By Joseph J. Bucci ——Bio and Archives--June 20, 2024
I remember watching a video of then President Donald Trump attending a Las Vegas Church prior to the 2020 election (International Church of Las Vegas, 2020). Someone on the platform prophesied that Donald Trump would be elected again as president. These kinds of prophecies happened numerous times of which I am aware prior to the 2020 election (Abolade, 2021; Keener, 2021). According to Newsweek, there were hundreds of them (Duin, 2022). Our own former Regent University Chancellor, the recently passed Dr Pat Robertson, prophesied that Donald Trump would be re-elected President. And yet, that did not happen.
Several prophets took the blame for these inaccuracies. In one article on the topic, several of these prophets expressed contrition and asked for forgiveness for their mistaken prophecies (Keener, 2021). I remember hearing one Prophet being quite transparent, saying that as a group the prophets were speaking what they believed God was going to do, and would be accountable for the prophetic word if it wasn't fulfilled. It was nice that he was honest, but there was a greater question to me: why did God allowed these numerous specific Trump prophecies, and then choose to do something differently? Were all of these people acting purely by fleshly influence alone?
Now I believe that there were major discrepancies in the 2020 election. I think the facts are without dispute, while many in the media choose to ignore them (Bedard, 2022). I follow some very credible sources like the Gateway Pundit. I have followed the “True the Vote” efforts and listened to former Trump lawyer John Eastman (Lee, 2023) along with former professor Dr. David Clements through his movie “Let My People Go” (Clements, 2022). I have even listened to the critics to understand if I am blinded by my emotions or if there is something legitimate to these claims (Marshall, Tanfani, and Ulmer, 2022).
But for a moment, let us consider this matter of the many prophecies given that Trump would be re-elected: were are the prophets right, because in truth Trump was reelected? Or were they wrong, because they did not speak about the actual outcome and that there would be deception hiding the actual results? Regardless of the deception and falsification of votes, does this mean that those who prophesied Trump’s re-election are false prophets? Why did God choose to allow that?
Because I want to know God’s heart on the matter, I searched the scripture for some kind of an answer. I found in the Bible the story of a great deception of prophets (2 Chronicles 18). King Jehoshaphat of Judah had been a good and godly man, and God had blessed him. But then he made a marriage alliance with the evil king of the northern kingdom of Israel King Ahab. This alliance suggests self-centeredness and self-reliance on Jehoshaphat’s part. Ahab entices Jehoshaphat to go to war against Syria. Jehoshaphat is wise enough to want God’s council on the matter, while Ahab could care less.
So evil King Ahab calls in the prophets, some 400 of them (see 2 Chronicles 18:4-5). King Jehoshaphat is wise enough to know that even with all of these voices reaffirming his decision to attack Syria, there was still not a real prophet of the Lord among them. Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” (2 Chronicles 18:6). Ahab begrudgingly identifies Micaiah son of Imlah and has him brought before the kings. Ahab hates Micaiah, because he is honest in his prophecies, not just telling Ahab what he wants to hear. While at first coy and going along with the crowd, Ahab challenges Micaiah to speak the truth. The truth was not something Ahab wanted to hear (2 Chronicles 18:18-28). Micaiah described a great deception of the prophets, to trick the king into his own demise because of his very large ego. Ahab’s ego overruled the one lone dissenter, and it cost him his life (2 Chronicles 18:34).
None of us want to hear the bad news, especially when it doesn’t support what we want to do. We wanted confirmation of what we hoped for, a Trump re-election. Was there not one prophet in 2020 who could see what was actually going to happen and give us the truth? I do not recall there being a Micaiah in the midst of the prophecies for the 2020 election. I have no reason to question the heart of any of the prophets; nor do I know whether anyone acted with self-centeredness and self interest in this matter
I confess that I was too reliant on my prayers to promote my own desire, and I did not really wait upon the Lord for His desire for our nation. But this happens to me all the time: I pray for what I want, not as Jesus told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10 KJV). I implore us all to change our approach to prayer in this election season.
We need to pray like Abraham prayed. Abraham prayed that if there was a remnant of faithful people, God would withhold his hand of judgment on wicked Sodom (Genesis 18:27-32). We need to pray like Daniel prayed. Daniel asked God to forgive his people’s national sins, and for God to turn away His wrath on His people (Daniel 9:2-19). We need to pray like Jeremiah prayed. Jeremiah asked God to forgive his sins and then to forgive Israel’s sins (Lamentation 3:22-41). Jeremiah invoked the mercy and faithfulness of God to remember His promises and to cover the sins of His people.
We need to pray like Jesus prayed. Jesus for unity among His brothers in John 17. Jesus prayed that they would be united and they would come to know intimately the true and living God – and that this knowledge was the essence of eternal life itself (John 17:3). Jesus also taught His disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to be ushered in; and for His glorious will to be done (Luke 11:2). This is how we must pray.
We again today we are hearing predictions that Donald Trump may win the 2024 election, this time from political pundits and pollsters. These voices sound eerily similar to the voices we heard in 2020. And we do not really know how this will all turn out. But I can predict the future with confidence, as Jeremiah did (Jeremiah 29:10). Those of us who know the living God and have claimed the blood of Jesus to cover our sins know the plans He has for us; and that He is preparing a glorious Heavenly home for us (John 14:3).
Many of us still believe that Donald Trump is a man who can fix the problems that affect our nation; and we pray for and hope for his election to the presidency in 2024. But let us also pray and trust God to be glorified in our midst, regardless of the outcome. Let us speak confidently about what we know, or better yet Who we know. I can speak with confidence about the future as the songwriter Ira Stanphill wrote:
“Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand” (Stanphill, 1950).
Joseph J. Bucci has served as a Pastor, Author, HR Director, Director of Training, Professor and Consultant. He teaches in the College of Arts and Sciences at Regent University in Virginia Beach. His latest book, Redemption Inc., is available from your favorite online book seller. Contact Dr. Bucci at joe@josephjbucci.
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Joseph J. Bucci has served as a Pastor, Author, HR Director, Director of Training, Professor and Consultant. He teaches in the College of Arts and Sciences at Regent University in Virginia Beach. He has written two books and numerous articles on the theme of integrating faith with life and our work. You can contact Dr. Bucci at: Joseph J Bucci