As Russian planes bomb Syria and clouds continue to gather over the Middle East, Clifford Hill asks: are we one step closer to the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38?

Once again Putin has outmanoeuvred Obama. At their meeting in Washington earlier this week, Putin offered the involvement of Russian forces in the fight against the Islamic State. Obama welcomed it! He didn't spot Putin's ploy!

Just Who is Russia Attacking?

Within 48 hours of their meeting, Russian forces piled into Syria with air-to-air missiles and SA-22 anti-aircraft batteries. But the Islamic State has no air force! So whose planes would Russia be shooting down? The only planes flying over Syria are American and French. No wonder the Russians delivered a one-hour warning to the American embassy in Baghdad telling them not to fly any missions.

Russia then launched air attacks upon the area occupied by Syrian rebels trained by the USA and supplied with American weapons in their fight against Assad. So what Obama agreed to do was the slaughter of those whom America has been supporting. Russia is now free to roam the skies over Syria in support of Assad without any commitment to destroying the Islamic State.

Obama accepted Putin's offer of military action against IS – and has unwittingly given Russia control over Syrian airspace.

International Alliances

This conflict is about far more than a disagreement about Assad's ability to rule: it is about strategic control of the entire Middle East. At the same time as launching the recent airstrikes, Russia has joined an intelligence-gathering centre in Baghdad set up by Iraq, Iran and Syria which effectively establishes a Shi'ite Muslim alliance over the whole Middle East from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea. When they have settled their battle for supremacy over the Sunni Muslims they will turn to their final objective – the destruction of Israel.

Russia knows that they only have another 16 months of Obama's weak presidency so now is the time to strike and establish their power base in the region. Meanwhile, anti-Assad rebel groups have their own international backers – including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as the US, the UK and France. Syria's civil war is fast threatening to become a proxy war – and could potentially escalate even beyond this.

The Shi-ite Muslim alliance being established over the Middle East has a final goal: and it's not victory over the Sunnis. It's the destruction of Israel.

Threat to Israel

The threat to Israel grows daily and becomes increasingly like the biblical scenario which was revealed to the prophet Ezekiel in chapters 38 and 39 which speaks of an alliance between Iraq and Iran plus the North African states of Sudan and Libya, and the involvement of the Azerbaijan area of Russia (Eze 38:5-6), all gathering to attack Israel.

The big question facing us is this: is Ezekiel's prophecy inevitable? Or has it been sent by God as a warning of what could happen if we do nothing when violent men who care nothing for human life, armed with weapons of mass destruction, come together threatening the peace of the world?

We welcome your comments!

Report: The MJR Launch, 23 September 2015

Last Wednesday's launch of MJR, held at St Mark's Church Kennington, attracted cross-party support and was well received by community leaders and academics alike.

MJR is seeking to bring to public attention a long neglected issue that is still having an impact on society today. The extent to which Britain was involved in colonial slavery and industrial exploitation has largely been airbrushed out of our history books; and the legacy of this involvement has never been fully acknowledged. The Movement for Justice and Reconciliation aims to define the exact nature of this legacy and seek ways to address the resultant issues identified.

At the launch, MJR Trustees outlined the way in which this forgotten part of Britain's history has influenced many areas of today's society. Responses were made by Karen Bradley MP (Home Office Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation); Stephen Timms MP (Shadow Cabinet Minister for Work and Pensions); and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (see right, centre), President of OXTRAD (The Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue).

The launch was described as "a wonderful start on the road to raising public awareness of the legacy of slavery". The 'Case for Legacy' will be presented to a cross-party group in Parliament in November. Further projects, research and events are planned for 2016.

More details of the work of MJR can be found on www.mjr-uk.com.

Clifford Hill surveys the Volkswagen scandal and asks: is God saying something to Germany - and to us?

Germany, the political and economic driver of Europe, has suffered one blow of dismay and humiliation after another in the past month. The country was still struggling with the fallout from their controversial migration policy when the Volkswagen scandal struck. What's going on in Europe's leading nation? Is there any prophetic significance in these events?

The Volkswagen Scandal

Volkswagen, the world's leading car manufacturer, has admitted that some 11 million of their cars distributed around the world have been fitted with a cheating device that gives a false reading of its engine efficiency when on the test pad. It cuts the emission of pollutants while the car is being tested but once out on the road the car can spew poisonous gases into the air, including nitrogen oxides, in amounts 40 times higher than regulation emissions standards.

So far investigations have been restricted to Volkswagen, but the spiralling scandal has led to calls for cars from other manufacturers to be checked for carrying similar devices deliberately designed to cheat when the cars are being tested. US authorities, who broke the news that they had discovered the sophisticated software which turns off pollution emissions on the test pad said that VW had admitted equipping about half a million cars in the United States. VW then admitted some 2.8 million cars in Germany also had the devices and that others have been distributed throughout Europe including in Britain.

Bankruptcy Threatened

The revelations, with their potential of creating the world's biggest corporate scandal, immediately hit the value of VW's shares. Some €25 billion, about 40%, was wiped off VW's share price in just two days. The US Government added to Volkswagen's woes by announcing that they would levy fines of $18 billion. But this is only the start of the cost to VW which may result in diesel engines no longer being used for domestic cars. It is a crippling blow to the worldwide sales of VW cars which include Audi, Seat and Skoda models, that could bankrupt the firm creating massive workforce redundancies that will affect the German national economy.

Blow to Pride

The VW revelations have dealt an enormous blow to German pride: Volkswagen is a national symbol of German character and has strengthened their economy since World War II.

The Volkswagen revelations not only have financial implications; they have dealt an enormous blow to German pride. Volkswagen is not just a carmaker; it is a symbol of the national character of Germany. Volkswagen began producing a 'People's car' in the Nazi era and played a significant role in the recovery of the German economy after World War II. It became the ambition of every German family to own a VW and the company's worldwide success symbolised the prosperity of the nation enabling it to exercise both economic and political power in Europe.

Suddenly all this prosperity and pride is now threatened. Germany has dominated the councils of the EU, successfully persuaded a group of nations to join the euro club putting their national economies under the control of the European Central Bank (mainly under German control), and forced crippling austerity programmes upon those with weaker economies. Now it is Germany's turn to be worried about their national economy and there are many Europeans who will say that they are getting their comeuppance.

London's ReputationLondon's financial heart - once a centre renowned for business integrity.

But we in Britain are in no place to point the finger. We too have suffered enormous blows to our national pride through cheating. Our bankers used to have a worldwide reputation for honesty in the days when London was renowned for business integrity and deals could be made on the basis of word-of-mouth and a handshake, without even reading the small print. That reputation for honesty has disappeared in a cesspit of banking scandals, Libor rate fixing, and massive rewards paid to failed executives.

It is not only in the world of finance that cheating has been exposed; our great parliamentary tradition that used to be the envy of the world has been humbled by the exposure of cheating by Members of both Houses of Parliament, with scandals involving their expenses and allowances, and selling their services for commercial gain.

The catalogue of cheating exposures does not end there but has included the sexual abuse of children and other scandals by celebrities and leaders in church and state that have shaken the nation.

We in Britain are in no place to point the finger at Germany, having suffered enormous blows to our national pride through cheating.

The Western World

Other European nations have also had their shocks and similarly in the United States cheating and corruption have been exposed, leading to the downfall of mighty financial institutions. So what's going on throughout the Western world among nations who share the Christian faith and a long biblical heritage?

Surely, the plain answer is that as nations we have deliberately turned our backs upon the word of God that historically has provided trustworthy foundations for personal and social morality. The spiralling revelations that have been shaking the nations throughout the past 40 years coincide with the increasing secularisation of the nations and the abandonment of biblical values. All of these things are prophesied in the Bible that speaks of a great shaking of the nations and a time of international turmoil and conflict.

Warning Signs

The revelations of cheating in the nations are not just coincidental, they are warning signs urging us to change course before bringing disaster upon our generation. The revelations are the deliberate action of God turning on the light to expose evil. His major purpose is to bring his salvation to the nations rather than to bring judgement.

Uncovering corruption is a salutary warning of the consequences of abandoning truth and deliberately turning upside-down the moral values which are part of God's act of creation.

Uncovering corruption is a salutary warning of the consequences of deliberately up-ending the moral values which are part of God's act of creation.

The word of God to our generation is "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight...For they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty" (Isa 5:20-24). The future history of the world depends upon whether or not we will take note of the warning signs!

A press release from WIN/Gallup International exploring the religious beliefs of 63,898 people from 65 countries around the world was published in April 2015 and picked up in the British press. Monica Hill looks at the key statistics and comments from a biblical perspective.

Which are the Most (and Least) Religious Nations?

63% of those polled worldwide claimed to be 'religious'. Regionally, Africa (86%) headed the field closely followed by MENA (Middle East and North Africa) (82%), Eastern Europe (71%), America (66%), Asia (62%), Oceania (44%) and Western Europe (43%) trailing behind. Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Morocco, Fiji, South Africa are all in the 90+% bracket with Thailand leading at 94%, whereas China claimed to be just 7%.

Western Europe and Oceania are the only regions where about half of the population are either not religious or acknowledge themselves to be atheists. As noted above, the least religious country in the world was found to be China, where 61% of people claim to be convinced atheists (that's twice as many as any other country) and 29% say that they're not religious (cf. just 7% who are). In the Western world, the Swedes proved to be the least religious (78% either not religious or declared atheist). The largest proportion of atheists (14%) are to be found in Western Europe and Asia, with Oceania also at 12%.

Surprisingly, younger people (classed as those under 34) tend to be more religious than other age groups (about 66% as against about 60% in other brackets).

Trends in the Middle East

Israel has a high proportion of unreligious people and convinced atheists (65%, compared to 30% who say they are religious). In the West Bank and Gaza this proportion is much lower (18%, compared to 70% who say they are religious).

Religion in Britain

Just 30% of British citizens consider themselves religious. That's against 70% of Russians and 56% of Americans. 53% of the British said they were 'not religious'. 13% said they were a 'convinced atheist' and the rest were 'don't knows'. Only three countries in Europe were lower than Britain, with Sweden the lowest at 19%.

The Gallup US Question Breakdown can be found here.

Responses in the British Media

It is not surprising that in the British Press the UK statistics were highlighted. The BBC and ITV News headlines were essentially the same: Britain has been found to be one of the least religious countries in the world. The Daily Telegraph's website gave a balanced breakdown across the world in a helpful map.¹ The Independent charts the following points and asks for (and receives) comments:²

1. There are twice as many religious people as non-believers.
2. Religion is dominant on every continent.
3. Older people are, surprisingly, less religious.
4. People in the middle aged bracket (44-54) are the least likely to be religious, the most likely to be atheist.
5. On the other hand, people in their twenties are most likely to identify with a religion, and so are a high proportion of under 25s.
6. Housewives are the most often religious, the full-time employed the least.
7. Wealthier people are less religious and so are people with more education.

Secularist Groups

The comments from Secularist groups were interesting. The British Humanist Society empathised that other polls have all found similar results in recent years. Their Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns, Pavan Dhaliwal, commented:

While politicians continue to make exaggerated claims about the importance of Christianity to Britain's shared cultural life, yet another poll has shown that British people are largely non-religious. On top of that we know that a majority of people in Britain, whatever their religious or non-religious beliefs, do not want to see public policies influenced by religious ideas. Let our politicians take note: continued attempts to justify policy on the grounds of a religious identity most of us do not share not only breeds needless division, but builds upon serious shaky ground.³

While Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, commented:

It's striking that of the least religious countries, the UK is the only one with an established state religion. Instead of burying their heads in the sand and constantly repeating the mantra of the UK being a 'Christian country', perhaps the time has come for politicians of all stripes to recognise the need to reflect the reality of changing times by separating religion from the state.⁴

Comment: Reasons to Hope

Statistics are only indicators and global statistics (good or bad) in particular should not overwhelm us. We must learn how to use them as advice for developing strategies to reach people and places to which God is calling us. This survey is one of self-perception with no factual proof required, and understanding in many dimensions will differ. But whether you agree with the above comments or not about the situation in the UK, Christians need to take note. Perhaps they are! Have you noticed the following signs of growth?

Growth in small groups:

• Although many church congregations nationwide are getting smaller, we have been noting for some time a great growth in small groups – and over the summer months we can also see that the larger gatherings of Christians across denominations are also growing almost exponentially.

Summer celebrations:

• Songs of Praise recently showed the Keswick Convention, which has been going since 1875 – this has grown to 3 weeks every summer plus 20+ ancillary meetings around the country, packed and moving into new premises in the Lake District. Although this attracts people mainly from the more traditional evangelical spectrum, there has also been tremendous growth in other sectors using large residential Easter and summer holiday time venues.
• Spring Harvest started these in 1979 in Butlins, reached 70,000 over 3 sites in the 1990s and is still going strong (see right). New Word Alive, now separate from Spring Harvest, attracts around 4,000 each year. New Wine from the Charismatic sector was founded in 1989, with Soul Survivor youth events four years later in 1993 and Momentum (for 20s and 30s) in 2004. Soul Survivor alone now has over 25,000 young people attending their camps each summer. And the list could go on!
• So growth in small groups AND in conference events are both to be reckoned with.

Three Tiers of Interaction

I am reminded of an understanding of church dynamics which we need to be able to rejoice in: Christians need at least three tiers of interaction – small group, congregation and celebration.

Although the regular congregational meeting is important and has been the visual mainstay of the church, small groups where Christians can interact and get to know each other and the Lord better were the bulwark of Wesleyan Methodism. It was in small meetings in the home where people accepted the Lord as their Saviour and these personal relationships are becoming more and more important. But we also need large celebration events where we can be encouraged and fortified in a way that may not be possible in smaller groups.

Jesus knew something about group dynamics. He chose a small group of 12 to be his disciples, of whom four were really close to him. He then drew together the 72 who were much more task-orientated, as he sent them out to be active witnesses. But he also had gatherings of the 4,000 and 5,000 who were blessed in very different ways.

Each level had its purpose and all are still necessary for Christians today. Communities and relationships of faith may now be facing different pressures and strains because of the internet, individualistic Western culture and increasingly global perspectives, but we still have the same needs in our Christian life. We must not limit what the Lord can do at each level.

References

1 Akkoc, R. Mapped: These are the world's most religious countries. The Telegraph, 13 April 2015.

2 Boren, Z D. 7 charts that reveal the most – and the least – religious people across the world...and how it is the young who are the biggest believers. The Independent, 13 April 2015.

3 British Humanist Association. UK among least religious countries in the world, finds international poll. 13 April, 2015.

4 National Secular Society. Survey: UK is one of the least religious countries in the world. 13 April 2015.

"...if your gift is giving, then give generously..."

Monica Hill discusses the spiritual gift of generous giving.

'What's mine is yours'

A limited interpretation of this gift as giving financially into Christian ministry is often used by fundraisers to justify asking for financial support for Christian workers. In many eyes this has become the main explanation of this gift mentioned in Romans 12:8, but of course its intended outcomes are much further-reaching.

Some even believe that the greater the monetary value of their gift, the more spiritual it is. This can of course become a questionable way of fulfilling your Gospel responsibilities - vicariously - paying someone else to do it for you! But giving financially can also be a way in which those who are 'rich' can help those who do not have the same level of material possessions. In this way they show their commitment to the person or organisation.

Widening Understanding

Anything which is given with the right motive of generosity can be both valuable and a blessing in the eyes of the Lord - size does not matter (see the story of the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4). One translation of Romans 12:8 is "Whoever shares with others should do it generously" (GNT).

In Romans 12:13 the emphasis is on "Giving to the needs of the saints". Sharing with other believers all that the Lord had given to them was one of the memorable features of the early church in Jerusalem. It created senses of community, fellowship and belonging that many strive after in today's fragmented society.

The ability to give with a generous spirit is the subject of Jesus' teaching about 'giving with a good eye' – "if your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light" (Matt 6:22). There is a wholeness of spirit that comes when you give in this way - not because you must, but because you want to - and it then becomes a blessing to God – with the result that everyone else (including yourself) is also blessed.

More than Money

There are many other forms of generous giving that are often overlooked. Many gifts like time, material goods and hospitality (to name just a few) have greater value than money. Love, prayer, care and listening are some of the most valuable gifts that everyone can give. But then again, James 2:16 warns us "you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help?"

We also need to bear in mind that we may be willing to be extremely generous in giving - what we want, when we want and where we want! But that is not enough. We can all become selfish, giving what we can easily spare!! This is really putting our own needs first – not making our goal 'living generously'. David's words in 2 Samuel 24 "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" illustrate the importance of this.

Generous Living

Being generous in how we give does not always translate into being generous in how we live. But the converse is almost always true - a person who lives generously always gives generously. Giving should be reflected in the whole of our lifestyles and is much more than just opening a cheque book to support others. It means a mutual sharing of their burdens and blessings, coming alongside those in need and being willing to be involved in a variety of different ways. It is also linked with receiving, so that we all grow together and glorify the Lord.

Giving is more than opening a cheque book to support others. It means a mutual sharing of burdens and blessings.

The picture of the Jerusalem church in Acts 4:32 shows a generous way of life which has become an ideal in many eyes and almost a template of how things should be between believers:

The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other.

They had become transformed in their thinking and this made a radical change in their self-assessment: "but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself." (Phil 2:3). Drawing on an illustration from nature, they had metamorphosed from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Reaching Out

Paul's teaching supports a natural progression of this beyond just supporting believers in the immediate fellowship. One of the natural gifts in Romans 12:13 is that of contributing to the needs of others: "Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home". Various translations word this differently, but it is still a call to all Christians to look beyond their own needs and be aware of those of others, whether close friends or complete strangers.

So we are called not only to support those who are already believers - but also to include all those who are needy. The help may be going the extra mile, as the Good Samaritan did when he came across the man attacked by robbers as recorded in Luke 10:25-37:

...when he saw him he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

He gave time and even some of his own possessions to a complete stranger. In Luke 3:11, John the Baptist says "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else."

But there is a warning in Matthew 6:2 (The Message version is helpful):

When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure - 'play actors' I call them - treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it - quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Relationship Building

In order for giving to be effective, there is a responsibility on the giver to build a relationship with the recipient, so all can understand what is really needed. There needs to be an empathy with others which results in action when real needs can be shared and met. Most people have received a present which says more of the giver than responding to the needs of the receiver!

Galatians 6:6 takes on a whole new meaning when it says "Those who are being taught the Christian message should share all the good things they have with their teachers."

This does not just mean financial reimbursement for their teaching - but also to share an understanding of that which they have received and to join in the conversation! It becomes an active partnership, as recommended in Philemon v 6: "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ".

Effective giving demands relationship-building between giver and recipient.

Importance for Today

We ourselves believe and know that God will take care of our own needs. Matthew 6:28 tells us "not to worry" which is elaborated in the prayer in Philippians 4:19: "I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!" And we are all exhorted in Hebrews 13:16: "Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God".

In our day and age when individualism is prized in society at large and many are lonely or suffering a lack of good relationships, the significance of the gift of giving becomes very special. Christians need to follow the example given by Christ of elevating the well-being of others above the needs of self. This may be difficult for some as it goes against the current trend in society - but it needs to be a goal for each of us.

If you have any other comments on 'giving' as a spiritual gift please do add them.

References

1 Link, E G. Giving Generously or Living Generously? Stewardship Ministries, 16 August 2010.

This perhaps unattractive title refers to an essential aspect of any true prophetic ministry, one which cannot be neglected without creating an unbalanced presentation of God's truth.

The prophets of the Old Testament rejoiced to proclaim God's acts of mercy in the past, delivering his people and individuals from their enemies and from disasters of all kinds. They delighted to reassure God's people that he was present with them and that the Holy One of Israel in their midst was mighty. They strained their linguistic ability to express his promise of a future deliverance and victory, when "the wolf will lie down with the lamb" and "the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea" (Isa 11:6-9).

They had also to proclaim divine warnings of the awful consequences of the continued breaking of God's laws by both individuals and nations. The people were longing for 'the Day of the Lord' but the prophets had to point out that, unless they changed their ways, it would be for them a day of darkness and disaster (Amos 5:18). "Wail, Alas for the day!" was their reaction (Eze 30:2-3), and their prophecies are littered with such expressions as "Woe", "Ah, Lord God", "Alas" (for this) and "Alas" (for that), all of which expressed their reaction to the prophetic 'burden' they were called to bear.

Today's Prophets

As we give further thought to the prophet's role, we must stress the unchanging responsibility of today's 'forth-tellers' to declare God's laws and the consequences of ignoring or rejecting them. We have heard any number of prophecies which assure us that all is well; like the people of Isaiah's day, we want today's prophets to "tell us pleasant things" (Isa 30:10). We are living in serious times, far more serious than many imagine.

At the same time I am not calling for a rash of heavy condemnatory utterances which reveal more of the personal animosity of the prophet than they do of the heart of God. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other prophets who said, "I weep...I drench you with tears"..."I will weep and wail...and take up a lament" (Isa 16:9 and Jer 9:10), we need to stand in the presence of God until we feel his heart-beat before we can even begin to share their ministry.

There are any number of prophecies assuring us that all is well. What we need is to feel God's heart-beat – even if it's one of lament.

Weeping Prophets' Vocabulary

'Alas!' is an exclamation of unhappiness or alarm expressing grief and voicing concern. It occurs only about four times in the Old Testament but expresses the anguish of the prophets who voiced it (Jeremiah 30:7, Ezekiel 6:11, Joel 1:15 and Amos 5:16). The word 'Alas!' occurs in the RSV rendering of these verses.

'Ah, Lord God' or 'Ah, Sovereign Lord' are special phrases used by both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, occurring four times in each of their prophecies. It is used to express their bewilderment at what God had allowed to happen, or to challenge the situation. They reason with the Lord and even tell him that he has deceived them. This poignant little phrase indicates both their respect for God but also their involvement with his people and the awful tension that these situations created (Jer 4:10, 32:17; Eze 9:8; 11:13). Jeremiah was so distressed that he even cursed the day he was born (Jer 15:10).

'Woe!' is the most frequently employed word in this connection. It is used nearly 60 times and occurs in ten of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. It is a word of condemnation and as such used in both the Old and New Testaments. But it speaks of sadness as well as of judgment. Although it may have the nature in prophetic denunciation of pronouncing an anathema or curse, it also conveys an element of grief and distress. This is true also of the 'Woes!' of the Lord Jesus recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke (Matt 11:21, 23:13-16; Luke 6:24, 11:42-47).

'Woes!' Addressed to Individuals

In Habakkuk 2:5-20 there are five 'Woes!' (verses 6, 9, 12, 15 and 19), and they are addressed to the man who piles up stolen goods, who builds his kingdom by extortion, who resorts to bloodshed in his building programme of self-glorification, who gets his neighbour drunk with evil sexual intent, and who makes an idol and bids it "Come to life!".

There is a similar list of six 'Woes!' in Isaiah 5:8-23. Like those in the Habakkuk passage, they are all addressed to individuals. There is still a place for a prophetic word today to individuals, pointing out where their conduct is contrary to what we know to be the word of God. Spoken in the power of the Spirit, such a word can lead to repentance and a change in lifestyle.

There is still a place for prophetic words to individuals, spoken in the power of the Spirit to provoke repentance.

'Woes!' Addressed to Nations

In order to gain the full force of what the Old Testament prophets felt about their ministry to nations as well as to individuals, we need to re-discover a word that is now hidden if we are using one of the more recent versions of the Bible. In the King James' rendering we come across the word 'burden', which is used frequently to describe the prophets' awareness of the weight and importance of the message God gave them to speak to the nations.

From a Hebrew word which means 'to lift up or to bear away', it has the dual meaning of that which is borne by a man and that which is born to a man. A prediction of severe judgment might well be a 'burden' that would render both body and mind uneasy. It might even be spoken of as being more than someone can bear. Such a prophetic word would be a 'burden' to the one who carried it, as well as to the one for whom it was destined. The word is translated as 'oracle' in most modern versions, by the prophet called to announce it.

The Prophet's Burden

The earlier chapters of Isaiah speak of the vision he saw (Isa 1:1) or of the word he received (Isa 2:1) but from chapter 13 onwards each prophecy is introduced by a different expression: that of a 'burden'. This continues until chapter 23.

God had things to say to Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Idumea, Arabia, Tyre and the Negev, as well as Jerusalem herself. To each of the nations or communities quite detailed and specific messages were conveyed - one wonders whether they were ever received. What is clear is that a considerable part of Isaiah's prophecy is taken up with foreign nations. Are we to assume that God had things to say to those ancient nations but has nothing to say to the nations of today? Is prophecy to be limited to the local church and its activities? Is there not a burden on our shoulders, too, to find out what the Lord wants proclaimed?

Considerable parts of Isaiah's prophecy are addressed to nations other than Israel. Are we to assume that God had things to say to them but has nothing to say to the nations of today?

Are We God's Burden?

In a foreboding passage in Jeremiah (23:33-40) the people are told by the prophet that when asked "What is the burden of the Lord!" they were to reply "You are the burden and I will cast you off". Instead of carrying God's word to whoever he had sent it, they were a burden and an obstruction to his purposes.

Later on in the same passage it is clear that the burden they were carrying was not the divine word but their own word, and in so doing they were perverting the words of the living God. Judgment is inevitable on those who stand in the way of sending forth God's word or who pervert the truth as they pass it on to others.

Expressing God's Compassion

One book in the Old Testament expresses particularly well the compassion, even agony, of a prophet - in this case Jeremiah - at the disaster that had overwhelmed Jerusalem. In Lamentations we see the kind of attitude that today's prophets ought to take over those who reject the Lord's word and plunge themselves into terrible trouble.

One could go almost through the alphabet with words that are used in this book to express the feelings felt in such situations: affliction, anguish, betrayed, bitterness, calamity, crushed, crying out, disgraced, downcast, destroyed, disturbed...right through to weary, wasting away, weeping, without pity and without hope! How the nations need prophets who will care like Jeremiah did!

The 'Woes!' of Jesus

There was one who cared even more than Jeremiah. Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth, wept over Jerusalem. He did not pray for that city, because it was now too late. He could only weep and exclaim, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks, but you would not" (Matt 23:37). For Jerusalem, the Lord's special city, it was too late. There is still time, though perhaps not much, for us to get God's word to the nations. "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" (Isa 6:8). It is those who care who will reply: "Send me!"

First Published in Prophecy Today, Vol 3 No 6, November/December 1987.

Clifford Denton discusses the first Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire and the resulting fall of Jerusalem and the razing of the Temple in 70 AD.

In the last study, we considered how the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD contributed to the early separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots. This week we continue to look briefly at the background history that preceded and followed this fall, bringing into focus what have come to be called the First and Second Jewish Revolts. We do this both to focus on this important aspect of Israel's history, and also to establish a sense of the context into which Jesus and his followers came.

Background: the Road to Separation

In the last few studies we have been assessing the reasons for the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots, focusing especially on the early years. We have been seeking to establish a balanced understanding, noting that it was not so simple as an exclusion from the Synagogue associated with a curse against Christians. There was initially a more gradual assessment of the new movement within Judaism.

Nevertheless there was also a distinct theological difference caused by the proclamation that Jesus was the expected Messiah. Misunderstandings, as well as theological differences, led to the early Christian Church being kept at arm's length. Elements of separatism from within the Christian Church also began to develop.

Misunderstandings, as well as theological differences, led to the early Church being kept at arm's length by the Jews.

The background to this was Israel's national oppression by Greece and then Rome, and the reactions against this by various Jewish leaders and factions who sought to bring about deliverance by physical force (these attempts then magnified themselves later, when Israel was in the Diaspora and the Christian Church had found new roots within the Gentile world).

In particular, the First and Second Jewish Revolts against Rome help us to understand the response of the nation of Israel to the colonial domination of foreign powers. Despite Israel as a whole rejecting Jesus as Messiah, these revolts continued to express the Jewish Messianic hope. They expected that the Messiah would bring physical deliverance for the nation. This mindset contrasted greatly with the message of Jesus and the apparent 'otherworldliness' of his movement, and further contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots.

The Messianic hope of the Jews, especially in the face of Roman colonial domination, contrasted Jesus' otherworldly message and forced Christians and Jews further apart.

The First Jewish RevoltHalf Shekel from the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (see Photo Credits)

The First Jewish Revolt was from 66-74 AD. This was the revolt that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. One of the main historical sources for this event is the historian Josephus who was an eye witness and participant (see quotes from Josephus included in last week's study). Modern historians warn us that there may be some bias in Josephus's description of the revolt because of his own need to protect his status in the eyes of Rome. Nevertheless, we have detailed accounts of the years when Israel rose up against Rome and of the catastrophes that followed.

Among the reasons for the revolt was hatred toward the corruption and bad government of various Roman procurators, as well as a general resentment towards the occupying forces. Add to this the social, economic, national and religious restraints that Rome put on this covenant nation and here was a fermenting situation ready for eruption at any time.

The First Jewish Revolt, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, was born of resentment towards the occupying power.

Discontent eventually led to a dispute between Greeks and Jews in Caesarea when some of the Greek population chose to build too close to a Synagogue. This was in the year 61 AD, and Nero ruled in favour of the Greeks, but discontent continued and flared up into street fighting in 66 AD. Coincident with this, the procurator Florus ordered that seventeen talents be taken from the Temple treasury, causing an aggressive response from some of the Jews and resulting in his ordering Roman soldiers to punish the population. The resistance grew, however, causing Florus to make a temporary retreat to Caesarea.

The remaining cohort of troops in Jerusalem failed to enforce law and order and this also became the spark for groups of revolutionaries including the Sicari and Zealots to begin more open fighting with the Romans. Fervour that had been pent up for years erupted, and soon the majority of the population of Judaea and Galilee joined these revolutionary groups. By the year 67, the Idumeaeans and Samaritans had also joined the growing revolt.

Roman Intervention

Agrippa II came from Alexandria to Jerusalem to try to quell the revolt but failed to get the support of Florus for mediation. In the early days of the revolt, the High Priest and leaders of the parties of the Sadducees and Pharisees were concerned to maintain peace and the Temple rituals, so were keen to bring a peaceful end to the uprising. However, the Zealots conquered a number of fortresses including Masada. They occupied the Temple and put an end to the daily sacrifice to the Emperor of Rome.

Agrippa summoned three thousand troops but failed to eliminate the Zealots. This led to an escalation of the conflict with Rome. The Zealots set fire to the palaces of Agrippa, Berenice and the High Priest. This was by way of a statement against the disparity between the wealthy in Jerusalem and the poverty of other members of the nation. The Antonia Fortress was captured and then the whole city was liberated from the Romans. This was accompanied by bloodshed in other parts of the land.

The conflict escalated and even the intervention of 3,000 Roman troops failed.

Cestius Valus, the Roman Governor of Syria, brought an expedition to Jerusalem in the autumn of 66 but was caused to retreat and suffered major defeat near Beth-Horon, where most of his army was massacred. This resulted in a growing support for the revolt, including from the priests in Jerusalem who needed to preserve their popularity.

The Arrival of Vespasian

The Romans re-grouped in Galilee. Meanwhile, Nero sent orders from Greece to his general, Vespasian. He arrived in 67 and took the city of Sephoris, then advancing with three legions into Galilee, putting many of the Jews to flight. The prominent fortress of Jotapata was taken, followed by Tarichaea, Gamla (see left) and Mount Tabor. At the end of 67, and after great bloodshed, Galilee was under the control of the Romans.

The loss of Galilee was dispiriting to the occupants of Jerusalem. Some would have negotiated with the Romans at this point. There was inner conflict among the Jewish factions and the Zealots eventually took full control of the city. In 69 AD, however, further disputes arose and three factions emerged in Jerusalem. The Roman troops marched on Jerusalem, by which time the three factions had divided the city into three fortresses.

When the Romans laid siege on Jerusalem in 70 AD, inner conflict had led to the city being divided into three fortresses.

The death of Nero in 68 called Vespasian back to Rome in the summer of 69, where he was proclaimed Emperor. Titus, his son, took command of the Roman troops in the land of Israel (as an important aside, within the time-frame of this conflict: it is likely that Johanan Ben Zakkai fled from Jerusalem and was given permission by Vespasian to settle in Jabneh, which later became a school for the study of Torah and the centre for the development of Rabbinic Judaism). Nevertheless the siege of Jerusalem was begun early in the year 70 by Titus and the horrific consequences of the fall of this great city and of the Temple followed, as we outlined in the last section.

One can read Josephus and come to the conclusion that divided factions among the Jews contributed to an almost self-destruction at the end of this conflict. The glory had indeed departed from the Temple.

For Reflection and Comment

Read Matthew 24:2 and Deuteronomy 28. Does this help us understand the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70? Read Luke 19:41-44 and refer to the Book of Lamentations. What should a Christian's attitude be to the fall of Jerusalem?

Next time: The Jewish Revolts (Part 2)

'End-time Survivor', by Neil Turner (Oxford e-books, 2013, 398 pages), available on Amazon for £22.18 (hardback) or £9 (Kindle Edition)

This relatively recent book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to build up their understanding of the complexities of End-Time theology. The subtitle - "A practical handbook for overcomers in the last days" - describes its aim perfectly and it certainly achieves this objective.

The author recognises that as well as being informative there is a need to offer practical advice, especially for younger people who may have to be those end-time overcomers. He is aware that each generation has the responsibility to prepare the next for whatever might happen.

25 Years of Research

The book took 5 years to write and is the result of 25 years of research into all that Scripture teaches on the last days and the return of Christ. As a handbook it accompanies a course that the author has also put together over this time, called the Omega Programme, but it can equally be used very effectively as a personal study guide. The fact that it is the product of an oft-repeated course prepared over a long period means that it is tried and tested. But one of its most impressive features is that it does not come across merely as a course handbook. It has been well-written and thought through for the general reader. Here is a dedicated and skilful teacher who can present his material in whatever format is required.

This book is accompanies a tried and tested course on the subject – but is more than a mere course handbook.

The style is pleasant, easy-going and immediate. The author does not lecture but presents his ideas with sufficient modesty and humility. He tells you when he is speculating or less sure but we are always confident he has studied it thoroughly himself first. However, he does expect you to do some of the work yourself. You are required to think things through for yourself and only by putting in sufficient time and effort will you get the most out of this book. This is perhaps where the course handbook element comes through most strongly.

Theological Approach

His theological approach is a very valid one and offers a clear guide through the whole topic. He sensibly begins with the teachings of Jesus in the gospel, calling it the 'Spine of Biblical Prophecy'. After establishing this "firm foundation for our prophetic panorama" (p85), he sets out to tackle the whole of the book of Revelation. In fact he provides the full text of Revelation, set out in a distinctive and helpful way (pp92-133). Given the length and complexity of Revelation this is a very useful preliminary for the analysis that follows and in itself makes this book a worthwhile addition to other similar study materials.

Clearly there is no single easy way through the maze of texts and topics on the last days but the author has an approach which is as good as any and better than many. All you expect is there; he does not shirk any aspect. If it remains complicated at times (for instance, Revelation) that's because inevitably it is and cannot be over-simplified without losing something important.

Standout Chapters

Two other chapters are worth a special mention. One is an excellent and thorough analysis of life in the modern world and the trends that seem to be leading to the Tribulation (Ch 6). The other is on Israel, clearly important to God's future plans (Ch 7). There is a lot of Old Testament background on Israel here, perhaps more than necessary for readers who are already Biblically literate, but for anyone approaching end-time theology without this understanding it certainly fills a vital gap.

This book is definitely worth the space on your shelf and the money from your pocket.

Overall this is a well-designed book. The print is large and easy to read, and there are plenty of very useful and colourful charts and pictures (though some pictures seem a little irrelevant and the Word Clouds more gimmicky than informative). The bibliography is rather brief, and there is no index, either topical or Biblical, but there is a helpful key at the front (p17) explaining how to use the book. It comes in hardback form and given its inevitable length this makes it rather heavy and expensive. Nevertheless it is definitely worth the space on your shelf and the money from your pocket.

Who is to blame for the two major tragedies at this year's annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia - God or man?

The incidents have drawn criticism from Iran and other countries that have lost nationals in the stampede that killed over 700 people and injured nearly 900 more. This was preceded by a lightning strike and a freak storm that felled a crane onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca just at the time of Friday prayers on 11 September, killing over 100 people.

A spokesman for the Saudi Government said that this was 'an act of God', but an Iranian official said that God had nothing to do with it: it was all caused by the incompetence of men in the Saudi Government and particularly within the Royal Family where over 100 Princes are contending for the throne when the aged King departs.

What do you think? Please leave comments below.

Who is to blame for the two major tragedies at this year's annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia?
Is it God or man?

The incidents have drawn criticism from Iran and other countries that have lost nationals in the stampede that killed over 700 people and injured nearly 900 more. This was preceded by a lightning strike and a freak storm that felled a crane onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca just at the time of Friday prayers on 11 September, killing over 100 people.

A spokesman for the Saudi Government said that this was 'an act of God', but an Iranian official said that God had nothing to do with it: it was all caused by the incompetence of men in the Saudi Government and particularly within the Royal Family where over 100 Princes are contending for the throne when the aged King departs.

What do you think? Please leave comments below.