Stand in Support of Israel and Britain's Jewish Community: 20th September 2015 (THIS SUNDAY), Golders Green.

For Christians who love the British Jewish community and Israel, Mordecai Voice are organising a rally THIS COMING SUNDAY at Golders Green, London.

Mordecai Voice say: "We want to let the Jewish community know that we love them and stand with them. We will show them that we will not be passive and that we also love Israel! We will be there to declare God's heart for his people; to stand with and pray for them and to praise God. We call it a 'stand for' because we are not protesting against any government, religion, etc but to be FOR Israel and the Jewish community and to show it publicly.

For more information or to sign up for last-minute information on exact meeting places, visit the Mordecai Voice website.

ln this, the first of two articles, we re-print an interview with Lance Lambert from 1988, in which he gives a Messianic perspective on the fortieth anniversary of the State of Israel. Interviewed by Gary Clayton, Lance responds to the question: what does the future hold for the Jews, God's chosen people?

I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the laws, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all (Rom 9:3-5).

In Paul's letter to the Romans, the apostle refers to the Jews as being the natural branches of the olive tree that is Christ. At present some of these branches have been broken off so that, like wild olive shoots, the Gentiles can be grafted in, but when the full number of the Gentiles comes in, we will see many of the natural branches restored.

I do not think it will necessarily happen this year, the fortieth anniversary of the State of Israel, that the natural branches will be restored to the olive tree, but l do feel that we have nevertheless passed irreversibly into the last phase of world history. We know this from Luke 21:24, where Jesus prophesies that the Jewish people will fall by the sword, be taken as captives into all the nations, and Jerusalem trampled on by foreigners "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled".

When the full number of Gentiles has come in, in the last phase of world history, we will see many of the natural branches of Christ's olive tree (i.e. Jews) restored.

The change takes place

The phrase "times of the Gentiles" signifies every time in history in which the Jews are subjugated by Gentile or non-Jewish ideologies, nations or forces. What Jesus was saying, therefore, is that these times would last until a change took place in the status of Jerusalem. Such a change did take place on the 6th and 7th of June, 1967.

In the last nineteen hundred years, ever since Jerusalem came under non-Jewish domination (barring 135/136 AD in the time of Hadrian, when Bar Kochba led a rebellion against the Romans and for a time liberated Jerusalem) it has never been under Jewish sovereignty or government. However, in 1967 the status of Jerusalem changed when it was placed under Jewish sovereignty and government, becoming the capital of the independent Jewish state.

Along with the appearance of this sign we also note the presence of wars, rumours of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences and persecution, all of which are a prelude to the Second Coming of Christ. lt would therefore seem that something is going to happen to the Jewish people, and perhaps the 1988 anniversary holds real significance as a result.

The mystery concerning Israel

In Romans 12:25-26 Paul says to Christians of Gentile extraction, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved." Unfortunately however, there does exist a conceit in the Christian world, especially in the West. At its worst this conceit has resulted in an anti-Jewish attitude, or at least a feeling that the Church can have nothing to do with the Jews.

There is a lack of recognition of the fact that the root of the olive tree is Jewish, as is the tree itself, and in the end will regain its natural branches. I do not believe that every Jew will automatically be saved simply because he is a Jew, any more than every Gentile could be automatically saved. It is only God's elect people who will receive salvation.

Salvation is from the Jews

The conceit is not malicious, however, but comes from the fact that the Christian church is largely Hellenised in culture, having adopted an almost totally Gentile outlook despite its Jewish roots and background. Such an attitude is understandable since the vast majority of Christians over the centuries have been Gentile. However, this does not in any way detract from the fact, stated by Jesus himself (in John 4:22), that salvation is from the Jews.

There is a lack of recognition in the Christian world, especially in the West, that the olive tree of Christ is Jewish, and in the end will regain its natural branches.

When Paul uses the term 'mystery' to describe what will happen to Israel he does not refer to something so academically complex as to be incomprehensible, but instead uses the term to denote a secret revealed to the initiated - to those born of God. Unfortunately most Christians are ignorant of this mystery. After all, the gospel can be preached until the speaker is blue in the face but unless the Spirit of God opens the eyes of the listeners they cannot be saved. It is precisely the same with Israel, for the Spirit of God has to touch the Christian heart before it can understand God's purposes regarding the Jewish people.

The eternal covenant

I believe that there are only two peoples in the world with whom God has made an everlasting covenant- the Jews through Abraham (Gen 17:7), and the true Church of God with whom he made a new and eternal covenant.

These are the only two peoples throughout history to have suffered horrifically and continuously. They have been hounded from pillar to post, persecuted, denigrated, devalued, drowned, burnt, buried alive and beheaded. I cannot understand it when people try to explain that the true church has suffered because it is the apple of God's eye and that the Jewish people suffer because they have been rejected by God. This simply does not make sense. Instead, I believe that the reason for this suffering has to do with both peoples being bound up with a divine destiny.

Throughout history, the Jews and the Christians have both suffered horrifically and continuously. I believe that the reason for this suffering has to do with both being bound up with a divine destiny.

The coming Messiah

Both peoples share the same origin, the same revelation of God, the same prophets, the same scriptures, the same Messiah. Indeed, both believe in the future coming of the Messiah: the Christian that he will return, the Jew that he will come for the first time. They both believe that the Messiah will bring in the kingdom of God and establish it on earth, resulting in the knowledge of the glory of God covering the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Sadly, over the centuries Jews and Gentiles have tended to part company over the character of the Lord Jesus. Walls of suspicion and distrust have grown up to the extent that they would appear to be almost entirely alienated from one another. Somehow these two peoples will come together and be forged into one in the person, and through the work, of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Fulfilment

As we enter into this new period in the history of the State of Israel we must be nearer than ever to this great event, the fulfilment of PauI's inspired statements concerning the grafting in of the natural branches. When this occurs it will result in resurrection life and power for the whole redeemed community.

First published in Prophecy Today, March 1988.

In our series on the Jewish High Holy Days, Helen Belton examines Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Hebrew/English Phonetic Bible (CD-ROM), available from Hebrew4Christians for $59.95 + P&P

For the serious student of the Bible, a basic knowledge of Hebrew is extremely beneficial, and not just for understanding the Old Testament. The writers of the New Testament were mainly Hebrew thinkers and there is often a Hebraic subtext to their writings (especially the Gospels and in particular the words of Jesus himself). But for many Christians, the language can be a difficult one to learn or even begin to grasp in any way. There are many resources and learning aids available but this can still be a daunting enterprise.

Hebrew4Christians

One very useful website is Hebrew4Christians. This site is well-stocked with articles, ideas and features, and provides an easy first step into many aspects of Hebrew. It also allows for those with some experience to develop their studies further, as well as providing extra items that are fascinating and informative.

One significant aid available to purchase via this website is the transliterated Hebrew-English Bible on CD-ROM. This software is compatible with both Windows and MAC, and enables anyone without any previous knowledge of Hebrew to begin to read the Biblical text verse-by-verse throughout the entire Hebrew Bible. Each verse is clearly set out with the original Hebrew, an English translation and, crucially, a complete and clear phonetic transliteration broken down syllable by syllable. By turning the Hebrew letters into an equivalent sound-based English script it becomes easy to learn individual Hebrew words and eventually how the sentences are put together.

Though a basic knowledge of Hebrew is extremely beneficial for any serious Bible student, attempting to grasp the language can be a daunting enterprise.

The software also contains a guide to Hebrew pronunciation so you can speak it accurately, faithful to the original sound of Biblical Hebrew. The seven rules of 'How to Read Transliteration' means you can get started very quickly. The claim is that you will be proficient in an hour!

Facilities

There are also search options and the ability to copy the Hebrew or English text into your own documents or print selected pages. This is invaluable when teaching small groups or making presentations to a larger audience. Be warned though, there are over 4000 printable pages, so you need to be selective! This is not something to be printed out as a whole, just portions when required.

Once loaded onto your computer there are three shortcuts placed on your desktop. These represent three separate files called Bibles. 'Bible 1' uses the special Hebrew font created by The Society of Biblical Literature, which allows for the exact placement of the Hebrew vowel marks. It is a secured file which means you can only view and print, not copy, but that doesn't matter as this facility is available in the other files.

'Bible 2' contains a different font that is superior for printing, giving a very clear text, but there is no transliteration for this Bible, nor does it copy so well. However, 'Bible 3' is much better for copying, though again there is no transliteration; Bible 1 is the only file that provides this. Its font is described as 'unicode' and allows any Hebrew or English text to be copied and pasted into a word processor document. It also has a very fast search facility in both Hebrew and English. Bible 2 will also search quickly, though only in English, whereas Bible 1 needs some initial 'training' before it will search – but guidance is given on how to set this up.

Worthwhile investments

So between these three Bibles everything is provided and to a high standard. The current cost is $59.95 plus shipping and handling from the USA, but this is a very worthwhile investment. And it needn't stop there! Two other similar CD-ROMs are also available. One includes the earlier pictographic script from which it is believed modern Hebrew letters are derived, so these 'word pictures' can be compared with the Masoretic text. This is slightly cheaper at $49.95.

At the same price of $59.95 there is the latest offering: the entire New Testament text in Greek and a modern Hebrew translation, both with phonetic transliterations. In this fascinating new venture not only can you learn to read the Greek but you can also see what the same verses would be like in Hebrew – very informative when looking at the Hebraic background to the New Testament and seeking links with Old Testament words and passages.

Overall, there is much here to inform and instruct anyone for whom the original Biblical texts provide the keys to a greater understanding of God's word.

Edmund Heddle's series on prophecy continues, turning this week to visual ways in which God speaks.

According to Peter's words on the day of Pentecost, dreams and visions are two methods that God desires to use in communicating his prophetic word to man. He claimed that the pouring out of the Spirit that morning had fulfilled Joel's prophecy and had made possible the promise that "your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams" (Joel 2:28).

God had used both dreams and visions from the earliest days of the Bible story, though the number receiving such communications was few. Now, many more would be able to receive what God wanted to convey to them by means of dreams and visions, and they in turn could pass on the prophetic word to others. A study of the New Testament reveals that some of the most important decisions reached by the early church were made in response to God's visual direction, yet very many Christians still do not take seriously the place of dreams and visions in seeking to hear God's voice today.

God spoke in various ways

The first words of the letter to the Hebrews tell us that "in the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets...in many ways" (Heb 1:1). In defending Moses from the jealous criticism of Miriam and Aaron, God said: "When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses...with him I speak face-to-face, clearly and not in riddles..." (Num 12:6-8). God's normal way of speaking to his prophets was in dreams, visions and riddles (riddles, or 'dark speech', refer to God using language figuratively, as in a parable). Moses had a unique relationship with God, who spoke to him 'face to face' (Ex 33:11; Deut 34:10).

In the sad story of King Saul it is recorded, "When Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets" (1 Sam 28:6. Urim means 'lights' and its associated word thummim means 'perfections'. They were connected with the breastplate of the High Priest in some way so as to discover God's will, though no-one now knows how). It was in this desperate situation that Saul made the bad mistake of consulting a medium, and paid for it with his life. God spoke to Israel in differing ways. Many Christians limit the way they hear God to the scriptures or a chance word in a sermon, oblivious of the fact that God's word to us can be visual as well as verbal.

Scripture tells us that God has always spoken in visual as well as verbal ways.

God's word: verbal AND visual

It is significant to observe that the 'writing' (as distinct from 'oral') prophets of the Bible divide into one group of whom it is said that they 'saw' visions (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Nahum and Habakkuk), and a second group of whom it is said that 'the word' of the Lord came (Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi).¹ The heading of Micah's prophecy contains a reference to both vision and word. God reveals himself in pictures as well as in words.

A picture (so it is said) is worth a thousand words; but if lacking a word that is specific, a visual representation may remain vague. God uses both the verbal and the visual (eg in the Old Testament the Tabernacle and its ceremonies, and in the New Testament the parables and stories of Jesus). Alongside our stress on the word, we need in today's church to recover the important place of visual prophecy.

Alongside our stress on the written word of God, we need in today's church to recover the important place of visual prophecy.

Dreams and visions

If dreams and visions were removed from the Bible, a considerable amount of both Old and New Testaments would undoubtedly vanish. The significant difference between a dream and a vision is that the former occurs during sleep, the latter in full consciousness. The quickly changing images which God brings to our minds during sleep receive minimum conscious resistance, whereas with a vision some effort on our part is necessary to keep the pictures before us. Both dreams and visions pass quickly from the mind and it is desirable to follow the good example of Daniel and to write down what we have seen before it vanishes (Dan 7:1; Job 20:8).

It is pointed out that Peter was in a trance while he received the vision that resulted in the conversion of Cornelius and the opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles. A trance in the Biblical understanding of that word is a mental state into which God brings the person he is addressing so that the senses are partially or wholly suspended. It is not to be confused with an hypnotic or self-induced condition.

The difference between a dream and a vision is that the former occurs during sleep, whilst the latter occurs in full consciousness.

Did Jesus experience either dreams or visions? There is no record that he did, but his words in Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven", may be describing a vision he was seeing. As perfect man he may well have dreamt. We know that he knew perfectly what Moses knew but partially, for he really knew God face-to-face.

Analysis of Bible dreams and visions

In the Old Testament, eleven dreams are recorded, four for those within the covenant people (Jacob, Joseph, Solomon and Daniel) and seven outside (Abimelech, Laban, Pharaoh, his butler and his baker, a Midianite, and Nebuchadnezzar). In the Old Testament there are six visions, five within the covenant people (Abram, Jacob, Samuel, Nathan and Daniel) and one outside (Balaam).

In the New Testament, four dreams are recounted, two from within the covenant people (Joseph and Paul) and two outside (the wise men and Pilate's wife). There are seven visions recorded in the New Testament: six within the covenant people (Zechariah, Peter, John, Ananias, Paul and Stephen) and one who later was brought into the covenant people (Cornelius). There may well have been others, all depending on whether the phrase 'the Lord appeared' means that they had a vision. If so, then the names of Isaac, Gideon, Manoah's wife and Elisha will also need to be added.

Content of Bible dreams and visions

Dreams and visions recorded in Scripture may be grouped as follows:

1. God speaking, or an angel: The objective is to deliver a message, and apart from seeing the angel there is no other visual content.
2. A picture: The revelation is pictorial and conveys no words; a stairway, a flock of speckled goats, a sheaf of corn, some fat and lean cattle, and a loaf of barley bread. Those outside God's people needed an interpretation of the meaning of what they saw.
3. A revelation: The dreams of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, together with the visions of John on Patmos recorded in the Revelation, give an outline of God's purpose for the nations and his church.
4. Divine instructions: Telling people what God wants them to do, such as going back to one's native land, escaping to Egypt, calling at Judas' house or coming over to Macedonia.
5. Divine encouragement: Spoken to Abram when he was still childless; to Solomon letting him choose what he wanted; to Joseph when he discovered Mary's condition; and to Paul when he was tempted to be afraid.
6. Divine warning: Spoken to David through Nathan, to Eli's house through Samuel and to Pilate through his wife.

In studying the content of dreams and visions, it is also important to see that they were given at vital turning points in the history of God's people. For example, in the early history: Abraham's wife being kept undefiled by Abimelech, and Jacob fleeing from his brother and subsequently returning to the land. In the infancy of Jesus: Joseph being told not to divorce Mary, and later to flee to Egypt and to return to settle in Galilee.

In the early history of the Church: Peter being told to go to the house of Cornelius, Ananias being directed to the house of Judas to meet Saul and later Paul, to cross to take the gospel westwards to Europe. All these important decisions were consequent upon dreams or visions.

It is important to realise that dreams and visions crop up in Scripture at vital turning points in the history of God's people.

Dreams and visions in church history

When the last apostle died, there was no sudden end to the function of dreams and visions in the church as it continued to grow and develop. Church historians quote incidents showing that God continued in picture language to speak by dreams and visions to Polycarp, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine and Jerome.

Nearer our own times, John Newton, who was concerned about his condition before God, had a dream which made the way of salvation clear to him. Charles Finney in his autobiography recalls a number of visions he received. In the early days of the Pentecostal movement, William F P Burton, an engineer, went out to Africa to spread the gospel. He had regularly, in his room when he was praying about Africa, seen a vision of a sad native, with a yearning look and a white growth over one eye. At a later date he saw this very man sitting in one of their meetings listening to the message in Africa.

There is insufficient space here to tell of a tent full of angels (in the early days of the British Pentecostal movement), or of a church on fire and yet not being burnt down (in the Indonesian stories of Mel Tari); of the visions that have transformed the life and ministry of David du Plessis, and of Demos Shakarian who founded the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International; or of the thrice-repeated vision of fires burning all over Great Britain from Lands End to the top of Scotland, given to Jean Darnall and which found their fulfilment in the 1971 Festival of Light.

Finally, consider the Asian minister who was present at the Carmel Gathering in 1986 and had been given a vision of men asleep on the benches in their church whilst the women were standing with their arms uplifted, crying to God (click here for full details of the vision). He knew it showed the true situation in the church in Britain, but to whom should he deliver the content of his vision? The Lord answered his question by giving him a vision of the face of a woman, well-known to us but unknown to him. All he had to do was to wait at the foot of the stairs until the woman appeared whose face he had seen in the vision.

God's forgotten language

Someone coined dreams and visions as 'God's forgotten language', but we cannot afford to forget or neglect them. It would be foolish to become addicted to them, but every one who is seeking to discharge a prophetic ministry needs to present God's 'now' word visually as well as verbally. As Bruce Yocum puts it (Prophecy, p97): "Through visions God opens up to us his action and his plan in a new and powerful way; they have impact." They are also 'faith-building', and that is the purpose for which prophets are in business.

Offer your sub-conscious to God

Without the enabling of the Holy Spirit, no-one can function as a prophet and it is only as we yield our sub-conscious mind to be directed by the Spirit that we shall be able to give visual prophecy its proper place.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 3, No 4, July/August 1987.

References

1 The prophets Jonah and Daniel do not have the usual biographical introduction.

Clifford Denton begins a two-part study on what happened to Jews and Christians under the rule of Rome.

Every nation needs its own land. It is within its land that a nation establishes its particular way of life. Part of God's covenant with Israel was to give them the Land of Canaan. The people would be kept safe in this land providing that they followed the ways of God revealed through Moses. However, at their low times, Israel came under the rule of other nations.

This was the case at the time of Jesus and his first disciples: Rome ruled Israel. The climax of Roman occupation came with the fall of the Temple in AD 70. This coincided with the early days of the spread of the Gospel and so contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots.

People and Land

After the wilderness years following their deliverance from Egypt, the children of Israel finally inherited their own land. Under Joshua they took possession of the Land of Canaan and established the nation, first under the judges and then under the kings. This was in fulfillment of the covenant promise given to Abraham:

On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates --the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. (Gen 15:18-21)

The conditions that the Lord gave for Israel's ongoing possession of the Promised Land were made clear through Moses. It is important to remember the precise terms of this Covenant.

Blessings for obedience:Man tending grain, Israel.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (Deut 28:1-7)

Curses for disobedience:

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me...

The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth...

Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. (Deut 28:15-33)

These are not words to treat lightly. Christians should not stand in judgment over Israel, and use these words to support a persecution mentality towards Jews. It is in God's hands alone to work out his purposes according to the covenant that he made. He placed Israel at the centre of his covenant plan for the whole world. God's purposes are far higher, more complex and more loving than most of us realise, and so we must be careful how we read some of the harder scriptures, lest we misunderstand. Indeed, it is the role of those grafted into the Israel of God to comfort and pray for Israel the nation.

The covenant blessings and curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are not words to treat lightly, but Christians should also be careful to not stand in judgment over Israel.

Israel itself must understand her own destiny as a nation and be aware of the covenant conditions that God has made. It is not for us to interfere in some of the major issues between Israel and God, especially regarding judgment. Indeed, we have already noted how this is understood by some leaders and interpreters of Torah. For example, in Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living,¹ we read in the chapter entitled Serving the Creator:

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language (Hebrew), to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles. But God has promised the eternity of the Jewish people: "And yet for all that, though they be in the land of their enemies, will I not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, nor will I break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God." (Leviticus 26:44) And it is said: "For I, the Lord, I have not changed; and you, sons of Jacob, you have not ceased to be." (Malachi 3:6)

Go forth and search for the nations of old; where are they today? They have vanished! Not so the people of Israel who live on forever more. What is the secret of their survival? There is but one answer: The Torah! "And you who cleave unto the Lord your god, you are alive, everyone of you, to this day." (Deuteronomy 4:4) Our sages explained it this way: The children of Israel who clung to God, the Source of Life, have come to possess life everlasting.

If Israel would return to God in true repentance, then will He fulfill unto us His promise which He gave us through the prophets, His servants, to gather in the remaining exiles from the four corners of the earth, to restore us to the land of our inheritance, and bring us the Messiah who will rebuild the Temple and restore Divine Worship and the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.

These covenant issues are between Israel and God alone. Indeed, when God has brought enemies to rule over Israel these enemies are on their own path to God's judgment. This, for example, is what we understand from the prophet Daniel. Right up to the end times, the nations that come against Israel will eventually be judged by God. In Daniel 11:45-12:1, we read of the antichrist movement of the last days:

...he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

When God has brought enemies to rule over Israel, these enemies are also on their own path to God's judgment, and will eventually fall.

Historically, the nations of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome came against Israel. They are now no more, while Israel survives and goes on to the end time purposes of God. Those who come against Israel have already built up reasons for God's judgements on themselves.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream where he saw an image of a statue representing the world empires that would be used in Israel's history (see right). They would all disappear. The gold head represented Babylon, the silver upper body depicted the Medes and Persia, the bronze lower body stood for Greece and the iron legs were Rome (the feet of iron and clay represent the empire of last days).

It was into this context that Jesus, when Israel was under Roman rule, predicted the fall of the Temple and yet also, in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 12, spoke of the continued purposes of God for Israel outworked through suffering.

For Study and Prayer

• Study Deuteronomy 28, 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, Jeremiah 31:31-37, Romans 11. What is the relevance of these covenant principles to the fall of the Temple in 70 AD?
• How should this make us reflect on Britain's relationship with the nation of Israel?

Next time: The Fall of Israel under Rome (Part 2)

References

1 Edited by Avnere Tomaschoff, and sponsored by the World Conference of Jewish Organisations (1985)

So there's still some common sense among our Members of Parliament – and maybe even the remnants of Christian faith!

Victory for Common Sense

The widespread fears that many of the new MPs are unknown and may have secular humanist values have been dispelled this afternoon. The House of Commons has voted by a large majority to throw out the Private Members Bill put forward by Rob Marris, Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East.

The Vote

Voting was 118 in favour and 330 against which effectively kills the euthanasia debate for the rest of this Parliament. Sarah Wootton, the chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said it was an "outrage" that MPs had gone against the views of the majority of the public (which should surely be questioned!). No doubt those who have passionately campaigned for this Bill will try again at some time but for the moment it can go no farther.

A Voice for the Voiceless

Dr Peter Saunders, director of the 'Care Not Killing' campaign, celebrated the result saying the current law existed to protect the elderly, sick and vulnerable, especially "those who have no voice against exploitation and coercion".¹

Welcome Surprise

The result is surprising as it is a larger majority (212) than the last time the house voted on this issue nearly 20 years ago. It is a welcome victory against the relentless secularisation of the nation and the undermining of its centuries-old Christian heritage. The nation would indeed have crossed a rubicon if this Bill had been passed into law.

It would not only have caused many people who are sick and frail to feel pressured to end their lives to spare their carers, but it would have meant that the nation no longer has respect for human life which is the precious gift of the God of Creation and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It would have been a rejection of the whole of our biblical heritage and the belief system and values upon which this nation is founded. But it wasn't to be – a result for which we should be giving thanks to Almighty God!

References

1 BBC News, Assisted Dying Bill: MPs reject 'right to die' law, 11/09/15.

Clifford Hill considers the pros and cons of the refugee crisis.

We've got people drowning in their hundreds in the Mediterranean, trying to cross the sea to the overcrowded island of Lesbos; families dying of thirst in Serbian forests; children suffocating in lorries; thousands crowding into trains and buses or walking along highways in search of refuge – but what is Europe's response? According to Libby Purves in The Times, "razor wire and bickering over quotas" (02/09/15).

EU Leaders Unprepared

The migrant crisis continues to occupy centre stage in our daily news. EU officials in Brussels struggle to find some common ground in a policy to deal with what appears to be an unstoppable flow of migrants into Europe.

On 14 September EU ministers will hold an emergency meeting to try to work out an acceptable deal, although eastern European countries are expected to resist any attempt to enforce a quota system. The sheer numbers involved and the speed with which the crisis has gathered momentum over the summer months has caught EU leaders unprepared despite the warning signs being there for the past two or three years.

CompassionPeople organize aid in Erfurt, Germany. Jens Meyer/AP/PA Images

Several good things have emerged in the midst of the crisis; notably the compassion shown by countless individuals offering to open their homes to families escaping from war zones. It is not only in Britain where such compassion is being shown but in many other Western European nations too, such as Iceland where 10,000 families have announced willingness to take Syrian refugees into their homes.

Germany says they are willing to take 800,000 asylum seekers this year with Angela Merkel leading the way by saying that all Syrian refugees would be eligible for asylum in Germany. But Hungary and Austria have accused Berlin of increasing the chaos as human trafficking continues to pour thousands of migrants into the continent – an unknown mixture of genuine refugees, workers seeking a better living and possibly jihadists seeking opportunities of destruction.

Several good things have come out of the crisis – notably the compassion being shown by countless individuals across Europe in welcoming the refugees. But with the compassion is considerable fear and uncertainty.

HamburgFinding a Solution

It is this unknown mixture that causes fear and uncertainty in dealing with such large numbers. Britain has said that we will take 20,000 refugees from Syria while arguing that the major effort to deal with the situation should be to pour resources into the area immediately surrounding the war zone and to seek a United Nations policy on finding a solution to the civil war in Syria and defeating the Islamic State.

This is arguably the only way to defeat the people traffickers who exploit the plight of those fleeing the conflict and are stoking a never-ending flow into Europe. It is also the most sensible solution for the refugees themselves to remain in a largely Arabic culture rather than try to adjust to an alien Western environment. For those who do come to Europe there needs to be a radical change from the policy we have followed in Britain for the past 50 years in giving migrants no assistance in settling into a new environment.

Acculturating New Arrivals

If we had followed America's example in acculturating new arrivals we would not have the problems we have today in some of our cities where immigrants have formed close-knit communities with no attempt to integrate into British society and no love for their adopted country. With the new arrivals from Syria, even if they come from Christian communities, we should insist that they attend induction classes where they learn the history of Britain and the basis of our legal and cultural heritage.

For Muslims it is even more necessary that they should understand the elements of Christianity that are interwoven into our culture and social structure. We have neglected this at our cost and if we allow large numbers to swell the Muslim population in Britain without any understanding of our Christian heritage we will do so at our peril. We will be creating a community of disaffected young men alienated from British society - with all the dangerous potential this brings.

If we allow large numbers to swell the Muslim population in Britain without any understanding of our Christian heritage, we will do so at our peril.

Biblical Principles

There are good biblical principles to support a policy of teaching our culture and heritage to newcomers. When Israel entered the Promised Land they were instructed to show compassion and care for the aliens among them, but they were strictly warned against being influenced by their gods:

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. (Deut 10:18-19)

In the Promised Land, Israel was instructed to show compassion and care to foreigners, but warned against being influenced by their gods.

Christians need to take seriously the words of Jesus that there is no other way to the Father except through him (John 14:6), which gives us an obligation to share the Truth with others. We have already made huge mistakes in our immigration policy by neglecting to share our faith with those we have allowed to settle in our country. We need to make sure that we don't continue to make that mistake with this new group of immigrants. Where there is a serious attempt to do this as in the City of Leicester, through a combined churches outreach, it is making a remarkable difference to community relationships.

As the season known in Jewish tradition as the 'High Holy Days' begins, Helen Belton looks at the meaning and significance of Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year) or the Feast of Trumpets.

This Sunday night, Jewish people around the world will gather in synagogues and homes to celebrate the eve of the Jewish New Year with prayers, songs and food - particularly sweet food (typically apples and honey), symbolising the desire for a sweet year ahead. People greet each other with "Shanah Tovah!" or 'Good Year!'

This festival is known in the Bible as the 'Feast of Trumpets', but how did it also become known as Jewish New Year? In the Bible the instructions about this festival are sparse.
Leviticus 23:23-25:

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.'"

Numbers 29:1-6:

On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, offer a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.

Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are food offerings presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma...

Is New Year in the Bible?

No mention of New Year, so how did the association come about? Biblically, New Year is at Passover. Exodus 12:2: "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." It is a more obvious choice, as it marks the redemption from Egypt.

However, in rabbinic tradition the first of the month of Tishri, the day of the Feast of Trumpets, came to be known as Rosh HaShanah, literally 'Head of the Year' ('Rosh' is Hebrew for head, 'ha' is the definite article, and 'shanah' means year). This may have arisen because Exodus 23:26 and Exodus 34:22 describe the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Ingathering, i.e. of the harvest) which takes place 15 days later as occurring at the end (or turn) of the year, signifying the close of the agricultural year and the beginning of the next.¹ Ezekiel 40:1 also speaks of the time of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, which follows 10 days after Rosh HaShanah) as being at the beginning of the year. Also, Ezra read the Torah (the Law of Moses) before Israel on Tishri 1 in Jerusalem (Neh 7:73-8:9).²

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote in the first century: "Moses...appointed Nisan [the month of Passover]...as the first month for the festivals...the commencement of the year for everything relating to divine worship, but for selling and buying and other ordinary affairs he preserved the ancient order [i.e. the year beginning with Tishri]" (Antiquities 1.81).³

In rabbinic tradition, the 1st of the month of Tishri became the first day of the new year for all ordinary affairs, perhaps because of its proximity to the turn of the agricultural year.

Day of Judgement

In Jewish tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at Rosh HaShanah and closed on Yom Kippur. In between are Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah). By the end of Yom Kippur, one hopes to be inscribed in God's Book of Life.

Rosh HaShanah is also known as 'Yom HaDin', or 'Day of Judgement'. We are called before the heavenly Judge to give account for the deeds of the preceding year and to be weighed in the balance. Abraham Chill writes:

Satan stands there to indict him. Armed with accusations, incriminations and denunciations he charges that this person is incorrigible and irredeemable; he sins continually; she brazenly defines the word of God – in short, this man or woman deserves to die.

In order to negate the accusations of the enemy, preparation for Rosh HaShanah begins early.

On the first day of the month of Elul (which began this year at sundown on 14 August), prayers of repentance, known as selichot, are said. A custom that has grown up in the last 200 years is to read Psalm 27 every day during the month of Elul, with its emphasis on the light and salvation of the Lord, the plea that the Lord would not hide his face in anger, or reject or forsake, and the final command to "Wait for the Lord". There is also a custom of saying repentance prayers (known as tashlich, meaning casting) at a body of water, to reflecting Micah 7:19, "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Blowing the Shofar

The daily blowing of the shofar or ram's horn begins at Rosh HaShanah, a sound which heralds the period known as the High Holy Days or the 'Days of Awe' (Yamim Noraim).
The sound of the shofar is the rallying call to repentance (Heb. teshuvah, literally return). Psalm 89:15 states: "Blessed is the people that knows the joyful sound". In Hebrew, "joyful sound" is teruah, the sound of the ram's horn, and so the Feast of Trumpets is known as Yom Teruah. Teruah means a massive shout, either by a crowd or by a ram's horn, the kind of shout that caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down (Josh 6:20).

Teruah is a form of prayer that appears several times in the Psalms: "All you people clap your hands, raise a joyous shout (teruah) to God" (Psa 47:2). During their travels in the desert, the sound of the shofar alerted the people of Israel when it was time to move on. Both meanings of teruah, a joyous shout of supplication and the sounding of the shofar, unite in Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets).

The daily blowing of the shofar is intended to rally people to repentance and is said to herald God's judgment and victory.

There is an imperative to this sound: it is awe-inspiring and can make us tremble. When God gave the Torah at Mount Sinai, the shofar sounded: "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled" (Ex 19:16).

A call to repentance

The sound of the shofar commands repentance. It is an opportunity we spurn at our peril. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion" says Psalm 81 (also Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3:15). The "rebellion" refers to the incident where Moses struck the rock and water came out after the Israelites complained about lack of water. It became synonymous with the people of Israel testing their God. The correct order is established at Rosh HaShanah: God tests his people. We must be soft-hearted and repentantly open to God's testing, rather than hard-hearted, querulous and stubborn:

"He [Moses] named the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarrelling] because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?'" (Ex 17:7).

Psalm 81 speaks of God's frustration with his people's intransigence: "If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways...with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." This is a symbol of the sweet presence of God in our lives which is only available through Messiah: 1 Corinthians 10:4 says that the spiritual rock that accompanied the Israelites in the desert was Messiah. The passage also warns that they all went through the same experiences in the desert but many of them perished and only some were saved. It is a stark and timeless warning that not all who journey with us and receive the same blessings will ultimately respond to God's voice.
Rosh HaShanah establishes that we do not test God, but God tests his people.

Challah bread shaped for Rosh HaShanah.At Rosh HaShanah, Sabbath bread (challah) is dipped into honey, which symbolises the hope for a sweet new year in harmony with God and man. Challah is plaited for the Sabbath but at Rosh HaShanah it is curled into a circle. By tradition, Rosh HaShanah is the anniversary of creation and so on that day we declare that the Lord is King of the world - the round or crown shape of the bread is a reminder of that.

A Day of Remembrance

Rosh HaShanah is known in Jewish liturgy as a 'Day of Remembrance' (Yom Hazikaron). It is a day to remember the binding (akedah in Hebrew) of Isaac, that mysterious story which baffles and amazes in Genesis 22, which is read in synagogues on the second day of Rosh HaShanah. Also read is the story of Hagar and Ishmael being sent away into the desert (Gen 21). Other readings are 1 Samuel 1:1-2:20, where Hannah dedicates her precious son Samuel to the Lord, with its echo of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and Jeremiah 31:1-19 with its message of redemption from exile. Sacrifice, testing, dedication and redemption are the themes.

At Rosh HaShanah, God is measuring our deeds in the light of eternity, remembering those which are laudable, which then become part of God, so to speak, as they are part of the divine memory. God chooses to forget the misdeeds of which we have repented, so that they are not carried into eternity.

At Rosh HaShanah, Sabbath 'challah' bread is dipped in honey symoblising hope for a sweet new year in harmony with God and man.

1 Corinthians 3:13 speaks of those whose deeds that are not built on the foundation of Messiah:

"their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day [Day of Judgement] will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work."

The Book of Life

By the end of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), 10 days after Rosh HaShanah, rabbinic teaching says that judgement for that year is sealed and the books of life and death are closed: one hopes to be inscribed in the Book of Life rather than the Book of Death. Repentance towards God and man and good deeds in the run up to Rosh HaShanah are hoped to outweigh the bad deeds of the year so that one may continue to live, but there is no assurance of acceptance.

It is only in Messiah that we have the certain hope of redemption. As we come into his light our deeds are exposed and we see that even those we hoped were righteous are "filthy rags" (Isa 64:6).

Ephesians 5:8-16 promises that in Messiah we escape darkness (and the futility of trusting in our good deeds to win favour with God) and we come into the light of the Lord. Let us open our ears to the trumpet or shofar blast calling us to repentance, reminding us of the ram that replaced Isaac as sacrifice and let us pray that more and more Jewish people will awaken to the true meaning of the Akedah, that it is Messiah who is our sacrifice, who is calling us to repentance in the blowing of the ram's horn. We echo the prophetic cry:

"Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Messiah will shine on you."

Those who awaken from spiritual slumber may look forward to the final trumpet or shofar call of God, in fulfilment of the promised redemption. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 reminds us of that glorious hope:

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Those who awaken from spiritual slumber may look forward to the final trumpet or shofar call of God, in fulfilment of the promised redemption.

Similarly 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 is associated with the Festival of Trumpets:

According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first.

Let us pray this Rosh HaShanah for every Jewish soul to be inscribed in God's Book of Life in line with the apostle John's vision in Revelation 20:12, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."

Recent discussions about the so-called 'blood moons' phenomenon deserve to be weighed carefully. We are publishing two articles for your prayerful consideration and feedback.

There has been much said recently about the prophetic significance of a series of blood red moons and whether this is a fulfilment of biblical prophecy or early signs that will eventually culminate in greater and more pronounced fulfilment. At Prophecy Today, we are cautious about predicting dates but certainly alert to the signs of the times. Our 'Comment' articles are designed to provide help in interpreting these signs and our 'Study' section is an aid for our readers to grow in biblical knowledge and discernment.

Our Board has noted the widespread interest in the so-called 'blood moons' and has traced it back to publications in the USA from Mark Biltz and John Hagee. There have been some responses from the scientific community to these, which indicate that we must be cautious about overstating the case. We are, therefore, still assessing our position.

In the light of this, we are publishing two articles: the first written by one of our Board members and the second by a regular contributor to the ministry of Prophecy Today UK. Our purpose is to offer these as discussion papers for you to consider. Any feedback you are prompted to send us will be welcome.

THE TIMING OF THE SH'MITTAH YEAR

Greg Stevenson

It was midnight on 4 September 2010, in South Island NZ.

Like any city in the hours before dawn, this city was outwardly quiet and asleep. But some families couldn't sleep because their normally quiet dogs continually barked, asking to be let out and then in again. In the countryside, a farmer bringing his herd in for milking stared in disbelief when all 500 cows suddenly sat down. Another farmer went to let his agitated dog out at about 4am and suddenly birds began to chirp, the neighbour's pigs started to squeal and his own cows began to bellow. Then, just as suddenly, all went quiet. Something odd was happening. At 4:35am a terrifying 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck, about 40km west of Christchurch. 4 September 2010 will be remembered.

No-one knows exactly what animals sense at such times, but the Creator has placed in them an awareness of his mighty power of which we know nothing. Migratory birds obey their God-given instincts but man refuses to obey God's laws (Jer 8:7). He has warned us clearly in his word of the consequences of such actions. Indeed, judgment is coming upon this sinful world, for Paul reminds us that God has appointed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31).

Signs and patterns

God speaks to us in many ways – through his word, through his creation, through dreams or visions, through some traumatic event, or directly by his Spirit. He also calls out to us through the warning system he has given us - our conscience (personal or national), so we know when we should turn back to him.

But to societies and nations that rebel against him, he warns them with judgment, and we can see clear examples of this in the world today. In his patience to bring man to repentance, one way he speaks is through repetitive patterns that help us to recognise his voice. A series of warnings include his use of cycles of 7, notably Shabbat, the 7^th day, Sh'mittah, the 7^th year, and Jubilee, the 50^th year (the year after 7x7 years). Seven is the number of completion, perfection, or fullness, and God's prophetic calendar is based on this number. Seven is found in so much of his creation - one might say it is God's own number.

Times of rest

Every 7^th day is called Shabbat. The word simply means rest; it's a time of rest for all mankind. But Exodus 16:23 also tells us it is "a holy Sabbath to the Lord". It is a God-ordained day for man to follow to reflect his Maker's pattern, a day to make a dwelling-place for God each week, a place he so desires.

Likewise, every 7^th year was to be a year of rest, a Sh'mittah year. This word means to release, from the Hebrew root shamat, meaning to let fall, or fling down. Every 7^th year the land was to be released from the work of producing food, and lie fallow for a whole year. It is called "the Lord's release" (Ex 23:11, Lev 25:2-7, Deut 15:1-7).

The Sh'mittah year

The Sh'mittah year had two principal functions:

1. From the start of the year, the land was to rest, to reflect its Maker's pattern and to enjoy its Sabbaths – this year is "a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord" (Lev 25:2-7).
2. By the end of the year, the people were to obey God's command to remit or release debts (to let them fall, Deut 25:2-3), thus eliminating a polarity of wealth and preventing poverty.

Failure to keep the Sh'mittah year had serious consequences (Lev 36:33-35; 2 Chron. 36:21; Jer 25:11-2, 29:10; Dan 9:2): exile in Babylon for 70 years, to cover the 70 Sh'mittah years that had not been kept (490 years) between 1006-516 BC.

After 7 Sh'mittah years the shofar is sounded and a Jubilee is proclaimed, on Yom Kippur in the 50^th year, when every man returned to his possessions and to his family. We can see here God's choice of cycles of seven.

So why are Sh'mittah years so important?

Here are 7 possible reasons:

1. They bear witness that the land belongs to God, and is entrusted to human beings as stewards (Lev 25:23). We are indebted to God for all we have; our possessions, money, and the produce of our work, whether it's from the land, or from our creative skills - ultimately they all belong to God. Sh'mittah releases our hold on his land, acknowledging his ownership of it and allowing it to rest according to his command.
2. They declare that God is to be put first in all things. Since all blessings come from him, our success is related to our response to his calling on our lives. Secular humanism demands that the earth belongs to, and can be controlled by, humans. Sh'mittah is thus a gift – an opportunity to turn away from secular and worldly values and recognise his provision.
3. They end financial imbalances, the polarity of wealth, financial error and greed, and require the return of essential items for individual survival of each and every family. Sh'mittah requires people to release attachment to material possessions, including land, and it breaks the bonds of dependence on the accumulation of wealth and the love of money.
4. They emphasise a basic flaw in human nature, which separates the blessings of life from the Giver of the blessings. In rejecting God from our lives, blessings are sought through physical things – materialism, wealth, success, knowledge, health - which become idols to replace God. This further reduces spiritual growth, a path which ultimately removes the blessings that come from him. Sh'mittah offers a return to God's blessings.
5. They are an act of obedience, demonstrating our humility and dependence on our Creator. Our self-nature is released, our pride is dealt with, and we can learn to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Mic 6:8). Sh'mittah gives an opportunity to reflect and represent our Maker to others and to find our security only in him.
6. They are a mirror to Shabbat, a complete year of rest: to release and to be released, to lay down burdens and re-structure our lives. It is a mo'ed, an appointed time to refocus upon God, to make a dwelling-place for him and be refreshed. Sh'mittah, like Shabbat, is intended to be a blessing – restoration, forgiveness, remission, release, refreshment, re-focus and abiding in him.
7. In people, or nations, obedient to this law, the keeping of Sh'mittah in ways that are God-led, is both an act of faith in, and an act of worship to the living God.

The Sh'mittah year as judgment

Only Israel was commanded to observe the Sh'mittah year, but as they moved away from God, he used this year as a sign of warning and as judgment, in both the North and the South Kingdoms, to turn them back to him. This applies to Israel as his covenant people. But as a prophetic sign it may clearly apply to any nation, especially those he has historically blessed and equipped for spreading the gospel. God speaks clearly through Jeremiah (18:7-8):

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

The Sh'mittah year may become an instrument of judgment upon nations that do not respond to the warnings God gives them. The sins of ancient Israel have been repeated by modern nations, so we should not be surprised to find God expressing correction in a similar way today to turn nations back to him. Yet this can also bring blessing, if people heed the warnings and turn back to God, as Israel did through their exile in Babylon. By following God's word through Ezekiel, they increased in number and wealth, and idolatry was no more found among them after their return to the Promised Land.

Two examples: America and Britain

America was founded on biblical principles, based upon Israel, and consecrated to God on 30 April 1789 by its first President, George Washington. In his inaugural address, he gave a prophetic message: "The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself hath ordained".

However, from early times leaders in America have set themselves against the Lord and against his Anointed, breaking the restraining bands of God's laws and casting off the cords of his love. Over the past 50 years, there have been major economic and financial catastrophes following a 7-year cycle, with each fall occurring at the end of the Sh'mittah years (see Table 1). These have become more severe as God has increased the shaking world-wide since 1986. Warnings and opportunities to turn back to God have been largely missed, or responses have been short-lived.

Psalm 2 tells us that if nations rebel against the Lord, with no response to his warnings, he will judge them (Heb. bahal, terrify, cause to tremble). Even after the climatic storms that the Lord has brought upon America since 1965, and increasingly now upon the UK as well, neither nation has learned this lesson. Both have forgotten God's hand of blessing of power and wealth, as both nations took his message of salvation to the world. It is good to remember God's caution at times like this: "You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth..." (Deut 8:17-18).

Like the people of Ephraim and Samaria in ancient Israel, after 9/11 America, instead of seeking God in humility asking why such a terrible disaster had occurred, defiantly declared: "the bricks have fallen down but we will build with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled but we will replace them with cedars." Sadly, this verse was originally a statement of Israel's rebellion against God which America's political leaders misunderstood. This was the Lord's response: "But the people have not returned to him who struck them...Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray." (Isa 9:9-16).

This year there have been two tectonic events in which the UK and the USA have crossed a line.

1. 31 March - in the UK the same-sex 'marriage' Bill became law.
2. 26 June - in the USA also, the Supreme Court (by a 5/4 majority of 9 lawyers) legalised same-sex 'marriage' in all US states.

These culture-changing events will affect not just marriage, but the nations and, not least, the church. The church's response in both nations has been largely silent, or accepting, but recall Philip Wren's prophetic voice that if legalised in the UK, gay marriage will be a rod of correction on a disobedient church.

Sh'mittah 2014/15

Sh'mittah years end on the 29^th of the last month Elul, the day before Rosh Hashanah (1^st Tishrei, or Jewish New Year). This year, the 29 Elul falls on 13 September and is marked by a solar eclipse, the fifth of six signs in the heavens in the past two years, which God has given to get our attention.

If God continues the pattern he has used to turn nations back to him, we may see a major judgment in the months after 29 Elul/13 September 2015 in both the USA and the UK. Many media comments this year have anticipated a stock market crash in late 2015, and world markets are increasingly fragile. When the Chinese yuan was devalued (>3%) last month, there were widespread losses on stock exchanges throughout Asia and Europe.

We remember the so-called 'Flash Crash' in 2010 when Wall Street fell 600 points in just 5 minutes, losing $1Tn. This year, the UK FTSE 100 share index has hit a record high, a feature also seen prior to crashes in 1987 and 2007-8 (note also that the last trading day to remit debts will be Friday 11 September 2015, before Shabbat begins at sunset. This is also the day of the debate in the House of Commons on the evil Assisted Dying Bill).

However, the dates of this shaking are less important than the purpose. The tetrad of total lunar eclipses at Pesach and Sukkot, in 2014/2015 and ending in this Sh'mittah season, is one sign that God is using to call out to the nations (and to Israel) to turn and repent, to restore a right relationship with the Lord, and with families, neighbours, friends and enemies. Beloved, the time is short. Now is the day of salvation. The Lord says to us, as he said to Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"

Understand the message

In Luke 12:56, Yeshua expressed amazement at the people's hypocrisy: "You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?" And in response to questions about those who had been killed in accidents (v4), or by evil men (v1), Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you too will all perish." Do you think he might be saying this to us today also? Do we discern the time rightly? This should be a major focus for small house groups and for larger churches in the coming weeks. Many churches offer little or no biblical teaching on understanding the times in which we are living.

We need to know and proclaim the place of safety for these days. The Hebrew word for safety is Yeshua. In his talk with Nicodemus on the need to be born again of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said "Truly, truly, except a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3). When Jesus says "Truly, truly", he means it - for he is The Truth (John 14:6). No discussion, no argument, no relative excuses. By contrast, after the Supreme Court decision in June, Obama declared: "This ruling is a victory for America. When all Americans are treated equal we are all more free" (Washington Post, 26 June 2015). However, it is not equality that sets us free, but The Truth (John 8:32).

These days are the days of Elijah, to be the voice that declares God's word. These are the days of Ezekiel, to be labourers in his harvest. These are the days that Isaiah saw, when he said, "See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples." See – it is a call to watch, to take heed, to be aware of what God is doing in the world; how he is intervening in the earth, and to be watchmen for our nation. There are very dark clouds gathering over the nations, which are in distress and perplexed (Luke 21:25).

Our response

"And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matt 24:14).

God is calling us to take note of his warnings, to be lights in dark places, boldly to share our testimonies of his goodness and to be sons of Issachar, who know the signs of the times and how they apply to both Israel and the nations.

We need to understand what the Lord is saying, and pray that the great shaking of the nations that is happening in our lifetime will produce the fullness of God's purpose. We must also pray for the true church, Jew and Gentile, to rise up and fulfil its calling. We must be careful not to pray for God to stop the shaking (Hag 2, Heb 12), or to stop bringing evil into the light, in case we put ourselves against God. It is God who forms the light and creates darkness.

We should have Israel, and America and Britain, in our prayers: praying for greater trust and faith in God who is the only one who can give peace and security to the nations through Jesus our Messiah, the One who died that we might live, and who rose again to give us life.

Kumi ori ki va orech, u'khvod Adonai alaich zarach.
Arise shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
(Isa 60:1)

This is for Israel, of course, but also for believers in the Gentile nations who are grafted in among them.

Table 1: some dates and events for Bible study, prayer and discussion.

Notes on Table 1

This table relates major events in the USA and Israel to the end of Sh'mittah years, especially the 29 Elul. It also shows the 7- and 28-year cycles.

* = occurred in a Sh'mittah year.

Patterns of note:

• 28-year interval between the US victory after WII and their defeat after Vietnam;
• 28-year intervals between the conception, completion, and destruction of the World Trade Centre (WTC) towers;
• 7-year interval between physical shaking in Sept 2001 (9/11) and financial shaking in Sept 2008;
• significance of 29 Elul -
  • 7 Sept 1945: Victory Parade of the Allies
  • 19 Oct 1987: Black Monday stock crash, leading to $500bn loss.
  • 29 Elul was on 23 Sept 1987, or Black Monday
  • 17 Sept 2001 9/17, Stock market crash, stock down 37%
  • 29 Sept 2008 Greatest stock market point crash (777 points), stock down 56%, exactly 7 years after the 9/17 crash
  • Prospectively, 13 Sept 2015 - 7 years after the 2008 crash; now 28 years after Black Monday 1987.
• significance of Solar Eclipses:
  • 23 Sept 1987: just ahead of Black Monday
  • 10 May 2013: completion of the One WTC
  • 20 Mar 2015: erev 1 Nisan – the very middle day of the Sh'mittah year 5775. A total eclipse.
  • 28 Sept 2015: 15 Tishri, start of Sukkot.

A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE

By Charles Gardner

There is a season for everything under heaven, according to the wisdom of Solomon. And I'm specifically thinking of his dictum that there's "a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecc 3:4).

Black clouds of impending doom are swooping down upon us all, and especially on God's ancient people, but the rainbow of ultimate peace also lies ahead, and we should not be too down-hearted.

On September 14 there will be much rejoicing as Jews everywhere celebrate their New Year in a month set to witness some quite extraordinary, even alarming, events connected with the future of Israel. I will look at these in a moment.

A time of mourning

We have just marked a time of mourning for Israel – a date known as the 9^th of Av in the Jewish calendar (25 July this year) which brings back bad memories of a past which has seen so many attempts to annihilate the Jewish nation.

It was on this date that the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. And it was on the very same day 656 years later – in 70 AD – that the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. The Jews subsequently rebelled against their occupiers, but were brutally butchered in 133 AD – again on the 9^th of Av – after which they were dispersed to all four corners of the earth.

This included England, from which they were expelled in 1290 AD – on the 9^th of Av. Then in 1492 they were expelled from Spain and given four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country, the deadline for which was the 9^th of Av.

Then came World War II and the Holocaust, said by historians to have been the long drawn-out conclusion of World War I, which broke out on the 9^th of Av. And, it is said, the first gas chambers were put into use on the very same day of the year!

Understandably, the Jewish people have much to mourn. And our duty as Christians, grafted into the olive tree of God's chosen people (Rom 11:11-24), is to love them, stand with them and pray for them.

September 2015: a significant month?

A series of significant events are scheduled for September, starting perhaps with the New Year celebrations. The Pope will be visiting the White House to meet with the President on the holiest day of the Jewish Year (Yom Kippur, 23 September 23). And a super-sized blood-red moon will shine over Jerusalem on 28 September during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This will be the last of four successive 'blood moons' (known as a 'tetrad') to coincide with the main Jewish feasts of Passover and Sukkot in 2014 and 2015, a rare occurrence last witnessed in 1967 when, as a result of the Six-Day War, the Old City of Jerusalem came under Israeli control for the first time in 2,000 years.

In addition, the United Nations are said to be planning to declare a Palestinian state without Israel's consent or input and there is also, of course, the ongoing threat of Hamas and Hezbollah along with that of a potentially nuclear-armed Iran whose leaders have made no bones about their intention to "wipe Israel off the map". The recent deal negotiated with the big powers is, at best, only putting off the evil day rather than neutralising a dangerous rogue state.

In the light of this, an 800-year-old rabbinic commentary is most revealing. Known to the Jewish world as the Yalkut Shimoni, its translation by Rabbi Nachman Kahana includes this specific portion:

Paras (Persia-Iran) will be the dread of humanity. The world's leaders will be frustrated in their futile efforts to save what they can, but to no avail. The people of Yisrael will also be petrified by the impending danger. And HaShem (the Lord) will say to us, 'Why are you afraid? All of this I have done in order to bring you the awaited redemption. And this redemption will not be like the redemption from Egypt, which was followed by suffering. This redemption will be absolute, followed by peace.

The Messiah's return

Various Jewish rabbis are now sensing that their Messiah is soon to come. The day is surely not far off when beleaguered Israel will recognize the One who has loved them with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3) and who is destined to reign from Jerusalem for a thousand years of perfect peace (Rev 20:4).

Jesus told his disciples that his coming would follow an unprecedented period of distress after which "the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light" (Matt 24:29. Interestingly, a total solar eclipse occurred in the midst of the current tetrad of blood moons).

"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory," he said. (Mark 13:24-26)

Come, Lord Jesus!

I am indebted for much background to David Soakell of Christian Friends of Israel and to Kolyah, a correspondent in the know who wishes to keep a low profile for security reasons.