Is the Referendum debate getting too dirty?

I have rarely read a more blatant piece of character assassination than a recent article by Matthew Parris in The Times about Boris Johnson,¹ whom Parris described as "a dangerous charmer".

Parris began his article by referring to Johnson as "an essentially liberal minded fellow Tory...who has never been anything but friendly to me". He said, "I feel uncomfortable writing like this: writing about a fellow columnist, my former Spectator editor".

The discomfort Parris claimed to feel did not discourage him from indulging in a withering political and personal execution of a man whom he claims to have been a friend and colleague over many years. He warns:

There is a pattern to Boris's life, and it isn't the lust for office, or for applause, or for susceptible women, that mark out this pattern in red warning ink. It is the casual dishonesty, the cruelty, the betrayal; and, beneath the betrayal, the emptiness of real ambition: the ambition to do anything useful with office once it is attained.

Is this the depths to which we have sunk in Britain in the EU Referendum debate? Is this the opening salvo of a dirty war as politicians and commentators plumb the depths of insult in an attempt to further their views on whether or not Britain should remain within the European Union? Are we to be treated to slanging matches between politicians that will make Donald Trump look like a Sunday School teacher gently rebuking noisy children?

Slanging Matches

Can we expect protagonists on both sides of the Referendum battle to take the opportunity for working out their personal antagonisms against anyone who opposes their views? Matthew Parris has never forgiven Boris for opposing the repeal of Section 28 proposed by Labour and stoutly resisted by Margaret Thatcher (Section 28 made it illegal for local authorities to 'promote homosexuality' in schools). Parris is quite open about his own homosexuality but according to Dominic Lawson in the Daily Mail² there may be another influence behind his intemperate outburst.

Is this the opening salvo of a dirty war as politicians and commentators plumb the depths of insult in an attempt to further their own EU agendas?

Lawson says that Parris's partner used to be David Cameron's speech writer and what Parris wrote in his Times column may be a reflection of the fury in 10 Downing Street that Boris is backing Brexit. It all gets more complicated and increasingly nasty as Ross Clark in The Spectator noted when he said that "Boris can be a slimy opportunist...But show me a top politician who isn't!"³ Clark nevertheless believes that Boris is genuine in his desire to see Britain come out of the European Union.

Underlying Agendas

As we get closer to the Referendum it seems as though we can expect a lot more Boris bashing and personal insults on both sides of the argument. The big question will be: what will Boris do after 23 June? If Brexit triumphs and Cameron is humiliated it will surely not be long before Boris makes a play for the top job. If Britain votes to stay in the EU it will be Boris who will be humiliated, but keen political observers say that this will not stop his bid to succeed the PM, it will only delay it.

So is Matthew Parris right in exposing the character weaknesses of Boris Johnson at a time when it is becoming increasingly likely that the Conservative Party will turn to him in their search for a leader who can take over from David Cameron? Or is Parris simply reflecting the undeserved ire of 10 Downing Street that Boris is not backing the main party line?

Unfulfilled Promises

I do not dispute some of the criticisms levelled at Boris by his critics. Indeed, I too have suffered disappointment at his hands. In the run-up to the London Mayoral election in 2008, Boris and his agent persistently chased me for a meeting, but I was reluctant to get involved in electioneering. I knew that his objective was to gain the black minority votes in inner-city London boroughs. His interest in me was because of my links with leaders in the African and Caribbean communities.

Eventually terms were agreed that my concerns for the young unemployed and underachieving school children would be discussed. We met in a scruffy office in the old LCC building on the south side of the Thames. I outlined the project I was working on following the Zong slave-ship project at Tower Pier, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. That was a project which had been warmly supported by Ken Livingstone, the outgoing Mayor, who was also interested in the follow-up.

It seems increasingly likely that the Conservative Party will turn to Boris in their search for a leader, whether or not Britain votes to leave Europe.

Boris was polite and attentive and quick with his humour. He made all the right noises and gave promises in response to my concerns for the black communities. Eventually I agreed to use my influence in persuading community and church leaders to attend a Westminster meeting where he would speak. Many leaders came to that meeting and Boris spoke well.

The May 2008 vote in the election for Mayor of London surprised the pundits by the level of support for Boris in the inner-city boroughs, especially from the black population. But what happened to the promises of support for community work among young people suffering from high levels of social deprivation in inner-city London boroughs?

Community leaders and church leaders are still waiting to see those promises fulfilled – even after a second term! I personally bear no ill-will towards Boris. I simply count my experience as typical of the low standards of political promises among politicians today.

Pray for Boris?!

But, what about the future for Boris as he steps down next month after eight years as Mayor of London? No doubt there will be historians in a much better position than I am to assess his achievements. But I would like to go on record of saying that while I am glad he is supporting the view that Britain would be better outside the European Union, I nevertheless would fear for the future of Britain if Boris Johnson ever becomes Prime Minister – whether in or out of the EU!

I certainly believe Boris to be a man of immense ability as well as charm – if only he had a faith in God to give him the purpose and direction he lacks. Perhaps, if everyone who reads this article would stop for a moment and pray for him, it would make an impact on his life. What a great man of God he could be!

Boris is a man of immense ability as well as charm - if only he had a faith in God to give him purpose and direction. Will you stop and pray for him?

Does this not also say something to us about the biblical injunction to pray for our leaders – which most of us neglect? In a very real sense we get the leaders we deserve. Back in the mid-20^th Century it was fashionable among evangelicals to advise their children against going into politics because it was a "dirty business". So committed Christians left the field wide open to secular humanists. The results can be seen today. Perhaps before bashing Boris and others like him, a bit of repentance among Christians should come first!

References

1 Parris, M. Tories have got to end their affair with Boris. The Times, 26 March 2016.

2 Lawson, D. DOMINIC LAWSON: I was betrayed by Boris, too. And like everyone else, I can't help forgiving him. The Daily Mail, 28 March 2016.

3 Clark, R. In defence of Boris Johnson. The Spectator, 27 March 2016.

23 June brings a major decision point for the UK. But what lies ahead after that?

Even if we vote to come out of the EU, will the blessings and protection of God be fully and immediately restored to our nation? Surely there is more to it than that.

An Unforeseen Opportunity

The referendum is a major opportunity to regroup as a nation; at Prophecy Today we are viewing it as an opportunity offered by God to begin the process of turning to him with all our heart. It is an opportunity that many of us did not foresee as, over the years, integration with the EU has felt like a non-return valve, with ever-deepening commitment drawing us in.

We have long had prophetic warnings about God's displeasure with the EU, even warnings that this system was moving ever nearer to the anti-Christian international government described in the Book of Revelation. On account of Britain's Christian heritage and our commitment to God in the Coronation Oath, we have been warned to withdraw - lest we come under the wrath of God.

For years, integration with the EU has felt like a non-return valve – so the referendum is an opportunity to regroup that many of us did not foresee.

Therefore, on the one hand is the danger of the Remain campaign keeping us in this vulnerable position and, on the other hand, the question as to our position before God if the Leave campaign prevails. One step at a time, of course, but let's begin to look at the future of the UK beyond the referendum with some sense of real possibility.

Living in Babylon

Shortly, Clifford and Monica Hill will publish a book and workbook on the theme 'Living in Babylon'. That illustrates where we are at Prophecy Today: our view is that it is useful to compare the situation of modern believers in Jesus the Messiah with that of Israelites living among the Babylonians during the captivity of Judah, under Nebuchadnezzar. Both represent holy remnants trying to work out how to live faithfully in the midst of an unfaithful, even pagan culture.

The cry to "come out of her, my people" of Revelation 18:4 is for the Lord's people to come out of the latter-day world system, likened to Babylon of old. However, whether or not the EU does represent this end-time Babylon, it is shallow to think that a vote Leave would fulfil this command of Revelation 18:4. Much more would be necessary for the UK as a whole to be considered a nation belonging to God once again, so we can't rest on the laurels of our historic blessings from God, profound though they have been.

The situation of modern believers can be compared with that of the Israelites in captivity in Babylon, trying to live faithfully in a pagan culture.

Paganism EnduresPalmyra Monumental Arch in 2010, prior to damage by Islamic State. A replica arch will be erected in Trafalgar Square from 19 April. See Photo Credits.

Much of the Christian world is abuzz at the moment with the news that a replica of an ancient monument in Palmyra in Syria is to be erected in Trafalgar Square this month. The ancient arch has survived attempts to demolish it by Islamic State. Replicas are to be erected in London and New York to celebrate World Heritage Week 2016.¹

With the tide of world affairs being driven by the need to defeat terrorism, this seems to be a symbol of victory – but there is something subtler here. The arch, originally constructed in AD 32, was an entrance to a temple that was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel. It formed the centre of religious life in Palmyra. So, whilst many in the UK are campaigning to come out of the EU, simultaneously some of our prominent leaders are opening the door to the very god of Babylon that the God of Israel warns us about!²

This is an illustration of the confused times in which we live - and a prompt to dig deeper. Despite our Christian heritage, one only needs to walk around the centre of London and other of our cities to see the extent to which we have never really cleansed ourselves of the images of ancient ungodly empires. Take another poignant example: statues of the pagan gods Gog and Magog on London's Guildhall, traditionally associated with Britain through the times of the Roman occupation, were destroyed by the Blitz of the Second World War. In a strange British ritual, they have been considered as the guardians of the City of London, brought out annually to lead the Lord Mayor's parade.

While many Brits campaign to come out of the EU, some of our leaders are opening the door to the god of Babylon in other respects.

Ironically, in 1953, the very year of the Queen's Coronation, the statues on the Guildhall were replaced.² Whilst at the Coronation the Monarch was celebrating the Bible as our Book for guidance in all things, some of her prominent subjects were ignoring the references to Gog and Magog in the book of Ezekiel, where their connection to end time spiritual battles is emphasised.

Idolatry, Inside and Out

Yet that is not all: the centres of our cities abound with statues and images that could be likened to what typified ancient Greece and Rome – as well as modern equivalents like billboards which glorify sensuality and vanity. The philosophy of our age – humanism – ultimately leads to replacing worship of the One True God with worship of idols and false gods. No wonder that one dictionary definition of humanism is the seeking after the philosophies of Greece and Rome.

So there is more to deal with in our nation than simply coming out of the EU. Coming out might provide opportunity for recovery – and perhaps even make a good start - but we also need to reflect on other matters that displease the God of Israel.

Images and idols to false gods is one thing. But these external images point to an inner problem that must also be cleansed. We have highlighted in previous Prophecy Today articles, for example, the many laws that are on our statute books which are an offence to God and a betrayal of our constitution based on the Coronation Oath - laws which have made legal many things that are not legal in God's eyes, hence leading us into individual and corporate sin.

The philosophy of our age – humanism – ultimately leads to replacing worship of the One True God with worship of idols.

Awake, Believers

For the UK as a whole to truly 'come out of Babylon' in every respect, much needs to be done after we leave the EU. Otherwise the UK may remain an outpost of a modern-day 'Babylonian Empire'. The call to "come out of her, my people" will then be for the Christian remnant within to brace up to withdraw from the ungodly nation that the UK may yet become – in or out of Europe.

Now is the time for us to go beyond the current events and look prophetically into the future. There is yet hope while our Queen lives, whose 90^th birthday we celebrate this month. The Coronation Oath still stands as our rallying point and the Lord's promise of Jeremiah 18:7-8 is still valid:

The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull 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.

For Christians, the challenge is to commit the future to God in deepening intercessory prayer while the signs of his judgment are relatively mild and, firmly but lovingly, call people in Britain to repentance. This will be a deeply emotional process, as we begin to sense the Lord's sadness over our nation - recall Jesus's weeping over Jerusalem prior to his sacrificial death on the Cross, and Jeremiah's weeping over fallen Jerusalem when the Babylonians took Judah to captivity.

For the UK as a whole to truly 'come out of Babylon', much more needs to be done than leave the EU.

Meanwhile, the arguments concerning the EU referendum should not be primarily led by financial considerations or the nation's love of football (even that has entered into the debate!), but by our standing before God. Whether in or out, the Lord can shake all our institutions. If he does bring further shaking to our nation, it will be as a sign calling us back to him.

References

1 See, for example, Gayle, D. Palmyra arch that survived Isis to be replicated in London and New York. The Guardian, 28 December 2015. See also the Institute for Digital Archaeology, which is carrying out the project.

2 Voice for Justice are currently running a petition against the replica arch planned for Trafalgar Square. Click here for more information.

3 Gog and Magog Back in London 1953. British Pathé.

Christine Burden reviews 'The Messianic Church Arising' by Dr Robert D Heidler (2006, 224 pages, Glory of Zion International Ministries).

I first read this book in 2008 and was so impressed with it that I bought several copies to give away. In re-reading it more recently I have found it just as refreshing, relevant and challenging for the times in which we are living! It is a book about restoring the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Heidler, senior pastor of Glory of Zion Outreach Centre (USA), is passionate about restoring the Church to its covenant roots. His book is divided into two parts: the first entitled 'Discovering Our Lost Inheritance' and the second dedicated to 'Recovering Our Lost Inheritance'. In addition to this there are three helpful appendices dealing with God's heart for the Jews, the Jewishness of the early Church and the Jewish Feasts.

This book is thoroughly researched and well-presented and I did not find it difficult to read. As an aside, as a Messianic believer myself I appreciated the thoughtful note included that this book was written for Gentiles and for that reason the author uses terms and expressions easily understandable to Gentile Christians (p2).

This book, about restoring the Jewish roots of Christianity, is refreshing, relevant and challenging for the times in which we are living.

Messianic Revival

In the introduction, the author reveals a startling fact: as recently as 1967, there were no known Messianic congregations anywhere in the world! Over the centuries, Jewish people had come to recognise their Messiah, but they had been assimilated into the church and had "forfeited their Jewish identity" (p13).

However, everything began to change after the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel regained the City of Jerusalem. For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, Jerusalem was no longer "trampled underfoot by the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). Since then, more Jewish people have come to recognise who Jesus is than in all the generations since the 1st Century AD – and many of these believers are retaining their Jewish identity.

Heidler goes on to note that now, there are Messianic congregations worldwide. This has not happened since the days of the early church. God is doing something: "The veil that had been over the eyes of the Jewish people has begun to lift" (p13)! Heidler then examines when and why this began, which is one of the main thrusts of the book.

Since 1967, more Jewish people have come to know Jesus than in all the generations since the first century AD.

Chapters of Interest

In his second chapter, 'The Root and The Branches', Dr Heidler looks at the influence of paganism, which he believes has caused mankind to lose "any understanding of spiritual reality" (p34). He raises many interesting points that could be quite a challenge to believers. For example, he discusses the effects that a pagan mindset has had, and still has, on Gentile understandings of God's relationship with the Jewish people – causing many Gentiles to struggle to see that there is one God, rather than 'one of many gods'.

There is also an excellent chapter entitled 'Living in Covenant', in which the meaning of covenant is unpacked. Heidler refers to Genesis 26:26-28 and states that covenant is "the key to security" in a lawless world (p108). Later, he compares 'cutting' covenant (the correct terminology) with "Jesus our Covenant Partner" (p114). He explains that believers are now in covenant with God and tells of the blessings which come from that.

The book contains useful appendices on the Jewishness of the Early Church and on celebrating the Feasts as God's appointed times. In this the author takes us through each feast in turn, showing how to appropriate them into the Christian life. A special mention goes to Appendix 1, 'God's Heart for the Jews'. I found that this chapter touched my heart, and I could see the compassion Dr Heidler has for the Jewish people. He reminds the reader that God has not forgotten Israel – and that there is an urgent need for the Church to wake up and mature in its understanding of the Bible, which is very much a Jewish book.

This is a book that will show you how to regain your lost inheritance as part of the 'One New Man' with Jewish believers.

Breaking Down the Wall

If you are being called to be part of the 'One New Man' with Jewish believers (which we all are), I would recommend this book to you. It covers the burning issue of Replacement Theology and the diabolical influences of anti-Semitism within the historical 'Church'. It is relevant and thought-provoking to us in these end times and it helps to "break down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile believers" (Eph 2:14).

The purpose of this book is not to make you Jewish, but to help you experience the fullness of Christianity - to know Christianity as God intended. Overall this is a book that will show you how to regain your lost inheritance. You will read and be refreshed and revived, and want to cry out, 'Lord, let me return to my roots and receive your blessing!'

'The Messianic Church Arising' is available from Sozo Books for £10.99 + P&P.

Weekly passages: Leviticus 6:8-8:36; Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; Hebrews 7:24-8:6.

The titles given to the Torah portions read each Sabbath are each taken from a significant word at the beginning of the respective passage. This week it is Tsav, which means 'a command'. It is the third time the Lord told Moses to issue a specific command to the Israelites (Ex 27:20, 36:6, and in this week's portion in Lev 6:9).

This one is a command to Aaron covering the regulations for priestly functions - consecration, anointing and sacrifices. Each function, especially the offerings, had a specific instruction, because everything about the Tabernacle had to be performed correctly, as it was a pattern of the Heavenly reality which was the dwelling of God with His people (Ex 25:9, 40; Num 8:4; Heb 8:5, 9:23).

Consecration with Emphasis

The anointing and consecration of the priests for their service has a relevance for Christians too, as we also are called to be "a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 2:5).

Of particular interest, this anointing of Aaron and his sons for consecration was to be on the lobe of their right ear, the thumb on their right hand and the big toe of their right foot (Lev 8:23). Does this seem a very odd command? Stay with me! David Blumenthal points out that some biblical texts have cantor marks over words (here underlined) to indicate how they are to be sung,1 as in this week's passage where Moses "slaughtered a ram" as a sin offering. There are only three other places where this cantor mark is added:

• in the phrase, "Lot hesitated" (on leaving Sodom, in contrast to Abraham who hurried to obey God's command when he heard it) - Genesis 19:16;
• in the phrase, "Eliezer prayed" (for a sign in choosing a wife for Isaac, followed by Rachel drawing water for him and his 10 camels – 400 gallons, the work of her hands) - Genesis 24:12;
• and in the phrase "but he [Joseph] refused" (the advances of Potiphar's wife, and he ran away quickly from evil) - Genesis 39:8.

In these passages, we can note the relevance of anointing the right ear, the right thumb, and the right toe. Each of these parts of the body is symbolic of our functions as priests, and they need to be consecrated for our walk with the Lord. So the priests were anointed on these parts for obedience to God's commands – to hear, to work and to walk/run. Are we consecrated for these vital priestly functions for the Lord?

Are we hearing what God is saying? Are we ready to work for Him? Are we walking in His path and running from evil?

Offering Ourselves in Love

James tells us that faith needs the witness of good deeds; Paul reminds us that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared for us in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). For this we need to listen, to work and to walk/run in obedience to God's calls. Let us offer, as priests, our ears, our hands and our feet, to be consecrated to hear what He says, to obey as He commands (to work while it is day), and to walk in His path, as He leads.

If we love Him, and obey His commands, the Father and the Lord Jesus will come to us and make their home with us (John 14:23). Then what we do will be more about Him and less about us. We may think the work we do is for Him. But if God abides in us, then we can do His work and carry His blessing to draw others into the Kingdom. To bear fruit for the Kingdom we need to remain (abide) in Him (John 15:4).

Obedience as Well as Worship

Priestly function (for us too) is to offer obedience and worship (Lev 8:36) together with blessings for people (Num 6:23-27). In Jeremiah's time (as in our day also), Israel did not always uphold this loyalty. The people came even into the Temple to claim God's blessing and protection while continuing in their evil ways. God warned them: "Has this House which bears My Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching, declares the Lord" (Jer 7:11).

In Jesus' day, too, the Temple (which should have been a holy sanctuary) was being used as a marketplace for commercial profit. This led Him to drive out the money-changers (the 'bureau-de-change') and those buying and selling, quoting Isaiah and Jeremiah: "My House will be called a House of Prayer for all nations. But you have made it a den of robbers" (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17). Is this sometimes true today also?

God speaks clearly to believers (His priests). He says, of Jesus, "This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him" (Mark 9:2).

God's frustration with His ancient people Israel was clear. "I spoke to you again and again [Hebrew – rising up early and speaking], but you did not listen. I called to you, but you did not answer" (Jer 7:13). God still speaks to His people, but are our ears anointed for listening to His voice today? He would say to all believers today: Sh'ma! Hear (and obey).

Our Great High Priest

Aaron was, for a time, a High Priest who stood among the children of Israel. But we have a permanent High Priest who sat down at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in Heaven, and who serves in the Sanctuary, the true Tabernacle set up by the Lord and not by man (Heb 8:1-2). This High Priest, Yeshua, Israel's Messiah, is able to save – completely - those who come to God through Him. Such a High Priest meets our needs, because He made a sacrifice for the sins of the people, once for all, when He offered Himself (Heb 7:25-27) as the Lamb of God at Passover.

Author: Greg Stevenson

References

1 Blumenthal, DR, 1994. God at the Centre, Meditations on Jewish Spirituality. Jason Aronson, p78.

Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP/Press Association Images

Weekly passages: Leviticus 1:1-6:7; Isaiah 43:21-44:23; 1 Samuel 15: 2-34; Hebrews 10:1-18.

This week's Torah portion is called Vayikra (also the Hebrew name for the book of Leviticus), which is Hebrew for 'and he called' (also the first word in Leviticus). This portion deals with the offerings the Israelites were commanded to bring to the Lord. These are the burnt offering (olah), gift or grain offering (minha), fellowship or peace offering (selem), sin offering (hatat) and guilt offering (asham). These regulations are linked back to the call Moses received from the Lord at the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting (Lev 1:1).¹

Physical Spirituality

Modern readers struggle with the concept of animal sacrifice. It seems primitive - barbaric even. Very few of us deal with butchery of any kind. We are often only dimly aware of the true vulnerability of our own bodies and their raw physicality. We often imagine that spirituality must transcend the physical.

However, biblical spirituality is intensely physical. "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name" (Ps 103:1). We praise God with our bodies as well as our minds. The Hebrew word for 'inmost being' can also refer to 'entrails'! It is from the same root verb as the word for sacrifice, korban, which means 'to draw near' to God.

As Rachel Timoner points out: "The Levitical sacrifices, as substitutes for our own bodies, represent a yearning to give ourselves over, body and soul, to serve God."² So the sacrificial system was Israel's means of drawing near to a holy God.

We often imagine that spirituality must transcend the physical – but biblical spirituality involves our whole bodies in praising God.

In order to draw near, provision had to be made for the holiness of the people and the sanctuary to be maintained. In its requirement for cleansing with lifeblood, the sacrificial system involved continual physical reminders of the precious life that God bestows. However, Hebrews 10, commenting on this system, asserts that "[the Law] can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship" (Heb 10:1) and "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Heb 10:4).

So what was the purpose of the sacrificial system if sin could not be removed?

Sacrifice: Atonement and Covering

Sacrifice provided atonement for sins: "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" (Lev 17:11). However, it could not remove sin. Instead, the Lord chooses to remove sin, as this week's Haftarah passage³ from Isaiah says: "I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you'" (Isa 44:22).

Atonement means that sins were covered by sacrifice. The Hebrew for 'Day of Atonement' is Yom Kippur - Kippur comes from a root verb meaning 'to cover'. So it is literally 'Day of Covering'. Atonement therefore consisted of covering sin whilst, in his grace, God chose to send sins away "as far as the east is from the west" (Ps 103:12).

The word for 'inmost being', which can also refer to 'entrails', is from the same root as the word for 'sacrifice', which means 'to draw near' to God.

A further proof that the Levitical sacrifices were not of the same order as Messiah's sacrifice is that the apostle Paul continued to offer temple sacrifices after he had become a believer in Jesus as Messiah. He even paid for other Jewish believers to offer sacrifices (Acts 21:23-26). He refers to a time when "I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this" (Acts 24:17-18). He also followed the Old Testament practice of a Nazirite vow (Acts 18:18; 21:23). This means that in his eyes, the Levitical sacrifices functioned differently to Messiah's sacrifice.

Sacrifice: Purification, Consecration and Honour

Sacrifice also purged the sanctuary from defilement. The purification offering (Lev 4:1-5:13) was not required in order to purify the person bringing the offering. Only bathing is required to purify the body in Leviticus and remorse clears the conscience from moral impurity.⁴

Instead, it is the sanctuary that is purified from defilement by the purification offering. Blood is smeared on the horns of the altar to purge it (the word kippur is used again which can be translated as purgation). Blood is the cleansing agent.⁵ It also consecrated the sanctuary because blood by nature was holy to the Lord.⁶ If the sanctuary were not purified, the end result would be that the Lord would depart because he cannot remain where there is defilement.

Sacrifice was also about honouring the Lord. In the Isaiah reading, the Lord rebukes Israel (Isa 43:23): "You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honoured me with your sacrifices." Sacrifice was about acknowledging who the Lord is and the redemptive work he has done. Only the best was worthy to be presented before the Lord: the grain offering was to consist of the finest flour (Lev 2:1) and animals were to be without defect (Lev 1:3).

Sacrifice also honoured God and purified the sanctuary to keep it suitable for the Lord's presence.

Once for All: Jesus Perfect Sacrifice

We can be thankful that in Messiah Jesus all our sins are atoned for and removed. Hebrews 10 quotes Jeremiah 31's new covenant where the Lord promises once and for all to remove sin: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more" (Jer 31:34). The Lord chooses to forget our sins.

Only Jesus' unique sacrifice could make "perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Heb 10:14). This verses perfectly encapsulates the 'now and not yet' of redemption: we have been made perfect in God's sight through Messiah's sacrifice, but we are still being made holy in this life.

By the "blood of Jesus" we can enter "the most holy place" (v19), which references the high priest's annual journey into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). We can draw near in "full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water" (v22). Just as the altar was sprinkled with blood, so our hearts have been cleansed by faith in what the blood of Jesus has done. Our bodies are washed by the water of baptism, just as God commanded ritual cleansing in water (mikveh is the Hebrew word for a ritual bath) before people approached him in the Temple.

In light of such a great salvation, the author of Hebrews exhorts believers to persevere: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:23-25).

Author: Helen Belton

References

1 VanGemeren, WA, 1997. New International Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis, Vol 4. Paternoster, Carlisle, p910.

2 Timoner, R. Giving Ourselves to God: Blood and Guts, Body and Soul. ReformJudaism.org.

3 "In the synagogue service, the weekly parshah [Torah portion] is followed by a passage from the prophets, which is referred to as a haftarah. Contrary to common misconception, "haftarah" does not mean "half-Torah." The word comes from the Hebrew root Fei-Tet-Reish and means "Concluding Portion". Usually, haftarah portion is no longer than one chapter, and has some relation to the Torah portion of the week." Rich, T. Torah Readings. Judaism 101.

4 Milgrom, J, 2004. Leviticus: A Book of Ritual and Ethics. Augsberg Fortress, Minneapolis.

5 Ibid.

6 See note 1, p1005.

Clifford Hill responds to the recent attacks in Brussels.

The latest atrocities in Brussels have shocked the Western world. It is time that world leaders, both East and West, face the fact that their policies in the Middle East have been disastrous.

Russia, the United States, Europe, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia all have different interests and objectives. It is time to face the truth that unless they can find some common ground, the seething discontent and political instability in the region could spill over into a world conflict.

Slaughter and Self-Delusion

Islam is fighting an all-out war for survival, with the militant extremists of the Islamic State (who claim to be the only true Muslims) patterning their violent behaviour on their Mediaeval founder Muhammad. His policy was that people either accepted his revelations as truth or they were slaughtered. His militant Muslim followers today follow the same policy. The latest round of atrocities in Brussels underlines both their determination and their ability to disrupt Western society. They will not go away quietly - neither will they be defeated by military action.

For too long Western politicians have run away from the truth, hiding behind lies and deception, saying that the violence is nothing to do with Islam which is a religion of peace! Until this self-delusion is broken our cities will go on being targeted by deluded religious fanatics and our citizens killed and maimed without warning as they go about their daily lives.

For too long Western politicians have run away from the truth, hiding behind deception and saying that Islam is a religion of peace.

Western VulnerabilityGareth Fuller/PA Wire/Press Association Images

There is not a city in the Western world that is safe. The security forces in Belgium have been on high alert for the past six months, ever since the Paris bombings; they knew that an attack was imminent after the arrest of Salam Abdesalam four days earlier. But they were unable to prevent terrorist attacks on soft targets.

More than 1 million Muslims have entered Europe in the past year from the conflict zones of the Middle East and they continue to pour in despite every effort being made by the European Union to protect its borders. The Islamic State claims that some 5,000 of the migrants are Muslim fighters and the Brussels attacks demonstrate the vulnerability and danger that we all face every time we travel into a crowded city.

Disillusioned Young Men

The broadcaster and philosopher Ahmed Abbadi, who is chairman of the Council of the Islamic scholars in Morocco, says that there is a generation of angry young men across the Arab world who "are jobless, wife-less and hopeless".¹ They know that there is plenty of wealth in Europe, which makes them increasingly angry and vulnerable to Islamic State recruiters who promise them jobs, beautiful wives and high social status if they will come and join them in their ideal Caliphate.

There is a generation of angry, disillusioned young men across the Arab world who are vulnerable to radicalisation.

The situation facing young people in the Middle East is a straight choice between either trying to get to Europe or joining the Islamic State – it's a straight choice because the Middle East, with its long history of colonialism and dictatorship, has no home-grown tradition of good governance: the whole concept of democracy is foreign and there are no deep foundations of a civil society upon which one can be built. This is the tragedy of Syria where the entire infrastructure has been destroyed and Libya where social order has collapsed.

Islamic Oppression

The starting point for reconstruction is the recognition of the truth that much of the responsibility for the lawlessness and hopelessness in the Islamic world lies with the religion of Islam itself. Violence and coercion are endemic to Islam, which allows dictators such as the Saudi royal family to exercise total control over their subjects, teaching generations of children hatred against their opponents (including Jews, Christians and the Shia minority, who are brutally oppressed).

An undercover film, 'Saudi Arabia Uncovered', was broadcast by ITV on Tuesday 22 March with a number of horrendous scenes such as a woman being held down by four policemen in a public road while another man beheaded her; and another scene of five beheaded men strung between two cranes. Some of these scenes were reproduced on the Mail Online.² There was some doubt as to whether the Government would allow the film to be aired, as the Foreign Office usually go to considerable lengths to protect the Saudi Government in order to maintain both political and economic interests. This is nothing new: Winston Churchill had the same problem with the Foreign Office back in the 1920s.³

A recognition is needed that much of the lawlessness and hopelessness in the Islamic world comes from the religion of Islam itself.

The film, about life in Saudi Arabia, showed a woman being punched and kicked by a man in a supermarket and the religious police controlling every aspect of life. Women are not allowed to drive and they have difficulty visiting a doctor without a male escort. It showed children in school being taught to hate Christians and Jews who, they were told, must all be killed. There appeared to be little difference between life in Saudi Arabia and what is happening in the Islamic state. Both are driven by what they claim to be a pure form of Islam.

This is what Islamic State intend to impose upon Europe. But European leaders who have opened the door to more than 1 million Muslims in the past year have not yet woken up to the extent of the horror to which they are condemning the nations of Europe.

The objectives of the jihadist bombers who have infiltrated Europe with the million migrants will continue to hit soft targets in an effort to achieve their objective – the Islamisation of Europe.

Facing the Truth About Islam

Today the security of all Western nations hangs in the balance. If a little nation like Belgium can be so targeted, how much more vulnerable are the larger nations of the West and Russia! The extent of conflict between Shia and Sunni and other Islamic factions is destabilising the whole of the Arab world and creating uncertainty even in those states not directly involved in conflict such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Algeria.

European leaders have not yet woken up to the horrors to which they are condemning European nations.

They all have an interest in establishing stable societies. The first step to genuine reconstruction lies in facing the truth about Islam. This is slowly being recognised by a number of Islamic leaders and scholars and this is where Western leaders and Christian scholars could be of assistance. President Sisi of Egypt was the first major leader in the Arab world to call for a "religious revolution" of Islam to purge the religion of extremism and violence.⁴ He made his dramatic announcement in a New Year's statement (2015) and repeated it in August that year.

Christian Contributions

In Egypt it is not only political leaders but Islamic scholars who are also open to discussing reform. In 2006 Dr Rowan Williams, as Archbishop of Canterbury, was invited by the Islamic scholars of the largest mosque in Cairo to present a lecture on Christianity. Christian leaders could be of immense help in examining the holy books of Islam alongside the Bible and taking out the teaching on violent jihad which characterised the Mediaeval period of Islamic development and which has no place in the modern world.

Most Islamic scholars have a healthy respect for Jesus. Although they do not accept his divinity, they do believe him to be a prophet. The teaching of Jesus on love and forgiveness of sins is absent from Islam but could radically transform Muslim teaching. I'm certainly not suggesting some kind of amalgamation of Christianity and Islam! But if Islamic scholars were willing to study the Bible with Christian scholars it might help them to correct the gross errors in the Qur'an.

References

1 Connolly, K. Battle of ideas at heart of fight against Islamic State. BBC News, 17 March 2016.

2 Oborne, P. A woman beheaded in the road. Five headless corpses hanging from cranes. As a documentary exposes the horror of life in Saudi Arabia, why DOES Britain cosy up to this kingdom of savagery? Mail Online, 21/03/16.

3 See chapter on 'Churchill and the Question of Palestine', in Fromkin, D, 2003. A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. Phoenix, London, p515f.

4 Smith, S. Egypt's President Urges Muslim Clerics to End Violent Islamic Ideology, Lead Peaceful 'Religious Revolution' in Groundbreaking Speech. Christian Post, 13 January 2015.

Clifford Denton offers some reflections on Good Friday.

This weekend we will celebrate the most important event of all history, an event only to be equalled by the Lord Jesus' return to bring the Kingdom of God fully in. It is more important than the created universe (Luke 21:33). As deep as was the Flood to drown a sinful world, deeper still is the love of God who sent his own Son into the world to redeem from sin all who would believe.

The sky darkened, the earth shook, the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom and many saintly people rose from their graves as Jesus defeated the power of sin and death on that eventful day (Matt 27:45-56).

What Abraham Looked Forward to!

2,000 years before, Jesus' sacrifice had been foreshadowed when God said to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you" (Gen 22:2).

God had already, in the most dramatic way of cutting a covenant (Genesis 15), made a promise that depended only on his own faithfulness, that Abraham's offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and dwell in the land promised to them by God. Isaac was the son of promise through whom this line would come in the physical sense, yet God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son on a mountain in the Moriah range.

Just at the point of Abraham's making the sacrifice, an angel intervened and Isaac was spared. A ram was sacrificed instead (Gen 22:13). Under Abraham's knife was not just Isaac but all who would descend from his physical line. The ram was the substitute. The ram died and all the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were able to live. The principle of substitution began.

Abraham looked forward in faith to see how God would fulfil his covenant responsibility, spending his life living in tents but waiting "for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb 11:8-10).

When God provided a ram for sacrifice instead of Abraham's son Isaac, the principle of substitution began.

The Passover Sacrifice

The covenant pathway was never easy for Abraham's descendants, as Joseph found when he was taken captive to Egypt, followed by the entire family of Israel (Gen 37-50). 430 years later, when the nation of Israel had grown whilst in captivity, Moses was chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt.

On the night chosen by God, henceforward to be celebrated annually as Passover, one of the prescribed Feasts of Israel, God judged the sins of Egypt but preserved the Israelites who through faith, family by family, each sacrificed a lamb and painted their door-posts with its blood (Ex 12).

This principle of faith was to be engraved into the consciousness of all Israelites. They were soon to be taught what was right and wrong in God's eyes through the Covenant at Sinai, to know the path of forgiveness through the sacrifices of the Tabernacle and Temple ministries, though still to have no permanent remedy for sin (Heb 9:1-10).

A Temple on Mount Moriah

The City of Jerusalem was founded by King David when, about 1,000 years after Abraham, Israel had settled in their Land (2 Sam 5:6-10). Since then, Jerusalem has been the chief city in the world for God to centre his purposes. David longed for a Temple so that the ministry of the Tabernacle from the wilderness years could have a permanent centre.

He purchased the land on the same mountain range where Abraham had taken his son Isaac. This was the place where the angel of death was commanded by God not to destroy Jerusalem on account of David's sin in taking an unlawful census (2 Sam 24:16-17). David's son Solomon built the Temple on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) on Mount Moriah (2 Chron 3:1). The worship and sacrifice centre of Israel was completed.

1,000 years after Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac on Mount Moriah, King David purchased land in the same area for the building of God's Temple.

It was destroyed at the Babylonian captivity in 536 BC, rebuilt by Zerubbabel on return from captivity, 70 years later, and modified by Herod into a more ornate structure. Central to the life and hopes of Israel for all these long years was the covenant with Abraham, the Feasts (including Passover) and the substitutional sacrifice for sin through the blood of the lamb.

Jesus the Messiah

Though there was an expectation for a coming Messiah to Israel, it was beyond human intellect to put all the prophecies together to see clearly how God would fulfil his promise to Abraham. A king from the line of David was eagerly awaited, with most Jews expecting a saviour to come in glory and raise an army against the occupying Romans of Jesus' day. Without the revelation such as Peter had at Caesarea Philippi (Matt 16:13), they did not understand that Isaiah pointed clearly to a suffering Saviour (Isa 53), accurately fulfilled by Jesus on the Cross.

He entered this world as God's only Son, echoing the experience of Abraham and Isaac so long ago. He grew up in the Jewish tradition, totally representing the nation, and ministered for three and a half years in fulfilment of all the scriptures pointing to Messiah. Then, riding on a donkey as a man of peace, with a clear climax to his ministry soon to occur, he descended the Mount of Olives and crossed the Kidron Valley to the City of Jerusalem.

With great expectation palm branches paved the way for the coming King of the Jews – as some recognised him to be. Yet only he knew how the rest of the scriptures would be fulfilled. He was, with the crown of thorns, the ram in the thicket that replaced Isaac, the saviour of Israel through substitutionary sacrifice. He came to be the Passover lamb that for all those years had pointed to him.

With the crown of thorns, Jesus was the ram in the thicket that replaced Isaac, the substitutionary sacrifice, the Passover lamb.

Perfect Sacrifice

He shared the traditional evening Passover meal with his disciples ensuring that they would remember that this was now to be shared as a memorial to him. The next day at the time of the Temple Sacrifice - one sacrifice for all the people - he willingly died on the Cross to release all who would accept his sacrifice for their sin – one Lamb for the entire family of faith.

The night before, in all Jewish homes there had been a service of remembrance of the first Passover and the atoning blood of the lamb. All history right up to that night prepared the way for the intercessory prayer from the Cross of the dying Saviour – "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) and his victorious cry of "it is finished" (John 19:30) that still echoes to us across the centuries. No-one knows the exact spot where it took place but this too was on the range of hills named Moriah.

Today

All over the world the Jews still celebrate Passover in the traditional way, ending the seder with "next year in Jerusalem". There is an ongoing desire for God to complete the promises made to Abraham. Those with eyes opened by the Spirit of God see how all the prophecies and the types and shadows of Israel's history were fulfilled in Jesus. It was far more than a release from the captivity of the Egyptians, the Babylonians or the Romans that he came to accomplish – it was freedom from the chains of sin that ensnare us all.

Those with eyes opened by the Spirit of God see how all the types and shadows of Israel's history are fulfilled in Jesus.

The Gospel went to the Gentile world and the Christian Church increased in numbers, fulfilling the promise to Abraham that his seed would be as countless as the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore. Grafted into believing Israel we too celebrate Passover whenever we take communion. It is unfortunate that Christians renamed Passover as Easter and moved the date slightly so that Easter always falls on a Sunday. Nevertheless, on Good Friday, as it is called, Christians around the world will be celebrating the Lord's death on the Cross once more.

Remember the history of it all as you pass around the bread and the wine reading Paul's injunction:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26)

Maureen Trowbridge reviews 'Embracing the Poor: Releasing, resourcing and equipping the poor for world mission' (Ed. David Adams, 2011, 190 pages, New Frontiers International, RoperPenberthy Publishing)

This eye-opening collection of essays, brought together by David Adams with a foreword from Matthew Frost (CEO of Tearfund), gives an indication of just how much the Bible has to say about 'the poor and needy' and the help God wants to give them through his people.

Jesus Our Example

Beginning with a chapter on God's heart for the poor, the book makes no assumptions, turning first to the question of 'Who are the poor?'. Subsequent chapters give much space to Jesus' own attitude to the poor, with authors noting that "Compassion was a hallmark of the life of Jesus" (p25).

Christ himself was poor and though the gospel he brought was for all, "he was particularly concerned that the poor and needy would realise that this good news was for them" (p24). Indeed, when he stood in the synagogue in his home-town of Nazareth and all but announced his identity as Messiah, he chose to use the words of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor..." (Luke 4:18-19).

We then trace the response of Jesus and the early Christian Church to the plight of the poor, following Jesus as he travels the country caring for the needy by healing the sick, restoring sight and feeding the hungry. In the process, he forms a new community of disciples and followers.

This eye-opening collection of essays unpacks God's heart for the poor and the help he wants to give them through his people.

Call for Personal Response

Lest readers grow comfortable reading about Jesus' actions without giving a thought to their own, Embracing the Poor also has a richly practical bent to it, looking at how Christians today can continue to live out the grace and compassion of Christ to the poor.

Helpful guidance and advice is given on ministry within the church and how to help those in need so that their lives are changed as they come to know and trust in God. Chapter 7 in particular provides a sound biblical model for churches caring for the poor. Aspects of 'good practice' are also considered, with one chapter containing 20 'key indicators' of good practice for those planning or continuing an existing ministry.

The book closes with inspiring real-life stories of those who have been transformed and are now walking with God, leaving the reader with an inescapable challenge to draw near to God themselves and be changed: "It is our prayer that through reading these testimonies you will put this book down not merely having been informed but that they will cause you to be drawn closer to God in worship of the One who is able to bring about life-changing transformation" (p169).

In the words of Geoff Knott, former Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators, this book "will move you, it will challenge you, it will change you. Be warned."

Embracing the Poor is available from the publishers for £9.99 + P&P.

Paul Luckraft interviews Tony and Kathy Stewart, Founders and Directors of the Mount Moriah Trust, a non-denominational Christian ministry helping needy believers in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

The story of how Tony and Kathy founded the Mount Moriah Trust and how it has grown under God's guidance and provision is an inspiring example of obedience leading to fruitfulness. They both testify to how God has prepared them for serving him in this particular ministry and can look back over 15 years of his gracious guidance along every step of the way.

Journey to Faith

Starting in 1972, Tony and Kathy made several visits to Israel as part of Tony's working life -staying for up to three months at a time. Although nominal Christians, neither of them were born again believers, but the place and the people began to impact them. During this time Israel was often at war with its neighbours but somehow they always felt safe – even protected – without quite knowing why!

In 1993 the Lord brought them to himself and they began a spiritual journey, maturing in the faith mainly through Christian conferences and Ellel Ministries. They were also faithful members of a local church, but Replacement Theology was a strong feature there and the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to them about this, making them realise how unbiblical it was. An eventual change of church was an inevitable and necessary step of obedience.

Even before they became Christians, Tony and Kathy were impacted by the place and the people of Israel.

New Impetus in Jerusalem

In 2001 a major change occurred as a new impetus emerged. Kathy felt a strong prompting from the Holy Spirit to go to David Hathaway's Fire over Jerusalem conference and while she was there, a chance meeting with a Messianic Jew (who was a taxi driver at her hotel!) opened her eyes to the hardship Jews were facing due to the Second Intifada which had begun the previous year. In addition, Messianic Jews were experiencing persecution and often lost their jobs when it became known that they were believers in Yeshua (Jesus).

On returning home, the Stewarts' first step of obedience was to support this particular believer and his family. After three months, during a time of prayer God told Kathy to start a trust to help needy believers. He assured her that he was birthing this work, and even gave her the name – the Mount Moriah Trust. This was in August 2001; nine months later (28 May 2002) the charity was registered – or, rather, born!

After a chance meeting with a Messianic Jew in Jerusalem, Kathy and Tony became aware that God wanted to birth a bigger project through them: a trust to help needy believers in his Land.

Developing an Approach

They now knew what to do, but not always how to do it! However, Tony found that the experience and skills gained from his working life (he retired in 2005) were now being put to good use in setting up and administering the trust. Ken Burnett of Prayer for Israel became their patron, and they also had the support of their new church which was pro-Israel. But it was still a slow start and it wasn't clear how to operate – until God directed them again!

As a couple they were still providing financial support for the Jerusalem taxi driver and his family, and suddenly they realised that helping families was the way forward. Their focus was to stand alongside believing families and they started with three. With further help from Ken Burnett, contacts were made in Israel and the pattern of working was established – they would work alongside local pastors. This has been their standard method ever since. It is pastors on the ground in Israel who know best the needs of their congregation and how to help them. It would be through them that the financial and spiritual support would be channelled.

At first it was only Messianic Jews who received help, but in 2005 God told them to support Arab believers in Israel also, and pastors in Cana and Nazareth joined the work. This later spread to Palestinian brothers, those in Gaza and the West Bank, as God showed them that when it came to helping Christian believers, there was to be no prejudice. It was to be a balanced operation, like the two arms of a pair of scales. The phrase 'one new man' was impressed upon them as they realised how God wanted to break down walls and barriers.

At first aid was only given to Messianic Jews, but God soon encouraged them to broaden this to include all Christians in the region, Jew or Arab, breaking down barriers.

God Provides!

After this the work grew rapidly. There are now nearly 40 pastors involved in the Trust. Tony and Kathy visit them every year in October/November in order to assess the work. They review the effectiveness of the past year's support and agree with the pastors what they need for the coming year. Tony and Kathy then return home and wait for God to provide! After all that is what God has promised through naming the trust himself – Moriah is the place where he provided the lamb for Abraham to sacrifice (Gen 22:8).

No direct fundraising is necessary. No special appeals are made. Contacts happen as God draws people to the work and under his leading they start to give. Last year £130,000 was raised and it is rising year on year. A total of over one million pounds has now been sent out. Every penny goes to the congregations - nothing is taken out for administration, travel or other costs, which are met privately.

Not only are the agreed needs met each year but there is often something left over to help with emergencies that arise during the year. This is only to be expected - after all, God had given Tony and Kathy a picture of the loaves and fishes, which adorns their logo alongside their motto, 'God provides'.

The story of the Mount Moriah Trust is an inspiring example of obedience leading to fruitfulness, through God's guidance and provision.

Scripture-Based Ministry

God's word has always been a strong motivation for Tony and Kathy, and the ministry has been founded on certain scriptures. "Comfort, comfort my people" (Isa 40:1) was a key word, as were the exhortations of Paul to "share with God's people who are in need" (Rom 12:13) and to "do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10).

The support provided to the elderly, widows, single mums and families is mainly for basic humanitarian needs – food parcels/vouchers, medicines, clothes etc. In recent years the Lord has guided them to support children and youths, ensuring that they have all the books and equipment that they need to get the best education possible, and strengthening their walk with the Lord through sponsoring attendance at summer and winter Bible camps. Helping the next generation to lift themselves out of poverty is seen as a key to the future.

Each step of the way has been guided by God, simply because he planned it from the beginning. Divine appointments keep happening. There are now contacts in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia - plenty to keep Tony and Kathy, God's faithful servants, busy for the rest of their lives! They know there will be more to come – but not knowing exactly how or from where makes this an exciting adventure. God will lead, and they will follow.

Each step of the way has been guided by God, who planned it from the beginning. The future will be an exciting adventure – God will lead and they will follow.

Discover more about the Mount Moriah Trust's work for yourself by visiting their website, mountmoriah.org.uk. Contact Tony and Kathy via the site if you would like to be sent resources to share with others. You can also sign up to receive regular newsletters and invite Tony and Kathy to speak in your area.

Or explore their YouTube channel, where you can listen to some of the local pastors speaking, as well as view the Mount Moriah Trust DVD entitled 'The Heart of God'.

Edmund Heddle's series on the prophetic ministry comes to a close as we study the greatest prophet of all: Jesus the Messiah.

"Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?" The question which John the Baptist addressed to Jesus from his prison cell is the one that had echoed down the ages of biblical history. "Are you the coming one?" (in Greek ho erkomenos) (Matt 11:3).

Messiah's Threefold Office

The 'coming one', called Messiah because he was anointed by God's Spirit for his ministry (Isa 61:1), had a threefold office to fulfil: prophetic, priestly and kingly. He was to be a prophet to save us from our ignorance, a priest to save us from our guilt and a king to save us from our self-will.

Eusebius, one of the early church fathers, spoke of him as "the only High Priest of all men, the only king of all creation and the Father's only supreme prophet of prophets". In Christ all the prophecies of Old Testament Scripture are fulfilled, as Peter told his hearers in one of his earliest sermons: "Indeed. all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days...the promises of God through the prophets are for you, and you share in the covenant which God made with your ancestors" (Acts 3:24-25, Good News Bible).

The promised Messiah was to be a prophet to save us from our ignorance, a priest to save us from our guilt and a king to save us from our self-will.

The Prophet God Will Raise Up

We now turn our attention to the role of prophet and seek to understand how Israel was made to expect the coming of a prophet. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses announces: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him".

Fuller details of the raising up of this prophet are given in verses 15-18. First, he will be raised up by God, he will not be appointed by the men of Israel or their leaders. He will be God's choice. Secondly, he will be like Moses and resemble his ideals and outlook. Thirdly, he will be "one of your own people". No foreigner will be appointed to that office. He will speak God's words and God's people are required to obey him in an unquestioning way. There will be serious consequences for those who refuse to obey. God himself will make him answer for any disobedience. This was the kind of prophet Israel was told to expect.

The Circumstances that Demanded a Prophetic Ministry

There are three reasons why it was important to receive the promise of a prophetic ministry at that time in Israel's history:

1. Moses their leader was shortly to be taken from them.

2. The promised land ahead was riddled with occultic and spiritualist practices (Deut 18:14)

3. They were afraid of God's voice and the fiery aura that surrounded him. "For this is what you your¬selves begged of God at Mount Horeb. There at the foot of the mountain you begged that you might not have to listen to the terrifying voice of God again, or see the awesome fire on the mountain, lest you die" (Deut 18:16, Living Bible).

The promise of a prophet who would speak only God's words was of vital importance to the Israelites as they proceeded into Canaan, where horrible practices such as the offering of live babies into Molech's dreadful fire were conducted. How such a practice must have grieved a loving God! The Israelites would find themselves among peoples who practised divination, sorcery, witchcraft, casting spells, practising spiritualism, listening to mediums and calling up the spirits of the dead (Deut 18:10-13). Such customs are still carried out today in so-called Christian countries, bringing down the wrath of God on people who practice things he regards as destestable (Deut 18:12 and 14).

The Lord showed his approval of their reaction to his holiness: "The Lord said to me: What they say is good. I will do as they have requested. I will raise up for them a prophet" (Deut 18:17, 18).

Israel needed the promise of a prophetic ministry. Moses was to be taken from them, they were afraid to hear God directly and the land of promise ahead was riddled with witchcraft.

A Succession of Prophets?

The text of Scripture refers to one single prophet (Deut 18:15 and 18). Moffatt in his translation refers to a succession of prophets in his rendering: "The eternal your God will raise up for you prophet after prophet like myself". It is clear on reflection that both are true.

Moses is requesting a prophet who will go into action as soon as they enter the Promised Land and who will continually stand up against the powers of darkness throughout the coming years of the nation's history. Clearly a succession of prophets would be necessary to accomplish this obligation. The New Testament places the stress on one exceptional prophet, concerning which the question of John the Baptist was asked, "Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?" (Matt 11:3).

Corporate or Individual?

In our understanding of the scriptures we need to realise that certain titles like 'the prophet', 'the servant of the Lord', 'the son of man' and others have both a corporate and an individual significance. To get the fullness of the meaning we need to accept both interpretations.

So to grasp the meaning of the Deuteronomy reference we need to see the ultimate appear-ance of some special person, one preceded by a long line of prophets who were able to speak God's word to their succeeding generations.

Jesus - the Final Fulfilment of Deuteronomy's Prophet

It is evident from the gospels that the believers had become convinced that Jesus was 'the prophet'. He is referred to as Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee (Matt 21:11). After the people saw the miracles that Jesus did they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14). "On hearing his words, some of the people said surely this man is the Prophet" (John 7:40).

The central revelation conveyed to the people of Israel is that it is Jesus of Nazareth who is the fulfilment of the prophet promised by Moses and recorded in Deuteronomy. Peter in his sermon in Solomon's Porch at the Jerusalem Temple refers to Jesus, the one whom God raised up, as the fulfilment of the Deuteronomic prophecy (Acts 3:22-26).

The Deuteronomy prophecy refers to the ultimate appearance of some special person, preceded by a long line of prophets who spoke God's word to their succeeding generations.

The prophet "powerful in word and deed before God and all the people" is revealed by the Lord himself to the two travellers on the road to Emmaus. It is surely no wonder that, as they listened to his exposition of "Moses and all the prophets", their hearts burned within them (Luke 24:19-32).

Reasons Why People Believed Jesus to be the Prophet

The woman of Samaria cited the evidence that had led her to believe that Jesus was the prophet when she described to her fellow Samaritans how "he told me everything I ever did!" (John 4:29). The widow of Nain received back her dead son when Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" When the man subsequently started to talk the people were filled with awe and praised God. The crowd cried out, "A great prophet has appeared among us" (Luke 7:14-16).

On the last and greatest day of the feast, when Jesus was expounding the scriptures to both religious leaders and ordinary people, there was some discussion as to whether or not he was the prophet promised in the Old Testament scriptures. Some at least reached the right conclusion: "Surely this man is the Prophet" (John 7:40). There was, however, no clash of opinion after Jesus had fed the five thousand. "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world'" (John 6:14}.

Some Had Difficulties in Accepting Jesus as the Prophet

The Jewish leaders refused to accept Jesus because he had come from Galilee. They were saying, "Look into it and you will find a prophet does not come out of Galilee" (John 7:52). But that was not all the scriptures had said about the Messiah's birthplace: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler in Israel" (Mic 5:2). It was true that Jesus was brought up in Galilee. but it was in Judea that he was born.

After Jesus had opened the eyes of the blind man, the Pharisees were sent to investigate what had happened. The blind man had reached the only sensible conclusion that Jesus was a prophet and that he was operating with God's power. The religious leaders could not accept that conclusion because the man had been healed on the Sabbath (John 9:16, 17, 33).

There are still many people today who do not believe that Jesus is the prophet promised by Moses. Some have drawn inadequate conclusions by refusing, like the Pharisees, to accept parts of Scripture. Others do not acknowledge him because, like the religious leaders of the time of our Lord, they allow their own traditions to stand in the way of accepting the evidence which to ordinary people was so clear and convincing.

At the time, many people did not believe Jesus was the promised Prophet because they failed to accept parts of Scripture, or were blinded by their religious traditions.

God's Greatest Prophet

The answer to the question that has titled this series of Bible studies, What is a Prophet?, cannot be adequately answered simply by studying, as we have done, the prophets of the Bible. We need in the end to come face to face with Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.

He, like Moses before him, "knew the Lord face to face" (Deut 34:10) but in his case uninterruptedly. Other prophets, like Samuel, were able to communicate God's word to the people (1 Sam 3:21). And what was true of Samuel was supremely true of Jesus in that God let none of his words fall to the ground (1 Sam 3:19).

Jesus is greater than Jonah (Luke 11:42), Solomon (Matt 12:42), Jacob (John 4:12), Abraham (John 8:53) and Moses himself, concerning whom the writer to the Hebrews said, "Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses" (Hebrews 3:3). To quote again the words of the early father Eusebius, Jesus is "the Father's only supreme prophet of prophets". Listen to him and learn to prophesy by his prophetic spirit.

If we are to understand what a prophet truly is, we must in the end come face to face with Jesus the Messiah.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 7 No 6, November/December 1991.

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