IRVIN BAXTER UPDATE
I have included several audio messages by Irvin Baxter on "Rapture Notes" because there is, I believe, some truth and insight in them and therefore something to be learnt....
HOWEVER,
I do not recommend Irvin Baxter's ministry in general as it contains some errors I believe.
Please read the following for more information....Keygar
(courtesy https://www.raptureready.com/who/Irvin_Baxter.html )
Ironically, Irvin Baxter began his search
for truth in prophecy when he heard a preacher say that the four beasts of
revelation were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Knowing that was not a true
statement, Baxter set off to find truth. It is a shame that he stopped looking.
Irvin Baxter is affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church, a group that
denies the doctrine of the Trinity and believes its methods are the only true
way to salvation.
David Reagan of Lamb and lion Ministries did a wonderful job of detailing some
of Baxter's twisted views of prophecy. Here is what Mr. Reagan wrote after
visiting Baxter's website: “It doesn't take long to discover that Mr. Baxter is
a person with a very personal and unique interpretation of Bible prophecy,
something we are warned against in the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20).”
Due to limited space, it is possible only to identify a few of Baxter’s
erroneous teachings:
He denies that Revelation is written in chronological order. He does not,
therefore, believe that the Seal Judgments will be followed by the Trumpet
Judgments during the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation--as the
plain sense meaning of Revelation indicates. He argues that several of both the
Seal Judgments and the Trumpet Judgments have already taken place. However, the
normal, plain sense interpretation of Revelation 6 is that it marks the
beginning of the Tribulation with the Antichrist going forth on a white horse to
conquer the world. A world war ensues, and one-fourth of the world's population
dies from war (the red horse), famine (the black horse), pestilence and wild
beasts.
Mr. Baxter argues that the fulfilment of the Seal Judgments has nothing to do
with the Tribulation. He asserts that the fulfilment of these judgments began
in 325 AD when the Emperor Constantine presided over a Church Council that
produced the Nicene Creed (a creed, interestingly enough, that laid the
foundation for the doctrine of the Trinity). In short, he identifies the white
horse of Revelation 6 as Roman Catholicism, the black horse as Capitalism, and
the red horse as Communism. This all makes for very interesting reading, but it
simply is not substantiated by the text, for it violates the plain sense
meaning.
Another example of Baxter's misinterpretation is found in his assertion that the
world empires revealed to Daniel, in Daniel 2, include the Holy Roman Empire. He
sees the succession as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, the Roman Empire, and the
Holy Roman Empire. That is not the succession portrayed in Daniel 2. The Roman
Empire is followed by an empire of iron mixed with clay--representing the
unstable, final world empire of the Antichrist. The proof that this is the last
empire of history is found in the fact that this is the empire that is suddenly
destroyed by a stone that represents the kingdom of Jesus Christ when He
returns.
There is no place in the scenario for the Holy Roman Empire, which was an empire
in name only. Baxter tries to insert the Holy Roman Empire because he wants to
argue that it is the one that will be revived in the end times, rather than the
Roman Empire. And he tries to advance this argument so that he can sustain his
contention that the "fatal wound that will be healed," referred to in Revelation
13:3, is a reference to the Berlin Wall being removed so that Germany (which was
the heart of the Holy Roman Empire) could be reunited.
Mr. Baxter does further damage to the book of Daniel when he contends that the
symbols used in chapter seven refer to Great Britain, Russian, and Germany.
Again, this runs contrary to the plain sense meaning of the passage. In Daniel
seven, God gives Daniel a vision of the same succession of empires as he was
given in chapter two. The difference is that in chapter two they are seen from
the viewpoint of Man - as glorious political kingdoms – whereas, in chapter
seven they are presented from the viewpoint of God - as ravenous wild beasts.
One of the strangest statements on Mr. Baxter's website concerns the Rapture. In
response to a question about the timing of the Rapture, he says, "Unfortunately,
rapture timing debates between brothers in Christ often become divisive, and for
this reason, Endtime has chosen to avoid the issue for now." This non-answer is
truly astonishing! Here is a person with an opinion on everything in the
prophetic scriptures, yet he chose to "avoid" one of the most important issues!
Even more astonishing is the very next paragraph, where Mr. Baxter states that
he believes that the Rapture and the Second Coming are "the same event." Well,
if they are the same event, then the Rapture must take place at the end of the
Tribulation--so much for "avoiding" the issue. To sustain this position, Mr.
Baxter proceeds to try to explain away some passages that imply a
pre-Tribulation Rapture. In doing so, he presents a most peculiar and bizarre
interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2. The passage states that the Antichrist
cannot be revealed until that which restrains him is removed. Mr. Baxter
contends that the restrainer is "time." Yes, time! It's just not the right time
for the Antichrist to be revealed, he says, and when the time is right, the
revelation will occur.
Mr. Baxter' approach to prophetic interpretation makes it clear why the plain
sense meaning rule is so important. That rule states: "If the plain sense makes
sense, don't look for any other sense, or you will end up with nonsense." As
with Mr. Baxter, you will end up with a very personal interpretation that no
other prophecy teacher is willing to endorse. Exercise extreme caution with
regard to Mr. Baxter and his unique interpretations. Remember 1 Peter 1:20 - "No
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation." Frank Stagg in
his book, How to Understand the Bible, says, "God does not grant private
disclosures that are withheld from other people."
1 Corinthians 14:29 says that when a prophet speaks, his words are to be
evaluated by others, for "the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets" (1
Corinthians 14:32). This essay has been written in the spirit of that
admonition.
It is good that Mr. Baxter is emphasizing the Lord's soon return, but at the same time, use caution regarding his very personal interpretations of Bible prophecy.