In his book published in 1994, “A Message for the President” the late Irvin Baxter made a plea to the President to ensure two things for the United States of America:
1) ensure US sovereignty apart from world government, and
2) ensure US friendship with Israel.
This plea was based on his understanding of prophecies about the nations in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 (you can read these verses below at the end of this post). To summarize, Daniel sees four beasts (nations) rising out of the sea. John sees one beast rising out of the sea, but it has aspects of all four of Daniels separate beasts.
What in these prophetic visions inspired Irvin Baxter to send a message to the President?
It’s all about the eagles wings… You see – the first beast that Daniel saw was a lion with eagles wings, and “he beheld until the wings were plucked”. Baxter believed that the lion symbolized Great Britain, as it does in political cartoons today. The combined beast in Revelation has the mouth of a lion – indicating perhaps the official language of world cooperation (English).
But those eagles wings, which were plucked from the lion… What nation is symbolized by an eagle, and was plucked from the back of Great Britain? The United States of America – “plucked” in 1776.
But one aspect of Daniel’s beasts which does not appear on John’s great beast is – you got it – eagle’s wings.
Protecting the woman and child… However, John does see eagles wings – just not on the great beast. In chapter 12, John records that he saw a great red dragon, which made war against the woman who had given birth to a male child. But the woman is protected, and carried to a place of safety – on the wings of an eagle.
Irvin’s plea to all US presidents was – keep us out of the big beast (world governments), and remain a friend to Israel. Unfortunately, I don’t think his plea was heard by most presidents, who for the past three decades have continually sacrificed US sovereignty to various implementations of the “New World Order” (thanks, G.H.W Bush). Until this most recent president – Donald J Trump. President Trump has from the beginning of his presidency focused on America First – fighting for energy, economic, and political independence – pulling us out of unfair treaties and world organizations that would overrule our sovereignty.
But another very important thing that President Trump has done. He moved the US embassy to Jerusalem – a move that was mandated by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, but “waived” every 6 months by every President before Trump – for 21 years! He’s fought against Israel’s enemies, destroyed the ISIS caliphate, practically incapacitated nations defined by their antisemitism and inclined toward terrorism, such as Iran and Syria. And he’s done this while bringing our troops home instead of starting new wars (the first president since Jimmy Carter to not put us into a new foreign conflict).
In short – I was not a fan of Donald J Trump when he was first elected. But he got my attention when he moved the embassy to Jerusalem. You see – I read “A Message for the President” back in 1995, when Irvin Baxter first wrote it – and I’ve prayed for every President since then that they would come to understand it conceptually at least, if they didn’t read the book.
What’s that have to do with the Christmas story – and Joseph? Revelation 12 tells a story very similar to the Christmas story, except instead of Herod it is a great dragon that is trying find the woman and destroy the child. But the eagle – like Joseph – will fulfill it’s God-given destiny to Protect the Promise.
This Christmas – I’m thankful to answer the call of Joseph. I am not the Father of Jesus, but I am commissioned to protect that which delivers Him to the world.
And I’m thankful that I live in a nation that has the spirit of Joseph. And it is the principals described in this article that cause me me appreciate and embrace the slogan “Make America Great Again”. Thank you, President Donald J Trump, for standing strong against Herod, or the dragon. Thank you for being a strong supporter of the woman with the child… Thank you for Protecting the Promise of America!
Daniel 7:2-8 (NKJV)
Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.
Revelation 13:1-4 (NKJV)
Then [a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having [b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Revelation 12:1-5, 13-14 (NKJV)
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
Genesis 12:3 (NLT)
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.
