How Editors Manipulate Original Texts
To Suit Their Agenda
A guest document by
Lee Penn
The purpose of this document is to graphically illustrate how the editors of a publishing entity will change the author's original text, without the author's approval, to suit their agenda even if it is totally contrary to the author's position.
For this very graphic demonstration we will use the response to a letter miguel de Portugal wrote to Lee Penn about the position discrepancies he noted on an article published under Mr. Penn's authorship.
We thank Mr. Penn for having taken the time to prepare this demonstration so that we may be able to share it with our other readers.
Clarifying My Position About The False Christ
A Response to a Letter From miguel de Portugal
by Lee Penn
In a recent letter, you inquired about some statements which appeared in my recent article published by the Spiritual Counterfeits Project ("Anti-Christs and False Messiahs Down the Ages," SCP Journal Volume 34:4 - 35:1, 2011). These statements were not in the draft that I sent to you for proofreading and review.
The statements that you questioned were changed and/or added by Mr. Tal Brooke, the editor of the
SCP Journal, without my knowledge or authorization. You are right; those changes do not reflect my
own beliefs (as set forth in my book, False Dawn, and in many of the articles that I have written
for The M+G+R Foundation and others).
As a matter of public record, the following are the areas which were changed by Mr. Brooke. For
your convenience, I have highlighted them as follows:
I show my original text here in black type, and display Mr. Brooke’s edits, with his
additions in red, and his deletions in strikeout (like
this).
- No changes were made up to p. 48 of the magazine copy.
- For p. 48 (showing only the paragraphs with changes):
- Just as the "antichrists" described by the Apostle John arose within the Church
(1 John 2:18-19), it appears that the False Christ will arise within
the Church. He will not come to destroy the "Temple" of his time, but to take his seat in its
midst and to claim to own it, as "God." This will be the
final"desolating sacrilege." (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:4) Preterists note this happened when the temple was destroyed in 70AD when this part of the prophecy was fulfilled.
In contrast, Christ’s miracles will be universal in scope and will – in sum – be greater
than any since the time of Creation. With the Return of Christ, the wars and disasters will end.
Christ will renew, heal, and transfigure the whole Earth at the start of His Reign.
, bringing a new heaven and a new earth after the elements melt in
fervent heat, as Peter warns. Many see the great judgment at his return.
...
When the False Christ comes, many believe he will assume control of a world system, with functional cities, a global economy and trade system, and sufficient governmental and technical infrastructure for him to spread his propaganda and enforce his edicts worldwide (Revelation 11:9-10; Revelation 13:7-8, 16-17; Revelation 17:1-2, 15-18;Revelation 18:3, 9-10). Symbolically, "Sodom and Egypt" (Revelation 11:8), "Babylon" (Revelation 18:2-19), and "Rome" will all be standing when the False Christ arrives and begins his rule.
- All these evil cities will be destroyed – permanently and totally – by the time that Christ returns (Revelation 18:20-24; Revelation 19:2-3). Destruction of the demonic world system will come "within a single day" (Revelation 18:8), breaking the power of the False Christ.
Again, there will be surprises for all of us who still see through a glass darkly.
- No changes for pp. 49-54
- For p. 55:
There is no Biblical warrant for the idea that the Second Coming will be preceded by a time of
global Christian revival, moral improvement, and earthly implementation of Gospel values. If
any kind of seemingly orthodox "dominion" comes to power before the Return of Christ, it will be a
counterfeit of the Kingdom of Christ, not a salutary prelude to it. The
desire for a "Great King" aligned with a "Holy Pope" – or for a righteous Biblical Republic in
which God’s law is the basis for civil law – is understandable in these decadent times, when
bureaucrats, grafters, charlatans, and egomaniacs dominate politics and churches. However, this is
a yearning that will only find satisfaction when Christ returns. No one other than Him is fit to
fill the roles that enthusiasts assign to future "holy" Kings, Pontiffs, or theocracies.
- For p. 55 (the section headed "Recognizing the true Christ when He returns":
Scripture provides clear signposts, and a well-defined
– often, as a sequence of events – that can help the
faithful believers distinguish Christ from his evil
imitators. With His return, the faithful will be delivered from the False Christ.
The remainder of the paragraphs on p. 55, – starting with "It is likely that as the time for the fulfillment ..." – and continuing to the first paragraph on p. 56 (a quote from John Wesley) were added by Mr. Brooke.
- For p. 56:
The Church is to occupy until He returns. His Return will augment the end of history.
With His return, the faithful will be delivered from the False Christ, who will be destroyed. The game will be up and judgment begins. After that comes the new creation.
Here, in detail, is what the Scriptures say will happen:
- For p. 57:
- The appearance of the
Sign of theSon of Man
: The - The resurrection of the faithful dead, and the transformation and
uniting with
taking up ofthe living believers
: Christ will send the angels to gather up all the faithful, those living and those who
have died. (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27)
- First, the
- Immediately afterward, the living believers will be transfigured and will be taken up to
Christ. (Matthew 24:37-41; Luke 17:34-35; 1 Thessalonians 4:17)
This is when the good will be taken up to Christ and the bad will be left behind.[A sentence on the Rapture was moved from here to two paragraphs earlier, as shown above. ]
- For pp. 57-58:
Christ will not return to any center of religious and political power to congratulate the world’s church and government leaders for handing Him a well-governed, holy Earth. Instead, He will come as a conqueror to vindicate His suffering, martyred people (Luke 18:7-8). As Tal Brooke wrote in One World, "It will not be some New Age Christ declaring the New Millennium from the United Nations General Assembly or some podium in modern Jerusalem. Rather, the real return of Christ will bring planetary judgment." Many place the Great White Throne judgment here. The curtains of history come down.
- The New Creation : There will be a New Creation, a new heavens and a new earth. (Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 66: 22-23; Joel 3:17-18; Zechariah 14:6-9, 11; Romans 8:21; Hebrews 12:26-27; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-5, 10-26; Revelation 22:1-5, 14) As Christ promised, "Behold, I make all things new." (Revelation 21:5)
What is to be done?
Today’s false messiahs, and the False Christ who will come in the future, pose a
spiritual danger that requires a spiritual response. Repentance, discernment,
prayer, faith, hope, and love will avail against the Dark Power and his servants; precious metals,
arms, and a well-stocked bunker will not. It will be the Word, not an earthly weapon
(Revelation 13:3), that slays
exposes and defeats the False Christ.
CONCLUSION
We must be very careful before we pass judgment on an author's position, and act upon it, since
what is being published under his/her name may not be his/her true position.
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