Whether you love Donald Trump or hate him, we all have to be aware that with a jury last week finding him guilty of 34 “felony” counts of something that in any other courtroom would have been a misdemeanor, we have just witnessed the first substantial move toward tyranny in the United States of America.

This goes way beyond any one candidate. If Trump had tried to throw Biden in jail during the 2020 election, I would have been equally as outraged and would have written an article just like this one. What you are about to read is not a partisan piece; this is about the rule of law that has governed our nation for the last 250 years and the constitutional protections that are now being trampled in the dirt.

That said, congratulations, President Trump. You have joined the ranks of Joseph, David, Mordecai, Jeremiah, and Daniel, having been falsely accused and convicted of a crime. To my fellow believers: No, I’m not trying to draw a parallel of spirituality between a crass, mean-tweeting, New York businessman and these heroes of the Bible, although they weren’t perfect, either. (I don’t recall Trump ever killing one of his military leaders so he could have his wife.)

History Repeating Itself

But there are some glaring similarities. David was persecuted — almost murdered — by Saul, the “incumbent leader,” because he was more popular among the Israelite people. They sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7).

Although Daniel was a prophet, people often overlook the fact that he also was a senior political leader in the most powerful government on Earth: the Babylonian Empire. And like Trump, his political opponents attempted to get rid of him. They were jealous of Daniel because he was apparently “ahead in the polls” in the midst of a campaign season. Daniel 6 tells us:

Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king [Darius] made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn (vv. 3-5)

So, they had to manufacture a crime. In Daniel’s case, they talked King Darius into criminalizing prayer to anyone who wasn’t the king himself — which obviously let out Daniel, who was well-known for praying to the One True God several times a day in front of an open window.

The same evil spirits that were operating then and even today in countries like North Korea, Venezuela, and Iran, are now making a play for the U.S. But as Joseph said in Exodus, “What the enemy meant for harm, God turned it for good.” I believe that can happen here, too.

An Electrifying Experience

Romans 8:28 is a familiar verse: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV). I’m not a Greek scholar, but according to the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for “work together” means “to put forth power together” — which is pretty much identical to our word synergy. It is even transliterated as “synergio,” and must certainly be the origin of our English word. Simply put, that means 1 + 1 = 3. That’s what investors look for in the merger of two companies, not just 1 + 1 = 2. They want to know how they will “put forth power together” to create the equivalent of three or more.

So, how could God take this constitutional crisis in our country and make it all work together for our good — even better than it was before? I don’t think any of us know the exact answer to that question, but I would like to speculate.

I grew up around livestock in Texas, and sometimes, when there was a need for a temporary fence, ranchers would put up an electric one. They generally work quite well. Calves will push all boundaries, including electric ones. When they do, they get zapped with 2,000 to 3,000 volts of electricity! When that happens, it generates a lot of pain, but from that day forward, the fence serves as merely a psychological barrier because they will never come close to it again. They will never forget that pain it inflicted upon them, and they will become content to dwell within the boundaries that have been set for them.

Record-Breaking Fundraising

I believe the Biden administration and the far-left radicals in New York are now experiencing an electric shock that will be felt for many decades, hopefully for generations. They have awakened the “sleeping giant” in this nation, and it’s not just Republicans. Many Democrats and Independents, who don’t even like Trump, see this event for what it is and are supporting Trump to stand against tyranny.

The Trump campaign raised $34.8 million in less than seven hours following the guilty verdict, and $52.8 million within 24 hours. By June 3, that number had swollen to $141 million for the month of May, compared to $76 million in April. The Trump campaign website donation page even crashed for a while because there was so much activity. And according to a Daily Mail poll taken after the verdict was handed down, Trump’s favorability was up six points.

The far-left radicals are out of touch with the American people. It’s mind-boggling to realize how stupid they think we are. They actually thought if they could just pin the label of “convicted felon” on Trump, he would lose support. They miscalculated by 180 degrees. Not only has he kept his base, but it’s been energized. Moreover, it’s become a whole new cause of its own, aside from the person of Donald Trump. Americans of all stripes hate tyranny. It’s in our national DNA.

Back to David and Daniel

These two biblical heroes lived in a different country, a different culture, and a different era from ours. And yet their stories are instructive to us because God’s ways are constant. He is still a God of justice (Isaiah 61:8), and He still hates (yes, hates) false witness (Proverbs 6:19). So, the stories of David and Daniel could give us some clues to how our situation in America could play out if we will pray accordingly and trust Him.

God stripped the kingdom from Saul (1 Samuel 15:26), and his life didn’t end well (1 Samuel 31:1). David became king and reigned in Israel for 40 years. And despite his flaws, God used him mightily. When you say the name “Bathsheba,” everyone’s mind immediately goes to David’s sin and the child they conceived out of wedlock who later died. But they seldom remember that it was with Bathsheba that David had another child, Solomon, who became one of the greatest kings in Israel’s history and who wrote three books in the Bible.

As far as the attempt to end both Daniel’s political career and his life, we can see these three outcomes:

(1) Daniel was not harmed (6:23).

(2) The only negative outcome was to Daniel’s accusers (6:24).

(3) Daniel had greater influence after the failed attack than before it (6:26-27).

The radical left may be celebrating right now. But stay tuned. “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him” (Proverbs 26:27).

 

Nolan Lewallen is a retired pilot of a major airline and lives near Stephenville, Texas, with his wife, Kim. Nolan’s two greatest passions are the Bible and politics. His book, The Integration of Church & State: How We Transform “In God We Trust” From Motto to Reality, brings the two together. His latest book is Yeshua Is Still the King of the Jews.