President Trump will be arrested during Lent – a time of suffering and purification for the followers of Jesus Christ,” Joseph McBride, a rightwing lawyer who represents several insurrectionists, tweeted last March. “As Christ was crucified, and then rose again on the third day, so too will Donald Trump.” Probably, though Wohlberg says that by special invitation he was "invited to share his views on America's role in prophecy before an audience inside the United States Pentagon."

We must not lose faith in our collective ability to counter fascism, racism, sexism, transphobia and xenophobia. We must not lose hope in the vision Jesus actually cast of a world where the simple act of loving our neighbor creates a more just and equal world for us all. The second horseman of the apocalypse is described in the Book of Revelation as having the power "to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another." The claim above is too much for the pro-Bible www.gotanswers.org: “The Bible nowhere says anything about the ethnicity, religion, or age of the Antichrist. There is absolutely nothing to connect the 42 months (Rev. 13:5-8) with the 48-month tenure of a U.S. President.” One more biblical prophecy, among dozens, that bite the dust. Generally, predictions of a tyrant outside the church now dominate the idea of a deceiver within it. Some Trump supporters have noticed the use of the word "seal," and have drawn similar conclusions, though differed on which seal he was suggesting had been broken.

On Monday, 1 June, surrounded by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in his military fatigues, Attorney General William Barr, and other representative symbols of America’s immense military and judicial power, Trump used the police to suppress a peaceful, law-abiding protest so that he could take an awkward photo of himself with a Bible standing before a church. In what has become (satirically) known as the “battle for Lafayette Square,” Trump, the military, and the police used overwhelming force against people armed only with signs and bottles. Declaring victory, Trump trumpets his courageous stance while the brutal men of his cabinet look on approvingly.

This is day four and already his is arguably the most divisive presidency in modern American history. So far there's no sign of it getting any better.The 'seal' could refer to a Biblical reference in Revelation, discussing the Apocalypse. He could be calling to his so-called evangelical fans," tweeted Rob Harrison, who described himself as an evangelical Christian.

For those who are not Trumpian court ministers, the image invokes an obvious biblical symbol, and one in stark contrast to their misuse of Romans 13. Here is the beast of Revelation 13 arising out of the sea of smoke and violence, making war on the saints and conquering them while people of violence follow the beast and chant, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? MAGA, MAGA, MAGA!” The more the beast uses haughty and blasphemous words, the more authority his devoted followers give to him. This has reminded me of the power of mixing religion and politics. Throughout history, when political leaders can convince people they have a divine right to rule, there is virtually nothing they cannot do. History also suggests it’s virtually impossible to shake people out of their stupor until it is too late.

CounterPunch

No, the next chapter of American history will be inaugurated by the throb and gristle of the Sex Pistols' signature song from that same period: "I am an Antichrist / And I am an anarchist / Don't know what I want, but I know how to get it / I want to destroy passerby / 'Cause I / wanna be / anarchy." Moore is mindful of history, and the roles Christianity has played: “Parts of the church were wrong – satanically wrong – on issues of righteousness and justice, such as the Spanish Inquisition and the scourge of human slavery.” He is editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, a publication founded by Billy Graham. Losing Our Religion offers a mixture of lament and hope. In places, its sadness is tinged with anger. In the south, the expression “losing my religion”, popularized by REM in a 1991 song, “conveys the moment when ‘politeness gives way to anger’,” Moore explains. Tired of waiting for Jesus to "come in the clouds" riding a white horse, surrounded by vengeful saints and wielding a literal sword with his tongue, America's cult of Christian nationalists decided it made more sense to throw in with a charismatic character already on the scene--a godless vulgarian with a blazing orange tan and lying spirit who asks nothing of his followers except a willingness to believe big lies and to regurgitate those lies when called upon to do so. Within conservative Christianity over the last century, Antichrists have multiplied. “The Antichrist” has become a general category available for application to an array of individuals, collectives, and objects as the demonic “other”.

Eduardo Freire Canosa once believed that the beast’s seven heads represent the number of Soviet leaders up to Gorbachev, and its ten horns are the seven Warsaw Pact nations plus the three Baltic States. After the break-up the Soviet Union in 1989, Canosa conceded that the prophecy is not fulfilled, along with, if I might add, dozens of others. Three-in-10 adults in the US, meanwhile, are categorized as religious “nones”. Only 40% of Americans call themselves Protestant. The Wasp ascendancy has yielded to Sunday brunch and walks in the woods. “The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, they took the last train for the coast,” as Don McLean sang. For some, Trump rallies present a variation of community and communion. A younger generation of evangelicals heads for the door. The numbers tell of a crisis of faith. Brandan Robertson is a New York City-based author, activist and public theologian working at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality and social renewal. He serves as lead pastor of Metanoia Church, a digital progressive faith community, and is host of The Unorthodox Podcast. He is the author of seven books on spirituality, justice and theology. Named by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the top faith leaders leading the fight for LGBTQ equality, Robertson has worked with political leaders and activists around the world to end conversion therapy and promote the human rights of sexual and gender minorities. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in pastoral ministry and theology from Moody Bible Institute, a master of theological studies degree from Iliff School of Theology and a master of arts in political science and public administration from Eastern Illinois University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in religion at Drew University. This column is excerpted from his forthcoming book, Dry Bones and Holy Wars: A Call for Social and Spiritual Renewal . It's not that these folks are unaware of the evil this man has done in the previous four years. They simply recognize the utility of the spiritual darkness he wields so comfortably. They believe they can profit from it as a community that has put itself under his infernal protection.

More Answers:

When Trump told Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody that he “will be the greatest representative of the Christians that they’ve had in a long time,” one might interpret this as one of “those people” comments—not his people. One might also take the following boast as blasphemous or at least hubristic: “I will be the best job producer that God ever created.” I don’t want to wade into eschatological debates. I would prefer to forget they exist. So I will only say that many (but certainly not all!) Evangelicals believe that God will take them into heaven before the Antichrist comes to power and instigates the Tribulation. Christians would vanish, “like a thief in the night,” as the verse goes, leaving their clothes and their apostate relatives behind. God thus spares them the thrilling horrors of the Antichrist, and they get to watch the show from above, as they lounge about in celestial glory. Until Pat Robertson ascends to his McMansion in the sky, there’s not much to worry about. Obama has failed to grow the Antichrist’s “ten horns and seven heads” (Rev. 13:1), and this allegedly weak president did not take over the earth and establish a one-world government. (He has far less power to do so now.) According to Revelation groupies, this is the goal of the first “beast” of the Book of Revelation. He would then rule for seven years before being defeated by the angel Gabriel or Christ and the divine armies, prior to the resurrection of the dead and the Final Judgement. If you're a believer in absurd things like Christian nationalism tinged with QAnon, Aug. 13 is the day Donald John Trump is to be "reinstated to the presidency of the United States."