A personal statement from the Editor-in-Chief.

So many people have contacted me since last week’s Editorial that I feel I must make a statement to clarify what I was saying. It wasn’t really anything very new, because in Issachar Ministries we have been teaching along these lines for some time.

We have always tried to teach the necessity of understanding what God is doing so that we can pray in line with his will. It’s no good praying “Peace! Peace!” if the Lord is saying “There is no peace”. And it’s no good praying shalom upon the nation if the Lord is saying, “I am shaking the nation”!

We have to say, “Lord, help us to understand why you are shaking the nation so that we can pray for your shaking to be effective, so that you may work out your purposes in the nation.” This is the right way to intercede, even though it may be uncomfortable for us.

Living in Babylon

Issachar Ministries has long been teaching that for many decades Britain has been defying God by passing ungodly laws – and that as a nation we crossed a red line when our Parliament passed the Same-Sex Marriage Act in 2013. This was a direct act of defiance of the God of Creation – the God of the Bible and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Parliament immediately put the nation outside the protecting cover of God. Judgment began immediately upon those most responsible for this heinous Act. Maria Miller, the Minister responsible for the Act lost her job within weeks. David Cameron was spared only long enough to offer the Referendum on the EU to the nation. Then judgment fell upon him that ended his political career.

We have always tried to teach the necessity of understanding what God is doing so that we can pray in line with his will.

Since 2013 mature Christians have been praying for mercy in the midst of judgment. The Referendum was a specific target for believing prayer which, as an act of mercy, God answered positively, giving us the opportunity to sever connection with the demonic institution that the EU has become. But Brexit can only succeed if there is sufficient Godly repentance in the nation to allow God to act in mercy.

Since 2013 the faithful remnant of the Lord’s people in Britain have been ‘in Babylon’ – much as the faithful remnant of Israel were sent to Babylon in 598 BC and when Jeremiah heard of their misery (as per Psalm 137) he sent them his famous letter (Jeremiah 29) telling them to settle down as God had got good plans for them.

The faithful remnant in Britain today are in a similar position: not physically separated, but culturally and spiritually separated from the nation. We are living by a different set of values – kingdom values, not the politically correct, secular values of the nation.

Defiance in the Church

The new thing for me was last month when the Archbishop of York refused to accept an amendment that would have committed the CofE to biblically-based evangelism.

Specifically, an amendment was suggested by Andrea Williams recognising the importance of Scripture in informing and directing how the Church engages with the nation, which the Archbishop of York (with nodding agreement from the Archbishop of Canterbury) urged the rest of the Synod to resist, saying “If you’re going to serve the whole community please don’t limit our language…The Word became flesh and sadly we are now making it Word, Word and Word again. Resist the amendments.” He was clearly committing the Church to conform to the political correctness of secular society.

Since 2013 the faithful remnant of the Lord’s people in Britain have been ‘in Babylon’ – culturally and spiritually separated from the nation.

The same Synod agreed to compose a service to recognise and celebrate the new identity of transsexuals, which is surely an offence against the God of Creation. Putting these two things together I sensed that the CofE had now passed a red line in much the same way as the nation did in 2013. It was at that point that I felt the Lord saying to me the time had come to share with other believers what we have already been teaching about the nation in small groups of intercessors around the country who were seeking to pray in line with the will of God.

I first checked this with our trustees at our retreat last month and they encouraged me to share it with the prayer partners who would be with us the following day. I did this and there was a very positive response – people were even saying that they felt a sense of relief as they had been hearing something similar for some time.

Once I had done this I knew that word would go round rapidly, so then planned to say something in Prophecy Today UK, which I did last week. I believe that our state Church has stepped over a red line. There is a faithful, believing remnant in every church, but in many cases they are as much ‘in Babylon’ in their church as they are in the nation.

Babylon in the Churches

This is the new thing: the faithful remnant is having to learn to live victoriously in Babylon in the institutional churches as well as in the secular nation! Of course, God’s judgment will never come upon the faithful believing Church that is the Body of Christ – but we may well see judgment come upon the unfaithful institutions that are called churches! The Church of England may only be held together so long as our present Queen is head of state. After that – who knows what will happen?

The faithful remnant is having to learn to live victoriously in Babylon in the institutional churches – as well as in the secular nation!

I can no longer pray God’s shalom upon the institutional churches any more than I can pray peace and prosperity upon our secular humanist state – I can only ask for mercy and pray for the faithful remnant to be preserved as the shaking intensifies.

However, that does not mean I intend to stop praying – for there is much I can pray for – and much we can all pray for! Each of us has the freedom in this to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit about how to pray in line with the will of God.

Personally, I pray that truth will be preserved and that the day will come when eyes that are blinded by secular humanism will be opened; and ears that are deafened by fake news and Darwinian lies will be unstopped; and that God will preserve his faithful remnant until the day that a harvest for the Kingdom may be reaped, in a time of his choosing. I probably won’t see the harvest in my lifetime but I have great hope that there will be a harvest for the Kingdom in the lifetime of my grandchildren!

A word from Dr Clifford Hill.

For several weeks, in my prayer times, I have been hearing something I did not want to hear. The weekend before last, at a team retreat with Issachar Ministries trustees and the Editorial Board of Prophecy Today, I shared with them the message that I’m hearing – “stop praying for the nation”.

This sounds outrageous, but before you pick up stones to throw at me, please join me in a little Bible study. The Prophet Jeremiah spent 40 years of his life bringing God-inspired warnings to the people of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah. He pleaded with them to repent of their idolatry, injustice, oppression, violence and immorality; all of which are detailed in his famous ‘Temple Sermon’ in chapter 7.

He constantly pleaded with God on behalf of the nation for mercy and for God’s continuing protection, even though he knew the people to be unworthy of the Lord’s blessings.

But there came a point where God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation as he would no longer listen to his pleas. His Temple Sermon concluded with a striking passage:

Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”…?

Jeremiah then almost exploded,

Safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.

This was followed by the Lord’s declaration, “I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.” This was followed by a direct command to Jeremiah, “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you” (Jer 7:16).

Jeremiah constantly pleaded with God for mercy on behalf of the nation, but there came a point where God told him to stop praying.

Repeated Warnings Ignored

Three times Jeremiah was given the same instruction, to cease praying for the nation. The other two times are in 11:14 and 14:11. The latter enables us to understand just what God was saying. It says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.’”

You notice that God did not say that he would not listen if they repented, but that he was no longer interested in their ritual religious offerings while they continued all their idolatrous practices and showed no trust in him. This is very similar to what Isaiah had said some 200 years earlier:

The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me? Says the Lord. I have had more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals…When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. (Isa 1:11, 15)

God had been calling for repentance for 40 years and his words, through Jeremiah, had been ignored. The corruption in the nation had now reached the point where the people were being driven by evil forces that made them blind to the danger facing them and deaf to the warnings they were given.

After giving his Temple Sermon, God said to Jeremiah, “When you tell them all this they will not listen to you; when you call to them they will not answer. Therefore, say to them, this is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips” (Jer 7:27).

Disaster Inevitable

I believe this is the situation we have reached in Britain – not only in the nation where our politicians are squabbling among themselves in confusion and the BBC forces homosexual propaganda on us on a daily basis, but also in the Church of England, our official state church, which has departed from the truth. As Charles Gardner pointed out two weeks ago, the Archbishop of York declared to the General Synod that the Bible should be ignored and measures passed to please lesbians and homosexuals.

The Synod also voted to call on the Government to ban the practice of ‘conversion therapy’ for gay people and is considering whether transgender people could be given special church services to celebrate their new gender identity. 25 years ago David Noakes sent a prophetic warning to Dr George Carey, who was then Archbishop of Canterbury. The warning is even more relevant and urgent today.

Surely the Lord is saying of the Church of England: “Truth has perished from their lips!”

I believe this is the situation we have reached in Britain - not only in the nation but also in the Church of England.

Justine Greening, the lesbian Secretary of State for Education who is determined to brainwash all our children with LGBT values from the age of five, put further pressure upon the Church last month saying, that if churches do not perform same-sex marriages they are “not part of a modern country”.¹ Our politicians and our church leaders are colluding to distort the truth and deceive the nation: “truth has perished from their lips!”

By contrast this week, the Archbishop of Uganda has stated that he will not attend the next meeting of Anglican leaders because he cannot have fellowship with those who deny biblical truth. Good for him!

God holds his Church primarily responsible for the spiritual and moral state of the nation. When the church becomes as corrupt as the nation, judgment becomes inevitable.

This is the reason why I can no longer pray for the welfare of this nation. I cannot pray, “Peace! Peace!” When the Lord is saying: “There is no peace!” I believe some kind of catastrophe is now inevitable in order to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf, and the Lord will use it to bring the nation to our knees. I also believe that this is the only way that God’s salvation is going to reach this nation.

A Coming Harvest!

In the 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in the year 586 BC, God raised up three prophets in Judah – Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. All three brought strong warnings to the people; but all three saw beyond the catastrophe to the time of restoration, blessing and prosperity that would follow.

I am convinced that there will be a great spiritual awakening and harvest for the Kingdom in Great Britain with multitudes being saved - but it will not happen until there is repentance and turning. Just as many people whose lives are broken by sin, hear the Gospel and respond with joy as their sins are forgiven and they come into a right relationship with God, the same can happen with the nation.

I believe that some kind of catastrophe is now inevitable in order to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf.

For many years God has been warning that the time will come when he will shake all nations. The prophecy of Haggai 2:6-7, repeated in Hebrews 12, is coming true today: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations’”. Note also that the prophecy concludes with a promise of restoration, “I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty”.

I am looking forward to the great spiritual awakening that will follow the great shaking! I can no longer plead with God to spare this nation from the judgment we so richly deserve. My prayer now is, “Make the shaking effective, Lord! And work out your good purposes!”

References

1 Interview with Sky News, 23 July 2017.

The message of Easter/Passover is the solution to the corruption of our time.

At Easter/Passover every year, for the past four years I have looked anxiously at the bare branches of the beautiful ash tree in our garden to see if the Ash Dieback Disease has struck. Once again, this year the first signs of life are showing which confirm that it has escaped the dreaded disease.

I know it sounds silly, but I’ve actually prayed over that tree and asked the God of Creation to protect it from the corrupting disease that is borne on the wind in our region of the country. Each year I thank God for the new life that I see in this ancient tree that is part of the natural heritage of Britain. And each year I thank God for the little enactment of ‘Passover’ in my garden - that the disease has passed over my home.

In the same way as Jeremiah got a message from the almond tree that he saw near his home (Jer 1:11), I see this ash tree as representing the spiritual heritage of the nation, under attack from secular humanist forces that aim to spread corruption and to destroy its Judaeo-Christian foundations.

Jeremiah got a message of warning that the nation of Israel was facing grave danger from corruption within and from armed attack that would come from outside. Only God could save the nation from the onslaught of the mighty Babylonian army but God would not save a nation that was filled with unrighteousness and corruption – a nation that deliberately turned its back upon his word.

Corruption Within, Threats Without

In the same way, God is warning us today of the dangers we face from the growing threats of terrorism in the world and the very real dangers of World War III on the horizon. If God did not save his chosen people Israel because of the unrighteousness in the nation, what makes us think that we are safe?

If God did not save his chosen people Israel because of the unrighteousness in the nation, what makes us think that we are safe?

We too are a nation that has turned its back upon God and there is a vast amount of corruption within our borders – even the Bank of England has been (allegedly) implicated this week in the corruption in the banking industry and fixing the LIBOR interest rates.

Promise of Being Created Anew

But Easter has a message of good news and new life and hope for the worst of sinners, which includes people like you and me. We may not be guilty of fixing interest rates, but we are all in need of what only Jesus can do for us – renewing our corrupt human nature.

Paul said that if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) – our sins are forgiven and we actually become a new person. This is the message of Good Friday!

But that’s only part of the Easter message. In the world of nature, death and resurrection are built into the very DNA of Creation. Jesus said that a seed has to fall into the ground and actually die before it releases new life. This is why he died for us and then rose from the dead so that through his resurrection, the power to live a new life is actually given to us.

Message of Life, Hope and Joy!

Charles Gardner has written movingly in this issue of Prophecy Today UK about the death of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed by a terrorist while he was protecting our Parliament. It was right that the nation recognised the bravery of this man who died a hero. But it is even more important that as a nation we recognise the death of Jesus who died a Saviour and who is longing to bless us and our nation with new life.

Death and the hope of resurrection are built into the very DNA of Creation.

The message of Easter does not end with Good Friday. It is not a message of death, but an offer of new life. It is a message of hope and joy! Many Christians believe that Brexit offers an opportunity for Britain to be free from the morally and spiritually corrupting forces of the European Union. But in order to walk in true freedom – individually and corporately – we need the spiritual new life and power of the Risen Christ, which is the message of Easter Day. It is available to each of us – it is our joy for today and our hope for the future!

What an incredible week this has been in international politics!

The week began with 70 nations gathering in Paris, with the intention of trying to force Israel into a two-state solution that would effectively commit national suicide. This was followed by world business leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland, trying to assess the health and direction of the world economy.

On the same day that Davos started came the statement from Prime Minister Theresa May outlining British Government plans for Brexit which have long-term implications for Europe and the rest of the world. Today, the eyes of the world are upon Washington as the people of the USA install the most unlikely President in the history of the United States – Donald J Trump.

The pace of change worldwide has been increasing exponentially over the past 40 years. Today it is almost bewildering for all those who try to follow world events and to understand what is happening.

At the beginning of this year, political and economic commentators were looking back over 2016, trying to assess how accurate their forecasts for the year had been. Most of them admitted honestly that they had been taken by surprise on almost all major world events.

Christians who have been recognising for some years that God is shaking the nations can trace the hand of God in all this. The Psalmist got it right when he declared that God scoffs at the nations when they try to throw off all restraint and conspire in vain against his purposes (Ps 2). Paul touched on a deep truth when he said that “God made foolish the wisdom of this world…For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom” (1 Cor 1:20, 25).

Last year, most political and economic commentators were taken by surprise on almost all major word events.

The Nature and Purposes of God

So, how do we understand what’s going on in the world today? If we’re going to get a clear view of what is happening, we have to start by getting a biblical perspective of the nature and purposes of God.

This may sound boring to those who simply want to forecast the future. But without this broader perspective we have no yardstick of truth and no focal point for an investigation.

We need to know the God of Creation, who holds the nations in his hands. Despite having given human beings freedom of will, God nevertheless still guides the affairs of the nations to fulfil his overall purpose of bringing his Gospel of salvation to all people.

We have only to look at the incredible destruction of the city of Aleppo in Syria to see what human beings can do when all restraint is removed and there is no regard or value for anything, including human life. This is a picture in miniature of the direction the nations of the world, armed with the most incredible weapons of mass destruction, are taking towards collective global self-destruction. And this is the reason why God intervenes in world affairs - to steer the nations in a different direction.

Watching and Praying

Christians in the Western world have slowly been waking up over the past few decades to the reality of the world situation and the dangers that confront us. They have been stunned by the level of violence in the Middle East and the horrific acts of terrorism in Europe and elsewhere carried out by militant Muslims in the name of their god Allah. They feel helpless as the North Koreans strive to produce their first nuclear bomb and the Chinese establish military bases on unoccupied islands in the South China Sea.

An increasing number of Christians are taking seriously the command of Jesus to watch and pray. The significant rise in the number of home-based small groups around Britain is evidence of this. This prophetic, awakened Church is increasingly resembling that of New Testament times; not only for meetings in the home but also for emphasis upon prayer and Bible study.

If we’re going to understand what is happening, we have to start with a biblical perspective of the nature and purposes of God.

Prayer Makes a Difference!

In Britain, we are seeing more Christians involved in corporate prayer for national and international issues than we have seen since the days of the Second World War. I was at a conference last Saturday when the whole company agreed to stop and pray about the meeting of world leaders that was taking place in Paris. It was not on the agenda, but we spent a whole hour praying about the event and the issue of Israel and the Palestinians. I’m sure we were not alone and that prayer greatly influenced the outcome; bringing confusion among the delegates and resulting in no resolution that could harm Israel.

The business leaders’ meeting in Davos was also said to be a non-event, with delegates being more interested in what was happening in London, where Theresa May was speaking.

The Prime Minister’s speech certainly was very warmly received by much of the British media; especially her promises that Britain will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (or injustice, as many see it!), no longer subject to the free movement of labour so that we can control immigration and no longer under the control of European customs regulations so that we can develop international trade. Especially welcome was her statement that Britain would not accept a ‘bad deal’ - and that both Houses of Parliament will have a vote on the final agreement.

Of course, none of this has gone down very well in the European Union, which was to be expected. But during the next two years we may expect to see further major shaking of the EU and upheaval that will affect the negotiations with Britain. In threatening to make life difficult for post-EU Britain, European leaders are failing to factor in the activity of God.

In Britain, we are seeing more Christians involved in corporate prayer for national and international issues than we have seen since the Second World War.

Today: Focus on the USA

Anti-Trump demonstrators in Washington, today.

World leaders and Europhiles in Britain have all been surprised that their pre-Referendum forecasts of doom and economic disaster have not been fulfilled. But Christians know that prayer played a large part in Brexit and therefore we may expect to see God’s blessing – especially if believers continue to pray actively for the nation.

Today, the focus for prayer should be upon the USA – urgently asking the Lord to guide the new President and members of his Administration, that they will be given wisdom far above the normal human level to exercise Godly leadership as they navigate a confusing world and the rapid changes that are sweeping across the nations today.

Those who are fearful that Trump’s ungodly and erratic past could carry over into his presidency need to remember that with God nothing is impossible; as Jeremiah rightly declared:

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jer 32:17)

Author: Dr Clifford Hill

References: Second image: Jose Luis Magana/AP/Press Association Images.

John Job explains the great modern relevance of Jeremiah's message and notes strong links with the life and teaching of Jesus.

Jeremiah's message was inextricably linked with the history of Israel in his day. He first addressed the North, with a plea for unity with the Southern Kingdom. Then, when his word to his own people was rejected with the burning of the first scroll (Jer 36), he moved to the theme of inevitable judgment and finally to a message of hope beyond the end.

Throughout his long ministry, optimistic prophets kept building up false hopes in the people by parroting "Peace, peace" when the situation was hopeless. Jerusalem's demise was long and drawn-out; but by refusing to heed Jeremiah's call for repentance and turning away from idolatry and corruption, the fate of the city and its people was sealed.

Conflicting Interpretations of Scripture

Jeremiah's conflict hinged on the interpretation of Deuteronomy: the 'Book of the Law' found during the repair of the Temple early in Jeremiah's lifetime (2 Chron 34:14). This book was the address by Moses to the Israelites on the threshold of the Promised Land.

Jeremiah's optimistic contemporaries saw the book as promising that the crossing of the Jordan and occupation of the Promised Land was a drama to be re-enacted as they regained independence from the Babylonians on their God-given soil.

Jeremiah, by contrast, saw it as a warning of three interlocking aspects of sin in response to which God was sending the Babylonians to bring judgment. Chapter 11:1-17 is particularly instructive as a parody of the nationalistic hopes built on Deuteronomy.

Jeremiah's contemporaries saw the Torah as promising liberation from Babylonian rule – Jeremiah knew that it was a warning of judgment.

Deuteronomy summarises human duty as to love God (Deut 6:5). Though Jesus included "and your neighbour as yourself" taken from Leviticus 19:18 (Matt 22:39), there is plenty of evidence in Deuteronomy that this is a major implication of loving God. Jeremiah's indictment, then, can be seen under three headings: failure to love God was idolatry; failure to love others was immorality; failure to change was rebellion.

Idolatry and Immorality

Idolatry is criticised as ingratitude (Jer 2:13) and as folly (Jer 2:27). Idolatry led to alliance with pagan powers, which amounted to reliance on their gods (Jer 14:10). Drought was seen as the penalty for misconceiving Baal as the source of fertility. Beyond all else, idolatry amounted to slighting the true God.

Spiritual adultery, as often in the prophets, was depicted as sexual immorality (Jer 2:20). But there is also a reference to failures in the area of justice, especially for the poor (Jer 5:26-28; 21:12; 22:13). The prophet inveighed too against commercial malpractice, and in the same passage, slander, which he himself suffered (Jer 9:3-4).

Rebellion

These first two areas of Jeremiah's teaching echo Amos and Hosea. But his emphasis on rebellion is his most distinctive perception of his people's predicament. A long sequence of pictures make this point:

1. The uncircumcised ear cannot hear (Jer 6:10);
2. No soap can wash away guilt (Jer 2:22);
3. Refining is futile when no precious metal underlies the dross (Jer 6:27-30);
4. The people are like a she-camel on heat, enslaved to instinct (Jer 2:24);
5. They are like a common harlot who legally (Deut 24:1-4) cannot, and practically will not, return to her husband (Jer 3:1-3);
6. They compare unfavourably with the swift and wryneck, mere birds well aware of the time for returning (a verb which in Hebrew also means 'repent') (Jer 8:7).

The sweep of the book makes the point more forcibly still: events and reality constantly vindicated Jeremiah; but he was ignored for 25 years. Why, though, was it so wrong to resist the Babylonians? Why was the situation so different from when the Assyrian Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem a century earlier? The answer must be that, however unwisely, the Judeans had made a covenant with Babylon.

Most distinctive about Jeremiah's teaching is his emphasis on rebellion.

Here, then, lay the great irony - Deuteronomy was itself couched in the form of a 'covenant document', and those who made their covenant with God needed to be the first to keep covenants with others. Deuteronomic condemnation of the stubborn and rebellious son (Deut 21:18ff) is referred to in Jeremiah 2:14-19, and the incorrigible son breaks the most fundamental covenant of all.

With Jehoiakim's burning of the scroll, Jeremiah's stance changed. This is reflected in the reversal of some of Israel's basic and most cherished spiritual convictions.

The Reversal of the Exodus

Jeremiah may have thought of himself as the prophetic successor to Moses, mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15 (Jer 1:4-10; 15:16). But he was told not to pray for the nation (Jer 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). It was not for him to stand in the breach (cf Ps 106:23) as Moses had done over the Golden Calf: he actually prays for judgment (Jer 18:21f). In the end he goes back as a prisoner to Egypt, from which Moses had led the people from slavery into freedom.

The Reversal of Holy War

The original invasion of Canaan was a 'holy war', in which the Israelites were God's agents to punish the Amorites (Josh 5:1). Often in the story of Judges, God instils panic into Israel's enemies: now the opposite happens; God fights against Israel (Jer 4:9; 6:24) and they are driven out of the land.

The Reversal of Creation

The account of Creation in the Old Testament embodies two themes. The first is the notion of order rather than chaos (Gen 1:1-2). The second is the provision of a garden for human beings to live in (Gen 2:4ff). The first theme is linked with the turning of a motley collection of slaves into an organised community; and the second with their settlement in the garden-land of Canaan.

Jeremiah implied (Jer 4:23-28) that all this was to be undone. The salvation oracle was turned on its head (Jer 12:5). The Abrahamic promise was reversed (Jer 15:8).
Those who make their covenant with God need to be the first to keep covenants with others.

Close study of Jeremiah's ministry reveals strong resemblances to that of Jesus:

(i) Conflict with the 'Establishment'

In both cases this is centred on the interpretation of Deuteronomy - in Jesus's day this was the text-book for hopes of national autonomy (defeat of the Romans) and renewed national greatness. It is no accident that Jesus's three answers in the desert to satan, who represents these Jewish aspirations, come not simply from Scripture ("It is written"), but all from Deuteronomy (Luke 4).

(ii) 'Another Moses'

The Messiah was expected to be another Moses. Indeed, this was how New Testament writers saw Jesus. But like Jeremiah, Jesus also prophesied national disaster. The cross exposed the spirit of nationalism which was doomed to be broken on the wheel of Roman power. In just the same way, Jerusalem's nationalism was broken by Babylon in Jeremiah's time.

It could be said that both Jesus and Jeremiah were Moses' successor. But this has to be re-appraised in the light of the great contrasts between the way in which God carries out his purposes of salvation in Jesus and what had happened in Old Testament times.

(iii) Undeserved Suffering

Jeremiah could describe himself as a lamb led to the slaughter and together with the well-known passage in Isaiah 53, this paved the way for the widespread use of the lamb metaphor in the New Testament, notably on the lips of John the Baptist (John 1:29), and no fewer than 31 times in Revelation.

Striking too is the same misunderstanding and rejection within the family of Jeremiah and Jesus (Jer 12:6, cf Mark 3:32).

(iv) The Destruction of the Word

The desecrating act of Jehoiakim was for Jeremiah what the cross was for Jesus: the final act of the rejection of the covenant relationship with God. In Jeremiah's case it was confined to the Jews, but through the crucifixion of Jesus, guilt was extended to all mankind.

(v) The Emergence of Hope Out of Disaster

Jeremiah did not pray for his people (Jer 7:16) and Jesus did not pray for the world (John 17:9). The demise of the Jewish state in Jeremiah's time points to the doom of non-Christian society in its alienation from God. The only hope for the world is for those who become 'unworldly' by refusing to live according to worldly values.

Jeremiah spells out his hopes of a 'new covenant' (Jer 31:31) and the New Testament sees in Christ's death and resurrection a fulfilment of this promise (most explicitly in Hebrews 8 and 9). Just as the Babylonian sledgehammer's demise is part of Jeremiah's optimism, Revelation, depicting Rome (in the guise of the scarlet woman of Babylon), spells out in her doom the end of worldly corruption.

The desecrating act of Jehoiakim was for Jeremiah what the cross was for Jesus: the final act of the rejection of the covenant relationship with God.

Our Society the Same?

Our society is not unlike that which confronted Jeremiah. The point is made by Jesus in the parable of the 'Rich Fool' (Luke 12:13), who epitomised both self-help and idolatry. For him, death played the same role as the destruction of Jerusalem played for the Jews.

Jesus had a long struggle with a people determined to go their own way, and Jeremiah's teaching is parallel to the message of Jesus, which says 'You cannot save yourself! You cannot engineer a solution to sin, or to your present problems, or save yourself from death'.

It is common to see some code of ethics comparable with Deuteronomy as a 'ladder' or 'lever' for making oneself acceptable to God. No doubt Paul took lessons from Jeremiah as well as from Jesus in seeing that God's law is neither ladder nor lever, reaching the conclusion that through the law we become conscious of sin (Rom 7:7). Yet Jeremiah's teaching on the new covenant enables us to anticipate God's judgment, and begin a new life; to echo Paul and say, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I: Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20).

Flouting of God's Word

Jeremiah's catalogue of sins is closely matched by our society. In his book about the Bible (The English Bible and Seventeenth-Century Revolution, Penguin, 1993), Christopher Hill shows that behind the theological divergences in Cromwell's day, the notion that Protestant England could be modelled on Old Testament Israel and see itself as a Christian nation in covenant relation with God was generally accepted. We need to be careful not to exaggerate the extent to which English history follows that of Judah, but some comparisons can safely be made.

Our society is not unlike that which confronted Jeremiah.

In recent years we have seen erosion of respect for the Ten Commandments as a summary of divine law - notably in the increase and supposed trivialisation of adultery and homosexual practices, the advocacy of euthanasia and abuse of abortion.

We have also seen sentimentality about disciplining children and decay of truthfulness in public life. The message of Jeremiah challenges us to look at the sins of our own nation. Are we not in danger of the same judgment that Jerusalem suffered in his day? Has not the church also sadly missed its way and followed the ways of the world?

It may not be easy to tell when God's word has been nationally rejected as finally as with Jehoiakim's burning of the scroll, but Godly standards are being flouted. There is a need for a prophetic call to repentance and warning of the inevitability of disaster if this call is rejected.

Hope Beyond the End

Even in the worst scenario, Jeremiah's message, seen through New Testament eyes, holds out today the same hope beyond the end. To those who have kept Christian faith in a watertight compartment away from politics, Jeremiah is a model for courageous interaction in the life of the nation.

In a sense his ministry was entirely fruitless. But he has been vindicated, not only because the preservation of his words in Scripture testifies to the fact that he was right and his opponents were wrong, but also because the resurrection of Jesus points to a world where the truths he stood for are, and always will be, upheld.

To that realm Christians already belong, and to that extent are impervious to the worst that this world can do to them.

First published in Prophecy Today Vol 12 No 2, March 1996. Revised September 2016.

It is vital that those in Britain who know the Lord declare the Gospel with their words and lives.

In last week's editorial, I wrote about the signs of God's blessing upon Britain in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. All the forecasts of doom from those who wished Britain to remain within the EU have not been fulfilled.

The economy has not suffered dire consequences, the housing market has not collapsed, unemployment is down and retail sales are up, giving a general feeling of buoyancy and hope for the future. But will it last? That is the big question.

One of our readers posted a comment last week pointing out that God's blessings are conditional. He is absolutely right in this and if God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and have some understanding of the nature and purposes of God.

Passing on the Message

Last week we reminded readers that only 44% of the nation now claim to be Christians and 48% say that they have no religion at all. In many churches in Britain today the congregation consists mainly of elderly worshippers which means that they have a huge responsibility for evangelism if these churches are to survive beyond the present generation.

If older Christians are to be successful in passing on the faith to the next generations, they not only need to know the Gospel but also need to understand what's going on in the world today. This was the great strength of the prophets of Israel, who were able to declare the word of the Lord with conviction and authority because they were keen observers of the contemporary world as well is being in communication with God.

If God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and the purposes of God.

Jeremiah's great frustration was that nobody was aware of the great dangers facing the nation. He said:

I thought, these are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. (Jer 5:4-5)

Jeremiah continued, "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer 5:31). The whole nation was living with a false sense of security when there was a tremendous storm brewing on the international scene and the moral and spiritual life of the nation was in a mess (see also the article on Jeremiah by Tony Pearce which we are publishing today).

Seismic map showing the impact of North Korea's recent nuclear test. See Photo Credits.

Very Present Dangers

There are many similarities with today. On the international scene the threats to world peace are growing daily, with North Korea now claiming the ability to launch a nuclear warhead on international ballistic missiles. Tensions between Russia and the USA are increasing in the highly unstable situation in the Middle East. The unspeakable horrors of the civil war in Syria show no signs of ending and Turkey's intervention has added further complication.

Poverty and deprivation in Africa are combining with the tragedy of the Middle East to force vast numbers of migrants to seek refuge in Europe. They are not only changing the face of our continent but also bringing with them militant Muslims who pose a threat to the communities where they settle. Their presence is having an unsettling effect throughout the European Union, where right-wing protest parties are gaining support and popular demand is rising to follow Britain's lead and leave the EU. All these things are increasing uncertainty for the future.

If ever there were a time for steady and firm international leadership it is surely today; but America is paralysed in the run-up to their November presidential election, the outcome of which could be even more disastrous. The choice facing the American electorate between the corrupt Clinton and the loudmouth bully Trump is unenviable. Voters will have to decide between the lesser of two evils: but either way the future for world peace looks ominous.

Jeremiah's day was like our own - the whole nation was living with a false sense of security while there was a tremendous storm brewing.

Times of Turmoil: How to Respond

So what does the Bible have to say that helps us to understand the world situation today and what Christians should be doing? Jesus warned that days of great turmoil would happen when nation would rise against nation and there would be famines and earthquakes and persecution of those who believe in God (Matt 24). The Apostle Paul warned of what he called "the man of lawlessness" being released into the world in a time of great rebellion among the nations (2 Thess 2).

None of us knows whether we are in those days. But we should all be aware of what is prophesied in the Bible so that we can communicate the Gospel effectively to our friends and neighbours, who are bewildered by what is happening and who do not know the word of the Lord, or his love and promises to those who are faithful to him.

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom. The powers of darkness that they face have never been greater, especially with all the pressures of the internet and social media shaping their lives ever-more invasively. Young people are also vulnerable to the deliberate attempts of secular humanists and satanists to rob them of their innocence and thirst for the truth. Parents and grandparents should be aware of the intention of satanists to establish after-school clubs to counteract Christian teaching – it's already happening in the USA.¹

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom at this time.

Faith in Word and Deed

We should all be rejoicing in the sense of hope that there is in the nation today while also being on the alert to the enemies of God and their evil intentions. God is clearly giving us a window of opportunity to communicate his love and his purposes to more than half of the population who have no faith at all and who are at risk.

We need to remember that we communicate our faith as much through our daily lives as through our words. The Apostle John reminds us of the power of love. He says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death" (1 John 3:14).

References

1 Horton, H. Satanic Temple tries to open after-school clubs in 9 US districts. The Telegraph, 5 August 2016.

Edmund Heddle unpacks God's requirements for mankind, re-iterated again and again through the prophets and summarised by the prophet Micah: to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with the Lord.

An important part of the prophet's responsibility, whether in the Old or New Testament, is telling God's people what the Lord requires of them and spelling out the divine requirements. People are forgetful and need constant reminders of their responsibilities. They are sinful and prone to go astray from the right way. They are also exposed to the seduction and attraction of evil forces. All these things apply to groups of people as well as individuals.

There is, however, one area in which the Lord's people seem particularly prone to adopt the wrong ideas - and that is worship.

How to Approach God

The classic passage on this subject is to be found in the prophecy of Micah (6:6-8):

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my first-born, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

George Adam Smith in The Book of the Twelve Prophets writes, "This is the greatest saying of the Old Testament...these few verses in which Micah sets forth the true essence of religion...afford us an insight into the innermost nature of the religion of Israel, as delivered by the prophets."¹

One area in which the Lord's people are particularly prone to adopting the wrong ideas is that of worship.

Micah the Countryman

Micah was one of the prophets who functioned during the 8^th Century BC and was contemporary with Amos and Hosea in the northern kingdom of Israel. While Isaiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah, Micah was a countryman, living in Moresheth, twenty miles south-west of Jerusalem. While Isaiah was a statesman involved with the court circle of his day, Micah denounced the moral and social evils he saw among ordinary people, together with their priests, prophets and merchants.

He foretold the fall of Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom, and told of a glorious future when Jerusalem would become the religious centre of the world, over which the King - to be born in Bethlehem - would reign (Micah 1:6; 3:11; 5:1-4; 4:1-5).

Whilst Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem amongst men of rank and importance, Micah prophesied in the country to ordinary people.

The Mountains' Witness

Micah presents his teaching on what God requires of his worshippers in the form of a trial in which the Lord's case against Israel is to be heard (Micah 6:1-5). He asks the mountains, that had seen all that God had done for his people, to act as witnesses. What should the people have done to respond to God's faithfulness to his covenant? He appeals to the mountains, those silent, unchanging spectators of human conduct throughout Israel's history, to confirm that he had been faithful to his people, while they in their turn had indulged in witchcraft, idolatry and immorality (5:12-14).

The verdict revealed Israel as guilty and Yahweh as totally innocent. How amazing therefore that Micah should go on to reveal Yahweh to be one who delights in mercy: "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his people? You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy" (7:18).

How to Worship - Man's Idea

"Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?...with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn...for the sin of my soul?" (6: 6-7). The popular view of God sees him as a despot who needs to be propitiated by material offerings, provided they are sufficiently large and costly. The prophet even considers the possibility of offering human sacrifice, his nearest and dearest, as was practised at that time (2 Ki 3:27, 16:3; Isa 57:5), although this was strictly forbidden by the Law of Moses (Lev 18:21) and was something that had never even entered God's mind! (Jer 19:5).

The popular view of God sees him as a despot who needs appeasing through human effort – preferably through large, costly material offerings.

Note the increasing exaggeration of these suggestions. First, the prophet proposes burnt offerings with year-old calves. This is seen to be the offering appropriate to a meticulous observance of the Law. The second suggestion, embracing thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of oil is an excessive fulfilment of the law's requirements. The third exceeds all normal bounds of humanity by putting forward the idea of human sacrifice.

The supreme mistake at the heart of all these suggestions was to suppose that Yahweh, like all other deities, required appeasement through human effort. Even the sacrificial system of Moses was meaningless without the heart devotion of the worshipper (Jer 7:22-24). This is external religion, totally ineffective in bringing forgiveness to the worshipper.

How to Worship - God's Way

He has showed you, O man, what is good...To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)

According to Micah, God has revealed his requirements and we are left neither in the darkness of ignorance nor to the vagaries of human suggestions, such as we have been considering in the two preceding verses. The simplicity of true religion is nowhere described more clearly than it is here. It is a heart response to God for all that he has done, expressed in the three basic elements of 'doing justly', 'loving mercy', and 'walking humbly with the Lord God'.

These requirements apply to all men of all ages, living in all places. Life is to be lived in a right relationship to one's fellow men in all circumstances - social, political, at the work-place and during leisure: avoiding whatever is unfair or wrong but delighting to be of service: and freely and willingly, showing kindness to others.

While false, external religion is totally ineffective, Micah simply expresses the three basic elements of true religion – doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God.

Notice that while we are to 'do' justly, we are to 'love' showing mercy. Mercy must never be grudging or stinted. If justice obliges us to go one mile, mercy will constrain us to do two! (Matt 5:41). A concern that all have their fair share and their just rights makes a sure foundation for society. Sadly, it was the very thing so lacking in Micah's time.

How to Walk with Your God

We have seen that, according to Micah's analysis of the situation, the way to worship God begins with a right and loving relationship with other people. Let us note that it does not stay there. We need to be in right relationship with God as well as with our neighbour. The exalted God who dwells in the highest heaven is also prepared to accompany each step of their earthly life all who will humble themselves to walk at God's pace in his chosen direction (Isa 57:15).

The essential feature is to walk 'humbly'. This is a rare word, occurring only twice in the Old Testament, the other occasion being in Proverbs 11:2. Some scholars stress that its root meaning is 'secretly'. Jesus made it clear that we need from time to time to withdraw from the business of life and to enter the quiet room. He assures us that our Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward us (Matt 6:6).

The God who dwells in highest heaven is prepared to accompany each step of their earthly life all who will humble themselves to walk at his pace and in his chosen direction.

It is however important to preserve the rendering 'humbly'. The spirit of humility is always to be in evidence when weak, sinful men attempt to walk with a perfect and holy God. But the rewards of such an experience are of incredible value, as Enoch found when he walked with God (Gen 5:21-24). If we walk with our God while here on earth, we shall not find it strange when the time comes to leave it. We shall have that lovely feeling, in heaven, of belonging!

Prophets' Chorus

When Micah was given the revelation that we have been studying he became part of a prophets' chorus. For Amos had cried out for justice – "let justice roll on like a river..." (Amos 5:24). And Hosea had exclaimed, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hos 6:6). And we must bring in the 'thrice holy' exclamations that Isaiah heard in the Temple when he was humbled before the majesty of Israel's God (Isa 6:3-5). Micah takes these sentiments from his fellow prophets and weaves them into the call that summarises God's requirement (Micah 6:8).

Approved by the Lord Jesus

On one occasion Jesus was asked. "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God...love your neighbour as yourself." The questioner replied, "You are right in saying that God is one and that there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him. "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:28-34)

In agreeing with the reply given by the teacher of the law, Jesus did not dismiss the Mosaic sacrificial system as being of no significance. It was important in training Israel to understand the ministry of the Messiah and his atoning death on the cross. But once it had been fulfilled, Jesus agreed that the love of God and of one's neighbour took priority. The conclusion reached by Jesus endorsed the statement many years before by the prophet Samuel: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice..." (1 Sam 15:22).

The essence of Micah's famous statement is that God has no interest in a multiplicity of empty acts. Offerings and rituals, however splendid and costly, count for nothing in his estimation. Even the Levitical ordinances are valueless unless they express a sincere, heartfelt response to God's grace and mercy. Jeremiah sums it up thus: "When I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them. I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: 'Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you'" (Jer 7:22-23).

God has no interest in a multiplicity of empty acts. His command is that we obey him, and walk with him, and be his people.

Announcing God's Requirements

The prophet's responsibility is to discover what the Lord requires and then to make it his requirement. Three errors may crop up as he does this. First, he may refuse to pass on God's requirement because it is too costly or too embarrassing. Secondly, he may pass on only a part of God's requirement, leaving some things unsaid.

Thirdly, he may add to what God requires, for example by suggesting rituals and procedures that end up by adulterating God's pure will. Today's prophets have a solemn responsibility to make sure that their people know what God is requiring of them. They must also be careful not to misuse their position of privilege by adding their own or other people's ideas to what God actually requires.

The Message of Micah's Name

The name 'Micah' means, 'Who is like Yahweh?', and towards the end of his prophecy he answers that question when he says, "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin?...You do not stay angry for ever, but delight to show mercy" (Micah 7:18). Moses asked the same question after God had brought his people safely through the Red Sea: "Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Ex 15:11). Let our worship clearly manifest both the mercy and the awesomeness of such a great and glorious God.

Prophets have a solemn responsibility to make sure that people know what God is requiring of them – they must not misuse their privilege by adding their own ideas in.

What is your God like, the God who is worshipped in your fellowship? Remember, it is part of the prophet's task to give a clear picture of what the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is like, and what is required of those who profess to worship him.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6, No 1, January/February 1990. Part of our series on the Ministry of the Prophet.

References

1 Smith, G A, 1900. The Book of the Twelve Prophets, Commonly Called the Minor. Vol. 1. Reprint. London: Forgotten Books, 2013. pp418-9.

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

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

Tourists Stranded

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

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

Questions of Trust

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

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

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

Trust Breakdown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Urgent Warnings

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

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

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

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

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

Real Wisdom

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

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

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

Weighed in the Balance

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

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

References

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

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.