merican Free Press, the political newspaper that succeeded the now defunct paper known as The Spotlight, recently ran a feature essay that grossly distorted the issue of the so-called "rapture." Under the blaring headline, New Video 'Enrapturing' (complete with a picture of the cover of the video entitled "The Rapture : Biblical Fact - or Left Behind Fiction?"), the lengthy review completely concealed the video's false conclusion.

Incredibly, in a January 2005 review that took almost a full page of the tabloid sized newspaper, the writer never once mentioned the rather crucial fact that the video presents a preterist perspective. Produced by radio host John Anderson with one of his regular preterist associates (a man named Don Preston), the article dwells on how the video shows the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine popularized by the Tim LaHaye books called Left Behind, is in gross error.

Preterism (not to be confused with pre-tribulationism) teaches that most, if not all, of Revelation was already fulfilled in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This bizarre doctrine (actually an ancient heresy), is spreading rapidly among believers that are unversed in the subtleties of scripture. Many preterists teach that Caesar Nero was actually the Antichrist, and the tribulation already occurred when the "Jewish age" came to an end with the burning of Jerusalem.

Some teachers, who are called "full" preterists, actually teach that Christ returned during the 70 AD siege - but he's now invisible! This moronic clap-trap from the American Free Press (AFP) newspaper is particularly revealing considering the fact that AFP is consistently hostile towards Israel and evidently perceives some sort of Jewish conspiracy to rule the world.

Because the Rapture Cult doctrine has discernible Jewish supremacist elements in its faulty "chosen people" theology, it's just a bit too convenient for a political paper that is decidedly anti-Jewish in its editorial worldview to be surreptitiously embracing a theology that is just as false as the cult system it purports to counter. Pre-Tribulational Rapturism is just plain false, but by pointing out the fallacies of pre-tribulationism under the pretext of a Scripturally sound analysis while masking the preterist perspective is intrinsically deceitful.

While Christian Media and others that are like-minded decry the faulty dispensationalist view, we are still futurists that believe we're in the last days before the return of Christ. We still believe the tribulation is about to explode, and we believe the alignment of nations under the Antichrist is just about complete - all foundational premises that we share with the rapturists.

In what AFP bills as a "Film Review," the writer, one Michael Collins Piper, blushingly promotes the video by stating "Anderson and company don't rely on 'footnotes' crafted by Scofield [the editor of the famous reference Bible]. No, they go to the Scriptures themselves, the real source on the matter." While that sounds like the proper course of action in that reliance upon scripture "may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation" (Ephesians 1:17), Anderson and Preston routinely twist the scriptures to such a degree that it's a wonder the verses aren't screaming in pain.

Ultimately, we learn why AFP published such an unbalanced "Film Review," for at the end of the "article" (read printed infomercial) we find an advertisement to purchase the video from - you guessed it! - the product distribution arm of American Free Press! So let's get this straight. The so-called "review" completely disguises the central thesis of the entire video and not once tells the unwary reader that it promotes the preterist perspective. They mask the "review" as though it is written by an unbiased film critic; and then, after praising the tape as representing the views of "a lot of good solid Christian ministers," they offer it for sale to the general public.

The sad part of all this is, while the American Free Press newspaper decries the manipulation of the news that is common to mainstream media - what they refer to as the "lapdog media" (even as they put themselves forward as the purveyors of the "real truth") -- their version of the truth is just as distorted as those they seek to replace. The Bible has an appropriate verse describing this phenomena.

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (II Peter 2:19)

James Lloyd

See Also

Days Of Future Past

Patch The Preterist Pirate