NOTES ON THE SOUND OF SILENCE: DIVINE QUIET BEFORE YAH’S GREAT STORM Part III

PART III: “THE SILENCING OF A PRESIDENT”

SCRIPTURE. “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.” – PSALM 1:1, AMPC

HONOR. “True nobleness of mind; magnanimity; dignified respect for character, springing from probity, principle or moral rectitude; a distinguishing trait in the character of good men.” – NOAH WEBSTER, ‘American Dictionary of the English Language,’ 1828; edited

QUOTATIONS

“There will be times in your life that you will be challenged to choose between Honor and something else. I am asking that you not sacrifice your Honor for the sake of acquiring easy things.” – IDOWU KOYENIKAN, ‘Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability,’ 2016; edited

“Pick a leader who will make their citizens proud. One who will stir the hearts of the people, so that the sons and daughters of a given nation strive to emulate their leader’s greatness. Only then will a nation be truly great, when a leader inspires and produces citizens worthy of becoming future leaders, Honorable decision makers and peacemakers. And in these times, a great leader must be extremely Brave. Their leadership must be steered only by their conscience, not a bribe.” – SUZY KASSEM, ‘Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem,’ 2011; edited

“The messengers of Jesus will be hated to the end of time. They will be blamed for all the division which rend cities and homes. Jesus and is disciples will still be condemned on all sides for undermining family life, and for leading the nation astray; they will be called crazy fanatics and disturbers of the peace. The disciples will be sorely tempted to desert their Lord. But the End is also near, and they must hold on and persevere until it comes. Only he will be blessed who remains Loyal to Jesus and His Word until the End.” – DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, ‘The Cost of Discipleship,’ 1937; edited

Honor: “The highest human virtue a Leader can exhibit, even if it cost him his very life.” – DK

FIRST THOUGHTS

In this our last Lesson in our series on Silence, we turn to the darker side of it all: The circumstances under which a wicked ruler must be, of necessity, Silenced. Or at least an effort made by the proper authorities, to Silence him.

DONALD TRUMP: A CASE STUDY. Not surprisingly, our most immediate and pronounced example of such a circumstance is the former, twice impeached, president of the United States.

The Reasons Why are proposed by two Catholic sociologists from Baylor University, CHRISTOPHER PIEPER AND MATT HENDERSON, from a piece published in the ‘Dallas Morning News’ on November 6, 2016 – two days before Trump was elected President.

TRUMP ON TRIAL

THEIR THESIS. The authors propose a Guiding Presupposition, from which Ten Arguments follow to support it.

“A Christian who supports Trump either does not understand this person and his positions, or supports him in spite of Christian convictions. In the same way that a person cannot love the Yankees and the Red Sox, follow veganism and devour a supper of Texas barbecue, or adore Joanna Gaines but hate shiplap, one cannot really love Jesus and wish to follow Him and also vote for a person who so clearly embodies the opposite of everything Christ taught, died for and demands of us.”

HE LACKS COMPASSION. “The Bible says: ‘As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience’ (Colossians 3:12). On this point, we could cite Mr. Trump’s many instances of inflammatory rhetoric against immigrants and Muslims, his record of discriminatory housing practices, his public cruelty to ex-spouses or his sensational and mean-spirited feuds with other celebrities as evidence of his lack of compassion. But consider a recent AP-GFK Poll showing that among Republicans, he is largely believed to lack compassion…[Yet] Many of those voters polled expressed this was not a concern.”

HE APPEALS TO FEAR AND ANGER. “The Bible says: ‘But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire’ (Matthew 5:22).’ Mr. Trump has chosen to make Immigration and the Economy central themes of his campaign and his rhetoric surrounding these issues consistently appeals to fear and anger, absent appeals to love. Most notoriously, he chose to characterize Hispanic immigrants as rapists. Regardless of our policy convictions around the place of undocumented immigrants, this broad characterization is cynically aimed to Incite Fear and Anger. His recent endorsement by the white supremacist American Freedom Party is the fruit of this rhetoric. It is also a Callous and Hostile way to characterize people, some of whom are our brothers and sisters in Christ, all of whom are God’s children.”

HE IS ENAMORED WITH GREATNESS AND EGO. “The Bible says: ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God’ (Matthew 5:5-8). In ‘The Narcissist Next Door’ (2014), author JEFFREY KLUGER suggests Trump is a Classic Narcissist. Some might say that running for office encourages this sort of thing. But Narcissism might be the most dangerous condition for a Christian — without humility and self-effacement, we are incapable of modeling Jesus’ behavior, we allow no space for the Holy Spirit to bless our relationships, and we are unable to receive or revel in the goodness of God. Ask yourself the last time you saw a public expression of humility from Mr. Trump.”

HE LIES – A LOT. “The Bible says: ‘Beware then of useless grumbling, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret word is without result, and a lying mouth destroys the soul’ (Wisdom 1:11). According to Pulitzer Prize winning truth-checkers ‘Politifact,’ which compares candidate statements to evidence, Trump’s statements are verifiably false 76 percent of the time. Among these is this infamous lie about 9/11: ‘I watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as [the World Trade Center] was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.’ Not only is this Pattern of Dishonesty troubling for religious believers, it should disturb any citizen contemplating a vote for the most powerful office on the planet. Lying was enough to get two presidents impeached. Christian or not, telling the truth less than one-quarter of the time while a candidate is the reddest of flags.”

HE IS HOSTILE TO WOMEN. “The Bible says: ‘But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth’ (Colossians 3:8). Trump’s feud with Fox News host Megyn Kelly is now the stuff of legend, but what prompted the tension initially were his documented remarks about women, which Kelly reiterated during the Aug. 6 GOP debate: ‘You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs,” “dogs,” “slobs,” and “disgusting animals.”’ Trump has said the remarks were taken out of context.”

HE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER IN A SEXUALIZED WAY. “The Bible says: ‘Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity, and do not show yourself too indulgent with them’ (Sirach 7:24). In a 2006 interview with ‘Rolling Stone,’ when asked about the idea of his daughter posing for Playboy, Trump replied, ‘I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.’ For a self-identified Presbyterian, such a statement is hard to square with Calvinist sexual ethics.”

HE DOES NOT LOVE HIS ENEMIES, BUT CULTIVATES ANTAGONISM. “The Bible says: ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous’ (Matthew 5:43-48). Trump’s ‘Plans’ for dealing with adversaries involve heavy and immediate Use of Force. Regarding ISIS, he told Fox & Friends on Dec. 2, ‘I would knock the hell out of ISIS…[and] when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.’ Most military and diplomatic experts quickly retorted that such tactics used a decade ago were precisely what created ISIS. Apart from the strategic factors, such an approach to handling enemies, one that vindictively aims to punish the potentially innocent, is 100 percent counter to one of the core tenets of Jesus’ teaching.”

HE DOES NOT MODEL SACRIFICE OR ALTRUISM. “The Bible says: ‘But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first’ (Matthew 19:30). Perhaps Mr. Trump’s most credible qualification for the presidency is his prodigious business success [sic], about which he never fails to remind us. However, Christians must consider how he made his fortune. Rather than invest in companies who provide goods and services which contribute to the prosperity of the Americans he seeks to lead, he has invested heavily in Casino Gambling. He gave his name to a Sham University, defrauding students in the process. He has lobbied for and exploited eminent domain laws to muscle people off their property, most notably a New Jersey widow. Much has been made of his companies’ Multiple Bankruptcies; more damning, though, is the fact that when his mortgage company failed, he Denied Responsibility, saying that he only let the company use his name. His business dealings do not suggest a willingness to place the fortunes of others ahead of his own, nor the integrity to accept responsibility.”

HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE POOR. “The Bible says: ‘Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me”’” (Matthew 19:21). Trump’s policy ideas across the board are shockingly thin, typical of demagogues. On the issues of poverty, hunger, and oppression, topics everyone from Jesus to Jeremiah cared a great deal about, Trump is deafeningly Silent. This alone is unacceptable. To be fair, though, here is one of Trump’s few but fairly specific plans for helping the disadvantaged: ‘Teenage mothers [shouldn’t] get public assistance unless they jump through some pretty small hoops. Making them live in group homes makes sense.’ His best 21st-century idea is the worst of 18th-century ideas.”

HIS LOVE OF MONEY IS APPARENT. “The Bible says: ‘No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money’ (Matthew 6:34). ‘My whole life I’ve been greedy, greedy, greedy,’ Trump said at recent rally. ‘I’ve grabbed all the money I could get. I’m so greedy.’ The spiritual concern here is not so much Greed, but the misplaced priorities that his statement reveals. He has made the pursuit of Material Wealth an Idol and worshipped it his entire life. Trump has forgotten the source of all wealth, the Creator of all abundance, and instead deifies the gifts of God rather than God himself. No moral offense receives so many warnings in both the Old and New Testament as Idolatry. Trump’s confession of this addiction is a good first step, but he hardly seems repentant. On many campaign issues, he appears to have recently ‘found religion’ — but apparently not this one.”

DK’S TAKE. First, a Disclaimer of sorts. I do not subscribe to every exegetical point; I would have used different Scripture proofs at time. Second, I am not a Catholic, nor a Calvinist, nor an Arminian. I am simply, a Christian, and freely endorse all points made that do not violate The Canon.

That said, I judge this analysis to be both Courageous and Biblically sound.

MY QUESTION. What does all this mean for Christians who to this day, Post-January 6, still support Trump? What may we Conclude from such support, not about their hearts, but about their Overt Conduct in relation to their Christian Witness – and their Standing before Christ?

That is the sobering subject of the next section.

CHRISTIANS ON TRIAL

I have needed to confront this matter for some time now, having been eviscerated by Trump Christians, and threatened with death and destruction off and on for five years now. While I have worked to forgive any and every one of them, I have not forgotten their sustained Transgressions against God’s Law, the Gospel, if you will.

Thus, this vitally important Analysis. Just how are we to treat such Renegades from the Truth? With loving, caring affirmation that they are still our friend and brother or sister, as we have been taught in our churches? Or do the Scriptures present a more stringent model for us to follow?

This Doctrinal Expedition should prove enlightening, no matter where it leads. I shall proceed by dealing with TWO ISSUES: (1) The Biblical duty to Resist the Wicked Ruler; (2) The Biblical duty to Discipline Christians who follow the Wicked Ruler.

RESISTANCE TO A WICKED RULER. I shall borrow from a wonderfully reasoned and thoroughly documented essay addressing this important matter by “recovering lawyer” and Bible teacher, GREG HOPKINS. The piece is entitled, “Good Authority: The Biblical Right to Resist Tyranny,” published by ‘Clash Daily,’ November 15, 2015.

INTRODUCTION. “Today I’d like a recommend a book, ‘Sovereign Duty’ (2014) by former Federal prosecutor KRISANNE HALL. It is an excellent lesson on the Founders’ intent for the separation of rights and responsibilities between the Federal Government and the States, based on the Bill of Rights and especially the 10th Amendment. I highly recommend this well-written and researched book to every American lover of freedom and our Constitution. KrisAnne shows how the Bible supplies the basis for our God-given Natural Rights and Liberties that the Constitution affirms and protects.”

PROPOSAL. “Many don’t realize that Christians have a Right to Rebel against oppressive government. Now, I’m well-aware of Romans 13:1-7 and other passages where it says we are to Obey duly-constituted authorities, and so were our Founders. However, when government requires us to Disobey God or denies us our Freedoms and Natural Rights, then as Peter and John told the Sanhedrin, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” – cf. Acts 5:29, 4:17-20.

ARGUMENT #1. “The Book of Judges tells us of many freedom fighters against those who oppressed and enslaved Israel: Ehud, Gideon, Deborah and Barak, Samson, Samuel, and others whom God sent to free His people from Tyranny. In the Kingdom Period, Samuel rebuked Saul for taking too much power, Nathan confronted David over his murder of Uriah, Elijah condemned Ahab for killing Naboth for his property. God requires that leaders be servants of the people, not their masters. Daniel defied Kings Nebuchadnezzar over food and Darius over prayer. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow to idols.” – 1 Kings 12:7

ARGUMENT #2. “Jesus got angry over the cheating of worshippers at the Temple and whipped the moneychangers and crooked salesmen out. In doing so he forcibly Defied the Jewish government.” – John 2:14-17

ARGUMENT #3. “The Declaration of Independence states that when government becomes oppressive, patriots and Christians have the right and duty to Resist unlawful authority. SAMUEL ADAMS, one of the Founders who based many of his arguments for Liberty on the Bible, said, ‘Among the Natural Rights of the Colonists are these: First, the right to life [Self-defense]; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner thy can.’” – Sovereign Duty, p.145.

ARGUMENT #4. “WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, whose book on England’s Common Law (1770) was the General Guide for American lawyers up through the Civil War, stated our legal rights thus: ‘To vindicate those Rights when actually violated or attacked, the subjects of England are entitled first to the regular administration and free course of justice in the courts of law — next to the right of petitioning the King and parliament for redress of grievances — and lastly, to the right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defense.’”

ARGUMENT #5. “In ‘Federalist Papers 33,’ ALEXANDER HAMILTON put it this way: ‘If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of Self-Defense, which is paramount to all positive forms of government.’ Isaiah cursed tyrannical legislators, saying, ‘Woe unto those who enact evil statutes and those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights.’ I conclude with, ‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good, evil! Who substitute darkness for light, and light for darkness! Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!’ It’s time to act like the Founders and contact your Congresscritter!” –cf. Sovereign Duty, p. 146; Isaiah 5:20-21; 10:1-2

DK’S TAKE. From what we have presented so far, it is clear to me that Christians and especially our Leaders who participate in the Lawlessness of Donald Trump – ‘The 80 Percenters’ – are, by their willful Association with Wickedness, Guilty before God’s Law, the Gospel, constituting Sedition against our true King.

The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans is both specific and severe regarding how we must deal with such individuals, and all the more so, Leaders. – cf. James 3:1

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive].” – ROMANS 16:17-18, AMP

THE VERDICT. Though not taught anymore in our Seeker Sensitive, grotesquely ‘Nonjudgmental’ Churches, the Scriptures are absolutely lucid on the necessity of such Judgment: (1) To Protect God’s Truth and our Witness; and (2) To Protect the true Christian from likewise Apostatizing.

Selah.

THE TEACHING

SCRIPTURE. “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.” – PSALM 1:1, AMPC

I begin these Final Sections with the understanding that Donald Trump is the Epicenter of the greater part of the current American Crisis. The ‘Trigger Man,’ if you will. The Comments to follow are therefore focused on what I perceive to be the ‘Spirit’ from which he consistently operates:

TRUMP’S SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST. “And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.” – 1 JOHN 4:3, AMPC

THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL. To that argument I add this: Trump is at heart, a “mocker” and a “scorner.” Even the Chief of Scorners and Mockers, in my studied view. The Hebrew term used here to affirm that is, ‘Luts’ [לוּץ]: “An ambassador [for evil], hold in derision [the righteous]; [wicked] interpreter who makes a mockery of the righteous; turns aside from the truth; is considered an abomination (by God); to scoff or deride; also, to reinterpret [and falsify] a (true) teaching.”

COMMENTARY. “The truly blessed person is the one who steers clear of the lifestyle of the ungodly. In his contacts with them, he Avoids Complicity with them or even Tacit Approval of their sin and scoffing. This does not mean that the happy man isolates himself completely from the wicked. Instead, he Witnesses of ‘sin, righteousness, and judgment,’ and seeks to introduce them to Christ, the one Source of lasting pleasure. The happy man is a real friend to the ungodly, but he is Not a Partner with them.” – WILLIAM MACDONALD, ‘Believer’s Bible Commentary,’ 1995, pp. 548-549; edited

SIN OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH. It is found squarely inside the belly of the term used by MacDonald: “COMPLICITY” – Defined by ‘Oxford Dictionaries’ as “The state of being involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.”

The Scriptures are no less damning.

“You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the demons’ table…Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?” – 1 CORINTHIANS 10:21; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14, AMPC

An “Unbeliever,” you say? Listen up, buttercup. Taken from the Greek term, ‘Apistos’ [ἄπιστος], referring to: “That which is incredible, unbelieving, incredulous, unchristian; sometimes substitute for an ‘unbeliever’ [i.e., one whose conduct betrays or contradicts Christian truth and lifestyle]; not worthy of confidence; untrustworthy; a thing not to be believed; an infidel.”

THE PRINCIPLE. True Faith is defined by the actual Conduct of the believer, found in the forms of consistent Fruit from the true Tree, which is Jesus the Christ. All else is fakery, cheap imitation; i.e., Lying Hypocrisy. Selah. – Matthew 7:15-20

One wise Commentator, writing for ‘Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry,’ clarifies and expands this vital Principle.

“The term ‘unequally yoked’ is found 2 Corinthians 6:14 in the KJV and the ESV. Basically, it deals with a Christian being Joined Together with unbelievers in an ungodly way. This should be avoided. The term comes from ancient Biblical times where two oxen would be joined together with a yoke. The yoke was the wooden piece that went around their necks so they could be teamed up and controlled. If one ox was weaker than the other, then they were unequally yoked and would not perform well together…

Belial was a very negative term [used here]. Belial, Beliar, Common Hebrew noun meaning ‘baseness,’ ‘worthlessness,’ ‘wickedness,’ or ‘lawlessness,’ Intertestamental literature often used ‘Belial’ as a proper noun and thus prepared the way for its NT usage. In the NT the term appears once as ‘Belial’ (or ‘Beliar’ in 2 Corinthians 6:15) and is identified with Satan, the personification of all that is Evil. Noncanonical writings of the NT period commonly used it as a name for Satan or the Antichrist…

The General Principle is that the people of God need to be careful with whom they interact and enter into Contractual Agreements [as with Marriage]…As far as Business Arrangements go, Christians must be cautious with the unbelievers around them, especially when it comes to business. Christians are supposed to represent Christ in their dealings and should, therefore, be honest, and their word should be their bond. But what’s to prevent an unbeliever from breaking his word or leading the Christian into Compromising situations in order to gain Financial Profit?” – MATT SLICK, “What Does It Mean to be Unequally Yoked?,” January 23, 2018; edited

IN SUM. Do NOT form any Alliance with an unethical, unbiblical, unprincipled partner. Ever!

LAST THOUGHTS: SILENCING A PRESIDENT

With time and space running out for this Lesson, let me just cut to the chase by citing in some detail TWO COMBINED SOURCES that will leave you wondering if my mind was addled by that bout with Coronavirus last year. But no, there is purpose to my madness, found in the very title of the piece from which I will quote.

“BILL MAHER NERVOUS About Trump’s Radio Silence Since Leaving Office.” – Joseph A. Wolfsohn, ‘Fox News,’ January 29, 2021; edited

“It’s just so not like him! ‘Radio silence’ is just never a term I associated with Donald Trump. “Does that not alarm you a little? It’s like in ‘Jaws’ when the shark went out to sea for a little while. I think it will be back…Where is Trump? It’s like he’s in the ‘Where Are They Now?’ bit. I am so shocked that this guy has been so quiet! Are you not? I just don’t trust that, you know? It’s just so not like him! ‘Radio silence’ is just never a term I associated with Donald Trump. He isn’t exactly ‘fading away gracefully.’”

[Guest Van Jones replies]: “He’s not giving up control over the Republican Party, and I think that it’s going to put a lot of pressure on Republicans who thought they were gonna be able to turn the page. But when Kevin McCarthy, who knows better, decides he’s going to continue to allow Donald Trump to run the Party into the ground, that’s not good.”

Is the venerable secular iconoclast Mr. Maher right? I think he’s onto something, so to test my suspicion, I reviewed a few Psychology articles about what happens when a Narcissist is Silent – or is Silenced.

Here is one representative view.

“The Narcissist wants you to feel unsettled and uncertain. By using Minimalist Communication, Narcissists hope to put you into a state of emotional confusion. They love it when you imply: ‘Uh oh, I’ve really blown it now, and I have to do all that is possible to gain favor from this person.’ The Narcissist wants you to wallow in pain and discomfort.” – DR. LES CARTER, ‘Surviving Narcissism,’ June 25, 2020; edited

DK’S TAKE. I don’t think for one minute that Trump and MAGA are going away. With or without the benchmark Psychology stuff above, I can still propose, based on his entire 4 years with us, that he has become as predictable as snow in Colorado in January regarding the Pursuit of Power and Notoriety.

One news analysis nails this idea to the wall for me.

“Don’t call it a comeback. Ex-President Trump never really left the #MAGA Building. Days after his controversial Impeachment acquittal, Trump is riding a powerful wave of support within the Republican Party — and his critics are taking a fierce drubbing.

With the Trial behind him, the man in Mar-a-Lago is poised to Return [in a ‘Second Coming’] to the public stage as early as this week. ‘I imagine you’ll probably be hearing a lot more from him in the coming days,’ senior adviser Jason Miller said. Trump will likely lash out at real and perceived enemies, especially the so-called ‘Republicans in Name Only’ who abandoned him during his trial.

Despite the widespread criticism of his actions in his final weeks in office and his role in inciting the Capitol Riot, Trump can count on an overwhelmingly positive reception from Republican voters and officials.” – DAVE GOLDINER, “Trump Plans to Exact Revenge on GOP Critics After Impeachment Acquittal,” ‘NY Daily News,’ February 16, 2021; edited

CODA. To this final and frankly incinerating Prediction that I so pray if proven wrong in the Days Ahead. Several ‘IF’S,’ however, Qualify my Dark Prognosis.

IF: Donald Trump is who I believe him to be – a monstrous Usurper of Biblical Truth operating from the spirit of antichrist – or worse;

IF: The American Church remains largely Silent on the matter of Trump’s absence of Character and his Insurrection attempt on January 6;

IF: The Business Sector continues to place Mammon at the top of their priorities for defining what makes America great; and

IF: We are correct in our reading of Biblically defined ‘Last Things,’ especially in relation to the rise of the New Alt Right Nationalism Movement;

THEN: It logically follows that the TRUMP-MAGA MOVEMENT will dominate the American Experience for the foreseeable future, and lead the Nation – and the World – toward unimaginable, possibly Final Devastation.

CODA. Now it is patently unfair to throw all this at you without even more copious documentation from the pertinent Biblical and General Research Literature, but I can only pack into one Commentary just so much (5,000 words).

But let me end with a little Teaser if you will, that just came across my desk this very morning while finishing the draft of this Essay. Intriguing only begins to describe its impact on me as I read it, regarding the Lord’s propensity for Speaking through Nature about our topic: SILENCE.

“ZURICH, Feb 18, 2021 (Reuters) – Earth had its Quietest Period in Decades during 2020 as the COVID-19 Pandemic significantly reduced human activity and its impact on the planet’s crust, according to scientists working on a global study.

An international group of seismologists from 33 countries measured a drop of up to 50% in so-called Ambient Noise generated by humans travelling and factories humming after lockdowns came into force around the world. The team, which included experts from the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich, a university, measured lower noise levels at 185 of the 268 seismic stations analysed around the world.

Urban ambient noise fell by up to 50% at some measuring stations during the tightest lockdown weeks, as buses and train services were reduced, aircraft grounded and factories shuttered. This made it much quieter than Christmas, traditionally the quietest time of the year.” – REUTERS, “Planet Earth Its Quietest in Decades,” ‘NewsTrust.org,’ February 18, 2021; edited

DK’S CLOSE. Something’s Coming, beloved, as we bear witness to this earthly and heavenly Quiet just before Yah’s Storms. Therefore indeed, Selah: ‘Pause to weigh, value and contemplate what has been written here.’

Ever your servant, DK

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