Rapture Debate

Date:	06-09-05
Host:	George Noory
Guests:	Ken Parsons, John Anderson

Ken Parsons and John Anderson debated whether the Rapture is Biblical Prophecy or myth being propagated by those out to profit from it, respectively. Anderson, who declared himself a preterist, said that the "end times" prophecies in question were fulfilled by 70 AD with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. The modern idea of the Rapture, he believes, is not actually in scripture, and is misinterpreted or mistranslated and was first popularized in the 1830's, and more recently in the Left Behind books. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that people are going to fly off the Earth, he added.

Parsons believes that the Bible does predict an end time event and that there are indications that it could be upon us soon, though no one knows the exact date. He thinks there is a time frame that passes each year when it may happen. Jesus' end-of-the-age admonition that, "nation will rise against nation...there will be famines and earthquakes in various places," could be describing our current scenario, Parsons suggested.

Anderson was critical of Rapture doctrine as he believes it can drive America's foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, and cause serious problems in that regard. Parsons puts stock in the idea that an Antichrist will surface, as a One World government takes control. He sees signs of this already occurring with the rise of the EU. Anderson said that the Antichrist is not one person, but many that are already here. A Fastblast poll of listeners conducted in the last hour, found 54% siding with Parsons, and 46% with Anderson.

The Rapture Index

The Rapture Index, described by its makers as a "prophetic speedometer of end-time activity" is currently at a ranking of 144, which according to their scale translates as "fasten your seat belts." This "Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity," keeps track of 45 different categories that they believe signal movement towards "pre-tribulation rapture" such as Satanism, Globalism, and Mark of the Beast.