This Revelation Timeline Decoded post features a video from Dr. Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship called The Beast, The Mark And The Number Of His Name.
This message was preached by Pastor Chuck Baldwin on Sunday, 12/03/23, during the service at Liberty Fellowship.
Before I begin my review of Pastor Chuck Baldwin’s explanations, let me declare that I do these type of reviews, not just to expose false teachers; but to show what they teach, which you may have also been taught, so that you can see the truth and the deception.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin has read the explanations of the great theologians of the 16th-20th centuries and and he cites them when something they say seems to support his preterist explanations.
But then he purposely leaves out their historicist explanations which misleads people into thinking that they supported the preterist viewpoint. SMH!
These reviews serve as an open rebuttal of his explanations. It’s not about me, it’s about the truth of prophecy fulfillment which reveals the glory of our beloved Messiah!
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that you’re going to hear the truth about the fulfillment of Revelation.
This is not true, as he gives the false, preterist explanation of the fulfillment of the prophecies in Revelation, applying them primarily to the desolation of the Jewish nation in 70 AD.
The detailed historical fulfillment of most of the prophecies in Revelation during the last 1,900 years, invalidates the preterist explanations.
The witness of esteemed Roman empire historian Edward Gibbon in his six-volume work The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire shows us how the first seal points to Emperor Trajan who ruled from 87-117 AD. He describes the decline of the empire which took place during the other seal judgments. He details that the fall of the Roman empire took place when army after army were sent to attack it, ending with Constantinople being conquered by the Turks who used large cannons (fire, smoke and brimstone) to knock down the thick protective walls.
Read Revelation 9 – 6th Trumpet
Pastor Baldwin exposes and mocks the false futuristic explanations, which makes the preterist view seem more believable.
But he’s either ignorantly and deceivingly leaving out the historicist explanation of prophecy fulfillment.
The historicist narrative was taught by many esteemed theologians such as Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, E.B. Elliott, Henry Grattan Guinness, Joseph Benson, John Gill and Matthew Poole.
Read the Revelation Fulfillment Timeline Summary
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation 13 is the most misinterpreted chapters in all of the bible.
He says that most of what you’ve heard on tv, radio, pastors is patently false.
I agree with that statement, but his explanation of the beasts of Revelation 13 is also a misinterpretation, as it’s not about Nero or the Jewish priests or the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Read Prophecy Points To The Leader Of The Roman Beast Study
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that in Revelation 13:1, the ten horns are the ten provincial rulers of Rome.
How was the empire split into ten parts under Nero? Who were the ten provincial rulers under Nero? Just making a statement without facts proves nothing.
Revelation 13:1 is pointing to the ten kingdoms that formed after the last Western Roman Emperor was removed from power during the fourth trumpet judgment in 476 AD.
Revelation 17:12-13 tells us that those ten kings gave their authority to the antichrist beast pope who leads the harlot church of Rome.
Read Revelation 8 – 4th Trumpet
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that in Revelation 13:1, the seven heads are the first seven emperors of Rome.
That doesn’t make sense as the first seven Emperors are Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius Nero, Galba and Otho. That doesn’t point to Nero who was the fifth emperor or to Vespasian who was the ninth emperor.
The crowns were on the heads in Revelation 12, but now it’s on the horns in Revelation 13. The heads point to seven forms of government of the Roman Empire, which existed before the eighth head, the antichrist beast popes took civil and ecclesiastic authority over the Roman beast kingdom.
This is the same narrative as Revelation 17:10-11, which describes how the antichrist beast popes who lead the harlot church of Rome came to power over the Roman beast kingdom.
Read Revelation 17 – Mystery Babylon
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that in a general sense, the beast represents the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 point to Rome as the fourth beast kingdom, and in Revelation 12-13 John describes the leaders of the Roman beast kingdom; pagan emperors > antichrist beast popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals; who have made war with Messiah’s saints during the last 1,900 years.
Read Historical Witnesses Against Antichrist
People proclaim that a ‘beast’ in the Bible always points to a kingdom but that’s not true!
Titus 1:7-12 and 2 Peter 2:12-15 proclaim that a beast can describe a bishop, a false prophet, an unruly, vain, talking deceiver who speaks evil. That describes the popes of Rome, as they proclaim to lead Messiah’s church but teach a false gospel of works and that Mary is the intercessor to the Father. The popes have proclaimed to be God, to forgive sins and provide salvation, which is blasphemy!
Once again, Pastor Baldwin’s explanations serve to deflect blame away from the antichrist beast pope and false prophet Jesuit Superior General, who are the enemy of Messiah and His saints, and of the whole world.
Read The Jesuits Helped Found America, To Use It As Their War Machine
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that in a specific sense, the beast represents Emperor Nero.
He says that Nero’s persecution of the church was unequalled, trying to make his preterist explanation seem legit. But it’s a false statement!
The Emperors carried out ten persecution periods from Nero to 312 AD. The worst one was when Diocletian sought to wipe Messiah’s Ekklesia out from 303-312 AD.
Messiah spoke of this ten years of tribulation in His message to the church age of Smyrna. Myrrh represents death. The message in Revelation 2-3 is to seven church ages which span from the first century until Messiah returns, which proves that Pastor Baldwin’s preterist narrative is false. Read Revelation 2-3 Seven Church Eras
Messiah spoke about these martyrs in the fifth seal, as they loved their lives no until the death. Read Revelation 6 – 5th Seal Martyrs
The antichrist beast popes of Rome tortured and killed tens of millions of Messiah’s saints during the Dark Ages and Inquisition, which was much worse that Nero’s. How does Pastor Baldwin ignore this?
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that there’s no doubt that the deadly head wound in Revelation 13:3 was to Nero.
He makes brash statements like this to make it seem like his preterist explanation is true, but it’s a false narrative.
He says that deadly head wound was healed when Vespasian returned to Rome to save the empire.
The deadly head wound pointed to the last Western Roman Emperor being removed from power in 476 AD, during the fourth trumpet judgment.
The office of the Western Roman Emperor ceased to exist, so the head was wounded to death.
It was healed when the antichrist beast popes of Rome were given power over church and state in 538 AD, as they took the emperors title of Pontifex Maximus.
When the antichrist beast popes were removed from civil power after 1260 years in 1798 AD during the fifth vial judgment, John says that the office was wounded by the sword and did live. That means that the popes were removed from civil power, so it was wounded, but they continue in the office as an ecclesiastic leader, so the office lives on.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Nero’s death nearly caused Rome to perish
This is an overly dramatic to make Revelation seem like it points to first century.
Renowned Roman Empire historian Edward Gibbon never made such a statement about Nero’s death. In fact, Gibbon records that only a few decades later, the reign of Emperor Trajan from 98-117 AD was the most glorious time of the empire, when there was peace and they were conquering nations. This aligns with the white horse of the first seal, as the emperors rode white horse and laurel wreath crowns during victory parades. Read Revelation 6 – 1st Seal White Horse
Gibbon noted 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. This aligns with the red horse of the second seal. Read Revelation 6 – 2nd Seal Red Horse
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the sea beast rose up out of the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s not pointing to a literal sea!
Water in Bible prophecy represents people as we see in Revelation 17:15, And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
The antichrist beast popes rose to power over the sea of people of the ten kingdoms of the fallen Western Roman Empire.
This is the same narrative as the little horn of Daniel 7:25, which says that the little horn plunked out the three horns/leaders. The popes subdued and destroyed three of the ten kingdoms; the Heruli, Ostrogoths and Vandals; who did not bow down to his authority.
Read The Little Horn Of Daniel 7 Rose Up
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation 13:5 points to Nero exalting himself above the Roman sun god Apollo.
Many pagans have proclaimed to be god, but that is not blasphemy!
The antichrist beast popes took the title of the Heavenly Father which is forbidden and in the name of Jesus they have proclaimed to be god on earth. They have proclaimed to forgive sins and provide salvation. That’s blasphemy!
Pastor Baldwin’s preterist explanations serve to deflect blame away from the antichrist beast popes and the harlot Roman Catholic Church which teaches a false gospel of works through the sacraments and a false intercessor in Mary.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation 13:7 says that all kindreds, tongues and nations are represented at the Holy Feast Days of the Jews.
That has nothing to do with Emperor Nero being the antichrist!
Revelation 13:7 is pointing to the antichrist beast pope’s dominion over the ten kingdoms of the fallen Roman Empire which spoke different languages.
Read Revelation 13 – The Roman Sea Beast Phase
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Nero fulfills all the description of the first beast.
Really? How did Nero have power given unto him to continue 42 months in Revelation 13:5?
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that Revelation 13:11 is the religious beast of the earth who supports Nero.
He says the earth beast was the Jewish leaders of Israel who supported Nero. He points to John 11:47, when the Jewish chief priest said that it’s better for one man to die than for the Romans to take away our place and nation.
But this is a false statement, as they chose Barabbas the Zealot because they wanted a leader to fight against Rome to overthrow their power over the Jewish leaders.
The Jewish High Priests did not support Nero, they were against the Romans up until the desolation of Jerusalem, the temple and the Jewish nation during the Jewish-Roman War of 66-70 AD.
Read The Olivet Discourse Deception
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the two horns in Revelation 13:11 were the two Jewish high priests before the destruction.
How did those two high priests support Nero who died in 68 AD? They didn’t, as they were opposing Rome during the Jewish-Roman War of 66-70 AD.
He says that it’s the only explanation that fits, while he ignores the historicist explanation which accounts for them.
And that’s the bottom line of Pastor Baldwin’s preterist explanations, that they deflect blame away from the antichrist beast pope and false prophet Jesuit Superior General, who are the enemy of Messiah’s saints and the whole world.
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship read Revelation 13:12 but gave no explanations.
How did the last two high priests cause the earth to worship the antichrist, Nero? They didn’t!
The false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals, the black popes, have caused Jesuit priests to spread around the world to mislead people with the false religion of Catholicism, which causes Catholics to revere (mark on forehead, thoughts) and obey (mark on right hand, actions) the antichrist beast pope, thus they have the mark of the beast on them.
The harlot Roman Catholic Church has grown exponentially during the last few centuries and now misleads 1.3 billion Catholics with a false Christian religion.
Read The Fulfillments Of The Mark Of The Beast
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the wound by the sword in Revelation 13:14 was fulfilled by Nero who killed himself by his own sword.
He says that the beast did live because Vespasian took authority.
But that’s not a unique event, as many emperors were killed by sword.
Revelation 13:14 is pointing to the antichrist beast pope being removed from civil power in 1798 AD after having civil power for 1,260 years. This fulfills the fifth vial judgment which was on the seat, the office of the antichrist beast pope.
But unlike the office of the Western Roman Emperor, which ceased to exist, thus the deadly head wound; the office of the papacy lives on today.
Read Revelation 16 – 5th Bowl Judgment
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the Roman leaders could not have succeeded without the support of the Jewish leaders, fulfilling Revelation 13:15.
He says that the false prophet Jewish leaders assisted Vespasian in his resurrecting of the Roman Empire.
That is an absurd declaration, as the Jewish leaders had nothing to do with saving the Roman Empire!
The image of the beast was given life when the false prophet Jesuit Superior General causes the creation of the city-state corporation of Vatican City to be created during the 1929 Lateran Treaty, which gives the image that the white pope has civil authority again.
But it’s really the black pope who controls the Vatican, and the whole world, in the background. He uses the white pope as the spokesman to gather the world under their authority.
Read Revelation 13 – The Roman Earth Beast Phase
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that the wonders and miracles of the false prophet are a repeat of Paul’s man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Once again, Pastor Baldwin’s contrived explanation deflects blame away from the man of sin, son of perdition, antichrist beast popes of Rome who lead the harlot Roman Catholic Church.
In the name of Jesus, the man of sin popes teach a false gospel which has misled billions of Catholics. They have promoted a false intercessor in Mary which denies Messiah. They have banned and burned the Scriptures which proclaim the Gospel. They have caused tens of millions of Messiah’s saints to be tortured and killed during the Dark Ages and Inquisition. They have prohibited priests from marrying, which has led to rampant homosexuality and rape of nuns and children. And now they proclaim that all religions lead to the same god.
Read The Son Of Perdition Of 2 Thessalonians 2
Read We Know The Antichrist Beast, False Prophet And Harlot Of Revelation By Their Fruit
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that He doesn’t know what the mark was and then says to not let anyone fool you that they know what the mark of the beast is.
He says that the mark identified loyalty to Nero and people who didn’t have it couldn’t buy and sell. Where is the proof of that?
He says that the mark isn’t important and that it can change from beast to beast to beast.
Pastor Baldwin says that a system that takes away a persons right to live, work, travel, etc., is an antichrist system.
But that makes no sense, as that explanation has nothing to do with revering Nero, the supposed antichrist.
Pastor Baldwin applies it to President Biden, saying that people have the mark when they closed their business because of C0VID.
Once again, that has nothing to do with revering Nero, the supposed antichrist, so it’s a nonsensical explanation.
Read The Fulfillments Of The Mark Of The Beast
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship says that 666 in Hebrew gematria is neron, which points to Nero.
Pastor Baldwin misleading cites theologians Albert Barnes.
Albert Barnes gave the example of Nero in Hebrew, but points out that Revelation is written in Greek and he points to the popes of Rome as fulfilling 666, which Pastor Baldwin hid!
(1) John was writing in Greek, and it is most natural to suppose that this would be the reference;
(2) he expected that his book would be read by those who understood the Greek language, and it would have been unnatural to have increased the perplexity in understanding what he referred to by introducing a word of a foreign language;
(3) the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and not those of the Hebrew, are expressly selected by the Saviour, to denote his eternity– “I am Alpha and Omega,” Rev 1:8,11;
The exposition thus far has led us to suppose that the Papacy in some form is referred to; and the inquiry now is, whether there is any word which is so certain and determinate as to make it probable that John meant to designate that. The word Lateinos, the Latin [Man]–actually has all the conditions supposed in the interpretation of this passage. From this word the number specified–666–is made out as follows: L A T E I N O S 30 1 300 5 10 50 70 200=666.
The most appropriate appellation, if it was designed to refer to Rome as a civil power, would undoubtedly have been the word Roman; but if it was intended to refer to the ecclesiastical power, or to the Papacy, this is the very word to express the idea.
As a matter of historical interest, it may be observed that the solution of the difficulty has been sought in numerous other words, and the friends of the Papacy, and the enemies of the Bible, have endeavored to show that such terms are so numerous that there can be no certainty in the application.
But still it is remarkable how many of the most obvious solutions refer to Rome and the Papacy.
The Greek language has words assigned to the numbers.
The Chi Xi Stigma, which equates numerically to 666, is symbolized by a pierced Christ on a cross, which is exactly what the Catholic crucifix represents.
Coke’s Commentary on the Holy Bible says “No name appears more proper and suitable, than that famous one mentioned by Iraeneus, who lived not long after St. John’s time, and was the disciple of Polycarp, the disciple of John. He says, “that the name Lateinos contains the number six hundred and sixty-six. For, after the division of the empire, the Greeks and other Orientalists called the people of the Western church, or church of Rome, Latins, and they latinize in every thing: mass, prayers, litanies, canons, decretals, bulls, are conceived in Latin: the Papal councils speak Latin: women themselves pray in Latin; nor is the scripture read in any other language under Popery than Latin.”
Once again, Pastor Baldwin’s explanations deflect blame away from the antichrist beast popes who lead the tares church which Satan planted to mislead the world.
Read The Antichrist Beast Of Johns Epistles And Revelation
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship points to 1 John 2:18 which points to many antichrists.
He misleadingly cites theologian Adam Clarke, who notes that “Even Protestantism may have its antichrist as well as Popery. As there has been a succession of oppositions to Christianity in its spirit and spread through every age since its promulgation in the world, so there has been a succession of antichrists.”
But when you read Adam Clarke’s commentary on Revelation 13:1-10, he points directly at the antichrist beast popes who reigned in civil power for 1260 years. Clarke points to the antichrist beast popes making war with Messiah’s saints during the Dark Ages and Inquisition.
Pastor Baldwin is misleading people by citing Adam Clarke to make it seem like he taught the preterist explanations.
Read The Antichrist Beast Of Johns Epistles And Revelation
Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Liberty Fellowship points to a succession of antichrists.
Indeed, there has been a succession of antichrists, as Simon Magus the sorcerer went to Rome after he was rebuked by Peter, to feign to be an apostle of Jesus, but misled people with a false religion.
That continued through Emperor Constantine and the Roman bishops who codified Romanism, the false Christian religion of the harlot Roman Catholic Church.
And the antichrist beast popes have promoted the antichrist religion ever since.
Read Prophecy Points To The Roman Catholic Church Study
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
Thanks for pointing out the erorr of Chuck Baldwin. There are so many false teachers everywhere promoting the lies the jesuits started back in 1585 with Francisco Ribera. They wanted to ruin the faith of Protestants, which has been rather successful! I find so many believe so strongly in the rapture that they will not even discuss a possiblity of the truth being something entirely different! I understand Historicsm well after many years of study, but I do know it is not easy to get the grasp of it right away. The main point is that there is no future [70th] week coming when everything comes down as they all say in the rapture theory. The fulfillment of the 70th week debunks it all. Thanks for your efforts to spread the truth!!
Thank you for your comment Lauren. The challenge with with Chuck Baldwin is that he exposes the false, futuristic explanations, and teaches how the 70th week of Daniel 9 and the Olivet Discourse were historically fulfilled; which causes people to blindly trust him. But then he misleads people about the prophecies in Revelation.
Yes, I see that he teaches Preterism. I have found people thinking I must be a preterist if I don’t believe in the rapture. Mostly Christians are completely ignorant of history and have only been taught the rapture of some sort and are not willing to hear anything else. Given that prophecy is always fulfilled in history it is remarkable that churches don’t put more emphasis on it. I could not even believe that my Reformed Church believes we are in the 70th week over all this time since Jesus came and left. It was discouraging to hear when all the other teaching is so biblical.
I just figured if we keep telling what is true that it will become a more accepted interpretation to study and understand. Christians so easily dismiss the Reformers and Protestants who went before us.
Yeah, people think that if you don’t believe that futuristic narrative, then you’re a preterist, as they fail to understand that there’s a historicist explanation. It is appalling that people ignore the witness of the Protestant Reformers and the great theologians of the 16th-20th centuries who taught the historicist explanations. All we can do is share the truth and pray that the Spirit opens peoples eyes.
Thank you again, David, for clearing up the confusion that was created by such a mishmash of cross-references by Pastor Baldwin. Here’s where I would really love some help. I have only recently come out of the Jesuit Futurist and Preterist views. But in my limited understanding, I knew these charlatans were from the pit, and without knowing exactly the details of the teachings, I knew nothing could be trusted!
So here is my question: how could a person come out of Futurism without knowing where the doctrine comes from? I say that in the sense that he is very knowledgeable about history for the most part. So how did no one ever share that both doctrines come from the Jesuits and are from the pit? How does anyone embrace religious history and miss the most central figure of all antichrist history…the Vatican?
The detective in me says something is way too fishy, and it’s a struggle because I really liked the man. All right, I would love to hear others chime in….How could someone who nails Zionism be so clueless with Preterism?
Thank you again, David!
Brian, that’s wonderful that you’ve come out of futurist and preterist beliefs!
I agree that there’s no way that Pastor Baldwin doesn’t understand the historicist narrative as he’s read the writings of Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, etc.
Since he knows the historicist narrative, he should be mentioning it as an option, but he doesn’t. Instead he reads quotes from Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, etc. which make it seem like they held the preterist view, but is intellectually dishonest.
When you add all of that up, then you see that he’s purposely misleading people with preterism to hide historicism and deflect blame away from the leaders in Rome.
Keep learning and growing in The Way of Messiah,
David
https://bibleprophecydecoded.com
Maybe we can go to 2 Thess2 to describe those who do not love the truth….God sends them strong delusion so they will believe lies. Maybe that is why they cannot or will not see the historicist interpretations. They are blinded to it.
Yeah, I think that this applies to a lot of people who blindly trust what their pastor teaches and does not read Scripture and do research for themselves. They don’t love the truth enough to search it out so they remain blind and Messiah’s return will catch them by surprise.