Endtime Ministries
{{Short description|American Pentecostal Christian organization}}
Endtime Ministries is an American Pentecostal Christian organization.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/televangelist-irvin-baxter-coronavirus-death-b1720325.html|title = Televangelist who blamed pandemic on 'sin of fornication' dies of coronavirus|newspaper=The Independent|date = 10 November 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/11/anti-gay-pastor-who-claimed-covid-19-was-judgment-on-gays-dies-from-virus//|title=Anti-gay pastor who claimed COVID-19 was judgment on gays dies from virus|website=Metroweekly.com|date=9 November 2020}} It defines itself as a teacher of biblical prophecy{{Cite web|url=https://endtime.com/when-is-the-end-of-the-world/|title=When is the End of the World? | Endtime Ministries | Irvin Baxter and Dave Robbins|website=Endtime.com|date=21 April 2015 |access-date=16 November 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://endtime.com/when-is-the-rapture/|title=When is the Rapture? | Endtime Ministries | Irvin Baxter and Dave Robbins|website=Endtime.com|date=21 April 2015 |access-date=16 November 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://endtime.com/what-is-armageddon/|title=What Is Armageddon? | Endtime Ministries | Irvin Baxter and Dave Robbins|website=Endtime.com|date=21 April 2015 |access-date=16 November 2021}} founded and headed by minister Irvin Baxter Jr. The organization is based in Plano, Texas.
It focuses on explaining world events from its view of the Bible, with an emphasis on prophecy and exposition of eschatological theories. Some of these predictions include a new world war that will kill up to two billion people, and the identification of Britain, the reunified Holy Roman Empire, Russia and Germany with the "four beasts" of the Book of Daniel.{{Cite news |last=Abshire |first=Richard |last2=Smith |first2=Andrew D. |date=2006-06-18 |title=Ministry says Armageddon is near |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061906dnmetendtime.159937b.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112225803/https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061906dnmetendtime.159937b.html |archive-date=2007-11-12 |access-date=2024-06-30 |work=The Dallas Morning News |language=en-US |issn=1553-846X}}
Controversy
In 2006, Endtime Ministries hosted a rally in its home city of Garland, Texas to protest the REAL ID Act of 2005, which Baxter linked to the Mark of the Beast prophesied in Book of Revelation 13:15-18.{{cite web |url=http://www.prophecyclub.com/2007/04/is-mark-of-beast-in-real-id-act.html |title=The Prophecy Club News Update: Is 'mark of the beast' in Real ID Act? |access-date=2009-07-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913112022/http://www.prophecyclub.com/2007/04/is-mark-of-beast-in-real-id-act.html |archive-date=2007-09-13 }}
In 2020, Endtime ministries applied for and received $300,000 or more from the Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program. At issue is repayment or loan forgiveness. Endtime relies on contributions through sales of its magazine, Internet presence, and radio broadcasts. As a non-profit organization, Endtime ministries pays no taxes to the federal government.{{Cite web |url=https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares-act/assistance-for-small-businesses/sba-paycheck-protection-program-loan-level-data |title=SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan Level Data | U.S. Department of the Treasury |access-date=2020-12-25 |archive-date=2020-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223091357/https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares-act/assistance-for-small-businesses/sba-paycheck-protection-program-loan-level-data |url-status=dead }}
In 2020, Irvin Baxter Jr. suggested that the coronavirus pandemic was a warning from God about the “sin of fornication”.{{Cite news|date=2020-11-10|title=Plano televangelist who linked pandemic to premarital sex dies of COVID-19|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/obituaries/2020/11/10/plano-televangelist-who-linked-pandemic-to-premarital-sex-dies-of-covid-19/|access-date=2020-12-26|newspaper=Dallas News|language=en}} Baxter Jr. died on November 3 from complications with COVID-19, his Plano-based ministry announced.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.endtime.com/}}
Category:Pentecostalism in the United States
Category:Christian conspiracy theorists
Category:Christian organizations based in the United States
Category:Christian eschatology
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