Weekly Readings: Genesis 28:10-32:2; Hosea 12:13-14:10; John 1:19-51

Like Jacob, submitting to God may not come easily to us. It might take years - even decades - in the wilderness for God to get through to us. But through the hardship, we need to remember that God disciplines those he loves.

Jacob

Brought up by a faithful, God-fearing father, Jacob was a typical child of rebellion, whose every action seemed to push against the path God had marked out for him. He was a double-dealer from birth, emerging from the womb grabbing onto his brother's heel (a picture of deception and dishonesty). Encouraged by his mother Rebekah, Jacob continued to manipulate into adulthood, eventually cheating his elder brother Esau out of his birth-right.

On the run from his brother, it took Jacob twenty wilderness years of hard, oppressive labour (during which he received a taste of his own medicine, being cheated repeatedly by his uncle Laban) and a wrestling match with God (Gen 32), before he began to really learn how to walk in humble submission. Like a wild horse needing to be broken in, so Jacob had to undergo a painful time of discipline in order to become the person God intended him to be – Israel.

Leah

Leah, Jacob's first wife, needed to be 'broken' for an altogether different reason. Unwanted and unloved by her husband, she was driven by a deep desire to win Jacob's heart away from her sister Rachel. As she bore Jacob son after son, each time she hoped that the child would win him to her ("Now this time my husband will become attached to me..." Gen 29:33-34).

Her jealous resistance finally broke down when Judah, her fourth son, was born. Leah surrendered her broken heart to God in a declaration that "This time I will praise the Lord". Beautifully, out of Jacob's 12 sons, it was through Judah that God chose to bring the Messiah, Jesus, nearly 2,000 years later.

Struggling Against God

Like Jacob, submitting to God may not come easily to us. Our natural instinct may be to struggle against him, or to work in our own strength to bring in his 'provision'. It might take years - even decades - in the wilderness for God's discipline to get through to us.

Or, like Leah, our impulse might be to seek fulfilment and self-worth in something other than God – and only repeated, painful experiences of disappointment will change us. No matter how much we struggle, God's strength and endurance far exceed our own and, in the end, will always win. How long, then, will we 'kick against the goads'? (Acts 26:14)

Those He Loves

As God patiently works to change our hearts, we must remember this one thing: he disciplines those he loves. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace." (Heb 12:7-12)

In Hosea, the same message is portrayed as a romance: God draws his people out into the wilderness in order to woo them, that they might rediscover his love and receive his comfort and blessing (2:14-23). Be encouraged, if this is you today.

We bring you an exciting update from evangelists Syd and Liz Doyle, who have just spent nine days reaching out to refugees fleeing IS.

Syd and Liz Doyle have been working as international evangelists and church planters for many decades, pastoring in England and America and ministering in 54 nations, seeing tens of thousands come to Christ. In the past they planted a church in Ashford before settling in the USA, and have worked with Prophecy Today's Clifford and Monica Hill on projects such as the Zong slave ship, the Sharing Show and the Heal our Land musical.

This past nine days Syd and Liz have been serving in Jordan, ministering to refugees fleeing from ISIS – and have led over 700 people to Jesus! Their daily updates make for remarkable and exciting reading – so we are re-printing excerpts of them here for your encouragement.

Stories of Hope: Excerpts from the Doyles' Daily Updates

"Hi Praying Friends,

This trip has been successful as we partnered with different Pastors, workers and church groups who serve the Iraqi refugees. We delivered 200 40lb bags of groceries, clothing, dozens of blankets and about 30 heaters. We spoke at 6 meetings and at every house we visited - explained the Gospel and led over 700 to Christ.

Thanks for holding us up in prayer!

In the Field,
Syd and Liz"

Refugees from Nineveh

"We are very busy and already tired out after Day 1. We put our food and clothing packages together and set out to visit 9 families...all refugees from Iraq - leaving businesses, homes, cars, everything, running for their lives from ISIS. The first family had to leave their businesses, and a new house they were building, to save their lives. Walking, they had to carry their 83 year old grandma and her wheelchair all the way to Jordan!"

"We prayed with a widow, (she said Jesus saved her 2 sons and her from ISIS - Liz said, well now, let Jesus save you from your sins - and she did!) Syd prayed with a man and his son, and we all prayed with a family of 6, all refugees from Ninevah for salvation too! We prayed for a sweet little 6 year old boy to be healed from cancer. His mom is a young widow. Please keep all these dear new believers in prayer!"

"What a great day...41 men, women and children prayed today for salvation/assurance. 21 families from Ninevah. Driven out by ISIS because they refused to renounce Christ. We gave each family a bag of groceries, a blanket and clothes provided by you our supporters! We have now given out 30 bags."

"One girl shared how her brother crossed the sea in an inflatable boat that sunk. He was rescued with only the clothes on his back and a Bible! He walked to Germany and finally at the end of himself he crawled into a phone box falling asleep with the Bible as his pillow. He was wakened by a knock on the window and an Arab man asked him to follow him. The man took him to a church - he was a Pastor! He prayed with him and led him to Christ! He's serving the church today! Let's pray this happens over and over again to these refugees in Europe. Through this testimony his sister came to Christ!"

Salvation Near Mt Nebo

"Today, about 2 miles from Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked over the Promised land before he died, 60 men, women and children accepted Christ/received Assurance today! The courtyard of a small Roman Catholic Church in this Muslim country houses 20 Iraqi refugee families who live in 18 small container/trailer looking units provided by the Jordanian government...

...They all gathered in the hall after we visited some of the "homes" where we preached the Gospel using the Evangecube, our testimonies and gospel bracelets. As Liz sang Amazing Grace many began to cry as the Holy Spirit touched their hearts. After the time of prayer there was such excitement and joy!"

A Thanksgiving Like No Other

"What a day! In the evening we had a special Thanksgiving meal - we catered for 400 and over 500 attended - the church was packed. Syd and Liz preached and over 400 stood to receive Christ!"

"Thanks for praying...we are witnessing a remarkable thing...These people, nominal Christians, many professional people, having been stripped of everything, now realize that who they need is Jesus."

"Then we visited the home of a Sabean family. Nawal, our team member is originally from that religion. They follow John the Baptist. After directing their attention to the Gospel of John and John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God, this family, who lost their four year old son to murder by terrorists in Iraq because they refused to deny their religion, received Jesus as their Savior. Nawal was thrilled to pray with them for salvation!"

"Finally our evening ended with Syd and Liz preaching at another Iraqi church - 90 were in attendance and about 60 stood to receive Christ. We provided 2 Falafal sandwiches each and a drink after the service! They were so happy!"

For more information about Syd and Liz, see www.nationslight.org.

Clifford Denton turns to Haggai to understand the crises currently filling our news broadcasts and feeds.

'I admit it – Iraq was a mistake. But that shouldn't stop us intervening in Syria'

This was the heading of a Times' article on Tuesday 24 November in which William Hague, a former Foreign Secretary, argued the case for the UK bombing chosen targets to defeat ISIS in Syria.

Day by day the global crisis escalates. Last week the world responded to horrendous terror attacks in Paris. France went immediately to war in Syria. This week a missile from Turkey brought down a Russian plane on combat duty in Syria. Russia promises retribution. Brussels is on high alert for terrorism. What next - and where do we stand?

Britain is bracing up for potential terrorist attacks in coming days. What should we do? Should we unleash our airborne weapons of war in Syria? That is this week's question. Experienced politicians can argue convincingly for or against involvement in armed aggression. Iraq was horrendous, Syria is devastating. But is there a word of prophecy? Does the Bible have a relevant word for today?

Haggai Foresaw the Circumstances of Our Day

Haggai was told to stir up the returning exiles so that they would rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Zerubbabel. He and Zechariah prophesied together at that time. Haggai's ministry seemed more practical, while Zechariah saw mystical visions and was caused to reach out into the heavenly domain. Together they understood that the God of Israel was restoring favour to Judah.

At that time there was a re-building programme, but they both also saw into the distant future, beyond the immediate, to God's far-reaching purposes for his people. The future that they foresaw includes our present day. Perhaps their words are what the nation's leaders should be reading as they consider how to respond to our shaking world.

In 1986 at the prophetic gathering on Mt Carmel, God revealed that he is now shaking the nations, in line with Haggai's prophecy. Where does the present crisis fit into this context?

The Mount Carmel Gathering

Haggai spoke prophetically in words that are easy to understand. At the 1986 gathering on Mount Carmel, it was Haggai's prophecy that was brought into focus.

The writer to the Hebrews, writing several centuries later, understood that Haggai spoke of the future: "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens" (Heb 12:26; Hag 2:6). The Lord showed this to the prophetic gathering of 1986 and since then the world has indeed been subject to shaking – a shaking that goes on and on. These things have been highlighted in Prophecy Today since then.

Where, therefore, does the present world crisis - with its scattered outbursts of terrorism and a major conflict in the Middle East - fit into this prophetic context? Let us revisit the prophecy.

Haggai in Focus

Haggai re-stated his prophecy towards the end of chapter 2. Consider how clearly this describes today's escalating conflict among the nations:

I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
I will overturn royal thrones
and shatter the power of the foreign [Gentile] kingdoms.
I will overthrow chariots and their drivers;
horses and their riders will fall,
each by the sword of his brother. (2:20-22)

The weapons and armoury of Haggai's day were chariots, horses and swords. These are symbolic of the more powerful weaponry of our day - the day of fulfilment. Haggai's prophecy is being fulfilled today: God has set this time for dealing with the Gentile nations, overthrowing their power, and humbling them.

Plans for Harvest

Elsewhere in the Bible we read of God's redemptive purposes for Israel, his plans for strengthening all his covenant family across the whole world, and the great ingathering for the Kingdom that will result from the shaking – all with the return of Jesus in focus.

God has set this time for dealing with the Gentile nations – this is a day of fulfilment.

Plans for Judgment

In this particular passage from Haggai we read of the way God will deal with unrighteousness among the nations – this is what God is doing in the world conflict that is escalating today. These are not just chance happenings, it is God saying: I am bringing this about.

Plans for Humbling

The final phrase of this prophecy is especially relevant when we consider current debates on whether to wage war in Syria. This is the day where God's judgement will be outworked by Gentile nations being brought low – each by the sword of his brother.

It is no wonder that, humanly speaking, there is no clear way forward to defeat terrorism. The nations will bring one another down in the escalating conflicts of our day - one way or another. This is what is happening before our eyes - and Almighty God has given us plenty of time to consider this, as he spoke through his prophet Haggai roughly 2,500 years ago.

Humanly speaking, there is no clear way forward. But our understanding should be that God is allowing this escalating crisis – in fact, it has long been foretold.

This is Not Pacifism

This is the understanding that should motivate decisions in the UK's parliament. We are on a dangerous path to destruction unless we understand what God is doing in judgment and seek a way forward in prayer together – prayer across the nation.

This may seem to be a call to pacifism, to be anti-war, against involvement in armed conflict. It is not that. We can be pacifist and still not be right before God. We must set ourselves to discover what God is doing today and why – it is a call to the prayer room and separation from a self-destructive world, until we understand the path he desires us to walk.

There are pacifist voices in the current parliament, but not with prophetic understanding. The position of a righteous nation, one that escapes the infighting and mutual destruction of the coming days, is to seek God in all respects. God is outworking the final steps of his covenant purposes and we must walk with him through these days of prophetic fulfilment. We must be doing what he is doing.

God is outworking his covenant purposes and we must walk with him through these days of prophetic fulfilment - we must be doing what he is doing.

What Must We Do Next?

It is likely that however we engage with the current military conflict - even if we withdraw completely - we will not have the right overall objectives. Withdrawal from the conflict is just the first step, recognising that we will not escape God's judgment simply through holding back our military power.

We must pursue understanding of what pleases God so that our nation will be once more protected, once more used for his Gospel and covenant purposes. Central to this is the call for the Church to be the watchman to the nation and to be engaged in intercessory prayer.

Haggai has spoken clearly, not just to the returning exiles of his day but to all countries of the world in the day in which we live. We do have the word of God for our times, spoken around 2,500 years ago to explain to us what God is doing this week and in the coming weeks, months and years.

This week a key question is whether to escalate armed conflict in Syria. Soon there will be other challenges and momentous decisions. Every decision must be guided by the word of God. Nothing else ultimately will succeed in bringing peace and protection.

Clifford Denton moves from the Middle Ages to the Reformation, exploring how contemporary attitudes and beliefs regarding Israel came to be established in Christian culture.

Introduction

In this study series we have carefully traced the separation of the Christian Church from Israel and the Jewish people. We have shown that this began in earnest in the 2nd Century AD and encouraged and was amplified by anti-Semitism, which drove a deepening wedge between Church and Synagogue.

The later theological position of the Church was worked out among a number of developing Christian sects and denominations, largely centered on the Roman Catholic Church for many centuries. These theologies affirmed the separation of Christianity from Judaism and eventually wrote Israel out of the picture in any significant way.

The Reformation of the 16^th Century brought a fresh move to take the Church back to its roots but its work was incomplete and so division remained both in theology and practice. This week we will illustrate this point by considering some of the writings of the prominent theologians of the Reformation, whose arguments are still found in foremost theology books today.

The Reformation of the 16^th Century was a fresh move encouraging the Church back to its roots, but its work was left incomplete when it came to relationships with Israel and the Jews.

The Reformation

The Reformation of the 16th Century began when Martin Luther presented his 95 Theses dramatically to the Roman Catholic Church. "The Just Shall Live by His Faith" then rang out across Christendom to challenge the Church to reform, repent of corruption and return to its true roots.

The door where the 95 Theses were posted, Wittenburg. See Photo Credits.

Yet this had little impact upon the Jews scattered into their communities across the world. Through misunderstanding or aggressive instincts, Luther then turned on the Jews and an opportunity was lost to complete the Reformation and mend the rift between Judaism and Christianity. Theological misunderstandings remain to this day, despite the emergence of new life in the Christian Church. Marvin Wilson writes in Our Father Abraham (p99):

Martin Luther made a decisive break with the Catholic Church. The issues most central to this German Reformer included faith and works, Scripture and tradition, and the priesthood of believers. But these issues did not constitute Luther's total theological agenda. Toward the start of his influential career he expressed hope of reaching the Jewish community with the Christian gospel. In 1523 he issued a tract, That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew, which affirmed the Jewish descent of Jesus. Luther pointed out that early missionary outreach to Jews failed not because of evil or obstinacy on the part of the Jews but because of the "wicked and shameless" life of popes, priests, and scholars.

However well-meant or kindly intentioned Luther's attitude was at the start, he changed. When he saw that Jews failed to respond to the Christian message, he became hostile toward them. He issued a series of vitriolic pamphlets, including On Jews and Their Lies (1543). In these bitter diatribes he labeled Jews as "venomous," "thieves," and "disgusting vermin." Furthermore, Luther called for Jews to be permanently driven out of the country. Appealing to this and other anti-Semitic doctrine, four centuries later the Nazis carried out Luther's desire with horrifying success.

Whilst Dr Wilson also notes, "Fortunately, in recent years, the efforts of both Jewish and Lutheran leaders have considerably improved interfaith relations", the Reformation perpetuated a theology of separation that is still ingrained in the theology books of the Christian Church and is an assumption within the teaching programmes of the majority of Bible Schools.

The Reformation perpetuated a theology of separation that is still ingrained in the Church today, and is an assumption in the teaching programmes of most Bible Schools.

The sale of indulgences was challenged. See Photo Credits.Prior to the Reformation, theological positions had been developed particularly through the Church Councils:

• The First Council of Nicaea, called by Constantine, 325 AD
• The First Council of Constantinople, called by Theodosius, 381 AD
• The Council of Ephasus, called by Theodosius II, 431 AD
• The Council of Chacedon, called by Emperor Marcian and Pope Leo, I 451 AD
• The Second Council of Constantinople, called by Justinian I, 553 AD
• The Third Council of Constantinople, called by Constantine Pogonatus, 680 AD
• The Second Council of Nicaea, called by Irene and her son Constantine V, 787 AD

By the 16th Century, discontent was growing with the control and corruption emanating from the Church (centred in Rome). Out of this came the dramatic emergence of the Reformation. We will now examine the seeds sown by key Reformation thinkers and look at the fruit these are still bearing in modern Church theologies. First, we quote from John Calvin, the well-known Reformation theologian.

John Calvin

We quote at length from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Eerdmans 1989) - without analysis, so as to let the quotations speak for themselves. However, it is first important to state that we are not suggesting that everything about these quotations is wrong – rather that they clearly display a bias in Calvin's understanding of the relationship between Israel and the Christian Church.

John Calvin. See Photo Credits.From the chapter 'The Difference Between the Testaments', we read:

What then? You will say, Is there no difference between the Old and New Testaments?...These differences (so far as I have been able to observe them and can remember) seem to be chiefly four, or if you choose to add a fifth, I have no objections...

The first difference then is, that though, in old time, the Lord was pleased to direct the thoughts of his people, and raise their minds to the heavenly inheritance, yet, that their hope of it might be the better maintained, he held forth, and, in a manner, gave a foretaste of it under earthly blessings, whereas the gift of future life, now more clearly and lucidly revealed by the gospel, leads our minds directly to meditate upon it, the inferior mode of exercise formerly employed in regard to the Jews being now laid aside...

Another distinction between the Old and New Testaments is in the types, the former exhibiting only the image of truth, while the reality was absent, the shadow instead of the substance, the latter exhibiting both the full truth and the entire body...

I proceed to the third distinction...expressed by Jeremiah (Chapter 31)...Let us now explain the Apostle's contrast step by step. The Old Testament is literal, because promulgated without the efficacy of the Spirit: the New spiritual, because the Lord has engraven it on the heart. The second antithesis is a kind of the first. The Old is deadly, because it can do nothing but involve the whole human race in a curse; the New is the instrument of life because those are freed from the curse it restores to favour with God. The former is the ministry of condemnation, because it charges the whole sons of Adam with transgression; the latter the ministry of righteousness, because it unfolds the mercy of God, by which we are justified.

The last antithesis must be referred to the Ceremonial Law. Being a shadow of things to come, it behoved in time to perish and vanish away; whereas the Gospel, inasmuch as it exhibits the very body, is firmly established forever. Jeremiah, indeed, calls the Moral Law also a weak and fragile covenant; but for another reason – namely, because it was immediately broken by the sudden defection of an ungrateful people; but as the blame of such violation is in the people themselves, it is not properly alleged against the covenant.

The ceremonies, again, inasmuch as through their very weakness they were dissolved by the advent of Christ, had the cause of weakness from within. Moreover, the difference between the spirit and the letter must not be understood as if the Lord had delivered his Law to the Jews without any good result; ie as if none had been converted to him. It is used comparatively to commend the riches of the grace with which the same Lawgiver, assuming, as it were, a new character, honoured the preaching of the Gospel...

Out of the third distinction a fourth arises. In Scripture, the term bondage is applied to the Old Testament, because it begets fear, and the term freedom to the New because productive of confidence and security...

The fifth distinction which we have to add consists in this, that until the advent of Christ, the Lord set apart one nation, to which he confined the covenant of his grace...Israel was thus the Lord's favourite child, and the others were aliens...The calling of the Gentiles, therefore, is a distinguishing feature illustrative of the superiority of the New over the Old Testament...by this public call, the Gentiles were not only made equal to the Jews, but seemed to be substituted into their place, as if the Jews had been dead.

Though great scholarship emerged from the works of Calvin and others, thoughts had already polarised regarding law/grace, new/old, Jew/Gentile, bondage/freedom - and all Jews were thought of as one body together. Generally, the Gentile Church and its theologies were becoming organised around an assumed separation from Israel, though this was not always mentioned except in passing.

The Church was forming a theology which assumed separation between Jew and Christian.

If we jump for a moment to the present day, and refer to a popular modern theology book by Louis Berkhof, his Systematic Theology (Banner of Truth, 1984), we can illustrate this point as it has continued to this day. On the Second Coming (p698-690), Berkhof dismisses the pre-millennial view of the re-establishment of the nation of Israel prior to or during the Lord's millennial reign. He interprets the Church as the New Israel and considers natural Israel as being replaced:

He [Jesus] informs the wicked Jews that the Kingdom will be taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof, Matt.21:43...He does not hint of any prospective restoration and conversion of the Jewish people. This silence of Jesus is very significant. Now it may be thought that Rom. 11:11-32 certainly teaches the future conversion of the nation of Israel...In the chapters 9-11 the apostle discusses the question, how the promises of God to Israel can be reconciled with the rejection of the greater part of Israel. He points out first of all in the chapters 9 and 10 that the promise applies, not to Israel according to the flesh, but to the spiritual Israel, that there is among them still a remnant according to the election of grace, 11:1-10.

And even the hardening of the greater part of Israel is not God's final end, but rather a means in His hand to bring salvation to the Gentiles, in order that these, in turn, by enjoying the blessings of salvation, may provoke Israel to jealousy. The hardening of Israel will always be only partial, for through all succeeding centuries there will always be some who accept the Lord..."All Israel" is to be understood as a designation, not of the whole nation, but the whole number of the elect out of the ancient covenant people...the apostle said...that the promises were for spiritual Israel...with the fullness of the Gentiles the fullness of Israel will also come in.

We see here a perpetuation of replacement theology written into a modern-day theology book. Elsewhere there is the hidden assumption that the Church is a distinct entity, separated from any strong Hebraic foundations. For example, Berkhof's Systematic Theology contains a full 50 pages on what the Church is, including its nature, its names from a linguistic background, the history of its development, its Catholic and Greek fathers and its post-Reformation and Protestant history. But the Church is so much assumed a new body replacing Israel that Israel itself is not mentioned even once in these 50 pages of definition.

This illustrates the basis of Christian theology as is taught in many seminaries, and as it has developed from the early days of separation. We turn now to two more early theologians.

Thomas Aquinas

First, we quote from several sections of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica (quoting from Methuen, 1989). Aquinas appears to have linked Christian theology more to the Greek philosopher Aristotle than to its Hebrew foundations:

Thomas Aquinas. See Photo Credits.On Law he writes:

In the New Testament God spoke to us in his Son, in the Old Testament by angels. God instituted the law by his own authority and promulgated it through angels. And it was bestowed together with other special advantages on the people of the Jews, because of the promise made to their forefathers that Christ should be born from them...Christ was destined in the future to save every nation, but still had to be born from one. So, although certain injunctions of the Old Law proclaimed the law which is in us by nature and such had to be observed by all – not as Old Law but as law of our nature, certain injunctions of the Old Law were peculiar to it and obliged only people of the Jews...

Does the law oblige us to do virtuous deeds virtuously? According to Aristotle when we act knowingly, choosing what we do voluntarily for some intended goal, and doing it wholeheartedly with a firm and unwavering commitment...

On Faith, he writes:

Authority is instituted by human law. Since the law of grace does not abrogate human law based on reason, being believers does not as such exempt us from the already established authority of disbelievers. The church, however, does have God's authority to take authority away from disbelievers, since their disbelief makes them unworthy to exercise power over believers, who have become sons of God. And sometimes the church exercises this right, sometimes not.

As regards disbelievers subject to temporal authority of the church or its members, church law states that slaves of Jews must be freed immediately on becoming Christians, with no ransom paid if they were born slaves or sold into slavery. But if in the market they must be offered for ransom within three months. The church has the right to dispose of the Jew's goods since he is subject to the church...The church permits Christians to work Jewish lands, because that doesn't involve living together, but if such contact did hold dangers for the faith of Christians it would be altogether forbidden.

On Jesus' suffering he writes:

Wished-for ignorance aggravates faults rather than excuses them, for it shows a man so intent on sinning that he doesn't want to know anything that might deter him from sin. The Jews sinned in this way, crucifying Christ not only as man but as God. The Jewish leaders' sin was the gravest, both because of what they did and because it was done with malice. More excusable was the sin of the pagans at whose hands Christ was crucified, for they had no knowledge of the Law.

In the writings of Aquinas, as with other Christian theologians, we detect the move to see the Gentile world subdued under Christianity, as well as the issue of Church merged with State. From the days of Emperor Constantine, Christianity became the religion of the Empire. Later, through the theologians that we have quoted, Greek philosophy merged with biblical teaching, and the politics of Greece led to a desire for Christianity to be a political power in the world.

As Greek philosophy merged with biblical teaching, the politics of Greece created a desire for Christianity to be a political power in the world, subduing others.

This increased the contrast with the Nation of Israel, seen as the body of people now rejected and replaced by other nations. The eloquence of this logic (Greek though it is) has been beguiling to this day.

Martin Luther

Second, for the purposes of illustration, we turn to Martin Luther. In Luther's Theological Writings (ed. TF Lull, Fortress Press, 1989), we read from the section 'How Christians should Regard Moses':

I have stated that all Christians, and especially those who handle the word of God and attempt to teach others, should take heed and learn Moses aright. Thus where he gives a commandment, we are not to follow him except so far as he agrees with the natural law. Moses is a teacher and doctor of the Jews. We have our own master, Christ, and he has set before us what we are to know, observe, do, and leave undone.

However, it is true that Moses sets down, in addition to the laws, fine examples of faith and unfaith – punishment of the godless, elevation of the righteous and believing – and also the dear and comforting promises concerning Christ which we should accept. The same is true of the gospel. For example in the account of the ten lepers, that Christ bids them go to the priest and make sacrifice (Luke 17:14) does not pertain to me. The example of their faith, however, does pertain to me; I should believe Christ as they did.

Luther's over-strong departure from the continuity of biblical and covenant history is clear.

Summary

When surveying the emergence of Christian theologies, we perceive an assumed separation from Hebraic foundations and, as a result, a reaction against the Jews. The Church became re-defined in Gentile terms and the separation from its roots continues in many theology books today.

When we survey the emergence of Christian theologies, we see an assumed separation from Hebrew roots, re-defining the Church in Gentile terms.

We quote finally from David H Stern's Messianic Jewish Manifesto (Jewish New Testament Publications, 1991):

...both individuals and the church as an institution have taught anti-Semitic doctrines and committed anti-Semitic acts in the name of Christ. Moreover, although some of these individuals were Christians in name only, displaying no evidence of genuine faith, others were people who according to any criterion except that of anti-Semitism itself really were Christians – such as Augustine and Martin Luther. In fact, even though he inaugurated the Protestant Reformation one can seriously wonder, in the light of the standard set by Genesis 12:3, if the man who filled his tract, "On the Jews and their Lies," with imprecations against Abraham's descendants was saved. (p69-70)

From Luther's On the Jews and their Lies (trans. MH Bertram, in Luther's Works, Fortress Press 1962-64) we read:

What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?...I shall give you my sincere advice: First, to set fire to their synagogues...in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians...I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed...I advise that their prayerbooks and Talmudic writings...be taken from them...I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb.

We will believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is truthful when he declares of the Jews who did not accept but crucified him, "You are a brood of vipers and children of the devil..." I have read and heard many stories about the Jews which agree with this judgment of Christ, namely, how they have poisoned wells, made assassinations, kidnapped children...I have heard that one Jew sent another Jew, and this by means of a Christian, a pot of blood, together with a barrel of wine, in which when drunk empty, a dead Jew was found.

This last quotation illustrates how far the reaction against the Jews can go when we become detached from our roots. It was an unfortunate error on Luther's part, especially considering all the good that he had done in his life. This quotation was even used, it is said, by Adolf Hitler, to justify his 'Final Solution' and the resulting Holocaust of the Second World War.

For Reflection and Comment

In what way can the Church find theological renewal? Could this be done by prayerfully, studying the scriptures together in new ways relating more to our Hebraic heritage? Could this result in true spiritual unity across the denominations?

Next time: Early Jewish Sources

What do we learn about God from the instances in Scripture where he uses the weather as a prophetic sign?

The prophets of the Old Testament believed that Yahweh, the God they served, was in absolute control of the weather - that good weather was a sign of his approval and that unfavourable weather was his way of reproving his often disobedient children and of keeping them in check (Deut 28:15, 22-23; Amos 4:7-8).

The prophets delighted to point out Yahweh's superiority over the idols and rain-gods whose help the children of Israel were only too prone to enlist (Jer 10:11-13). Typical of this was the stinging sarcasm addressed to the prophets of Baal by Elijah on Mount Carmel after their total failure (1 Kings 18:26-29).

The prophets believed that Yahweh was in absolute control of the weather – and delighted to point out his superiority over idols and rain-gods.

God is Reliable and is to be Praised

After the flood in the days of Noah, God made a promise that he would be man's faithful provider so long as the world went on. "As long as the earth endures, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Gen 8:22). Hundreds of years later Paul addressed a crowd at Lystra and sought to turn them from their errors to the true God who had borne witness to himself by constantly supplying them with rain. crops and food. "He has not left himself without witness. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their season. he provides you with plenty of food" (Acts 14:17).

Earlier on, Joel had encouraged his hearers to rejoice in the Lord who had given them "both autumn and spring rains" (Joel 2:23). Both the 'former' and the 'latter' rains were essential to produce good crops in Israel. The autumn rain was necessary in order to facilitate sowing and the spring rain. which fell in March or April, was important to swell the grain then approaching maturity.

The prophet went on to say "You will have plenty to eat. and You will praise the name of the Lord your God" (Joel 2:26). Even during the wilderness wanderings lasting 40 years God was faithful in providing manna, in a situation in which it was impossible to grow crops. "Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed". It is characteristic of Yahweh that he provided them with plenty (Ex 16:21; Ps 78:23-25).

After the flood, God promised that he would be man's faithful provider 'as long as the earth endures'.

Yahweh is the True God and is to be Obeyed

There were many Baals (or Baalim), Canaanite storm and fertility gods, in the time of Elijah. The Baal favoured by Israel's king Ahab was Melqart, the seat of whose worship was in Tyre, the city from which Ahab's wicked wife, Jezebel, came. She had introduced Baal worship into Israel and had at least 450 prophets working to eliminate the worship of Yahweh, the true God.

In order to bring the people back to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the prophet Elijah was to inform King Ahab that for the next few years there would be neither dew nor rain (1 Kings 17:1). It is significant that the prophet had to bring about this drought through prayer (James 5:17).

At the conclusion of a three-year period during which there had been no dew nor rain, Elijah arranged with the king a confrontation on Mount Carmel as the result of which the prophets of Baal were disgraced and the Israelites were obliged to acknowledge that Yahweh was the real God. Once the forces of Baalim were overthrown the land could again enjoy the rain from heaven, but not before Elijah had prayed persistently until "a small cloud the size of a man's hand" provided him with evidence that rain was on its way (1 Kings 18:19. 38, 41-46).

It is significant that the drought inflicted upon Ahab was brought about by prayer and ended by prayer.

The prophet Moses had previously explained to God's people that the gift to them of good weather was conditional upon their obedience:

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands...all these blessings will come upon you...The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season...However, if you do not obey the Lord your God...the sky over your head will be bronze. the ground beneath you iron (Deut 28:1-2, 12, 15, 23).

God is Sovereign and Claims the Right to Control the Weather

God's people have always had to come to terms with the fact that Yahweh exercises absolute authority over the weather. The position is made clear in the words of Psalm 135:6-7: "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth...he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses".

In the interview Nicodemus had with Jesus, he was told "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going" (John 3:8). Clearly Jesus is saying that the wind blows where God pleases, and that God is in sovereign control, whether he is referring to the weather in the natural world or the work of regeneration in the human spirit.

There is an element of mystery in the weather even to today's scientifically trained weather-forecasters, as was evident in the hurricane which unexpectedly hit the south of England in October 1987. We must not grumble at the weather God sends nor be like the wife of Job, who suggested that he should curse God. Rather we should follow Job's advice, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10 NASV). After all is said and done, he does know best.

God's people have always had to come to terms with the fact that Yahweh exercises absolute sovereignty over the weather.

God is the Source of 'Natural Disasters'

On the day when David had been delivered from all his enemies he was inspired to sing about the weapons in God's armoury that had been used to bring about his deliverance, weapons we call 'natural disasters':

The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook: they trembled because he was angry...Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. The Lord thundered from heaven. He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them. (2 Sam 22:1, 8, 13, 14, 15)

Earlier in their history Yahweh had made use of hailstones in softening up the hearts of Pharaoh and his princes to let the children of Israel leave Egypt. Exodus 9:24 records that they accompanied the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.

The last-but-one plague was that of darkness. God said to Moses: "Stretch out your hand towards the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt - darkness that can be felt. So...total darkness covered all Egypt for three days" (Ex 10:21-22). This was a particularly disconcerting event for the Egyptians because their god - the sun god Ra - was seen to be powerless to dispel the darkness. God's selectivity and special care for his children is seen in the fact that. although all Egypt was in darkness, "Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived" (Ex 10:23).

Jeremiah was commanded to announce that disaster was coming to Jerusalem as well as to the nations surrounding her:

See. I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my name, and will you indeed go unpunished?...The Lord will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling...Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation: a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth. (Jer 25:29-32)

The prophets believed that God used the weapons in his arsenal to express his anger. This is not a popular idea in our day when so many seem to have exchanged the Almighty for the 'all¬matey'! Nahum expresses his understanding of God in these words:

His way is in the whirlwind and storm...the mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. (Nah 1:3.5,6)

It is against such a background that the prophet's message becomes so appropriate when he goes on to say. "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him" (Nah 1:7).

The prophets believed that God used the weapons in his arsenal to express his anger – not a popular idea today, when so many have exchanged the Almighty for the 'allmatey'!

God Uses the Weather and 'Natural Disasters' to Test His People

Job had to face a succession of disasters when marauding troops carried off his oxen and donkeys. Then his flocks and the shepherds with them were struck by lightning. Finally, the house where his children were feasting was demolished by a whirlwind, killing them all. Scripture records that "In all this. Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing" (Job 1:13-22).

As the story proceeds and the testing becomes increasingly painful and unpleasant, his friends tried to convince him that he must have sinned against God to suffer such a catalogue of disasters. But he had not sinned. God had allowed these terrible disasters in order to test his servant and to demonstrate Job's utter innocence to satan, the accuser. Prophets today need to be very careful when they so quickly point the accusing finger at those who are passing through severe testing.

Any study of God's power in creation quickly exposes our abysmal ignorance of natural forces and our virtual powerlessness:

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?...Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are...?' do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his? (Job 38:22-24; 34-35; 40:9).

God's Use of the Phenomena is Not Restricted to the Old Testament

When we study the great gospel events we find that they were marked by extraordinary happenings. While Jesus was dying on the cross between twelve noon and three in the afternoon "darkness came over the land...for the sun stopped shining" (Luke 23:44-45); again, "When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit...the earth shook and the rocks split...when the centurion and those with him...saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed. 'Surely he was the son of God!'" (Matt 27:50-54).

When Jesus had been placed in a tomb "there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it" (Matt 28:2).

God's use of nature is not restricted to the Old Testament – in fact, the great gospel events are marked by extraordinary 'natural' happenings.

The Last Days Will Be Marked by Unusual Phenomena

Jesus revealed that before his second coming there would be "great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven" (Luke 21:11). He said also that "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken" (Matt 24:29). After these things (as Jesus told the high priest Caiaphas), "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt 26:64).

These prophetic revelations help today's prophets to impress upon this generation the need to prepare, "For the coming of the Lord is drawing near" (James 5:8). In the book of the Revelation, the final prophetic word of scripture, there are warnings that must be passed on to our society; warnings of "flashes of lightning...peals of thunder and a severe earthquake, no earthquake like it had ever occurred since man had been on earth...from the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible" (Rev 16:18, 21).

True prophets believe in a God who in his sovereign power controls the weather, 'natural disasters' and the coming judgment, a God of absolute purity and unquestioned authority who is to be feared. "They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!'" (Rev 6:16).

True prophets believe in a God who controls the weather, natural disasters and the coming judgment – a God of absolute authority who is to be feared, but who will one day dwell with his people.

True prophets proclaim a time when God will be with his people: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain" (Rev 21:4). What a message prophets have to proclaim!

Ian Farley reviews 'God and Churchill', by Jonathan Sandys and Wallace Henley (SPCK, 2015, 352 pages, hardback £19.99)

This is an extremely thought-provoking book and one that is easy to read. It claims to be the first biography of Churchill to focus on the Christian motivation behind his style of leadership, speeches and eventual success. But it is important to note the title carefully. The order, God and Churchill, is significant, as is the subtitle – 'How the great leader's sense of divine destiny changed his troubled world and offers hope for ours'. Together, title and sub-title lets the reader know what to expect.

The title is not 'Churchill and God'. Those with some knowledge of the wartime prime minister will be aware that he did not express personal faith in Jesus nor particularly call himself a Christian or indeed claim to be religious. If enthusiasts of him are looking to find that actually he was one or all of these things, then this book will disappoint.

Rather the argument of the joint authors (one of whom, Sandys, is Churchill's great-grandson) is that God is active and sovereign in history. In particular, he appoints saving leaders and uses them to achieve his purposes. Churchill, they argue, was one such instrument in God's hands.

Churchill did not call himself a Christian or express personal faith in Jesus. But this book argues that he was still an instrument in God's sovereign hands for a saving purpose.

Churchill had, they believe, a high sense of Christian civilisation and a deep knowledge of Scripture, imparted to him by his nanny whose photograph was still by his bedside at his death. Of particular interest is the claim that as a boy of 16 he was already envisioned with a sense of purpose from God, one that would involve him saving the nation and its capital from invasion. His perseverance in this belief in his destiny, often against all the odds, is at the heart of this story.

Certainly Churchill was preserved from death on several occasions and equipped through the vicissitudes of his life to stand up to the evil of Hitler and Nazism. There are interesting chapters on the sources of this evil and Churchill's different perspective especially on science, the role of the church in society, the philosophy of Utilitarianism and the importance of history.

At the heart of this story is Churchill's sense of destiny and perseverance in his belief that he had great purpose.

All of this is a good read but there is more. As the subtitle suggests, his sense of destiny offers hope for our world too. The authors very expressly link the state of the world today with the mess of the 1940s. ISIS is the current equivalent of Hitler. The moral mess of the 1920s led to the Second World War and the moral mess of the 1960s has led to today's chaos. Is there a leader-saviour for today? There is a review of the danger of equivalency as an acceptable way of thought and a very good overview of patterns of history from Judges. But be warned, tempers may fray in this part!

Altogether a book to enjoy and be stimulated by, but not one that will assure you of the great man's salvation. However, it is a timely addition to the corpus on Churchill - especially in the year of the 70^th anniversary of Victory in Europe. The book's release is also timed to coincide with Churchill's birthday, 30 November, on which date the author will speak at a national press launch in Westminster.

Altogether a book to enjoy and be stimulated by, though not one that will assure you of the great man's salvation.

Weekly Readings: Genesis 25:19-28:9, Malachi 1:1-2:7, Romans 9:1-31.

The name in Hebrew for this week's Torah portion is Toldot, meaning 'generations'. The theme of sibling rivalry is recurrent down the generations, beginning as far back as Cain and Abel, continuing through Abraham's offspring Isaac and Ishmael and finding further expression in the next generation as Isaac's sons Esau and Jacob take their place in the narrative.

Character and Destiny

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who introduced the concept of the Logos (Greek for word, order, knowledge), which is used in John's Gospel to describe Messiah as 'the Word made flesh'), also declared that "Character is destiny".

Rebekah, the mother of Esau and Jacob, asked the Lord why there was turmoil in her womb:

The Lord said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.' (Gen 25:23)

God knew their characters from the time they were in the womb and how godly and ungodly character would shape their destiny. However, while their destiny may have been God's plan, the means of achieving it was not fixed.

Character and Choice

Instead of deceit, malice and injustice triumphing in Jacob, both brothers could have peacefully acknowledged their different characters and strengths, with the elder even joyfully serving the younger.

The Body of Messiah imagery of 1 Corinthians 12 shows that while we all have value in God's kingdom we cannot possibly all carry out the same functions or bear the same calling.

Character and Disobedience

Characters in Genesis often decide to give God a helping hand in fulfilling his promises: notably Abraham taking Hagar as a wife. Rebekah also hears God's word of destiny and decides to bring it about by encouraging Jacob to steal the birthright of his brother.

The lament of both Isaac and Esau when they learn of the deception is heart-wrenching. The Bible is usually sparing in describing emotion, but their anguish is fully expressed. It's a ghastly, irreversible moment of shame, regret and remorse epitomised in Esau's heartbroken cry to perhaps both his earthly parent and his heavenly Father: "Bless me too, my father!" (Gen 27:34).

Jacob's deceitfulness and Esau's rash impetuousness both contributed to this moment. Their mother's behaviour exhibits the characteristics of both her sons: Rebekah is impetuous in encouraging Jacob to seize the moment to triumph over his brother and devious in plotting with him against her other son.

Esau's bitterness is not appeased and his descendants are despised. In Malachi, we read about them: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the Lord – even beyond the borders of Israel!'" (Mal 1:4-5)

Character and God's Sovereignty

Not only are his descendants estranged from the Lord, but their suffering at God's hands is to be a sign of the Lord's greatness. Romans 9 examines God's sovereignty in the light of Israel's history, reminding us that from Isaac to Jacob, God pre determined who should continue the line of promise leading to Messiah and who should be pre-destined for salvation. "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Rom 9:15).

In view of God's sovereign judgement and mercy, we should pursue holiness, as the author of Hebrews encourages us, while warning us to avoid the sins of Esau which led to irreversible disgrace:

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. (Heb 12:14-17)

Dependence Upon God

We struggle to understand God's sovereign choice and the intertwining of pre-destination and free will, but that illustrates our complete dependence upon the Lord and shows that, in contrast to his supreme power to control destiny, we are puny and pathetic in our efforts to determine our lives and control the world around us.

We control very little and the only thing we can do to change our lives and influence the course of our destiny is to obey the Lord and, in so doing, build a character in the likeness of Messiah Jesus. As we build a character in his likeness, our destiny will be to mirror him for all eternity.

Author: Helen Belton

Following on from his article last week, Clifford Hill continues his response to the recent attacks in France.

The huge press coverage of the Paris atrocities and the vast chatter on social media does little more than demonstrate the confusion that has arisen. Neither journalists nor politicians know what to do and the church stays silent.

President Hollande declared to an assembly of French mayors that he is proud of the secularism of France which they will continue to defend by increasing their bombing of the Islamic State.¹ David Cameron wants to join in the bombing and Nicola Sturgeon is reconsidering her position.

Meanwhile leaders of the Islamic State posted their views saying: "In a blessed battle whose causes of success were enabled by Allah, a group of believers from the soldiers of the Caliphate set out targeting the capital of prostitution and vice, the lead carrier of the cross in Europe – Paris...And Allah granted victory upon their hands and cast terror into the hearts of the Crusaders in their very own homeland."²

By contrast the Muslim Council of Great Britain took out full-page advertisements in national newspapers on 19 November stating: "The barbaric acts of Daesh (or ISIS as they are sometimes known) have no sanction in the religion of Islam, which forbids terrorism and the targeting of innocents."

So, Where Does the Truth Lie?

I have lived and worked among Muslims for most of my working life in London and I know that most Muslims are ordinary, decent, peace-loving people - but also that most of them know nothing of the history of Islam and have very little knowledge of the Koran. The young men of the Islamic State are following Muhammad as their example.

Muhammad advocated violence in the 'Second Pledge at Al-Aqabah' through which he unleashed violence against those who refused to accept his new religion. He also used Koran 9.5 which demands conversion on pain of death.

Muhammad himself carried out horrendous acts of cruelty especially against Jews, as in the slaughter of Banu Qurayza in April 627 AD. The whole town had already surrendered to him but Muhammad decided to slaughter all the adult males. Some 800 to 900 captives were beheaded, with Muhammad himself cutting off the heads of two of the Jewish elders. This was justified from the Koran "Some ye slew and ye made captive some. And he (Allah) caused you to inherit their land and their houses and their wealth, and land you have not trodden. Allah is ever able to do all things" (Koran 33.26–27).³

Whilst the proper interpretation of such quotations as the above remains hotly debated amongst scholars, the fact is that they are still being used today to justify killing. We have to leave it to the Muslim scholars to sort out the truth. Clearly they have a problem. The Koran defines me, a Christian, as an 'infidel' so I cannot help them; I can only urge them to study their history and the writings attributed to Muhammad and to define what is valid for today in the 21^st century. There will be no peace in the world until they do this.

Why Has God Allowed This to Happen?

The Western nations and especially Europe have despised their Christian birthright and have deliberately embraced secular humanism and all forms of depraved hedonism. The Queen, at her Coronation in 1953, received a Bible and promised to "maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the gospel". At this time, our nation agreed before God to be, corporately, a Christian nation.

Since then, Britain has forced the Queen to sign laws that break these promises. We are now reaping what we have sown so we no longer have the protection of God over the nation. We have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. Only repentance and turning to God can make any difference.

In 1953, Britain agreed before God to be a Christian nation. Since then we have broken those promises – and we are now reaping what we have sown.

It may be that God is allowing thousands of Muslims to come into Europe as part of his judgement upon us. But God is able to turn judgement into blessing and already there are reports of hundreds of Muslim refugees accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Europeans are being given the opportunity of witnessing to the truth by showing love and compassion to refugees from war.

In Britain we have made no attempt to teach immigrants the history of our nation and our great Judaeo-Christian heritage. We have not even insisted that they all speak English. This is sheer madness! It drives migrants into cultural ghettos like the suburbs of Paris. Immigration without integration spells disaster!

We have despised our godly heritage while at the same time allowing secular humanists to spread their teachings in our schools and universities and to change the laws of the land to accommodate their perversions of the truth. We have dropped the teaching of the Bible; and our churches have lost their prophetic mission to declare the truth fearlessly.

What Should We Do?

I am grateful to all those who put comments on my article published last Friday. It is so good to have open discussion on these issues that affect the whole nation. Everyone I speak to thinks what happened in Paris will happen in Britain and none of us really knows how to deal with the threat of terrorism - because it's nothing like conventional war. We are dealing with spiritual evil.

The threat to the nation is very real and Christians should be mobilising prayer. A good biblical example is in 2 Chronicles 20 when Jerusalem was threatened by a vast enemy army and the King called the whole nation to prayer which he led, calling upon God for help, "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

The threat to this nation is very real and Christians should be mobilising prayer. God always answers a true prayer of faith, especially when it is accompanied by repentance.

This prayer was wonderfully answered when the enemy army destroyed themselves through internal dissension. God always answers a true prayer of faith: especially when it is accompanied by repentance for our waywardness.

References

1 Paris Attacks: president Hollande addresses French mayors' congress. Youtube video (running time 27:45), France 24.

2 Fisher, M. Here is ISIS' statement claiming responsibility for the Paris attacks. Vox, 24 November 2015.

3 MA Khan, 2011. Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery. iUniverse, p35. Full text available here for free (PDF download).

4 Basilan, M. Muslim refugees converting to Christianity in Berlin church. Christian Post, 8 September 2015.

Dark fantasies become reality as hell breaks loose on earth.

Even before I learnt that the main target of the Paris massacre was a theatre that until recently was owned by Jews,¹ I had been wondering whether we Westerners were reaping the consequences of 'dancing with the devil'.

Dark Concert

That so many civilians enjoying an evening out should suddenly find themselves face to face with a virtual firing squad almost defies the imagination. It was an appalling attack on unsuspecting individuals which had all the hallmarks of Satan. But there was evidently an elephant in the room, a great unmentionable that dare not speak its name.

London Mayor Boris Johnson referred to the perpetrators – Islamic State terrorists – as a 'death cult',² which it certainly is. But what commentators seem deliberately to have missed – along with the Bataclan concert hall's Jewish connection – was the link between such evil extremism and the dark nature of the concert that claimed most of the lives lost last Friday night.

The Eagles of Death Metal band had apparently just started a song called Kiss the devil³ when the gunmen opened fire and the auditorium morphed into the devil's domain. Fantasy became reality, with one witness describing it as "hell". I am not suggesting in any way that the victims had brought this disaster on themselves, but I am saying that Western society as a whole is partly responsible. For we have collectively lowered our guard against the demonic forces now unleashed with such ferocity, by betraying our Judeo-Christian foundations.

We have collectively lowered our guard against the demonic forces no unleashed with such ferocity.

'Prophetic' Media?

There was mention of prophecy in the Mail on Sunday, who recalled their "prophetic" report in May headlined "Med boats' secret cargo: jihadis bound for Britain". The same paper also reported the "chilling prophecy" of a controversial film about a terrorist rampage in Paris – about to open in French cinemas – that has now had to be withdrawn twice in the wake of the actual thing happening instead (it was also due to be screened earlier this year, but was pulled following the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and the Jewish supermarket).

Hardly anyone in the media talks of biblical prophecy, however. Yet that would shed an awful lot of light on this dark subject! Just one example of this is that the world would be full of violence – as in the days of Noah – in the time immediately preceding the return of Jesus to set up his kingdom of peace.

What 'Civilisation'?

Politicians have referred to the Paris massacre as an 'attack on civilisation'. But my response is: what civilisation? We seem obsessed with dark and lurid fantasy, and with images of violence in our living rooms. We congratulate ourselves on our culture of 'freedom', bought at a great price in two world wars and, before that, with the blood of Christian martyrs. They went to the stake for the cause of publishing God's word, which has now been discarded and thrown to the winds, only to be replaced by moral relativism where there are virtually no rules for living; where we promote death (through abortion and euthanasia, for example) and set about 'redefining' marriage, family and society as a whole.

We congratulate ourselves on our culture of 'freedom', but this freedom was bought at a great price and built on the word of God, which has now been discarded.

Homophobia and Islamaphobia are among the many politically correct don'ts to have replaced the Ten Commandments. As I write, a highly respected Northern Ireland preacher is facing trial on allegations of breaking the latter rule. It's possibly only a matter of time before we are denied the freedom of saying that Jesus is the only way to God (a claim he made about himself) for fear of offending other religions. But our civilisation was built on this very statement! We believed him, because he was totally authentic, and rose from the dead. We don't have to force anyone else to believe him; we simply declare the truth about him.

Defences Down

Tragically, however, our moral defences are down, our walls have been breached, and the foundations of our Judeo-Christian civilisation have been undermined. That is why we are wobbling as a society in grave danger of collapse.

I can't speak for France and the rest of Europe, but as far as Britain is concerned, time is running out. The iconic Big Ben clock, which has become a symbol of the UK throughout the globe, has recently undergone repairs amidst fears that it is rapidly becoming beyond repair. It is, of course, part of the complex comprising our famous Houses of Parliament, which is itself in danger from crumbling foundations with talk of MPs possibly having to move out.

Building on Sand

We were once a great nation sending missionaries around the world to share the life-changing (indeed, nation-changing) good news about Jesus. But now we have thrown out what was once most precious to us. Jesus told us to build on the rock. But we have built on sand.

Instead of building on the Rock that has stood the test of time, the sure and certain foundation that is Christ, the certainty of his resurrection from the dead and his coming again to set up an everlasting kingdom, we have built on the shifting sand of appeasement, uncertainty and short-term comfort.

Instead of building on the Rock that has stood the test of time, we have built on the shifting sand of appeasement, uncertainty and short-term comfort.

But there is still hope. Our loving Saviour holds out arms of love, willing us to return from our self-imposed exile and, with Him, repair the walls that have broken down. Oh, that one of our leaders would call a national day of prayer! That is my prayer.

References

1 According to JNN News, quoting the Arutz-7 news site, a member of the radical group Army of Islam told French security services back in 2011 that "we had planned an attack against the Bataclan because its owners are Jewish". It seems the perpetrators may not have known that the venue has recently changed hands. I have consistently stated in earlier articles that the ultimate target of Islamic State is the Jewish nation, referred to in a new video as Muslims' No 1 enemy.

2 Johnson, B. Islamic State? This death cult is not a state and it's certainly not Islamic. The Telegraph, 28 June 2015.

3 Lyrics include: "Who'll love the devil? Who'll sing his song? I will love the devil and his song." Horton, H. Photos show the excitement at the Bataclan minutes before 89 audience members were killed in the Paris attackaclan minutes before 89 audience members were killed in the Paris attack. The Telegraph, 17 November 2015.

On this day 70 years ago, 20 of Germany's Nazi leaders went on trial before an International Military Tribunal, to be held to account for their war crimes. To mark this occasion, we are publishing a personal memoir of the Nuremberg Trials written by Patricia Vander Elst, who was present as an interpreter.

Introduction

In her article below, written not long before her death in July 2005 and published originally by the International Association of Conference Interpreters, my mother, Patricia Vander Elst, describes how, at the tender age of 21, she began her lifelong career as a freelance interpreter, working in the interpreters' booth at the famous 1945-1946 Nuremberg War Crimes Trial. She worked then under her maiden name of Patricia Jordan, and together with her other interpreter colleagues present at that Trial, pioneered the then novel system of simultaneous interpretation that has been in general use throughout the world ever since.

After the Nuremberg Trial, my mother continued working as a freelance interpreter for a variety of private and international organisations, including UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the various institutions of the European Union. By the time she died at the age of 80, still working, she had become a widely respected and legendary veteran of the interpreting profession. But what was even more interesting about her was the fact that she spent the first 14 years of her life growing up in first Weimar and then Nazi Germany. Her many vivid memories of that fascinating era included attending the same primary school as Field Marshall Von Hindenberg's grandchildren, and witnessing the terrible aftermath of 'Kristallnacht' in November 1938.

As she told me on more than one occasion, her observation of life in pre-war Nazi Germany, which included her own personal conflict with one Nazi teacher, innoculated her for life against anti-Semitism, taught her an enduring lesson about the need to think for oneself and resist indoctrination, and made her a passionate supporter of Israel. I was and will always remain immensely proud of her.

Philip Vander Elst

The Nuremberg trial

The War was over. An International Military Tribunal had been set up in Nuremberg to try the leading Nazi war criminals. The Main Trial lasted from November 1945 until the verdicts on 30th September 1946 - and I was present during the last four months.

After going to school in Berlin where I lived with my English parents until a few days before the German attack on Poland, I ended up in Switzerland where I saw out the war and spent my last six years of formal education at French-speaking schools and universities.

In Nuremberg, the Trial was being conducted in English, French, Russian and German and was using the novel and largely untried system of simultaneous interpretation. Due to the length of the trial, some interpreters were leaving and had to be replaced. Monitors were dispatched to look for new talent. A test was organised at the Geneva University School of Interpreters which, to my surprise, I passed. We had learnt consecutive interpretation only and to find myself speaking into a microphone at the same time that I was listening to a disembodied voice through earphones was thoroughly disconcerting.

With the ink of my degree scarcely dry, I set out for Nuremberg. It was my first job and, though I did not know it at the time, also my biggest. I went into it with the innocent enthusiasm of my 21 years, looking forward to the freedom from home, the glamour of a foreign assignment and the lure of the unknown. Four months later, the Trial over, I left: ten years older, a great deal wiser, and, indeed, an interpreter.

It was my first job – and my biggest. I went into it with innocent enthusiasm and left a great deal wiser.

Nuremberg Courthouse, see Photo Credits.En-route, I got lost near Frankfurt in a muddle of travel vouchers, curfews and non-existent trains. When I did reach Nuremberg, I was billeted at the Grand Hotel where I was allowed to remain for the duration. I spent a week in the public gallery listening to the proceedings in the Court Room. Then, after a brief test in the booth during a lunch-break, I was told I would be starting in earnest the following day. I felt it was a matter of sink or swim. I swam.

In the Court Room

The lay-out of the Court Room was simple and compact. The accused faced the judges, with assorted German counsel and court reporters in between. Our four booths were at right angles and in very close proximity to the defendants. We could watch them and they often watched us. Facing the interpreters were three sets of Prosecution tables which made up the fourth side of the Court, with the Press and public beyond.

By today's sophisticated technical standards, the booths and the equipment were primitive. We sat in three-sided glass boxes open at the top. Because of the tight fit, it was impossible to leave the booths except during breaks when we would shuffle out in reverse order to the way we had shuffled in. The earphones were clumsy things and each booth of three interpreters had to share one hand-held microphone which was passed to whoever was working from the language just being spoken.

Learning Fast

The system broke down quite frequently and the sound could be bad, but we learned to improvise. Looking back, I am amazed how well we coped and how quickly we acquired the new skills. One of the things we learnt to do fast and well was sight-reading. By the time I got to Nuremberg, it was usual for untranslated prepared speeches to be given to us in writing, which was enormously helpful.

Any misgivings I had about my ability to meet the challenge would vanish as soon as I walked into the booth, much like an actor shedding stage-fright when setting foot on the boards. The monitors would keep a constant close watch on our performance and would tell us where we went wrong or how to improve our delivery. I was told to pitch my voice lower, which I did. Ever since, I have been much aware of the quality of an interpreter's voice and wonder why our occasional screech-owls or excessive regional accents have not been brought to task.

Any misgivings I had about my ability would vanish as soon as I walked into the booth, like an actor shedding stage-fright when setting foot on the boards.

Interpreters at the Nuremberg Trials. See Photo Credits.

We worked two days in a row and had the third day off. One team was on for 1 1/2 hours in the morning and again for 1 1/2 hours in the afternoon. While a second team took over for the other half of the morning and afternoon, we would sit in a nearby room which was equipped with ear-phones and where we could follow the proceedings in the Court. There it was that I listened to Lord Justice Lawrence handing down the sentences. The room was packed then, the atmosphere quite as tense and as solemn as in the Court Room itself.

Team Spirit

The interpreters were, I think, quite a pleasant cosmopolitan lot; a mixture of ages and nationalities, professions and opinions - including several refugees and Jews. Living amidst a sullen native population, in a town that was just a heap of rubble, was stressful, as indeed was the never-ending recital of horrors in the Court Room. I learnt to ignore the first and overcame the strain in Court by concentrating on the work itself.

I was greatly helped in this by the remarkable team spirit among the interpreters and by the close and, as it turned out, life-long friendship with some of them. We let off steam dancing the night away in the Marble Room of the Grand Hotel. We had a lot of fun, an indispensable antidote to the Court Room blues.

The Trials

In Court, whatever our private thoughts, it was necessary to remain neutral when working. From being a blur of concentrated human malice the defendants, little by little, emerged as individuals. One could even admire Goering for his intelligence and dignity and share his open contempt for the slimy Streicher. Kaltenbrunner scared me, he was so palpably evil. The closing speech Hess made left me in no doubt that he was completely mad. We all liked Fritzsche who was only there as a substitute for his dead master Goebbels, and we were glad he was acquitted.

From being a blur of concentrated human malice the defendants, little by little, emerged as individuals.

After the verdicts and the ensuing release of tension, I had had enough of Nuremberg. Whereas I had been working from French into English at the Main Trial, I was supposed to transfer to the German booth for the Subsequent Proceedings. I was rescued by the Chief Interpreter of UNESCO who selected me, along with a few others, to work at the First General Conference in Paris (English/French consecutive). I was released from my Nuremberg contract and left.

Passing into History

I returned to Nuremberg recently. The town has been rebuilt, the scars of war no longer visible. The Court Room, after 54 years, seems smaller. A wall now partitions it where the front of the public gallery had been. The large dock has been rebuilt for fewer defendants. The oppressive dark wood panelling and heavy marble door frames remain, though, as does the small lift door at the back of the dock through which the Nazi leaders were daily brought to account. But I had no feeling of past personal involvement. The Nuremberg Trial had become history.

Patricia Vander Elst

Our thanks go to Patricia's son, Philip, for providing us with her account, as well as to the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), through which it was first published (see here).