On July 8, 2023

GETTING DOWN TO BRASS TACKS: NOTES ON JACK SMITH, DONALD TRUMP, AND THE FATAL HEAD WOUND – PROPHETIC HISTORY IN REAL TIME OR SEDENTARY OVERREACH?

SCRIPTURE. “And the dragon gave [the great beast] his power and his throne and great authority. ‘I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound, but his fatal wound was healed;’ and the entire earth followed after the beast in amazement. They fell down and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like (as great as) the beast, and who is able to wage war against him?’ And the beast was given a mouth (the power of speech), uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for forty-two months (three and a half years).” – REVELATION 13:2-5, AMP

KEY TERMS. Great Beast; Dragon; Fatal Wound; Worshiped; Mouth; Blasphemous

QUOTATION. “In the Last Days religious seduction will be likewise paralleled with political seduction, and the Church will get double-crossed and betrayed. This is exactly what happened in Israel for placing trust in Pompeii and Alexander the Great. In the end they get an Antiochus Epiphanes, a Pontius Pilate, and a King Herod—all of whom typify and foreshadow the Antichrist. ‘But the worst is yet to come for both Israel and, sadly, for much of the Church.’The Politicians whom Christians trust will betray them, and the Clergy who urge and guide them in this direction will become capable of the most despicable acts imaginable” ― JAMES JACOB PRASCH, Shadows of the Beast, 2011; edited

I. FIRST THOUGHTS

Let me say at the very outset that this is, for me, the first time I have looked carefully at the passage above describing ‘The Great Beast’ of the Bible, more commonly known as, ANTICHRIST.

Bible scholars, political historians, and armchair eschatologists alike have for centuries tried to not only understand this unique individual, but also to identify him in their own real, historic times as that great Man of Sin who shall deceive the nations of the Earth, to exercise ultimate control over the governments and economies of the planet in the Last Times.

Also, for the record, to the best of my recollection I have never tried once before to name this individual since to do so is fraught with a thousand trap doors that countless students of Antichrist have demonstrated. So why now would I dare to venture an educated guess of his identity. Because, to paraphrase a favorite book I read as a newly minted believer by JOSH MCDOWELL in 1971:

The Evidence Demands a Verdict.

OVERVIEW. To introduce some of this evidence, I will first begin by summarizing the ‘Theological Markers’ of this individual. Then I will move to a brief discussion of why I now believe that Man of Sin to be none other than DONALD JOHN TRUMP. Following this, we shall look at the practical impossibility of such a designation given the 45 new charges being brought by Special Counsel JACK SMITH, in addition to the 37 indictments already leveled at Trump.

Do the math: That is 82 charges he will now face in the immediate days ahead.

Again, why would I continue to believe this man can possibly survive all this to become the most vicious, destructive man in all of human history? While I cannot say it absolutely, I resort to my old statistical probably training from my doctoral graduate school days at Bowling Green University in the 1970s.

To this Thesis:

I believe there is a .95 (95%) probability that Donald Trump is The Beast of the Apocalypse. I see neither close nor distant rivals for such a prediction – not Ron DeSantis, nor King Charles II, nor Jared Kushner, nor Stephen Miller nor Steve Bannon – although those last two rival Mr. Trump in their own gifts for malevolence.

II. THE BIBLICAL ANTICHRIST

MARKS OF THE ANTICHRIST. Whereas I have before introduced Antichrist with copious attention to the various theological markers that identify him (there are at least 45 such Scripture references), here I chose a more simple approach. JAMES STANTON is a former military security analyst turned freelance foreign correspondent, and I found his review remarkably clear though my read of him is that he is neither a professional Bible scholar nor a recognized authority.

This to show that the inexpert world appears to have a better fix on Antichrist than the entirety of the American Evangelical Church! Here is his astute Synopsis of the possibility of “DONALD TRUMP, ANTICHRIST” (International Policy Digest, Sep. 17, 2020; edited).

LAWLESS. An Antichrist is Lawless. Trump is not only lawless, but he surrounds himself with lawless lackeys (2 Thess. 2:8).

DECEIVER. An Antichrist is a Deceiver. “He will come with false signs, wonders and miracles.” Injecting bleach as a cure for the coronavirus? Is that enough of a “miracle” for you? (2 Thess. 2:9).

POLITICIAN. He is a Politician. “Will head up a kingdom by deception which will be replaced by destruction, fraud will give way to force, the wolf in sheep’s clothing will shed its fleece and bare its fangs.” Spot on and as the election nears the fleece is already off and the fangs bared (Dan. 7:8).

CHARISMATIC. He is a Charismatic leader who excites large crowds and persuades many to become fanatical followers (Rev. 13:5).

ARROGANT. He is Arrogant. Will have a huge ego. Will demand that the world worships him (Dan. 11:36).

RUTHLESS. He is Ruthless. Will not be benevolent to others. Cares for none but himself (Dan. 7:25).

WOMANIZER. He is a godless Womanizer. “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God! He shall magnify himself above all” (Daniel 11:37).

DESTROYER. And finally, He is a Destroyer. “He will destroy those who oppose him and will eternally destroy all who believe and follow him.” Take note, MAGAs. Once your hero Trump has destroyed his, and your enemies, he’ll destroy you too … forever (Rev. 9:11).

ANTICHRIST 45. Though this is only a partial listing, my good friend and careful scholar BROTHER PAUL has a YouTube channel that reports on the growing evidence for Trump being the Antichrist, and I highly recommend that you consult his work if you are interested in learning more about these admittedly propositional thoughts.

III. THE TEACHING

KEY TERMS. Beast; Dragon; Wound; Amazement; Worshiped; Mouth; Great; Blasphemous

BEAST. ‘Thérion’ [θηρίον]: “Properly: a wild beast, hence, any animal; ‘a venomous, savage, dangerous brute;’ opposed to man, it signifies any irrational animal, as in the phrase ‘man and beast;’ a person rude, coarse, filthy, acting in a manner unworthy of a rational creature.”

DRAGON. ‘Drakón’ [δράκων]: “A huge, fabulous kind of serpent, able to fascinate and see their prey from far away; i.e., Satan; exercising his subtle (indirect) impact on heathen governments (powers) – i.e., accomplishing his hellish agenda from ‘behind the scenes;’ believed to have incredible insight, able to spot prey [in any hiding place]; a fierce, violent person.”

WOUND. ‘Sphazó’ [σφάζω]: “To slay, slaughter; kill by violence, mortally wound; to butcher, smite unto death; to maim violently; hurt; ‘[significant injury] as given to credit or reputation;’ to utterly destroy; a mental or emotional hurt or blow; cut down, cut to pieces, massacre; an injury to living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or other impact.”

AMAZEMENT. ‘Thaumazó’ [θαυμάζω]: “To wonder, marvel, admire; astonishment, confusion or perplexity from a sudden impression of fear, surprise or stupefaction; is sometimes accompanied with terror; also, merely extreme wonder or admiration at some great, sudden or unexpected event, at an unusual sight, or at the narration or execution of an extraordinary event.”

WORSHIPED. ‘Proskuneó’ [προσκυνέω]: “Derived from a root term meaning ‘to kiss like a dog licking his master’s hand;’ also, to fawn or crouch; prostrate oneself in homage or reverence; to adore; to go down on or fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead;do obeisance to; to kiss the hand of the one adored; to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission; as a lover.”

GREAT. ‘Megas’ [μέγας]: “Large, great, in the widest sense; high, loud, mighty; lit., ‘too much;’ eminent, distinguished (but also violent); more exalted, more majestic [than all others]; of great weight, importance; notable, august; splendid, prepared on a great scale, stately; full of arrogance [and hubris]; large in bulk or dimensions; a term of comparison, denoting more magnitude or extension than something else, or beyond what is usual.”

BLASPHEMOUS. ‘Blasphémia’ [βλασφημία]: “Slander; abusive or scurrilous language; especially evil speaking and railing against God; reviling words spoken against God or the Holy Spirit showing gross irreverence toward them; also impiety, insult, hurt and hubris; unbelief; reproach of sacred things; i.e., calls what God disapproves, ‘right’ which and thereby ‘exchanges the truth of God for a lie’ (Romans 1:25).”

COMMENTARY. “‘And I saw’ — Translate, ‘And (I saw) one from among his heads as if having been slain’ [the expression is the same as that applied to the Lamb in Revelation 5:6: The wound marks are there when the Vision [arises] ‘unto death; and the stroke of his death was healed.’ When the Wild Beast rose from the sea, the seer saw the deadly wound on the head: The wound was really unto death; the Beast which had waged war against the true Kingdom of Righteousness and Faith has received his Death Blow …

‘But the Death Blow is apparently healed.’ What is this but telling the Church of Christ that the fruits of Christ’s victory will not be seen without delay? The world-power is smitten unto death; but the actual death does not follow immediately. ‘The power of evil, contrary to all expectation, rises with new vigour.’ This revived power showed itself, with more or less force, in the way in which the spirit of the Wild Beast broke forth when Christianity seemed to have put fetters on the Roman Empire …

‘The healing of the death-blow causes wonder to all. Their wonder leads to worship.’ The spirit of the Wild Beast is ‘adored’ wherever worldliness prevails. There is nothing so successful as success, and the homage of men is more often paid to Power than to Principle. ‘Who is like unto the beast?’ The words are a parody, and a blasphemous parody, on the ascription of praise to God which the name Michael [the great Archangel] imported (cf. Revelation 12:7; Micah 7:18). ‘Who is like unto God?’ is the legend of the saints: The opposing cry is,‘Who is like unto the beast?’” – CHARLES ELLICOTT,A New and Old Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

DK.The breathtaking Paradox here is the people of the earth and most especially the vast majority of the Church ‘permit themselves to be seduced’ by the Bestial Power Antichrist displays, and they consequently fall into lustful love with his seeming divine ability to withstand all opposition, ‘even death,’ whether metaphorical or literal.

After ‘rising again’ from this Death Blow, the Beast ‘takes on the visage of God.’ Indeed, the Messiah Promised by the Scriptures. Except of course he is in Reality, THE ANTI-MESSAIAH – Destroyer of lives and entire worlds. Selah.

IV. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: THE DONALD TRUMP HYPOTHESIS

PROPOSAL. As I have written before more than once and with growing conviction every day: I believe Donald John Trump is The Beast of Revelation 13. Further, I will argue here that “The Fatal Wound” of the third verse is ‘symbolic’ rather than literal. Finally, I will attempt to show that The Lethal Blow fell onTUESDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2020, when Joe Biden defeated Trump in the Presidential Election.

All else that follows are merely consequential or collateral blows.

COROLLARY 1. Biden received 306 electoral votes over Trump’s 232. In the popular count, Biden won 81.2 million votes (a record)and Trump received 74.2 million votes. Joe Biden was then sworn into office on January 20, 2021, becoming the oldest president to take office at the age of 78. Trump Fatigue had set in. – Ballotpedia, ret. July 3, 2023

COROLLARY 2. The Nation is poised to give Trump another win, believe it or not, for several reasons. (1) Biden is a weak candidate. (2) A large GOP field helps Trump. (3) Trump is stronger than folks understand, even ‘heroic’ and “Martyr to the Cause” to the Hard Right on abortion and immigration. (4) DeSantis is cratering fast even as I type these words. (5) Most importantly, Christian Nationalism is everywhere, even among non-Christians or nominal believers. It is the New American Religion as with a shamed Germany a century ago.

COROLLARY 3. If he is in fact the Antichrist, Donald Trump is unbeatable in 2024 and will rule for at least 3.5 more years (through 2029). “And he will enter into a binding and irrevocable covenant with the many for one week (seven years), but in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and grain offering [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who causes the horror.” – DANIEL 9:27, AMP

HEALING OF THE FATAL WOUND. Following a rather painstaking review of the relevant literature, I finally happened upon one gem of a richly prophetic article. It was penned by, appropriately, “ANONYMOUS CHRISTIAN 7” on November 8, 2020, following the shocking defeat of Mr. Trump by Mr. Biden in a piece entitled, as appropriately, “The Resurrection of Donald J. Trump.”

“If Trump is returned to power in 2020 (or 2024), his 2nd and ‘Final’ presidential term will end in approximately 3½ years which will remove him from power on the world stage [in 2029, subsequent to a ‘lame duck presidency’]; however, it is at that 3.5-year mark that he begins to assert himself in ways that were never believed possible.

This is when I believe the Great Tribulation begins in that he remains in [or returns to] power of the United States and begins to break every law in America, but also the treaties and laws that were put in place around the world. This is when things get bad on the world stage. This is why it is essential for DJT to be returned to power. I am not claiming that he will be returned to power in 2020, but it is either in this Presidential rotation or the next when he will be raised back to power and begin his ‘Reign of Terror.”

CODA. Beloved, as a political analyst of over 40 years but more importantly, as a Bible scholar for as many years with the last seven being the most focused and intense study I have ever done on the Scriptures related to our presidential history, for me, ‘the pieces are all falling into place.’ Every single one, and I have only mentioned a few, choosing this time to overlook machinations in Russia, China and the Middle East, fit the Biblical Template very nearly perfectly.

More personally, I have chosen to close this Commentary with the words of my favorite atheist and Clemson University graduate in geology and biology, DREW CARLETON. Though not a follower of Christ, he is an intelligent, honorable member of our community.

His words are filled with the ‘Fire of Truth about The American Crisis,’ and I share them with you for your prayerful, deep reflections. It is a rough read, not for the faint of heart, rather fit for those who prefer ‘Tough Truth (and Tough Love)’ over the Gluten Free Gospel of the current American Church. Saddle up then.

“Yesterday, I came uncomfortably close to the Beast, a shameless congregation of Magadonians gathered in the little town of Pickens [South Carolina, pop. 3,126], the county seat, to heap loads of Narcissistic supply on their Golden Idol. After Trump’s Nuremberg style rally, the faithful Maganazis crowded the bars here in Clemson, still abuzz about their warped pilgrimage, boasting about paying hundreds of dollars for a parking spot. Or camping out the night before to increase their odds of touching Donald’s sleeve.

I, a staunch Never Trumper, did my best effort to blend in and not scream at the pathetic display of high-fiving Trumpunist rednecks, still celebrating their brush with their Messiah. I felt like a lamb in a lion’s den. But the experience did provide an epiphany of sorts. For the last eight years I have been baffled by Trump’s creepy popularity, and the mystery revealed itself to me, mostly because I knew many people who were still basking from the glow of Trump’s visage and wisdom. I know that many of them are flagrant racists, misogynists, adulterers, and morally bereft redneck scumbags. And in that setting, it suddenly occurred to me that: ‘People adore Trump because he makes them comfortable with their darker sides’ …

Hey, if the leader of the Free World can pay off a porn actress for her silence about an evening of tawdry sexual debauchery, then why feel bad about cheating on your own spouse? Or lying, or stealing, or any of the other criminal activities Trump has openly committed? It’s a form of catharsis, I suppose. Trump has singlehandedly opened the floodgates of immorality in this country, bless his little heart.” – July 3, 2023; edited

NOTE: My reason for leaving the rough language in this quote is by direct permission from the Lord: ‘When unbelievers speak this way so scandalously about the Faith, they are speaking about Me – because My people have taught them to!’

IS THE CHURCH LISTENING? Can you hear this unbelieving Gentile demonstrating greater moral acumen than 10,000 of our Pastors, beloved? As an atheist he believes that this is God’s Church! Until, thanks be to God, he discovered that some of us refuse to be defined by Donald Trump and the American Flag, and insist on Christ and Canon as our Core Identity.

If I am correct in these admittedly controversial propositions, then we have precious little time to get it right. History is racing to a close. ‘Thus, where the Lord shall find us standing, and with whom’ shall determine our Eternal Destiny.

He has said it: “Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?’” – LUKE 18:6-8, AMP

Will He indeed?

Ever your servant, DK

Cliff Kelly, Ph.D.

Digital Circuit Rider

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/y7LSGumCC6w