If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; --- This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. (Job 31:24-28)
I can put off this article no longer. Despite my reluctance to deal with yet another loony facet of the Toronto fringe of the Church, there are too many confused and bewildered people to ignore. I hope to be able to inject a little bit of sense into a senseless debate, and perhaps to provoke some Bible study and heart-searching on the part of those involved.

The facts are these: in churches that suppose themselves to be part of the current "revival" (a subject amply covered in other parts of this site), people are now reporting having been given gold teeth or gold fillings, and also gold dust has been seen sprinkling some in the meetings. Even the respectable national newspapers "Daily Telegraph" and the "Sunday Telegraph" have reported on these events so I think we can assume this is going to be big.
I have no real reason to doubt the authenticity of the reports, although my reaction to some of them is skepticism. Looking at the short video of gold dust being shaken from the hair of the chief activist in this new manifestation, I found it unconvincing. (You can download the video here as a self-extracting zipped file of 1.8MB)
The video concerns this, as reported on Ruth Heflin's site: A holy woman from Brazil, named Silvania, was at Calvary Pentecostal Campground from August 18-21, 1998 and again in February of 1999. In the process of her physical healing of four types of cancer, oil began to flow supernaturally from her body and later, gold dust began to be manifested on her face and the crown of her head. As she praises and worships, this phenomena is seen. Her Brazilian pastor gathers the holy gold flakes and anoints the forehead of the sick and needy.
I am sure that many will jump on the miracles bandwagon and report similar manifestations out of envy, only to be proven to be lying. This has already happened:
" God works in mysterious ways, but two high-profile evangelical Christians in Western Canada have been forced to back down from claims that He gave them gold teeth. A chastened Willard Thiessen, host of a daily religion program on Winnipeg television, admitted yesterday he was wrong in telling his tele-flock that God had inexplicably planted a gold tooth in his mouth. It turned out the gold tooth had been implanted by his brother Elmer, a dentist in British Columbia.--- Mr. Thiessen is not alone in his embarrassment. Dick Dewert, a religious broadcaster in Lethbridge, Alta., told a CJIL-TV audience during an on-air fundraising marathon in March that God had implanted a gold tooth in his mouth after a bout of intensive prayer. But Dr. Jack Sherman, Mr. Dewert's longtime dentist, said he had put it in about 10 years earlier." [from the National Post (Canada), May 12, 1999]
Here are some resources if you want to follow up on the facts: The main articles and testimonies are on Ruth Heflin's site.
There are testimonies at: http://www.elijahlist.com/goldteethe041199.htm
and photos at: http://www.trump.net.au/~river/photos.htm
There's also information about the phenomenon at the Toronto Airport Site.
This biography of Ruth Heflin is found on her site:
Rev. and Mrs. Wallace H. Heflin, Sr., founders of Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle, Richmond, Virginia and the Calvary Pentecostal Campground, Ashland, Virginia, have been pioneers in the Pentecostal movement. Through the years, their ministry has been known for their clear prophetic gifts and miracles operating through simple, child-like faith in response to God. Together they ministered in more than 100 nations ---.Rev. Wallace H. Heflin, Jr., was one of the most dynamic evangelists of our time. Great signs and wonders followed his ministry in more than seventy nations. Until his death in December 1996, he pastored the Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle and was Director of Calvary Pentecostal Campground, where he trained and led thousands of men and women to the nations. Rev. Ruth Ward Heflin has been serving the Lord among the nations since her youth, having personally preached to multitudes, kings and world leaders. Her ministry is known for its prophetic anointing and revelation and her ability to lead people into spontaneous worship. She sees this hour as one for the revelation and manifestation of Revival Glory, in Israel, America, and the nations. Born into a classic Pentecostal family, she is equally at home among Catholics, Protestants, as well as being experienced in a wide spectrum of Jewish endeavor. She is senior pastor of the Mount Zion Fellowship, Jerusalem and senior pastor of Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle and Campground, Ashland, Virginia.

A full page report on June 15th in the " Daily Mail" national newspaper states that gold fillings started to appear in the UK from late March of this year, and happened at a four-day conference in May held by the Pioneer Church of Gerald Coates.
Gerald Coates has said that this is the latest "wave of revival", and is creating a religious revival resulting in mass conversions throughout Britain. It was he who promoted the Diana Prophecy in which nationwide revival was promised before the flowers of Diana's wreaths could fade. Needless to say, no such revival appeared. Despite this and many other false prophecies, thousands flock to Pioneer and other similar Restoration churches in the UK.
The report says that Christian gold fever goes back to the early 1970s but first came to a wider audience about ten years ago in Latin America, South Africa and Mexico, eventually appearing in the Vineyard Church at Toronto, Canada, the home of the Toronto Blessing. These statements are borne out by my own research into the phenomenon.
David Pytches, former vicar of St Andrews Church, Chorley Wood, was one of the first British church leaders to import the Toronto experience from Canada to Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, [London] from where the TB spread throughout the UK.
Pytches says that he first saw the "gold" experience in Chile, way back in 1974. Now he is encouraging people to accept this experience as "part of God's revival for the nation".
Other TB churches have also had "gold miracles", including the home of the Toronto Blessing, the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship led by John Arnott. He, as well with the others mentioned, together with a host of church leaders throughout North America and Europe, are now firmly part of the gold tooth phenomenon taking hold in the church scene
Like the laughter, paralysis, barking, birth-pangs, visions of angels, glory clouds and all the other manifestations surrounding this current move, this gold manifestation is real in so far as it actually happens. But does that mean it is of God? That is the question many want answered.

Here's where many of the anti-Toronto discernment ministries will have trouble. They deny that satan can be active in any Christian meeting; they often do not understand or believe in the endtimes apostasy; they do not believe in ANY supernatural occurrence, and dismiss the gifts of the Spirit as having died out centuries ago. Now they have to deal with a phenomenon that they can't deny is taking place!
Many who exposed the Toronto/Brownsville revivals since 1993 were content to pass it all off as hypnotism or hysteria. They rarely accepted that spiritual manifestations were actually happening, or that there was a very real supernatural power at work.
Believing that (a) the devil is bound and/or Christians can never be influenced by demons and that (b) the gifts of the Spirit are not for today, they have backed themselves into a corner and now have no answer when presented with provable evidence of "miracles". For if neither the devil nor God is responsible, who is?
Such ministries (usually of the a-millennial Reformed persuasion) had easy answers to Toronto that will not serve them this time round. The gold dust is real, the teeth are real and there is something actually going on that is inexplicable and supernatural. (I say this, not to criticise, but to point out that some may be worried and confused when their leaders either cannot refute the miracles, or else give them misleading information.)
The Testing of our Faith
See how the trials of our faith are getting more fierce? I have said for years that the Toronto manifestations were only the thin end of the wedge and that greater signs and wonders would come along, harder to refute (at least for the unwary and unlearned.)
The Bible speaks specifically of a time near the End when the devil is permitted to create miracles, signs and wonders so daring and persuasive that "even the elect" are shaken. (Matt 24:24/ Mark 13:22/ 2Th 2:9/ Rev 13:13-14)
However, all those who truly know God will ultimately be warned off these lying signs, and will have an inward witness that they are not from God, despite their doubts. Each miraculous event will produce a greater falling-away and a sharper division in the visible Church, as the limits of what is acceptable are pushed ever further away, until only the completely stiff-necked, blind and obsessed will continue down that road. We should thank God that this sifting is taking place, therefore. God is separating the tares from the wheat in his own unique way.
It will be obvious to every reader by now that I believe the gold miracles to be a "lying sign and wonder" designed to deceive. If you are otherwise persuaded, then I hope that you will, at the very least, consider the following supporting material for my viewpoint.

In what seems like another life, nearly thirty years ago it must have been, I attended a church meeting where a missionary group from Argentina, or possibly Paraguay, sang upbeat songs and talked about their work.
They were called something like Los Picaflores, which I believe means "Butterflies" (??) Understandably, my memories are sketchy, but I do recall being impressed by their descriptions of meetings amongst the poor of the land, many of whom had very bad teeth and were unable to afford treatment.
The speaker explained how some of the congregation discovered at the end of their gospel meeting that their teeth had been filled. I believe these were gold fillings, and I even recall that one was marked with the sign of the cross, a phenomenon that has now been reproduced. (This is confirmed by the statement of David Pytches above.)
At the time, I was a young believer, impressionable and gullible. I believed every word of the report I heard; indeed, it seemed entirely reasonable that an almighty and loving God would give poor people fillings for their bad teeth.
Today we live in a less innocent world and cannot accept such stories at face value. The Church has changed almost out of recognition and the context for such miraculous works has shifted. Today gold teeth are being gleefully displayed by rich Westerners who already have personal doctors and dentists, and they are taken as a proof of the Lord's favour. The revival needed authentication, and here it is!

It intrigues me that so much of the revival and its strange behaviour comes from South America. Even the outpouring that is now attributed to Toronto in early 1994 can be traced back earlier to Claudio Freidzion in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gold teeth were reported there from an early date. It's also reported that in El Salvador there was a "half-hour clap-offering to the Lord" after which "a kind of gold cloud came down upon the stadium".
The woman who sparked off the current gold-dust manifestation comes from Brazil. She can be seen in the photograph above, and also in the video I mentioned earlier. She dusts "holy dust" like dandruff out of her hair and her pastor collects it and uses it to anoint the sick. All this is so reminiscent of Roman Catholic superstition that I greatly suspect that is what's behind it. (Reportedly Ruth Heflin is equally at home with Catholics and Protestants!)
A correspondent writes
"I have heard about the gold fillings in these and other recent situations before. What concerns me the most about this phenomenon is this: I had, prior to hearing about it in the context of the present so-called "revivals", heard about that kind of thing in only one context: the cult of "Mary". I have actually handled a wooden rosary that was partially turned to gold. The change happened at a shrine here in New York City that is devoted to "Mary', and at which a number of visions, healings, etc. have been reported. Bluntly, it tells me conclusively that this so-called revival is a satanic deception."
Adding to my intrigue about South America is the fact that Juan Carlos Ortiz, who created the discipleship system that turned into what we now call "shepherding" or "covering", was based in Buenos Aires. His system is now being recycled as "cell-churches" and is a popular part of the current revival. So much dross seems to have come from that region.

I don't have a problem with God filling a tooth, if need be. God is sovereign and can do as he pleases. If he chooses to fill somebody's tooth then so be it.
However, I DO have a problem with the scale of this present manifestation. God does not put on nightly shows, reproducing miracles to order to impress the crowds. Can you imagine Jesus, having created an eye out of clay for the blind man, then travelling from town to town with his supporting band recreating the clay eye miracle for hundreds at a time.
I cringe at the idea of Jesus and his disciples on stage clapping their hands and making clay eyes appear for no reason other than to demonstrate his powers to the masses. I feel confident in saying Jesus would never do such a thing. He never has done so, and why should he change his modus operandi today?
That teeth were once filled in Argentina is not a great problem to me, but to find that the phenomenon has spread world-wide and that the power to reproduce it is imparted to others and carried around to meeting after meeting is highly suspect.

Now we must consider the circumstances of this manifestation.
Sensible and discerning believers the world over have rejected the Toronto and Brownsville events as false. The doctrines preached by the revival leadership are misleading if not actually heretical. The aim of the revival is unbiblical. The manifestations are unruly and bizarre. The conduct of those participating has been disgraceful. The fruit has been exaggerated, and the outcome has been a division in the churches, the discrediting of Christians in the world's eyes, a lowering of standards, and a falling away from the faith as laid out in God's word.
Taken overall, we can say God is grieved with the state of the Church, and particularly with those who promote the false revival. Therefore, how can we believe that God endorses teaching contrary to his word, and practices he has condemned, by performing miracles amongst those who promote these very things?
How "holy" can the gold dust, oil and teeth be if they appear amid scenes of ungodly disorder and by the preaching of false doctrines?
This takes us on to the question of ---

When I first heard that God was filling teeth, or even replacing fillings, my question was, WHY? Somebody reports: "I had a porcelain crown, and now it's platinum." Another says "I didn't receive any gold, but my fillings were shinier than normal". WHY???
Perhaps my view of God is wrong, but I don't see God doing things that are completely meaningless and that only serve to make Christians a laughingstock.
The only comparison I see in religious terms is with the Roman Catholic church and its emphasis on superstition, relics and idols.
We are used to the idea of Roman Catholics, especially in undeveloped countries, gazing in awe as "tears" trickle down the face of a statue of Mary, or sprinkling "holy water" on themselves in worship, or prostrating themselves before a phial of "holy" blood that liquefies once a year. We used to scoff at their gullibility and pity their bondage to a false religion. Now what do we say as these things enter the Protestant churches? Has such superstition become sanctified because it is performed by Pentecostals in the Name of Jesus?

What proof of holiness is a gold tooth, or holy-dust dandruff? If a sinner goes to a Christian meeting and comes home impressed with the power of a God who can fill his mouth with gold or platinum, what has he gained? In the words of the Bible " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)
It will be claimed that God is attracting the attention of the world in order to convert souls, but is this true? The world is (rightly) laughing at Christians who act in such a way. Some unbelievers might be awed and intrigued, but will they be saved? Why should they rate gold fillings any differently to spoon-bending, UFOs or ghostly ectoplasm appearing at a seance?
Secondly, the attendance at these meetings is largely "christian" whether from established charismatic churches, or backsliders seeking to return to a religious experience of some kind. The lost are not being reached by these miracles, and the people receiving them are already saved or in churches. What then is the point of it all?
I do not believe the main focus of this "revival" is on the lost, whatever the leaders claim. This outpouring is intended to teach believers how to get and use spiritual power!
It is even being taught that anyone who does not receive a second anointing (even though already saved and baptised in the Spirit) will miss the Rapture! In a talk given at the Catch The Fire Conference at Hatfield Christian Church, Pretoria, South Africa on 4th February 1999, John Arnott summed up by saying:
The foolish virgins were foolish because they left it too late to buy oil and get their hearts on fire. You know the ones in Revelation 3:16 were, you know, so lukewarm that they were rejected by the Lord at his coming - he vomited (not a nice picture) out of his mouth. --- Have you been born again? Oh yes. Have you been baptized in the Spirit? Oh yes. Have you been a part of this new move of God? Oh yes. Had a name that you lived, but --- hearts had gone cold somewhere in the process, in the whole dynamic of that soon appearing of the Lord where we could go to be with him, was not the passion of a bride that is an all consuming passion. --- Jesus says take heed of yourself. Don't let that day come upon you unexpectedly."
In order to persuade Christians that they haven't "got enough", tough measures are called for, and a show of miraculous power is laid on. Born-again, Spirit-filled believers are bamboozled into thinking they must get a deeper impartation, and so plug into another spirit and another power. This alone makes sense of the happenings .If you look for a pure scriptural meaning you will struggle to find one, but when you look at the events as an inducement to seek supernatural powers it all begins to make sense.
Another explanation of the appearance of gold is to "prove" God's love for his people. Odd, then, that the Lord is so indiscriminate with his blessings. Almost anyone in any kind of spiritual condition can find a gold tooth after the meeting; and the most devoted find they have missed out.
If being given a gold blessing is a proof of love, what does it mean when you fail to receive? Does God favour some above others? That is certainly the message I read in the following comments from one Testimony.
"I was inwardly disappointed when I didn't see anything on my hands but told myself, it's okay, I know God loves me too (she then receives...) my heart almost burst with joy; all I could think was GOD LOVES ME TOO.

Was she so sure before it happened? I feel truly sorry for those who need to have a sprinkling of gold dust before they can believe God loves them! She goes on:
"It was shared how God did something special for this one lady who received a gold (tooth) crown to assure her of his love, and how special he considered her to be, because he picked her out from the whole congregation to bless her with a gold (tooth) crown. This particular woman was having a hard time believing God loves her...and God went all out to let her know..."

How does this line up with the scriptures that tell us:

God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34

...neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Matt 22:16
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. Rom 2:10-11
...observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. 1 Tim 5:21

Now we should examine what is actually taking place. Does it really demonstrate the wisdom, power and love of God?
Here is a testimony that I received. It speaks for itself:
My friend Veronica has received one of those "gold filling" miracles at my former church that is very affiliated with the Toronto Blessing. She showed these fillings to me about two weeks ago and I saw for myself a gold filling on her back top right molar and a cap on the molar right in front of it. The cap actually didn't appear to totally cover the tooth like a crown, so I'm not sure if it's a filling or a cap.
She had told me that a group of teens from the church went up to TACF and when they came back, they had a church service that night. Veronica was there and during their ministry time she felt a tingling in her mouth, and a taste of metal. Some people looked in her mouth and saw these gold fillings forming right before their eyes.
She seriously believes the Lord blessed her with these, but I think not. She came over the other night and I had her show her fillings to my husband. But when I looked in her mouth, the back upper right molar now had a cap on it also. I know I saw surfaces of the molar when I first looked in her mouth about 2 weeks ago, and that the filling only filled in the middle of the tooth. Nevertheless, I was a little annoyed because the surfaces of that back molar looked fine! Why was it now capped?
My husband said he saw some spaces where Veronica lost a tooth or two, and so why didn't God give her new teeth there?
I also noticed that the surfaces of the caps were very flat with a slight shaved appearance around the perimeter of the tooth to make it a little rounded at the edges. This was another "peculiar" sight because a normal molar has curved surfaces and crevices to chew up food. So even the caps didn't have what I thought was the proper surface for the teeth.
My sister is a dental assistant and so I told her about Veronica's "miracle" with some questions I had about them. She was concerned that Veronica wouldn't go to a dentist to have them checked and to take a look at the teeth for any root problems. Usually when a dentist caps or crowns a tooth, he does a root canal first. So I wonder what happened in the core of these teeth.
She also was concerned about the flatness of the surfaces because she stated that Veronica's bite might be off or that her jaw may not be able to close down properly and that could cause problems later. Also, the flat surface is usually done when the cap is a temporary and then they make a gold filling or cap to look like a normal tooth with proper fitting with the bottom molars so that the bite is accurate. Otherwise, the food gets swished around and isn't properly broken down for digestion.
Strange isn't it? So many people have been "blessed" by these gold fillings, yet have no concern about all the teeth and jaw problems that can arise from them. Now I only saw my friend's and I'm not sure what the other gold fillings look like, but I do know that it could be really interesting to have a dental analysis on these miracles to see if there may be problems for these people who have them. In the mean time, I'm still smiling with my amalgam fillings!

We are not being told the spiritual importance or meaning of these events, although everything so far in this false revival has been loaded with prophetic content. I am sure there is much talk behind the scenes amongst those who know where things are heading, but there's been no public announcement for the rank and file as far as I know.
In the absence of any real biblical teaching, some have dug up a scripture to "support" this new thing, and it's this: "open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.". Now if that doesn't make you squirm, nothing will. I'd like to quote this verse in context, because it says more about the present situation than is comfortable for the revival groups!
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. (Ps 81:8-12)
However, gold is a powerful symbol not only in the Bible but even more so for new-agers, occultists, astrologers, gnostics and almost anybody in a religious cult. There is far more symbolism in the current events OUTSIDE the Church than inside it, which makes me wonder if there is a convergence of understanding here.
Looking at the occult symbols, we find that gold represents the sun-god (not only worshipped in the ancient world as the Most High and Source of all, but still worshipped today in different guises by cults, false religions, Masonry and Illuminist groups.)
He is in fact Lucifer, being the false "light of the world", the counterfeit messiah. The light he brings is forbidden wisdom and the power he provides is psychic power to perform wonders.

Gold also represents, therefore, the ultimate spiritual transformation from base flesh into spirit-life and immortality. It means that a person, by "divine" inspiration and illumination has reached the highest spiritual state.
One writer says that the Latin word for "gold" (aurum) is the same as the Hebrew word for "light" (aor) - thus he considers that the two are linked, and the idea of Luciferic initiation and transformation is represented everywhere by gold.
In the occult world, anybody showered with liquid or powdered gold dust would see it as confirmation of their spiritual transformation; in the world of magic it is called "pixie-dust" and occultists sprinkle it along with their 'blessings' and invocations as a very real experience of enchantment. However, when it occurs within church circles, there is a guarded silence about its meaning - can it be that these events are in fact identical?

The most significant meaning for gold is of course in the realm of alchemy, and most people know that the aim of alchemy was to transmute base metals into gold. Although this was actually attempted as a chemical process, the real meaning behind alchemy was a spiritual transformation of flesh into divinity.
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961) wrote some of his major works on alchemy, putting forward a psychological interpretation. He saw it as a method of self transformation whereby the alchemist unites the opposite elements within himself (e.g., male/female; conscious/unconscious) and attains completeness as a human being. To mystics and occultists alchemy is a spiritual discipline, whereby a person transmutes the base elements of the personality into "spiritual gold". To the Adept this is a powerful process of transformation that unlocks the keys of magical power and of immortality.
For the Jews, the sprinkled blood of sacrificial animals was their redemption and covering. Jesus Christ, the TRUE Way of salvation and immortality, shed his blood as a sacrifice for mankind and believers are, as it were, sprinkled with his blood and so are cleansed in God's sight.
But in the occult world, it is the sun-god (Lucifer) who provides the way of transformation. Thus the rays of the sun and sprinklings, showers or dustings of gold are seen as life-giving emanations of the divine light. They are the sun-god's blessing upon mortals and his means of illumination. Some even today drink powdered gold-dust for healing.
When Ellie Crystal on an alchemy/esotericism bulletin board said she had recently been drawn to the colour frequency of gold and asked for interpretations from her peers, she was given this insight in response: "Effervescent Gold is the 12th Ray, of Spiritual Mastery, Ascension, Anchoring in New Age Christ Consciousness."
It is the goal of the New Age to lift mankind into a new vibration, to awaken people to "christ-consciousness" within; this involves a luciferic initiation in which the mind is changed from the old paradigm to the new one and the enlightened one then sees mankind as one united entity joined to a living planet that must evolve into a higher spiritual dimension.
Those who undergo the transformation understand that they have divine capabilities and begin to train themselves to use their new-found powers. Eventually they believe they will transform the planet itself, and become spiritual beings ruling on a higher plane.
All this is symbolised by the GOLD of the highest spiritual attainment. A disciple of the new age would have no difficulty in interpreting the recent events in churches!
I have no doubt that the supporters of the World Teacher Maitreya will shortly claim the gold miracles as yet more proof of the coming of the New Age, and the emergence of the "christ". If you visit their web site you will find many similar miracles already listed as evidence of their christ's appearance, phenomena such as glowing crosses, weeping and bleeding statues, visions of the Madonna, and inexplicable pictures appearing - for example: On Easter Sunday 1991, a picture was taken of the Philippine piece of glass containing a cross of light. When the negative was developed, the image of a hand showed up in the glass.

Now the face of Christ has slowly developed in a watercolour painting of the High Priest blowing the shofar. The painter, Lindy Meyer, (a charismatic Christian and an avid follower of Ruth Heflin), watched in awe as the face appeared in a picture of Jerusalem that she was painting. She says it is a most beautiful face full of love. Her pastor prophesied over the painting that "Messiah is blowing over Jerusalem himself --- the end of sickness, poverty, depression - and he is announcing VICTORY. This is real! It is a sign and a wonder!" [note the unbiblical triumphalism].
The painting is due to go on display and Lindy Meyer intends to show it to the entire world. She says "He is coming soon. Enter into his GLORY now. This is the year of his visitation and power." This painting will certainly come in handy to show people what the christ looks like, so that they can recognise him when he appears!
These signs and wonders will increase as the Day draws near - but should we be seeking a visible sign to manifest God's presence or to confirm his love for us? Absolutely NOT. Jesus said: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign... (Matt 12:39)
God knows the heart of man. He knows that a visible object or sign soon becomes an idol. The focus shifts from faith in the invisible God to worship of an inanimate object that represents God. For this reason he absolutely forbade the making of images, and would not allow the representation of his form to appear on any objects in the Temple. His own face was never openly shown, and those who met God fell to the ground in terror believing they would die, for He had said: "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live". (Exod 33:20)
(Are we to believe that he has changed his mind now, and imprints his face on a canvas for all to see?)

When an image of worship WAS made, it was often of GOLD. For example, the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness gave their gold earrings to Aaron, who made them a calf of gold; the people then had a visible focus of worship and nearly died as a result, when it angered God. (Exod 32:1-4)
Another gold image, made with good intent, was the ephod of Gideon created with the goodwill offerings of a grateful people. However, the ephod became a focus of worship, an idol, and led the people astray. (Judg 8:24-27)
The Bible specifically warns against gold and silver as objects of desire, even in the worship of God. On the other hand God's commandments, his wisdom, his love and his everlasting goodness (all invisible attributes) are to be cherished:
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. (Prov 8:10-11)
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: (Prov 8:19-20)
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Ps 19:9-11)
Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. (Ps 119:127)

It sometimes worries Christians that prophecies, visions, dreams, signs and wonders actually take place and appear to have some validity. This they take as proof of their godly origin. That is NOT what the Bible teaches, for lying signs are just that: real, but lies!
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth [is testing] you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut 13:1-3
The Bible shows that unbelievers and false teachers can on occasion mimic the miracles of God, for example Jannes and Jambres could make a dead stick into a living snake. (Exod 7:11). But the comment of the word of God on the present-day miracles is:
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 2 Tim 3:8
For not only do occultists and members of false religions perform supposed miracles, but Christians do, too!
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mat 7:22-23
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt 24:24

Finally, what is the danger to ordinary Christians in these signs and wonders? It is that, once you show willing to accept these things, your mind will open to ever more bizarre occurrences and lead you into paths that you would otherwise have shunned.
Nobody is led astray all at once. Satan knows that no Christian or church-goer would accept a talking statue, fire from heaven or a counterfeit christ without mental preparation. First the nursery slopes.
But now that so many in the Church have been warned "don't analyse", "simply accept" and "you must not put God in a box" they are willing to accept ANYTHING, however nonsensical.
They are not worried if a blue cloud hovers in the meeting-room, or if a woman shakes gold dust out of her hair. They gaze in wonder if oil drips from somebody's hands, (and presumably would be just as awestruck by the kind of visible stigmata that Catholics have long known about?).
The apostate Church is ready for deception, wide open and ready. It is simply begging to be hoodwinked and I am afraid that will be its fate. "and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them". (Gen 11:6 NKJ)
I do not rejoice in that, only grieve. God still loves these people and yearns for them to return to him, but they WILL NOT.
As the Church plunges deeper into darkness, if there are any who are still hearing the voice of God, and have doubts about the current goings-on, I pray with all my heart that you will give yourself time to examine the evidence of deception, pray, seek God, read the word and read all you can about these events, in an effort to see the truth. Maybe God will help you to change your mind and spare you from the torment that is about to come.

"... their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD; they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it became their stumbling block of iniquity. (Ezek 7:19 NKJ)

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