Divine Providence and a Big Question: If God Was Behind the Election of Donald Trump, Is He a Cyrus (Deliverer) or Nebuchadnezzar (Agent of Judgment)?
Now that we know who some of the visible saboteurs, deep-state and shadow government players are, the time has come for me to spend a few entries examining a more profound spiritual question: Is the arrival of Donald Trump something that God was behind for reasons beyond what most can discern through the lens of spiritual and political analysis?
If you ask retired firefighter Mark Taylor that question, his answer would be a resounding yes. According to Taylor, a “word” came to him in April 2011 in the middle of a most debilitating sickness, and it was very specific (written down in 2011, shared with his doctor and recorded on radio and television shows between then and before the 2016 presidential election). God was going to allow Trump to become president against all odds; the stock market would respond with all-time record trade days (has happened numerous times since) even though deep-state antagonists would attack the Republican candidate like none other before; the U.S. and Israel would strengthen their relationship; and a specific number of Supreme Court justices would be appointed. Those, as well as a whole list of other prophetic insights listed by Taylor, at the time I am writing this series, continue to materialize in the way that he—or God—said they would (with Trump’s victory only the beginning and numerous other very specific events scheduled to transpire between now and 2024, according to Taylor’s new best-selling book, The Trump Prophecies [Defender Publishing, 2017]).
Only time will tell if Mark Taylor is right, but the difference between his personal prophetic word and reasons other religious folks may have voted for (or against) Trump lies in a deeper question having to do with providence.
In theology, divine providence refers to God’s oversight, management and involvement in the world with a distinction usually made between “general providence,” which represents God’s sustaining of the natural order of the universe, and “special providence,” which refers to His intervention in history for people (such as a healing miracle), governments (such as placing a king in power) and nations (such as helping win a war).
Unless you are atheist, agnostic, deist or something similar, at some level, you believe in the providence of God and that He was and is involved in this type of management of the cosmos, with Earth holding a special place in His plans.
Does this imply that God is involved in everything that happens to every person on the planet every day? Did He ordain that you mowed your lawn yesterday or that your neighbor stubbed her toe on the sidewalk? If He’s not involved in those mundane types of things, how about major events that influence the affairs of nations? Most scholars reject the former idea in favor of the latter—that God does not necessary direct your steps over what color curtains you decide to buy, but is often involved in matters of state, at least to the degree that citizens and nations can be blessed or cursed as a result of national leadership (1 Tim. 2:1–3).
With that in mind, did God, who works all things together for good (see Rom. 8:28) ordain the election of Donald Trump?
Those members of the clergy who laid hands on him and prayed at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Sept. 21, 2016, must have thought so, as did other prominent Christian leaders during the campaign and most of the clergy who offered invocations at his unforgettable inauguration. Some of these Christians trust in Trump’s statement of faith, while others simply see him as imperfect but chosen by God.
For instance, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry compares Trump to King David who “wasn’t perfect either. But he was the chosen man of God,” while Dr. Lance Wallnau refers to Trump as God’s “chaos” president, a line he borrowed from Jeb Bush, who coined the phrase in describing Trump during the final Republican debate. Wallnau draws analogies between Trump and Cyrus “the Great,” the pagan Persian king whom Isaiah prophesied by name 200 years in advance (Isa. 44:28), saying he would conquer Babylon (that happened in 539 B.C.); the waters of the Euphrates would “dry up” to make way for the army; and the city’s gates would “not be shut,” and thereby, the Jews would be liberated and return to Jerusalem, where they would rebuild the temple—all of which happened just as the prophet foresaw many years in advance. According to Wallnau, Trump was chosen by God to similarly rescue America from its catastrophic alternative: Hillary.
Others, like Messianic Rabbi Curt Landry, have drawn the same Cyrus analogies and note how it seems beyond random chance that 2017 is the Hebrew year 5777; and on January 20, 2017, the first day Trump took office as forty-fifth president, he turned 70 years, 7 months and 7 days of age. Also of interest is how, as forty-fifth president, this matches Isaiah 45, where the prophecies of Cyrus were given.
Curiously, Cyrus isn’t the only example of a pagan leader used by God to providentially influence the ancient Jewish nation. Nebuchadnezzar was also called “the servant of the Most High God,” and I understand why many modern believers prefer not to think about that example. Unlike Cyrus the deliverer, Nebuchadnezzar was the instrument of God’s chastisement against Judah, resulting in most of the people being brought into captivity with desolation upon their land. This was the providence of God, too, because they would not listen to His words (Jer. 25:8ff). The prophet Habakkuk bemoaned God using such a heathen to spank His own children, but God told him it was necessary and that Nebuchadnezzar would be dealt with later (Hab. 1:5–11; see also. Jer. 25:12ff).
Assyria and Babylon are two more examples of pagan entities used by God to correct His people after they had fallen into apostasy. The Assyrians went to war against Israel under Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15:29, 16:7–9), and again under Shalmaneser and Sargon—all because they would not obey “the voice of Jehovah their God” (2 Kings 18:9–12).
These contrasting illustrations raise a very serious question. If God did through providence choose Trump to become America’s president, is he our Cyrus (deliverer) or Nebuchadnezzar (agent of judgment)? I want to believe Trump was God’s way of putting his foot down on the socialist-globalist runaway agenda to allow a respite and opportunity for spiritual awakening in this country. But what if I’m wrong?
Speaking of Nebuchadnezzar, his example also illustrates how in times past God sometimes used pagans to utter divine insights. An amazing case in point is when God chose to reveal a prophecy spanning from 605 B.C. through the Second Coming of Christ to the arrogant, narcissistic, idol-worshipping Nebuchadnezzar. Of course, it required God’s holy servant, Daniel, to interpret the dream. Similarly, God used Balaam, a sorcerer hired by Balak, a Moabite king, who was exceedingly fearful of the encroaching multitude of Israelites. Accordingly, the king sent for Balaam, a darkened wizard who now lives in prophetic infamy (2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 11, Rev. 2:14). Despite Balaam’s incorrigible status, God used him to prophesy, “I will see him, but not now: I will behold him, but not near; a star will come out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17a). Ronald Allen, professor of Hebrew Scripture at Western Baptist Seminary, writes, “In agreement with many in the early church and in early Judaism, we believe this text speaks unmistakably of the coming of the Messiah. That this prophecy should come from one who was unworthy makes it all the more dramatic and startling.” Thus, we see that God uses the most unlikely characters and situations to get His message across and work done. This Pethorian prophecy was well over 1,000 years before the birth of Christ and from a hostile source, yet it is probably what led the Magi to Bethlehem.
Another interesting thing about Trump and unlikely agents who lead wise men to Bethlehem is the mysterious and metaphysical logic some currently share involving God’s possible providence in the arrival of Trump as a “savior” figure. Nowhere is this language more pronounced than in the Holy Land itself, where several respected rabbis and kabbalists have insinuated that America’s new president is a forerunner of Messiah and the final redemption.
“Donald Trump (424) is the Gematria of ‘Messiah for the House of David’ (משיח בן דוד),” wrote Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz for Breaking Israel News on May 16, 2016. “That is not to say that Donald Trump is the Messiah, but that his presidency will usher in the Messianic era.”
Others, including Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson, who accurately predicted the Trump victory before the election using Bible Codes, have chimed in. He found various connections between Trump and “moshiach” (Messiah) in the codes, which in Hebrew means “anointed” and led Glazerson to conclude his election is connected to the coming of Messiah.
Rabbi Hillel Weiss is a Trump-Messiah-connection believer too, and he also sees in the president the agent of God’s favor for building the third temple, another Cyrus linking.
And then there is the Sanhedrin in Israel, the nascent tribunal who has styled itself after the Second Temple-era Jewish court. This body has sent letters to Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking them to join forces to build the third temple for Messiah.
Professor Weiss is a spokesman for the Sanhedrin and notes how Donald Trump made support for Israel and recognition of Jerusalem as their capital part of public discourse during 2016. Combining that with Putin’s expressed opinion that the third temple ought to be built caused him to say that both men should do what King Cyrus did 2,500 years ago and build the religious complex for the benefit of all Jews and the world. “We are poised to rebuild the temple,” Weiss said, and “the leaders of Russia and America can lead the nations of the world to global peace through building the temple, the source of peace.”
Rabbi Yosef Berger, who oversees King David’s tomb in Jerusalem, takes it a step farther. He believes Trump actually won the election through “the power of Moshiach [Messiah], which gave him the boost he needed” and is “connected to the Messianic process which is happening right now.”
When I brought all this up not long ago on The Jim Bakker Show, noting how many Jewish leaders view Trump as connected to end-times prophecy in general and/or to the Messiah specifically, extreme leftists at Right Wing Watch couldn’t help but jump on the “fake news” bandwagon and use the opportunity to once again misconstrue everything I said to make it sound like I was pitching the Donald as a modern John the Baptist or as the Messiah Himself. Of course, they’ve made a career out of hating Jim Bakker and trolling his shows, but their ridiculous headline this time was really over the top: “End Times Pastor: Donald Trump Could Be the Messiah or His Forerunner” followed by:
One of Bakker’s guests, Tom Horn, a prolific author of last days-themed books, spent an entire segment of the program explaining that “rabbis” have revealed that Trump may be the Messiah, or a harbinger to the arrival of the Messiah akin to John the Baptist.
“They’re looking at Donald Trump” as the Messiah, Horn said of ‘the rabbis,’ saying that Trump’s name ‘actually means ‘Messiah.'”
Right Wing Watch was mostly fair to this point, but then, as usual, their straw man couldn’t resist the opportunity to misrepresent what I said, which anybody can verify for themselves by watching the archive of the program on The Jim Bakker Show website. Right Wing Watch continued:
Among the clues that Trump may be the Messiah, he [me] said, is that the president-elect is a kingly and warrior-like leader committed to protecting Israel and, according to Horn, rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem.
Eh, no, I didn’t say that either. This is again a classic misdirection from context that no legitimate journalist would make, as I never insinuated any “clues that Trump may be the Messiah,” never said he was a kingly or a warrior-like leader or that he was going to rebuild the temple, but rather stated that the rabbis were saying this.
But the beat went on…
Horn said that if Trump is not the Messiah, then he is likely “the forerunner” to the Messiah who “will start the message in the wilderness, and the Messiah is going to come in on his heels.”
This was their biggest lie; and, again, I said no such thing. This was just more blatant misdirection, as I specifically cited that some rabbis believe that Trump is a forerunner, which they do, and have said so. But (sigh) what more could I have expected from a washed-up fake-news publishing hack like Right Wing Watch?
Now I can hardly wait to see what Right Wing Watch says in 2022, if they are still around. This will be midway through Trump’s second term, according to Mark Taylor, when for the first time in recorded history, people will witness with the naked eye a brand-new star. According to astronomers at Apache Point and the University of Wyoming, it will suddenly appear and be the brightest in the sky for six months, precisely the celestial phenomenon the Jews in the Zohar and Torah and Christians from the New Testament book of Matthew believe will mark the arrival of Messiah.
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30).
All of this will bring us in the next entry to the possible providence of the year of Trump’s election specifically (2016) and sorcerous connections to it that occultists are aware of and are preparing for. {eoa}
Dr. Thomas Horn is chief executive officer of SkyWatchTV and Defender Publishing. He is a long time television and radio personality and best-selling author. His latest book is Saboteurs: How Secret, Deep State Occultists Are Manipulating American Society Through A Washington-Based Shadow Government In Quest Of The Final World Order!
