When we are trying to evaluate something spiritual, it is important not to make the same mistake as the Pharisees. They maintained that Jesus was possessed by an evil spirit, and that He was casting out demons by the prince of demons. (Matthew 9:35 and 12:24.) It was in this connection that Jesus spoke about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is a very serious thing if we deliberately and knowingly harden ourselves against the workings of the Holy Spirit and cynically call it is a work of Satan.

Paul rejoiced that others were preaching Christ, even though it might have been with wrong motives. (Philippians 1:15-18.) The main thing to him was that Christ was being preached. But if people are merely siding with certain preachers and thereby rejecting others, it is like dividing Christ. (I Corinthians 1:10-13.)

A similar problem is mentioned when the disciples tried to hinder someone who was outside their own inner circle from driving out demons in the Name of Jesus (Mark 9:38-40). In such a case, Jesus says that we must not hinder the person, because those who perform mighty works in the Name of Jesus cannot soon afterwards speak evil about Him.

The Jewish teacher, Gamaliel, was advising the Sanhedrian council against persecuting the Christians (Acts 5). He said that it would be impossible to conquer them if the things that were happening were of God. But if it were of man only, it would come to nothing, according to Gamaliel. His advice was right in this particular situation, but it is not applicable in every situation.

The apostle Paul did not follow the advice of Gamaliel when he was combating error and false revival movements. Instead, he actually pointed out who the false preachers were, and he warned against them publicly.

There would be no conscientious Christians today who would follow the advice of Gamaliel regarding the cult of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have grown rapidly in many countries. Christians would not suggest that we should merely wait and see if this movement will simply stop growing and begin to decrease. No, they would clearly state that it is a false doctrine.

The Bible does not say that false revivals will disappear in the last days, but rather that they will grow. But, if we are going to wait till they either straighten up or vanish, we would probably have to wait till the coming of the Lord.