Paul Luckraft reviews 'God's Tapestry' by Steve Maltz (2015, 224 pages, Saffron Planet)

God's Tapestry completes Steve Maltz's trilogy on the Old Testament and asks the key question: what do we do with the Hebrew Scriptures?

The task he has undertaken is to explore if the Old Testament is still valid (a big 'Yes!') and then whether it is still applicable (an intriguing 'not all of it').

Undaunted by the enormity and complexities of the task, Steve shines his usual bright light into areas of confusion. The result is another shrewd and witty contribution towards helping the Church recover its identity and discover its destiny.

Feasts, Sabbaths and Covenants

All the expected big topics are tackled: Sabbath, Law, Festivals, Covenants. But he is clear that Gentiles within the Church can appropriate all these without becoming Jewish. These are our roots - but we remain wild branches grafted in. For instance, we can appreciate Yom Kippur and see its fulfilment in Jesus, and then share this in love as an outreach to Jewish brothers and sisters.

The chapter on the festivals ('Times of Remembering') is very helpful as Maltz discusses whether these are 'for all time' and 'for Gentile Christians as well as Jews'. He explains how a Passover demonstration can be adapted from a purely Jewish haggadah into a Messianic one. And he quotes at length from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem's website on why Christians are visiting Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

In another shrewd and witty contribution, Maltz undertakes to explore how the Old Testament applies to Christians today.

Maltz's consideration of the Sabbath is very enlightening as he distinguishes between a day of rest and day of worship; one is for the home, the other is for the church. Confusion has arisen by not recognising the difference between these two: a day free from work and dedicated to relaxation, and a day when the Church meets together as a congregation.

The chapters on covenants are especially instructive as Maltz carefully and thoughtfully explains their differences, especially between those made with Abraham and Moses, and what God intended through them. Above all Steve makes it clear that "the covenant with Jesus, established on better promises, is superior to the conditional covenant with Moses, not the everlasting one with Abraham (Hebrews 8:6)" (p91). Anyone who seeks to teach the Bible will benefit from the vital understanding these chapters provide.

Understanding the Torah

But the main heart of the book concerns Torah, which Steve asserts should be thought of as primarily "instructions for life given by God to man to be able to live and worship in the environment in which they lived" (p94). As such, Torah existed before Moses, before it was enshrined in 613 commandments for the Israelites specifically to turn former slaves into a nation fit for purpose - God's purpose. And it certainly exists still, now a Torah of the heart, written there for the same purpose of guiding us along our walk of faith. Being Torah-observant is still valid, even though some practices as given to Israel are no longer appropriate for Gentile Christians.

Maltz unpacks aspects of Jewish living that, as wild branches grafted in to the olive tree, we can appropriate.

If you work through Maltz's thinking on this you will be greatly rewarded and hopefully released from confusion on this important topic. To help us along, he does something that has rarely been done before. In the Appendix he lists the 613 commandments of the Torah of Moses (in biblical order), reproduced by permission of John J Parsons from the Hebrew4Christians website. Taking these as the raw material he explains how we can strike off many of these today, starting with the 200 or so which are specifically concerned with the sacrificial system, priests, tabernacle and Temple.

He continues to reduce the list until we are left with the New Torah of Jesus, about 160 that are relevant and compulsory, with another 100 that are optional. These are the ones to be written on our hearts, our Torah upgrade whose purpose is not to take the place of faith but to give faith substance and enable us to live our faith out. He then gives pointers to their application, drawing on the gospels and Paul. This overall approach clarifies so much and will repay further detailed study for those with time to do so.

Fully Rewarding

As in all his books, Maltz is adamant about ditching Platonic Greek thinking and emphasises repeatedly the need for a Hebraic mindset. He spends a little time discussing the Hebrew Roots movement as "there's an awful lot of confusion triggered by those three words" (p139). He is keen to dispel the false ideas that can surround such terminology.

Maltz lists all 613 of Moses' commandments and pares them down to those that apply to us today – clarifying the New Torah of Jesus, which is to be written on our hearts.

Overall, here is a book that fully rewards the time invested in it, and can be profitably read again and again. Even if you are already familiar with some of the material and topics covered there is still a benefit to be gained as Maltz's approach will drive it home still further. Each chapter ends with a 'Let's Ponder' - two or three questions to help you reflect on what you have just read. The whole book is fascinating and extremely helpful, a great ending to the trilogy. Highly recommended.

Buy 'God's Tapestry' from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10, or together with the other two books in Maltz's 'God trilogy' for £20.

**CONFERENCE ALERT**

Meet Steve Maltz and Prophecy Today's Paul Luckraft at the up-coming Foundations conference (East Anglia)! A weekend of solid teaching, worship, fellowship and opportunity to explore our Hebraic roots - 30 September – 2 October 2016, Belsey Bridge conference centre, Bungay, Suffolk. For prices and information on how to book, click here!

This week's scriptures: Numbers 8:1–12:16; Zechariah 2:14–4:7; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13; Revelation 11:1-19.

Our Torah portion this week focuses on the care, holiness and right choices that God requires of people who live in His Presence, and on some lessons that the Hebrew nation learned in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt.

Everything that God creates and does has an order and a beauty that invite a reverent approach to an awesome God. But the book of Numbers records problems that arose in the young nation from wrong choices made by both leaders and people. Their choices were gateways to either life or death; blessings or curses (Deut 30:19).

In Numbers 8-12 we read of wrong choices made from jealousy or criticism of the appointed leaders, from a desire for personal honour, from greed and lust for worldly luxuries, and from disobedience to God's laws which were given to promote a dependence on, and a trust in His provision. Do we make such wrong choices too? The desert can be a testing place - for us as well, sometimes.

The name 'Numbers' derives from the Greek translators of the Hebrew Scriptures (arithmoi - as in 'arithmetic'). The Latin (Vulgate) version also used this word because the book starts and ends with censuses – 603,550 men at the beginning and 601,730 at the end of their 40-year journey through the desert – itself a measure of God's faithfulness.

However, the Hebrew name, B'midbar (wilderness), better describes the location for the lessons the Israelites learned and how these taught them about the requirements and faithfulness of their covenant-keeping God and His holy nature (Ex 34:6).

The Blessings of Obedience

The Tabernacle, where God chose to 'dwell' with His people, was set up in the area of Mt Sinai almost a year after the institution of the Passover, according to a strict pattern. It was a type of the sanctuary of God's Presence in Heaven (Ex 25:40, Heb 8:5) and was in the centre of the camp.

Moses and Aaron encamped at the single entrance door, the priests and the three Levite families encamped around its perimeter (to guard it), and the 12 tribes encamped at the four sides (each side watched over by one selected tribe).

The head tribe, Judah, encamped behind Moses and Aaron, by the door to the sanctuary (who guards the spiritual 'doors' of our nation?). When the nation moved their camp on the journey through the wilderness, the tribe of Judah led the march with songs of praise. This order reminds us that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5), the Rock who followed them through the wilderness (1 Cor 10:4) and the Door whereby we too may make the right choice to come in and find salvation (John 10:9). Each group had its particular responsibilities and place in the order of marching.

But the people learned about God's nature and provision the hard way, through their grumbling. They complained about their leaders (do we also?) and many died in the rebellion. A hard lesson. Even Aaron's and Moses' elder sister Miriam spoke against Moses, and she became leprous for seven days.

Then the non-Israelites who came with them out of Egypt incited them to complain about the lack of fancy foods in the desert that they had in Egypt, so God gave them 'manna', a simple but adequate staple provision (even double quantities to cover Shabbat). When they continued to murmur, He also gave them meat, but their rejection of Him caused a severe plague and many died at Kibrot hattaavah - the graves of lust, or greed (are we, too, serving mammon in our nation?). Another hard lesson to be learned.

The Holy Place - In Our Homes?

The Holy Place in the Tabernacle was a pattern of what our homes can be, a small Tent of Meeting filled with the Presence of God's light and provision. Such a Godly home can be a tremendous influence in the area where we live, if we too learn of the order, and reverence of our God in wilderness situations, and make right choices to be dependent on His provision.¹

The menorah is a symbol of the light and revelation of God's word of truth, and was set up to flood the Holy Place with light (does God's word in our homes do the same?). It burns with the oil of His Spirit of Truth (John 15:26) to enable us to shine with clarity and power.

This is the same power that was given to the disciples at the Feast of Shavuot which we celebrated earlier this week, when Peter stood up and said, "God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ", and he encouraged all to "Repent and be baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:36, 38).

Time of National Decision

As we take a fresh look at the national choice God has presented us with at this time, let us:

• seek to link the Feasts of Passover and Shavuot, remembering God's redemption from slavery to sin through the shed Blood of Messiah Jesus, and choosing to receive His Spirit of Truth;
• seek to deepen our trust and dependence on his provision, especially in times of wilderness, and not complain when we do not have (or need) the luxuries of this world;
• seek to live in the light of His revealed word, and make our homes tents of meeting where He may dwell with us - Emmanuel - and help us to make right choices;
• seek God's wisdom and discernment about the vital Referendum on 23 June. Our nation is also in a wilderness time. It is a spiritual battle. We need to repent before Him, cry out for mercy, confess the sins of our nation, and make the right choice to cleanse our nation from unGodly influences, that we might again be His salt-and-light witnesses to the world.

Jesus said, "In Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33); and "I am coming, and will live among you. Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day, and will become My people" (Zech 2:11). Paul reminds us that, "These things [in Numbers 8-12] happened to them as examples and...as warnings to us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come" (1 Cor 10:11).

As a nation, let us turn back to our God, make right choices, and respond to the challenge of Joshua: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15) - and of Moses:"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...For the LORD is your life" (Deut 30:19).

References

1 See the challenging testimony in The God-Dependent Life by Joanie Yoder (1991, Hodder & Stoughton).

Author: Greg Stevenson

Paul Luckraft reviews the second book in Steve Maltz's 'God' trilogy (2014).

In his follow-up to God's Signature, Steve Maltz offers us an overview of the entire Old Testament, emphasising its Jewishness and unearthing some of the deeper meanings of the Hebrew text.

In the prologue he admits this is not an exhaustive commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures "but rather a meandering and we won't be visiting the popular beauty spots...Instead, we will be lifting up stones and poking around in the undergrowth...following the unique quirks of the Hebrew mind [and] making connections...often crossing over boundaries erected by theologians to keep us nice and ordered" (p9).

Part One: the Old Testament Story

The book is in two parts, with Part One ('Word') tackling all the books of the Old Testament but in a slightly different order to most English Bibles. Here, as in God's Signature, Maltz is using the One New Man Bible, which he describes as "like walking a well-worn route, but with better fitting boots" (p10). So Job is placed early, among the patriarchs, and Ezra-Nehemiah towards the end, providing a better chronological understanding than our usual Bibles.

Part One forms 90% of the book and is largely a re-telling of the Old Testament story, seeking glimpses of patterns and repeated ideas. Maltz promises us observations, remarks and curiosities as we go on this journey through the Hebrew scriptures, but for most of the time we are simply given a re-capping of the texts. For me there were not enough of these titbits and extra insights to make the book totally absorbing.

Maltz offers an overview of the entire Old Testament, emphasising its Jewishness and unearthing some of the deeper meanings of the Hebrew text.

Nevertheless, this is a very useful resource for teachers and preachers to get a feel for an Old Testament book before turning to commentaries and other material for more concentrated study. Younger Christians would also benefit from the overview Maltz provides and this book will act as an encouragement to get to know the Old Testament better.

Themes and Threads

As always, Maltz is keen to be 'un-Greek' in his approach and reveal how the Hebrew mindset is the best way to tackle these texts. Typically, he will say 'here's the usual understanding' and then explain that though this is not necessarily wrong, it is not the only way - and here's more to think about.

Maltz is successful in convincing us that there is nothing 'old' about the Old Testament. Rather, in its pages we can discover a living God, a real character who is thoroughly involved in the affairs of men.

Finding recurring themes is a good way of demonstrating the validity of these scriptures and the nature of God. One such connecting thread, 'The Way of the Lord', is particularly informative, with clear links into the New Testament and to Jesus himself.

Maltz successfully convinces us that there is nothing 'old' about the Old Testament – rather, in its pages we discover the living God.

The Beginning of a Journey?

Part Two ('Themes') attempts to draw together some of the themes that have emerged in Part One under three main chapter headings: 'Some things we learn about God', 'Some things we learn about man', and 'Some other things we learn' (a typical Maltzian miscellany!).

In some ways, Part Two deserves more space than the remaining 10% of the book allowed. Many themes are rather briefly dealt with and I felt a bit short-changed at times. Nevertheless, there are some very good topics considered here, such as 'The Jews have an undeniable future' and 'There's a lot that hasn't happened yet' – though two pages hardly does justice to the many yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies!

Overall, this is another high quality offering from a fertile mind that is soaked in the scriptures and Spirit-informed. Here is a book that can be read through all at once and also dipped into later as a Bible study aid. The end of the book is really a beginning, as it inspires you to go back to the Old Testament and read it again and again and...

God's Blueprint (220 pages) is available to purchase from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10. All three of Steve Maltz's 'God trilogy' are currently on special offer for £20 (you save £10), until 6 July 2016.

A call to come out of Europe forms a significant thrust to a prophecy of a financial earthquake set to strike Britain.

The prophecy was expounded in a book first published in 1997, and was partially fulfilled by the serious recession of 2008.

But it is believed the 'big one' is yet to come and that it will shake the foundations of the City of London – the world's foremost financial centre – and probably be accompanied by a physical 'quake as judgment on a nation that has forsaken the God of the Bible.

Earthquake in the City?

The book, Earthquake in the City, published by Jesus Is Alive Ministries and co-authored by Clifford Denton and Paul Slennett, takes an in-depth look at the nature of the prophecy, along with its implications and the need for repentance.

Though given to Southend-based Christian bookseller Paul Slennett way back in 1989, it is as relevant today as ever, particularly with next week's EU referendum in mind.

The prophecy speaks of "alarm bells sounding all over Europe" and of an earthquake that will "swallow up the whole City. Whole companies and city institutions will collapse...some never to rise again."

It calls for Church-led repentance which, if taken up, will lead to revival. Then it adds: "In regard to Europe, come out of her...for she will align herself with the Beast and the False Prophet who will arise and appear for just a short while."

This echoes a biblical passage from the Book of Revelation (chapter 18) on the ultimate destruction of a great, but evil, world power – compared to ancient Babylon – that will arise in the last days before Jesus returns.

The prophecy, received in 1989, calls for Church-led repentance which, if taken up, will lead to revival.

Britain Built on Revival

Earthquake in the City reminds us of our Christian heritage, and especially of the Coronation Oath of 1688 through which we have vowed allegiance to the Protestant faith. We are reminded that it was the 18^th Century evangelical revivals that paved the way for 19^th Century social reform including the building of hospitals, the abolition of slavery and child labour, and the introduction of schools for all.

But now we are in the process of throwing away our freedoms, for which we have fought at great cost. Key among these is the undermining of our sovereignty by Europe on an ever-increasing scale. Laws based on the Ten Commandments have now been supplanted by others reflecting secular values and moral relativism.

In addition, Britain – and the Church, which ought to be influencing the nation – should repent of passing godless laws allowing abortion, easy divorce, homosexuality and general promiscuity. And the City will be in the eye of the storm of a coming crash because we have made an idol of the economy. Much of the debate on next week's Referendum has centred on this factor, whereas few have raised the issue of the undemocratic values represented by the EU, or of its disturbing resemblance to the evil world system described in the last book of the Bible (Revelation).

The book warns us of throwing away our hard-won freedoms, including via the EU.

Revival to Come – If There is Repentance

Earthquake in the City also calls on Britain to repent over its betrayal of the Jews, for whom she was given the inestimable privilege of guiding them to statehood. It didn't prevent Israel's re-birth, but we could have done so much more to help them at a time when they were threatened with extinction.

We have allowed godlessness to come in like a flood, and we haven't raised a standard. But, as already mentioned, the prophecy adds a promise of revival if the nation repents.

Clifford Hill asks: could Britain be revived to follow God once more?

What will happen next week if Britain votes to leave the European Union? We hear so much about the dire economic consequences of leaving, but very little about the benefits and the prosperity that could follow - if there were a Christian initiative.

Could Britain become a nation under God - and what would this look like?

There is still a statistically significant number of active Christians in Britain and many prayer meetings have been planned over the next week, drawing together thousands of believers fervently calling upon God for his blessing upon the nation. Will their prayers be effective?

What is God Seeking in His People?

God does not rely upon numbers in making his decisions for judgment or blessings. God told Abraham that if he could find just ten righteous persons in Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities would be spared. So what are the things God looks for in his people before pouring out his blessings? It is certainly not large numbers, nor even moral righteousness, although his people are certainly expected to become righteous.

Moses reported to Israel:

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deut 7:7-9) [emphasis added]

God looks for a particular quality: he primarily looks for people of faith whom he can use in working out his purposes in the world.

Need for Faith

The definitive statement of this mission for Israel is in Isaiah 42:5-9:

This is what the Lord says – he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the Earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

God is a covenant-keeping God who never breaks his promises, but human beings are prone to faithlessness and falling into sin. When this happened with Israel and they cried out to God for forgiveness and help, he willingly forgave them and restored prosperity and blessings to them with a fresh command to do his work in the world – to open eyes that are blind by reflecting God's presence with them.

God is never unfaithful to his people – but when his people are unfaithful to him, he willingly forgives and restores if they return and cry out to him.

That promise was given to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

A similar promise was given to all nations through the Prophet Jeremiah, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned" (18:7-8).

Need for Repentance

What God also looks for is sincere repentance among people who are determined to do something about the moral and spiritual state of the nation; who are prepared to pray in accordance with Isaiah 59:12: "Our offences are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on God...Truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey".

That prayer was offered by the people who were captives in Babylon – they prayed on behalf of the whole nation. God's response was "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord" (Isa 59:21).

This promise could be available for Britain if even a small number of righteous individuals pray in line with the will of God and are determined to put their lives under the direction of his Holy Spirit for transforming the nation.

God is looking for repentant people who are prepared to pray about the moral and spiritual state of their nation.

Need for Action

What is required is not just faith and repentance - we also need to do something about the state of our nation, where the proportion of the population professing a Christian faith continues to decline year on year. "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17).

We are meant to be Christ's ambassadors, through whom God can reveal his nature and purposes and through whom the Holy Spirit can be poured out, as in the days of revival described in this week's article by Clifford Denton, when people's lives were transformed by the Spirit of God.

The result could be a nation under God.

A Radiant Future?

What would such a nation look like? Isaiah 35 gives a picture of such a transformation, when the land blossoms with the glory of the Lord through the presence of his people who are filled with his Spirit and radiating his presence to all around them!

Of course, in taking great steps of faith there are hardships and anxieties, and it does require each believer to be involved. But the Lord urges his people to "strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, be strong, do not fear; your God will come" (Isa 35:3-4).

The details of the blessings that can be expected when a nation puts their trust in the Lord are set out in Deuteronomy 28:3-8:

• "You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country." - Peace and security will cover the whole land.
• "The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock – the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks." - The health of the population and the land will be guaranteed.
• "Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed." - The economy will prosper.
• "You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out." - Borders will be secure.
• "The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated." - There will be protection from terrorism and war.
• "The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to" - The nation will experience great prosperity and blessing in all its endeavours.

Surely this scenario is far better than anything being promised by our political leaders!

There is hope yet!

Over the last two months, high profile arguments for and against the UK remaining in the EU have rarely - if ever – laid out an exciting vision for the future. It is up to those who know the ways of God to set out such vision, considering our history and our future based on the Lord's promises.

As a nation we have reached an important fork in the road. Recently on Prophecy Today UK we have tested some contemporary prophecies that warn us of serious consequences of remaining in the EU. Within those same prophecies is hope for the future, should we decide to come out.

A walk with God into the future, as a nation, is the exciting vision that has been missing from the political campaigns so far. We have walked with him before and we can again - so let us pause and consider our history – and what hope in God might bring for our future.

Looking Back to God's Grace on Britain

1. The Welsh Revival

If, through an outpouring of grace and mercy, Almighty God were to revive our nation, it would not be like the action of some centralised bureaucracy. Each of us would be touched personally by the living God.

The Welsh Revival is well-documented, with records telling us of how God came powerfully to the chapels across Wales in 1904-5. A wave of repentance swept the nation, impacting a generation and saving 100,000 souls. It also triggered awakenings in the rest of Britain and further afield in Scandinavia, North America, Europe and elsewhere.¹

Let me personalise this a little.

My wife's favourite aunt lived in Merthyr Tydfil. Auntie Flor had been the headmistress of the primary school that was destroyed in the Aberfan disaster of October 1966 (thankfully, this happened a few years after she retired). Before this, she had always lived in this mining community of South Wales and knew all about the peaks and troughs of Welsh valley life.

A walk with God into the future, as a nation, is the exciting vision that has been missing from the political campaigns so far.

Her father was a Deacon in the local Baptist Church, and proud she was of her Christian roots. She was a child at the time of the Welsh revival and was proud to have sat under the preaching of Evan Roberts, the 26-year old former collier who led it.

I asked her one day, "What are your best memories of Christianity in Wales?" I can hear her voice in my mind's eye. "Dew", she said in the Welsh way, "After the revival, everyone went to Chapel on Sunday morning except those who were too ill to leave home. You would look out of the window and see a sea of people, all going past our window, down the street, on their way to Chapel."

The many revivals embedded in our history witness to us down through the years, so that a little child called Florence could still testify many decades later to what God had done, holding firm to her faith through all the ups and downs of human experience.

2. The Methodist Revival

Before this, in the 18^th Century, another great revival had swept across our nation. God took hold of John and Charles Wesley and of George Whitfield and demonstrated the power of his Spirit to transform Britain.

The historian JP Green, in his book A Short History of the English People (1874, Macmillan), described Britain prior to the revival in these terms:

The English clergy of the day were the most lifeless in Europe...The greater part of the prominent statesmen of the time were unbelievers in any form of Christianity, and distinguished far by the grossness and immorality of their lives...Purity and fidelity to the marriage vow were sneered out of fashion...The masses of the poor were ignorant and brutal to a degree which is hard to conceive...In the streets of London at one time gin-shops invited every passer-by to get drunk for a penny, or dead drunk for twopence... (p736)

There were almost no schools or religious education, no effective policing, many uncared-for poor people, outbreaks of mob violence and unjust penalties for many crimes. That was the background - but not the main point being made by Green at this point in his book. He went on to say of that time:

In spite however of scenes such as this, England remained at heart religious. In the middle class the old Puritan spirit lived on unchanged, and it was from this class that a religious revival burst forth...which changed after a time the whole tone of English society. The Church was restored to life and activity. Religion carried to the hearts of the people a fresh spirit of moral zeal, while it purified our literature and our manners.

A new philanthropy reformed our prisons, infused clemency and wisdom into our penal laws, abolished the slave trade, and gave the first impulse to popular education. The revival began in a small knot of Oxford students, whose revolt against the religious deadness of their times showed itself in ascetic observances, and enthusiastic devotion, and a methodical regularity of life which gave them the nickname of 'Methodists'.

The sinful nature of Britain before the revival was shameful, but God was gracious and led to repentance multitudes of individuals who came under the power of the Gospel. As a result of this, the nation changed with such continuing momentum that God's grace, despite all, brought us to the second half of the 20^th Century before Britain as a whole began to slide back towards levels of sin comparable with the time before the Methodist Revival.

This tells us that, despite all, there is still hope for our nation – hope fuelled by our records, memory and testimony of what God has done before.

The lasting impact of the Methodist Revival on a sinful Britain tells us that there is still hope for our nation - hope fuelled by testimony of what God has done before.

What Might our Nation Yet Become?

God's grace meets us at point of need. The witness of the Welsh Valleys, ringing with hymns of thanksgiving to the saving grace of the Gospel, brings tears to our eyes even now - a hundred years later. Such is the beauty of God's ministry, in what we term 'revival', meeting the people at their point of need.

Perhaps the need of ordinary families in our nation now is like it was in the Welsh Valleys, but perhaps the conditions in the UK today are more like the days prior to the Methodist Revival. JP Green's description of the days prior to that revival only need a little adapting to describe the days in which we live.

The particular needs of our day are worthy of prayer. We have dwelt much upon the decline of our nation over the years in Prophecy Today, bringing warnings and interpreting the signs of the times, such as Amos might have done for Israel (see Amos 4). Due to our ungodliness, it is as if our wall of protection has been breached, leaving us vulnerable. Yet, might future historians look back and observe (like JP Green did over a century ago) that despite all these things, there was a remnant of faith in the Christian Church that turned to prayer, which God answered?

Could the Gospel once more be preached across the nation leading to repentance, so that laws which displease God will be reversed, literature, art and music purified, the media cleansed, education of children renewed, and all aspects of our society centred on biblical truth?

Will future historians look back and observe that despite the nation's rebellion, there was a remnant of faith in the Church that turned to prayer, which God answered?

The ways in which God promised he would bless Israel if they walked with him as a nation are expressed in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. Dare we believe such promises could come to pass even now, in our own families and in our communities? This week's editorial lays out some of these promises for us to consider before God.

Conditions for Revival

A revived nation will not come about without repentance, the key to which is the preaching of the Gospel. Some of us who have hoped for and prayed for revival over the years, and who have watched the nation decline instead, have sometimes wondered if ours was a false hope. In human thinking it is impossible...but God.

Jeremiah 18:7-8 gives us the promise and the conditions. Jeremiah was at the potter's house, where he was shown that God could re-model a nation just as the potter can re-model a vessel on his wheel.

The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull it down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. [emphasis added]

Anyone who has come under the convicting power of God's Spirit knows that we are not alone – God himself helps us and brings us to the repentance he requires.

Beyond the Referendum

Is it possible to see withdrawal from the EU as the first steps of repentance, helped by God? Can we see beyond the political campaigns? Can we go on to further steps of repentance buoyed up in the prayers of Christians and the proclamation of the Gospel? Will God help us in this?

As our nation declines, in human thinking true revival seems impossible...but God. He will help us, if we are obedient to the conditions he puts before us.

I have no doubt that he will, but we must fulfil any conditions that he puts before us. That is the seriousness of the fork in the road, the decision point, our nation has reached, and the way we walk afterwards, even if we take the decision to leave the EU.

There will be far-reaching consequences, whichever path we take, but there is no doubt about the wonderful things that the Lord will do in our nation if we respond to his invitation. He has helped us before, and can help us again.

References

1 For further information, see the Wikipedia page on the Welsh Revival. You may also be interested in Voices from the Welsh Revival 1904-1905 by Brynmor Pierce Jones. Bryntirion Press, 1995.

Weekly Scriptures: Numbers 4:21-7:89 Judges 13:2-13:25; Acts 21:17-26

This week's Torah portion is called Naso in Hebrew, which translates as take up or lift up, referring to the Lord's command to Moses to take a census of the priestly families (Num 4:21). Numbers 6:1-21 concerns the Nazirite vow.

Nazir in Hebrew means one devoted or consecrated. Applied to a vine, it means 'untrimmed'; similarly, Nazirites were unshorn: they did not cut their hair as a distinguishing public mark of their vow.

The Haftarah passage from Judges 13 is about the early life of Samson and his call to be a Nazirite and the related New Testament passage from Acts 21:17-26 concerns Paul's fulfilment of a Nazirite vow.

The Nazirite Vow in Scripture

The Nazirite vow could be taken by either a man or a woman (Num 6:2), and were taken for a period of time (usually 30 or 60 days). Samson's mother had to live as a Nazirite during her pregnancy (Jud 13:4).

There are only three life-long Nazirites mentioned in Scripture: Samson, Samuel the Prophet and John the Baptist. Samuel's mother had been barren, like Samson's mother, and in gratitude she vowed: "LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head" (1 Sam 1:11).

Regarding John the Baptist, the Lord's command before his birth via an angel was: "He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born" (Luke 1:15).

Paul and the Nazirites

In Acts 21, Paul is challenged about keeping the Law of Moses or Torah:

Then they said to Paul: 'You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.'

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. [emphasis added]

Paul had just been meeting with James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Church. Later Christian historians (e.g. Epiphanius and Eusebius) describe James as a being Nazirite, which may have given rise to the epithet 'the Just' after his name.¹ The Hebrew behind this would be Tzaddik, meaning righteous or just one, which is still used in the Jewish community to describe holy people.

The vow of the four men can be identified as the Nazirite vow because of the hair shaving and the offerings in accordance with the Numbers 6 instructions. Paul was challenged to pay for the expenses of these four Nazirites because it was common for poor people's expenses in fulfilling this vow to be paid by others as a good deed.
He was also being challenged to prove Torah obedience: to show that he kept or guarded (phulassó) the Law (Acts 21:24). The same idea of guardianship describes Torah observance today. If a Jewish person tells you they are shomer Shabbat, it means they are a guardian of the mitzvot, or commandments relating to Shabbat - in other words, they observe the Sabbath.

Paul and the Law

Commentators have struggled to understand why Paul would demonstrate obedience to the Law by agreeing to take part in this vow. This is because most have misunderstood obedience to the Law as belonging to a system of works-righteousness which should therefore not be continued by believers in Jesus, since righteousness only comes through faith in him.

However, Israel was always under a covenant of grace. The Law was given after they were saved through the Passover and rescued from Egypt. Therefore, they were not commanded to obey the Law in order to win God's favour, but to be able to draw closer to a holy God. However, Paul points out in Romans that his Jewish brethren had missed righteousness by faith "because they pursued it [the Torah] not by: faith but as if it were by works."

This caused them to "stumble over the stumbling stone" (Rom 9:32), who was Messiah. They did not comprehend the New Covenant because they were not keeping the Old Covenant in the way God intended. So, although Paul could say that he had kept the Law faultlessly (Phil 3:6), he could simultaneously bemoan the weakness of the flesh (Rom 7:21-23) because obedience to the Law was a matter of external action; it could not deal with the sin struggles of the inner man. Circumcision of the heart was required by the inner cleansing of the Holy Spirit, through submission to the new covenant in Messiah's blood, in faith.

Messianic Jews and the Torah

However, this still does not answer why Paul obeyed the Nazirite vow to prove Torah obedience. Was he simply trying to avoid or postpone trouble?

The issue here is specifically about Jewish obedience to the Torah. Acts 21:25 makes it clear that Gentiles were being taught to obey four basic purity laws only. The disciples had disputed at the Council of Jerusalem about Gentile obedience to the Law, describing it as a heavy yoke: "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?" (Acts 15:10).

In Galatians 5:1, Paul calls Torah obedience a "yoke of slavery". However, he is writing to Gentiles and is pointing out that you do not need the badges of Jewish belonging – circumcision, keeping food purity laws (kashrut) and Sabbath observance - in order to share in the righteousness that only comes through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Torah vs Traditions

To describe the Torah itself as a heavy yoke goes against Scripture's own teaching about it (see Psalm 119, which celebrates the Law). It was the traditions and the spirit of works-righteousness associated with it that had become a burden. To his Jewish followers, Jesus said that his (Torah) burden or "yoke" would be "easy and light" compared to the teachers of the Law of his day. But he made sure to tell them to obey the Pharisees' teaching about the Torah or Law because they were the successors of Moses, though to do it in the right spirit Matt 23:2). So Jesus did not instruct his Jewish followers to reject Torah observance.

Paul allowed freedom of conscience for all believers (Rom 14:5-6). But at the same time, he did not encourage Torah disobedience for Jewish believers in Jesus. He himself went so far in proving his Torah-observance as to take part in a Temple sacrificial ritual, such as that entailed in the Nazirite vow. He risked his life to do so, since giving "notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them" was telling his enemies his whereabouts.²

Many point to Romans 10:4: "Messiah is the end of the Law" to assert that Torah obedience was meant to cease. However, "end" here is telos, meaning goal rather than cessation. Acts 21 shows that Paul remained a Torah-observant Jew after he came to faith in Jesus as Messiah. He had no need to reject the Torah. After all, Jesus was Torah ('the Word') made flesh and obeying it simply took on new meaning. Everything in it pointed to Jesus and confirmed his Messiahship.

Freedom in Messiah

Properly understood, the Torah was to be seen as a "tree of life" (Prov 3:18) and obedience to it "rejoices the soul" (Ps 19:7). The whole of Psalm 119 celebrates it. In Christian tradition, we have a negative view of Law as onerous and burdensome. It is, if you obey it as works-righteousness, but as already pointed out, that was not the spirit of the Torah - it was how man chose to obey it.

Followed in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24) as an act of worshipful obedience, it brings joy. Many Jewish and Gentile believers have found profound satisfaction, joy and enriching of their faith in observing the biblical feasts and the biblical Sabbath (starting on Friday evening with prayers and a family meal).

"It was for freedom that Messiah has set us free" must be the banner of both Jew and Gentile. Jews are free to observe Torah - but in Messiah, not as a means to salvation. Gentiles should not seek to take on the 'badges of covenant' (as circumcision, dietary laws and Sabbath observance have been dubbed) in order to belong to Messiah.

Both Jew and Gentile have direct access to the Lord, by faith in Messiah Jesus.

The Value of Consecration: Rees Howells

However, as we consider Acts 21's implications, we may lose sight of the fact that Paul may also have been approving those who obeyed the Law in order to consecrate themselves to the Lord, which was what the Nazirite vow entailed.

One of the greatest intercessors of the 20^th Century, Rees Howells, was called to live set apart, like a Nazirite or consecrated one.³ He had to sacrifice appearance and reputation, in line with the prophets Ezekiel, Hosea and Isaiah, who were required to adopt unconventional behaviour in order to communicate God's message.

Rees Howells had the habit of praying with his head uncovered and would often pray while walking, but would only uncover his head when quite alone. It was unheard of then to go outside without a hat. It was a disgrace not to do so. The Lord challenged him to be in prayer all day long and to go hatless as a sign of this. "I was to be a spectacle before the whole town. Never had they seen a man out of doors without a hat!"⁴

The Lord said to him that he could not preach on being dead to the world until he could prove that he was dead to the world's opinions. He realised that being respectable, conforming to the world's expectations, was very important to him. But he obeyed and every day he went out hatless. In the end it became harder to disobey than to obey and people became used to it.

A harder test was to come, when God called him to deep intercession for a particular man's soul and challenged him to take the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6 – which meant he could not cut his hair or shave. He said, "I told the Lord it would be far better to die than to do this...To go without a hat was bad enough but this was a thousand times worse...The devil whispered, 'In six months [your hair and beard] will be down to your knees and the only place fit for you will be the asylum. It would not be so bad if you only went there yourself, but the worse of it is, you will send your parents there also.' He said, "I told the Holy Spirit that I knew of no one who had been called to do such a thing in this generation, and how could I ever give in to it?"⁵ Again, the Holy Spirit showed him that his fear of the world's opinion was the reason for his reluctance.

Many of his Christian friends criticised him and said he had gone too far. Some thought he really had gone mad. Only a very few of his friends knew that the Lord had called him to this for the purpose of intercession and to make him dead to the world. But gradually his vow began to affect the world around him. One old man in the village would tell people he was a modern John the Baptist. Another time a man who did not know his name, simply asked the ticket collector at the station where "the man with the Holy Ghost" lived and was directed to Rees Howells.

Afterwards he said, "I thought I would have no fear of going against the world and its opinions, and that it was the easiest thing to be dead to it, but it was the greatest error I have ever believed. I had to be pulled through inch by inch...the self-nature and all its lusts had to be changed for the divine nature. Daily I decreased and he increased."⁶

After six months of walking as a Nazirite, the Lord gave him the assurance that the purpose of the intercession had been achieved. And this was confirmed when he received a letter saying that the man whose soul he had prayed for had been converted.

How different would the Church and our nation be if more of us were really to die to self and radically consecrate ourselves to intercession and to the work of the gospel?

Author: Helen Belton

References

1 E.g. see Ephiphanius, Panarion, 29.4:4,1; also Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 2.23:4.

2 Tannehill, RC, 1994. The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation, Vol Two: The Acts of the Apostles. Fortress, Minneapolis, pp270-271.

3 Grubb, N, 2003. Rees Howells: Intercessor. Lutterworth Press.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

Overwhelmed by the never-ending flood of information and opinion in circulation about the EU Referendum? Help is at hand!

Here is a roundup of helpful resources that we have come across, along with a short overview for each one, so you can decide what it would be most helpful for you to read, watch or share with others. Materials added since last week are in a different colour.

N.B. The materials included here are largely in support of a vote to leave the EU, even though some are published by organisations that have chosen to remain impartial on the whole. It is our firm conviction that a vote 'Leave' is the right way forward for Britain, before God.

If you are looking for resources to support a vote to remain, we recommend Christian Concern's resource list, which features material from both sides of the debate.

READ

Have less than an hour? Read...

• A Christian Case for Leaving the European Union - Duncan Boyd, Protestant Truth Society. Well-argued booklet covering the origins and structure of the EU and current issues in the Referendum debate from a biblical perspective. Available to purchase from the Protestant Truth Society for £1 for single copies. Click here for sample pages and a shorter leaflet version.
• Maranatha Community's call to prayer over the Referendum: What is God's Will for Britain?
• A Christian Perspective on the European Union and the Referendum - Intercessors for Britain. Insightful booklet connecting the rise of the EU with historic empires and discussing issues of citizenship, sovereignty and nationalism from a biblical perspective. Available online but unsuitable for printing – hard copies can be ordered on a donations basis from Intercessors for Britain.
• The Biblical Case for Brexit – Pastor Peter Simpson, Penn Free Methodist Church. Excellent booklet laying out six reasons why Britain should leave the EU on biblical grounds, covering issues like borders, financial management, nationhood and trust in God. Thoroughly recommended. £3.20 for three copies – click here to buy.
• The June/July 2016 issue of HEART News. Features many well-written articles on the Referendum as well as information about local prayer meetings in the South-East. HEART is a Christian outreach paper circulated widely in churches in the South-East, and elsewhere. Some articles are available on the HEART website, where there is also information about subscriptions.

Time no object? You might enjoy...

• Babylon in Europe – David Hathaway. Small book making links between the EU and Bible prophecy and unpacks the deliberate exclusion of God from the EU's constitution and foundational principles. See below for information about David's accompanying film, 'The Rape of Europe'. Click here for our review of Babylon in Europe, and information on purchasing.

For ease of access, here is a full list of all the articles we have published on Prophecy Today UK concerning the EU Referendum, in order of most recent publication.

• A Nation Under God? (Dr Clifford Hill)
• After the Referendum: What Might Our Nation Become? (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Prophetic Call to "Come Out of Europe!" (Charles Gardner)
• D'Day For Europe (Dr Clifford Hill)
• The Threat to British Justice (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Defence of the British Parliament (Viscount Tonypandy)
• Rigging the Referendum? (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Integration Into EU Would Betray Coronation Oath (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Life and Prosperity (Dr Clifford Hill)
• The Referendum: An Exercise in Bullying (Dr Clifford Hill)
• 'Come Out of Her My People': Beyond the EU Referendum (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Boris Bashing (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Britain and Europe: Meltdown and Mission (Dr Peter Carruthers)
• Why Should We Leave the EU? (Helen Belton)
• The Great Debate (Dr Clifford Hill)

WATCH

Have less than an hour? Watch...

• The EU & Magna Carta: The Price of Freedom. Documentary by former lawyers Roger and Kate Stanway, about the nature of the EU and how it impacts upon our own constitution, laws and freedoms. What is the future for British national identity – and even the monarchy – if we remain in the EU? An excellent exploration of the issues we face today. Watch online for free. Runs just over half an hour. Accompanying video series (2015) on the Magna Carta also available.
• A Christian Perspective on the EU and the Referendum. 12 minute Youtube video from Intercessors for Britain, laying out six key debate questions from a biblical point of view.
• Series of short Youtube videos from Christian Voice, narrated by Stephen Green. Covering various aspects of the EU from a biblical perspective. Each less than four minutes long. See the Christian Voice Youtube channel.

Have time for a feature-length film? We recommend...

• Magna Carta Unlocked - Sceptred Isle Productions. Five-episode historical series looking at Britain's heritage through Magna Carta and its impacts down through the centuries. How can we decide our future regarding Europe unless we understand our past? Watch the trailer, stream online (£2 per episode or £5 for all five) or buy the DVD for £12.50 - all on the Magna Carta Unlocked website.
• The Rape of Europe – David Hathaway. Feature-length film proposing a biblical understanding of the EU. Available on Youtube.
• Brexit the Movie. Well-made, feature-length campaign documentary supporting a vote to leave. Secular in perspective. Covers issues of democracy, bureaucracy, trade, the EU's history and its future. Crowd-funded by over 1,800 members of the public. Watch online for free, or click here for details of local screenings, or to host your own. Runs just over an hour (can be watched in shorter segments on the official website). Also available on Youtube.

GO

There are several of meetings happening up and down the country for Christians to pray and discuss the Referendum from a biblical perspective. Here are a few that we know of – do get in touch if you know of others we can feature!

BIRMINGHAM, Saturday 18 June. Every Vote Counts: prayer for the Referendum. Birmingham City Church, The Parade, B1 2QQ. 10:30am-3pm. World Prayer Centre event.

BIRMINGHAM, Thursday 23 June. The World Prayer Centre Prayer room will be open from 9:30-11:30am for those who would like to come and pray for the Referendum on voting day. Cornerstone House, 5 Ethel St, B2 4BG.

BRISTOL, Thursday 23 June. Prayer for Europe. From 5:00pm-10:00pm at Keynsham Elim Church, Balmoral Road, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1AL. Please register your interest here.

ESSEX, Wednesday 22 June. Prayer for the nation and the Referendum. 9am-1pm and 6-9pm at St Mary's, Dock Road, Little Thurrock, Grays, Essex, RM17 6EX. More information here.

KENT, Saturday 18 June. Prayer event in conjunction with Thanet PrayerNet. From 7-9pm, Newington Free Church, St John's Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6JD. More details here.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Saturday 18 June. A time of fasting and prayer focusing on the Referendum, organised by Mike and Pat Doherty. 10:30am for an 11am start. The Pavilion, Cleethorpes, DN35 8AB. Register your interest by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LONDON, Saturday 18 June. Intercessors for Britain prayer day. Speakers to include Adrian Hilton, author of 'The Principality and Power of Europe'. 10:30am-6pm, Regents Hall (Salvation Army), Oxford Street, London, W1C 2DJ. Contact Intercessors for Britain for more information.

LONDON, Saturday 18 June. Prayer event in conjunction with Britain Prayer Court. 10am-2pm at the Emmanuel Centre, 9 Marsham St, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW. Click here for more details and to RSVP.

With input from experts in the legal profession, Clifford Hill reflects upon some of the judicial issues involved in the Referendum debate.

The British justice system is incompatible with the system of justice operated by the European Court. That is the verdict of senior lawyers in Britain who have first-hand experience of dealing with the European Union. Problems arise from the fundamentally different traditions of law between Britain and continental nations.

British legal tradition is based upon biblical principles. Above the state entrance to the Old Bailey, Britain's Central Criminal Court, are inscribed the words:

"Defend the children of the poor. Punish the wrong doer".

These words are based upon Psalm 82:3 which says, "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed".

Common Law Tradition

The British traditions of law, based upon the Common Law of England¹ (going back to the days of Magna Carta), are rooted in the Bible. Justice is considered on a case-by-case basis rather than in conformity to some abstract concept of law.

English Common Law is an unwritten law which has been evolving for many centuries. It reflects the common customs of the kingdom and is based upon reference to previous judgments. Precedents are formed as the number of judgments increase on a particular issue and these become guidelines for judges in deciding similar cases.

Changes in society sometimes trigger new issues in law. Common law judges are free to depart from precedent to establish a fresh judgment, thus setting a new precedent. This demonstrates the dynamic character of Common Law which is always changing in order to be relevant in a changing society.

English Common Law is unwritten, dynamic and flexible - relevant to a changing society - and has developed along biblical lines.

European Civil Law

In contrast to British Common Law, European Civil Law is a system based upon ancient Roman law in which judges resolve cases by referring to established principles. The Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD formed a collection of ancient pagan Roman law.²

The Napoleonic Code in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer. See Photo Credits.This became the basis of the 'Code of Justinian', which in mediaeval times quickly spread throughout the countries which now form the western part of the European Union. Local statutes and customs were codified in order to form a harmonised body of law throughout the continent. Historically only England remained apart from this until Britain joined the European Union.

Roman law had its origin in pagan and Imperial Rome and during the 18^th and 19^th centuries its codification was influenced by atheistic and humanistic ethics derived from revolutionary France. This system of Civil Law was adopted by most continental countries producing a strong measure of unification which was adopted by the European Union, replacing national differences in law with international practices.

Since the 18^th Century, political leaders in Europe have regarded legal codes as necessary instruments for establishing national unity and enforcing central authority. Napoleon's objective in the 'Napoleonic Code' was to secure his conquests and this code became the basis of the legal systems of some of the founding members of the European Union such as the Netherlands and Belgium.³

By contrast, European Civil Law is based on established principles and codes collected over the centuries and influenced by both pagan and atheistic societies.

Comparing Civil Law and Common Law

There are fundamental philosophical differences between these two systems of law.⁴ For example, the 'Law of Evidence' which is an integral part of Common Law has no counterpart in the Civil Law practised in the European Union because there is no such thing as 'inadmissible evidence' in continental Europe.

Most continental countries separate their administrative courts, from those that deal with criminal cases and private law disputes. Under Common Law all kinds of disputes are determined in the same courts, in order to apply the same rules of fairness and justice.

In England a fast growing area of law is 'judicial review' which, on a daily basis, challenges the actions of politicians and quangos, thus holding our Government accountable to law.⁵ It is difficult to imagine this happening on the continent under the philosophy of Civil Law. Civil Law systems usually uphold all contractual promises and then enforce penalty clauses. In England Lord Denning in the post-World War II period pioneered a system of justice whereby contracting parties would be protected when the contractual terms are deemed to be unjust.

Another difference between Civil Law and Common Law systems is in terms of personnel. Under Common Law judges are drawn from barristers with many years of practical experience in dealing with justice whereas under Civil Law they are usually career bureaucrats serving the state. Trial by jury is an essential element in Common Law where it is the right of individuals to be tried by their peers. This is not often used in civil law on the continent where cases are decided by professional judges. In some continental countries laymen are used but not as jurors but as lay judges alongside professional judges.

There are fundamental differences between Common Law and Civil Law, which mean different attitudes to evidence, courts, jury and personnel.

What of the future?

The continental system of law adopted by the European Union is imperial and uniform and allows no differences for national law. The EU constantly sends out a stream of legal regulations which change our laws and bind our Parliament and our courts. Even our criminal law is not safe from EU interference and we are not able to deport convicted criminals to their countries of origin who appeal to the European court on grounds of the infringement of their human rights.⁶

In the article by Viscount Tonypandy that we published last week, he referred to the famous case of our Fisheries Act being declared illegal by the European court which overrode legislation passed by our elected Parliament. This effectively destroyed the livelihoods of our fishing fleets working in our own waters from Cornwall to Scotland.

It is the declared intention of the Commissioners of the European Union to move towards closer and binding integration. If Britain remains in the EU, our entire system of justice will be threatened. The threat is from two sources: from the mass of legislation that seeks not only to regulate but to standardise all the member nations of the European Union, and from the decisions of the European court which override national laws of member states.

In a federal Europe, towards which the EU is moving, the system of law that will be imposed upon us will be interpreted by judges who bind our judges by their decisions and there will be no room for our traditions of Common Law.

In a federal Europe, the system of law imposed upon us would leave no room for our Common Law traditions.

Our national heritage, based upon concepts of law drawn from the Bible, will be swept away by the European Union. We must ask ourselves whether it is more important to ensure that justice before God is shown to all people or whether we merely administer man-made laws.

On the 23 June 2016 we will be faced with a choice similar to that offered by Joshua to the people of Israel, whether or not to put our trust in God. He said "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you." He added the declaration: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Josh 24:20 and 24:15).

References

1 See Common law, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

2 Codex Justinianus, Wikipedia.

3 See The Napoleonic Code, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

4 For differences other than those mentioned here, a useful discussion can be found here: The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions, University of Berkeley, California.

5 See Judicial review in English law, Wikipedia.

6 EU laws 'prohibit UK from sending foreign criminals home'. BBC News, 7 June 2016.

The Feast of Pentecost (or Shavuot) is the perfect time to celebrate the miraculous birth of the Church – and a reminder that all further growth is equally supernatural.

The original outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place on what is also known as the Feast of Weeks – seven weeks or 50 days after Passover, when Jesus was crucified. It's a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, and it's interesting to note that the number of disciples increased sevenfold on the Day of Pentecost. For 3,000 souls were added to the 500 already following Jesus Messiah (Acts 2:41; 1 Cor 15:6).

Shavuot is also traditionally (as encouraged by the rabbis) the anniversary of the giving of the Law (Ten Commandments) to Moses on Mt Sinai and, on this level, is also fulfilled in Jesus who came, not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them, as he stated so clearly in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:17).

In fact, he now writes the law on our hearts and minds (Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:26f), not on tablets of stone, to enable us the more easily to follow its precepts. And he spelt it out 'on the Mount', as his Father had done through Moses.

Power from On High

Even though the 'established' congregation of Jesus's first disciples had clearly been born again as, through Divine revelation, they recognised Jesus as their Messiah, they still needed "power from on high" (Luke 24:49) for any significant missionary success. If they wished to get beyond what was humanly possible through persuasion, supernatural help was necessary.

As it happened, Jews from throughout the known world were in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast, the disciples having waited in the city in obedience to Jesus's command to wait until they were endued with heaven-sent boldness.

Even though Jesus's first disciples were born again, they still needed 'power from on high'.

They weren't told how it would be manifested, so they would have been profoundly shocked to witness tongues of fire resting on each one of them. But it was a sign of how their message would be conveyed. For they suddenly found themselves speaking in languages they had never learnt – and thus it was that the gospel spread like wildfire.
It was a reversal of the Tower of Babel, when men failed in their rebellious efforts to reach the heavens as God confused their language. But now, in these last days, the gospel preached in every tongue unites all who follow Christ, creating "one new man" born of his Spirit (Eph 2:15).

'Pentecostal' Outpouring

The Apostle Peter saw it as the fulfilment of Joel's prophecy of when God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh, which surely also speaks of the time approaching Jesus's return – the last of the last days – when another great revival would circle the globe.

There can be little doubt that a 'Pentecostal' outpouring has been gaining pace over the past 100 years. I have studied the worldwide Pentecostal movement myself – and written a book about it, Tongues of Fire (Sable Publishing) – and I implore readers to wholeheartedly embrace the kind of empowering we really cannot do without if we are to maximise our impact on the world (though I am not saying you must necessarily accept everything 'charismatic' as kosher).

We need to get away from doing things 'in the flesh', restricted by our human intuition and emotions, when God wants to fill us with power from on high. One of my favourite stories from Pentecostal history is of Henry Garlock, an American sent as a missionary to West Africa in 1920.

His denomination didn't believe in 'tongue-speaking' but, when he faced the prospect of ending up in the cooking pot of a tribe of cannibals he had inadvertently upset, he suddenly found himself speaking a language he had never learnt and it got him and his colleague out of very hot water! Although he had no idea what he was saying at the time, it turned out that he had been persuading them to kill a rooster in their place! And the incident set the ball rolling for the conversion of the entire tribe.

We need to get away from doing things 'in the flesh', restricted by our human intuition and emotions.

Pentecost Comes with Persecution

Some Pentecostals have gained a reputation for over-the-top methods and much excitement, which may seem out of place. But there's a balance to all this exuberance. For Pentecost comes with persecution, which is what happened to those first believers: Stephen, empowered by the Spirit, was stoned to death! Others were crucified, or thrown into arenas to be torn apart by wild animals.

Today it's happening all over again in Syria and elsewhere, where true Christians are being beheaded for their faith. Even in the UK Christians are losing their jobs and landing up in court for refusing to compromise.

Indeed, Joel prophesied that a latter-day heavenly outpouring would be accompanied by "blood and fire and billows of smoke" on earth (Joel 2:30). Israel's fortunes would be restored, but its enemies judged (Joel 3:1f); and like a wounded snake, evildoers will lash out at those who stand with God.

So although we are witnessing a global revival – with massive church growth in Asia, Africa and South America – the pressure to conform to ungodly ways remains severe. The Bible speaks much of a "remnant" (e.g. Acts 15:17) holding onto God's Word, and Jesus asked: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). When things got tough, when his teaching seemed too hard, "many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him" (John 6:66).

By all means allow yourself to be caught up in the excitement of God's blessings; but at the same time make up your mind that you're going to follow Jesus no matter what. There will be tears, but you will triumph in the end. And Jesus will wipe your tears away (Rev 7:17).

So seek God with all your heart and allow yourself to be baptised¹ in the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost comes with persecution - by all means allow yourself to be caught up in the excitement of God's blessings, but also make up your mind to follow Jesus no matter what.

Revival for Israel?

A very significant revival took place in Pensacola, Florida, in the mid-1990s and I'm sure it was no coincidence that Messianic Jew Dr Michael Brown played a key role there with his profound teaching ministry.

Perhaps we are about to witness a great outpouring in Israel itself. It's 49 years since Jerusalem's Old City was restored to the Jews for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. That year – 1967 – also marked the beginning of the 'Charismatic' wave of the Holy Spirit (a second stage of the modern-day Pentecostal movement) in the old established churches. And it was the very same year that saw the birth of Messianic Jewish congregations in the Land.

Will Israel experience Pentecost in the 50^th year since restoration?

References

1 From the Greek baptizo meaning 'to immerse, plunge or dip'.