This Revelation Timeline Decoded post features a video from Dr. Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship called The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse And The First Six Seals.
This message was preached by Pastor Chuck Baldwin on Sunday, October 2, 2022, during the service at Liberty Fellowship.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship teaches the preterist explanation of the fulfillment of the prophecies in Revelation.
The preterist prophecy fulfillment explanations were created by Jesuit priests, to deflect blame away from the pope, as the Protestant Reformers all proclaimed that the office of the papacy, the popes of Rome, fulfill Bible prophecy as the ‘little horn’ of Daniel 7, the ‘son of perdition’ of 2 Thessalonians 2, and the ‘beast’ of Revelation 13, who leads the ‘harlot’ church of Rome.
Pastor Baldwin’s explanations serve to deflect blame away from the false priests in Rome!
Read Prophecy Points To The Leader Of The Roman Beast Study
Jesuit Luis De Alcazar published a book called ‘Investigation of the Hidden Sense of the Apocalypse‘ in 1614 AD, which assigns the fulfillment of the prophecies in Revelation to the first century. He devoted himself to bring into prominence the preterist method of interpretation to show the prophecies of antichrist were fulfilled before the popes ever ruled at Rome, and therefore could not apply to the papacy.
Read How The Deceptions Spread
Just like futurism/dispensationalism, preterism serves to deflect blame away from the antichrist beast pope and the false prophet Jesuit Superior General.
They effectively hide how most of the prophecies in Revelation have been fulfilled during the last 1,900 years in exacting detail, which validates the authority of the Bible and the deity of Messiah.
I’ll cover the main points that Pastor Chuck Baldwin spoke about in this video, to show you the historical fulfillment.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that these are the judgment chapters that have been so grossly misinterpreted.
He points to 80% of Christians being misled by the Scofield futurist doctrine, which is true, but his explanations are also off-target.
It amazes me that he mocks futurism but neglects to take into account the historicist explanations. He’s either woefully deceived about the fulfillment of Revelation or he’s a wolf.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that knowing when John wrote Revelation is the key to understanding the fulfillment.
The preterist explanations rely on John writing the book of Revelation before the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD. If the book was written afterwards, then this invalidates the preterist position.
But proof of when Revelation was written is not needed, as the exacting fulfillment of most of the prophecies in Revelation during the last 1,900 years, proves that the historicist explanation is true and the preterist explanation is false.
Read Revelation Fulfillment Timeline
Pastor Chuck Baldwin cites great theologian Adam Clarke who says that Revelation 1:7 is proof that the book was written before the desolation of Jerusalem, but then Pastor Chuck Baldwin ignores that Adam Clarke does not teach the preterist narrative, but the historicist narrative of the fulfillment of Revelation. That is either ignorance or slight of hand.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation is John’s version of the Olivet Discourse.
There’s no way to apply the detailed description of the seals, trumpets, vials, little book of Revelation 10, the two witnesses of Revelation 11, etc.; to a fulfillment before 70 AD. Preterists tend to say that some of those prophecies are symbolic, so it will be interesting to see how Pastor Baldwin explains them in his upcoming videos in this series.
There’s ample proof in my Revelation Timeline Decoded video series and book, that most of the prophecies in Revelation have been fulfilled during the last 1,900 years; which invalidates Pastor Baldwin’s preterist explanations.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship declares that there can be no question that the rider of the white horse in the first seal is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
That is not accurate, as the first seal is not directly pointing to Messiah.
The white horse represents the ‘conquering’ Roman Empire, from 98-117 AD, as under the reign of Emperor Trajan it was a time of its greatest expansion and their military conquests were celebrated by riding ‘white horses’ in their victory parades.
Interestingly, Pastor Baldwin skips over important details, such as the bow in the first seal. Roman Emperors Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, were descendants of the Isle of Crete, who were famous bowmen, so the ‘bow‘ points directly at their rule.
The ‘crown’ represents the laurel wreathes of victory that were worn by these Caesars after their armies had won a military battle.
During the first few centuries, Messiah set up His kingdom which grew dynamically in a short period of time, as the apostles and early church were scattered due to persecution, so the Gospel was spread around the Roman Empire.
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” Daniel 2:44
Messiah went forth on His victorious mission of taking control of countries with His Gospel and of avenging the martyrs deaths by causing the Roman Empire to decline during the seal judgments. Messiah overthrows the greatest power the world has ever known, the mighty Roman Empire, not with weapons, but with the sword of His Word.
Read Revelation 6 – 1st Seal White Horse
This sets up the narrative of Revelation, which is the historical battle between the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom (pagan Emperors > antichrist beast Popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals) fighting against Messiah and His saints. Pastor Baldwin’s explanations serve to deflect blame away from them.
The narrative of Revelation 12-13 form one chronological layer, which points to the leaders of the three phases of the Roman beast kingdom, which exist from when Revelation was written until Messiah returns.
Read Prophecy Points To The Leader Of The Roman Beast Study
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Messiah on the white horse in Revelation 6 is the start of the judgment of the Jewish nation and Messiah on the white horse in Revelation 19 points to the defeat of the Jewish nation.
There are prophecies, such as Messiah’s Olivet Discourse, which point to the desolation of the Jewish nation, but Revelation is not one of them. Read The Olivet Discourse Deception
Pastor Baldwin gains credibility with his audience by teaching the historical fulfillment of the 70th week of Daniel 9 and the Olivet Discourse, which exposes the false futuristic explanations. This causes people to blindly trust his explanations about Revelation.
The first seal sets up the narrative of Revelation, the historical battle between the Satan-empowered leader of the Roman beast kingdom fighting against Messiah and His saints. The pagan Emperors killed millions of saints during ten persecution periods; the popes caused tens of millions of saints to be killed during the Dark Ages and Inquisition.
Read Revelation Fulfillment Timeline
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the seals are only an introduction to what is to come in the trumpets and bowls.
This is false, as the seal judgments are about the decline of the pagan Roman Empire from bloody civil wars (red horse), economic strife (black horse), famine, pestilence and death (pale horse).
The trumpet judgments led to the Empire’s fall, as army after army were sent to attack it, leading to Constantinople being captured in 1453 AD during the sixth trumpet judgment.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship points to the killings in Jerusalem in the second seal.
He’s right that many Jews died in Jerusalem at the hands of their own people, but that’s the topic of the Olivet Discourse and not Revelation.
The red horse of the second seal of Revelation 6 represents a bloody time in the Roman Empire from 185-284 AD, as it went into a phase of revolution and civil war for 90 years, during which there were 32 emperors and 27 contenders for the throne. Read Revelation 6 – 2nd Seal Red Horse
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship points to the famine of Jewish nation in the third seal.
He’s right that many Jews died in Jerusalem from famine, while the Roman army camped outside the city, but that’s the topic of the Olivet Discourse and not Revelation.
The black horse of the third seal of Revelation 6 represents a period of gloom and despair, as the Romans suffered under excessive taxes that were needed to pay for wars. The pricing for wheat and barley point to food scarcity from 222-235 AD.
The color of the horse represents the condition of the Roman people at that time, and the description of the rider represents the cause of their condition.
As you can see on this Roman coin, the pair of scales represented the justice and commerce of the Roman Empire. If citizens couldn’t pay their taxes in coinage, they were allowed to pay with the equivalency of wheat or barley.
Read Revelation 6 – 3rd Seal Black Horse
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the desolation of the Jewish nation is pointed to in the fourth seal.
There was famine, pestilence and death in Jerusalem during the Jewish-Roman War of 66-70 AD, but the fourth seal is not about the Jewish nation.
The pale horse of the fourth seal of Revelation 6 represents 1/4th of Romans dying from famine, plague, pestilence and violence, from 250-300 AD. The word ‘earth‘ is pointing to the Roman Empire as the ‘land’ of prophecy.
Read Revelation 6 – 4th Seal Pale Horse
He’s right that most pastors don’t mention the importance of the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple and the Jewish nation. This is why I have a website explaining this important judgment. The Olivet Discourse Deception
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that applying the seal judgments to things that are going on today is fabrication and sensationalism.
Though that is true, assigning them to the first century is also fabrication as we can see abundant proof in the writings of Edward Gibbon, the famed historian who wrote the six-volume work called The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; which amazingly records the events from the first seal to the sixth trumpet judgment.
This represents the narrative from the time of conquests in the first seal when the Roman empire was at its height of power, to the fall of the empire when Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453 AD.
It will be interesting to see how Pastor Chuck Baldwin explains the detailed descriptions that are given in the trumpet judgments, especially the fifth and sixth ones.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that before Scofield and Darby, that the church understood that these prophecies were already fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem.
This is a false statement! The Protestant Reformers pointed to the historicist narrative of the fulfillment of Revelation, as did the great theologians of the 16th-20th centuries such as Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, E.B. Elliott, the Geneva Bible Study Notes, Henry Grattan Guinness, John Gill and Matthew Poole.
The saints have historically protested against the popes, proclaiming that they fulfill Bible prophecy as office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, fulfill Bible prophecy as the ‘little horn’ of Daniel 7, the ‘son of perdition’ of 2 Thessalonians 2, and the ‘beast’ of Revelation 13, who leads the ‘harlot’ church of Rome.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin’s explanations serve to deflect blame away from the antichrist beast Popes, and away from the amazing historical fulfillment of most of Revelation during the last 1,900 years.
Read Historical Witnesses Against Antichrist
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship mockingly said that the futurists makes the entire book of Revelation after chapter 4, totally irrelevant to them.
That is basically true, but preterism does the same thing, as it hides that Messiah has been working through His saints during the last 1,900 years to fight against the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom.
Preterism causes the saints to not understand who is the antichrist beast, the false prophet and the harlot of Revelation 17, so that the saints don’t protest against them.
Preterism hides where we’re at on the Revelation fulfillment timeline, so that the saints don’t understand what will take place before Messiah returns.
No doubt Pastor Chuck Baldwin understands the impact of the Protestant Reformers who proclaimed the Scriptural Gospel to Catholics and millions were saved; but he ignores their declarations against the antichrist beast popes and their harlot church, which teaches a false gospel of works through the sacraments and that Mary is the intercessor to the Father, which denies Messiah.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the reason that the Jewish nation was destroyed in 70 AD, was to convince the world of the death of the Old Covenant and the glory of the New Covenant.
I’m not clear about what ‘old covenant’ he’s referring to, but the Abrahamic covenant is older than the Sinai covenant. Daniel 9:27 points to Messiah coming in the 70th week of Daniel to confirm the everlasting covenant.
The new covenant did not replace the everlasting covenant. Messiah came to ratify the everlasting covenant with His blood.
Read The 70th Week Of Daniel 9 Decoded
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the fifth seal points to the saints and prophets who were killed by the Pharisees.
The fifth seal points to the saints who were killed by the pagan Roman Emperors during ten persecution period. Messiah told the Smyrna church era saints that they would face ten days (ten prophetic years) of tribulation, which took place from 303-312 AD when Emperor Diocletian sought to wipe out Messiah’s Ekklesia of saints.
The saints blood cried out for vengeance against the pagan Roman Empire, which came during the sixth seal and the trumpet judgments.
The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 are to seven church eras which span from the first century until Messiah returns. He wrote about what they would face as the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom made war with them.
It makes no sense that Messiah would speak about dramatically different circumstances to seven churches which were close in proximity. This is another proof that the historicist narrative is true and the preterist narrative is false.
Read Revelation 2-3 Seven Church Eras
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship points to Revelation 1:1 in which Messiah describes things which must shortly come to pass.
That’s a valid point against the futuristic explanations, but not against the historicist ones as the first seal was fulfilled shortly after Revelation was written. Yet somehow, Pastor Baldwin doesn’t mention that perspective.
He’s promoting a false dichotomy between the preterist explanation and the futuristic one, but both of them are deceptions which were created by the Jesuits of Rome, to deflect blame away from the antichrist beast popes.
The Jesuits are a military organization whose role is to fight against Messiah and His saints, and to bring the world under the authority of the antichrist beast Pope.
Then Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship treats the text literally in Revelation 6:14, pointing to the literal mountains of Jerusalem.
The Romans levelled the top of the mountain to fortify their military positions during the siege of Jerusalem, but they did not move the mountain itself.
And it’s not pointing to a literal mountain being moved anyway. The mountains and islands that were moved out of their places, were all of the people groups who were affected by the decline of the Roman Empire during the seal judgments.
When the Emperors fought against each other, the Empire was in political upheaval. Not long beforehand the empire was at its height of power and now it was crumbling around them.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that dispensationalists apply Revelation 6 to the antichrist.
That is true, but historicists proclaim that Revelation 6 applies to the decline of the Western Roman Empire which suffered from bloody civil wars, economic strive, famine, pestilence and death.
It’s misleading to only condemn the futurist explanations, but not give an account of the historicist ones. This is either ignorance and slight of hand.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation is not chronological.
He said that the seals are just an introduction to the judgment and that the trumpets and bowls give more information. I suspect that he will combine the narratives of seals, trumpets and bowls, to say that they’re pointing to the same events.
The seals, trumpets and bowls point to different events; as judgment is poured out on the pagan Roman Empire, the antichrist beast Popes and their harlot church of Rome.
Revelation has four chronological layers:
In Revelation 12-13, Messiah gives sweeping overviews of three phases of the Roman beast kingdom (the pagan Roman Empire > that antichrist beast popes of Rome > the false prophet Jesuit Superior General) that His followers have had to face from when John wrote the vision until He returns.
In Revelation 2-3, Messiah is speaking to seven church eras which have spanned from when John wrote the vision until Messiah returns.
The seven seals, the sealing of the 144,000, the seven trumpet judgments, the little book, the two witnesses, the seven bowl judgments, the battle of Armageddon, the New World Order, and Messiah returning in victory, overlay the historical timeline.
In Revelation 17-18, Messiah helps John see how Satan has reigned through seven phases (heads) of the pagan Roman Empire; how the antichrist beast Popes are the eighth head, who rose to power out of the fallen Roman Empire; the antichrist beast Popes harlot church, which teaches a false salvation message and has persecuted the saints; and how the Jesuits are using the Vatican to gather the world under their power.
None of the prophecies in Revelation are about the judgment of Jerusalem in 70 AD! The ‘great city’ of Revelation is Rome, home of the antichrist beast pope, the false prophet Jesuit Superior General and their harlot Roman Catholic Church.
By pointing to Jerusalem, Pastor Baldwin is deflecting blame away from Rome.
Read Revelation Is A Layered War Manual
The explanations of Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship serve to hide the following events.
Satan using the Roman Emperors to kill millions of saints during ten persecution periods. During the harshest period, Emperor Diocletian sought to wipe out Messiah’s early church during ten years of great persecution from 303-312 AD.
Constantine and the Roman bishops codifying Romanism, the false Christian religion which blends pagan god worship and the true faith.
The rise of the popes of Rome to power in the sixth century, who banned and burned the Scriptures and tortured and killed tens of millions of saints during the Dark Ages and the Inquisition.
The Popes proclaiming to lead Messiah’s church, but teaching a false Gospel of works through the sacraments and that Mary is the intercessor to the Father, which denies Messiah.
The Popes taking the title of ‘holy father’ and declaring that they are God, that they can forgive sins, and that they can provide salvation, which is blasphemy.
The great harvest of the Protestant Reformation when the saints came back to life and proclaimed the Scriptural Gospel, which caused millions of Catholics to be saved.
The translation of the Scriptures into common languages after it had been hidden in Latin during the Dark Ages. And the advent of the printing press, which led to printed Bibles, the little book of Revelation 10, being spread around the world.
Pastor Baldwin’s explanations serve to hide that the office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, fulfill Bible prophecy as the ‘little horn’ of Daniel 7, the ‘son of perdition’ of 2 Thessalonians 2, and the ‘beast’ of Revelation 13, who leads the ‘harlot’ church of Rome.
His explanations hide the witness of the millions of saints who have gone before us, who have died when they would not compromise with the antichrist beast Popes and they exposed their false teachings.
Pastor Baldwin has nothing to say about the many millions of saints who have been persecuted, tortured and killed by the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom. How does he believe that Messiah had nothing to say about that?
The explanations serve to hide that we’re in the sixth bowl of Revelation and that there’s not much left to be fulfilled before Messiah returns.
The explanations serve to hide the glory of Messiah who has worked through His saints to war against the Satan-empowered Roman beast kingdom.
Whether Pastor Baldwin is woefully deceived or a deceiver doesn’t matter, as the effect of his explanations serve to deflect blame away from the enemy of Messiah and His saints, and hide the true historical fulfillment of the prophecies in Revelation.
I prove out the historical fulfillment of most of the prophecies in Revelation during the last 1,900 years, which validate historicist explanations and invalidates the preterist explanation of Pastor Chuck Baldwin.
Messiah’s apocalyptic vision is a war manual, designed to hide the explanation from those who should not understand it. It uses symbolic words that are defined in the Old Testament to point to a literal fulfillment. If you read Revelation only from a literal perspective, the interpretation is hidden.
Understanding the vision is like taking a Biblical final exam. If you’ve read the whole Word, you will have seen the symbolism that Messiah uses and can apply it to the fulfillment.
If you read Revelation as one chronological narrative, the prophecies seem out of sequence. That’s because it has four chronological layers, each of which spans from when it was written until Messiah returns.
This book explains the prophecies of Revelation on a timeline to help you see how the four chronological layers interact with each other, so that you can comprehend the whole vision.
You will learn how to identify who fulfills the role of the son of perdition, the antichrist beast, the false prophet, and the harlot called ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great.’ You will understand the proper context of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments; the little book of Revelation 10, and the two witnesses of Revelation 11.
Whether you’re a novice at Bible prophecy or someone who has studied it extensively, I provide an explanation that is easy to understand yet has the depth of verse by verse explanations to provide you the evidence you need to prove it out.
Here’s a link to YouTube videos about the fulfillment of 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation.
CLICK HERE TO BUY A PRINTED COPY OF THE REVELATION TIMELINE DECODED BOOK
#chuckbaldwin
This is a great article tearing down preterism as pushed by Chuck Baldwin, but the comments from others are great as well. Praise our Lord Jesus that you’re continuing to write articles exposing false doctrines and expound on the truth of historicism. I’d even say the term historicism falls short of describing what you, David, and others teach – its the literal truth of prophecy fulfillment and as Jesus Christ our Messiah is the spirit of prophecy according to Revelation 19:10, it is being true to our Lord and Saviour. It brings honor and glory to Him, as it shows his sovereign and active hand in guiding and protecting His Bride and effecting world events.
I’d also like to add that I thought your book on The 70th Week of Daniel was excellent, and I think I’m going to read your Revelation Timeline book next. I’ve skipped around in it for reference, but haven’t given it a straight through reading.
May our Heavenly Father bless you, and I pray with all my heart you continue to teach the truth the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
Thank you for your comment Matthew! The truth of prophecy fulfillment during the last 1,900 years, proves that preterism is wrong. It’s hard to comprehend that Pastor Baldwin can’t see the truth of historicism.
That’s wonderful that you researched the 70th week of Daniel 9, for it’s really important to understand.
I teach through the Revelation Timeline Decoded series in video @ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY8Cq8enpfGfD_9b9cfcgCWhdYWUNNZq7 And in podcast audio @ https://bibleprophecydecoded.buzzsprout.com/
Contact me anytime with questions or insight about the studies.
David
Chuck Baldwin might be in that class of deceiving others while being deceived himself as in 2 Timothy 3:13. Either that, or he really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing completely as others have suggested.
I have watched some of your Revelation videos before, as I’m subscribed to your channel on YouTube. Thanks for linking me to your podcast audio as well.
I’ll certainly share any thoughts I have if and once they come to me. God bless once more.