The spiritual battle raging for control of Europe has deep historical roots.
The Prophecy Today Editorial Board met earlier this week and in a time of prayer we were seeking guidance for the content of this editorial, as we approach Referendum day on 23 June.
It is in many senses a 'D-Day'– a decision day which may become a 'Deliverance Day', as it was in 1944.
We were actually meeting on 6 June and we remembered the thousands of young men who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy on that day more than 70 years ago. As we prayed about this it became clear to us that it is the same battle being waged today – a great spiritual battle over Europe.
The Battle to Control Europe
This battle has been raging for centuries. From Charlemagne to Hitler, there have been many attempts to unify and dominate Europe – to bring all the nations of the continent under one ruling authority. What is it about Europe that makes it such a special target for those who want to rule? Why has the continent been driven by war between neighbouring nations for centuries and then in the 20th Century been the centre of two incredibly destructive and bloody World Wars?
Could it be that there is something in the history of the continent that has got into its very DNA and which is now fighting its greatest battle for control?
Few people would deny that Hitler and his Third Reich were a demonically directed force aiming to control the whole of Europe, from the Irish Sea to the Urals. Today there are many indications that the European Union has a similar objective.
The fact that the EU has chosen to adorn its headquarters in Brussels with the statue of 'a woman riding the beast' from Greek mythology (many Christians relate this to Revelation 17) and has refused to acknowledge the Judaeo-Christian heritage of Europe in its constitution, shows how much pagan and secular humanist ideologies now dominate the continent, which was once the world centre of Christianity.
The battle to unify and dominate Europe has been raging for centuries, in different guises.
Gotthard Tunnel Opening
The opening of the Gotthard Tunnel between Switzerland and Italy on 2 June showed that the pagan spirit is very much alive in central Europe. The ceremony actually involved Satanist rituals with a cohort of acrobats representing miners in orange jumpsuits marching like zombies towards the tunnel entrance. The miners were ritualistically sacrificed in the tunnel and emerged as veiled spirits, at which point an actor dressed as a goat ritualistically consumed and mated with the veiled dancers.
All this took place in the presence of President François Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Johannes Schneider-Ammann of Switzerland and a very large crowd of sightseers. A group of church leaders also took part in a ceremony, dedicating a plaque to Saint Barbara, said to be the patron saint of miners. For more information, click here for TruNews' coverage. It is surely a demonstration of how far Europe has departed from its Judaeo-Christian roots!
Historical Turning Point
Our prayer time in the Editorial Board meeting led me to explore the spiritual history of Europe. Was there a great turning point in this history that was of huge significance?
I believe there was - and it may be found right back in the fourth century AD when the Emperor Constantine, a new convert to Christianity, called Christian leaders together from around the Roman Empire and presided over the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD - but he refused to invite any of the Jewish leaders of the Church.
Constantine had formerly been a sun worshipper and he hated Jews, who he described as 'detestable' and 'deservedly afflicted'.1 He made Sunday the official day of rest for the Roman Empire and discarded the Hebraic calendar and feasts, for instance replacing Passover with Easter.
The recent events at the Gotthard Tunnel opening in Switzerland show just how far Europe has departed from its biblical heritage.
Fresco depicting the First Council of Nicaea.From New Testament times the Church had been predominantly led by Jewish believers in Jesus and even after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jews were still in the majority in the Church. Following the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against Roman rule in 138 AD when half a million Jews in Judaea were murdered, all Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Judaea. Gentiles rapidly became a majority in the Church and centres such as Antioch, Alexandria, Ephesus and Rome replaced Jerusalem as centres of Christian leadership.
The Council of Nicaea was a seminal moment in Church history, but Messianic Jews were excluded from it by Constantine. The sharp theological dispute between Arius and Athanasius which sorely divided the Church could easily have been resolved by a Hebraic theologian but there was not a single Hebrew-speaking Christian in attendance.
This was a great turning point in Church history when the Gentile Church rejected its Hebrew roots, discarding its biblical heritage and leaving the way open for the growth of anti-Semitism which has plagued Europe ever since that time.2
Jewish Persecution by Christians
Throughout European history since Roman times, Jews have been actively persecuted by Church leaders and slaughtered by Christians. As a young man, it was Luther's fervent desire to see Jews regain their place in the Church. In 1523 he wrote an essay 'That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew', urging Christians to treat Jews kindly. He said that church leaders had treated Jews with great injustice:
As if they were dogs rather than human beings; they have done little else than deride them and seize their property...If the apostles, who also were Jews, had dealt with us Gentiles as we Gentiles deal with the Jews, there would never have been a Christian among the Gentiles.3
Sadly, when the Jews refused to convert to Gentile Christianity he became their enemy, and urged the German princes to drive them from the land. In 1543 he wrote a 65,000-word anti-Jewish treatise, 'On the Jews and Their Lies' which was widely used by the Nazis in justifying their policy to exterminate all Jews in Europe.
In Britain, our record in the mediaeval period was not been much better than the Nazis' in the 20th Century, with outbreaks of violence in towns and cities across England. In 1190, 30 Jews were beaten or trampled to death in London riots. In the same year, over 150 Jews died in Clifford's Tower in York, 57 were massacred on Palm Sunday in Bury St Edmunds and there were pogroms in several other towns.
These outbreaks of violence continued for another hundred years until in 1263, when 400 Jews were massacred on Palm Sunday in London. In 1278, when 680 Jews were imprisoned in the Tower, 290 were hanged. Then in 1290 the King in Council passed a law expelling all Jews from England – the first general expulsion of Jews from any country.4
A great turning point in Europe's spiritual history was the Council of Nicaea, when Jews were excluded and the Hebraic roots of Christianity discarded.
Anti-Semitism Rising Today
Today, anti-Semitism is on the rise again throughout Europe and is especially severe in France and Germany, where there are large communities of Muslims. In Britain anti-Semitism is endemic but often hidden, as in our universities and in large business enterprises such as the Co-op, which boycotts Israeli produce.
Sadly, the roots of this anti-Semitism are in the Church in what theologians call 'Replacement Theology', whereby Gentiles are said to have 'replaced' Jews in their covenant relationship with God.
This false theology, based upon inadequate biblical knowledge, appeals strongly to people with innate racist tendencies and is a powerful force among many church leaders. But it is also responsible for robbing the gospel of power by cutting the Church off from its biblical roots, opening Europe to the power of secular humanism, paganism and the onslaught of Islam.
Spiritual Attack on Europe
Today Europe is under enormous spiritual attack, at a time when it has deliberately rejected its biblical foundations and is adrift in perilous seas, while its leaders lack both compass and rudder.
Economically, they have no idea how to deal with the unsustainable amount of debt and unemployment that has been created across the Eurozone by trying to force all their economies into a single financial system. Meanwhile, mega financial organisations want Britain to remain in the EU to keep the ship afloat a bit longer, so that they can continue making vast fortunes from the mounting crises in the continent.
The rejection of our Hebraic roots has opened the door for centuries of anti-Semitism and the onslaught of other religions.
Europe is also under a great spiritual attack caused by the imploding of Islam throughout the Middle East with conflicts between Sunnis and Shias becoming more violent and destructive by the day. This is creating vast numbers of refugees and migrants - and likely will continue for decades until Islam finally destroys itself - which could take the rest of this century.
In the meantime, Muslims continue to pour into Europe. Without a strong evangelical Church and Christians on fire with the gospel to love their new neighbours and bring them to Jesus, the Islamisation of Europe is almost inevitable – unless God intervenes.
D-Day Approaches
Is it possible that God is giving Britain the opportunity on 23 June to escape the worst of the tragedy that is likely to descend upon Europe? Are we being offered a 'Deliverance Day' from the EU? God has promised that if any nation puts their trust in him he will guarantee their protection and prosperity.
The following are a few of the scriptures that Christians should be considering before casting their vote. A promise given to Israel through Moses lays down a seminal spiritual principle:
When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you. (Deut 30:2)
This was extended to all nations through the promise given to 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. (Jer 18:7)
This month Britain has the opportunity of taking a bold step towards becoming 'A Nation Under God', whose trust is in the Lord. That cannot be achieved without recognising the plight we are in and asking God's forgiveness. Like the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, there would be an immediate response from God.
Are the prayers of the faithful remnant sufficiently powerful to save the nation? If Britain votes to come out of the European Union, can we become 'A Nation Under God'? What would such a nation look like?
That is the theme of next week's editorial.
References
1 Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, chapter 18.
2 This has been supported by the anti-Semitic teachings of the 'Church Fathers', including Chrysostom, Irenaeus and Augustine.
3 Luther, M, 1523. That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew. Trans. Walter I. Brandt, in Luther's Works (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1962), pp200-201, 229.
4 See Roth, C, 1941. History of Jews in England. OUP, 3rd revised edition 1978.
Is there a connection to France's Israel policy?
Although news of the devastation caused by flooding in France and Germany has rightly elicited both shock and sympathy, I couldn't help connecting it with the new 'peace' efforts Europe is trying to foist on Israel.1
And it now looks like President Obama will be supporting the French plan to impose Palestinian demands upon Israel.
As I've outlined in my book Peace in Jerusalem2 in a chapter headed 'God's political storms' – sparked off by controversy over the floods that beset Britain two years ago – natural disasters have accompanied virtually every attempt by the US Government to impose a 'two-state solution' on the Jewish state which would divide the land in direct contravention of God's word.
For God has made clear that he will judge those who scatter his people among the nations and divide up his land (Joel 3:2). And Psalm 83 paints an accurate picture of the policy and intentions of Israel's enemies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, who say, "Come, let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more" (Ps 83:4). And the same psalm calls on the God of Israel to pursue the plotters "with your tempest and terrify them with your storm" (Ps 83:15).
Psalm 83 in Action
George Bush Snr's 'land for peace' Oslo Accord of 31 October 1991 was followed the very next day by 'The Perfect Storm', as it was dubbed, which ended up demolishing his own home. A year later, on the very day he presided over further moves to push this agreement, Hurricane Andrew – the worst natural disaster ever to hit America at that time – destroyed over 180,000 homes in Florida, causing over $30 billion in damage.
There have been a string of similar such incidents including, perhaps most notably, the terrible floods that struck New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, just as Jews were being evicted from their homes in Gaza as part of a 'peace' plan Israel was pressured into accepting by America and the international community.3 But Gaza subsequently became the launch-pad for constant rocket fire aimed at the destruction of Israel, which is the ultimate aim of the Palestinian Authority and its allies.
The politicians may mock, but the Almighty is watching over his own special piece of property, and Western leaders are invoking disasters on their people, costing many lives and billions of dollars. Yet few apparently see the link with their foolish stubbornness in defying the God of Israel.
Call to Repentance
What is God saying in all this? We have various biblical parallels. When the Tower of Siloam fell (Luke 13:1-5), it was not a punishment for the 18 who died but a general warning sign and call to repentance to the nation and, in particular, its leaders. The prophet Amos (see Amos 4) interpreted signs in Israel, progressive in intensity and affecting both the natural world and the lives of the Israelites, as signs that God was sending as a call to repentance.
In a similar way, the signs today are a call to repentance. The painful experiences of floods, and whatever else may befall a nation at the hand of God, can be understood as both the anger and love of God, calling the nations to repent (in this case specifically concerning their treatment of Israel).
Oh that we too – and our leaders – would seek more than anything to obey the Lord of the universe!
References
1 Others have also made this connection, including the Jerusalem News Network and Breaking Israel News.
2 2013, available from www.olivepresspublisher.com.
3 Ibid.
Paul Luckraft reviews 'God's Signature' by Steve Maltz (2012)
God's Signature is the first of a trilogy of books by Steve Maltz in which he turns his attention to the Hebrew scriptures. Subtitled 'The Wonders of the Hebrew Scriptures', the author claims that we will gain "a whole new layer of understanding of our wonderful God and His wonderful book though our exploration of His wonderful language, Hebrew" (p11).
His aim is to find God's unique signature within the scriptures. This is not a book about man's ideas and interpretive approaches to God's word, rather it explores how God chose to say things, the method and manner by which he communicated his divine will and purpose. When God decided to speak to mankind through people like Abraham and Moses, he had to give them the best language possible to reveal his thoughts and feelings. And that language was Hebrew.
Dip into the Delights of Hebrew
Maltz assures us that his book is not intended as a Hebrew primer or a series of tutorials. Rather, it is a dip into the delights of the Hebrew language and how it can help us understand God's word. We are treated to a series of word studies, plus several insights into how Hebrew works as a language and why it is so different from English.
However, he does rather dart around and the overall impression is one of 'bits and pieces', rather than an organised journey. Patience is required to cope with his diversions and asides (some of which don't really go anywhere) and comments such as 'more on this later', 'we will ask again later' and 'it is time to have another look at...'. This makes it a complex, rather than straightforward, read (there is no index to help you if you want to go back to something mentioned earlier) and it may leave you wondering what to do with all these titbits.
But Maltz does explain that "Like a meandering stream, we are now going to wander through the Hebrew Scriptures, unearthing little gems on the way" (p155) and once we realise the author's intention, we can sit back and enjoy what he serves up.
This is not a book about man's approaches to interpreting God's word – but about how God chose to say things.
Helpful Sections
Towards the end of Part One, there is a good discussion of the Masoretes who produced the Hebrew (Masoretic) text of our translations, and some excellent sections on ancient manuscripts and modern translations, which he surveys very well. For me, the book is worth it for these chapters alone.
In Part Two we are back to a collection of word studies, roughly grouped into chapters entitled Men, Messiah, Mysteries and Miscellany. Here there are often echoes of things considered earlier in Part One and again there is a rather miscellaneous feel about the whole section. Some of these studies may be a bit too detailed for some readers, but others are very meaningful.
Perhaps the most helpful are those which shed light on 'sin' and 'Messiah'. There is also an interesting introduction to the idea of 'midrash', a particularly Jewish way of connecting up scriptures via key words in order to squeeze more meaning out of individual texts. This method of study is a consequence of the nature of the Hebrew language, and is perfectly valid once we accept there is one overall author, a Divine signature behind all the scriptures.
The discussion of the Masoretes is good and the sections on ancient manuscripts and modern translations are excellent – it's worth it for these chapters alone.
During the book Maltz also introduces us to a new translation, the One New Man Bible, and quotes from it regularly. He explains why this version is worth promoting and includes an excerpt from a review by Peter Sammons which, with his permission, we reproduced in full last week.
God Chose Hebrew for Good Reason
Overall, Maltz makes a convincing case that God's signature "could not have been in any other language" (p117) and that "God chose Hebrew as His language of revelation for a good reason" (p118). We can agree with this even if by the end of the book we are still a little unsure exactly how it all works and where it leaves those of us who are non-Hebrew speakers/readers.
Certainly we will gain the sense that if we look hard enough, we will discern God's personal signature written all over his word and get to know him better.
God's Signature (revised 2014, 190 pages, Saffron Planet) is available from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10. We will be reviewing the other two books in Maltz's trilogy over the coming weeks.
Weekly Scriptures: Numbers 1:1-4:20; Hosea 2:1-23; Romans 9:22-33
This week we start to work our way through the Book of Numbers, which fittingly begins with a census of the Children of Israel, taken in the second year after their exodus from Egypt.
By this point the Israelites were still in the Desert of Sinai, having received the Law through Moses at Mount Sinai some months previously. Having given them the standards and frameworks by which He required them to live, God was now preparing His people to move on into the next phase of their journey – it was time to get them ready for what lay ahead.
Divine Arrangement
With the help of 12 tribal representatives, each hand-picked by the Lord for the job, Moses made an official count of all the men over 20 years of age, arranged according to their families, clans and tribes, as the Lord commanded, totalling 603,550 people. This census was of men of arms-bearing age; that was to be the next phase of Israel's journey – a phase of battle, as they moved in to take the Promised Land.
We are not told how many people there were in total – including women and children – but there will have been well over a million. Such a vast number moving together at once required efficient organisation, so after the census, God instructed Moses on how the entire camp was to be arranged and managed as they moved through the desert.
The tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were to camp on the east side of the Tabernacle and break camp first, the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad were to camp on the south side and break camp second, the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin took the west side and were to break camp third, and the north side was allocated to Dan, Asher and Naphtali, who were to break camp last.
In the middle of this vast outer ring were to be the Levites, also arranged by the points of the compass depending on their clan, with Moses, Aaron and his sons taking the east side – "towards the sunrise" (Num 3:38).
Finally, at the very centre of the camp, at the core of the entire community, was to be the Tabernacle itself. As has always been God's desire, He dwelt in the midst of His people.
The Priests' Calling
These were important times in the desert, with God ordering the Israelite community around His Lordship and Presence, moving them to acknowledge Him and put Him at the very centre of their lives. In an inner circle, mediating between the community and the glorious Presence of the Lord, were the Levites, who as a tribe were set apart to serve Him and minister in the Tabernacle, their lives devoted entirely to the priestly ministry.
Many see in this positioning and calling of the Levites a foreshadowing of Jesus, who stands between us and God so "that wrath will not fall" on us (Num 1:53), taking on the eternal duties of our Great High Priest and ministering perfectly on our behalf, day and night, before the Father in Heaven (Heb 8).
Redemption of the Firstborn
This image is given further significance by the principle of redemption outlined in Numbers 3. Having initially claimed every firstborn (men and animals) for Himself when He led Israel out of Egypt, God then chose to take the life-service of the Levites instead of that of the firstborns from the other tribes – he redeemed the latter with the former.
This was on a strictly one-for-one basis – in fact, when the numbers were compared in the Sinai Desert, there was an excess of 273 Israelite firstborn males who did not have a Levite counterpart to redeem them before the Lord. To make up the difference, an offering was taken of 5 shekels per extra life, with the money going to Aaron and his sons.
This whole process seems a strange one – why would God set apart the firstborns for himself, only to change his mind and take the Levites instead? Only, God did not change His mind – He did not go back on His first decision - He simply fulfilled it in another way. One for one, life for life, He took what was rightfully His.
In so doing, He foreshadowed exactly what He would later do for each one of us through Jesus. Standing in our place, giving His life as a ransom for us, Jesus redeemed us from God's wrath and into His mercy. Only this time, the sacrifice wasn't one for one – it was one for all, for all time.
Note also that the Levites who substituted for the firstborn Israelites did so as living sacrifices – it was their living, breathing devotion that God wanted. That is what the risen Jesus now gives on our behalf - but it is also what is required of us, in response. We are to become living sacrifices to the Lord.
Endnote: Preparation Wasted
The devastatingly sad thing about these first chapters of Numbers is that not long after the census was taken, the Israelites rebelled against God when the spies sent into the Promised Land spread fear-mongering stories amongst the people of giants and strong, impregnable cities (Num 14). Suddenly God's promise of sovereign protection and Divine leadership was not enough of a security for the Children of Israel.
As a result, every single one of those recorded in the census just a few weeks previously (except for Caleb and Joshua) were cursed to wander the desert for the next 40 years until each had died. The strong fighting men painstakingly counted and organised by the Lord, through Moses, would never be able to put their God-given skills into action – and they would not inherit the Land promised to them. That right passed to their children.
We can learn many things from this story, but perhaps one of the main lessons is that no matter how much we prepare ourselves and organise our lives around God outwardly, if we do not combine this with faith in His leadership and protection, and humble submission to His directives – then our life's journey will become little more than a fruitless desert wandering. The journey to which we have been saved, the righteousness given to us, the destination prepared for us – are from first to last only obtainable by faith in the Lord Jesus and His work on our behalf (Rom 9:30).
Author: Frances Rabbitts
On this page you will find the archived articles part of Dr Clifford Denton's 'Testing Prophecies Together' series, which aims to weigh and test significant prophetic words, particularly in regard to Britain's future.
Clifford Denton explains how closer integration with Europe would threaten this 'voluntary covenant' with God.
A pivotal point in the debate about Britain's relationship with the EU must be our Coronation Oath, which sets us apart as a nation of declared intention, seeking to live under the rule and protection of Almighty God. With the Bible at the foundation of our laws, setting a protecting boundary for the free and open proclamation of the Gospel in our nation, with thousands of years of history to get us to 2 June 1953, the Queen led the way in commitment at the Coronation service in Westminster Abbey.
Britain has long been betraying this corporate Oath, with law changes that depart from the ways of the Bible. We also believe that the Oath has been compromised by each successive closer merger with the EU, which has no such constitution as ours, being secular and humanistic at its heart.
We reproduce below, with minor editing to bring it up-to-date, an article on this topic that was published in Prophecy Today in 1989.
THE CORONATION OATH: UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORD FOR EUROPE
Is it a fanciful view of Britain's status before God to see it in covenant terms? God alone knows if that is how he sees his longstanding relationship with us. Nevertheless, so strong was our view of what the Coronation Oath meant that we used the following strapline for the article: "Britain has entered into a 'voluntary covenant' with God, through the Coronation oath. Clifford Denton explains how closer integration with Europe would threaten this unique status."
This is what we published back then. Did we foresee something of immense importance that was not being heeded at the time and that has even greater relevance now?
"What makes Britain special?" we also asked. Have we really been a nation that has been blessed and used by God? We went on to explore these questions, and we would do well to consider them again today in relation to the EU Referendum.
A key to understanding the answers to these questions is in the Coronation Oath. This Oath presents a 'voluntary covenant' with God, and attempts to offer God a framework through which he can help us to manage our affairs according to the teaching of the Bible.
This is not the covenant that God made with Israel. No nation can replace Israel as a covenant nation - but Britain has probably done more than any other Gentile nation to live in a covenant relationship with God. Surely God has helped, blessed and protected us over the centuries, despite our gross imperfections, because of this.
Britain has probably done more than any other Gentile nation to live in a covenant relationship with God.
Strangely, while this oath should be a central issue to consider in our decisions relating to Europe, it is hardly being discussed at all. Most decisions relating to national sovereignty are concerned with self-government rather than the Government of God.
Yet, an alliance with the powers of Europe on financial and political grounds represents a betrayal of the Coronation Oath and a betrayal of God himself, for there is no similar covenant within the constitution of Europe.
Historical Background
The Reformation of the 16th Century freed Britain of papal control, but the reign of James II (beginning in 1685) threatened to undermine the Protestant framework being formed in British institutions. James' commitment to Catholicism was resisted by some prominent national leaders and this finally led to an invitation for William of Orange to come to Britain in 1688 and redress the nation's grievances.
James fled to France and this was interpreted as an abdication, whereupon a new Parliament was formed and William and Mary (James' Protestant daughter) were offered the Crown. This bloodless revolution was called the 'Glorious Revolution' and became the means by which a more secure Protestant Government could be established in Britain in the framework of (as far as a Gentile nation can go) a voluntary covenant with God.
The Bill of Rights of 1689 ensured that no future monarch could be Roman Catholic and ensured that the monarch would not have unconditional powers. The Government of Britain was put in the form of a contract between the monarch and the people through representation in Parliament.
In 1689, the Glorious Revolution and the Bill of Rights established a secure Protestant Government in Britain, in voluntary covenant with God.
The Coronation Vow
The Coronation Oath, made law in 1688 and taken first in the Coronation of 1689, was in the form of a vow made before God to govern Britain according to God's laws and in accord with the true profession of the Gospel. The Coronation of every monarch ever since has been a Protestant Christian service centred on this Oath. The promises made by the monarch are contained in the following words, according to law:
The Archbishop or Bishop shall say: "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this kingdom of England and the dominions thereto belonging according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on and the laws and customs of the same?"
The King and Queen shall say: "I solemnly promise so to do"
Archbishop or Bishop: "Will you to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judgements?"
King and Queen: "I will".
Archbishop or Bishop: "Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the gospel and the Protestant religion established by law? And will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy of this realm and to the churches committed to their charge all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them?"
King and Queen: "All this I promise to do".
After this the King and Queen laying his and her hand upon the Holy Gospels shall say: "The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep so help me God".
Then the King and Queen shall kiss the book.
These words are taken directly from the Coronation Oath Act of 1688. The monarch cannot be crowned until and unless these promises are made.
Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth on 2 June 1953 was a solemn occasion. The young Queen went through the Christian ceremony with full conviction of what she was doing before God. Many of us were children then, and there was not the same ease of media communication as there is today, though the use of television was growing quite fast.
Thus many of us did not see beyond the royal splendour of the day to the heart of what was going on, but the Queen made her promises before God, was anointed with oil for the Holy Spirit to come upon her, took communion and was then crowned. The record of this has been kept in heaven as well as at the BBC. We are in a covenant with one another and with God because of this. This is true for all people in Great Britain.
Queen Elizabeth made her coronation vows with full conviction of what she was doing before God. The record has been kept in heaven as well as at the BBC.
Affirming the Promise
For example, every Member of Parliament makes an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the monarch. The wording of the oath is: "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."
This promise is the counterpart to the Queen's Oath so that she and the Government together can seek a way of establishing God's rule within the nation, our God being the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and no foreign god or new age idol.
Similarly, every time the national anthem is sung there is a reflection of the people's allegiance to the Queen and all that the Coronation Oath is intended to convey, and whenever allegiance to the Queen is promised (as, for example, in the promise of Scouts and Guides) acceptance of the Coronation Oath is implied. How many fans at our great sporting events realise that when they sing the National Anthem they are praying a prayer to God? God knows what is intended, even if the words have become empty to most of our nation!
Protection by the Grace of God
So, the British nation has established a framework of government which binds together monarchy, government and state church, also drawing in the allegiance of the people, which reflects what we are calling a voluntary covenant with the living God.
Even though we have had this framework, we have not been a perfect nation by any means, yet surely, by the grace of God, we have been a protected nation for many years. The grace of God is always beyond the bounds of our deserving. We have done a little and he has done much.
We have not been a perfect nation – but because we have had this national framework, we have been a protected nation for many years.
He took us through world wars, helped us become a prosperous nation, and gave us opportunity to reflect his ways to the world through our educational, governmental, financial and social systems as well as through the Church, which was once strong and which has known God's true revivals.
Fall from Grace
God's protection has not gone completely, but surely we are on the brink of disaster. In one generation we have turned away from the absolutes of biblical truth and law and entered an age of relative morality.
Our law structure once reflected God's laws as they are understood from the Bible, thanks to the dedicated and faithful work of many national leaders over the years. But now, our nation is reaping what has been sown through the liberalising of laws. Pornography, adultery, greed, injustice, violence, abortion, degrading sexual practice, divorce and every form of sin is rising (to which, in recent days, we can now add the re-definition of marriage away from God's order).
Contrasting the Coronation Oath with European Rule
In addition, we are now at a decision point regarding deeper alliance with the EU. The Coronation Oath represents a framework of government that is open to God's ways and to his direct help. Europe has no such framework of government.
In one generation Britain has turned away from the absolutes of biblical truth and law, and entered an age of relative morality.
Many people suspect that the religious powers all over Europe will eventually be drawn into the alliance, becoming part of a humanistic economic and political system which will reflect a seductive and anti-Christian religious and spiritual power. Whether this is true or not, we must either change the Coronation Oath or betray it in order to make firm alliance with the powers governing Europe in our present-day.
Even though the Oath was made in 1953, all that it represents is still in full force today. Surely God is more aware of this than we are. Thus, as far as all our unrighteousness is concerned, the time of judgment draws near. As far as Europe is concerned, we must attune ourselves to God's perspective on this key issue, before we risk betraying he who has protected us through the years.
What Should We Do?
The Coronation Oath belongs to the fabric of our national life – we are all involved. We must consider together just what we have offered to God through the institution of monarch, church and state.
But when it comes to the breaking of the Oath, who is responsible? This is a more complex question than we might think. It is not just the Monarch. It is also the Government, along with all who elected the Government. It is also the Church, standing by while our oaths to God are betrayed in the reversal of godly laws and false alliances with other powers. Surely the Queen should also lead the nation into repentance and the church should rise up as the conscience of the nation.
When considered in these terms, it seems almost impossible to achieve a reversal of our decline. Yet surely we know that with God all things are possible, and we have a responsibility to respond at this crucial time in the nation.
It seems impossible to achieve a reversal of our national decline. But with God, all things are possible – and Christians have a responsibility to respond at this crucial time.
The fact that God has preserved Britain as an individual nation, with its own governmental systems, for so many centuries, should be a prompt for us to reconsider any deepening alliance with Europe. We should reconsider what the Coronation Oath represents so that we might preserve and develop our heritage before it is too late.
When the bottom line is drawn it is neither the monarchy nor Europe that is the first consideration. It is the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel that matter. The Coronation Oath has been the vehicle for their preservation whereby, within a framework of godly laws, there has been a freedom and protection for the true Gospel to go forth across the nation. This is what God has blessed and this is what we are about to give up for financial gain and political advantage within the framework of an ungodly and humanistic empire that is developing in Europe.
We believe that the spiritual powers behind the EU will attack every aspect of our godly heritage, including the British monarchy, to bring it down so that the Coronation Oath will fall with it.
Those who understand these things from a spiritual as well as practical perspective must stand together, because our spiritual adversary has already many people in high places who will use powers of finance, media and politics to drive us into Europe in betrayal of our promises to God. The flattering promises of electioneers who emphasise alliance with Europe will reflect this too. We can expect the powers at work to be both humanistic and seductive.
Endnote
The above article was written when the debate was whether the UK should abolish the Pound and adopt the Euro. The argument remains fresh for this new debate as to whether we should remain in the EU or leave - an opportunity that was barely plausible in 1989.
This week, during which has been the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation Oath, let us prayerfully weigh these things. Should we, despite all else, realise that this opportunity to leave the EU once and for all, though brought about by men, has been given us through the gracious working of Almighty God?
Clifford Hill comments on the increasingly underhand tactics being used by the Government.
What is happening to our British sense of fairness and honesty? The whole of our relationship with the European Union, from its foundation, has been marred by misinformation and a lack of transparency.
Edward Heath was the Prime Minister who took us into the EU, assuring us that we were only entering a 'trade alliance' - although later admitting that he knew this was not the whole truth.1
David Cameron toured EU capitals last year trying to negotiate reforms which he said were essential to our remaining in the European Union, but the reforms presented to us lacked clear details. The Government's Remain campaign has, since, been notable for a lack of facts and a surfeit of speculation and scare stories.
Are we now descending into tactics that look extremely like electoral rigging? The Electoral Commission has called on Bristol City Council to scrap an EU referendum 'how-to-vote' guide being sent to postal voters (see below), over claims it favours the Remain campaign.2
If you've received a voting guide like this (with a pencil hovering in the Remain box) please get in touch below! pic.twitter.com/ug1YxMtaiJ
— LEAVE.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) May 30, 2016
Next Issues of Prophecy Today
In this issue of Prophecy Today and over the next two weeks we will try to present some of the issues that are rarely dealt with by our political leaders. Today we are re-publishing an article by the late Viscount Tonypandy (a former Speaker of the House of Commons) which we originally published back in May 1997. In this thought-provoking article he warned about the political consequences of being drawn closer into the European Union.
We are also re-publishing an article by Dr Clifford Denton on the significance of the Coronation Oath, which we believe is also highly relevant to the situation today where closer integration into the European Union would bring about profound changes in our national life.
My major concerns are for the spiritual state of the nation and the future for young people, who (according to the polls) are more likely to vote to stay within the EU. Many of them are listening to Government propaganda saying that their future jobs depend upon Britain being part of the EU. But the reverse is true. It is young people who are suffering most in the Eurozone. More than half of all young people in Spain and Greece are unemployed – long-term unemployed with very little prospects of earning a living wage.
The 2015 figures for youth unemployment in Spain were 49.9%, Greece 49.7%, Croatia 43.6%, and Italy 42.7%.3 The latest figures (April 2016) published by the EU show an increase in youth unemployment in Spain 51.7% and Greece 51.1%.4
These figures for youth unemployment are an utter disgrace to the European Union and they should be a warning to Britain's young people. Britain's youth unemployment increased slightly during the past year from 15.7% to 16.1% but Germany, the mastermind and dominant power in Europe, remains with the lowest rate of youth unemployment in the EU at 7.4%. The future prospects of employment for young people are most likely to get worse in the EU because of the commitment to an unworkable single currency policy that tries to force all the national economies into one mould.
Young people are more likely to vote to stay in the EU - but across the Eurozone, it is young people who are suffering most.
An Alliance Not by My Spirit
My concern for the spiritual health of the nation is because it is the major determinant of both physical health and prosperity. This has been amply demonstrated in the history of Britain when even those who were only nominal Christians acknowledged that it was the high level of faith and prayer that enabled us to survive the Battle of Britain, when the nation stood alone against colossal odds across the Channel.
In the history of Israel there are numerous examples of that tiny nation surviving against mighty empires when they put their faith in God. It was the major task of the prophets to steady the nation in challenging times. A good example is when the nation faced the danger of invasion from the mighty Assyrian Empire. Instead of calling the nation to prayer the leaders were planning an alliance with Egypt and they sent a large gift on the backs of donkeys and camels to buy the Egyptians' help (Isa 30:6).
Isaiah was outraged. He said:
Woe to the obstinate children, declares the Lord, to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance but not by my Spirit... Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended upon deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly in an instant. (Isa 30:1, 30:12-13).
His illustration of the wall related to a city wall built of stone in two sections with the centre filled with rubble. This often included the city waste which, in time, rotted and built-up pressure within the wall so an engineer had regularly to inspect the wall for bulges due to the corruption inside. Hence Amos speaks of God setting a 'plumb line' against the city wall to measure its spiritual health (Amos 7:8).
The spiritual health of the nation is the major determinant of both physical health and prosperity.
Isaiah saw so much corruption, lies and deceit, that he feared sudden collapse unless there was a total change in the spiritual health of the nation. He knew that righteousness exalts a nation and brings the blessings of peace and prosperity. He said, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" (30:15).
I believe that this is the message that needs to be heard in Britain today. Of course there are many unknowns facing the nation if we decide to leave the European Union, but if we put our trust in God there is no doubt that that he will bless both the health and the prosperity of the nation.
Putting Our Hand into God's Hand
Britain has faced many challenges in the past. Many historians believe 1940 to be the darkest hour in our history when King George VI called the nation to have faith in God. In his 1939 Christmas message he said,
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown". And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way." May that Almighty Hand guide and uphold us all.
If only the nation today had this kind of faith, we should have no fear for the future!
References
1 See one of our previous articles, Future Hope or Great Deception?
2 EU Referendum: Row over 'biased' postal vote form. BBC News, 30 May 2016.
3 Unemployment statistics, Eurostat.
4 Ibid.
We re-print an important article on Britain and the EU, by former Speaker of the House of Commons, Viscount Tonypandy.
Viscount Tonypandy, former Speaker of the House of Commons and a committed Christian, was a supporter of Prophecy Today and gave us this article which we published in Vol 13(3), May 1997.
It was a time when Britain was being pressed to join the Common Monetary Fund and there were calls for a Referendum. We feel that it is still very relevant for today.
DEFENCE OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
Viscount Tonypandy speaks out about the dangers of Britain being drawn more into the European Union
Because ancient tradition requires former Speakers of the House of Commons to avoid involvement in party political affairs, I want to begin by asserting that the future destiny of this land is not a party political issue, it is bigger than that.
It is for this reason I support the initiative in forcing the question of the European Union onto centre stage. Our people have been kept in the dark about Europe, and many have been lulled into the belief that our future is sustainable only if we obey the diktats of non-elected Brussels bureaucrats.
Losing our Liberties
We are experiencing an unprecedented erosion of our traditional liberties; as both our fishermen and our farmers can testify. We are also suffering an ever increasing interference in our domestic, social, political and economic life. We realise how much dust has been thrown in our eyes, so that we have not properly seen where we are being led.
Monumental and historic decisions have been taken in our name, but they have not been made fully public. A supreme example of this chicanery is provided by our famous Fisheries Act which prevented Spanish fishermen sailing under our flag and taking a quota of the fish allocated to us. After the Bill had careful scrutiny in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords it was sent to the Privy Council where the Queen in person gave her approval. Thus it became law – or so we thought! How wrong we were!
The politically motivated European Court of Justice instructed us that our Fisheries Act was illegal. They defined limits on what our Parliament could legislate. Our Westminster Parliament was humiliatingly put behind the European Union! As a further measure of contempt for Westminster, Europe proceeded to give the bullying Spanish fishermen authority to demand compensation for the period that our Privy Council and our Parliament, by our legislation, kept them out of our waters.
What has happened to this proud nation that we allow anyone to treat us in this arrogant way? Has our pride already been consigned to the history book? Nay, I do not believe that. A national referendum is vital to prove that the fallacy is wrong.
We are still proud to be British and no German dominated European Union will ever succeed in crushing that pride.
Britain today is stirring anxiously as it is beginning to realise the extent of the betrayals we have suffered. Our young people are awakening to the peril threatening their future.
Common Market
The largest Common Market in the world is that forged by Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. They function quite successfully without a common currency! They do not intervene in each other's internal affairs. They are not troubled by calls for integration or by threats to each other's national sovereignty. That sort of common market makes sense. It was for that sort of common market, and only that sort, that Britain linked with Europe!
We have been victims of deceit! Britain said 'yes' to the type of common market we see across the Atlantic. As for a common parliament and a common bank – we have never had an opportunity to give our opinion.
Intrigue in high places has embargoed knowledge of secret negotiations reaching the people. In the name of human rights, we demand the chance to decide our own destiny that is the real issue at this time.
Chancellor Kohl's Aim
Listen to the chilling words of German Chancellor Kohl when he was addressing his own people earlier this year (1997). "The future will belong to the Germans – when we build a house of Europe."
Forgetting that the world was listening he added, "In the next two years we will make the process of European integration irreversible. This is a really big battle, but it is worth the fight."
It certainly was for Germany! As for us, if we fail to read the menace in the German Chancellor's announcement of his aims we shall betray our heritage. When German chancellors outline in advance what their intentions are, it is criminal irresponsibility not to take their threats seriously (surely that is a lesson we have learned from history after two world wars!).
We said yes to a common market - as for a common parliament and common bank, we have never had the opportunity to give our opinion.
Parliamentary Government
My life has centred around Parliamentary Government in this country. I hold it in the highest esteem, because I know that Parliament is not a caucus of clever creatures who are free to do what they like in Government. The House of Commons is an assembly dependent on a mandate from the nation. And every Government is answerable to the House of Commons.
No cabal of politicians elected for a maximum of five years' service as MPs without any guarantee that they will be even Members in any subsequent Parliament has ever been trusted with a mandate to diminish our heritage, or to barter away our liberties.
The question of a single European currency involves explosive consequences for the UK. We are fortunate because we have one of the most sophisticated electorates in the world; our people have an instinct that alerts them to any threat to our democratic way of life. When we, the British people, are given the vital information, we will tell Parliament the direction in which we demand to go. They will not tell us. We will tell them. Our intellectuals are not less able to assess conflicting issues than are our parliamentarians.
In Britain, parliamentarians serve the people. They do not tell us which direction to take - we tell them.
A referendum, conducted before our Government takes decisions concerning either a single currency or irreversible integration, will compel the production of facts that the electorate has every right to know, but which have not hitherto been fully revealed.
British Constitution
Our unwritten constitution is based on a sure foundation, that has served us well for centuries and that is that no Parliament can bind its successors. Yet this fundamental principle disappears if we integrate with the European Union or have a single European Currency which would make it inevitable. Our gold and currency reserves would be handed over to the European Central Bank in Germany as a 'common resource'. Every future parliament in Britain would be bound and manacled to the biased Brussels bureaucrats.
If any future parliament in this land says, "Enough is enough; we wish to readjust our relationship with you", do you think that the Frankfurt Bank would return our gold and currency reserves? Of course not! Chancellor Kohl has outlined his plans for Europe and I take him seriously. He has warned us that he is intent on making integration irreversible.
Once integrated, there will be no getting out. Integration would be the unforgivable crime of yielding up the liberties and rights for which so many of our compatriots nobly fought and died.
Those who believe that they can frighten or bully us into accepting integration make an old mistake. They underestimate the character of the British people; apparent apathy is grievously misleading to them: a steel-like determination to survive as a nation is part of our make-up.
Those who believe they can frighten or bully us into accepting integration underestimate the character of the British people.
Economic Issues
We fool ourselves when we talk of economic advantages in belonging to the European Union. Europe, sadly, is a diminishing not an expanding factor in world trade. Its significance in world markets diminishes daily. This is not my opinion. It is a fact. In any case we shall continue to trade with Europe, even if we are outside the Economic Monetary Union, but never forget global trade is our vital lifeline for our island history.
We need a referendum badly and we need it before any new decisive moves are made by any Government in this country concerning Europe. For me, the issue towers over party political considerations. It is a concern whether this nation survives with its cherished liberties or not. Give us a referendum in time and we will survive. I am in harmony with the sturdy defence of our British Parliament advanced by my predecessors in the Speaker's Chair in the House of Commons.
For me to remain silent now would be an act of treason, for such cowardice would betray the noble heritage handed on to me by former Speakers of the House of Commons.
God bless your efforts, as you battle for Britain, I wish you well.
Clifford Denton concludes our series testing prophecies about Britain's future on the run-up to the EU Referendum.
The Referendum on 23 June is pivotal for the UK. Politicians themselves agree that this is the most important decision for the UK since the Second World War. Political logic alone, however, is proving inadequate, based as it is on human opinion more than listening to God.
It could be the making or breaking of political careers. More importantly, it could be the making or breaking of our nation – a nation much loved and used of God. How much we need to know what God himself is saying and how reasonable it is to expect him to be speaking to us!
This is why we have been seeking to encourage our readers to lead the way in testing prophecies on this topic to see if we, together, can discern what God is saying. This, my last article in the series, is not meant to over-ride all those discussions that have been going on in prayer groups around the country, but to add an overview - which itself can be tested to see if it is a valid summary.
Political logic alone is inadequate – based as it is on human opinion, more than listening to God.
Summary
Expecting Human Bias
We all have a mindset through which we filter what we hear. We have all come through a certain educational process, responding to the world around us, the media we follow, the books we read, the schools we attended, and even the way we may have been taught to read our Bibles.
That is why we can expect some human bias even in the way prophecies are received and passed on - and why we must together always carefully and prayerfully test what we hear to discern more clearly what God is saying to us.
Expecting God's Guidance
We, the family of God, should always expect God's guidance in times of need. Ours is a walk with God (Rom 8). As Amos pointed out, we must walk together in agreement with God (Amos 3:3), expecting to hear the prophetic word (Amos 3:7).
The expectation of hearing the prophetic word is reaffirmed in the New Testament (Eph 4:11). Especially in our times of fellowship we can expect to receive from God more than enough to share (1 Cor 14:26-33).
Expecting Continuity with Scripture
Any contemporary prophecy must stand up to the test of the Bible. So let us first recap on where we believe we are in the fulfilment of biblical prophecy. The leaders of Prophecy Today have, since 1986, been convinced that the world in general is experiencing fulfilment of the prophecy of Haggai (Hag 2:21-22; Heb 12:25-29).
This was tested on Mount Carmel and in Jerusalem in 1986 at the major gatherings of those with prophetic ministry. The magazine Prophecy Today was published soon after and many issues in the world have come to pass since then to support the view that this was a current word from God to impact the entire world.
As the family of God, we should expect to hear God's guidance in times of need.
What then of the UK in particular? With the biblical pattern of warning signs (for example in Deuteronomy 28 and Amos 4) as our reference point, we understand that the UK over the last few decades has had warning signs from Almighty God. And should we not expect this with the rapid decline in our nation measured by the standards of the Bible?
This is not to say that the prophetic warnings to Israel are directly relevant to the UK, but that the biblical pattern of signs of increasing magnitude in nature, the weather, on our crops, in our society and in our families indicate that God's protection has been disappearing in increasing measure.
Expecting Conditions...or Not?
There is an aspect to the 'big picture' that we all find hard to assess: how to fit contemporary events into the fulfilment of prophecies found in the Book of Revelation - in particular the rise of the anti-Christian world system (Rev 13-14, also 17-18).
Whilst most contemporary prophecy has conditions – for blessings or for difficult times from the hand of the Lord - some things are not subject to such conditions. One is the Covenant that God made with Abraham (Gen 17:1-8) that a covenant family will be gathered from all nations. Another is the general outworking of the end-time prophecies of Revelation (N.B. Rev 21:18-19).
Surely the prophecy of Haggai fits within the latter times foretold in Revelation. I wonder if we have taken this as seriously as we ought! The decision as to our continued membership of the EU must be somehow related to the era foretold by Haggai.
Expectations of Timing
Another difficulty facing us in testing prophecy is timing. That is a reason why we need the particular help of God at decision points in our own lives and in our nation's life. He helps us to understand when the right time is reached for a particular prophetic fulfilment of Scripture.
We certainly need God's help regarding our place in Europe. God alone knows the timing and the relevance of our decision to the outworking of his own plans and purposes in these end times. That is one reason why the political arguments being bandied around by the media look so inconclusive in isolation.
An aspect of the big picture we all find hard to assess is how to fit contemporary events into the fulfilment of prophecies found in Revelation.
Prophecies of Revival
Some of the prophecies we tested give expectation of revival in Britain. The sermon of Peter in Solomon's Portico (Acts 3:19) encourages us that in the era before the return of Jesus we can pray with confidence for times of refreshing. Believers need such spiritual refreshment especially in times of pressure growing from the world around them. We are encouraged therefore to keep praying for such times – with confidence.
Whether the moves of God's Spirit in the lives of his people will result in a major national outpouring or not has the condition of repentance outlined in Jeremiah 18:9-10. Whilst we might hope for the fulfilment of the Mother Barbara Prophecy and the visions of Jean Darnell, we must also realise that this condition is in force for Britain as a whole. This is reflected in the prophecy of Paul Slennett. Christians are called to prayer and the nation is called to repentance.
Prophecies About the EU
And so to our main focus for this time - consideration of our membership of the EU. The signs of our times put alongside the dramatic expectations of the end times from a biblical perspective, indicate that the decision we are about to make relating to the EU is extremely important.
We have considered two major contemporary prophecies over the last few weeks that exhort us to come out of the EU. Let's pause and consider this. If God himself is saying this, then we must take it very seriously.
David Noakes' prophecy speaks to Britain in very earnest yet loving terms. The promises of blessings to the nation as a whole are conditional on repentance in the nation after coming out of the EU – a condition, as stated above, included within the second of the major prophecies, that which was passed on to us by Paul Slennett.
Paul Slennett's prophecy covers more ground than the others we have tested. A difficulty lies in the emphasis on an earthquake related to the City (which we interpret as the City of London). If we believe that we are in the days of the fulfilment of Haggai's prophecy, within the overall end time picture, then we should not be surprised that the Lord is warning about the collapse of financial institutions and of some cities within the context of a revived Greco-Roman-Babylonian world empire. The financial shakings of recent years will be small compared with this and could be seen, therefore, as warning tremors.
Some recent prophecies give expectation of revival – but such moves of God's Spirit have the condition of repentance.
Did Paul Slennett, through his prophecy, therefore, foresee both early financial tremors and the greater collapse of the city of London within the end time perspective of the Book of Revelation? We should not be surprised at this if the timing is near for all the major shakings foretold in Scripture.
Also within this prophecy is an injunction for the Church to wake up and become prayerful.
Conclusion
With these two major prophetic words, there is apparent agreement that we should come out of the EU, for God's own good purposes in our nation (subject to other conditions) to be made possible. The rest is for continued prayer. Consequences will follow for the nation and for the Church, whichever way we go.
Here at Prophecy Today UK, we believe that God is warning us to come out of what will eventually develop or merge into a growingly anti-Christian world power.
If we go back to the 'big picture', we recall that God divided the nations into manageable portions so, as Paul taught in Acts 17:26-27, mankind would earnestly seek him. His priority over all history is the outworking of his covenanted promise to Abraham to draw a family from all nations. The possibilities are very wide, such that an entire nation could be included, if we consider Jeremiah 18:9-10 in the context of the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20).
There is no doubt that Britain has, over many years, been blessed, used of God and guided by him, but now that the return of Jesus is close, new and high standards are required of us, not slippage into the ways of the world. The UK is at a decision point, perhaps the most important decision point in our history. Coming out of the EU could be the beginning of a turning back to God such that he will guide our entire nation through these end times. The prophecies we have tested offer this hope, impossible though it seems in human thinking - so far have we slipped.
Coming out of the EU could be the beginning of a turning back to God. Impossible though this seems, the prophecies we have tested offer this hope.
There may be many things for us to clarify through prayer and study in the next few years, but surely the balance of the prophecies we have tested over the last few weeks is that God, in his mercy, has spoken to us. There is a future that he can see more clearly than us. He has shown us that we should not allow ourselves to be swallowed up into the coming ungodly Empire. We should regroup as a nation in step with his purposes for us.
Let's continue to weigh this together in our fellowships and communities over the next two to three weeks leading up to the Referendum.
Peter Sammons reviews the One New Man Bible - a 2011 translation by William J Morford.
The One New Man Bible (ONMB) is a helpful modern translation by William J Morford, an American bible translator and Hebraic specialist.
It aims to bring greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the power given to believers for their daily walk.
In the words of its Preface: "The One New Man Bible...makes the Jewish roots of Christianity come to life" having been "edited from a public domain English translation. The English has been brought up to date and many words previously translated according to tradition have been changed to the literal. The New Testament is the Power New Testament, a fresh translation of the Fourth Edition United Bible Society Greek Text. An effort has been made to keep the text as free as possible from denominational biases and doctrinal interpretations".
Healing the Enmity
Why the name 'One New Man'? The inspiring text is Ephesians 2:16 where the 'enmity' between Jew and Gentile is finally healed, these two becoming One New Man. Ephesians 2:14-22 is provided in the preface as a sort of Scriptural raison d'etre for the new translation.
Certainly the Hebraic root of Christianity comes uniquely to life in the ONMB. Hebrew is a very expressive language, so this translation brings out much of the power that has commonly been omitted from traditional English translations. The ONMB will undoubtedly help to open the eyes of the Church to appreciate its Hebraic roots, and to recognise that Yeshua (Jesus) was born Jewish, that He grew up Jewish, and that He is the same today as He was then (Heb 13:8).
The ONMB will undoubtedly help to open the eyes of the Church to appreciate its Hebraic roots.
This fresh translation adopts the Jewish ordering of the books of the Old Testament, which helps readers to recognise a direct link between the chronicle of the Jewish story with the chronicle of Jesus and the apostolic church. Hence the Old Testament ends with Chronicles.
Translation Surprises
Scripture translated with the power and meaning of the original language really does come alive! One early surprise is in Genesis 12:1 when God does not say "Go" to Abram, but "Get yourself out of here!" Later He tells Moses to order Pharaoh to "Send My people away!" instead of pleading "Let My people go."
These passages are the literal translation from the Hebrew. Some words have been translated differently because the traditional translation conveys something not intended by the author. One of those words is the Greek word ecclesia, which means a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into a public place. Ecclesia is commonly translated 'church', but because of our association of 'church' with both a building and an organisation, in the ONMB, ecclesia is translated 'congregation'.
This fresh translation adopts the Jewish ordering of the books of the Old Testament, which ends with Chronicles.
The One New Man Bible achieves its goal to be a very readable text that flows from one book to another while preserving much of the Jewish flavour, especially the Jewishness of Yeshua, and much of the sheer power in many Hebrew and Greek expressions. If I have one minor complaint, it is that Morford failed to address the poor translation of John 3:16 which should better be translated as "God thus loved the world" rather than misusing the 17th Century language of "God so loved..." which, in a modern idiom, seems to be so hard-wired into modern translations.
Another core strength of the ONMB is its very extensive glossary at the back. This brings out many treasures that are missed in commentaries and indeed other translations. One simple example:
HOSANNA – is the English spelling of Hoshea.na, meaning Deliver Us Now! This comes from the same Hebrew root as Y'shua, the Hebrew name of Jesus. The ending, "na", is something we do not have a translation for in English, a demanding "NOW!" which is not rude or impertinent. It is properly translated as "please" or "I pray you". The greeting and waving of palm fronds and branches were traditionally done on the sixth day of the feast of Sukkot, welcoming the reigning messiah to assume the throne in Jerusalem. All those shouting "Hoshea-na!" knew this and believed Y'shua was the Messiah Who had come to claim His throne, there and then.
Verdict
My verdict on the ONMB? This translation is more than a useful addition for the serious Bible student. It is something that every such student should have available.
Would it be a reliable stand-alone, general purpose Bible? My first impression was 'no' but I have to say that with frequent use this fresh translation does 'grow' on me as a reader. I am enjoying it more and more. I believe that over the next 20 years this fresh translation will become far more widely adopted. It is priced competitively with higher quality translations.
Available leather-bound for £40 (+P&P) from Glory to Glory Publications, also Saffron Planet Publishing. The One New Man Bible has its own website – click here to find out more.