NOTES ON THE SPIRIT OF THE EGYPTIAN IN THE AMERICAN CHURCH: YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR KING! – (WITH VIDEO)

I.  THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “‘And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard and cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,’ says the Lord of hosts.” – ISAIAH 19:4, AMPC

KEY TERMS:

• “CRUEL.” ‘Quasheh’ [קָשֶׁ֑ה]: “Severe, harsh, cruel, grievous, churlish, hard, heavy [handed]; impudent, obstinate, rough; stubborn; violent; fierce, relentless. Disposed to give pain to others, in body or mind; willing or pleased to torment, vex or afflict; inhuman; destitute of pity, compassion or kindness; fierce; ferocious; savage; barbarous; hardhearted.”

• “FIERCE.” ‘Az’ [עַז֙]: “Strong, mighty, vehement, harsh; brutal; formidable, greedy [for power, mammon and conquest]; violent; furious; rushing; impetuous; as a fierce wind; savage; ravenous; easily enraged; as a fierce lion; outrageous; not to be restrained; passionate; angry; furious; wild; staring; ferocious [like that of a beast of the field].”

• QUOTATION. “You might well wonder how on earth, after all their countless betrayals and cruelties, men like Agathocles [Greek tyrant of Syracuse, 361-289 BC] could sit safe on their thrones for years and even defend themselves against foreign enemies without their citizens ever conspiring against them; and this while many others, equally ready to use cruelty, weren’t even able to hold on to their power in peacetime, never mind in war. I think it’s a question of whether cruelty is well or badly used. Cruelty well used (if we can ever speak well of something bad) is short-lived and decisive, no more than is necessary to secure your position and then stop; you don’t go on being cruel but use the power it has given you to deliver maximum benefits to your subjects. ‘Cruelty is badly used when you’re not drastic enough at the beginning but grow increasingly cruel later on, rather than easing off.’” – NICCOLÓ MACHIAVELLI, The Prince, 1513; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘God shall come into Egypt with His Judgments.’ He will raise up the causes of their destruction from among themselves. When ungodly men escape danger, they are apt to think themselves secure; but Evil pursues sinners, and will speedily overtake them, except they repent.

‘The Egyptians will be given over into the hand of one who shall rule them with rigour’ [stiffness of opinion or temper; severity; sternness], as was shortly after fulfilled. The Egyptians were renowned for wisdom and science; yet the Lord would give them up to their own perverse schemes, and to quarrel, till their land would be brought by their contests to become an object of contempt and pity. He renders sinners afraid of those whom they have despised and oppressed; and the Lord of hosts will make the workers of iniquity a terror to themselves, and to each other; and every object around a terror to them.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 1708-1710; edited

II.  TEACHING

THESIS. I propose that the “Spirit of the Egyptian” has entered the American Church viz. the Christian Nationalism Movement and QAnon Conspiracy Cult spawned and sustained by DONALD TRUMP. Who is among several other things, effectively our American Pharoah, virtually adored by the majority of the White Evangelical community.

Further, God is therefore left with no other choice but to Judge America harshly, as the Church has largely rejected God’s Son, and preferred Satan’s Son. ‘But wait!’ Recent polling shows the HARRIS-WALZ Democrat ticket to be trouncing the TRUMP-VANCE team, with even swing states moving toward Blue.

Game Over? So, beloved, have we missed the boat here in arguing that Trump is the Antichrist who now by all appearances is losing this presidential battle looking like he will go down to defeat this November? Thereby to be consigned to the dust heap of history? Perhaps, but then again, as my ancestors would say it:

‘Tengan mucho, mucho cuidado, amigos míos, y recuerden con quién estamos tratandoen en el Sr. Trump.” – “Be very, very careful, my friends, and remember who we are dealing with in Mr. Trump.”

THREE CAUTIONS. I believe it’s far too early to write off a Trump Second Coming to Power this November – or perhaps a little after. (Selah). Two canny analyses strongly suggest Caution! Indeed. The first by journalist and author STEVE ALMOND writing for WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio arm in a piece titled, “Beware the Media Distortion Field Ahead” (Aug. 14, 2024; edited).

The second essay is by STEPHEN COLLINSON, senior politics reporter for CNN, titled, “The 2024 Campaign Will Now Turn on Whether Trump Can Blunt Harris’ Soaring Start” (Aug. 12, 2024; edited). Both analyses provide wariness and watchfulness regarding politics as normal when treating the political phenom Donald Trump, who has pretty much turned conventional wisdom on its head!

1. THE MEDIA. “Media companies are increasingly driven not by a mission to inform, but a financial incentive to inflame. In short: It’s better for their bottom line to amplify attacks — no matter how ludicrous — than to articulate and explain policy. This agenda inevitably favors candidates such as Trump, who—rather than setting out coherent positions or positive vision for the country—simply attack. Over and over, media outlets have provided him a platform for his brazen lies and accusations.”

• THE DYNAMICS. “But campaigns are never static, and while Harris may benefit from a condensed run-up to November, there are still nearly three months to go. Trump remains a formidable political force and a vicious opponent. And having united his Party behind him, especially in the wake of last month’s assassination attempt, he should still benefit from structural factors, including voters’ pessimism about the economy, that would normally be expected to help shape the election.”

• THE CANDIDATE. Now this mitigating factor is penned by yours truly, since I can find no commentary so far that addresses the Spiritual Nature of Donald Trump.In Short: ‘Is Mr. Trump the Antichrist?’ Because if he is, the timing of his Final Rise notwithstanding, he is undefeatable. “He will speak words against the Most High [God] and wear down the saints of the Most High, and he will intend to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, [two] times, and half a time [three and one-half years].” – DANIEL 7:25, AMP

THE LESSON. The highly regarded New York Times journalist, author, lecturer and centrist conservative DAVID BROOKS has given us the perfect Summary of the Lesson to be learned here in the title of his piece: “We Underestimated Trump” (July 18, 2024; edited). Let us not forget for one minute, he advises, this:

“[Trump] has shifted the entire governing philosophy of the Republican Party. His campaign aggressively controlled the platform, moving it in a Populist direction. The campaign softened the party’s abortion stance, which I would have thought impossible. Trump also made the right vice-presidential pick [sic]. Business types such as Doug Burgum and Glenn Youngkin would have undercut his populist message while putting people to sleep.”

Right about here I am reminded of a now-famous quotation by the late American astronomer DR. CARL SAGAN. Though he meant it as an aside to us Christian Theists, it applies ever so painfully to the Trump Phenomenon.

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. ‘Once you give a Charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.’” – The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, 1997; edited

III.  SPIRIT OF THE EGYPTIAN

An obscure little book titled The Spirit of Egypt in America by MICHAEL HINDS and TONY CASTRILLI (1995), “Shows America and how it was built with the same concept as the first Egypt. Pictures and text that shows the similarities. All about the Obelisk, the two nations, About the Khazars, Before Africa. The Foundation of the Great Whore.”

Tough talk, I realize, but I and others have begun to make a strong case for America rapidly becoming Babylon. I am among them. Therefore, consider this still another severe warning to “Come out of her, Christian!” Lest her vicious Plagues consume and destroy you forever. Selah.

I shall borrow this time from Co-Pastors CLIVE AND SANDRA GOPAUL, founders of Conquering Through Prayer Ministries International (ctpmi.co.za) based in Durban, South Africa. I don’t know much more about them except that they refer to their outreach as a Full Gospel Church with orthodox views of the Scriptures.

I found their Blog clear and even compelling as it relates to what I see in the American Church today. The essay is titled, “Attributes of the Spirits of Pharoah.”

1. DISTRACTS FROM OUR TRUE PURPOSE. “God said in Joshua 1:5 (NIV), ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.’ Every one of God’s children is born with a Divine Purpose. This Purpose trumps [sic!] our personal plans for ourselves and guarantees a fulfilled life. Moses had a distraction in the course of fulfilling his purpose when he killed an Egyptian man and consequentially had to flee from Pharaoh to a foreign land (Exodus 2:11-15). But eventually, God called him back, armed him spiritually, and sent him back to Egypt. In the same vein, God directs and redirects the path of His children to their destinies—if we would only trust Him.”

2. CONFUSES OUR IDENTITY. “We live in an Age when too many people are unsure of their identities; many don’t know their worth. Moses himself lived for many years with dual identities: One as an Israelite Slave and another as the son of the Princess of Egypt. But God knew who he truly was because God had chosen him. The Bible lets us know that God has Good Plans towards us (Jeremiah 29:11-13), so when we live in His Word, we don’t have any doubts about who we are—our identity is not in the World but in Christ Jesus.”

3. FIGHTS THE NEXT GENERATION. “Pharaoh had ordered the massacre of Egyptian baby boys because he feared they would grow to become powerful and fight him. In the same vein, the Spirit of Pharaoh fights the next generation. God promised to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh in the Last Days, causing supernatural manifestations in the form of Dreams and Visions (Joel 2:28). Hence, acceleration and groundbreaking [attacks on young people will understandably increase].”

4. HARDENS OUR HEARTS. “If we love God we will obey His Word and keep His Commandments (John 14:15). Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against God and he refused to carry out His Will to let the Israelites go. This disobedience ultimately cost him his life. Disobedience to God is a sin and prevents us from being partakers of His Divine Blessings.”

5. WILL PURSUE ONE LAST TIME. “After finally allowing the Israelites to leave Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind against them. He took his army and charged after the Israelites one last time and met a watery end at the bottom of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23-28). The Devil and his cohorts are hell-bent on taking out the children of God and will keep attempting to do so. Therefore, you must have a deep relationship with God and be grounded in His Word to remain unshakable when they strike.”

THE APPLICATION.  As I relate this to the AMERICAN CHURCH CONDITION, I see these five manifestations of the Spirit of Egypt among our own people.

• DISTRACTION. There is one major Diversion the Enemy uses today under the auspices of the Maga Christian Nationalism movement of DONALD TRUMP: ‘American Greatness!’ Thus after just a few years, the American Christian has shifted his focus from The Gospel and the ‘Future Kingdom of God’ to the ‘Here and Now Kingdom of Man.’ Winning elections instead of winning souls. Earthly Power rather than the Power of the Spirit.

• CONFUSION. In similar fashion, we have shifted our very Identity in Christ to our Identity with a Man, even Antichrist, Donald Trump. This of course utterly annihilates our capacity to Witness for the Real Jesus since now all most unsaved people see in us when they learn that we are “Christian Conservatives” is that we belong to this Earthly Master. Inarguably, the most despicable possible Identity imaginable, thus widespread Disillusionment of who we really are.

• CHILDREN. I have found almost without exception that young people from Generation X, Y, Z, and A are overwhelmingly against or at least severely suspicious of the Trump Brigades, whether Christian or Pagan. This in turn divides both Christian households and Secular ones and leaves our younger people with such Cynicism that they are leaving the Church in droves, becoming a New Generation of “Nones” – with little or not allegiance to Orthodox Faith. The Boomers are the ones who have set the stage for this historic Apostatizing of our young people.

• HARDHEARTEDNESS. As we have also sadly discovered, trying to witness to Christian Nationalists is like talking to a steel wall. The Spirit of Delusion sent by God Himself to such individuals (2 Thessalonians 2:11-13) has walled them off to even the most reasonable conversations about Last Things, Trump’s pollution of Church and Doctrines, and we are left being labeled Pharisees, troublemakers and false disciples. And far worse as some of us receive threats of physical harm or even death. There is no compassion for such ‘Remnant Christians’ even by Pastors. We are considered unclean, spiritual lepers and again, worse.

• UNREADINESS. We can more clearly understand the “Great Falling Away” of the End Times in light of all these disastrous trends referenced by Christ and the Apostles (cf. Matthew 24:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:1). This now breathtaking Departure from the Gospel and Biblical Canon is accelerating rather than abating even as I write these words for one primary reason, hearkening back to an early section of this essay: The American Pastor has abandoned his post, no longer standing on that Wall to watch and warn the sheep. Therefore, the Majority of Churchgoers are woefully unprepared to meet the Terrors of the Storms to Come, naked as it were, before the Beast.

We now Conclude with a brief review of just what awaits America and her Church in the very near future. Assuming she continues in the Ways of Pharoah rather than the Ways of Jehovah.

IV.  LAST THOUGHTS

Because I and a growing number of Biblical expositors are becoming convinced that this SPIRIT OF EGYPT is going to ultimately translate into AMERICA AS BABYLON THE GREAT, I shall finish by quoting that electrifying passage from the Book of Revelation about what shall happen to that City, if she does not repent.

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, “I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.” Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.”

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, “Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.” Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “What is like this great city?”

They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, “Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.” Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!’” – REVELATION 18:1-20, NKJV

CODA. Therefore, IF Trump be Antichrist, and IF America be Babylon, this is America’s Final Destiny. Carved in Christ’s Blood and etched into the very marrow of the True Remnant Church of the Last Days. And the World shall marvel indeed, that such a Great Nation could meet such a shameful, catastrophic and violent, godless Telos.

‘Be the Remnant, Christian!’ Selah.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/a_G46mvrqNY