King Asa of Judah – A Prophetic Metaphor for Placing Hope in Donald Trump

 

The Lord put it on my heart that the story of King Asa of Judah in 2 Chronicles 14-16 is a prophetic metaphor for those who put their hope in Donald Trump for America’s future. King Asa lived righteously before the Lord for most of his life and his nation Judah was blessed with peace. However, in later years, Asa put his faith in man instead of God, hardened his heart and died amidst disease and war. In this story, there is a warning to Christians to repent and not follow Asa’s path.

The Story of King Asa

“Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.” – 2 Chronicles 14:2

At the start of his reign, King Asa removed pagan altars, pillars and Asherah poles. (Asherah was a Canaanite goddess which the Israelites sometimes worshipped when they fell into idolatry.) Asa told the citizens to seek the Lord God and follow His commands. Because of his faithfulness, God blessed the whole nation:

“… and the kingdom experienced peace under him.” – 2 Chronicles 14:5

When the Cushites (a nation from the area around the Nile River south of Egypt) brought a million-man army against Judah, Asa turned to the Lord for help:

“Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder You.” – 2 Chronicles 14:11

The Lord answered and routed the Cushites on behalf of Judah. They carried off a “great supply of loot.” Afterwards, Azariah son of Obed prophesied:

“Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.” – 2 Chronicles 15:2

King Asa took these words to heart. He removed idols from the land, renovated the altar of the Lord and gathered the people in Jerusalem to make a great offering of 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep. They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God with all their mind and all their heart. The people of Judah rejoiced.

There was no war in the land until the 35^th year of Asa’s reign. Somewhere along the line, Asa’s heart turned away from fully trusting God. When King Basha of Israel began attacking Judah, King Asa turned to King Ben-hadad of Aram for help. He sent Ben-hadad silver and gold from the temple treasury and royal palace and implored him to break his treaty with Israel. Ben-hadad agreed and attacked Israel, causing King Basha to cease attacking Judah. Asa’s plan worked, or so it seemed.

But Hanani the prophet came to King Asa and said:

“Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with very many chariots and horsemen? When you depended on the Lord, He handed them over to you. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. You have been foolish in this matter, for from now on, you will have war.” – 2 Chronicles 16:7b-10

Asa was chastised for depending on the king of Aram instead of on God. It seems to have been God’s intention that Judah not only repel Israel, but also defeat Aram – by depending on the Lord. Because Asa acted foolishly, his kingdom would have perpetual war.

Asa became angry and threw the prophet Hanani in prison. He mistreated some of his people as well. Asa developed a severe foot disease, but turned to physicians instead of seeking the Lord. He died only three years later.

What can we say? Asa walked righteously before the Lord for most of his reign, but fell at the end by no longer depending on God. His last three years were characterized by anger, war, disease, hardness toward God and abuse of other people.

A Warning for Today

Asa is an example of someone who began walking with God faithfully and was blessed for it, but later turned away from trusting God and ended his life with suffering and judgment. (Judgment refers to consequences/discipline/punishment for rebelling against the Almighty.) I believe there is a prophetic warning in this story: King Asa represents Christians in America and  King Ben-hadad of Aram represents President Donald Trump.

Please let me speak plainly: God does not want Christians to depend on Donald Trump for their future, but on Him alone. I believe those who do will receive a judgment like King Asa – turmoil and suffering in their lives and hardness in their hearts toward God and others.

I know there are many Christians who say Trump is God’s man and his presidency is giving us a reprieve or space for the nation to repent. Even well-known leaders like Franklin Graham and Jonathan Cahn say it. This is a well-orchestrated, satanic deception. I won't go into details here, but the evidence behind Trump as a deception is overwhelming (for example, see Obamacare, the New World Order and the Mark of the Beast  -- Part 1). Unless these leaders repent, they will be judged for it, as will those who listen to them.

Donald Trump is an instrument of God’s judgment on America and a test for Christians: Will they depend on God or trust in men?

America has fallen spiritually, morally and intellectually, and God has turned the nation over to judgment for its rebellion and wickedness. The final period of judgments began with the noontime solar eclipse that streaked across America in August of this year (see A Basket of Summer Fruit for the Season of the End). Immediately following were Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose, causing immense destruction in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico (see Hurricane Harvey Is a Judgment from the Lord, and More Is Coming). Then came the Las Vegas massacre, California wildfires and the recent New York City truck terror attack. And so it will continue in waves of growing intensity, until all Bible prophecies about America are fulfilled:

“There her plagues will come in one day – death, and grief, and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.” – Revelation 18:8 

God loves us – that’s why He’s warning us. Anyone who trusts in Trump should repent now. The only protection and blessing we can have in the days ahead will come directly from the Lord by depending on Him and following his commands. The devil wants us to believe the deception and be judged for it. God wants us to trust Him and be blessed for it.