Echoes of Fascism :: By Jonathan Brentner
It was thirty years ago when the words of Habakkuk 1 seemed to leap off the page with relevance to the evil I saw around me. As I think back to that time in light of today’s world, I wonder what alarmed me.
The wickedness, government corruption, deception, and lawlessness are exponentially worse now than three decades ago, far beyond what I could’ve even imagined just ten years ago.
Below are the words of Habakkuk 1:2-4, which have not changed:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.”
The Lord responded to the prophet’s complaint by telling him that the Chaldeans, or Babylonians, would bring judgment to His people (1:5-11). Within thirty years, Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled the words of the Lord, destroying both Jerusalem and the temple.
Although the prophet’s words apply directly to ancient Judah, I believe there’s a warning for America in them. The same God who didn’t allow the wickedness to continue in Habakkuk’s day also sees the extreme wickedness and perversion of justice in the U.S.
If the Lord would so severely judge His chosen people, what makes anyone think that He’s not greatly angered by the same things He sees in modern-day America that are far worse?
For believers, there’s a clear and present danger as the echoes of fascism ring through the halls of our government as well as from the behavior of our president.
The Indictment
When I heard about the criminal indictment of former president Donald Trump on matters related to January 6, 2021, and his disagreement with the results of the election, it took over a day to resolve the anger and perhaps even the fear that it stirred within my soul. Disagreeing with election results is hardly anything new in America; why are they arresting a former president for it now? Yet August 3, 2023, will mark Trump’s third arrest in the past few months.
I regard the charges as baseless and frivolous, intended to drain the former president of resources in his current election campaign due to the enormous cost of defending himself. Even former Harvard Law professor and liberal Alan Dershowitz complained about the motives for it and declared that the Supreme Court would reverse any conviction should it go that far.[i]
Regardless of the outlandish nature of this indictment, I soon realized that I needed to restore peace within my heart. Psalms 37 and 94 always help me at such times as they did this past week, but it was another thought, or question, that worked the best in this case.
“What did I think the last days before the Tribulation would look like if not this?” It was when I remembered hearing this question, or one similar to it, that I felt the most relief.
Why did I think the setup for the world government described in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 would look any different than our current world?
It’s not that America by itself matters in the grand scheme of prophecy; it doesn’t. However, the indictments are symptomatic of the globalists’ agenda to enslave the entire world under a Marxist regime. I believe they intend to usher in this new world order with the use of fascist tactics, but the end result will be a communistic dictatorship, which they advertise as “You will own nothing and be happy.”
It’s Fascism
Regardless of what one thinks of the former president, the indictments don’t bode well for the future of the U.S. or its citizens. This article is not at all meant to be a defense of Donald Trump but rather a warning of what it means for the nation that I love.
It’s because the current occupant of the White House knows full well that he lost the 2020 election to Trump and would surely lose again in 2024 that he has the Department of Justice stirring up charges against the former president. It’s the same thing dictators have done throughout history, but I never thought I would ever see it happen in the country that I love.
We know that the current president is beholden to the World Economic Forum (WEF), and those that control his administration are globalists who understand that the United States, even in its current weakened form, remains a roadblock to their cherished dreams of world domination. The presidency of Donald Trump interrupted their march toward ruling over all the nations, which means he must be stopped as soon as possible and at all costs. They will not allow anyone to become president who doesn’t fully comply with their demonic globalist agenda.
Regardless of what the liberal mainstream media shouts regarding the indictment, the echo of their cries of delight is always fascism. That’s how elite powerbrokers of the world must operate. They cannot win elections, nor can they win the favor of a majority of the people.
To achieve their beloved dreams, they must employ the same tactics that Hitler used as he initially gained control of Germany in the 1930s. He first got control of the news media and then eliminated all potential opponents.
The Inherent Dangers
The Bible reveals that the final form of the antichrist’s dominion will be exceedingly deadly for both believers and the Jewish people. The echoes of fascism that now resound through America spell grave danger to both groups even now.
History warns that both fascist and communistic dictators always persecute both Christians and Jews, always. Satan hates both groups, and the more he succeeds in preparing the way for his man of lawlessness, the greater the perils for us.
For those of us securely in Christ, the wildcard is the Rapture of the church. The longer we wait for Jesus’ appearing, the greater our chance for increased persecution because of our belief in the words of Scripture. The good news is that regardless of what happens to us in this life during the ramp-up to the antichrist’s kingdom, we will soon be in glory with our Savior.
Jesus is surely coming for us, and when He does, He will give us imperishable and glorified bodies (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). This day is surely coming.
As such, I believe the words of Habakkuk 2:4 apply:
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
Habakkuk’s vision of the Lord’s defeat of the Babylonians was prophetic of His still future victory over Satan’s empire at the end of the Tribulation. The message for Israel is that although it might appear to be slow in happening, “it will surely come.”
As we wait for the fulfillment of prophecy regarding Jesus’ appearing, does it not seem “slow?” However, we can ponder the prophet’s encouragement that the prophesied end-time events “will surely come” and “not delay.” We are not waiting for something that will never happen; Jesus will soon appear to take us home.
Concluding Thoughts
As for the millions of Jewish people that live in America, another thought occurs to me. Through the Old Testament prophets, the Lord repeatedly promised to regather His people back to the Land; Ezekiel 36:24 is an example of just such an assurance:
“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.”
I wonder if the budding fascism in the halls of the U.S. government might someday blossom into full-blown fascism that will force a great many of Jacob’s descendants to migrate to Israel from America. We already witness Anti-Semitic attacks increasing exponentially here, particularly in places where liberalism flourishes.
The events of our day, even the arrest of former president Donald Trump, point to the fact that we live in the last moments of human history as we know it. As such, it shouts to all who are listening that the fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 is ever so near.
I love the echo of these verses as it resounds with the joy and glory that lies ahead for us. We will soon hear the shout and, after that, appear in glory with Jesus (Colossians 3:4).
Maranatha!
***
I provide a detailed defense of the Pretribulation viewpoint in: The Triumph of the Redeemed-An Eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times. I demonstrate, using an abundance of quotes, that the belief in a thousand-year reign of Jesus dominated the church during its first three hundred years. The historic view of the millennium is a literal view of Revelation 20:1-10 that places it between the Tribulation and the eternal state. There’s no such thing as a “historic premillennialism” that denies a literal interpretation of this text.
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[i] Joe Sounders, “Former Harvard Law Professor Declares Jan. 6 Trump Indictment Is Not Likely to ‘Survive,'” August 2, 2023, on the Gateway Pundit website: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/harvard-law-professor-declares-jan-6-trump-indictment/
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