How The Book of Revelation Shaped America’s Border Politics And The Trump Wall
(REVIEW) On June 15, 2015, Donald Trump announced his presidential candidacy from Trump Tower, declaring, “I will build a great wall on our southern border.” This wall symbolizes the anti-immigration policies he pursued during his time in office, which continue to have lasting effects.
Surprisingly, his statement about building a southern wall against immigrants reflects an exclusive mindset inspired by the book of Revelation in the Bible. The Book of Revelation by John of Patmos details God's judgment during the Apocalypse and envisions Christ's return to defeat evil and establish the New Jerusalem. Despite the message of hope, the interpretation and usage of the book are much darker.
In “Immigration and Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration,” Professor Yii Jan Lin narrates how some Americans have used the apocalyptic vision from the Book of Revelation to idealize the United States as a new holy land, while simultaneously marginalizing immigrants. The U.S. is portrayed as the New Jerusalem, with immigrants viewed as outsiders exhibiting unethical behaviors.
This book demonstrates how Judeo-Christian scripture, which describes a just God, can be interpreted to exclude those deemed unfit by temporary human standards.
In general, “Immigration and Apocalypse” is full of knowledgeable ideas and distinguished analyses of intellectual writings, religious tracts, presidential speeches and even social media posts. When purusing the book, readers may find some introductory paragraphs on immigration history a bit lengthy. However, these paragraphs are necessary to understand the correlation between the intellectual ideas on the Revelation and anti-immigration in the U.S.
If you are concerned about religion and the harsh border policies under the current Trump administration, especially the controversial ICE Raids, this book will be worth your time.
America: A New Jerusalem
Despite being perceived as violent intruders by Native Americans, European colonizers considered their discovery of America as the fulfillment of a Book of Revelation prophecy about a new city with diverse languages and nations. Cotton Mather, a Puritan clergyman in colonial New England, praised America as “the holy city” based on Revelation.
Three centuries later, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, echoed a similar message. Lin notes the connection between Reagan's speech and Revelation 21, which describes the city of God. Reagan called America a “shining city on a hill,” portraying it as a beacon of hope and reflecting themes from traditional Puritan beliefs and 20th-century American Evangelicals.
In other words, Reagan’s imagination reflects a prolonged expectation of the American religious elite on America as a New Jerusalem. However, the New Jerusalem has its own secular criteria.
When the holy city is not for everyone
Race is a crucial element. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese workers were categorized as the outsiders of the New Jerusalem. American elites likened Chinese symbols to demonic images. For instance, they perceived the dragon on the flag of the Qing Dynasty as the Satanic dragon in the Book of Revelation.
American writer Pierton W. Dooner, in his 1880 book “Last Days of the Republic,” depicts the Chinese as the demonic “Asiatic serpent”. This anti-Chinese rhetoric contributed to immigration restrictions, with U.S. Senators labeling China as “the apocalyptic whore and the enemies of God’s kingdom.”
What’s more, the ruling political class also used the description from the Book of Revelation to set up the standard of “cleanliness,” which means the exception of biological threats. Revelation 22 writes “who wash their robes [...] may enter the city by the gates.” Some American nativists interpreted the text to set barriers for people with diseases and even unethical behaviors.
To control immigration, American lawmakers created a system akin to Revelation’s Book of Life, called, “The Book of White Life.” According to Lin, this book records who is considered “white enough to have citizenship” in the New Jerusalem of America. Congress developed a “Book of Deeds” to further specify “The Book of White Life,” outlining the actions required to enter the United States.
We can see a scripture-based selective process to exclude those unwanted. Eventually, this thinking shapes the extreme state policy adopted by the current most powerful figure: Trump, who won election for a second time this past November.
From prejudice to policy
Many modern American politicians favored a passage from Revelation 21. This passage vividly describes a holy city with " a great, high wall with 12 gates” and “12 foundations.” These politicians often invoke the imagery of the New Jerusalem, with its walls and gates, to convince the public to support anti-immigration policy.
Many American political figures believe that America is a land blessed by God and that constructing a wall to restrict immigration aligns with divine will. An Iowa congressman posted on social media: “Heaven has a wall, a gate and a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders.”
The post pales in comparison to the speech given by Trump in recent years. Lin points out that Trump often discusses the specific measurements of the wall, including its height and length. However, she argues that the real issue is not the size; rather, it deeply revolves around Trump’s self-image as the person who would rebuild America, envisioning it as a New Jerusalem, complete with walls and gates.
Furthermore, the narrative of America also represents a gateway of meritocracy, as described in Revelation, that draws in those who could “enrich the New Jerusalem.” No surprise that Trump’s slogan is “Make America Great Again.”
Thien Bui is a Vietnamese writer who specializes in the history and religions of Southeast Asia.