NOTES ON THE ONLY PATH TO PEACE IN THE DAYS OF ANTICHRIST: ‘CHRIST ALONE! CHRIST TO THE FULL! CHRIST FOREVER!’ (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might RECONCILE them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” – EPHESIANS 2:14-16, NKJV

KEY TERM. “RECONCILE.” ‘Apokatallassó’ [ἀποκαταλλάξῃ]: “To reunite or restore fully to Favor; leaving behind a state of Enmity; to make [lasting] Peace.” NOTE: “Strong’s Greek 604, ἀποκαταλλάσσω, expresses a decisive, complete Restoration of Harmony between estranged parties. ‘Unlike the broader καταλλάσσω, this intensive form stresses a TOTAL, once-for-all bringing back into Favor that leaves no residual Hostility.’ In the New Testament it is reserved for God’s work in Jesus Christ, underscoring that such Reconciliation is neither partial nor merely potential; it is accomplished and objective.”

QUOTATION. “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” – African Proverb, cited in Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain Speech,” March 5, 1946

COMMENTARY. “‘He (Himself alone) is our peace.’—There is clearly allusion, as to the many Promises in the Old Testament of the ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:5-6, et al.), so still more to the ‘Peace of Earth’ of the angelic Song of Bethlehem, and to the repeated Declarations of our Lord, such as, ‘Peace I leave with you: My peace I give unto you’ (John 14:27). Here, however, only is our Lord called not the Giver of Peace, but ‘The Peace Itself!’—His own Nature being the actual ‘TIE OF UNITY’ between God and Mankind, and between man and man.” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

And here, beloved, is: The Secret to its Enduring Possession:

“SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” – JESUS CHRIST, John 17:17-21, New King James

II. TEACHING

Some of the most memorable lines from a great speech by ABRAHAM LINCOLN were these, courageously proclaimed in the midst of America’s seemingly impenetrable Divide over the Slavery issue. They now become somehow Restored at the Dawn of a possible Second Civil War in 2025.

“‘A house divided against itself, cannot stand’ [Matt. 12:25]. I believe this Government cannot endure permanently Half Slave and Half Free. ‘I do not expect the Union to be dissolved – I do not expect the House to fall – but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become ALL ONE THING OR THE OTHER.’ Either the Opponents of Slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its Advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new – North as well as South.” – “House Divided Speech,” Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858; edited

Both Jesus and Mr. Lincoln were uttering the same inviolable PRINCIPLE OF PEACE some 1,800 years apart: ‘True, lasting Peace cannot come by any other road save by Agreement on the TRUTH.’ That is why virtually all Peace Agreements in American History have failed: ‘Men have not been able to agree on Matters of Truth and Honor – ‘and keep their words!’

THREE GREAT BETRAYALS. Beginning with the brutal American practice of more than 250 Years of Enslavement of Africans, two additional ruthless Violations of Biblical Integrity stand out in our History in the harsh light of ‘New Exposure of who we truly are.’

As over against who we ‘Imagined’ ourselves to have been. Selah.

JAMESTOWN PLANTATION (1619). On Jan. 28, 2019, NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES, who has been a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine since 2015, came to one of our weekly ideas meetings with a very big idea. My Notes from the meeting simply say, ‘NIKOLE: Special Issue on the 400th anniversary of African slaves coming to U.S.,’ a milestone that was approaching that August … ‘The 1619 Project made the provocative case that the start of the African presence in the English North American colonies could be considered the Moment of Inception of the United States of America.’ This argument was supported by 10 works of nonfiction — an opening essay by Nikole, followed by works from the journalists Jamelle Bouie, Jeneen Interlandi, Trymaine Lee, Wesley Morris and Linda Villarosa and the scholars Matthew Desmond, Kevin M. Kruse, Khalil Gibran Muhammad and Bryan Stevenson, all focused on the enduring impacts of Slavery and Racism and the contributions of Black Americans to our society.” – JAKE SILVERSTEIN, “The 1619 Project and the Long Battle Over U.S. History,” 1619 Education, Nov. 9, 2021; edited

TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO (1848). “When the United States [seized!] possession of New Mexico and the greater Southwest under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, it Promised to ‘Maintain and Protect’ the property rights of Mexican citizens who chose to remain. That Promise was not symbolic — it was a binding obligation under Articles VIII and IX of the Treaty, which, under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article VI), became part of ‘The Supreme Law of the Land.’ Yet half a century later, those guarantees were largely Dismantled through the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims (1891-1904) and the Supreme Court’s 1897 ruling in United States v. Sandoval.’ A Decision that drastically curtailed communal land-grant rights in direct conflict with both the Treaty and the Constitution.” – LOUIS GALLEGOS, “A Promise Betrayed,” Sante Fe New Mexican, Oct. 20, 2025; edited

TREATY OF FORT LARAMIE (1868). “‘The Treaty of Fort Laramie was Violated primarily by the U.S. Government’s illegal taking of the Black Hills in 1877 after gold was discovered there, which was a Direct Breach of the Treaty’s guarantee of the Black Hills as the Great Sioux Reservation. Other Violations include the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) controversy, which the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe argues infringes on the Treaty’s protection of reservation lands and cultural resources, and the U.S. Government’s ongoing Refusal to return the land, despite being ordered to by the Supreme Court in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians. I cannot here ignore the indelible words some thirty years later of the great Lakota tribal chief, SITTING BULL, famous for having utterly defeated the Army of General George Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876: “What treaties that the Whites have kept, that the Red Man broken? Not one. What treaties that the White Man gave to us they kept? Not one!” – Adapted from an AI Overview, ret. Oct. 28, 2025; edited

Can you not see ‘A PATTERN’ here, my friends? ‘Black. Red. Brown. Opposed by Whites. Since our very First Landings!’

ALL THINGS HIDDEN. “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the scroll until the end of time. Many will go back and forth and search anxiously [through the scroll], and knowledge [of the purpose of God as revealed by His prophets] will [greatly] increase …

For there is nothing hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come out into the open. So be careful how you listen; for whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a longing for truth], even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.” – DANIEL 12:4; LUKE 8:17-18, AMP

Tying all this together in a SINGLE MAXIM that issues forth from an Undeniable Truth about us:

‘Americans as a Practice have never been able to consistently KEEP COVENANT either with their strategically designated, Non-White counterparts, nor with their God whom they claim was the Foundation of the Republic.’

PROPOSAL. Therefore: The Nation is currently in ‘FULL BREACH’ of her Compact with the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God and the United States Constitution, under the brutal and thorough Corruptions of PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP, the Beast of Babylon the Great. As such, a man who is undeniably under the Sway of that Old Dragon, Satan, rather than in submission to Jesus the Christ.

And all of this in light of the astonishing Reality that it is the WHITE AMERICAN CHURCH that initiated these epochal events, and who sustain it to this day in November of the Year of Our Lord, 2025.

The Consequences. “‘Woe, woe, for the great city that was robed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, gilded and adorned with gold, with precious stones, and with pearls; because in one hour all the vast wealth has been laid waste.’ And every ship captain or navigator, and every passenger and sailor, and all who make their living by the sea, stood a long way off, and exclaimed as they watched the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What could be compared to the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her great wealth, because in one hour she has been laid waste! Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints (God’s people) and apostles and prophets [who were martyred], because God has executed vengeance for you [through righteous judgment] upon her.’

Then a single powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, saying, ‘With such violence will Babylon the great city be hurled down [by the sudden, spectacular judgment of God], and will never again be found.’” – REVELATION 18:16-21, AMP

Selah. Selah.

III. THE CHALLENGE

One of the most influential books that impacted me early in my Sojourn with Christ was ‘How Should We Then Live?’ (1976) by DR. FRANCIS SCHAEFFER. Though a number of my opinions toward that work have changed since its publication nearly a half century ago, its Central Question shouts an answer:

“WHAT NOW?”

To address this pressing question, I turn to a French scholar, VIRGINIE LAROUSSE. A graduate of the Ecole du Louvre and Paris IV-Sorbonne University, Virginie Larousse is a historian and art historian by training. After Serving as editor-in-chief of a scholarly journal didicated to religions and teaching the history of religions at the University of Burgundy, she began her collaboration with Le Monde des Religions, becoming its editor-in-chief in May 2013.

Her essay is titled, “Trump, the Apocalypse and King David: A Theological Reading of the US President” (LeMonde, Jan. 27, 2025; edited). Since I could again find a whisper of an American response to Dr. Schaeffer’s epochal question, I turn to a View from Across the Pond for some unique insght.

OPEN. “‘Christians, get out and vote, just this time! You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again.’ + was in these obscure terms that, on July 26, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida, DONALD TRUMP harangued his potential voters in ‘Preparation’ for the approaching Presidential Election. ‘What exactly did the billionaire mean when he claimed that this might be the LAST ELECTION the country would ever see?’”

WARNING. [Though Democrats and most White Christians in America completely overlooked the devastating Unconstitutional and Immoral implications of Trumps Dark Plans], others, however, took a very different view of the candidate’s remarks, seeing in them an allusion to Apocalyptic Literature stemming from the Judeo-Christian Tradition. Such was the case of the Medievalist JOËL SCHNAPP: ‘Donald Trump mobilizes a powerfully Religious Rhetoric, with the use of numerous Biblical and Eschatological Themes [relating to the End of Time], to the point that some of his remarks resemble Prophecies from the End of the Middle Ages,’ said the author of ‘Chroniques de L’Antichrist. Crises et Apocalypses au XXI Siècle (‘Chronicles of the Antichrist. Crises and Apocalypses in the 21st Century’).”

ESCHATON [The Final Plan of the End of the World]. “According to Schnapp, the speech addressed to the Christians of West Palm Beach is part of the Evangelical Tradition as it has developed since the end of the 19^th Century in the wake of theologian William E. Blackstone (1841-1935). In 1878, he published ‘Jesus Is Coming,’ a best-seller among believers in this Movement, which includes around one in five Americans. ‘If he says it will be POINTLESS to vote in four years’ time, Trump may be implying that the RETURN OF JESUS is Imminent and will render political organization as we know it today obsolete’ continued Schnapp.”

BABYLON. “While Trump knowingly cultivated ambiguity here, he is sometimes more explicit, like he was in October 2024 when he warned of an ‘Economic Armageddon’ in Michigan if Kamala Harris were to win. In the Bible, Armageddon refers to the Battle between Good and Evil at the End of Time. Schnapp noted that Trump did not hesitate ‘to portray her as the ‘Great Whore of Babylon’ described in Chapter 17 of John’s Apocalypse, a New Testament book written at the end of the 1^st Century. He proclaimed once that Harris has ‘no remorse for all the innocent blood on her hands.’ The Image is reminiscent, the historian believes, of ‘The Prostitute drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the witnesses of Jesus’ (Revelation 17:6) from the ancient Mesopotamian City.”

MILLENNIUM. “Here, Schnapp said, Trump leverages an essential theme of Evangelical Theology: That of the Millennium, in other words, the Myth of the Golden Age, which finds its source in Chapters 19 to 22 of the Apocalypse of John. ‘At the End of Time,’ explained the researcher, ‘Jesus will throw the Beasts into the Lake of Fire, while an Angel will chain the Devil. The Martyrs will come back to life and live a Thousand Years of Happiness with Christ, which is akin to a Golden Age. Then the Devil will be released from his chains, the infernal peoples of Gog and Magog will gather and the Great Eschatological Battle will take place [at Armageddon].”

JERUSALEM. “In Trump’s telling, the United States resembles the ‘Beloved City’ mentioned in the Book of [Revelation 20:9], threatened by the tribes of Gog and Magog – Symbols of Forces uniting against the ‘Camp of the Saints’ Trump makes these threats appear to be implicitly embodied: Externally, by Migrants seeking to cross the border, and internally by proponents of ‘Woke Ideology’ or Democrats who, in his eyes, endanger the country.”

ANTICHRIST. “In the face of these perils, the Republican sees himself as the Providential Man. In 2019, he declared to stunned reporters that he was “THE CHOSEN ONE” before adding that he was joking. Nevertheless, after the failed attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, he said that it was ‘God alone who prevented the Unthinkable from happening.’ Christian-Georges Schwentzel, a professor of ancient history at the University of Lorraine, explained that ‘Since Antiquity, great political leaders have always relied on the idea that they were under the ‘Protection of a God’ tojustify their undertakings and distinguish themselves from ordinary mortals. This is particularly true of Hebrew kings such as Saul and David.”

SUBSTITUTION. “‘To emphasize the Quasi-Messianic Character of their Biblical Champion, Trump’s supporters regularly compare him to great biblical figures, foremost among them KING DAVID, the second ruler of the kingdom of Israel, circa the 10^th century BC,’ whose story is told in the books of Samuel and the first Book of Kings.’ Although the comparison between the Shepherd who defeated Goliath and the American billionaire may, at first glance, seem far-fetched, it is mainly based on the fact that: ‘Like Trump, the ancient Hebrew King was no saint. Intoxicated by his power, the Biblical Ruler, lusting after Bethshabe and having impregnated her, had her husband murdered. This did not prevent him, anointed through the Prophet Samuel, from being ‘God’s Chosen One’ (1 Samuel 16).”

APOCALYPSE. “On the Eve of the Republican’s new term, Peter Thiel, the wealthy founder of PayPal and prominent supporter of the former president, [was] predicting a different kind of Apocalypse. In a Financial Times op-ed published on January 10, the tech entrepreneur and investor indeed Prophesized an Apocalypse, but not in the sense usually attributed to it – that of Catastrophe. Understood in the original sense of the Greek word ‘Apokálypsis,’ meaning ‘Unveiling’ wrote Thiel, ‘Trump’s Return to the White House augurs the Apokálypsis of the ancient regime’s secrets.’”

TELOS [Final End, Purpose, Goal, Aim]. “‘Thiel’s Text, Conspiratorial in tone, proclaims the Imminent Unveiling of Hidden Truths’ – about Covid-19, the death of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in prison,’ the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and more. ‘While Thiel cautions that “Revelations need not justify Vengeance,” his words carry a Comminatory [threatening, punitive, or vengeful’] Undertone. Whether seen as a Cataclysm or a Disclosure, the Concept of Apocalypse in the US has rarely felt more Foreboding.”’

Given the Dark Nature of Trump-Thought, we should be utter fools at this evidentiary point to not take them seriously, beloved. So let’s do that!

IV. LAST THOUGHTS: PREPARATION

I close with a superb AI Overview (ret. Nov. 14, 2025; edited) that Summarizes TEN PRACTICAL STEPS wise Christians must take to prudently confront the turbulent years that lie ahead.

A crucial few years that constitute, as I termed them in the subtitle of my first book, The Sixth Seal (2017): “The End of History As We Know It.”

ONE: Seek the Common Good. Focus on actions that benefit all people, especially those with the least power and resources, which contrasts with the power concentration of Authoritarianism.

TWO: Practice Humility and Service. Jesus taught that leaders should serve, not rule like kings, suggesting that a focus on Service is a counter-response to a power grab.

THREE: Uphold Truth and Discernment. In an environment where misinformation and ‘alternative facts’ might spread, Christians are encouraged to be ‘saboteurs of lies’ by seeking Truth and maintaining Integrity. This includes cultivating Discernment to distinguish Truth from Falsehood.

FOUR: Speak Out. Remaining Silent allows Authoritarian leaders to assume power. Christians are urged to Speak Up and Stand against rhetoric that dehumanizes others or undermines Democratic norms.

FIVE: Support Democratic Institutions. Bolstering Democratic Institutions and participating in the political process are seen as vital steps.

SIX: Organize Locally. Effective Dissent is difficult for isolated individuals. Forming small groups and Networking can create a ‘Parallel Polis’ or Sanctuary Community for mutual support and resistance.

SEVEN: Protect Vulnerable Communities. The belief that all people are created in God’s image calls for a commitment to Protecting marginalized groups who might be targeted.

EIGHT: Plan for Safety and Security. This includes discussing potential Risks with family and making Plans, as well as considering digital security measures in case of increased surveillance.

NINE. Resist Christian Nationalism. Many Faith Leaders argue that equating Christian Faith with American Patriotism is dangerous and can lead to a Cult-like attitude toward a leader. Resisting this ideology is seen as crucial.

TEN: Prepare for Persecution (Suffering without Bitterness). Some suggest that Christians may need to learn to ‘Suffer without bitterness’ as a powerful Testimony to the Truth, as standing up for Principles may come with personal cost.

LAST WORD: “And they have overcome (conquered) him [Antichrist] by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].” – REVELATION 12:11, AMPC

CODICIL: ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE PRAYER (435 AD).

St. Patrick’s Breastplate is a popular prayer attributed to one of Ireland’s most beloved patron saints. According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for Divine Protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from Paganism to Christianity. (The term ‘Breastplate’ refers to a piece of armor worn in battle).

More recent scholarship suggests its author was anonymous. In any case, this prayer certainly reflects the spirit with which St. Patrick brought our faith to Ireland! St. Patrick’s Breastplate, also known as ‘The Lorica of Saint Patrick’ was popular enough to inspire a Hymn based on this text as well. (This prayer has also been called ‘The Cry of the Deer’).

“I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”

SELAH.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/TudNwoUduWw