Most people think that the slave trade happened hundreds of years ago, with little or no relevance to us in modern, multi-cultural Britain. But this view is now being challenged by a growing movement of community leaders, rallied by the newly-formed Movement for Justice and Reconciliation.

REPORT

Most people think of the slave trade as something that happened hundreds of years ago, far away from the UK, with little or no effect on our lives today. The Movement for Justice and Reconciliation (MJR), co-founded by Prophecy Today's own Editor-in-Chief Dr Clifford Hill and launched this past September, is a new charity dedicated to challenging these views and to exploring and addressing the very modern, very real legacies left by Britain's history of slavery and colonialism.

On Tuesday 10 November in the House of Lords, MJR was presented to members of both Parliamentary Houses in what was a truly inspiring meeting. In just two hours, under the insightful chairmanship of Baroness Cox, people from all racial backgrounds and walks of life shared their insights on the contemporary consequences of slavery, in the very building in which the Emancipation Act was passed in 1833.

Indeed, there was a sense of history in the making at this meeting, which united people with a passion for seeing 'history past' re-written in acknowledgment of the pain and injustice of slavery, and for seeing 'history future' re-shaped as positive ways are sought to come to terms with its legacies.

There was a sense of history in the making at this meeting, which called for the re-writing of 'history past' and the re-shaping of 'history future'.

The meeting room was full to capacity, with 48 in attendance. After a warm welcome from Baroness Cox, whose passion for the topic was evident, ten speakers offered short presentations before the floor was opened for questions and comments from other delegates. Presentations were made by MPs, academics and members of the clergy, including: Revd Les Isaac, Professor James Walvin (York University), Jenny Cooper, Khareem Jamal, Revd Alton Bell, Stephen Timms MP (East Ham), Nigel Pocock, Professor John Wolffe (Open University), Bishop Dr Delroy Hall and Revd Dr Clifford Hill.

Thought-Provoking Speeches

As the meeting progressed, slavery went from being an impersonal, overwhelmingly large and historical issue to being grounded in gritty, personal and contemporary insights on mental health disorders, identity denial, shame complexes, dysfunctional families and changes to the National Curriculum.

As the meeting progressed, slavery went from being an impersonal, overwhelmingly large and historical issue into something gritty, contemporary and personal.

Emphasis was put on the emerging research consensus that traumas inflicted on slaves hundreds of years ago (e.g. physical, psychological) have passed down the generations, leaving scars on their descendants in mind, body and spirit. Thought-provoking speeches were made about how black communities in Britain today suffer much greater levels of deprivation, poorer mental and physical health, higher rates of imprisonment and strong senses of hopelessness and despair - to name a few manifestations of the 'curse' of slavery.

After the presentations the floor was opened for comments, giving other delegates the opportunity to contribute. Heartfelt personal stories were mingled with calls for new narratives about slavery in education and the mass media.

Relevant to You

What became apparent as different perspectives were shared is that this issue is relevant to everyone in Britain, regardless of their racial and cultural background. It is fundamentally a white British issue as well as a black Afro-Caribbean issue. It has created a landscape of abundant wealth and grinding poverty, of astounding privilege and undeniable injustice, that defines all of our lives today as much as it did 200 years ago - and as much as Britain is still defined by cups of [colonial] tea, cake with [colonial] sugar, or pomp and circumstance.

This issue is relevant to everyone in Britain, regardless of their racial and cultural background. It's a white issue as well as a black issue.

Yet, not only has the injustice of slavery never been formally acknowledged or apologised for by Britain, but most Britons lack any understanding of how it has profoundly affected their own psyche, culture and quality of life (David Cameron's recent comment to Jamaicans that slavery is something from which we all need to move on are particularly telling). Ignorance and denial remain two of the biggest challenges facing MJR and its partners.

Key Role for the Church

There was a sense of cross-sector unity present at the meeting which could only have been provided by the Holy Spirit – indeed, MP Stephen Timms commented that the Christian passion for justice and love is unmatched in the secular realm, and that this 'unstoppable motivation' makes churches key actors in any future response to this issue.

Several other speakers remarked on the resources that churches can offer in this respect, from therapies and counselling to strong community leadership, to providing senses of hope, family and destiny. Also implied here was the role that Christ alone can play in bringing freedom from all forms of oppression and bondage.

It was recognised that the Christian passion for justice and devotion to community are unmatched in the secular realm – meaning that churches are vital partners in any future solution.

Rallying Call

In all, the meeting provided an uplifting, informative platform from which MJR can begin its vital work. It was generally agreed that there is a long road ahead if these issues are to be properly addressed, and that quick laws and glib statements from politicians will not provide the whole answer. MJR's particular contributions will include research, public promotion and community projects (such as the permanent installation of a replica of the Zong slave ship on the Thames as an educational facility).

What was also evident from the buzz in the chamber and the hallway after the meeting was that it had amounted to far more than a selection of short presentations - it had brought together like-minded, passionate people from vastly different sectors and communities, investing in existing relationships and establishing new ones. William Wilberforce may have left a legacy of unfinished business which has been steadfastly ignored for nearly 200 years, but MJR is certainly rallying a new generation of campaigners, driven by the same passion for justice that Wilberforce himself was given – a passion which is at the heart of God.

MJR is rallying a new generation of campaigners driven by the same passion for justice that Wilberforce himself had – a passion which is at the heart of God.

For more information on MJR, see their website, www.mjr-uk.com.

What is the 'fear of the Lord' and what connection does it have to the prophetic ministry? Edmund Heddle unpacks this important topic.

People in every age need to be reminded that the God revealed in the Bible is "a great and awesome God" (Deut 7:21; Neh 1:5; Dan 9:4). He is God of unlimited power and inexplicable mystery; frightening to face and of 'awful purity'. He holds the keys of life and death, and exercises absolute authority over the destiny and life-span of every one of us.

No wonder John fell at his feet as dead when he was confronted by such majesty (Rev 1:17-18). While it is true that the Bible reveals God as a loving father who cares for his children, he has a name which must be hallowed (Matt 6:9).

The Fear of God

It is part of the prophet's task to tell God's people that they must respond to such a God with respect and reverence; in Bible language they must 'fear God'. But what does this mean? As in English so in both Hebrew and Greek the same word for 'fear' has to express widely different emotions.

At one end of the scale it expresses worship and is often qualified by such adjectives as godly, reverential and filial (the fear appropriate to describe a son's respect for and obedience to his father). At the other end it creates an impression of despair, and is qualified by words like servile, craven, or morbid.

The fear spoken of by the prophets and other writers of the Bible is of the former type. It is a reverence for God's holy character and a dread of offending him and his command¬ments which expresses itself in watchfulness, obedience and constant prayer. This is the fear which the prophets seek to encourage in God's people.

The fear of the Lord is a reverence for God's holy character and a dread of offending him, expressing itself in watchfulness, obedience and constant prayer.

Godly Fear is a Divine Gift

On the day Jerusalem was surrounded by an invading army, Jeremiah bought a piece of land as a testimony to his belief that it would one day come back into the possession of God's people (Jer 32:1-41). Following the prophet's obedience, the Lord made this promise: "I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them" (Jer 32:39).

Godly fear that is a gift from God results in all kinds of goodness being received, and should prompt us to use the prayer in Psalm 86:11 "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name".

Two Kinds of Fear Contrasted

Isaiah distinguishes two kinds of fear as he warns God's people at a time of national anxiety: "Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread" (Is 8:12-13).

The nation was scared at the approach and power of the enemy, but the prophet told the Lord's people they were not to share that fear. Instead, he tells them to fear the Lord Almighty, who would himself be their sanctuary. One fear is full of anxiety and dread, whereas the other is trustful, peaceful and certain of deliverance. In the words of a well-known hymn, "Fear him, ye saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear".

Worldly fear involves anxiety and dread, but the right fear of God is trustful, peaceful and certain of deliverance.

Learning to Fear from the Scriptures

Each king of Israel was instructed, upon his accession to the throne, "to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law...He is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God" (Deut 17:18-19). The sacred writings can help us to gain a right understanding of the God we worship and of the reverence which must ever be at the heart of that worship.

In his last words David declares what a blessing it is when rulers do rule in the fear of God. "The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning'" (2 Sam 23:3-4).

All Israel, without exception, were required to attend the public reading of the law at the end of every seven¬ year period so that the ordinary people, like their king, might adopt a similar attitude to God:

At the end of every seven years...when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God...you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns, so that they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God...Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God. (Deut 31:10-13)

When today's children seem to lack any sense of respect for God and his name, is it because they do not hear what God's law has to say nor understand the disastrous penalties of failing to observe it?

When today's children seem to lack any sense of respect for God and his name, is it because they do not hear what God's law has to say nor understand the disastrous penalties of failing to observe it?

In the time of Samuel, when he reproved the people for wanting to have a king, God sent thunder and rain with the result that all the people stood in awe of the Lord (1 Sam 12:17-18). The New Testament also provides us with examples in which mighty works of Jesus caused the people of his time to manifest awe and fear. When Jesus told a paralysed man to get up, take up his mat and go home, the crowd were amazed. "They were filled with awe" (Luke 5:24-26). When Jesus brought back to life the son of the widow of Nain the gospel sums up the reaction of the crowd thus: "They were all filled with awe and praised God" (Luke 7:16).

Similar things are still happening today, as the PWM Team discovered in Indonesia and China. In those countries God is revered and worshipped in a way that is often sadly absent in the West.

Fearing God is Qualification for Service

When Jehoshaphat king of Judah appointed judges in each of the fortified cities of his kingdom, he gave them instructions to judge each man carefully. His injunction reveals that it would be their fear of God that would save them from injustice, partiality and bribery (2 Chron 19:6-7).

In the early days of Israel's history Moses' father-in-law reproved him for overwork, and recommended that a number of assistants be appointed. His words reveal the essential qualification of office-holding to be the fear of God: "Select capable men from all the people - men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them" (Ex 18:21).

In the Old Testament, fear of the Lord was considered a key qualification for leadership.

When Nehemiah discovered that certain men were charging their fellow countrymen interest, he reproved them with these words: "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?" (Neh 5:9). Nehemiah went on to explain that former governors had levied heavy burdens on the people, but that his fear of God prevented him from doing as they had done. "Out of reverence for God I did not act like that" (Neh 5:15).

A Different Attitude to Others

The fear of God prevents our being thoughtless or unkind to the less fortunate. "Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God" (Lev 19:14). The fear of God will prompt us to respect our elders. "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly, and revere your God" (Lev 19:32).

In their purchase of land they were required to obey this instruction: "Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God" (Lev 25:43) and "Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God" (Lev 25:17).

Old Testament Prophets and the Fear of God

• Moses in a Psalm attributed to him asks God the question, "Which of us can fear you as he should?" (Ps 90:11, Living Bible).
• Through Jeremiah, God reproved the people for failing to fear him as they ought to have done: "'Should you not fear me?' declares the Lord. 'Should you not tremble in my presence?'" (Jer 5:22).
• Isaiah shows the tremendous blessings that are available, to which the fear of God is the key: "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure" (Is 33:6).
• Zephaniah speaks in God's name to Jerusalem saying, "Surely you will fear me and accept correction", but is saddened that "they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did" (Zeph 3:7).
• In contrast Haggai is able to report that the people of his time "obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet" and "feared the Lord" (Hagg 1:12).
• Malachi warns that judgment is near for those who persist in evil-doing and who "do not fear me" (Mal 3:5), but in contrast promises that "for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings" (Mal 4:2).

The Old Testament prophets ranging over many centuries agree that it is those who fear and reverence the Lord who will receive his blessings both in this life and in the glorious future to which they bear testimony.

The Old Testament prophets agree that it is those who fear and reverence the Lord who will receive his blessings, both in this life and in heaven.

People who Feared the Lord

Scripture contains the stories of a number of men who 'feared the Lord'. Obadiah, who hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets during a time of great persecution, is said to have "revered the Lord greatly" (1 Kings 18:3 RSV). Job "was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). Hezekiah is referred to as one who feared the Lord and sought his favour (Jer 26:19). Nehemiah put his brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem "because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do" (Neh 7:2). The Lord himself commended Levi and said of him, "He revered me and stood in awe of my name" (Mal 2:5).

There are 'God-fearers' in the New Testament, but they were a special class of people, attending the synagogues and worshipping God but not accepting all the demands of the Jewish law, for example circumcision. Among these was the Roman centurion Cornelius, who became a Christian disciple as the result of Peter's ministry in Caesarea (Acts 10:1-2). The Messiah as foretold by Isaiah would receive the sevenfold blessing of the Spirit, the culminating clause of which states that "he will delight in the fear of the Lord" (Is 11:3).

God's Desire – a People Who Fear Him

"Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children for ever" (Deut 5:29). "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut 10:12). This desire became gloriously possible after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. "The church...was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" (Acts 9:31).

One of the rare names of God in the Old Testament is the 'Fear of Isaac' (Gen 31:42). Could we substitute our name for that of Isaac and honestly claim that we at all times deeply reverence our God and tremble to grieve him, that we do fear him as the prophets of the Scripture say we should?

Can we honestly claim that we at all times deeply reverence our God and tremble to grieve him, that we do fear him as the prophets of the Scripture say we should?

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 6, November/December 1988.

Clifford Hill looks at questions of trust surrounding the recent Russian plane crash, noting similarities between today's threats and life in the time of Jeremiah.

The human tragedies behind the crash of the Russian passenger airliner over the Sinai Desert are incalculable. The loss of all 224 people on board plunged the whole city of St Petersburg into mourning as most of the returning holidaymakers came from there.

Tourists Stranded

The knock-on effect in the cancellation of returning flights for British tourists stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh is a small inconvenience in comparison with the terrible loss of life suffered by the Russian people.

Was the British Government right in suspending flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh? The Egyptian Government was understandably furious because of the effect upon its tourism industry, which is the strongest part of its economy. But any government's first commitment is to the safety of its own citizens, so the UK has surely been right in taking steps to ensure the safety of flights home for the thousands of British holidaymakers who were potentially at risk.

Questions of Trust

Tributes outside Pulkovo airport, St Petersburg.All of this raises major questions of trust. We all put our trust in others every time we leave our own home. If we are travelling by bus or train or boarding an aircraft, we put our trust in the driver or the pilot. But even when we drive our own car on the road we are dependent upon other motorists obeying the rules and not endangering our lives. We have to trust other people every day in a multitude of circumstances.

We all also know that there are risks involved in travelling today. If terrorists are determined to get a bomb on board an aeroplane they will find a way of doing it - even if it is simply paying a crooked bag-handler working at the airport.

Trust is at the heart of all our human relationships; from travelling in safety to business transactions. Businessmen need to be able to trust the word of those with whom they are signing contracts or the whole economic activity of society would be impaired. Even in simple everyday things there has to be trust. If we cannot trust the shopkeeper to sell us healthy food or trustworthy goods, life would come to a standstill.

Trust Breakdown

If trust breaks down the whole life of the community breaks down. But that was the situation in Jerusalem in the time of the prophet Jeremiah (around 600 BC, a turbulent period in history). In chapter 9 he describes the breakdown of trust. He says,

Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth (Jer 9:4-5).

Jeremiah warns the citizens of Jerusalem: "You live in the midst of deception". The dire scene that he describes has some similarity to the situation facing us today. On the international front there was a growing threat of terrorism and at home there had been a catastrophic collapse of faith and morality.

Jeremiah describes a scene much like our own today, with a domestic collapse of faith and an international threat of terrorism.

The Assyrian Empire based at Nineveh (which today is called Mosul and is the capital of the Islamic State) had just been overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar (609 BC), the ruthless dictator of the rising Babylonian Empire. The Assyrians had been a byword for cruelty and the Babylonians were already outdoing them. Their army was on the move through Syria and threatening the tiny state of Judah and its capital Jerusalem.

Both the political and religious authorities assured the people that there was nothing to worry about because God was on their side! They said that as long as the Temple stood in Jerusalem, God would never allow an enemy to enter the gates of the City because it was his special shrine. Jeremiah could see everywhere lies and deception, greed and corruption, immorality and injustice. He publicly proclaimed that God would not defend the City so long as it was full of evil and faithlessness. He said,

From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain, prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace', 'Peace', they say, when there is no peace. (Jer 8:10).

In Jeremiah's time, the authorities assured the people that God would protect them – but Jeremiah proclaimed that they were deceiving themselves.

Urgent Warnings

As the Babylonian merciless murderers drew closer, burning and raping cities and even destroying the countryside on their way towards Jerusalem, Jeremiah's warnings became even more urgent. He told the people that they were putting their trust in a building created by human hands instead of the God of Creation who had made a covenant with their forefathers which they were now breaking. As anxiety increased among the people, instead of turning to God in repentance, they turned to different forms of idolatry and divination.

Recent research shows that less than half the population in Britain now believe in Jesus and only about 10% are regular churchgoers.¹ This means that we are not only abandoning our heritage of Christian faith that has protected this nation for hundreds of years, but it means that there are fewer people of faith praying for the nation and ensuring a covering of protection over the land at the very time when the threat of terrorism is rising.

In modern Britain, our Christian heritage is being abandoned, leaving less and less people to pray for the protection of the nation.

In Jeremiah's day his warnings went unheeded. In 587 BC the army of terrorists broke through the walls of Jerusalem and ran amok through the City tearing down the Temple and all the great buildings, slaughtering the people as they went from street to street. An eyewitness wrote,

The Kings of the earth did not believe nor did any of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous (Lam 4:12).

Real Wisdom

This should be a strong warning to us. Where do we put our trust? Is it in politicians; or bankers and brokers; or social reformers; or educationalists; or philosophers? But these are just fallible human beings and what we are facing are no less than demonic spiritual forces that cannot be overcome with physical force or human wisdom.

The threats we face today cannot be overcome with physical force or human wisdom. So in what - or whom - will we place our trust?

As Jeremiah said of the people in Jerusalem, "Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?" (8:9) In Britain today we face a similar question – what kind of wisdom do we have as we face the rising tide of destruction that threatens us? If God would allow it to happen to Jerusalem, why do we think it cannot happen to us in Britain? Surely our only hope is to re-discover the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whom as a nation we have so wilfully and stupidly abandoned.

Weighed in the Balance

The warning signs are everywhere to be seen. The writing is on the wall for Britain and the nations of Europe that have despised their great Christian heritage. We are being weighed in the balance as God is slowly withdrawing his covering of protection. The midnight hour approaches for Britain and Europe.

Will there be repentance and turning before catastrophe strikes? That is still a question. We may not have long to wait for the answer. But what are we doing to warn our families and friends and others to help save our nation?

References

1 Jesus 'not a real person' many believe. BBC News, 31 October 2015.

Our latest instalment on 'Changing Britain?' looks at ageing trends in the church and what we can do about them. Following the statistics is a comment from Monica Hill.

The Ageing Church

Re-printed from Brierley Consultancy's FutureFirst, June 2014 issue, with kind permission.¹

The latest (2011) Population Census confirmed what has been known for some time – British society is ageing. A fifth, 22.3%, were 60 years of age or over in 2011, and this percentage has increased by 1.4% in 10 years.

The basic reason for this increasing proportion of older people is that the population is not being balanced by an increasing proportion of younger people. In 2001 the proportion of the population under 20 was 25%; in 2011 it was 24% - a small percentage difference but quite large in real terms. Projections by the Office for National Statistics paint the same trend for the decades ahead.²

An age crisis is not likely to descend in the short term, partly because of the continuing numbers of relatively young immigrants who come to the UK, and partly because the number of babies being born to this group (Total Fertility Rate, TFR) is relatively high. The population balances if the TFR = 2.1; in recent years in Britain it has been 1.9, but in years gone by it has been much lower, such as 1.7 in 1996.³

Greying Europe

This ageing problem is spread across not just Britain but most of the world. Women in the Southern World are wanting fewer children, and contraceptives are becoming more widely available and affordable. In Europe, where abortion is more of a factor, the overall TFR averaged 1.5 between 2005 and 2010.⁴ In Poland it was just 1.2, and 1.3 in Germany, Greece, Italy and 8 other European countries.⁵

These downward trends could take 80-100 years to adjust, hence the importance of immigration for these countries. Meanwhile, an increased proportion of elderly people increases demand for medical care, whilst decreasing income tax revenue to pay for it. According to Jerome Vignon, Director of the EEC's Directorate for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, this trend will affect almost every aspect of life, from consumption to family life to public policy.⁶

Ageing Church?Figure 1: Sunday Church attendance in England by age group 1980 – 2010 and estimated to 2025.

Whilst systematic data is not yet available, it is likely that the church in Britain is caught up with this broader ageing process. This paper focuses on statistics available for England from the four Church Censuses, as England represents the major demographic component of the UK. Figure 1 illustrates numbers of churchgoers by age-group, from 1980 and projected to 2025, using figures from UK Church Statistics.⁷

It is obvious, even to the casual observer of the world scene, that the English church has an ageing problem, and this is a much more acute one than that facing the demographers across Europe! This is because the number of young people in church is decreasing rapidly – there has been a 43% drop in those under 20 between 1980 and 2000, and a projected 45% drop between 2000 and 2020.

Consequently, the proportion of those at the other end of the scale is increasing – and gathering momentum. More than 1/3 of churchgoers in 2015 are 65 or over, and this is likely to increase to 42% by 2025.

Third, Fourth and Fifth Agers

Churchgoers aged 65 and over can be sub-divided into three groups: the Third Agers (65-74), Fourth Agers (75-84) and Fifth Agers (85+). These groups differ markedly in health, ability, availability and outlook.

1. The largest cohort of churchgoers is currently the Third Agers (65-74), who generally enjoy strong health, high energy levels, large pensions and money to spend on pleasure and leisure. However, whilst they have long made up the largest group of church attendees, this group is neither growing nor shrinking at an obvious rate.
2. By contrast, total numbers of Fourth Agers are on the increase (+16% 2000-2020, then +19% 2020-2025). They are usually grandparents, may have lost a spouse and may need help getting to church.
3. Numbers of churchgoers in their Fifth Age increased almost 4-fold in this period, from 47,000 in 2000 to over 170,000 by 2025 (+264%). They are often confined to the home, experiencing an increasing dependency and only attend church on special occasions.

This is gradually changing the demographics of the 65+ age group in church. The proportion of those attending in their Third Age is dropping – from 62% in 2000 to 48% in 2025 - and that of those in their Fifth Age is projected to increase from 6% to 16% in the same time.

Implications for Church Leaders

As the 'greying' of the church gathers momentum, so church leaders should be aware of its likely implications. Culturally, those currently making up the Fourth and Fifth Agers will have had their world-views moulded by the uncertainties and hardships of the Second World War and its aftermath. But those currently in their Third Age will have been moulded by the revolutions of the 'Swinging Sixties' – this is the 'never had it so good' generation.

Churches will have to learn to cope with growing numbers of people with lesser physical ability, with different tastes in music, and with different ministry needs. In what practical ways can churches equip growing numbers of Christian grandparents (over 700,000 are attending church in 2015!), many of whom will spend part of their weeks looking after grandchildren. Should churches provide facilities especially for grandparents (and, increasingly, great-grandparents) – and help them to pass on the truths and values of the faith effectively?

The implications go on – and include concerns about patterns of financial giving, questions of access and transport needs, as well as considerations of retirement ages for those in leadership.

Elderly Evangelism

More elderly people may go to church than other age-groups, but there are yet many who do not go to church at all, and still need to be reached with the gospel. Nationally, 40% of Third Agers have never been to church. Organisations such as Outlook Trust are already devoted to reaching these groups, whilst many churches run Senior Alpha.
Like any other group of churchgoers, the elderly need to be befriended and enabled to join in suitable church activities. When Jesus said "The fields are white, ready to harvest", that included those 65 and over!

Comment

Monica Hill

We read daily in the newspapers about the world population 'explosion' and recognise the mass movement of peoples as a global issue. However, though the world population continues to grow - almost exponentially – we often view such statistics relatively and feel they do not affect us in our own country in any significant way. But most Western countries are facing huge changes in their national populations - not only in their racial composition but also in their age composition.

Moreover, the church (particularly in the traditional denominations) has a large and ever increasing percentage in the older age bracket. This presents a complex challenge to our thinking and understanding of God's purposes and all he is calling us to do.

Challenges

The analysis in this article raises a number of challenges for the church to which Christians need to respond. There may be others which you would like to add, or perhaps you can give examples of how you are responding to them - do post your comments below.

1. Rise of small groups: The ten-yearly Church Census is largely based upon Sunday church attendance – but we know of many older people who, having attended a particular church for much of their lives, now find fellowship and spiritual support in small groups. How can we recognise the large numbers of these when estimating numbers of older Christians in Britain?
2. Busy lives: Sunday observance, even for Christians, has reduced from a full day with at least two attendances at church to a maximum of one (except for the minister who can be expected to lead different services, of different kinds, in different places every hour!). Other activities crowd into our busy lives. Are we really giving enough time on this special day each week?
3. Commitment: Censuses used to include church membership, which indicated commitment to a particular branch of churchmanship or denomination. Is this no longer applicable – or even useful? How do we measure commitment these days?
4. Provision for the elderly: Resources are being poured in to attract children and young people - and rightly so - but are we giving as much attention to the other end of the age range?
5. Age segregation: Many congregations are still racially segregated, although bridges are being built – but far too many have only one or two age ranges attending. The challenge and joy of a wide family perspective is now often difficult to attain. I well remember taking a group of European leaders to visit a remarkable church plant and being greeted with "An answer to prayer – older people!" How can our churches be seen as a whole families of God's people, meeting the needs of all ages?
6. Learning and valuing: Can we find ways of ensuring that the generations value each other and build on the strengths evident at different ages, as well as the weaknesses? Is there a right use of the generation-to-generation experience?
7. Stereotypes: Far too often we stereotype the 'over 65s' as one group and limit the respective contributions that Third, Fourth and Fifth agers can make. Should we be re-assessing the 'army of the Lord'? Does this require a change of mindset?
8. Culture: Do we fail to build on the background, memories and cultures of those who are involved in our churches or groups? Do we mainly cater for churches of like-minded people - whether they are in their 20s or older? Do we expect all Christian communities to have the same culture?
9. Outreach: Are we outward-looking Christians – not only looking to the needs of others but increasingly aware of the opportunities for outreach – the importance of fulfilling the Great Commission? How natural is it for each of us, whatever our age, to share our faith with others?
10. Passing on the faith: Having held the baton, is the older generation ensuring that they pass the faith on to others? How can we encourage them to play their part in ensuring the continuance of Christianity in Britain?

Now it is over to you – for more questions and answers that can help others.

Sources

1 An expanded version of this paper is available This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2 Office for National Statistics, Population Projections, given in 'UK Church Statistics', No 2, 2010-2020. Table 16.9, ADBC Publishers, Tonbridge, Kent, 2014.

3 Office for National Statistics, Population Trends, given in 'Religious Trends', No 4, 2003/2004. Table 1.4, Christian Research, Eltham, London 2004.

4 Eurostat Fertility Statistics.

5 Europe in Figures, Eurostat Yearbook 2008, Table SP12, p46.

6 Sigma, The Bulletin of European Statistics, 010-2008, p50.

7 UK Church Statistics, No 2, 2010-2020, ADBC Publishers, Tonbridge, Kent, 2014, p16.

For previous issues of this series on 'Changing Britain', click here.

'The Christian in an Age of Terror: Selected sermons of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1941-50' (Ed. Dr Michael Eaton, New Wine Press, 2007, 208 pages. RRP £11.99, available from ICM Books for £8.99)

This book contains sermons preached in Westminster Chapel during the period that European nations were at war. Dr Lloyd-Jones spoke to his people about how war, persecution and suffering could be seen by Christians and afterwards he encouraged his congregation with talks on the Christian life. In view of the present threat of terrorism throughout the world, this is a book of relevance and inspiration for Christians today.

In the first chapter on religious persecution, which looks at Acts 12, we see how history does repeat itself.

If we study the history of the church we will find she has gone through periods of terrible trial and persecution – then follows a period of comparative peace and calm, then another time of persecution, followed by a time of rest. In Acts 12 we are shown how the church should act and what should be done to emerge in a triumphant manner. (p15)

We are exhorted to pray for Christians in other lands as we discover what is happening there, and to develop a ministry of intercession.

The book exhorts Christians to pray for the persecuted church and to develop a ministry of intercession, in response to news of conflict.

Reading further in the book there are wonderful chapters about how when Peter was persecuted and in prison he did not suffer alone because the whole church suffered with him and "prayed without ceasing". God is on the side of the church and that makes all the difference. Even in prison and awaiting execution, chained to a soldier on each side, Peter was given peace and calmness from God, and was sleeping soundly (Psalm 127:2 is quoted here - "He giveth his beloved sleep"). And then – a light shone in the cell and he was led out by an angel!

There are chapters on how the church has persisted and remained in spite of oppression; and another on how Christianity is a religion of revelation because it is God who acts and speaks, reveals and manifests himself to us because of his amazing love and grace. Chapter 7 answers the question relating to the value of the Old Testament, the necessity of reading it and "seeing the wonderful proof it provides of the truth of the New Testament" (p78).

The church has persisted and remained in spite of oppression - God is on the side of the church, and that makes all the difference.

Other chapters focus on how we are to live as Christians, having the mind of the Holy Spirit and loving God who gives us an assurance of our salvation and hope for the future. The concluding chapters exhort us to "Stand Fast in the Faith" and "Watch and Pray".

This is a thought-provoking and inspiring book which is well worth reading - especially for encouragement in the present uncertain days.

Clifford Denton surveys the many prominent leaders of the early Church who contributed to the development of anti-Jewish attitudes and beliefs amongst Christians.

Over the last few instalments of this study we have been considering carefully the gradual separation of the Christian Church from its Hebraic foundations, and its detachment from Israel and the Jewish people. We have also noted the parallel emergence of anti-Semitism.

In this section we move on to reflect on the position of some of the more prominent 'Fathers' of the Christian Church and to demonstrate how Replacement Theology became entrenched in the Gentile branch of the Church in the early centuries of the Common Era.

Fathers of the Church

By the 'Church Fathers', we generally mean the prominent Christian leaders who framed the early theology of the Church and whose influence has continued to this day. Of course, the true 'father of the Church' in human terms is Abraham (Rom 4:16). As Dr Wilson writes in the preface of Our Father Abraham:

...Our Father Abraham, is a biblical expression (see Luke 1:73; John 8:53; Acts 7:2; etc.) that epitomizes the deep spiritual link every Christian has with the Jewish people...gentile Christians are grafted by faith into Israel (Romans 11:17-24), and through this faith commitment come to know Israel's father as their father too. Elsewhere Paul says that "those who believe are children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7); indeed, through faith, "Abraham is the father of us all" (Rom. 4:16). (pxvi)

The Apostle Paul, in another application of the idea of fatherhood, talks of being a father to those in his care. He referred to Timothy as "my own son in the faith" (1 Tim 1:2) and in writing to the Corinthians, said:

For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. (1 Cor 4:15)

So, in the foundational sense Abraham is seen as the father of the faithful, and in a general sense Paul and the apostles saw themselves in a fatherly role to those who became believers.

Biblical Fatherhood

Fatherhood is a biblical principle. After the time of Paul and the apostles there arose a number of new leaders from the Gentile world, from the second century on, who approached the Bible with a Greek philosophical viewpoint and who wrote about and debated the scriptures in this context. Along with a considerable amount of truth, these men also introduced errors which were passed on to later generations, and so they were not fathers in the purer sense of the word as applied to Abraham and Paul.

As the Church developed in the Gentile world, later leaders drew much reference from these men and so they came to be called the 'Early Church Fathers'. Even today there is much study of and respect for what was written by these philosophers. However, if we study their contribution to the thinking of the Church we detect a further step in the separation of the Church from its Hebraic foundations.

Alongside considerable truth, the teaching of the so-called 'Early Church Fathers' also introduced errors and assumptions into the Church which have been passed down the generations.

Whereas Paul would be a father to his own converts and point them back to the faith of Abraham fulfilled in Jesus, looking back on the so-called 'Church Fathers' is to look back on teaching that already has inbuilt assumptions that separate us from the teaching of Paul and the early apostles.

Examples

We can illustrate this point by drawing on examples from the writings of these 'Early Church Fathers'. There is a useful section in Dr Richard Booker's book, No Longer Strangers (Sound of the Trumpet, 2002), from which we quote (pp105-109):

Some of the most influential of the Gentile leaders of the early church had little regard for or understanding of Jews. They were Greek philosophers who attempted to merge Greek philosophy with the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Due to the Greek influence in their lives and the lack of a Hebraic perspective of the Bible, many of the new Christian leaders were anti-Semitic. They interpreted the Bible through the eyes of Plato more than through the eyes of Moses and Jesus...

These "Christian Fathers" expressed their hatred of the Jews through their speeches and writings, which laid the foundation for the anti-Semitic policies at the very beginning of the Gentile-led, Christian church...

Booker describes some early Church leaders as 'Greek philosophers' who sought to merge Greek thinking with the scriptures.

Ignatius

Booker continues by referring to Ignatius, second-century bishop of Antioch:

[Ignatius] wrote a letter called the Epistle to the Philippians. He said that anyone who celebrated Passover with the Jews, or received emblems of the Jewish feast, was a partaker with those who killed the Lord and His apostles. This is just the opposite of Paul's instructions to Gentile believers in Corinth to "keep the feast" (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)... (p109)

From the introduction to Ignatius's Epistle to the Philippians we read the following:

Being mindful of your love and of your zeal in Christ, which ye have manifested towards us, we thought it fitting to write to you, who display such a godly and spiritual love to the brethren, to put you in remembrance of your Christian course...

This has the same ring to it as the introductions to some of Paul's letters, giving a sense that this writer, who lived much closer to the time of Paul than we do, may have had a position of authority close to that of Paul. After the introduction he goes on to discuss the revelation of Christ and the works of Satan in an acceptable manner. Yet in his conclusion he writes:

Do not lightly esteem the festivals. Despise not the period of forty days, for it comprises an imitation of the conduct of the Lord. After the week of the passion, do not neglect to fast on the fourth and sixth days, distributing at the same time of thine abundance to the poor. If any one fasts on the Lord's Day or on the Sabbath, except on the paschal Sabbath, he is a murderer of Christ...If any one celebrates the Passover along with the Jews, or receives he emblems of their feast, he is a partaker with those that killed the Lord and His apostles. [emphasis added]

This shows that Ignatius wrote against the Jews and the biblical feasts and referred to new practices that were emerging in the Church even in these early days.

Barnabus

Barnabus is the assumed name of the writer of The Epistle of Barnabus. He must not be mistaken for the Barnabus spoken of in Scripture, who was a friend of Paul the apostle. Dr Booker writes:

An influential letter written in the same time period was the Epistle of Barnabus. The writer said that the Jews no longer had a covenant with God and that it was a sin to say they did. This is totally contradictory to the Bible, which says God's covenant with Abraham is everlasting (Genesis 17:7-8). [emphasis added]

The letter is written in several chapters, from which we will quote briefly. The reference in Chapter 3 (entitled 'The Fasts of the Jews are not true fasts, nor acceptable to God') is to Isaiah 58:

He says then to them concerning these things, "Why do ye fast to Me as on this day, saith the Lord, that your voice shall not be heard with a cry? I have not chosen this fast saith the Lord...To us He saith, "Behold, this is the fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord, not that a man should humble his soul, but that he should loose every band of iniquity...For He revealed these things beforehand, that we should not rush forward as rash acceptors of their laws.

From Chapter 11 – 'The False and True Sabbath':

...He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, namely this, when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.

Justin Martyr

From his examples, Dr Booker continues:

Justin Martyr, in the second century, claimed God's covenant with the Jews was no longer valid and that the Church had replaced the Jews in God's redemptive plan. This is contrary to Romans 11.

Last week we quoted extensively from The Dialogue with Trypho. We quote again briefly here:

...we do not trust through Moses or through the law; for then we would do the same as yourselves...For the law promulgated on Horeb is now old, and belongs to yourselves alone; but this is for all universally. Now, law placed against law has abrogated that which is before it, and a covenant which comes after in like manner has put an end to the previous one; and an eternal and final law – namely, Christ – has been given to us, and the covenant is trustworthy, after which there shall be no law, no commandments, no ordinance...

For the circumcision according to the flesh, which is from Abraham, was given for a sign; that you may be separated from other nations, and from us; and that you alone may suffer that which you now justly suffer; and that your land may be desolate...For none of you, I suppose, will venture to say that God neither did nor does foresee the events, which are future, nor foreordained his deserts for each one. Accordingly, these things have happened to you in fairness and justice, for you have slain the Just One, and His prophets before Him; and now you reject those who hope in Him, and in Him who sent Him – God the Almighty and Maker of all things – cursing in your synagogues those who believe in Christ...

For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that the gifts formerly among your nation have been transferred to us. [emphasis added]

Irenaeus

Richard Booker continues:

Irenaeus was the bishop of Lyon in the second century He wrote that the Jews were disinherited from the grace of God. But the apostle Paul wrote that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). [emphasis added]

In Against Heresies, Irenaeus himself writes:

He is therefore one and the same God, who called Abraham and gave him the promise. But He is the Creator, who does also through Christ prepare lights in the world, namely those who believe from among the Gentiles...Therefore have the Jews departed from God, in not receiving His Word, but imagining that they could know the Father by Himself, without the Word, that is, without the Son; they being ignorant of that God who spake in human shape to Abraham, and again to Moses, saying, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and have come down to deliver them.

John Chrysostom

Of fourth-century Antioch bishop John Chrysostom, Booker writes:

The Christian leader who expressed his hate for the Jews more than any other was John Chrysostom...He said there could never be forgiveness for the Jews and that God had always hated them. He taught it was the "Christian duty" to hate the Jew. He said the Jews were the assassins of Christ and worshippers of the devil.

In one of his murderous sermons, Chrysostom declared, "The synagogue is worse than a brothel...It is the den of scoundrels...the temple of demons devoted to idolatrous cults...a place of meting for the assassins of Christ...a house worse than a drinking shop...a den of thieves; a house of ill fame, a dwelling of iniquity, the refuge of devils, a gulf and abyss of perdition...As for me, I hate the synagogue...I hate the Jews for the same reason." (p107, taken from Malcolm Hay, The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism, Liberty Press, 1981, pps27-28) [emphases added]

Other Prominent Writers

Continuing, Dr Booker highlights a number of other 'Church Fathers' and their writings.¹ We read from No Longer Strangers:

Clement of Alexandria in the second century emphasized Greek philosophy rather than the Hebrew Scriptures as the means God gave the Gentiles to lead them to Jesus...

Origen, in the second and third centuries accused the Jews of plotting to kill Christians...

Hyppolytus was a bishop in Rome in the second and third centuries. He said that the Jews were condemned to perpetual slavery because they killed the Son of God...

Tertullian was another important Christian teacher and writer in the second and third centuries. He blamed the entire Jewish race for the death of Jesus. This is interesting, since most of the Jews were scattered among the Gentiles when Jesus was crucified. They had not even heard of Jesus. Furthermore, as we earlier learned, many thousands of Jews acknowledged Jesus as Messiah...

Eusebius lived in the third and fourth centuries. He wrote the history of the church for the first three centuries. He taught that the promises of God in the Hebrew Scriptures were for the Christians and the curses were for the Jews. He declared that the Church was the "true Israel of God" that had replaced literal Israel in God's covenants...

Jerome lived in the fourth and fifth centuries. His great contribution was to translate the Scriptures into Latin. He claimed that the Jews were incapable of understanding the Bible and that they should be severely punished unless they confess the "true faith." It is hard to imagine such statements coming from Christian leaders. May God forgive us for such hatred. [emphases added]

Summary

Booker usefully summarises the basic argument being used by these influential writers:

The basic concept behind all these statements was that the Jews as an entire race of people killed Christ. Therefore, they lost their place in God's covenant and have since been replaced by the Church. The Church should persecute the Jews show the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. However, Christendom should not totally destroy the Jews because some need to be left as a witness that they are suffering because they rejected Christ. This is a long way from Jesus' statement on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34)

For our series, the quotes used in this article illustrate two things.

• The continued break of the Christian Church from its Hebraic foundations even as early as the second century.
• How the respected Gentile 'Fathers of the Christian Church' built a new foundation of Christian theology on which the Church was to build in succeeding generations even until the present day.
  • This theology was tainted with Greek philosophical influence and contributed to both replacement theology and anti-Semitism.
  • It also framed the documenting of Christian history, as the example of early Church historian Eusebius shows.

For Reflection and Comment

What can we do to 'de-Greece the Church' of any remaining wrong theological bias?

Next time: Anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages.

References

1 For reference, many of these quotations can be followed up in the vast series of books, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (T&T Clark/Eerdmans 1993).

Edmund Heddle unpacks an inevitable part of the prophetic ministry - persecution.

Bringing God's prophetic word to the people to whom it is sent has always been a costly business. The conclusion reached by the New Testament writers as they looked back over Old Testament history is that prophets have always been persecuted. Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount refers to this fact when he ends his final beatitude with the words, "In the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt 5:12).

Stephen brought his speech to the Jewish Sanhedrin to a smarting conclusion with the challenge, "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?" (Acts 7:52) This is the kind of reception the prophets have had to face.

Looking into the future, Jesus indicates that there is not likely to be any change in the way prophets are treated: "I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill, and others they will persecute" (Luke 11:49). No-one can answer the question 'What is a prophet?' adequately until he comes to terms with the inevitable persecution that being a faithful prophet involves.

Bringing God's word to the people to whom it is sent has always been a costly business: prophets have always been persecuted, and this is unlikely to change in the future.

How Were Prophets Persecuted?

As we investigate the numerous ways in which prophets were persecuted we shall find that they divide into (1) rejection of themselves and their message, and (2) physical violence to their persons.

They were persecuted through ridicule (2 Kings 2:23, Luke 22:64, Jer 20:7); by being told to be quiet (Amos 2:12, 7:13); by unpleasant looks (Jer 1:8,17, 5:3); through accusations and having their message reported back to the authorities (Jer 18:19, 37:13, Amos 7:10, Jer 20:10); by being debarred from attending God's house (Jer 36:5); and by having their prophetic words, both spoken and written, rejected (Isa 30:10, Micah 2:6, Amos 7:12,16, Jer 36:23).

Physical violence to their persons took various forms: they were placed in the stocks (Jer 20:2); they were kept in chains (Jer 40:1); they were slapped in the face (1 Kings 22:24); they were imprisoned in cells, dungeons and cisterns (Jer 37:15-16 & 38:6) in some cases just on bread and water (1 Kings 22:27); they were threatened with death (1 Kings 19:1) while others were actually put to death (2 Chron 24:21, Jer 26:20-23).

Others were killed whose names are not recorded. Jesus gives us reason to believe there were many who made the ultimate sacrifice (Luke 11:50-51).

Prophets are persecuted in two main ways: through rejection of them and their message, and through physical violence.

Examples of Persecuted Prophets

The Bible does not give us extensive biographical details of the prophets we meet in its pages. In fact, we have little information about how they were persecuted or about how they lived and died. For example, with the exception of Amos and Jonah, Scripture says hardly anything about the personal circumstances of the minor prophets. The same is true of Isaiah and Ezekiel, though we have a little more to go on for the latter.

It is the prophet Jeremiah that we know most about and it is from his experience that we can perhaps best discover how prophets were persecuted in his day. He goes so far as to refer to himself as 'a gentle lamb led to the slaughter' (Jer 11:19), using the same words that Isaiah used to describe Yahweh's 'suffering servant' (Isaiah 53:7).

There are a number of examples of non-writing prophets who were cruelly persecuted.

• Elijah was threatened by the wicked queen Jezebel after his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and ran for his life (1 Kings 19:1-4).
• Amos was insulted by the chief priest at the sanctuary in Bethel and told never to prophesy there again (Amos 7:10-15).
• Micaiah had the courage to contradict the prophetic announcement of four hundred false prophets (1 Kings 22: 5-6) when they declared that Ramoth Gilead would be defeated by the combined forces of Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat. He discerned that it was a lying spirit that was deluding these prophets – for this he was slapped in the face by Zedekiah and put in prison under the order of King Ahab (1 Kings 22:23-27).
• Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, was stoned to death for rebuking the people who turned aside to Asherah poles and idols, and for forsaking the Temple. This was an especially heinous crime, as Zechariah's father had helped King Joash and had been honoured at his death for "the good he had done in Israel for God and his Temple" (2 Chron 24:16-22). As this persecuted prophet lay dying, he felt that King Joash had been particularly unkind and exclaimed "May the Lord see this and call you to account" (2 Chron 24:22).
• Hanani the seer reproved King Asa for relying on the king of Aram, instead of on the Lord, saying that from that time onward he would be at war. The king was so enraged that he put Hanani in prison (2 Chron 16:7-9).
• Uriah from Kiriath Jearim is described as "another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, he prophesied the same things...as Jeremiah did" (Jer 26:20-23). When King Jehoiakim heard what he said, he sought ways of putting Uriah to death. In fear for his life, the prophet escaped to Egypt. Thereupon the king dispatched a party of men to find and arrest him. When they brought him back to the king, he had Uriah struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the common burial place.

New Testament Prophets Persecuted

John the Baptist was referred to by Jesus as "a prophet and more than a prophet" (Matt 11:9). He was persecuted, especially by King Herod. John the Baptist had the courage publicly to rebuke Herod for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife. For this, Herod had John put in prison (Luke 3:19-20), where he lay bound (Matt 14:3).

On Herod's birthday the celebrations included a sensual dance performed by Herodias' daughter. Herod was foolish enough to promise her anything she asked for. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed but felt he had to keep his promise, and he had John beheaded.

Jesus Christ was greeted with the words of the crowd, "A great prophet has appeared among us" (Luke 7:16). The two disciples walking to Emmaus, bewildered by what had been happening, summed up their conclusions in the words, "He was a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19), and like all true prophets Jesus was persecuted. He was ridiculed, opposed in his teaching, had his miracles attributed to the devil, was handed over to the authorities and suffered at the hands of violent men. Finally, he was crucified and demonstrated (as men thought) to be a false messiah.

What Particular Difficulties Do Prophets Face?

These problem areas may be divided up into (1) difficulties with other people, (2) difficulties in handling of God's word, and (3) difficulties in their own thoughts.

(1) Difficulties with other people. Prophets have to face being despised by priests and other 'professionals', as Amos was by Amaziah (Amos 7:12-13) and Jeremiah by Pashur (Jer 20: 1-2); being opposed by false prophets (Jer 29:1-17); being rejected by familiar friends (Jer 20:10) and by one's own family (Matt 13:57).

(2) Difficulties in handling God's prophetic word. Prophets must: speak only what God has really given (Jer 1:7); not water down God's word to make it more acceptable (Isa 30:10); uphold the authority of the scriptures (Jer 17:19-27); and be prepared to bring the same message over and over again (Jer 7:25, 29:19, 35:15).

(3) Difficulties in their own thoughts. Prophets must (a) be patient and wait confidently for the fulfilment of God's prophetic word (James 5:10-11; Matt 13:17); (b) allow critics to call them 'traitors' to their country or a particular viewpoint, trusting God to vindicate them (Jer 37:11-14) and (c) accept the fact that they will be called 'troublemakers' (1 Kings 18:17) and must continue proclaiming God's word even though it is a torment to the hearers (Rev 11:10).

We must follow Paul's teaching to "bless those who persecute us" (Rom 12:14). We can know that Christ is with us, for persecution is one of those things which cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39). We can be comforted by the assurance that persecution can only scatter the church, it cannot destroy it, as was the case in the early church (Acts 8:1).

Persecution cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8), nor can it destroy the church – it can only scatter it.

Finally, we can be sure that all faithful prophets will have their reward in heaven, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Luke 13:28). They will then know that Jesus was right when he said that the prophets who were persecuted were the truly 'blessed' people (Matt 5:11-12).

Help for Persecuted Prophets

At times God's true prophets have lived in danger of their lives and God has raised up men and women to protect them.

• Obadiah who was in charge of King Ahab's palace was able to hide a hundred prophets in two caves and supply them with food and water every day (1 Kings 18:13).
• A wealthy woman in Shunem was able to build a 'prophet-flat' onto her house for Elisha's use whenever he was in that district (the original prophet's chamber!) (2 Kings 4:8-10).
• Ebedmelech. a coloured man, took a gang of men with him to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern in which he had been incarcerated (Jer 38:7-13) and Ahikam son of Shaphan intervened to prevent Jeremiah being put to death.

Jesus said that everyone who assisted a prophet in need would receive the same reward as the prophet: even a cup of cold water would be rewarded (Matt 10:41-42).

How Should Prophets React to Persecution?

We must look beyond the Old Testament to discover how persecuted prophets ought to react to their persecutors. We must not copy Jeremiah as he asks God to bring down disaster on them and their families and calls down wrath upon them, praying "do not forgive their crimes, or blot out their sins from your sight" (Jer 18:21-23). Rather, we are to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us" (Matt 5:44), as Jesus has taught us.

It was Jesus who said, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20), so today's prophets must expect the same treatment their predecessors have always received. The Lord himself confirms that this will be a continuing experience down to the present day, for "I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute" (Luke 11 :49), and these words still apply.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 5, September/October 1988.

Please find below the back issues of our current 'Thought for the Week' series, based on the Torah reading schedule. We are indebted to the schedules provided by First Fruits of Zion and CMJ South Africa, for the association of Torah and Haftarah passages with New Testament readings.

Week 1: In the Beginning (Genesis 1, Isaiah 42:5-43:11)

Week 2: The Ark of Salvation (Genesis 6:9-11:32; Isaiah 54:1-55:5)

Week 3: Friends of God (Genesis 12:1-17:27; Isaiah 40:27-41:16)

Week 4: Our Very Great Reward (Genesis 18:1-22:24; 2 Kings 4:1-37)

Week 5: Just Passing Through (Genesis 23:1-25:28, 1 Kings 1:1-31)

Week 6: A Character Like Jesus (Gen 25:19-28:9, Malachi 1:1-2:7)

Week 7: Broken for God (Genesis 28:10-32:2; Hosea 12:13-14:10)

Week 8: Is God Weak? (Genesis 32:3-36:43; Hosea 11:7-12:12 Obadiah 1:1-21)

Week 9: Your Family History (Genesis 37:1-40:23; Amos 2:6-3:8)

Week 10: Stewarding God's Grace (Genesis 41:1-44:17; 1 Kings 3:15-4:1)

Week 11: The Coming Reconciliation (Genesis 44:18-47:27; Ezekiel 37:15-37:28)

2016

Week 12: A Different Kind of Fear (Exodus 1:1-6:1; Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23)

Week 13: Vayera (And I Appeared) (Exodus 6:2-9:35; Ezekiel 28:25-29:21)

Week 14: Strength in Weakness: The Paradox of Redemption (Exodus 10:1-13:16; Jeremiah 46:13-28)

Week 15: Is God Testing You? (Exodus 13:17-17:16; Judges 4:4-5:31)

Week 16: An Invitation to Meet with God (Exodus 18:1-20:26; Isaiah 6:1–7:6; 9:5-7)

Week 17: The Heart Behind the Law (Exodus 21:1-24:16; Jeremiah 34:8-22, 33:25-26)

Week 18: Terumah - Giving to God (Exodus 25:1-27:19; 1 Kings 5:26-6:13)

Week 19: What Are You Wearing? (Exodus 27:20-30:10; Ezekiel 43:10-27)

Week 20: Can We 'See' God? (Exodus 30:11-34:35; 1 Kings 18:1-39)

Week 21: God In Our Midst (Exodus 35:1-38:20; 1 Kings 7:40-7:50)

Week 22: Only Complete In Him (Exodus 38:21-40:38; 1 Kings 7:51-8:21)

Week 23: To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice (Leviticus 1:1-6:7; Isaiah 43:21-44:23; 1 Samuel 15: 2-34)

Week 24: Tsav: Are We Listening, Working and Running? (Leviticus 6:8-8:36; Jeremiah 7:21-8:3)

Week 25: Sh'mini: Only One Way (Leviticus 9:1-11:47; 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17)

Week 26: Women, Holiness and Ritual Purity (Leviticus 12:1-13:59; 2 Kings 4:42-5:19)

Week 27: Mildew and Leprosy (Leviticus 14:1-15:33; 2 Kings 7:3-20)

Week 28: Encounter the Holy at Passover (Leviticus 16:1-18:30; Ezekiel 22:1-19)

Week 29: Pausing at the End of Passover

Week 30: Jesus Joins in the Synagogue Readings (Luke 4:16-30)

Week 31: A Royal Priesthood (Leviticus 21:1-24:23; Ezekiel 44:15-31)

Week 32: Promise and Fulfilment (Leviticus 25:1-26:2; Jeremiah 32:6-27)

Week 33: Redemption from the Curse of the Law (Leviticus 26:3-27:34; Jeremiah 16:19-17:14)

Week 34: In the Desert (Numbers 1:1-4:20; Hosea 2:1-23)

Week 35: Law and Grace (Numbers 4:21-7:89 Judges 13:2-13:25)

Week 36: Choices in the Wilderness (Numbers 8:1-12:16; Zechariah 2:14-4:7)

Week 37: Fear of Giants (Numbers 13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24)

Week 38: Guard Your Heart (Numbers 16:1-18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22)

Week 39: When the Heat is On (Numbers 19:1-22:1; Judges 11:1-33)

Week 40: Natural or Spiritual Sight - Which Do You Have? (Numbers 22:2-25:9; Micah 5:6-6:8)

Week 41: Pinchas: Proof that God Exists (Numbers 25:10-29:40; 1 Kings 18:46-19:21)

Week 42: The Words of My Mouth (Numbers 30:1-32:42; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3)

Week 43: This is the Life!

Week 44: The Blessings of Discipline (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Isaiah 1:1-27)

Week 45: Torah: The Teaching of God (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11; Isaiah 40:1-26)

Week 46: The Battle of the Heart (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:26; Isaiah 49:14-51:3)

Week 47: See (Se'eh) the Choice that God Gives Us (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:7; Isaiah 54:11-55:5)

Week 48: Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-52:12)

Week 49: Studying Torah Like the Apostle Paul (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10)

Week 50: When You Go In (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:9; Isaiah 60:1-22)

Week 51: Standing Into Covenant Love (Deuteronomy 29:10-30:20; Isaiah 61:10-63:9)

Week 52: Days of Awe (Deuteronomy 31:1-30; Isaiah 55:6-56:8)

Week 53: The Song of Moses...and the Lamb (Deuteronomy 32:1-52; 2 Samuel 22:1-51)

Week 54: Thoughts on Tabernacles...from a Tabernacle (Leviticus 22:26-23:44; Numbers 29:12-16)

Week 55: A Holy People (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12; Joshua 1:1-18)

Week 56: Consider the dandelions in the grass...(Matt 6:28; Matt 6:18)

Readings: Genesis 18:1-22:24, 2 Kings 4:1-37, Luke 1:26-38; 24:36-53; 2 Peter 2:4-11.

The arrival of baby Isaac must have brought such joy to Abraham and Sarah as none of us can probably imagine. A son of destiny and promise, Isaac was the miraculous provision of God to ageing parents who had long given up on ever having children. Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed in disbelief at the prophecy of Isaac's arrival. When he was born, their laughter became that of heavenly wonder (Gen 21:6).

God Our Provider

As much as Isaac's birth was the provision of Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Who Provides, Abraham did not declare this well-known name of God until a number of years later, on Mount Moriah, after God did the unthinkable: he asked for Isaac back. Abraham must have been distraught; after waiting a lifetime for the fulfilment of this promise, suddenly it appeared to have been recalled.

Our Abba Father knows how to give good gifts to his children (Matt 7:11). He is not a vindictive God who gives just to take away again. But neither does he want us to become more attached to his gifts and provisions than we are to him. That's why God tested Abraham: to see how loosely he was holding his precious, long-awaited son. Abraham was not being asked to love Isaac less – he was being tested to see if he loved God more.

God Our Provision

As the story unfolds, and the ram caught in the thickets is provided for a sacrifice instead of Isaac, we learn that God's intention is to provide for Abraham personally, in response to his display of faith. Almost 2,000 years later, this same agenda was fulfilled to perfection as God himself was offered up as the ultimate provision for mankind – for all who step out in faith and believe. Just as Abraham did not withhold Isaac, so the Father did not withhold the Son, but offered him willingly as a sacrifice in our stead. Fulfilling the prophetic words that "on the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided" (Gen 22:14), the sinless Saviour carried his own altar wood to his own sacrifice and became the 'Lamb who was slain' (Rev 5:12) for the sins of the world. The Giver became the Gift.

How often believers seem to be more occupied with God's blessings than with God himself! Is there anything in your life that occupies your thoughts or tugs at your heart more than the Lord does? It is worth meditating today on the promise that Abraham received from God at the very beginning of his journey: "Do not fear...I am your shield and your very great reward." (Gen 15:1, NKJV).

Author: Frances Rabbitts

Readings: Genesis 12-17, Isaiah 40:27-41:16; Romans 4:1-25

The lives of Abraham and Sarah, father and mother of the Jewish nation, are heavy with a sense of destiny. There is something awesome about the glorious, global plans of the Lord being focused down and worked out through the imperfect, unsteady lives of a human couple, who laughed at the Almighty in disbelief and constantly tried to take matters into their own hands.

The Bigger Picture

Through Abraham, God unveiled the 'big picture' of his covenant plan – first for Israel, then for all nations and generations to come. We witness great promises being spoken over God's fledgling people; promises of land, blessing and covenant love. We marvel at the prophecy of a miracle birth (deemed impossible by both parents because of their advanced age), multiplying out until the people of God number more than the stars in the sky.

From this end of history, we can rejoice at this beautiful foreshadowing of our Saviour's miraculous birth, which has led on to him "bringing many sons and daughters to glory" (Heb 2:10). We can also testify that God is faithful to his promises: he has not forgotten his people Israel, who he chose "from the beginning" (Isa 41:4), but desires to uphold and strengthen them.

The Smaller Picture

Encouragingly, Abraham and Sarah were not just useful to God for achieving a broader purpose – he actually cared deeply about them as individuals. From the moment they set out for an unknown land, they lived in utter dependence on God, communing with him, walking with him and stopping periodically to wait on him, worship him and seek his face.

Patiently bearing their detours, wrong turns and doubts, God always encouraged, always affirmed. Painstakingly, he taught them that he alone can fulfil his covenant promises – that the things of the Kingdom are established "'not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit', says the Lord Almighty" (Zech 4:6).

Friends of God

Abraham's life was that of a faithful servant, a life lived 'in waiting' for the fulfilment of God's divine promises. But in Isaiah 41, God reveals another insight into their relationship – he calls Abraham "My friend".

This beautiful, intimate desire of the Lord to walk closely with us as friends echoes down through history. Thousands of years later, he stated this eternal desire again, when Jesus declared that "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15).

At this time, it has never been more important to walk closely with God and take up this offer to know his business and to share in his work – to live not only as his servants, but also as his friends. Let us not miss this amazing opportunity.

Author: Frances Rabbitts