Prophecy Today goes live online today, Saturday 4 April 2015, exactly 30 years after its first print publication.

As polling day for the 2015 General Election draws closer politicians are becoming more desperate in their search for votes. For many months the pollsters have been predicting a Hung Parliament. Why is this? The Times editorial back on 7 February asked this question.

The answer given was that it was a difficult economic time for any Government to be in power and that the Coalition had not eradicated the deficit during their five years at the helm.

The Times also blamed the rise of smaller parties, noting that back in 1951 the two main parties, Labour and Conservative, scooped up 96% of the nation’s votes. By 2010 this had shrunk to 66%. The last five years has accelerated the fragmentation of the political vote with a sharp rise in the fortunes of UKIP and the Greens.

The Establishment in Trouble

The Times failed to offer any explanation for this rise. But it is the rise of the smaller parties that holds the key to understanding the reason why neither the Conservatives nor Labour are not ahead in the polls and why the nation lacks confidence in the main parties. The plain fact is that people have lost respect for the establishment: we no longer trust our political elite.

"The plain fact is that people have lost respect for the establishment: we no longer trust our political elite."

The nation wants to see change; and they’re willing to trust the newcomers who offer something fresh and unknown, on the grounds that anything might be better than what we’ve had! It’s really the greed, corruption and lack of vision among those who have been ruling the nation for so many years that has finally produced a backlash of disillusionment among voters.

A Problem of Trust

There is a major problem of trust between the electorate and the political leaders of all three main parties. Labour voters have never forgiven Ed Miliband for ousting his brother David, whom they would have much preferred as leader, believing that he would make a better Prime Minister. LibDem voters have never forgiven Nick Clegg for reneging on his promise to cut student fees. That was one of the most blatant pieces of political double-crossing in recent years which could even lead to the wiping out of a political party that has had a great history of serving the nation in former centuries.

MPs Warned

David Cameron will go down in history as the man who not only defied the majority of his own backbenchers and the older generation of Conservative voters; but as the man who defied God! In order to please a tiny minority of the country he chose to deeply offend his own core supporter-base by introducing the Same-Sex Marriage Bill, which actually ‘redefined' marriage (part of God’s act of creation).

                  "David Cameron will go down in history as the man who defied God!"

You cannot mess about with God’s laws without bringing judgement upon the nation. Christians right across the country warned their MPs that this would inevitably lead to disaster. More than 100 Tory backbenchers defied the whips and voted against the Prime Minister. Despite this Cameron succeeded in passing his infamous bill with the aid of Labour and LibDem votes (unsurprisingly, the latter parties both have atheist leaders).

The Price of Victory

But the price of this victory has yet to be paid. 1 million evangelical Bible-believing Christians in the older generation have not forgotten their vow never to vote Tory again so long as Cameron is in charge, unless he publicly apologises to the nation for his folly. This does not mean that Christians hate homosexuals. The reason is that the family- as God defines it -is one of the foundational parts of the social structure of every nation. 300,000 children have their lives devastated every year by family breakdown. The nation needs measures to strengthen family life not to undermine it!

So Who’s Going to Win the Election?

We believe the pollsters are right in predicting no clear result. But this is not just because of the rise of UKIP, the Greens and the SNP; it is because as a nation we have offended God. This is not just because of same-sex marriage. In Deuteronomy 28 there is a list of consequences of deliberately going against the word of God; one of which is ‘confusion’ in the leadership of the nation:

The Lord will send on you confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. (Deut 28:20)

  "As a nation we cannot go on breaking moral laws without incurring the inevitable penalties."

The sudden ruin is most likely to be the collapse of the economy which is riddled with greed and corruption, and driven by unrighteousness and injustice, all of which are offensive to God and all right-thinking people. As a nation we cannot go on breaking moral laws without incurring the inevitable penalties. In moral issues, we reap what we sow. But where will we find politicians who really are squeaky clean?

Should the World Economic Forum be the first port of call for world leaders seeking direction?

The World Economic Forum...

A few years ago, when I was still working for an IT Services company, our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) communicated on an internal blog that he was going to Davos. I naturally assumed this was his annual winter skiing holiday. It then transpired that he was going to Switzerland ‘on business’ to attend the annual World Economic Forum.

Further blog entries recounted his meetings and discussions with world leaders in the business, economic and political fields. They had all made their annual pilgrimage to Davos with a media circus in tow. As employees of the company, working hard to complete our projects on time and to provide excellent service to customers, we naturally assumed that our company was being so well managed that our CEO’s absence would not be missed.

The World Economic Forum of January 2014 at Davos did not deliver on its expectations as it failed to predict: the rise of the Islamic State, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the eruption of the crisis in Ukraine and the stand-off in Hong Kong. All these are significant events with global repercussions. The victory for the far-left, anti-austerity, Syriza party in Greece spells trouble for the Euro, and its ties to the Kremlin pose a threat to stability across Europe. The sudden fall in the price of crude oil, from $120 to just $60 a barrel in six months, was the biggest economic shock of 2014 and the fallout is expected to be profound and long-lasting.

"The World Economic Forum at Davos did not deliver on its expectations"

The 2015 Forum started with rather more realistic expectations:

What is clear is that we are confronted by profound political, economic, social and, above all, technological transformations. They are altering long-standing assumptions about our prospects, resulting in an entirely ‘new global context’ for decision-making.¹

‘Black Swan’ Events

The unpredictable nature of the economy and its economic outcomes are now being compared to ‘Black Swan’ events. Before the colonisation of Australia it was an irrefutable fact, based on observation and historical data that all swans were white. The expression ‘Black Swan’ relates to something impossible or highly improbable which turns conventional wisdom on its head.

Donald Rumsfeld, the former United States Secretary of Defense, said:

there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns; the ones we don't know we don't know.²

It is these ‘unknown unknowns’ and unpredictable economic events that are close cousins of the ‘Black Swans’.

For instance, recent crude oil price falls would have been expected to help many economies by reducing fuel costs, reducing inflation and helping businesses to grow. However, less predictably, oil producers have instead found their revenue cut and governments are having to borrow more to balance their books. Oil companies in the UK are speaking of job losses in the industry.

Revelation

The book of Revelation seems to foretell a sudden collapse of the world economy. “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn because no one buys their cargoes any more” (Rev 18:11) and “in one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin” (Rev 18:17). Earlier generations would have been puzzled as to how this could happen. But now, with global satellite communications, complex IT systems and fast networks, the global markets will start to respond to events within minutes.

Biblical Prophecy

What is clear and certain? Do we need to go to Davos for the World Economic Forum? The Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 1:19 “we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”. Many Biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled exactly and in detail; Jesus Himself fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies. Some well know examples are his birth in Bethlehem (prophesied in Micah 5:2) by a divinely arranged census from the Roman Emperor, and his triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a colt (prophesied in Zechariah 9:9).

So we can have complete confidence in the prophetic word. Those Biblical prophecies yet to be fulfilled relate mainly to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus- we look forward to their glorious fulfilment. God’s word is a light for us in these dark times: a light to illuminate each step of our way, lighting the way for our feet to help us make immediate decisions, as well as providing guidance for the path ahead. This explains the nature of worldwide situations, where evil seems rampant.

"God’s word is a light for us in these dark times: a light to illuminate each step of our way"

In this way we are not deceived, but are able to pray effectively. Biblical prophecy is not just relevant to the end of the New Testament only, but right up to our Lord's return. When the participants gather together in Davos for the 2016 World Economic Forum to examine the ‘new global context’, they may be well advised to prayerfully seek the ‘wisdom that comes from above’ (Jam 3:17). In the meantime, we are encouraged to pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-4).

References

1 World Economic Forum website

2 Rumsfeld, D, 2002. Defense Department Briefing.

Many small groups are forming in homes around the country to study, pray and discern the times. We are sensing a need to strengthen for the days ahead within the remit of our Lord’s command to watch and pray. Alongside Prophecy Today, therefore, we are beginning a Centre for Biblical and Hebraic Study, drawing together resources to help meet the present need for structured study.

Jewish heritage of small groups

Biblical study should be part of every Christian community. This is our heritage from the Jewish Synagogue where study is a high priority. The 'Beit Midrash' (in English, House of Study) has been at the centre of Jewish communities over many centuries. The centrality of Bible study in building up the character of a Christian was passed on to the Church. One negative result of the Charismatic movement has been a neglect of deeper study of the Bible. A balance of Bible study and the life of the Spirit of God must be restored.

The most fruitful way is for local study groups to follow a core Bible study programme together. Individual members may extend their studies in different ways, and each bring their own insights to the rest of the group for collective growth.

Resources

Over the coming months, we will be bringing together some study materials for local groups to use. These will be developed out of existing resources and will emphasise:

• A mentoring strategy
• A midrashic approach to study
• A balanced understanding of the entire Bible
• An overview of world history
• A study of biblical languages
• A balanced perspective of Israel
• A possibility of study tours to Israel
• An ability to understand the times

Such programmes must result in growth of Christian character as well as sound understanding of the times in which we live.

Fellowship of study groups

Prophecy Today publishes a variety of teaching articles focussing on the prophetic ministry and also on aspects of Biblical and Hebraic Study. In future, this will hopefully become a useful resource for study groups. Fuller study courses will also be made available.

From time to time, centralised regional meetings may also be brought together for encouragement, further study and prayer. If this vision is timely for you, and if we can help in any way, please contact us as we are exploring the way forward.

Resetting our compass from 1985...

The early issues of Prophecy Today in the mid-1980s frequently referred to a ‘move of the Holy Spirit’. They were exciting days. It was the height of the Charismatic Movement. House groups formed in the 1960s and ‘70s had spilled over into meetings in schools and community halls. Celebration events attracted large crowds with loud music and enthusiastic praise.

Party-time

I remember walking into a hall in 1987 with several hundred people singing and dancing and waving flags. The band and a group of singers were repeating a ditty to thunderous applause with increasing physical participation from the crowd, some of whom were swaying in the aisles and others falling down. I said to one of the leaders, “What’s going on here?” He responded, “Don’t worry! The Lord’s having a party!”

I remember thinking at the time, “I hope the Lord has been invited and that he hasn’t already left!” A decade before that, Monica and I were in the East End of London. The 1970s was the formative, more serious time of charismatic renewal. We had 1000 people on a Saturday evening to ‘Prayer, Praise and Healing’ meetings. At that stage we were still singing the great Bible-based hymns of Wesley and Watts, but by the mid-‘80s the musicians were driving the charisma.

Praise was the order of the day. We were marching through the land, re-claiming dominion over the nation. It was known as ‘Dominion Theology’. We bought into the popular teaching of ‘Power Evangelism’. Christians were going to seize control of the airwaves and the political and social systems of the nation in preparation for the second coming of Christ when we would present the Kingdom to him. It was all down to us!

Going Against Fashion

Right from the start of Prophecy Today we found ourselves going against the fashion. The popular teaching did not stand up to careful comparison with the Bible. We didn’t want to curb the enthusiasm of people who were genuinely caught up in the Holy Spirit, but we were aware of the dangers of deception, so we had to warn. We knew that unless the biblical teaching offered to the people was based upon the plumb line of truth in the word of God it would be deception. The devil who deals in lies is careful to present his teaching as close to the truth as possible, otherwise it would fool no one!

"Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty that they were taking their eye off the wider scene."

We could see that the Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty (which contrasted to the dead traditionalism they were offered in many churches), that they were taking their eye off the wider scene. A similar thing happened several times in the history of Israel when God sent prophets to draw the people back to the truth of the word of God, so that they could stand against enemy attacks. Isaiah had to warn against danger from the Assyrians and Jeremiah against the Babylonians.

Warnings of Danger

In the 1985 publications of Prophecy Today we warned of great danger coming from two directions – one from within the Western nations and the other from outside. The two dangers we identified were – the increasing confidence of secular humanists, and the rising power of militant fundamentalist Islam.

We saw that the secular humanists’ strategy of undermining the Judaeo-Christian heritage and biblically-based foundations of the nations could destroy the spiritual strength of the Church to stand against a religion that was teaching a very different concept of God. We believed that the peace of the world was under threat and that Christians were unaware. They were enjoying their party celebrations, saying “Peace, Peace,” when God was saying “There is no Peace”.

"Christians were enjoying their party celebrations and saying "Peace, Peace", when God was saying "There is no Peace".

In the lead article of the very first issue of Prophecy Today March/April 1985, I drew attention to the rise of fundamentalist Islam in Libya, Syria, Iran and Pakistan and I said “The threat from militant Islam may one day prove to be greater than the threat from atheist Russian Communism”. Thirty years later the truth of this can be seen on the streets of Paris!

First Issue of Prophecy Today

We rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion. We warned against the failure to discern false biblical teaching which would have disastrous social as well as spiritual consequences.

"In the first issue of Prophecy Today, we rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion."

Sadly, these warnings were not heeded and the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission. That is the tragedy we have seen played out in the 1980s and ‘90s that has left the traditional churches bereft of the power that God had provided for the great battle he foresaw.

"Sadly, the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission."

Will we Never Learn?

Today we see the spiritually bankrupt institutional churches with declining congregations selling their buildings for mosques or supermarkets, while the new churches are settling into the same patterns of institutionalisation that brought spiritual ruin to the denominations. Will we never learn? Will we never learn from the history of Israel that disaster always follows failure to heed the warnings God sends to us?

Only God can Heal

We believe God is raising up Prophecy Today at such a time as this, to bring his word to a rebellious generation through the faithful remnant of believers that still exists in the Western nations. We undertake this task, not with any confidence in our own ability, but only with a sense of obedience to God. Only God can heal the nations, and only he can protect his people in times of persecution and give them the spiritual strength to stand firm when all around them is being shaken.

Urgent

God is warning believers that we are moving into the most perilous time in the history of the world, with the nations armed with weapons of mass destruction capable of destroying all life on the planet. There is nothing more urgent than seeking the word of God for our times. That is what we are committed to doing in Prophecy Today, although we undertake this task with fear and trembling.