It’s not official – but Donald Trump looks set to become President of the US once more in 2025 – barring unexpected surprises (and there could be plenty of those!).
Divine intervention
With concerns rising about President Joe Biden’s mental state, and a lack of an obvious suitable candidate to replace him, the Democrats are on the back foot. (With growing pressure on the President to step down – not least from close allies Barak Obama and Nancy Pelosi – aided by Biden’s recent (alleged) Covid infection and reports that he is increasingly ‘receptive’ to concerns about his future, it does appear that his replacement is nigh.)
Trump’s recent unbelievably close brush with death would appear to make his re-election even more likely. But how, as Christians, should we interpret what is going on?
Trump’s recent unbelievably close brush with death would appear to make his re-election even more likely.
Many believers, especially Stateside, have been quick to accord Trump's seemingly miraculous protection from death as an endorsement by God of his Presidency. They say God is protecting him to do great things. Yet, sadly, one man died by a stray bullet trying to protect his wife and daughter. My own impression is that God is unlikely to engineer such a situation in order to show his approval of the former president.
We may wish to be cautious in making such an affirmation.
Anti-Christ figure
Indeed, history – and modern events – shows both villains and heros narrowly escaping death. For example, Israel’s most recent bombing in a civilian area of Gaza was aimed at killing Hamas’ military mastermind, Mohammed al-Masri, whose ability to escape assassination has made him seem charmed – despite losing an eye and a leg.
A verse in Revelation points to someone, or something, that seems to have an unexpected revival from near death – and that reference is not a flattering one!
“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.” (Rev 13:3).
Personally, I don’t buy into the argument that he is the antichrist ...
Trump’s at-times outrageous manner has had some people speculating over the years that he is in fact, the antichrist. His avid, unwavering support from much of the evangelical US Church could even suggest that he has, indeed, been able to “deceive, if possible, the elect” (Matt 24:24) – a reference to false prophets and messiahs. Personally, I don’t buy into the argument that he is the antichrist – nor that he is comparable to Hitler – as our not-so-cautious Foreign Secretary recently unwisely called him.
(I consider it more likely that ‘the beast’ referred to in Revelation is a branch of an empire – and that Germany resurrected from the ashes after World War 1 may well have been the fulfilment of this particular prophecy.)
The Revelation passage tell us that people “worshiped the beast and asked, 'Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?'" (Rev 3:4). Isn’t it the case that many in America – and indeed, much further afield – have hero-worshipped Trump, viewing him as a veritable Saviour – in effect, making an idol out of him?
Isn’t it the case that many in America – and indeed, much further afield – have hero-worshipped Trump, viewing him as a veritable Saviour – in effect, making an idol out of him.
We, and American evangelicals in particular at this moment, should always be cautious about putting our faith in another human being – our trust, rather should be in God alone. Trump, to his credit, has very much been a politician who has shown integrity in doing what he promised, as he proved during his first term as President. But while his strengths are numerous, so too, are his weaknesses.
A humbling
What else could God be doing? A couple of months ago, Tom Lennie pointed out in this magazine that some have compared Trump to “King Nebuchadnezzar, in his younger days, haughty, arrogant and a braggart - though the Babylonian leader at least repented after his humbling”. Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling made him a better leader. Have we in fact been witnessing the humbling of Trump – one that could make him a better president?
There are signs that this could be the case. Trump’s rhetoric is not what it was prior to his assassination attempt. His recent acceptance speech for the Republican nomination focused much more on unity and reconciliation. He has also pointed out with gratefulness how Joe Biden gave him a supportive call following his near miss. He has attributed his protection to God, also extending thankfulness to the officers who ran onto the stage to protect him. He appears somewhat changed.
Prophetic fulfilment?
Trump’s biggest flaw has been the way that he has played into the division in American society. Could that be about to change? Curiously, a prophecy highlighted several months seems to have predicted this. “I saw Trump rising up, and then I saw an attempt on his life,” Brandon Biggs said in a podcast interview posted on Steve Cioccolanti & Discover Ministries YouTube page, as he described his vision:
“This bullet flew by his ear and it came so close to his head that it busted his drum, ear drum. And I saw he fell to his knees during this time frame and he started worshipping the Lord. He got radically born again during this time frame. People say he’s saved now, but he becomes really on fire for Jesus for what I saw coming.”
He has attributed his protection to God, also extending thankfulness to the officers who ran onto the stage to protect him. He appears somewhat changed.
Trump didn’t immediately bow down and worship the Lord, of course. But he does appear to have undergone some sort of change, which is reminiscent of this vision. Will it last? Only time will tell.
Uncertainty
There is no doubt that the upcoming election is significant, not just for the United States of America, but for the whole world. It is taking place at a time of great instability, as wars are raging in eastern Europe and the Holy Land, and Iran and China are becoming increasingly belligerent. American foreign policy affects the whole world – for good and for ill.
Trump’s newly appointed running mate, J.D. Vance, has spoken against the US continuing to support Ukraine in its military efforts to defend itself, and that is already having an effect on Putin’s resolve. The Russian President knows he only needs to keep his offensive going until the end of the year, in awareness that he is likely to get a more conciliatory response from the new US administration.
Yet Trump’s foreign policy is deliberately unpredictable – we can never be too certain what to expect.
Chances are, Trump will also be more supportive of Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas than Joe Biden has been. Yet Trump’s foreign policy is deliberately unpredictable – we can never be too certain what to expect.
There’s uncertainty, too, in discerning what God’s intentions are in events on the worldwide stage. What we can be sure of is that we need to pray - for Trump, for America, and, not least, for this increasingly volatile and uncertain world that we live in.
