Pastor Billy Crone says Christians should not treat President Donald Trump’s return to office as a pause in biblical prophecy. In a Prophecy Watchers interview, he pointed to advances in artificial intelligence, digital finance and the movement to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem as developments he believes are gathering speed.
“Bible prophecy wasn’t just happening during the Biden administration, the pandemic,” Crone said. “It’s still continuing on.”
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Here are six developments Crone says Christians should be watching:
- Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Crone pointed to the Stargate project, whose backers announced plans to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure. He connects that expansion to his reading of Revelation 13. “They know that AI is needed to pull off Revelation 13, this global beast system,” he said of Christians who study prophecy. Crone argues that the technology deserves scrutiny regardless of which administration supports it.
- Data centers are expanding alongside AI. Crone said Christians should pay attention to the infrastructure that gives AI its reach. He raised concerns about surveillance and pointed to China’s use of technology to monitor its citizens. “Why are you wanting these things all over the world?” he asked of the expansion of data centers. “What are you building here in the United States of America, man?” He sees the growing network as a potential foundation for the control he associates with a future global system.
- Digital finance is moving forward. Crone believes the spread of digital currencies belongs in the same prophetic discussion. “So, we went from CBDC being pushed digital currency to stablecoin, another digital currency. How’s that a victory?” he said. A White House executive order prohibits federal agencies from pursuing a U.S. central bank digital currency while supporting lawful dollar-backed stablecoins. Crone’s concern is the broader movement toward digital transactions, which he connects to his expectation of a future cashless system.
- Trump is being compared to King Cyrus. Crone said some in Israel see Trump as a modern counterpart to Cyrus, the ruler who helped the Jewish people rebuild the Temple. He traced the comparison to Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem during his first term. “It isn’t just he’s a supporter of Israel. That’s a given,” Crone said. “It’s specifically no, he’s going to help us build the temple.” Crone raised the possibility that Trump could play a part in a future agreement, but said he does not know what role the president will take.
- Preparations for a Third Temple are advancing. Crone said people working toward a Third Temple have prepared articles for worship and that the remaining obstacle is permission to build. “They need permission,” he said. “They need somebody to broker a deal.” He connects a future Temple to passages in Daniel, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians and Revelation 11. “This is the temple that the Antichrist is going to go up into in the seven-year tribulation, commit the abomination of desolation,” he said.
- Temple and messianic fervor are growing. Crone said interest in rebuilding reaches beyond religious Jews and reflects a desire to restore something central to Israel’s history. “Even with the secular Jewish person, that’s why you’re seeing the numbers go up,” he said while discussing growing support for a Temple. He also described the belief among some Temple advocates that “they need to build the temple in order for their Messiah to come.” Crone said those expectations make the movement especially significant to Christians watching biblical prophecy.
Crone said none of these developments gives Christians a date for the rapture. They give the church a reason to stay awake to what is happening and continue its work. “It should bring us joy, not fear,” he said. “Not only get excited about his return, you get out there and evangelize.”
The point of watching these developments is to be ready for Jesus to return and to reach people who do not know Him. The timing remains unknown, but the church’s work is clear: Stay faithful, share the gospel and, as Crone put it, “let’s finish strong.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
