How Israel-Based Prophetic Futurism Breeds Mass Misinterpretation Of Bible Prophecy

Pastor Chuck Baldwin

I love this message from Pastor Chuck Baldwin and was inspired to take time to transcribe it for busy people who just don’t have time to listen to an hour talk on YouTube. Just reading the text below may inspire you to listen to his entire message from YouTube.

This is just a synopsis of his talk so I can claim the Fair Use copyright law.

Before we read Matthew chapter 24, let me begin by saying, there are basically two versions of prophecy. Now, don’t misunderstand me. The nuances of understanding relative to prophecy are many and varied. I understand that. But when you boil all these interpretations down to their simplest form, there are basically two versions of prophecy.

1. That most prophecies of the Bible are present and future.
2. That most prophecies of the Bible are past.

How you look at prophecy, from whichever perspective, will make all the difference in the world in how you interpret the entire Bible. Both versions cannot be right. Therefore whichever version is wrong, they are misinterpreting most of the Scripture. And therefore the conclusions they are drawing, based on the Scriptures they’re using, are predicated upon a false presupposition. Which means that every conclusion they draw from that false presupposition is also false.

(Pastor Baldwin reads Matthew 24:1-6)

The vast majority of evangelical Christians who hold to an Israel based prophetic futurism doctrinal interpretation of Scripture apply this chapter to the Second Coming of Christ. But I have showed you in my message of the destruction of Jerusalem, this chapter is not primarily speaking of the Second Coming of Christ, it is speaking primarily of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Most Israel based prophetic futurism preachers interpret the Antichrist as a future personage. But I have shown you in my message I will curse them that bless thee which is in the first israel package (shows DVD) I will curse them that bless thee. I showed you in that message that Antichrist is mostly a past and present system, not an individual in the future, but a past and present system, a beastly antichrist system.

Israel based prophetic futurists interpret almost everything that has happened since 1948 as being prophetic. Almost everything since 1948 is prophetic in their view. But I have shown you that the advent of the Zionist State of Israel in 1948 fulfilled no prophecy and is in fact a great hoax and deception.

Listen to most televangelists, radio preachers, Christian authors, pastors, etc., and you will hear today’s news being interpreted as some direct fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It’s ubiquitous. How many Christian programs have “prophecy” or “End-times” in the title of their ministry or their title or their program? Constantly every day they’re interpreting something that happened on that day as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. And of course, next week they’ll use the same verse to say this happened in direct fulfillment of that verse, the same verse that they used a week ago to prove something else that happened! In fact, prophetic Futurists are supporting the building of a third Jewish temple and a return to the practice of the Jewish sacrifice of animals, under the delusion that such events must take place in order to fulfill prophetic scripture of a coming Antichrist who they believe must come before Christ appears.

Today, I want to show you how easy it is to misapply Bible prophecy to modern times if one is a prophetic Futurist. I’m gonna show you how easy it is to misapply Bible prophecy to modern times if you hold to prophetic futurism.

Would evangelical Christians be able to identify the Antichrist from what Bible prophecy says about him? They talk about the Antichrist all the time. It’s a key element of their understanding of prophecy all this stuff about Israel and the Third Temple and animal sacrifices and all of it is directly related to their understanding of a coming Antichrist. Right? Would they be able to identify the Antichrist from what the Scripture says regarding his spirit?

Now, the following points are taken from a man, Benjamin Cory who identifies himself as a member of the Christian left. That’s his own testimony. He is a liberal theologian who has two doctorates from a liberal seminary. He may be wrong about many biblical doctrines, and I believe he is, but he wrote an astute piece about the ignorance of the biblical characteristics of the Antichrist that illustrates the way most evangelical Christians who are prophetic Futurists have misinterpreted the Scripture regarding prophecy. So these 16 points are his. OK, we are going to interpret the prophecy of Antichrist looking at it from a prophetic futurist point of view. Are you with me so far? All right, here we go.

• 1. The Antichrist will be a leader of a nation that is a military superpower.

Daniel. 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

This nation will have the ability to destroy or to devour the entire earth. There are only two countries in the world today that have this capability, only two, Russia and the United States. Russia and the United States are the only two nuclear superpowers in the world. Our country and Russia each have over 6000 nuclear warheads, each country. All the other nuclear powers of the world, the other 4 or 5 or 6 they have a few hundred. America and Russia are the only two countries that could be interpreted as fulfilling this prophecy. And, between the two, only America shall be diverse from all kingdoms. America is the melting pot of the world, not Russia. So, therefore, the United States fits this prophecy if you are interpreting it as a prophetic futurist would applying it to modern-day.

• 2. The Antichrist will be a man who is exceptionally arrogant and will be known for giving boastful speeches.

Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things..
Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Revelation and Daniel talk of an Antichrist who speaketh great things, boastful things, arrogant things. We’re identifying the Antichrist, OK?

• 3. The Antichrist will be someone known for making a lot of public threats against people.

Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion:

The mouth of a lion. A roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The Antichrist will be someone known for making a lot of public roaring against people.

• 4. The Antichrist will come from among 7 tall “hills” or mountains, that each act as a “head.” “And I saw a beast coming out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, which stood for seven hills”

Revelation 13:1 ¶And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads.
Revelation 17:9 …The seven heads are seven mountains,…

Mountains or hills can be metaphorical for places of power in the Bible. So, if the Antichrist were to come in the present age, we’d be most likely looking for an American president known for being exceptionally arrogant, boastful, and threatening others, but who also came from 7 tall “hills” or places of power… one of which would need to be somewhere in the vicinity of where John was looking out into the ocean where the vision occurred. – The isle of Patmos.

Two hundred miles northeast of the Isle of Patmos which is now a Greek island off the Turkish coast is Istanbul, Turkey. Rising up out of the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara with a tall hill or place of power – Trump Tower!
Seven heads? Maybe like seven head-quarters? There are seven Trump Towers!

Trump Tower, NYC
Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago
Trump Towers, Istanbul, Turkey
Trump International Hotel and Tower, Toronto, Canada
Trump World Tower, New York
Trump Towers, Sunny Isles Beach
Trump Tower, Manila, the Philippines

And of course, Trump Tower New York City is the headquarters of all, and Jered Kushner’s building sits a block away from Trump Tower New York, and it’s called, it’s named after its address, the “666 Building.” Seven heads, seven headquarters, seven Trump Towers.

We are looking at Bible prophecy from the eyes of prophetic futurists, ladies and gentlemen. And we’re applying the Scripture to today based upon that interpretation.

• 5. The Antichrist will be a political outsider with despicable character and a contemptuous personality who wins an election that no one expects him to win.

Daniel 11:21 ¶And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

A contemptible vile man who does not come from the kingdom’s political elite and comes to power to flatteries and lies.

• 6. The Antichrist will give speeches where he speaks “great things.”

Daniel 7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Have you ever heard of “MAGA”? Make America, what? GREAT again. Great, speaketh great things.

• 7. The Antichrist comes to power through collusion with a secret alliance that uses disinformation to help him win– even though he has a minority number of supporters.

Daniel 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

Trump won the election with a minority, small people. And was assisted by Russian Zionists – a league or conspiracy made with him. There’s more! We’re only one number 8, we’ve got eight more to go after this one! (Laughter from the congregation.)

• 8. The Antichrist’s rise to power will seem like a miracle that God performed, tricking people into following Satan instead of God without even noticing.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
When the Antichrist comes, look for powerful religious people claiming it was a miracle from God! This is a quote:

“He did everything wrong, (speaking of Trump) politically. He offended gays. He offended women. He offended the military. He offended black people. He offended the Hispanic people. He offended everybody! And he became president of the United States. Only God could do that.”

Who said that? Franklin Graham!

• 9. Once in power the Antichrist will reveal that his heart wants to make alterations to the “appointed times” that are in current laws.

Daniel 7:25 And he shall … think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

How many times have we heard Donald Trump say he would serve more than two terms in office? He repeats that constantly. Under the laws of the United States a President can only serve two terms in office. Donald Trump repeatedly says he will serve more than two terms. He thinks to change times and laws!

• 10. The Antichrist will make fake news popular and he will be a chronic liar.

Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart..
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

The Antichrist will be a pathological liar.

• 11. The Antichrist will reward those who are completely loyal to him with powerful positions and lucrative real estate deals.
  Daniel 11:39b … and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

A powerful wealthy man of real estate.

• 12. The Bible says that we’ll be able to spot the Antichrist because he will give an arrogant public speech in the middle of his first term where he boasts of “great things” but also uses God’s name as a curse in the same speech.

Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (Three and a half years.)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name …

At almost the three and a half year mark, Donald Trump stood up in front of the world in North Carolina, and spoke great things and blasphemed the Name of God, not once but twice on international television. I went back and searched through the archives of Presidential speeches through a search engine, and tried to find a record or any other American president who used the name of God in vain and who blasphemed the Name of God publicly in a speech. I could not find a single president. To my knowledge, and after my research, Donald Trump is the only president the United States has ever had who has publicly taken God’s Name in vain and has blasphemed the Name of God in a public speech. And he did it at about the 40 and 2-month mark! Humm…

• 13. The Antichrist will appear to receive a wound he can’t recover from, but will survive to put down the first attempts to remove him from office.

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

First, there was the Russian collusion indictment that he survived. They thought they would kill him with that. He survived. Now it’s an impeachment inquiry, they think they’re gonna kill him with that. He’s surviving. He will survive. And the world will wonder. The deadly wound that was healed.

• 14. The Antichrist will see himself as being above everyone else, as if he had no need for God. He will eventually elevate himself as the God and King of Israel.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Trump said, “Why should I repent if I haven’t done anything wrong?” Only a god could say that. Jesus said to the Pharisees and His opponents and adversaries, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” That’s exactly what Donald Trump was saying in his own words. “Why should I repent if I haven’t done anything wrong? “… exalteth himself above all that is called God.” Trump tweeted a remark from Wayne Allyn Root. He read what Wayne said and then he liked it so much he put it in two of his tweets and tweeted it to the world. Here’s what Wayne said,

“President Trump is the greatest president for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world. Not just America, he is the best president for Israel in the history of the world. And the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he’s the second coming of God. “

And Trump accepted that accolade for himself by tweeting it to the world. “… exalteth himself above all that is called God … as God sitteth in the temple of God”. We’re just reading the Bible!

• 15. The Antichrist will worship the god of walls and will despise women.

Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:

In the King James the word is “forces.” The Hebrew word means, are you ready for this? Fortifications! You can’t build fortifications without walls. Walls are the preeminent part of fortifications. He will honor the god of fortifications! Walls! And he will not regard or respect, women.

Albert Barnes, Nor the Desire of Women, what they desire, respect, honor. His own desire, that is, that he would be not be restrained by the desire of women with any regard for women, he will not regard the sacredness of womanhood, the sanctity of womanhood, he will not regard or respect or appreciate the feelings of women, and he will not try to limit his lust without any regard or respect for the hurt he brings in the process. That’s the character trait described in Daniel chapter 11. Humm! Who do we know that fits all of these characteristics?

• And lastly, 16. The Antichrist’s most devoted followers will wear a sign of their allegiance to him on their foreheads.

Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their … their foreheads:

What’s that thing that they have on their head? That red thing that they have on their head? On their foreheads? The MAGA cap?

Am I saying that Donald Trump is the Antichrist? No, absolutely not. I AM saying that if you apply the characteristics of the Antichrist described in the Bible to a modern-day personage, Donald Trump fits many of those characteristics! So question, why do evangelical Christians not apply the biblical characteristics of the Antichrist to Donald Trump when he so obviously matches so many of those characteristics? Why not? Because, very simply, THEY DON’T WANT TO!

This illustrates the absurdity of prophetic futurism. You can make any current event fit or not fit biblical prophecy if you want to because there is no standard of interpretation beyond your own private interpretation. I want to interpret it toward this person, and this event, and this circumstance, or maybe I DON’T want to apply to that person or event. It’s all up to your personal interpretation. But 2 Peter 1:20 emphatically says:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

No one can interpret Scripture, especially prophetic Scripture, by their own private interpretation. But that’s what happens every day among prophetic Futurists.

I remember when Barack Obama was President. Can you remember that? I remember listening to Christian pastors go on and on and on about how Barack Obama could be the Antichrist. And they had all these Scriptures to prove that Barack Obama is the Antichrist!

END OF TRANSCRIPT

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(Back to me.)

The transcript was taken from parts of the first 40 minutes of a one-hour YouTube. I think Pastor Baldwin is very clear in this message. Please listen to his entire talk when you have the time.

I hope you got the point, dear reader, why it is folly to apply Bible prophecy to events of today, and especially without seeing first whether the prophecy was not already fulfilled in the past! I was taught by my former pastor of 40 years that prophecy can have multiple fulfillments. I don’t believe that anymore. The prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament were very specific and had only one fulfillment. The concept of “multiple fulfillments” has no precedent in the Bible. Is there one, even one? If there is, please educate me because I sure don’t know of one.

I believe all the prophecies of the Antichrist are fulfilled in the Popes and the office of the papacy. You may dispute that but this is what Protestants believed starting with Martin Luther and up till some time in the beginning of the 19th century. In my lifetime there is only one rather famous Protestant preacher who was also the leader of Northern Ireland, Ian Paisley, who publicly denounced a Pope, John Paul II, as Antichrist.

Just think how much time Christians waste guessing on who the Antichrist is because they consider him to be an Endtime personage and not somebody who is always with them — Satan ruling through the papacy. I used to think that Prince Charles of Britain or his son William would become the Antichrist. The reasons given are as logical as the reasons given why Trump is the Antichrist.

If you hold to the Futurist school of Bible prophecy interpretation, the chances are you also support Israel believing that the modern State of Israel created in 1948 by the United Nations is a fulfillment of prophecy. I believe that to be false. That doctrine crept into Protestant churches starting with John Nelson Darby’s (false) doctrine of Dispensationalism and promoted by C.I. Scofield in his Scofield Bible. The Dallas Theological Seminary picked up on it which caused it to be taught among all fundamentalist seminaries.