So, we’ve all got to wear masks from next week. We will be a masked nation. According to the Oxford Dictionary a mask is worn either for disguise or for reasons of hygiene. Full face masks are traditionally worn to disguise one’s identity, but even a half face cover affects our ability to communicate. For deaf people who rely upon lipreading it is a disaster: but for all of us, it radically affects our means of social communication.

Facial Expressions

We rely very much upon our facial expressions to communicate our feelings of joy or sorrow, anger or disgust. Our facial expressions are far more important than our words. It is not just what we say, but how we say it that matters.

What we say in writing is going to be incredibly important in the absence of face-to-face communication. We all know how emails can create confusion and how great harm can be done through the misuse of social media – spreading lies, fake news and personal abuse.

Can We See Any Light?

Is there any hope? For how much longer do we have to go on wearing face masks? Can we see any light at the end of the tunnel? The news from around the world of how the virus is still spreading is not very encouraging, and scientists are already warning us of what may happen as we approach the winter and come into the ‘flu season.

It is at this point that Bible-believing Christians have a role of great importance to assume in the life of the nation. We know who sent the virus; for what purpose, and for what outcome. In Prophecy Today since 1986 we have been warning that God was going to shake all nations. Of course, we did not know the details of how this was going to happen. But we know God’s traditional instruments include ‘plague’ and ‘disease’, so it is no surprise to see the coronavirus pandemic reaching every nation around the globe and a plague of locusts said to be of ‘biblical portions’ spreading across vast areas of the Middle East and Africa. All these things are not coincidences!!

Bible-believing Christians have a role of great importance to assume in the life of the nation.

Two Major Sins

So, what is God saying? What is his purpose in shaking the nations? The Bible makes it perfectly clear through the history of the people of Israel with whom God had established a covenant relationship – when disaster struck them it was because of two major sins – idolatry and the shedding of innocent blood. These were the two things that inevitably brought trouble upon the people and which could only be stopped by repentance and turning around – changing their ways.

After the destruction of Jerusalem and the people were taken into exile in Babylon, God said “When the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions…So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols” (Ezek 36:17-18).

Red Lines Crossed

In Britain we have brought the judgment of God upon the nation because, since 1967, we have torn from their mothers’ wombs nine million babies and burnt them in incinerators. The final red line was crossed after we redefined marriage and went on to challenge gender – the heart of God’s creation of human beings as male and female. When we began teaching this to our children in the nation’s schools, God said, “They have defiled the land with their idols!”

When you walk into the Department of Education in Whitehall you are greeted by a rainbow in the entrance hall declaring to the world that defiance of God’s word is what we are teaching our children!

Until the Church – or at least the Bible-believing remnant in the nation – have the courage to stand up and tell the Government and the people why judgment has come upon the land – there will be no change. We will go on struggling behind our masks wondering if this is ever going to end.

The Bible Gives Hope

But when declaring the word of God, the Bible never leaves us without hope! The word we have just quoted from Ezekiel about God pouring out his wrath upon the people was immediately followed by the vision of the ‘Valley of Dry Bones’ in Ezekiel 37. The Prophet was not just taken in the spirit to see a valley covered with the bones of his countrymen; he was “taken to and fro among them”. He was forced to see the full reality of the dry bones in the valley of death that was the consequence of God removing his cover of protection from over the nation.

When declaring the word of God, the Bible never leaves us without hope!

The Dry Bones

But God promised an outpouring of his Spirit to bring new life to his people. “Can these bones live?” And then came the command: “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’” (how we long to hear that command in our nation today!).

This was immediately followed by the promise, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Our English translations say that there was “a rattling sound” as the bones came together. This is a terrible translation! The Hebrew literally says “there was a thunderous noise” as the bones came together. This vision represents a colossal miracle taking place as the power of God swept over the mountains descending into the valley of death, bringing new life to the dry skeletons. Only the English could be so polite (or pathetic!) as to call it “a rattling sound”.

The Thunderous Noise

I believe this vision of new life coming into the dry bones has great relevance for us today. Back in the 1980s when we first heard the warning of a great shaking, we also heard that it would become so intense that even unbelievers would be crying out to God for help – saying “Oh God help us!” At that point there would be a new openness to truth and a great opportunity for believers to declare the gospel, resulting in multitudes accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

We may not be far off that day when the 'thunderous noise’ will once again be heard, when the Spirit of God descends upon the faithful remnant – breaking the silence of the Church! And re-energising and equipping God’s people with the boldness to declare the word of God to the nation – and multitudes will hear the truth and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour!!!!

“After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgements” (Rev 19:1).