AFR's Wildmon on Prophets, Doolittle, and Christ

https://afr.net/podcasts/it-s-my-turn/2022/may/to-be-a-visionary/

In some respects I grow weary of writing these critiques and yet will no one call these people out? Will no one expose their false teachings and blatant deceit?

Don Wildmon is the founder of AFR which (from the standpoint of this author) ranks among the worst to be found in Christian Radio. I's shows are (generally speaking) terrible and the network seems to exist for no purpose other than to promote Right-wing Americanism. Its confusion of American identity, values, and Right-wing thinking with Christianity is endemic, dangerous, and destructive. As such, it is a heretical radio station, a heretical ministry promoting a false gospel. This is demonstrated by not only its adherence to basic errors such as Dispensationalism but its ethics which are completely divorced from the New Testament and are instead rooted in power, mammonism, and consequentialism. As such, mis- and disinformation are common fare on the network.

I caught this Wildmon commentary recently while in the car. I didn't know whether to laugh or weep. It's not atypical but represents an especially egregious example of Americo-Evangelical thinking and theologizing.

First of all contrary to Wildmon, a prophet in the Biblical sense was not a 'visionary' in the sense of a revolutionary thinker in the realms of politics, business, or military strategy. As a minister in his eighties one would have hoped for a little more wisdom and acumen than this. A Biblical prophet is one who speaks for God, one who by means of Spirit-visions has access to the Divine Council, the Throne Room of God and hears the utterances of the Divine which are then relayed to the people. The prophet serves in other capacities as well. He brings what some have called the covenant lawsuit – calling God's people to account, reminding them of their obligations and how they haven't been faithful to them. The prophet often engages in what might be called the 'state of the world' report, castigating the nations for their wickedness and commenting on their roles and purposes within Providential governance. They are outside the covenant and as such the terms of the condemnation are quite different and yet judgment looms for them nonetheless – and yet with the threat of judicial wrath comes a message of hope. From the perspective of the Old Testament one day the people of these nations will also have the opportunity to repent and become part of the people of God and to find reconciliation with and in Him.

And finally, the prophets also served as types of The Prophet – of Christ Himself who is the ultimate expression of this office. Indeed, He is the very Word of God and the prophets speak and proclaim that Word.

But for Wildmon, the prophets were visionaries and so in his convoluted way of thinking he conflates the visionary role of the prophets with a historical figure like James Doolittle who famously launched an air raid on Tokyo in early 1942. The Doolittle Raid was launched as a both a means of revenge for the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and meant to communicate that Imperial Japan was in fact vulnerable. It was a daring mission as the B-25 pilots launched from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific knowing they would not have enough fuel to return. They would proceed to mainland China and attempt to land there – although the fuel equations were iffy at best. Little damage was done in the raid. It was by all accounts what is referred to as a Psyop – an attempt to frighten the Japanese and shake their confidence. The saga of these flyers makes for good adventure reading and while some died, most of them survived.

Regardless of what one thinks of Doolittle as a man, or his raid, the tortured juxtaposition of this aviator with Biblical prophets and even Christ Himself is both absurd and sacrilegious – if not blasphemous. There is no comparison to be made. Wildmon only demonstrates a singularly impoverished understanding of Biblical redemptive history, theology, and typology. And once again his real religion, Christo-Americanism comes to the fore. And in that false religion which is actively promoted on AFR – figures such as James Doolittle are saints, enrolled in its pantheon. America's wars are holy wars and America is the de facto expression of the Kingdom of God in the Church Age. To compare an aviator dropping bombs on Tokyo and killing people in order to score a revenge victory on his adversary and the 'visionary' aspects of Christ's ministry is just beyond comprehension. Does this man even know Christ? Does he even understand the gospel?

I would encourage Wildmon to retract this commentary, publically renounce it, and repent. And if you listen to AFR do so only on a polemical basis. Don't support this false ministry.