In the spring of 1836 Francis J. McIntosh of St. Louis killed a policeman and wounded another. He would have received the death penalty in a court of law. A mob, however, tracked him to an outhouse where he was hiding and brought him to jail. Another mob gathered around the dead body of the policeman. Inflamed by the sight of the policeman “weltering in his own blood,” they stormed the jail, hauled McIntosh to the edge of town, chained him to a tree, built a fire at his feet and slowly roasted him to death. Then “a rabble of boys” took turns throwing stones at his head to see who could break it.
A judge refused to allow anyone to be charged in the lynching, claiming that McIntosh was a sort of terrorist, and was the enemy, thereby justifying the mob behavior.
Elijah P. Lovejoy, the editor of the St. Louis Observer, differed from the mainstream press. He believed the Constitution itself—and the order it was supposed to impose—had been torched along with McIntosh. “When the question lies between justice regularly administered or the wild vengeance of a mob then there is but one side on which the patriot and Christian can rally,” wrote Lovejoy. Lovejoy mounted a campaign against “mobology.” Before long, however, a mob, unhappy with his rant against them, ran him out of town. He set up shop upriver, but lasted only about a year before a mob destroyed his printing press and killed him as he tried to defend it.
A few months later, a concerned Abraham Lincoln was to give a speech in Springfield, Illinois. He chose the topic “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions.” He raised the question, What was the greatest threat to the Republic? He did not fear a foreign attack. He feared what would come from within, the disregard for the law in favor of lynch-mob vigilantism. “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher,” he said. “As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
“Accounts of outrages committed by mobs, form the every-day news of the times,” Lincoln added. “They have pervaded the country, from New England to Louisiana; they are neither peculiar to the eternal snows of the former, nor the burning suns of the latter… neither are they confined to the slave-holding, or the non-slave-holding States.”
Lincoln argued, as Lovejoy had, that the fact that McIntosh would surely have been sentenced to death anyway only made his lynching more offensive. To Lincoln, the offense was lawlessness, and he argued that both those who indulged in lawlessness and those who fell prey to it would eventually come to regard “Government as their deadliest bane . . . and pray for nothing so much as its total annihilation.” It was this feeling of “alienation” rather than “attachment” to public institutions that Lincoln feared most in the “mobocratic spirit.”
Donald Trump personifies the mobocratic spirit; he fuels it and is fuelled by it, though it is doubtful that he can control it. All the elements are there: the incessant, escalating lust for violence; the instinct for mobilizing a mob to take the law into its own hands; the claim that whole groups are the enemy; the belief that those who are not with the mob forfeit all protection from the mob and invite attack; the attribution of hostile conspiracies to peaceful independent actors; the contempt for evidence, as if accurate information and honest adjudication of competing claims were dirty tricks contrived to disadvantage the mob; the vilification of the press as hooligans who deserve to be beaten, if not killed; an all-encompassing animosity toward the government and its institutions; in short, an ever-intensifying lawlessness…
Trump’s “support reflects deep strains of pre-existing disenfranchisement, alienation, and division, but, although Trump gives echo to these passions and has an uncanny genius for harnessing them as his engine, he proposes no coherent remedy, only swagger: there will be blood. His success thus far reflects a world-upside-down sort of triumph, in which every word and deed that should destroy his candidacy only seem to fortify it.”
But Trumpism is not merely a U.S. phenomenon. Trumpism is global. The underlying trends that have brought us Trump in America are happening around the world, wrote Stratfor. Europe, especially Poland, France and Hungary have similar attitudes about immigrants among middle class families whose employment and livelihood are threatened by globalization. (See our briefing: Trumpism is not Just and American Phenomenon)
“Haunted by the spectre of Francis McIntosh, Lincoln described the coming of a figure startlingly like Donald Trump as all but inevitable: someone whose singular ambition and genius for power so ‘thirsts and burns for distinction’ that he will pursue it at any cost. It would be foolish, he warned, not to expect such a person to arise. And when that happens, Lincoln said, there is only one solution: ‘it will require the people to be united with each other, attached to the government and laws, and generally intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs.’”
Once government institutions and politicians have undermined the Constitution to where it is a shell of its former self, the foundation is laid for the “mobocratic spirit” to arise. When the instruments of the rule of law no longer apply to a society, it descends into chaos and mob rule. When that happens it is easy to see how conservatives, fired by a religious zeal, and demanding redress of their grievances and frustrations, can fulfill the following prophecy.
“Though a general decree has fixed the time when commandment-keepers may be put to death [by mobs, no less], their enemies will in some cases anticipate the decree, and, before the time specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none can pass the mighty guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised against them break and fall as powerless as a straw. Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war.” The Great Controversy, page 631
The predicted rise of the “rule-by-mob” mentality is now here. Whether Donald Trump becomes president or not, the “mobocratic spirit” is now out in the open and will only increase. Its focus will change and once in control of the reigns of government, it will eventually target those who obey all of God’s commandments. It was a mob, working outside of the law that came and took Jesus by night in Gethsemane. It was mob rule that overthrew law and order in France during the Revolution and destroyed all that was good and noble. It was mobs that ransacked Jewish businesses at night during the Nazi government terror. Should Christ’s true followers expect any less in the final crisis?
Comments
Larry E Allen Sr
Thursday April 7th, 2016 at 01:48 PMI think this is better applied to Hillary Clinton. It is the protesters at Trump rallies who incite the violence. Often paid protesters. Paid for by Hillary backers.
admin
Thursday April 7th, 2016 at 02:30 PMPoint well taken. Pr. Mayer
A. Bryson
Saturday April 9th, 2016 at 05:02 PMIt is amazing to me that Larry Allen Sr. can associate the above comments with Ms. Clinton without any proof and without any association to her people. Especially since Trump people has displayed such hate and bigotry in front of cameras and Trump himself has made so many hateful statements. People have a right in this country to protest. It is like blaming black marchers who protested segregation and justifying the use of dogs and water hoses on them because they protested. What a twisted rationale.
admin
Sunday April 10th, 2016 at 11:07 AMLet’s remember, this is about prophecy, not politics. Admin
M J
Saturday April 16th, 2016 at 07:25 PMEven if it was true that people were paid – regardless of who paid them – to disturb the Trump rallies, does not give Trump the right to mistreat them.
Judas was PAID to betray Christ, would it have been better if he did it for free? No. Christ followers did not harass Judas and he deserved it.
I realize that we are not talking about true Christians here, but the article is correct for saying it is about Prophecy, not Politics.
We are so warped nowadays, people assess evil to be good and good to be evil. We have come to the time where we are demanding evil and absurdness as if it will “fix” what is wrong with society! Only Satan could deceive us into thinking that more SIN will correct existing SIN!
This should tell us how corrupt we are as a people and close to the 2nd Coming of Christ.
DJS
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 03:22 AMLarry’s comment is right-on! Your ministry would be better served in staying out of politics & focus on Jesus & evangelism. Daniel is a perfect example of that. A very wise man to emulate.
admin
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 07:04 AMOur ministry focus is on prophecy, which IS about Jesus ultimately. Political issues impinge on prophecy. Therefore it is impossible to stay entirely clear of politics. Though we are not perfect, we aim to review politics from a PROPHETIC point of view. The article on Lincoln was meant to examine the rise of the mob mentality, which is happening on both sides of the aisle, and which is profoundly prophetic. It just happened that this one was related to the GOP front runner. Some people seem to miss the point. Our Prophetic Intelligent Briefings are not meant to be individually definitive. They are not meant to be political statements about political issues. There is only space and time to address key issues related to one article at a time. I hope you gain a blessing from the totality of our message. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Thanks for your comment. Pr. Mayer
Gift
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 04:47 AMThank you very much for the insight, I do agree that Trump is the next USA predicted President and let us remember the promise of our LORD stated in the book of Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
This is a very sure promise from God, l would like to support that Trump is the next president using the scriptures and history.
But firstly i would like to put some principals in place lest some people are not so familiar with them. The first is found in 1 Corithians10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. So every the bible was written more for us at the end of the world than their own time.
Secondly in the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun, and as well Ecclesiates 3:15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
So all these verses are a witness to each that there is nothing new under the sun based upon the principal that history repeats itself. l dont know how far you understand Daniel 11:40 but verse 40 has 2 parts A and B, Part A was fulfilled in 1798 the time of the end for the Millerites and part B was 1989 marking the beginning of the time of the for the us the last generation.
On the statue of Daniel 2 the statue represents the time from Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and then Rome both in its two phases Pagan and Papal Rome, and Medo-Persia being a two horned power just like USA today represented by Republicanism and Protestantism.
According to my understanding of Daniel 2 when history gets to Pagan Rome on the legs, then it repeats again from the top and the top being Babylon. So in repeat Papal Rome would be Babylon and the USA would be Medo-Persia and remember both are two horned power, and UN would be Greece the one world government, and finally Modern Rome would be Pagan Rome the last kingdom until Jesus we see in the clouds of Heaven.
Since we have seen that Medo-Persia is a type of USA the two horned power in the bible, lets zoom closer to see how many kings ruled in Medo-Persia so to establish the kings of the US today, remember the whole history of the bible was written for us at the end of the world and there is nothing new under the sun.
So the history of Medo-Persia in our history since Daniel 11:40 is in two part 1798 and 1989, we are going to place the beginning of the Medo-Persia history in 1989 the time of the end for us
Please go with me to the book of Daniel 11:2 And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
Here Daniel is standing just at the beginning of the reign of Darius under the Medes and the Persians, which is 1989 for us, and God is saying there shall stand up yet three kings in PERSIA (USA) and the fourth shall be FAR RICHER than they ALL!!! BY HIS STRENGTH THROUGH HIS RICHES HE SHALL STIR UP ALL AGAINST THE REALM OF GRECIA (UN or NEW WORLD ORDER).
In Medo- Persia (1)Cambyses (2)False Smerdis (3) Darius, the fourth is the richest (4) ARTAXERXES the great.
In 1989 USA (1) Clinton (2) Bush the 2nd (3) Obama, and we dont have the fourth yet but we are given his description RICH, his STRENGTH and he stir ALL and led the world to GRECIA or ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
Who the richest among the presidential candidates in the US today?
Who is against everyone and wild among them today?
This is the LORD’S doing brethren and sisters, God is now revealing his secrete to his people. Lets put our houses in order and prepare for His second coming.
This prophecy has been kept secrete from the foundation of the world only to made known now. May the LORD help us all to prepare for the Sunday Law that is soon to come.
Amen.
Ruth deGraaff
Saturday April 9th, 2016 at 01:40 AMGift, How do you aarive at the date 1989?
Gift
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 07:46 AMAdmin did you happen to see my comment on this subject under discussion? l would like to hear other people’s comments so that we can edify one another as we are living just before the second coming of Christ.
l really do not think its possible to stay out of politics when dealing with bible prophecy, for instance the seals in Revelation deals with political side of the history whereas Churches deals with the same period covered by the seals but on religious side.
Thank you in advance for approving my comment, wanna hear your comment as well Admin.
admin
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 01:47 PMOur post was not so much about Donald Trump as it was about the mob mentality that is arising. And it is arising on both sides of the aisle. The mob mentality with all its demagoguery, fist pounding and dogmatism is profoundly prophetic as you may well know. Apparently our article was misunderstood by some. Sorry about that. We’re not perfect. I think I’ll have to publish something in the near future about the mob mentality on the left as well. And I agree that some of the mob behavior surrounding Trump is coming from the left in an effort to discredit him. But mob behavior on either side, is as reprehensible as it is prophetic.
There are good things about Trump and like most candidates, there would be some good that he will do for the country. However, our focus in our review of readily available news articles is not the merits of the candidate. Our focus is on the prophetic stuff that is happening in the world, which often impinges on politics. I could have perhaps addressed it a little differently. I’m neither left nor right. My passion is prophecy. Perhaps I should have put a disclaimer in the article to that effect.
It has been very interesting to see the reactions as I have worked on these prophetic briefings and our monthly messages over the years. When I exposed GW Bush and his abridgment of the US constitution after 9/11, I was slammed by the conservatives. When I exposed Obama for his abuse of the constitution, I was slammed by the liberals. Now we’re back to the conservatives again at least for the time being. To my mind, many people are not focused on prophecy, they are focused on their favorite political candidate and often miss the prophetic issue hiding in plain sight.
Trump has said he will give more power to the churches. That’s also prophetic, and from a prophetic point of view, it makes him a dangerous man from a completely different point of view than Hillary would be a dangerous POTUS. I think Trump is rude and crude, but fundamentally honest. He says what he means, and will carry out what he promises, so far as the political order will allow – and for that matter, as far as the heavenly intelligences will allow. That makes his statements about more power to the churches especially prescient. America in general has moved away from the rule of law, especially the Constitution. This opens the door for the mob mentality to develop on all fronts. When the inspired sources talk about legislature and government leaders bowing to the clamor of the masses of their citizens demanding a Sunday law, or the death decree (executive order), it is apparent that a mob element will engage in end time matters. Stay Tuned. Pastor Mayer
AMH
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 10:08 AMThanks Pastor Hal.
I met you at my church (Killeen,TX) again at the GC. Talked about the book I sent you too.
You are keeping those who crave truth digging and that is exactly what we need!
Please keep up the great work!
Time is short and now is time to prepare!
God bless you and yours, Sir!
Mario
Friday April 8th, 2016 at 06:40 PMHi, I did read all comments and I´d just like to say that I live in a country where the mob mentality has been the living style for the last ten years and is escalating day after day. The mob´s actions in the States are nothing compared to the ones over here.
Alfredo
Sunday April 10th, 2016 at 01:41 PMMario, can we kow in what country do you are living? Thanks. God bless you.
IPL 2016
Saturday April 9th, 2016 at 04:29 PMVery nice write-up. I certainly love this site. Keep writing!
B P S
Monday April 11th, 2016 at 09:21 AMMy Dear Brother from keep the faith ministries, Since Abe Lincoln was not a prophet nor ever claimed to be, there is no way he could have known about Donald Trump. Please show me in Abe Lincoln’s writings where he warned anyone about the rise of D. Trump. 2 Peter 2:1 says “there shall be false teachers among you….and bringing upon themselves swift destruction. I am willing to forgive you for your misleading comments. Now pray God that he will forgive you as well. Repent and God will forgive you.
admin
Monday April 11th, 2016 at 02:04 PMPastor Mayer did not make the statement. He is quoting a news article that said it, and which illustrates the rising mob mentality (which, incidentally, is rising on both sides of the political aisle), which is very prophetic. Abe Lincoln did not mention Donald Trump by name, and no one is claiming that he did. Abe Lincoln predicted the replacement of the US Constitution and the rule of law with the rule of the mob, which was the point of the article from a rather credible news source. Perhaps you should go back and read it again with that in mind. And please refrain from judgmental remarks on this website in future if you wish to see them posted. Admin.
BPS
Tuesday April 12th, 2016 at 11:57 AMIn reference to “Abe Lincoln Warned About the Rise of Donald Trump” as your lead title for your recycled non-original mobocratic article, I must add. At the Republican National Convention of June 1912 there were fist fights and mob activity that would make a Trump rally look like the Boys Scouts arguing over merit badges. Why not mention or reference the rise of mob activity over 100 years ago at the Republican National Convention and so many others before Trump? BPS.
admin
Tuesday April 12th, 2016 at 02:17 PMThanks for your relevant comment. The mission of our Prophetic Intelligence Briefings is to summarize current news items and link them with prophecy. We are glad to include previous events as additional context when they are readily available. But we do not have time to do research for the short briefings. Research is reserved for our sermons, which often go into much historical depth. If Trump becomes president, we will certainly do an in depth and researched study on him and the relevant historical context. But that remains to be seen. If you are listening to our sermons, you’ll see what we mean.
Blessings,
Pr. Mayer
PCN
Tuesday April 12th, 2016 at 08:42 PMObama Administration is the one that has promoted mobbery, thuggery, riots and burning! This is the legacy of the democrats. Trump has said hateful things in response to hate … Not right but he has. Trump mrecognizes his supporters are just tired of being run over and stomped on! And in reviewing American History, we see this is how American Constitution came to be.
admin
Wednesday April 13th, 2016 at 11:27 PMIn righting the wrongs, conservatives will go too far, according to prophecy.
Matt Thomas
Tuesday April 12th, 2016 at 11:04 PMHello.
Well, it would appear by the comments (& also by your admission) that your article has been “misunderstood by some”. Not wanting to further fuel this apparent air of misunderstanding surrounding your article, I feel the need to ask the following question (before I make comment on the issue)…
Putting aside your views on Donald Trump & subsequently his supporters i.e. this apparent phenomenon called “Trumpism” (for the record, I’m Australian)… I am curious by your statement pertaining to “Trumpism” being “global”, in particular the statement pertaining to European “middle class families” (i.e. “especially Poland, France and Hungary”) having “similar attitudes about immigrants”. Could you please clarify exactly what you are referring to in relation to the “attitudes” of these “middle class families” within Europe. Meaning i.e. what type of attitude & whom these “attitudes” are directed at (specifically). I did also read the cited article you referenced with this statement (i.e. “See our briefing: Trumpism is not Just and American Phenomenon”)… where words like “racist”, “racism”, “xenophobia” was cited. Yet wanted to hear more specific detail (i.e. your views) on this apparent (“Trumpism”) attitude within European “middle class families”.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Matt.
admin
Wednesday April 13th, 2016 at 11:26 PMWe report on articles in the news that address prophetic issues. Our views are not important. We do not wish to debate about our views or things that are political in nature. Keep the Faith is not a debating site, but a prophetic information site. We believe the original article was quite clear concerning the points made. God bless you. Admin
G.Fordham
Thursday April 14th, 2016 at 07:31 AMSome interpret Daniel 11:40 to refer to the fall of communism, which began in 1989. I do not think this can be linked back to Daniel 11:2, which was fulfilled a long time ago. I think the comments by Gift on April 8th are pure speculation and should be seen as such
Gigi
Tuesday August 11th, 2020 at 02:43 AMI bet you feel like an idiot now. The mobs are infiltrated socialists, burning down the country at the blessing of the Democrats who gave up rule of law to reclaim power: Trump supporters have not become what you predicted. They are defenders of the Constitution and the Gospel, while the liberals have made it clear that they will cancel Christians any way they can. Including burning Bibles and banning church services and the ability to sing. You were dead wrong.
admin
Sunday August 16th, 2020 at 11:43 PMDon’t think the GOP isn’t capable of sporting mobs. Every action draws an equal an opposite reaction. A quiescent conservative right, is no indication of their future behavior. What happened during the 2016 campaign was a subtle warning to God’s people of what to expect. In the events that have eventuated since, the fury of the religious right is building. And when it is unleashed, it will surprise many. It will also co-opt many, as the Antifa and BLM movement has done to the liberals. The religious forces have to take the high ground and preach the gospel that they understand to hold their credibility, which includes getting people back to God and in church. But the preaching of the gospel only keeps the anger at bay for a while. When it is unleashed, watch out. But in the end, according to Bible prophecy, liberals and conservatives will be joined in mob action against a few who have been demonized in the press for their religious views.
Melanie M Purvis
Friday September 24th, 2021 at 04:44 PMWell, here we are 4yrs later and did Lincoln warn about the Biden administration? The Country is officially in the Toilet now?!!