The Clock and the Cross
What The Assassination of Charlie Kirk Reveals About Evil, The Unseen Realm, And The Sovereign Triumph Of Christ’s Kingdom.
Like you, I have been deeply moved by the sudden and violent loss of one of the lights in our country, Charlie Kirk. Yet I was concerned that believers—and especially unbelievers—should remember (or recognize) that more transpired that day in Utah than what could be discerned by natural means alone. Even now, powers contend: for good and for evil (Ephesians 6:12). In this piece, I seek to retrace those moments, illuminating the actual events at play, as we heed St. Paul’s sobering reminder:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV; cf. Daniel 10:13, 20–21).
And we draw solace from John’s pastoral charge to us all from the Lord: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 KJV; cf. Romans 8:37–39).
Thus, we remain vigilant, comforted, and confident. This is no contest of equals (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8). I pray this reflection bolsters the Body of Christ and pierces the heart of the one poised to repent and believe (Acts 17:30–31; Romans 10:9–10).
Prologue
The clock is an instrument that reflects God’s design of day and night, seasons, and the passage of time—a gift sovereignly administered, dimensions created and ruled by Him (Genesis 1:14–18; Daniel 2:21). The cross occurs within time, then transforms it, bending the clock toward the eternal (2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 13:8). Both the patterns and outcomes of the cross establish a new era and an overarching theme in the world (Ephesians 1:10; Galatians 6:14). The one true God grants the principalities and powers of this world a final surge of activity (Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:12). Their grip on nations is broken by the Light that has risen and is spreading across the earth (Isaiah 60:1–3; John 1:5). The eternally dying monsters of that unseen realm plot, plan, possess, and assault the minds of the vulnerable—those damaged by untreated spiritual maladies that follow the deadly sin of unbelief (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:18)—only to swell and shrivel with each attack and each decisive defeat. And we, mortal beings who cling to the cross of Christ, live our lives following the pattern of the One we follow (1 Peter 2:21; Romans 8:29).
12:23 PM – The Roof
The spirits assigned to enter him did so through an opening forged by his choices—a tear in the thin membrane of the human soul (Ephesians 4:26–27). Now he acts with a will bent wholly toward evil (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9). Thus, Tyler Robinson lies prone on the gravel roof of the Losee Center, seething with hatred. A southerly wind brushes his face. He grips a nine-pound Mauser-style bolt-action rifle—wood stock, steel fixtures—and slides an engraved .30-06 round into the chamber. The bolt locks forward—the clock ticks.
12:23 PM – The Courtyard
Below, Charlie Kirk laughs, tossing ball caps into the crowd. He pats a young employee on the back. His smile is infectious, his energy radiant. The white “Prove Me Wrong” tent ripples in the breeze as he takes his seat. Kids line up at the microphones. Charlie Kirk opens with a familiar affirmation for the crowd:
“It’s not just intra-biblical evidence, but extra-biblical evidence, that Jesus Christ was a real person. He lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15), was crucified, died, and rose on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4), and He is Lord and God over all (Philippians 2:9–11),” Kirk declares. “Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9).”
Some think it; some murmur it: Who talks like that on college campuses? The leftists call him a conservative pundit. But, wow—this guy doesn’t sound like a political figure to me. I think his politics flow downriver from something else. Someone else. Two young men catch a glimpse of movement on the roof. They aren’t sure. They pull out a smartphone and start recording.
Ten seconds remain.
The Realm of the Dead
A lying spirit coils into the mind of the man with the rifle (2 Thessalonians 2:9–11). Another—an ancient echo of the Nephilim—prowls the crowd below (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6). A higher power orchestrates the conspiracy (Ephesians 6:12; Daniel 10:13). Across the land, lesser spirits are ready to inflame the mockers who will jeer when a Christian voice falls silent (1 Kings 22:22–23; Revelation 12:10).
The princes and lords of darkness preen in their diabolical delusion. They comprehend not the cross. They never have (1 Corinthians 2:8; Colossians 2:15).
12:23:10 PM– The Courtyard
Charlie begins to dialogue with a student about violence and gender dysphoria. His tone is earnest, firm, and kind. It’s Charlie, after all. The Eagle Scout turned nonprofit entrepreneur, and, increasingly, a most effective evangelist to the campuses of America (and England). Mere seconds are now a premium. A breeze blows from the southeast. A legion of darkened angels floats unseen above the tent. An angel of the living God stands next to the thirty-one-year-old leader. As at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, this “angel standing in the sun” (Revelation 19:17) will observe, obeying the ancient covenants, mysterious to him as to us, anticipating his final act as the young man’s angelic sentry. In this, we are like the angels of heaven, for we see the truths though we cannot see through them: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness . . .” (1 Timothy 3:16); and “things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12). Of the mystery of suffering of the Messiah, the silence of the Father, the angelic hosts on guard, but without orders to move, the late Dr. Edmund Clowney wrote with uncommon wisdom:
“Indeed, suffering Christians have the advantage not only over the prophets. The very angels of heaven peer into the mysteries of salvation that are revealed by the Spirit to those who are redeemed by Jesus Christ. The verb Peter uses well describes the action of straining to see: angels peering, as it were, over the battlements of heaven to behold what God has done in Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us that the apostles were set forth as a spectacle to angels as well as to humans. The cosmic sweep of God’s redemption is all centred in Christ, whom we know and love. The petty dreams of earth’s little tyrants shrivel before the majesty of the kingdom of God, ministered by prophets and apostles, but now realized for those who know Jesus Christ.”1
12:23:15 PM – The Roof
The finger tightens. The trigger breaks. A single shot cracks across the campus. And the soul of the shooter dies.
12:23:16 PM – The Courtyard
Charlie jerks, struck. His right hand rises involuntarily, like Kennedy’s grasp in the Zapruder film. He falls backward.
Screams erupt. Students scatter. Women’s voices pierce the air. Phones light up. Panic spreads.
The Throne Room of God
Time dissolves. Charlie sees the scene below, but for a forgotten millisecond. Charlie Kirk is ushered by a presence that is pure love, which he often spoke of in his life on earth, but could not possibly fathom: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Charlie kneels before the Christ he had proclaimed moments earlier. A voice speaks, a voice that seems to reverberate through the universe. As human senses transform for the next chapter, the voice is felt, not merely heard. The words are experienced as life, love, joy, and are as beautiful as the soft voice of a gentle Father: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:23). Every tear is wiped away (Rev. 21:4). As the preborn infant could not imagine life in any other context than the womb, we struggle to imagine the next life apart from the sensations of this one.
Paul and Peter welcome him. A great-great-great-grandfather who once prayed for descendants he never met embraces him. “Son, I prayed you would honor our humble Scottish croft by lighting a fire that would not go out.” And beneath the throne, martyrs cry: “How long, O Lord?” (Rev. 6:10). Justice will come. Eternity opens.
12:25 PM – Earth in Chaos
On the quad, students sob, others kneel in prayer. Security rushes. Law enforcement converges. News flashes. Erika Kirk is frozen in an eternal moment as she is told that her husband is dead. An assistant in the West Wing of the White House drops his phone and staggers over to the Chief of Staff to inform the President. Many believe he wouldn’t be in the Oval Office without the help of that young man shot in Utah—the President’s sons are among those who hold this belief.
The killer continues as planned: exfiltrates down the building, crosses the street, and disappears into the woods for cover. But the spirits that drove him now begin to devour him. The promises of greatness were lies; invisible chains of his own delusions slipped on him without notice, now locked. The “soft shoe shufflers” that sold him the chains are a collection of murderous creatures, foul, wicked, with bleeding sores of hatred toward God and Man. And they are inside the perpetrator of this murder. He is a host on which they feed like ravenous screaming hyenas in the Serengeti.
The Realm of the Dead
The powers of darkness preen in temporary delight. Division, lies, doublespeak—these have long been their weapons. They imagine themselves victorious. But they could not touch Charlie. The Angel who guarded Charlie did not have orders to alter the course of this suffering and death. Yet, now, he welcomes Charlie like a newborn child into the world that was, and is, and always will be. He is safely led across the divide, the Jordan between now and eternity. Across the cosmos, Charlie Kirk flies into the arms of the Redeemer that he preached so well.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2).
In our world, where the sun and moon mark the seasons by which we measure time, in this Holocene age of the post-fall, post-diluvian era, we do mourn, but not as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Intense emotions are etched into memory at 12:52 AM. Faithful pray. Fools laugh. Others wonder.
12:52 AM (EDT,13 September) – The Widow Speaks
Erika Kirk addresses the nation:
“I honestly have no idea what any of this means. I know that God does, but I don’t. But Charlie, baby, I know you do too. So does our Lord.
And our world is filled with evil, but our God is so good, so incredibly good. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
At her word, a demon shrieks like a wild boar pierced with a spear. It frightens even the other demons. It excites them, confuses them. The dark spirits attack each other like rabid dogs, unable to escape their disease.
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12)!
Poised in her faith and resolute in her duty, Erika, now a young widow, continues:
“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and God’s merciful love. They should all know this: if you thought my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just unleashed across this country and this world. You have no idea the fire you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
For those who watched, who believe, we did not see a victim but a victor in the mystery of godliness, a disciple of Jesus Christ, the wife and strength of her husband, who was known in the gates through the confidence she gave him.
“Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.” “Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:23, 31).
The Throne Room of God
Angels carry her words like a trumpet blast. Grace abounds. The kingdom advances. The church, weeping, is also emboldened. Students gather in extraordinary numbers, praying, seeking God, committing their lives to Christ. Thousands are mobilized for good. Millions hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many will believe. Others will listen to more. And some depart as her words become their judgment: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Co 1:18).
The Realm of the Dead
Darkness falters. The lords of evil retreat, their triumph spoiled. They will prowl again, observing but never learning, that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18).
The Cross Rises
This is the paradox: what men mean for evil, God bends for good (Gen. 50:20). The very act meant to silence a witness becomes the spark of awakening. The cross once turned Rome’s weapon of shame into the world’s emblem of hope. It rises again, the ruling motif of history.
The immortal proclamation of God’s Word by Saint Paul thunders like Good News down through the ages, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
And yet, sin abounds. It even dances the fool’s jig over the death of good men. But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Rom. 5:20). Some of the fools will become preachers. Some of the scoffers will soon sing “Amazing Grace.” But others will be carried away in chains.
But what of me? Of you? Ask, but do not linger in your response. The benefits of the cross are available while there is time on the clock.
And the consummation of the kingdom draws nearer.
Nearer still.
Closer. Closer.
Closer.
Then the seventh Angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
Digging Deeper
We utilize pastoral reflections, research tools, and the latest in curated machine learning to bring you opportunities for personal and group study resources.
Questions for Discussion
On Personal Faith:
1. "The Clock and the Cross" suggests that the "clock" symbolizes God's design of time, while the "cross" transforms time by bending it toward eternity. Considering this deep perspective, in what specific ways does viewing the cross as transforming and bending time toward the eternal enhance your appreciation for God's sovereign plan in your own life, especially during moments of crisis, loss, or deep uncertainty?
2. The article connects vulnerability to evil with "untreated spiritual maladies that follow the deadly sin of unbelief." It mentions Charlie Kirk's public affirmation of Christ as "Lord and God over all." How might a steady, active declaration of Christ's sovereignty, like Charlie Kirk's public expressions of faith, serve as a spiritual defense against these maladies in a world that is becoming more hostile to Christian truth? And what does this mean for your own daily walk?
On Confidence to Witness the Truth of the Gospel:
3. Charlie Kirk is portrayed as an "effective evangelist to the campuses of America" whose assassination, though an act of evil, becomes "the spark of awakening" for the Gospel, leading to millions hearing the message and many believing. How does this narrative, where God turns what men intend for harm into His ultimate good, challenge or strengthen your own confidence to openly share the truth of the Gospel, even in environments that may seem hostile or dismissive?
4. Erika Kirk's powerful declaration that her husband's mission would be unleashed with even greater force, saying, "if you thought my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just unleashed across this country and this world," is described as a "trumpet blast" that inspires the church and mobilizes thousands for good. What practical steps can individuals and communities of faith take to embody this "unleashed fire" and spread the Gospel message in ways that go beyond human limits and unforeseen opposition?
On the Reality of Spiritual Warfare:
5. The article clearly presents Charlie Kirk's assassination in the context of Ephesians 6:12, highlighting, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." How does recognizing this "unseen realm" change your view of current societal and political conflicts, shifting focus from human or ideological reasons to understanding the deeper spiritual battles involved?
6. "The Clock and the Cross" vividly depicts demonic forces plotting and attacking the minds of the vulnerable, yet it strongly affirms that these powers "comprehend not the cross" and that "the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church." How does the ultimate, though mysterious, victory of the cross over these dark forces (as reflected in scriptural references like Colossians 2:15 and 1 John 3:8 mentioned in the article) empower believers to stay vigilant, find comfort, and remain confident in spiritual warfare, even when facing significant personal or societal opposition?
Edmund. P. Clowney (1988). The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross (p. 60). USA: InterVarsity Press. Logos edition.
Easily one of the greatest and most moving essays on the victory of the cross that conveys hope and triumph I’ve ever read.
How God uses earthly tragedies and evils orchestrated by forces of darkness and marshals them for His purposes and ultimately the supremacy of His kingdom.
The narrative about the heavenly events … so utterly powerful and a wonderful glimpse into an eternity of salvation and joy.