Is it possible that Trump could the modern day King Herod?

photo credit: ids.org

If you have read the Bible, you've probably seen the name "King Herod." For those that aren't familiar, let me school you:
King Herod ruled Judea during the time Jesus was born. He ruled Judea under Roman authority for 33 years. He was a political survivor, who had a history of being a political flip flopper. When a civil war broke out between Octavian and Mark Antony in Rome, Herod sided with Antony. After Octavian defeated Antony, Herod switched sides. This alliance helped secure Herod's position as king of the Jews. As a loyal subject to Roman overlords, he maintained order in Israel, and protected the western part of the Roman Empire. 

When it comes to Herod's personality, he was said to be a mixture of a clever ruler and a incredibly cruel tyrant. Historians report that Herod was also brutal, jealous, untrustworthy, and crushed any opponent at all costs. Herod was never accepted as the king of the Jews, and it infuriated him. He could not stand conspiracy theories, and would destroy all conspiracy theories, even if it meant murdering his wives, mother-in-law, and sons. Herod was all about keeping up appearances, so he tried to look like a Jew to the outside world (i.e. not eating pork). 

The book of Matthew talks about how he slaughtered infants in Bethlehem. Herod was paranoid and cruel. Herod also wanted to kill baby Jesus. 

In order to gain favor with the Jews, Herod presented himself as the protector of the Jews. He encouraged the formation of synagogue communities, lowered taxes, and gave people free grain. He is known as a great builder. His greatest project happened to be fortification of the temple in Jerusalem. The economy blossomed under Herod's rule. He had his hand in the construction of theaters, hippodromes, and amphitheaters throughout the land. While this was a great time to be an upper-class Judea citizen, it brought disdain to the common people and conservative Pharisees. 

So what does all of this have to do with Donald Trump?

• Trump is also a political survivor. Despite breaking nearly every single rule in politics, he is still standing (until January 20). He even survived an impeachment. Trump is also a known flip-flopper. He was a Democrat for many years, then he turned independent. He then tried being a Republican, and then he switched back to Democrat. It was only 2015/2016 when he became a staunch Republican.
• Trump has also had his hand in building things. He is a businessman who has casinos, hotels, golf courses, and more.
• The one thing that we can say about Trump, regardless of where you are politically, is that he is clever at what he does. He goes above and beyond to prove his point, even if it's an 'open and shut' case, like the election. At the same time, he is a cruel tyrant. He has welcomed visitors to our country with abuse and cages. He tends to make situations "go away (either by threats or money)," and he mouths off about anyone who challenges him. When things don't go his way, he makes EVERYONE suffer his wrath. Behind the scenes, he is even more dangerous. 
• He depicts himself to be a man of God. Unfortunately, he is quite the opposite. Every word out of his mouth is hateful. His actions are deplorable, and if Jesus were alive today, he would not look favorably on Trump. Trump sees the covid restrictions as an attack on religious freedom. How quickly he forgets that Jesus taught out in the open when the weather was good. When the weather wasn't so good, teachings were done in houses by His disciples, and Jesus Himself. Trump can try to appear to be a perfect Christian, but those of us who actually KNOW the Bible can see through the façade, and through the facades of most Christians today. People have forgotten true Christianity, and they have adopted Trump's Christianity because they think it will lead to prosperity. All I see is madness and materialism. 
• When it comes to people, Trump loves to appeal to the upper class, especially rich, white, men. For voting purposes only, Trump focuses his attention on the lower and middle-class whites. After appealing to them, he focuses on the lower-class whites, men and women of color, and the LGBTQIA+ communities. What makes me laugh about Trump is that he is telling everyone that President-Elect Joe Biden is going to raise taxes for EVERYONE. Since Trump only cares about his upper-class 1% supporters, I guess Biden is taxing everyone. Biden tax plan includes a tax increase on anyone who makes $400,000 per year or MORE. 

So how did I come up with this theory? I woke up with it weighing heavily on my mind. Just so you know, I haven't read my Bible in a long time, and I haven't even thought about King Herod. When I researched it a few hours later, I was amazed. Not only were there so many similarities, Pope Francis alluded to a similar comparison last year! People also made the comparison in 2017 after Trump was inaugurated. 

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