As another presidential election is on its way in the US, Christian Trump supporters are stepping up. At Charisma Magazine and other Trump-friendly Christian media houses, the president’s major character flaws, lies, and hurtful policies are swept under the rug and instead it is emphasized that he’s doing the will of God and that it was prophesized that he would be president.

Yes, prophecized.

And while it is possible that God informed prophetic Christians that Trump would be president in order to just inform (or even warn) them, this is often taken to mean that God really likes Trump’s presidency and that his people should vote for him again.

William de Arteaga takes a closer look in Pneuma Review at the most important Trump prophecies people constantly refer to – the ones shared by Mark Taylor – and shows that there’s a lot in there that are factually incorrect and morally dubious.

Hardly the work of the Almighty God.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The year 2017 saw the publication of a influential best seller that described the prophecies received by a retired fireman Mark Taylor.[23] It pertained to how he had received various prophecies starting 2011 that Trump would be president, and was chosen by God to bring America back to righteousness and it true Christian calling. The book was co-authored by Mary Colbert, an influential writer and editor who worked to gather a large number of Charismatic and Evangelical pastors to agree with the prophecy and pray for Trump’s election, and then his subsequent presidency.

The Taylor prophecies were not just one incident but a series of visions and “hearings” (called “locutions” in traditional discernment theology) supposedly from the Holy Spirit. These prophecies show many of the traits of false prophecy that have occurred throughout Church history. Among his predictions is the statement that Trump, after his election, would soon “captivate the media” and many in the mainline media will agree with his positions.[24] This has proven to be the very opposite of what has happened thus far, and perhaps merely represents a “wish for” presented as prophecy.

The Taylor prophesies are full of statements supposedly made by Lord that ‘tickles the itching ears” of conservative Republicans but affirming their beliefs and suspicions, but are contrary to the character and a true message of God. For instance there are several passages in which the Lord categorizes both President Obama and the Clinton’s as totally evil. The Lord supposedly said:

Beware, beware, the enemy roams about seeking whom he can devour and this sitting president [Obama] is doing that in this hour [2016]. He’s full of lies and deceit and is very hateful; he spreads division and corruption with every mouthful. Beware when he says, “look over here, what the right hand is doing” to divert your attention from what the left hand is doing, is his intention. This is a setup from this President and his minions, from the hate, the division, and Hilary Clinton. …For the signs are clear to see, that this President and his minions shall try for thee. A sign will be, he will try to and take the guns so the people can’t rise up and stop him when he tries to run [for a third term].[25]

An astonishing statement about Obama indeed, whose policies many would disagree, but his administration was relatively corruption free – in contrast to the Trump administration where several of his advisors had already been sentenced to prison. Again, the contrast between truthfulness and lying between Trump and Obama is huge, but exactly to the contrary of what Taylor wishes were true.

Further, the Holy Spirit does not rail against living persons and declare them evil, but if they are doing wrong, urges repentance. This utterance was from a demonic source using Taylor’s suspicions, fears and desires.

Another intemperate salvo against Obama has proven false with time:

For this man who holds the title of President of the United States, will begin to lose his grip from it and be stripped of it, for I the Lord God will rip it from him. The man who calls himself the Commander in Chief, is nothing more than a lying deceitful Thief!”[26]

This has now proven to be totally false, Obama left the White House with dignity, and in his inaugural address Trump recognized the gracious cooperation that Obama gave his transition team. The “prophecy” is another demonic rant, manipulating and pandering to the ugliest areas of partisan Republican suspicions and hatreds.

The statement backing the pro-gun position of many Republicans and the NRA could not have been from the Lord. True Christianity has been reluctant to endorse weapons of any kind, and for instance, it is traditional for clergy to bless troops in war for their protection, but not their armament.

The above demonically influenced gun control rant echoes several conspiracy theories that circulated about Obama and his administration in conservative Christian circles. The most famous one was the bru-ha-ha over the Armed Forces exercise in 2015 in the South-West called “Jade Helm 15.” This involved about 1.200 servicemen practicing to intercept a vehicle loaded A-bomb brought in by terrorists via the southern border – a real possibility.

The conspiracy theory was that the Army was really sent to disarm conservative Texans of their weapons and bring them to empty Wal-Mart stores as makeshift concentration camps – several of which were indeed empty for renovation. Shamefully, this was widely believed and the Governor of Texas pandered to this conspiracy theory (lie) by ordering Texas National Guard officers to monitor the exercise just in case Texans started to be arrested.

Like many conspiracy theories, hatred and suspicion override common sense. It is impossible for 1,200 soldiers to carry out a grossly illegal order and disarm millions of conservative Texans, who are often very heavily armed.[27] That this conspiracy theory was believed by many Christian conservatives shows something very disturbing about their state of mind towards President Obama, i.e. hatred overrides common sense, and this is continued in The Trump Prophecies – with demonic assistance.

William de Arteaga is a priest in the Anglican Church of North America, Church historian and active in healing ministry. You can follow him on his blog is a priest in the Anglican Church of North America, Church historian and active in healing ministry. You can follow him on his blog Anglical Pentecostal

Read the whole article in Pneuma Review.

Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice is a multicultural, gender inclusive, and ecumenical organization that promotes peace, justice, and reconciliation work among Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians around the world. If you like what we do, please become a member!

References

[23] Mark Taylor, and Mary Colbert, The Trump Prophecies (Crane: Defender, 2017

[24] Ibid., 132.

[25] Taylor, Trump, 149

[26] Ibid. 165.

[27] William De Arteaga, “The Sinfulness and Destructiveness of Conspiracy theories,” Pneuma Review, June 29, 2015. In this article I take special effort to deconstruct this ridiculous conspiracy theory ore precisely. http://pneumareview.com/the-sinfulness-and-destructiveness-of-conspiracy-theories/