Recent developments reported by The New York Times reveal a troubling and significant shift taking place within the United States—one that should not be ignored by those who understand Bible prophecy. In an article published on March 20, 2026, titled “Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might,” it highlights how high-level leadership within the Pentagon—particularly under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth—has increasingly incorporated overt, medieval Catholic Crusade-era religious language into official military settings, especially in the context of an escalating war with Iran.
The New York Times published the following on March 20, 2026:
• “More than any top American military leader in recent history, Mr. Hegseth has framed U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America as bigger than politics or foreign policy. Often he has imbued these actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.” [1]
• “Mr. Hegseth posted a video that mixed audio of himself reciting the Lord’s Prayer with video of missiles firing, warships steaming and paratroopers falling from the sky.” [1]
• “We face an essential test,” he told defense ministers from across the Western Hemisphere, “whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God.” [1]
• “Mr. Hegseth’s calls to prayer in the Pentagon press room and the monthly, voluntary Christian worship services that he has organized in the Pentagon auditorium are a stark departure from the way military chaplains are taught to minister to their flock.” [1]
• “Mr. Hegseth, for his part, reaches back to an earlier era of the Catholic church to support his view.” [1]
• “Tattooed on Mr. Hegseth’s right biceps is the Latin phrase “Deus vult,” or “God wills it,” which he has described as a “battle cry” of the Crusades, the ruthless medieval wars where Christian warriors fought to take over Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Mr. Hegseth sees those battles as perhaps the most formative moment in the history of the free world.” [1]
• “In his book “American Crusade,” published in 2020, he describes the Crusades as “bloody” and “full of unspeakable tragedy,” but argues that they were justified because they saved a Christian Europe from the onslaught of Islam.” [1]
• “Do you enjoy Western civilization? Freedom? Equal justice? Thank a crusader,” he writes in the book. “If not for the Crusades, there would have been no Protestant Reformation or Renaissance. There would be no Europe and no America.” [1]
• “This is the view of God, Christianity and war that dominates Mr. Hegseth’s Pentagon prayer services.” [1]
When a high-ranking political leader in charge of our armed forces praises the Catholic Crusades as the means that saved Western civilization, including Protestantism and America, it demonstrates a lack of historical knowledge and serves as an indication of what is being planned for the days ahead. First and foremost, the Crusades were not merely defensive wars; they were also offensive religious conflicts, characterized by the use of force, bloodshed, and the union of Church and State. Praising them amounts to glorifying the idea that resorting to violence to promote religion is acceptable, rather than upholding freedom of conscience.
Secondly, it is not true that the Crusades helped preserve society or paved the way for the Protestant Reformation. It was God who preserved His truth and protected the reformers. In fact, there were several crusades launched by Rome to destroy the Albigensians, Waldensians, Hussites, Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Huguenots, and many other groups that sought to follow the Bible. The truth is that Roman Catholics, under the so-called Holy Roman Inquisition, attempted to completely eradicate Protestantism.
Thirdly, this kind of thinking goes against the principle of separating church and state. The United States was founded to protect religious liberty—not to enforce religious ideas through government or military power. History shows that mixing religion with force leads to persecution and suffering, and praising the Crusades as a model for modern warfare sends the dangerous message that faith can be spread or defended by military powers—something that has always led to the loss of true religious freedom.
When Pete Hegseth uses the Catholic Crusades as inspiration for military warfare, it introduces the idea that wars carry divine approval. It unites faith with force, leading people to believe that military actions are aligned with God’s will. Such thinking makes it easier to justify war in the name of righteousness and reinterprets human conflict as a holy cause. Under this mindset of religious warfare, questioning modern military actions can be seen as opposing God Himself.
“Our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 451)
The “image of the beast” represents a system where apostate faith and political force unite. This is not biblical Christianity but apostate Protestantism that uses civil power to advance church dogmas. What we are witnessing is the formation of this very image: a government that increasingly imposes religious identity through military force. These are early steps toward a system that will eventually enforce false worship. America is not yet fully speaking like a dragon—but the tone is changing. Our nation, which professes freedom while moving toward increased religious influence in government, is fulfilling this very contradiction warned of by God:
“The lamblike horns and dragon voice of the symbol point to a striking contradiction between the professions and the practice of the nation thus represented … And the statement that the beast with two horns ‘causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast’ indicates that the authority of this nation is to be exercised in enforcing some observance which shall be an act of homage to the papacy” (Great Controversy, p. 442).
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.” (The Great Controversy, p. 451)
The United States has long been recognized as a nation founded on the principles of civil and religious liberty—a land where church and state were intentionally separated to protect freedom of conscience. This gives prophetic meaning to the description in Revelation 13:11 of a beast with “two horns like a lamb,” representing republicanism—a constitutional form of government—and Protestantism, with its emphasis on liberty of conscience. However, Bible prophecy also reveals that a transformation will take place, and this lamb-like beast will eventually “speak like a dragon.”
Sources
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/us/politics/hegseth-christianity-military.html
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Catholic war crusades, have nothing to do with the protestant reformation neither does it have anything to do with humble foundations of America. The crusade wars were started by Pope Orban II in 1095 in Jerusalem city, to try converting the christian and Jews into Islamic religions. The crusade wars were used by the Papacy to force christian and Jews to recant their faith. The Jesuits had concealed and devised a clever plan on how to recruit the followers of Allah. Catholic church was very instrumental by forming an extremist religion (Islam).
The purpose of recruiting the Muslim armies under the command of Prophet Mohammed was to capture Jerusalem and make it a city of the Pope and a Roman Catholic city. So, the crusade wars were used to spread apostate Christianity in Europe. Now in our modern times, the crusade wars were used by American governments to wage war against terror by fighting Islamist countries in the world especially in the middle east.
Afghanistan and Iraq, were the prime targets in these wars against terror, the attack in twin towers of world trade centre was a good excuse to accomplish the evil mission. The September 11,2001,was a pretext to justify their agenda. Osama Bin Laden who previously served as a CIA agent and was under their payroll, was used by the Americans to fight the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan by recruiting the Mujaheeden fighters to defeat the Soviet troops in 1979. Now, the former CIA agent Osama Bin Laden had fallen out his master’s in America. George Bush administration waged war against Afghanistan and declared Osama a terror suspect, it’s worthy point to note that the U.S government through state department planned the World trade centre attack inorder to justify the war against terror. The Bush administration launched a military action against Afghanistan to hunt and kill Osama Bin Laden who was believed to be hiding in the Torabora mountains near the Pakistani border. The real purpose of waging war against terror was to implement punitive measures to control freedoms of liberty in America codenamed “Patriot Act”.
The real purpose of making wars against terror by fighting Islamist extremist regimes in Afghanistan and Baathist regime in Iraq of Saddam Hussein was a preparation on how the final war will be waged against the true and faithful christians. Just like the christians during the dark ages were persecuted in the 16th century ,during the reformation the same will apply in our modern times especially on these last days, targeting the faithful commandment keepers who observe and honour the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The real reason why Iran is targeted is because the leadership has refused to conform to the New world order imposed by the Pope of Rome. The Iranian nation comprises of 90 percent Shiites and they don’t Revere the Pope like their Sunni Muslims brethren. The same case will happen to the end time christians.
Excellent analysis
The problem is not only religious, it is also politic and economic, besides social, cultural, and mainly on conquer of Power as always was beginning by the ruler of Eden, the Cherub, when he said in his heart:-> I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of GOD: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:->(the sides of the north is the city of the great King.-> Psalms 48:2, take a look).
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. But GOD said:-> The multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and you has sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of mine: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
By the way, the conquest of the four universal empires, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar->(Daniel 7:1-14 combined with Daniel 2), they followed the same model or system of power conquest, as the former Cherub, the current ruler of this current great world in which we are living. So, from now on, he will work to establish his fifth and last Universal Empire, the demonic Empire of Anticrist.->Revelation 16:13-16, take a look). There will be WAR->Revelation 11:15-18, be prepared or else get ready.
Well, GOD is in control of history, nothing random happens.
Regarding the World Trade Center, you have mentioned, it was a significative symbol of a Economic Empire. What was the biblical significance of the construction and fall of the TWIN TOWERS of the WTC? The United States was the single largest economy on the planet, followed by the European Union. We must remember that the material things are figures of spiritual things. The parables of JESUS are good examples. Speaking materially, the twin towers signify nothing, nothing more than two large and gigantic buildings. But analysing deeply the construction and fall of the two towers of the WTC, we cannot ignore a great mystery, that is, the twin towers of the WTC signified, by allegory, the most two powerful Economies of the Earth, i.e. the Economies of USA and EU, an Economic Empire.
On the other hand, the year 2001 was the beginning of a New Millennium, precisely the beginning of the first century the seventh and last millennium, so the evil World as a whole would not be the same from 2001 ahead, understand?
The fall of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, signified that both Economies would fall in ruin day after day, in the days to come, and upon the earth distress of nations (of the whole earth), with perplexity; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after the things which are coming on the earth. And this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
In Apr 24, 2022 I wrote:In sequence of the destruction of the WTC,about the World Political System, JESUS punished several Arab nations,and He continues to punish them with great punishments. The destruction of several Arab nations after the destruction of the WTC, was a sequence of chastisings of the idolater nations, beginning by the Islamic Nations, worshipers of Muhammad; The idolater nation called Brazil, dominated by Catholicism, by the idolater Roman Catholic Church, its government are being chastising severaly, this idolater nation is in great distress, its political system is being destroyed and the worst is in the way. The same occurs with Venezuela, in truth, all idolater South America will suffer great punishments from now on.
https://purebibleforum.com/index.php?threads/what-was-the-biblical-significance-of-the-construction-and-fall-of-the-two-towers-of-the-world-trade-center.2461/
About material punishments beyond the destruction of the WTC and idolaters Arab nations, worshipers of Mohammed, another idolater nation, Japan, worshiper of an horrible idol, called Bhuda, was punished by a strong Tsunamis, causing great destructions.
GOD is in control of history, nothing random happens.
The WAR IN UKRAINE is the continuation of the process to DISSOLVE or DISMANTLE all things upon the earth like an IMPLOSION, and this terrible event and the current War between USA and Israel X Iran, will carry to another most terrible event, the manifestation of the false messiah->John 5:43-47 combined with 2 Thes. 2:4 and 11-12, and Revelation 13:11- a STRONG DELUSION. ->Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.
Be prepared or else get ready
We do not owe Roman Catholic Crusaders any recognition concerning the establishment and maintenance of the Protestant motivated and or supported freedoms and liberties we have enjoyed in these United States and or countries of modern Europe. Such recognition is reserved to the very large number of Roman Catholics who defied either the religious or political tyrannies of their Popes and clergy. Those who were later branded as Protestants because of their protests against all such, including their eventual recognition of Holy Scripture as a greater authority than that of Popes, politicians, prelates, clergy, and tradition. Millions of Professed Roman Catholics who accepted excommunication, ridicule, imprisonment, persecution, torture, and even death at the hands of their once professed brothers and sisters, for maintaining their God given right to disagree with their religious and political leaders.
These are the Roman Catholics of history, we can thank for the liberties and freedoms we now enjoy. Not to mention the many others afterward, who have served this nation in many different capacities including militarily, to defend and maintain these very same rights and liberties. Among whom are many of my own ancestors.