The U.S. political atmosphere continues to heat up concerning Donald Trump’s presidency. Last week, the FBI raided materials of Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. It’s because he is now under investigation for criminal activity, including fraud and violation of election laws regarding two women who claimed to have had illicit sexual relations with the president, which Cohen tried to cover up. Then today, a memoirs book was released by fired FBI Director James Comey that is hyper-critical of President Trump. Comey is making the rounds in TV interviews this week, and both President Trump and the Republican Party are striking back at Comey in a war of words.
One of the continuing issues in the growing complexity of this political turmoil is the so-called “Steele dossier.” It contains several allegations against Trump going back even before he campaigned to become U.S. president. This dossier was written and researched by non-American Christopher Steele, a UK citizen and former British Intelligence (M16) officer. Steele was employed and paid for these services by the U.S. Democratic Party. This Steele document contains allegations against Donald Trump that include collusion with Russian government operatives in getting Trump elected.
One of the arguments against this Steele dossier by the pro-Trump political base is that this document should be disregarded because it was funded by the Democratic Party. This dossier originated by the political website The Washington Free Beacon in first contracting with Fusion GPS, a private investigation company, to investigate the activities of Donald Trump in prior years. Not until later, when Trump was about to be the Republican nominee for president, did the Hilary Clinton political campaign and the Democratic Party get involved by funding this investigation started by Fusion GPS. And only then was Christopher Steele employed to further this private investigation.
The U.S. intelligence community was alerted to the completed, Steele dossier early on, in 2016 during the political campaign for president. But our intelligence agencies had already been investigating possible Russian collusion in the election campaign prior to learning of the dossier. That is, they already knew of Russian collusion allegations.
But, what does it matter who funded or conducted this investigation outlined in the dossier? I don’t think it matters one twit! What matters is whether or not any of the allegations contained in the dossier are true. Thus, to assert that the dossier itself is corrupt because it is associated with Trump’s political opposition is a bogus assertion.
Do you know that Satan, the devil, who is also called “the dragon,” stands before God day and night, accusing God’s people of wrongdoing? That is what the prophetic book of Revelation in the Bible says. It informs that near the very end of this age (according to its context), which is still in the future, there will be a war in heaven (Revelation 12.7). At that time, Michael the archangel–as commander of God’s angelic, military forces in heaven–will lead God’s angels in battle against Satan and his angels.
Satan and his angels will be “defeated” and “thrown down” to the earth (Revelation 12.8-9). Then John, the author, further reveals, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven proclaiming, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the author of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades [God’s people] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God'” (v. 10 NRSV).
The word “satan” is a legal term that means “accuser.” This title satan (not his name) thus indicates that the devil appears before God as a prosecuting attorney. Does God listen to Satan’s accusations? Indeed he does. When Satan rightly charges God’s people with serious sin, God often responds by disciplining his beloved but wayward people.
Just think of Job, who wasn’t that guilty of wrong. The first two chapters of the wisdom book of Job relates two times in heaven when Satan appears before the enthroned God, accusing the man Job on earth. Even though God tells Satan that Job is “a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil” (Job 1.8), God then allows Satan to bring destruction against Job. And the same thing happened another time. In these cases, God uses the evil of Satan to instill spiritual maturity in his servant Job.
Thus, it doesn’t matter to God who brings a charge against his people, even if it is from Satan. All God cares about is the truth, that is, whether or not the accusations are true. So it should be regarding the accusations in the Steele dossier against Donald Trump.
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