do not currently have control of these particular world systems today. Our kingdom is not of this world and we do not belong to this world (John 15:18-19). Christians are not citizens of this world but we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20-21).
Therefore the Bible does not promote the idea that we are to seek to control the systems of the world because the sobering truth is that we cannot control them because God prohibits us from desiring the systems of the world. These 7 mountains and systems are mostly created, influenced and controlled by satan who the Bible describes as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

All elements of these 7 mountains from education to entertainment to media to government have major philosophical, cultural and spiritual ideologies which directly oppose the Scriptures. The Bible is also clear that these world systems are at enmity with God because it is satan who has influence and control over them.
Instead according Romans 12:2 Christians should not to conform to the standards of this world nor should we seek to control them.

1 John 2:15-17 says: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The 7 Mountain Mandate is a satanic temptation of the same nature as when Christ was tempted by satan with the “kingdoms of the world” in exchange for His worship (Luke 4:5-8).
Even satan knows that the Seven Mountain Mandate strategy is not achievable simply because it is not biblical. The strategy is based on a false prophecy of the end times.

The 7 Mountain Mandate is dangerous because it somehow discounts or ignores the coming of the Antichrist. The mandate ignores the Biblical reality that the present world systems as we know them are actually being prepped or primed for the eventual arrival of the Antichrist and the 7 year tribulation that will occur. The very same “mountains” that the NAR wish to occupy or invade or dominate are the very same systems being prepared to be controlled or governed by the Antichrist.
The Bible is clear that before the second coming of Jesus Christ, it is the “man of lawlessness” or Antichrist who must come first. Furthermore, before Christ returns, the entire world must be given over to a “great delusion” or deception or rebellion so that the world may easily accept the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 says: Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The New Apostolic Reformation theology and their 7 Mountain Mandate is a deception which parallels the New Age concepts of a one world religion as well as the concept of a new world order system.
It is interesting to note that within the New Age, the one world religion and the new world order system, there is also the anticipation of a “messiah” type of figure who is to come when these movements have done the “work” required to prepare for his arrival. However whatever “messiah” figure that is expected by these movements, it will be a false messiah, and will not be the true Messiah who is Jesus Christ.
Christ Himself when He spoke about the last days, He said the following in Matthew 24:4-5: “And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

 

The Bible also says the following about what will happen in the end times:

1 Timothy 4:1-2 says: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared

2 Timothy 4:3-4 – For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

In Matthew 24:1-23 Jesus Christ gives us a glimpse of some the events that will occur in the last days so that we understand our need to be ready for His second coming. None of Christ’s account of the end times pertain to the false prophecy or mandate that the church must take “dominion” of the 7 Mountains.

While Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, the Bible does not connect Christ’s teachings to taking supposed dominion of the 7 mountains or to seek after these world systems. Christians are to shine through reflecting the nature and character of the Person of Jesus Christ. Whether at work, at home or in any situation in our life – our daily relationships and conduct as Christians should ultimately glorify Jesus Christ so that the lost may desire a personal relationship with Christ because of the finished work He did for us on the cross. Matthew 5:16 says: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Our mandate is to preach the true gospel and to become more like Jesus Christ so that He alone receives the praise and glory. The Great Commission is not about achieving control of the world’s systems but it is about sharing the true gospel which consists of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The NAR and the 7 Mountain Mandate prophecy / strategy promotes a distorted gospel and a false Great Commission message.
Biblically, discipling the nations is not connected to the 7 Mountains or taking dominion of these systems. Instead discipling nations is about the church or every born again Christian sharing God’s word to the lost and edifying and helping people grow spiritually as they walk with Christ.
The emphasis of achieving economic, social and political success is a deception which strays people from teaching and preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is therefore important to beware of NAR teachings and any theology that is linked to dominionism and the Seven Mountain Mandate.