Paul Luckraft reviews 'Signs: The Significance of Biblical Prophecy' by Neil Mackereth (2015).

This is an accessible introduction to what the Bible has to say about the climax of history and the end of the age. The author explains that, having been asked to run an 'end times' course in his local church, he then felt called to turn the material into a book.

As a retired Brigadier with a background in communications and administration, he admits he is no academic and that at the start he realised just how little he knew. But as his research grew and he gained a new awareness of what the Bible says about the amazing signs God has given, he became more and more absorbed and determined to enthuse others too.

He explains his aim in writing the book (his first) is "to examine a number of signs of our times as well as biblical prophecies...[and] let you – the reader - conclude whether or not prophecy is being fulfilled in our day" (p9).

Structure and Approach

The book is in five parts. The introductory section provides guidelines and ground rules to help establish a level of objectivity, and includes consideration of the pitfalls and challenges to an impartial approach to the topic. There follows an overview of the histories of Israel and Babylon, and an assessment of where we are on the timeline of biblical prophecy.

The final sections focus on more specific aspects of end times prophecy and the significance of current events in relation to these prophecies, together with a consideration of what is yet to happen.

Neil's research into the end times gave him a new awareness of what the Bible says and a determination to enthuse others about the topic.

Overall the book is well-written with an easy style that encourages you to read on. The structure of the book is clear and well-organised. The 22 relatively short chapters each begin in a way that draws you in, either via an interesting fact, a challenging question or a humorous observation. The author's background in communication perhaps helps here!

A key feature of the earlier parts of the book is 'the miracle that is Israel' - regarding both its history and its re-birth. There is a clear rejection of Replacement Theology and a sense of Israel's destiny – which accounts for its miraculous survival. He provides a measured consideration of the blossoming fig tree, both in terms of the birth of the state in 1948 and the increasing growth in Messianic Jewish believers in Israel and Judaism worldwide. His handling of this 'sign' gives confidence in his ability to tackle these topics generally.

As in the Days of Noah...

In the third section, the author is aware of the need to handle Old Testament prophecies as a mix of forth-telling and foretelling, which he generally does well. It is rather surprising, therefore, that his view of Satan is unconventional. He rejects the common view that Satan is a fallen senior angel whose pride caused him to rebel against God, commenting that "As far as I am aware there is no Scriptural foundation for this theory." What he does believe about the person and origins of the enemy remains unclear. Instead the chapter diverts to a discussion of the Temple Mount.

Much better is the following chapter on 'The Days of Noah', which contains an excellent critique of modern society and its obsession with political correctness. His phrase "the pervasion of perversion" (p121) is both telling and memorable.

In the fourth section we move from a wider reflection to a narrower focus on what he calls the "centre line for examining End Times prophetic scriptures" (p125), namely Matthew 24. He promises us a narrative summary of this chapter but this is too brief to be called a summary. Rather, it is merely an outline before we move on to sample a few more prophecies and relate them to current affairs. In other words, what are the signs of our times?

A key feature of the book is 'the miracle that is Israel' - regarding both its history and its re-birth.

Within this section the author provides a useful recap of certain key themes, such as the anti-Christ, the one world order, the centrality of Jerusalem and the possibility of a re-built Temple. There are, as would be expected, several pages devoted to the Book of Revelation, where he stresses that the objective of the book is an unveiling of Jesus rather than of events or a timetable. This is a useful reminder that the most important prophecy of all is that Jesus will return. The Lamb has won, and will reign on earth as King!

Where Next?

Part five asks the question 'What next?' What do recent trends suggest about our immediate future? These are thoughtfully examined without trying to confirm any particular theory or theology. Rather it is a case of 'let's look and see what we can see.'

The Middle East is a key focus of attention, as is the theme of false teachers and prophets. In one chapter we are led to consider "the rise and spread of radical and very militant versions of Islamic ideology" (p186) and ask to what extent this is apocalyptic. This topic is handled very well and is up-to-date enough to include ISIS and its prophetic significance. Is ISIS a sign of our times - and where might it lead? The gentle conclusion is "Only time will tell" (p192).

The author is aware of the need to handle Old Testament prophecies as a mix of forth-telling and foretelling.

The book closes with two useful appendices. The first is a glossary of end time terminology; the second provides some background notes on Islam (mainly on the difference between Sunni and Shi'a).

Overall this is a book well worth investing in, and reading again and again as a refresher on this important topic.

Signs (208 pages) is self-published and available from CFI for £9, or from Amazon.

Why didn't God intervene in Aberfan? Greg Stevenson offers some thoughts on the classic question of why suffering is allowed.

Many people suffer disasters from external events that come unbidden into their lives, from illness or injuries (whether caused by ourselves or by others), to overwhelming events such as volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, or extremes of weather like flooding. The natural question that is always asked is: Why? - as if we know that there must be a reason!

The Bible tells us clearly that God is in complete control of his world and its events. There is no god beside him (Isa 45:14, 21). Indeed, he intervenes in many situations to save, to heal, to deliver. So it's a good question to ask when disasters happen - where is God? Why does he allow it?

God Calls and Forewarns

The Bible tells us that God is righteous in all his works and holy in all his ways (Ps 145:17). So this means that everything God does and allows is for righteous reasons. What were the righteous reasons for which he allowed the terrifying tragedy in Aberfan 50 years ago?

When we look at God's dealings with his people Israel, we find that he gave them teaching and instruction (Torah) by which to live, so that the nations roundabout could see a righteous lifestyle that resulted in prosperity and security. When his people failed to live up to this standard, he disciplined them in all sorts of ways (1 Chron 21:13) to bring them back to him, and maintain this witness.

Many of these efforts to discipline were Sovereignly-ordained events (storms, pestilence, earthquakes, enemy attacks, etc), but several were the product of the people's own sin, including their blindness or deafness to his teaching/commandments.

Yet we see that God gave his Name (his character) to his people so that they might know him (Ex 34:6 – the most quoted verse in the Tanakh): "The LORD, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished". This speaks of the love and justice of God. So in each case of their turning away from him through sin (and consequently stepping outside of his blessing and protection), he gave them warnings about the consequences of their actions – Choose whom you will serve!

God is righteous and holy in all his ways, so this means that everything he does and allows is for righteous reasons.

The warnings were given so that they knew ahead of time the results of their choice. But when the warnings were ignored, God was patient with them. Again and again he called to them – "I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen. I called you but you did not answer. Day after day, again and again, I sent you my servants the prophets" (Jer 7:13, 25 – Heb. 'rising up early in the morning, and speaking'). He also sent examples of his sovereign power to bless or curse (Amos 4).

Aberfan: Warnings Ahead of Time

According to a recent BBC documentary,¹ the tragic events in Aberfan on 21 October 1966 that killed 116 children and 28 adults were preceded by many warnings:

1. 1939. A few miles from Aberfan, 180,000 tons of a coal waste tip in a privately-owned mine slipped. New guidelines about tipping over a water source were given, but not passed on.
2. 1944. Another tip near Aberfan moved.
3. January 1955. Flooding in the valley below the mountain of tip No 7 above Aberfan. The children presented a petition to their headmistress about the slurry moving, which was passed on, but ignored.
4. 1963. A slurry movement that didn't quite reach the village. Tipping on the site of No 7 tip was continued. No map or guidance was given to the engineers responsible for No 7 tip.
5. July 1963. A letter from Merthyr Tydfil council was sent to the National Coal Board (NCB) concerning the danger from coal waste being tipped above the Pantglas school. Despite assurances that tipping would cease, it was not stopped.
6. January 1964. Again concern was expressed by the council about the slurry - "If the tip moved, the entire school could be threatened"
7. January 1965. A petition was raised by mothers at the Pantglas school, and passed to the council by the headmistress. But there was no NCB action resulted.
8. 26 March 1965. A further slip at a nearby tip nearly went down the mine shaft. Warnings were given but ignored. The memo was sent to the civil and mechanical engineers but poor working relationships resulted in the memo not being followed up. A long list of concerns was sent to a senior NCB official about the tip safety but was not forwarded to the NCB.

Finally, the main reasons given by the NCB for not moving the No 7 tip after the disaster were the cost and the time it would take. In the Tribunal, senior NCB management denied any knowledge of the potential for slips from coal waste tips, but eventually changed their stance and admitted that the disaster was preventable. Of the £1.75 million that was raised for the disaster fund, £150,000 was taken from the fund for removal of the tip, and the NCB agreed to pay £500 for each child who died was offered as compensation (the value of a child's life?).

This list is not given to apportion blame, but to emphasise that God gives many warnings of the consequences of man's selfish and sinful ways. George Bernard Shaw said appositely: "The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. For that is the essence of inhumanity". Much is sacrificed to financial profit, and safeguarded by keeping a distance from the site of responsibility.

Whenever people turn away from God, stepping outside of his blessing and protection, he gives them warnings about the consequences of their sin.

Natural Disaster - or Natural Consequence?

Some of what we call 'natural' disasters are clearly the result of the shaking of the earth (and eventually the heavens also) that God has warned us of in Hebrews 12, and Scripture tells us that these tragedies are part of the birth-pangs that will bring in the end of this age. The whole creation has been 'groaning' as in the pains of childbirth, on account of man's sin.

But many disasters are the result of man's selfishness, or of rebellion against God's laws, and these are especially severe among nations that God has blessed and called to serve him, but which then turn away from him in disobedience.

God is sovereign, but he warns us about the consequences of the choices we make. Paul's letter to the Romans is very clear about this. Those who reject his way, he will give over to their 'shameful lusts' and to the consequences of those choices. But his love is always expressed by warnings first, proclaimed by those who see right action, so that mercy and justice can be evident. This was perfectly demonstrated in the life of Jesus, and ultimately at the Cross.

In order to avoid a potential tragedy from self-seeking in many forms, or from indifference to our fellow-man, we (individuals, families, businesses, governments and nations) simply have to set the choices that we make against the goodness and righteousness of God. In this, Jesus is our model.

We can't always know why God allows disasters (why he brings prosperity and creates disaster – Isaiah 45:7) but we do know that he desires to dwell with us, and that we live in his blessing and under his protection.

We cannot know the whole answer, but God has done all that is necessary to deal with our sin, our self, and our indifference, at the Cross. As we expend time, energy and resources for those who are caught up in the tragedies and disasters that are part of this fallen world, we can remember that what God does is always for righteous reasons, even when it takes the form of allowing loss, pain and death. For he has been there himself also.

References

1 Aberfan: The Fight for Justice. BBC, first broadcast on 18 October 2016. Available on iPlayer.

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.

The word 'Jeremiah' has come down the years to mean a foreteller of doom. But this does him an injustice, as Tony Pearce notes in the next of our series on the prophets.

Jeremiah was clearly not one of the more popular preachers of his day. It is unlikely that his diary was full of engagements or that he was invited to leadership meetings planning the next wave of revival. In fact, in his times of dejection he sat alone, lamenting the day of his birth and describing himself as a "man of strife and contention" whom everyone cursed (Jer 15:10).

Plain Warnings

Some might have argued that his isolation was his own fault. He did not go out of his way to make friends and influence people. He denounced his generation as spiritual and physical adulterers "going after other gods to their own hurt", and "like well-fed, lusty stallions, everyone neighed after his neighbour's wife" (Jer 5:8).

He had no time for their hypocritical form of religion in which they kept up appearances of faith in the Lord, while breaking at every turn the covenant he had made with them. He punctured their illusions, particularly the false assurance that, because the Temple stood in Jerusalem, God was under an obligation to defend them from enemy invasion and the deportation that had previously afflicted the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Jer 7:4).

Jeremiah warned his listeners plainly that God's condition for protection was that they amend their ways, that they "execute judgment between a man and his neighbour" and they do not go after other gods (Jer 7:5-6). For 23 years Jeremiah repeated this message, telling the people to repent and turn back to the Lord, upon which change of heart he would cause them to dwell in the land (Jer 25:3-6).

The People's Response

But although he faithfully relayed God's word to them, neither king nor priest, rich nor poor, would listen. Therefore, he said, God would compel them to listen by bringing Nebuchadnezzar against them to destroy the city and the Temple and taking them away captive to Babylon for 70 years (Jer 25:8-11). For this warning he was denounced as an enemy agent come to undermine the confidence of the people, thrown into prison, and left to die. A scroll containing his message - God's prophetic warning — was torn up and thrown into the fire by the king.

It was much more encouraging to listen to those who were prophesying peace, saying in effect, 'It does not matter how you live, laugh, enjoy yourselves, have parties and fun. God will look after you and give you peace, because you are the King's kids.' Jeremiah denounced these men as false prophets, which did little to improve his popularity rating. He prophesied that the sword, famine and pestilence, would come on that wicked generation (Jer 14:12).

The soothing prophecies of peace and safety were much more attractive and acceptable to the people. But they were false prophecies, while Jeremiah's predictions of forthcoming doom on that generation were true, and actually came to pass.

Soothing prophecies of peace and safety were much more attractive to the people - but they were false, while Jeremiah's predictions of forthcoming doom were true.

The catastrophe he had prophesied materialised and Jerusalem and the Temple lay in ruins. But did Jeremiah then point the finger and say, 'I told you so?' No. In the book of Lamentations he wrote, "My eyes overflow with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people" (Lam 3:48). His heart beat with the compassion and mercy of God. Even as he saw God fulfil his word of judgment he knew that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases" (Lam 3:22).

Prophecies of Hope and Restoration

Jeremiah was not just a prophet of doom; he wrote some of the most beautiful pictures describing Israel's restoration, showing the people that there would be a "future and a hope" when they sought the Lord with all their heart.

70 years later in Babylon, Daniel recognised that the word of the Lord through Jeremiah concerning the desolation of Jerusalem had been fulfilled, and in prayer he confessed the sins of the nation (Dan 9). He coupled the disaster which had come upon Israel to the breaking of the covenant which God had made with her through the Law of Moses (Lev 26; Deut 28; Jer 31:32).

Following Daniel's prayer, Jeremiah's prophecies of restoration were fulfilled: the exiles returned from Babylon and the Temple was rebuilt. In the fullness of time the Messiah - whom Jeremiah also prophesied - came to bring in the new covenant made with "the house of Israel and the house of Judah". Through the witness of the first Jewish believers in Jesus, people all over the world can come into that new covenant and enjoy its benefits:

'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts; And I will be their God and they shall be my people...They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' says the Lord, 'For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.' (Jer 31:31-34)

The Message for Today

The message of Jeremiah is relevant to our time, as we see the approaching judgments of the end times. We cannot "heal the hurt of the daughter of my people lightly, saying 'Peace, peace,' where there is no peace" (Jer 6:14). We cannot make grand promises of coming revival, where there is no true repentance and faith. Whether it makes us popular or not, we must warn of the terrible judgment that is coming on this wicked generation that rejects the word of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus warned of a time of great tribulation coming at the end of this age (Matt 24:21). As in Jeremiah's day there is a reason for this time of trouble coming. Our century has seen a rebellion against God on a scale that is unparalleled in human history. We boast of our technological ability which we vainly imagine has made us 'the Captains of our fate', no longer dependent on God. Yet the very technological advance contains the seeds of our own destruction as we pollute the only planet we can live on and create bigger and better weapons with which to destroy each other.

Whether it is popular or not, we must warn of the terrible judgment coming on this generation that rejects the word of the Lord.

Conscious of the coming calamity, nations and religions are joining hands in a vain attempt to save the world by means of a 'New World Order' backed by a 'Global Ethic' which, it is hoped, will unite humanity. The slogans are attractive and the promises dazzling, but it is a house built on the sand. It ignores the sin problem of humanity and decisively rejects the only solution to this problem - repentance and faith in the one way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock

"Peace, peace, where there is no peace." "Peace and safety." The voice of the false prophets is as loud in our generation as it was in Jeremiah's. It offers a false peace and a false hope based on human potential and human goodness and reconciliation apart from God revealed in Jesus Christ.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him... (Isa 53:5)

But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been made near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace. (Eph 2:13-14)

The true prophets pointing to the Lord Jesus as the only way to God and warning of his soon coming in judgment face scorn, rejection and persecution as Jeremiah did in his day. They are not welcome at the great international gatherings where political and religious leaders try to sort out the world's problems. In the great ecumenical and inter-faith meetings the Lord Jesus too stands outside the door and knocks, as he stood outside the door of the worldly, self-confident church of Laodicea (Rev 3:20).

Does he also stand outside the door of many great evangelical and charismatic gatherings? David Wilkerson spoke of a "Christless Pentecost" in which phenomena and physical manifestations become the mark of spiritual re-birth, rather than a humble walk with the Lord and a life of service.

How many prophecies of coming great revival, backed by spectacular miracles which will dazzle the unbelieving world into submission, are in fact false prophecies, raising hopes and expectations but ultimately leading to disappointment and disillusion, as did the false prophecies of Jeremiah's day?

How many contemporary prophets of revival will the Lord say, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and caused my people to hear my words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (Jer 23:21-22).

How many contemporary prophets of revival will the Lord say, 'I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied'.

Today God is looking for those who will stand for him in the public place, as Jeremiah did, and say to the kings (political leaders), the priests (religious leaders), the rich and poor alike: "Hear the word of the Lord...Amend your ways and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place" (Jer 7:2-3).

First published in Prophecy Today Vol 11 No 6, November 1995.

Clifford Denton draws his series to a close by offering his own perspective on 'the Rapture' and other hotly anticipated end times events.

Having written this short series with the primary purpose of encouraging each of us to study the end time scriptures for ourselves, individually and in groups, it would be unwise for me now to promote my own interpretations of these passages using details gleaned from my own studies.

Nevertheless, a few further ideas are worth sharing to bring the series to a conclusion and to illustrate the method of studying we have endorsed through it.

The Overall Framework is Vital

The end time scriptures should be read in the context of the whole of Scripture. God is completing his covenant plan – and so the end of time should be seen in the context of the whole of time. When we realise this, and no longer dip into the end time scriptures in isolation, not only will they become clearer but we will also be less prone to error caused by taking passages out of context.

The path to the future is a walk with the Holy Spirit, during which details previously obscured to us are made clearer as they become more relevant. Nevertheless, there are principles we can study – broader themes in which the detailed events of the end are embedded - which reassure us, protect us against deception and help us to prepare.

These include principles of covenant, God's plans and promises for Israel, the Feasts of the Lord, types and shadows of world history (especially the prominent empires of Bible times) and the centrality of Jesus. These are the main threads of the tapestry into which all time, including the end times, is set.

The end of time should be seen in the context of the whole of time – end time scriptures should not be dipped into in isolation.

From Shadows to Fulfilment

For example, the Feasts of the Lord are shadows of the main events of covenant history. Year after year, Israel was to observe these Feasts as a preparation for what was to come. The seven Feasts are Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Shavuot (Pentecost), Rosh HaShannah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

We know that these Feasts are shadows of covenant history because of the way the first four were fulfilled by Jesus. Passover and Unleavened Bread pointed to his sacrificial death. Jesus was the Firstfuit of those being saved and the giving of his Holy Spirit fulfilled Pentecost.

Many scriptures in the Old Testament (Tanach) shed further light on how God begins with types and shadows and ends with fulfilment at the right time. Passover relates to the types and shadows of Israel's experience in Egypt and deliverance under Moses. Moses becomes a type and shadow of Jesus. Pentecost relates to the giving of the Law at Sinai and gives us a framework for understanding the relationship between Torah and the fulfilment of the New Covenant in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Yet to Come

The last three Feasts are shadows pointing to Jesus' return. If many Jews did not recognise his fulfilment of the earlier Feasts, how much more must we take seriously the entirety of Scripture in preparation for his return? Indeed, his return is the central event of end time scriptures, completing God's chief aim throughout all history – the reversal of the Fall.

It has taken many centuries for this plan to be outworked. It is easy to get lost in the details of everyday life and forget this priority during the short span of our individual lives. All of history, especially the history of Israel, with so many types and shadows to teach us, is a preparation for the coming Kingdom.

The Feasts of the Lord are shadows of the main events of covenant history – the first four were fulfilled by Jesus.

God's Purposes for the Church...and Israel

For 2,000 years, a prominent emphasis has been the spread of the Gospel to the entire world. So prominent has this been, that it is sometimes mistakenly thought that God's purpose for the Christian Church in the Gentile world is the only focus of the end times. Some Christian theologies have taken the New Testament out of context of the Old Testament, neglecting God's continuing purposes for Israel and his bringing about of the One New Man of Ephesians 2.

Could the detaching of our concept of 'the Church' from the full picture of God's purposes be the reason for so much anticipation by many Christians for 'the Rapture'? Many are expecting to be taken, soon, out of these times. But is there not a journey to go yet which will be for further refining and for opportunities for witness in a world gravitating toward the time of a final one world system?

For this reason, I would like to make a brief comment on my own view of the times of tribulation and the timing for God's intervention on behalf of his own people.

Rapture?

I prefer not to use the term rapture. For one thing, different Christians mean different things by it. For another, though I understand the reason for the choice of the word rapture, it is not a biblical term.

The closest we can get in biblical terms to studying what this event may look like is the protection of the Israelites in Goshen during the plagues of Egypt, the protection from the angel of death at the first Passover and the protection of Noah's family at the Flood when God judged the entire world. Such comparisons illustrate the extreme circumstances that we expect the world to reach prior to the return of Jesus, and the time when we will need special protection when God's judgments begin to fall on the world.

All of history, especially the history of Israel, is a preparation for the coming Kingdom.

Scripture clearly indicates that the world will reach a point when some will be taken and some left (the event of Matthew 24:40-41). This is emphasised in a different way by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (the trumpet call and Jesus' disciples being caught up in the clouds, meeting the Lord in the air).

The nature and timing of this event must be considered with caution as the future unfolds. If we see this event outside of the principle of the One New Man of disciples from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, I believe an error is likely, especially the idea that 'the Church' will be 'raptured' to leave God to deal with the Jews.

My personal view is that there will be a distinction between the difficult days of the Anti-Christ (the Great Tribulation, described in the earlier chapters of Revelation) and the time of woes such as fell on Egypt (the bowls of judgment) beginning from Revelation 15. This is because of the "Immediately after" of Matthew 24:29, which leads me to consider the events described after this verse as fitting after the difficult days of the Anti-Christ.

My view is that we will need to persevere through the days of the Anti-Christ (called the Great Tribulation) and then expect God's intervention when he protects us from the days of wrath, taking us to a place of safety.

Jesus warned us not to listen to deceiving words about his coming so we must be careful what we listen to in these days, especially when interpreting the times prior to his return. Paul also warned about this when he wrote to the Thessalonians. He said that we must expect a great falling away prior to Jesus returning for his people and establishing his rule on earth (2 Thess 2).

Many Christians overly anticipate 'the Rapture' – have we detached our concept of 'the Church' from the full picture of God's purposes?

How We Read Scripture Determines How We Live

The way we read the end time scriptures influences the way we prepare for the days ahead and live our lives today. This is still an era for witness, for the strengthening of God's people through days of trial on the earth, for pure living, for watching and praying.

Too early an expectation of deliverance from the world system will lead us to passivity, unreality and poor preparation, possibly through lack of vigilance. When our views of a soon-to-come rapture remain unfulfilled, we may find ourselves more like the foolish virgins than the wise ones, giving up on active watching and waiting because we feel confused or let down.

144,000 from the Tribes of Israel

My own searching of the scriptures has also led me to ask questions about the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, which are puzzling until one is given some keys of understanding. It is quite possible to resist the ideas of the Jehovah's Witnesses but still be left with a mystery! Are these literal numbers or figurative? Why is Israel singled out from the other 'tribes' of the world?

Surely God is reminding us that the Tribes of Israel will be retained in their pure (virgin) state, identifiable from the rest of the world, as a sign of God's faithfulness to his Covenant¹ - but what of the 144,000? With that question at the back of my mind I thought I had perceived a clue when I read about the 100,000 lambs that Mesha, King of Moab, gave to Jehoram (2 Kings 3:4). That is a large number of lambs, if taken literally, for a tribal King in Moab to give regularly to the King of Israel. However, a study of the Hebrew for one thousand, the word eleph shows that this can be a literal number or a large number of a more general kind – a word for a large group such as a flock.

This makes more sense - not 100,000 lambs, but 100 large flocks. If we take the English of Revelation 7 back through the Greek from which it came back again to the Hebrew foundations, could this not be true for Israel too, that the 12,000 of each tribe are 12 large groups from each tribe (clans, say)? The picture clarifies if this is so: God will gather Israel as a nation of tribes and clans, just as it was in the old days. Our literal mind-set finds such figurative language hard, but this picture is compelling and reasonable.

The way we read the end time scriptures influences the way we prepare for the days ahead and live our lives today.

Yet the question still lingers at the back of the mind and one comes to another notable parallel. The times of Messiah in Isaiah 9 are likened to the times of Midian's defeat (Isa 9:4-5). This takes us back to Numbers 31, where Moses (a shadow of Messiah) was told to take revenge on Midian for what they did through the seduction of Balaam to cause Israel to intermarry with the Midianites. Such an act had the potential of assimilating Israel into the world. 1,000 warriors from each of Israel's 12 tribes was chosen to administer God's judgment on Midian.

This too echoes into the 12,000 from each tribe mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14, giving yet another emphasis on the imagery used by God. God will choose 12,000 from each of the Tribes of Israel as witnesses to his Covenant faithfulness. This time the victory is not over Midian but over the powers of satan, so that many will be redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus.

Perhaps both the above interpretations will prove true – and perhaps there is still more to see. My point is to illustrate that the whole of Scripture has light to shed on the topic of the end times – indeed, on whichever theme we are studying.

Finally...

If I were to select one final principle to have in mind as we proceed with our studies of the end times it comes from the very last chapter of the Book of Isaiah. In the context of proclamations concerning the end times, God said:

...on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. (Isa 66:2)

The days we are entering will fulfil the final prophecies of the Bible. It is not a time for the headstrong. Let us listen to one another as we walk with the Lord, let us watch and pray according to Jesus' command, and let us test everything - being students of the whole of Scripture (more so than of the books being written by others today). Let us be those who tremble at his word.

Notes

1 There is a puzzle about the fact that Dan is not mentioned. I am still pondering on this, but it may be related to the situation right back in the days of the Judges, when the Tribe of Dan turned to idolatry (Judg 18) and so became treated by God like other idolatrous nations. This does not mean that the descendants of Dan are completely lost, but that they will hear the Gospel from a position of being mixed among the peoples of the world. Of course there may be other things as yet unseen that will shed light on this - or perhaps we must simply leave it in God's hands.

In Part 5 of our series on the message of the Prophets, Richard Griffiths looks at the prophet Nahum.

The Bible, someone once said, is a tale of two cities - Babylon and Jerusalem. Even before either was founded, and again after Babylon fell, there was confrontation between the people of God (represented by Jerusalem) and the enemies of God (Babylon).

Assyria and its capital city Nineveh were the historical predecessors of the Babylonian empire, but the 'Babylon principle' was as evident in Nineveh as it ever was in Babylon and its successors, the empires of Greece and Rome and their structures to the present day.

Nahum's prophecy is "an oracle concerning Nineveh" written probably during the mid-7th Century BC, but it contains principles relevant to every place and age.

Ninevah's Pride and Arrogance

Ninevah was not only a pagan city, but one unsurpassed for its pride, arrogance and determination to rule the world. Already, during the course of its relentless advance, Assyria had overrun the 10 northern tribes of Israel and their capital Samaria. Some 50 years before Nahum's prophecy, its armies had laid siege to Jerusalem itself.

Predecessor of Babylon, Ninevah was unsurpassed for its pride, arrogance and determination to rule the world.

During those years, Assyria had learned something of the ways of the living God (Isa 37:4); indeed, a hundred years earlier they had turned to God in repentance, responding to Jonah's message.

Their repentance had not lasted, however, and God's next warning came with awesome power. The leaders of the besieging Assyrian army had dared to ridicule the living God (Isa 37:4) by making him out to be no better than the gods of the nations (Isa 36:18-20). Isaiah predicted the downfall of the army and its king. In a single night the Angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp (Isa 37:36).

Later, back in Nineveh, King Sennacherib of Assyria (who had dared to mock the true and living God at the walls of his temple) was brutally murdered while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch (Isa 37:38).

When God Draws Near, We Have a Choice

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God who, from time to time, draws near. There are times when he is to be found and people should seek him; times when he is near and people should call upon him (Isa 55:6). At such times he comes in love and in judgment; to forgive or to destroy. At such times his prophets - Jonah, Isaiah, Nahum and others - may declare his judgment. Yet, whenever people turn to him in repentance, they find that he is a God who in wrath remembers mercy (Hab 3:2).

He has always been like that, from the day that he sorrowfully sought Adam and Eve in the cool of the day so soon after they had taken the forbidden fruit. Time and again his chosen people learnt this truth about their God when, even as they felt the first stirrings of his wrath, they turned to him - only to be enveloped in his love.

At the time of Jonah, the Assyrians tasted the consequences of repentance; at the time of Isaiah they experienced the inevitable results of defiance. They knew that the living God was not to be mocked (Gal 6:7), yet they still refused to honour him. Once again God spoke against Nineveh, and this time it was final.

At the time of Jonah, the Assyrians tasted the consequences of repentance; at the time of Isaiah they experienced the inevitable results of defiance.

Nahum: The Man

We know nothing of Nahum except what we can glean from the prophecy that bears his name, which means 'comforter'.

That a message of such stern judgment should come from a 'comforter' reminds us that the same Holy Spirit who inspired the message is both the comforter of believers and the one who convicts the unbelieving world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11).

The object of his message, Nineveh, had a proud history. Even centuries after its ruin, its place may still be identified. By contrast, Nahum came from Elkosh. No-one can now identify the location of Elkosh, and no record remains of Nahum and his family - a nobody from nowhere, with a message concerning the downfall of the world's greatest superpower! Surely the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of man (1 Cor 1:25).

Nahum may have been a nobody, but his soul was aflame with the majesty of God. After the shortest of introductions his vision of God blazed from him (Nah 1:2-6). Here was a man whose mouth had been touched by coals from the altar (Isa 6:6-7).

The world, even though it will not acknowledge them, needs prophets; the need being particularly acute at times when God is 'drawing near' in judgment and mercy. We ourselves live in such times, yet sadly there are few leaders in whose hearts such prophetic fire burns. Could it be that we are so busy carving out our reputations and hurrying about God's business that we have no time left for the holy place?

Better a nobody walking in awe of God's majesty than any amount of human achievement and reputation. Nineveh had plenty of both, but Nahum feared God more than he feared Nineveh.

Better a nobody walking in awe of God's majesty than any amount of human achievement and reputation.

Nahum: The Message

Under Josiah, the people of Judah were once again returning to God and seeking him (2 Chron 34:3), and in fulfilment of his promises God returned to them (cf. Mal 3:7; Nah 1:15). In so doing he would overthrow their enemies. There was a confrontation between Nineveh and Jerusalem, but the outcome was determined by their response to God. It was Nahum's task to bring to both nations the revelation of God's burning holiness.

Nahum, however, perceived more than God's majesty. He saw, in vivid detail, the course and the consequence of God's judgment on Nineveh. Chapter two of his prophecy describes the Assyrians' hopeless attempts to save their city against the onslaught of the invading Medes.

With true insight Nahum sees that these adversaries are not the real enemy. Nineveh has defied God, and the Medes are merely the rod of his wrath. It is God who is against them (Nah 2:13). It is always the prophet's task to see beyond the superficialities of world events to the hand of God that orders them.

When God turns against a nation they are helpless. In the third chapter, Nahum introduces a note of panic. The aggressor has become the victim (Nah 3:1). The rhythm of the poetry changes to one of breathless fear through which again resounds the terrible declaration: "'I am against you', declares the Lord Almighty" (Nah 3:5).

A generation before, Assyria had taunted Jerusalem about its reliance on Egypt (Isa 36:6). Assyria was greater even than Egypt - why should not Jerusalem shelter under her protection (Isa 36:16,17)? Are you really better than Egypt? asks Nahum (Nah 3:8-9). It fell, and so will you, he says (3:10-11).

It is always the prophet's task to see beyond the superficialities of world events to the hand of God that orders them.

A People of Blazing Passion

Nahum stands in the great tradition of the Hebrew prophets: his prophetic word was born in the holy place. There was fire in his message - not the fire of oratory, nor even of poetry, but of the divine presence.

God is looking for men and women who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter the holy place, and who out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him.

Standing in the holy place, he perceived the hand of God behind the events of history. He saw God's hand in the reforms of King Josiah and knew that the Lord was once again with his people. He saw the hand of God stretched out over Nineveh and knew that God had seen enough of the blood and the lies, the plunder and the victims (Nah 3:1). He did not hesitate to declare that God was against that wicked city.

Today, many of God's people are experiencing God's blessing in new ways, and are entering into a depth and reality of relationship with him such as they have never found before. What is to be the fruit of this?

As Christians respond to God's graciously drawing near today, I believe that he is wanting to raise up people who will be prophetic in our day, just as the leaders of revivals were in theirs. In meetings throughout Britain and in many other parts of the world, ordinary Christians are falling to the ground under the power of God's Spirit moving in their lives. One of my colleagues said at such a meeting, "It is not how you go down that matters, it is how you get up." Exactly so.

God is looking for men and women who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter the holy place, and who out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him.

Today we talk of 'blessing,' but God is looking for more than that. He is looking for men and women who may be nobodies in the world's eyes, but who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter into the holy place, and who, out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him, his purity and majesty. Given such people the church will once more be a prophetic voice calling the nations to repentance.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 11 No 1, January 1995.

Clifford Denton considers Jesus' teaching on the end times - and how it sheds new light on Old Testament prophecy.

Messianic expectation is a thread that weaves its way through the entire Old Testament. However, until Jesus the Son of God came to earth, the Messianic scriptures were open to interpretation - as were the scriptures that described the world situation at the end of time.

The interpretations of the chief Rabbinical schools could be so wide of the mark that the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection after death (Matt 22:23). There was much down-to-earth expectation that the prophetic scriptures would be fulfilled on this earth.

For instance, many would have wondered if the occupation of Israel by Rome was the fulfilment of many of the end times passages in the Prophetic books, including the last chapters of Ezekiel and Daniel. This strong belief contributed to Jesus being rejected as Messiah and crucified as a false prophet.

Before Jesus, scriptures about the coming Messiah were open to interpretation – as were those about the end times.

New Light on the Prophets

In the plainest of language, Jesus' explanation of the signs of his return (recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21) sheds new light on the end time prophetic scriptures. Christians tend to read these scriptures in a forward-looking way, but the first disciples would also have looked back to understand in a new way what the Prophets had spoken. So in speaking of the signs of his coming, Jesus prompted his disciples to reconsider the Tanakh (Old Testament) in a new way and a new context.

It was at last possible to interpret the Old Testament prophecies with clarity and connect them up with New Testament prophecy. This is profound! It is as profound as the re-interpretation of the Passover from the exodus out of Egypt to the new birth of the New Covenant. It is as profound as an interpretation of end time scriptures from a focus on an earthly Kingdom in this age to the coming Kingdom of God in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Connecting Prophecy Across the Testaments

Ezekiel 37-39, for example, can be re-read in the context of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. For some Israelites these chapters built an expectation of fulfilment at the time of Rome's rise to power under the Caesars, their world Empire and their domination of Israel. Israel's Messianic expectation was for release from this dominant world empire.

The same is true of Daniel 11-12. Whilst the rise of the abomination of desolation of Daniel 11:31 might once have been attributed to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Hellenistic Seleucid conqueror of Israel, Jesus pointed to a greater fulfilment yet to come (Matt 2:15).

With Jesus' revelations, it became possible to interpret the Old Testament prophecies with new clarity.

Within the command to watch and pray would be the expectation that Jesus' disciples would continue to seek understanding of the times when all these prophecies would be fulfilled.

How far removed Jesus' disciples were from this understanding can be seen in Peter's suggestion when Jesus was transfigured (Matt 17:4) that three tabernacles (sukkot) be constructed, one each for Jesus. Moses and Elijah. He seems to have thought that this was the time of fulfilment of the Feast of Tabernacles - the time when Messiah would come to rule on earth.

Thus Jesus' answer to the question about the signs of his coming (Matt 24:3) would have put a context to all the Messianic scriptures and their fulfilment. While the message of the biblical prophets was couched in mystery, Jesus made their interpretation plain, and caused the disciples to begin to read them afresh and look forward to what would come upon the earth.

Jesus Interprets the Prophets

God prepared the way in the prophecies of the Old Testament for what would come upon this earth at the end of time – and Jesus made these earlier prophecies clear. The events that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24, all in the context of Old Testament prophecy, are:

• Times of deception (24:4)
• False Messiahs (24:5)
• Wars and rumours of wars (24:6)
• Famines, plagues and earthquakes (24:7)
• Great tribulation upon Jesus' disciples and upon his people (24:8-9)
• Division, hate and betrayal (24:10)
• False prophets (24:11)
• Lawlessness (24:12)
• Lack of love among people (24:12)
• A call to endure through these trials with promised salvation to those who hold firm to the end (24:13)
• The Gospel being preached to all nations prior to the end and prior to Jesus' return (24:14)
• A warning sign of the abomination of desolation (24:15)
• Continued warnings of troubled times and how to respond to them (24:15-28)
• Post-tribulation signs in the universe (24:29-30)
• The sign of the Son of Man (24:30)
• Post-tribulation gathering of the elect (24:31)
• Parable of the fig tree, symbolic of the restoration of Israel (24:32)
• Some taken and some left (24:36-42)

Jesus also made it clear how his followers are to behave in the midst of these events, emphasising the importance of watching (24:42) and of maintaining faith, persevering through trials (24:42-49). He also emphasised the surprise element, explaining that nobody will know the exact time of his return – only the signs (24:42-44).

In summary, Jesus told his disciples clearly what to expect and how to respond to the circumstances coming upon the world. He did not give them a time-line so much as a set of events - some of which overlap, others of which are in sequence. Verses 3 to 14 contain the first statement of the events. Verses 15 to 28 address those same events and (following the therefore in verse 15) show us how to respond when a specific sign is seen.

Jesus told his disciples clearly what to expect and how to respond – but he did not give them a time-line.

Verse 29 indicates that Jesus will not return until after this great tribulation. At that time, it will be comparable to the time of Noah (24:37) and this is the time that some will be taken and some left on the earth.

We know from God's covenant with Noah that there will not be a judgment by flood (Gen 9:8-11), so we are left to wonder what the fate of those left on the earth might be.

End Time Fulfilment of Old Testament Prophecy

Our first priority in reading Matthew 24 is to relate it to what the Prophets had already said about the end times. Later, after Jesus had left to be with the Father, further prophecy was given to John, recorded as the Book of Revelation. Just as Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 interpreted prophecies of the Old Testament, so they also interpret Revelation.

This gives us a method of reading Revelation - reading it in the context of both Jesus' clear description of the events of the end times and also what the Old Testament Prophets revealed.

With markers in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and by cross-reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament, we see how the mysterious visions of John echo what Jesus had already told his disciples in the context of what the entire Bible says.

Read the Book of Revelation for yourself and let's look at it together next time.

Next time: Comparing the Book of Revelation with Matthew 24.

Clifford Denton turns his attention to a sensitive topic.

The 'problem' of suffering is, of course, a big and sensitive subject, but it is not as complex to understand as we might think. The difficulty comes when it is suddenly brought close to home; when we or someone close to us is going through a difficult patch - perhaps through sickness - perhaps through some other pressure of life, temporary or permanent. Where is God to be found? Why is he seemingly silent?

The Big Picture

In What the Bible says about the Judgment of God we began with the big picture, which is also the best place to begin here. We live in the period between the Fall and the coming Kingdom of God. We wait for the return of Jesus and the blessed time (pictured in Revelation 21) that eventually will come when there will "be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4).

But in the meantime, the free will of mankind, through the mistakes of Adam and Eve, has led us all to live for a period in a world where Eve was promised pain in childbirth (Gen 3:16) and Adam was promised toil, hard work and difficult circumstances symbolised by thorns and thistles (Gen 3:18-19). Furthermore, the earth was designated a place where satan, the tempter, would be active, living in enmity with mankind (Gen 3:15).

Nevertheless, God made covenant with Abraham which would be fulfilled through Jesus the Messiah, made manifest in terms given through Jeremiah (31:31-33). Despite the Fall and all its consequences, we who live in faith are on a pilgrimage, as it were, to a destination beyond this world's problems, waiting for all the promises of God to be fulfilled in our lives.

Even when the suffering of this world reaches the high pitch of Luke 21, Mark 13 and Matthew 24, Jesus' exhortation to us is not to look at the problems all around but to "look up and lift your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).

We journey through a temporary world where all our experiences become prompts to seek God, personally and together, for help on the way. If there is a primary purpose for all the suffering in the world, it is that we will earnestly seek God. Our priorities should be balanced towards eternal life, but God also sends us help in this life according to his best judgements for us - personally and within the 'big picture'.

If there is a primary purpose for all the suffering in the world, it is that we will earnestly seek God.

Kingdom Now...or Kingdom Coming?

Jesus warned us that there would be false expectations concerning his return (Luke 21:8-19, Matt 24:4-14). The parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matt 25:1-13) warns us that a wrong view of his coming will possibly lead to a falling away for some, through giving up, losing focus and even losing hope. Even in Paul's day, there were those among the Thessalonians who were confused and some who were losing hope (1 Thess 5:1-11; 2 Thess 2:1-17).

So, what are we to expect prior to the Lord's return? A careful reading of Acts 3:18-21 is helpful here - it is like a three-point sermon.

• Point 1 (v18) concerns the prophecies that were fulfilled through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
• Point 2 (v19) exhorts us in the era between his first and second comings to seek the Father through faith in Jesus so that our sins may be blotted out and seek him for times of refreshing.
• Point 3 (v20-21) concerns Jesus' return. He remains in heaven until the time appointed by the Father. The Kingdom of Heaven will not come in fully until then. It is not in the hands of the Lord's disciples to bring in the Kingdom for him. When the King returns he will bring in the complete restoration that we all yearn for - more so as the suffering of the fallen world is magnified. There will be no final Kingdom without the King.

Meanwhile, as Paul also said (Rom 8:23), we have the first-fruits of God's Spirit in us, sufficient for our pilgrimage, our growth in faith and love as we go on to complete our journey. There is no suggestion that the completion will come before the Lord's Kingdom is fully with us, when we will even have new bodies:

I consider that the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies...we wait for it patiently. (Rom 8:18-27)

While we await Jesus' return, we are exhorted to seek the Father for forgiveness, sanctification and times of refreshing. We also have the first-fruits of God's Spirit in us.

Word Study

There are two main Hebrew words that are related with the word suffering, each with a somewhat different emphasis.

One word is natan, meaning to give, cause, perform, allow. Jesus said (Mark 10:14), "suffer the little children to come unto me." This has the sense of allowing something to take place. This is not the same as the other main Hebrew word for suffering, nasa. Nasa has a wide range of meanings including, to bear, exact, stir up. This is the sort of suffering we are considering in this study - the sort of life experience that is a burden and requires perseverance. It is not, however, a punishment.

A corresponding Greek word for suffering of this kind is pasho. It is the suffering of Jesus in Luke 9:22 – "the Son of Man must suffer many things." It is also the suffering referred to by Peter relating to our own pilgrimage (1 Pet 3:14), "if you should suffer for righteousness sake..."

We can bring suffering on ourselves of course, but outside of this if someone is suffering in this world (whether through sickness or some other burden), it should not be seen as a personal judgement of God for their sins. It should be understood in the more general context of the fallen world through which we are all pilgrims.

Some Examples

The Book of Job has been given to us to show that a person may suffer sickness and bereavement and it is far from a punishment for sin. Indeed, much personal suffering is part of one's personal walk with God and may promote questions, test faith and lead to personal growth. This may not always be the case, but there is a message for us all in the experiences of Job that prompt us to be careful of our conclusions and also be careful how we counsel others. A suffering person needs comfort but not misguided comfort from unwise friends!

Whilst we sometimes bring suffering on ourselves, outside of this individual suffering should not be seen as judgment from God for their sins. Job is a prime example.

When Jesus healed the man born blind (John 9), the Lord showed us that some suffering, and the testimony which it produces, brings glory to God and is not to be linked with personal sin (John 9:3). When a faulty tower, perhaps of unsound construction, fell and killed 18 people in Siloam (Luke 13:4), it was a lesson that sin is not necessarily attributed to those who suffer most from the consequences of a sinful world.

Sickness or suffering of other kinds, though not always so, can be a result of satan's schemes, for example, the man in the caves of Gadara (Matt 8:28) and the infirm woman (Luke 13:16). We must be careful when to discern the direct workings of satan and when not.

Jesus went about healing and delivering many people, to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom and as a testimony to who he was – the Lord, with power to forgive sin and to heal (for example, Matt 11:2-6, Matt 9:1-8). Yet, some he healed and some he did not heal. He healed as a response to faith (eg Luke 8:48) and also when he was filled with overwhelming compassion (Matthew 9:36). He gave us no expectation that all sickness and suffering would be removed from the world prior to his return, yet showed us that God does respond to faith – which itself is a gift from him (1 Cor 12:9).

Suffering, Testing and Comfort

A wide-ranging study of this subject would show that there is no easy formula to explain why a person is suffering in some way. We are taught not to be downcast, but to look up. We are exhorted to grow in faith through the exercise of our experiences. In our individual lives we will have unique opportunities to seek God and help one another, exercise the gifts and ministries we have been given (1 Cor 12) and grow together in the midst of a suffering world. Furthermore, when we ourselves are seen as suffering we are in a position to both sympathise and witness to a real faith in Jesus.

Returning to questions we posed at the beginning: where is God to be found in our sufferings - and why does he sometimes seem silent? The answer is that he is always close (consider again the testimony of Job). It is a surprising experience of those with faith in Jesus that suffering brings us to seek God more rather than less. It is an evidence of overcoming and an exercise of our faith. Those without such faith are more likely to draw further from God. The seeming temporary silence of God is all part of this process of testing our faith, exercising it and growing it.

In suffering, God is always close – and for those with faith in Jesus, suffering brings us to draw even nearer to him.

We cannot do what Jesus did for us on the Cross, but we are able to witness to it in this world of suffering. It is our privilege to identify with the suffering of Jesus, as pointed out by Paul (Galatians 1:24), who filled up in his flesh "what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

Just as the apostles rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41), so we can come to a point of maturity where we "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, because we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2). Of course this does not mean we should artificially look to bring suffering upon ourselves to seem more holy; rather it means that we have a wise perception of the subject of suffering in this world.

A word to be held in tension with suffering is comfort. Isaiah 40:1-2 speaks of the comfort to be given to those suffering for the outworking covenant purposes of God. No-one has suffered more than Jesus in this respect, though Israel has had its share of suffering. We too must learn to live with the suffering in this world and comfort one another. Paul said (2 Cor 1:3-7):

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings as we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

This is a brief study on a huge and central subject in our lives as pilgrims journeying between the Fall and full restoration. Let us seek to achieve a balanced perspective as we go into testing days ahead, constantly seeking God - each on our individual journey.

The subject of God's judgment is a tricky one for Christians and as such it is often avoided - but what does Scripture teach us?

The subject of judgment is a tricky one for Christians and as such it is often avoided, lest we put people off God by positioning him as vindictive, just waiting for an opportunity to trap us in our errors and pour out his wrath.

The Bible teaches us that God is pure and holy and unable to compromise - yet also full of compassion and love. He will shake the nations if necessary - or leave us to our own devices, like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. Yet, also like this father, he mourns for his child and desires redemption and restored relationship.

Through a full and balanced reading of Scripture we come to know the emotions of our God that bring mercy balanced with justice in the context of judgments that can shock, punish, bless or restore individuals and nations.

Judgment in Hebrew: mishpat

When we talk of 'judgment', what do we actually mean? The Hebrew word for judgment is mishpat. It is a word with legal connotations, meaning a verdict (either favourable or unfavourable). Judgment of God is not only associated with woe and punishment – it can also be to do with blessing. Simply put, biblical 'judgment' refers to the judicial decisions God makes as he interacts with mankind. Our closest analogy is a court of law where a judge sums up the evidence and makes a decision concerning right and wrong, justice and mercy.

This, however, is an insufficient picture, because it sets God into a framework of constantly presiding over a law court. His relationship with mankind is deeper than that, being founded on pure love and desire for fellowship with the people he created. God as judge is active in his responses to the world situation - not passively judging from afar.

The Hebrew language is more verb-orientated than noun-orientated - the Hebrew words for judging and judgments imply action. Unlike human judges, who endeavour to stand back from the circumstances presented to them in order to make an impartial decision, God interacts with his creation with his own righteous agenda, working to bring about his own purposes.

Nevertheless, it is important for us to know that judgments of God can be favourable or unfavourable, depending on the circumstances of our walk with him.

God is active and involved in the world situation, not passively judging from afar.

Judges Appointed by Moses

God also gives his people some responsibility to make judgments themselves. For instance, Moses appointed judges. The Hebrew word for these judges is shophatim, derived from the same root word as mishpat. Exodus 18 contains the account of the appointment of these first judges from the elders of Israel.

Moses was to "teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do" (18:20) and the elders were to "judge the people at all times ...every small matter they shall judge...the hard cases they brought to Moses" (18:22, 26) who stood before God for the people (18:19).

Some disputes were to be settled as in a court of law, but this was just a part of the picture. The main purpose of the judges was to help the people of God to understand how to walk with him, according to his teaching (Torah). The picture is of people desiring to have a close walk with God and wanting to get it right. The elders settled the simpler interpretations of Torah and Moses, who was the intercessor for the people, took the hardest cases to God.

In Moses' time, judges were appointed to help the people understand how to walk closely with God. They wanted to get it right.

With this picture in the background, we can begin a balanced study of what else the Bible says about the judgments of God. We can also form an idea of God's vision for justice and mercy for all nations.

The Big Picture

God's first decision (judgment) regarding the world was to create it! Into the world he placed people with free wills. How he weighed up the risks and the consequences is not in our ability to understand, but his decision was made with the logic of Heaven.

The first consequential judgment came at the Fall, when God judged to send mankind forth from Eden into this imperfect world environment. Our need to struggle against sin and to experience sickness and all other evils is a consequence of God's judgment on Adam's and Eve's sin. Additionally, that same satan that tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden and Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4) is allowed by God to tempt us too (James 1:13-15, 4:7-10, Luke 22:3, 22:31).

God has decided that this will remain the condition of the world until the time he returns and brings in a new heaven and a new earth, as described in the Book of Revelation. We may not understand this fully, but we must accept the nature of this world's imperfections, both physical and spiritual, and – crucially - discover God's purposes in them. Indeed, how mankind responds to these circumstances gives rise to further judgments from God.

The Great Flood

The Great Flood at the time of Noah indicates the seriousness of our need to seek God and follow his ways. The consequences of mankind using their free will to walk away from God brought the judgment of the Flood.

Yet what was in God's heart when he "was sorry that he had made man on the earth" (Gen 6:6)? Scripture says that "he was grieved" (Gen 6:6). This is the same God who looked on his creation and judged "that it was very good" (Gen 1:31). The judgments of God well up out of the emotions of his pure heart. The results can be catastrophic - but God suffers too.

God's judgments well up out of the emotions of his pure heart. The result might be catastrophic for humans – but God suffers too.

Covenants and Conditions

When God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, and through Jeremiah, he established parameters for his judgments.

One of the 'biggest' words in the Bible is if. God's covenants with Noah and Abraham placed responsibility upon God himself. There were no ifs. God's decision (judgment) was to ensure seedtime and harvest for all generations so that he could draw a covenant family to himself, whatever it would take for him and for us to accomplish this.

Yet conditions for human beings were also made clear within this overall plan - especially in the covenant made with Moses – conditions not for ensuring its ultimate fulfilment (God's responsibility), but laying out the consequences for their obedience and disobedience within it. So, up until the coming of Messiah, Deuteronomy 27 and 28 were the conditions for God's covenant with Israel. These passages are full of ifs: blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience.

Studied carefully, we can discern that God will bring about growing hardship for his people if they disobey the terms of the covenant, bringing initial signs in the physical environment and eventually, if necessary, even removing them for a time from their Promised Land. Later, the Prophets were sent to remind Israel of the covenant and interpret the signs of judgment around them (eg see Amos 4, which can be read alongside Deuteronomy 27 and 28).

In the Mosaic covenant God laid out conditions for his people – blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Yet, always remember the heart of God for his people. It was not with a vindictive attitude that God sent his people to exile in Babylon. The tears of Jeremiah over fallen Jerusalem (read the Book of Lamentations!) are a prophetic insight into the sadness of God. This sadness can be contrasted with the joy of God over his people when his judgments have brought blessing (reflected wonderfully in many Psalms and in the Song of Songs).

Removing Protection

When God sent Israel into captivity, he took away the nation's protection and allowed their enemies to prevail. He always takes responsibility (read Habakkuk, for example); he ensured that those who were used to sift Israel were themselves to be judged (see, for example, Ezekiel 35). But this principle of taking away protection is a key to understanding many of God's corrective judgments in the world today, as well as in the history of Israel (eg Num 14:9; Ezra 9:9; Ps 64; Isa 25:1-4, 30:13).

If we reject the protection of God, or if he himself removes it, we are vulnerable to the dangers of the world and of our unseen spiritual enemies, and also the consequences of our own sin and foolishness.

The judgment of God, therefore, is often outworked when he takes his protection away, so that we discover our need of him. We are in a fallen world, subject to temptation and the results of evil all around – but remember that this is the world where God sent Adam and Eve because of their own rebellion against him. In a way, then, we can bring judgment on ourselves by rejecting the protection of God. This applies to belief in Jesus too, and the invitation to eternal life through faith in him (John 3:18).

Conditions for Israel

There is always a way back - even for a nation. It is not God's desire to punish, but to redeem. Solomon prayed to God when the Temple was consecrated; God answered and gave conditions for the restoration of Israel, even if they were scattered across the earth. The prayer and God's response (2 Chron 6-7) should be read in full - carefully.

There is always a way back – even for a nation. God's desire is not to punish, but to redeem.

The verse that is well-known is 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land." The history of Israel (whether within God's blessings or curses) depends on their living by faith and obedience according to the Torah given through Moses. Yet, even at the extremity of God's judgments, God has covenant promises which means he will never abandon them completely.

Though the above show God's character, compassion and forgiveness and therefore give hope to any nation, the context of the passage is a promise directly for Israel as God's chosen nation. Sometimes we of another nation would like to read it as directly to us, but that would mean that we have a covenant with God like Israel has. We must not take this lightly or become fanciful and confused. The principles for any nation are found in Jeremiah 18.

Conditions for Any Nation

Jeremiah was shown at the potter's house that, like a potter re-modelling clay, God could re-model even a Gentile nation. The promise was similar to 2 Chronicles 7:14 but subtly different. We might think that we could read 2 Chronicles 7:14 as being that if Christians pray earnestly then God would heal their land. However, Jeremiah 18:7-10 requires that the nation as a whole repents and seeks God. Of course Christians can intercede, but ultimately the nation must come to God as a whole.

Rather than 2 Chronicles 7:14, it would be more realistic for Christians to place their hope in and quote "If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring on it" (Jer 18:8).

Nevertheless, the God of judgment is also a God of redemption and signs of his judgment always come with hope. Indeed, we can see God's judgments as having the purpose of redemption, being designed to turn hearts back to him.

God's word contains promises of hope to both Israel and to Gentile nations – his judgments always have the purpose of redemption.

Favour Before Woe

This is "the year of the Lord's favour" (Isa 61:2; Luke 4:18-19) and not yet "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isa 61:2b). This is the period of God's covenant purposes when he is holding out a hand of mercy to all that will turn to him from any nation.

When this phase of God's purposes for redemption is over, his promised judgments will be termed woes because they will have the purpose of punishment rather than refinement. This is what we find in Revelation 18. Though this day will come we are not there yet! This is important to remember because the way we understand the judgments of God influences the way we understand his character.

Justice and Mercy

The weeping of Jeremiah over Jerusalem, recorded in the Book of Lamentations, is echoed in the weeping of Jesus over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and is to be borne in mind as we read Luke 21 and Matthew 24. The judgments of God, first on Jerusalem in 70 AD, and on Israel in exile since then, and the mighty signs and judgments in the world and on all nations are necessary. They are in the context of a gathering from all nations of God's covenant people as the Gospel goes out. James understood the balance in God's heart when he wrote "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).

This points us to the Cross of Jesus Christ where, in the judgment of the Father, the Lord took all the pain of the sin of the world upon himself. (Selah – pause and reflect)

Furthermore, the immense happenings in this world described by Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are not so much judgments, but signs of the Lord's return (Matt 24:3). We draw near to the momentous climax of this world's existence – no wonder there is such a shaking! Such is needed to draw mankind's attention to God and his covenant purposes.

The immense shakings going on in the world are not so much judgments as signs of the Lord's return.

Without compromise God is moving through history, gathering his community who will experience the reverse of the Fall, whilst the wider consequences of human sin bring us to the climax of history - Jesus' return and God's final judgment of all people.

The Prophetic Task

So what is God doing and why? Well, we need only glance at current world affairs to know that God is not careless about our world and is working out his own purposes – including his chief goal of preparing a people of his own for the time of Jesus' return.

Though his ways are beyond our full understanding, we can gain insights that are sufficient for our day-to-day lives. Let us as a prophetic people be sure to understand the heart of our God so that we can truly understand the times and know what must be done.

An important aspect of the prophet's ministry is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God in repentance and obedience.

The word of God teaches us that, "We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isa 53:6). Here is a characteristic shared by every member of the human family. We may differ as to age, sex, colour, race and nationality, but all have this in common: we have strayed from the right path and have obstinately chosen to go our own way and to do our own thing.

An important aspect of the prophet's ministry, not only in Old and New Testament times but also today, is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God at a level of repentance that leads to future obedience.

The Sending of Prophets

"Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, 'Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions'..." (Jer 35:15). Their message was, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isa 30:15 RSV). The NIV translates the Hebrew word shuvah, which means 'to turn back', as 'repentance'. Constantly the prophets call for God's people to return to Yahweh. "Come, let us return to the Lord...Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God...Return to me with all your heart...Take words with you and return to the Lord...Return to me and I will return to you" (Hos 6:1, 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Mal 3:7).

The Blessings Promised to Those Who Return

The first blessing was that of forgiveness. "Let the wicked forsake his way...let him turn to the Lord, and he will have rnercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isa 55:7). "I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you" (Isa 44:22).

As well as pardon for the past the people were promised a new beginning. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...and move you...to keep my laws" (Ezek 36:26-27). "I will give them a heart to know me...they will be my people...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:7).

Those who return to the Lord are promised many blessings, including forgiveness and a new beginning.

They would be brought back to inherit the land. "I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:6-7). They would enjoy material blessings, as Moses had promised to God's people: "All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (Deut 28:1-12). "'Test me in this', says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the flood-gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Mal 3:10).

Disasters Threatening Those Who Turn from God

The prophets of the Bible have no hesitation in believing and proclaiming that God is behind all things that happen, including unpleasant and frightening events: "I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isa 45:7). Jeremiah announces that disaster is on its way and that it behoves God's people to turn from their evil ways: "This is what the Lord says: 'Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways...'" (Jer 18:11). When Baruch, Jeremiah's assistant, wrote a fresh scroll to replace the one King Jehoiakim had burnt, all the threats of coming disaster were repeated along with "many similar words..." (Jer 36:32).

According to the story of Jonah, a threatened disaster was averted when men repented. "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10). The opposite was the case in the time of Isaiah. In his ninth and tenth chapters is a phrase that repeats four times: "For all this his anger is not turned away, his arm is still upraised" (Isa 9:12, 9:17, 9:21, 10:4). In the Good News Bible this passage reads, "Yet even so the Lord's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish."

When men do not respond to disaster, the result can be only that greater disaster will come upon them. This is surely a salutary thought for us as we think back over the series of disasters we have witnessed or experienced in Britain during recent times.

Those who refuse to turn bring disaster upon themselves - and when they do not respond to this, the result can only be greater disaster.

Another aspect of the prophets' ministry is to draw their listeners' attention to crises that have occurred. The book of Amos contains a striking example of such action. In chapter 4 (verses 6-11) he reminds them of the disasters that had occurred. These included famine, drought, blight, locusts, plague, war and raging fire. One recurrent phrase in these verses sounds like a death-knell: "'Yet you have not returned to me', declares the Lord." God does not want to have to bring ever more serious disasters - that is not his nature or desire - but it may become inevitable, "You crushed them but they refused correction They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent" (Jer 5:3).

Why Do People Turn from God?

1. Because they do not know God's word.

Jeremiah writes of the people and their leaders, "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" (Jer 5:4-5). It is a very sad situation when the ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders because they have rejected the revealed word of God. Like so many today, they are left with only the unsure ground of situation ethics as the nations plunge further and further into moral chaos.

2. Because they listen to false prophets.

"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you, they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds..." As a result of this error, "From the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land" (Jer 23:15-16). How sad that when the ministry of the prophet was so needed, as in Jerusalem then and in our situation today, we are confronted by so-called prophets who have not heard from God at all, but speak forth their own dreams and delusions. "...prophets who prophesy the delusions of their own minds...[they] prophesy false dreams...and lead my people astray with their reckless lies..." (Jer 23:26, 23:32).

It is of vital importance today that the stream of prophecy is kept clear by careful observance of the scriptural rules laid down for us in the New Testament. If we tolerate human traditions and unscriptural practices, we may lose the effective working of a very precious and necessary gift.

It is a sad situation when ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders, because they too have rejected the revealed word of God.

3. Because they fail to learn from the mistakes of others.

In the time of King Josiah, the prophet Jeremiah received a word from the Lord condemning Judah for copying the behaviour of her 'adulterous sister' Israel (Jer 3:6-10). "I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no tear she also went out and committed adultery" (Jer 3:8). We see many examples of wrong behaviour, especially in the area of sexual morality. Sadly, some of these have been within the Christian church; sadder still, a few have been among its leaders.

We need prophets today who are not afraid to remind God's people of the standards laid down in his word. But at all times they should avoid that judgmental and critical spirit which hurts yet more and condemns. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Gal 6:1).

The Folly of Not Returning to God

According to one of the Church Fathers, "Outside of God there is nothing but death." Therefore, the only sensible thing for anyone to do is to return to God. Ezekiel is feeling the urgency of the matter when he cries out, "Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek 33:11). He makes it clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked rather "...am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"

Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness of living or dying without God and consequently the stupidity of concentrating all our efforts on amassing this world's goods arid striving for its fame Jesus was speaking very much to the point when he said of the rich man, in his story, "You fool!" (Luke 12:20).

Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness and folly of living or dying without God.

The Blessedness of Turning Back to God

God is holy, and he is a God of justice and judgment. But Scripture teaches that judgment is his "strange work...his alien task" (Isa 28:21). There is no doubt that in this injunction he is providing an example to prophets. Justice and judgment must have their rightful place in the ministry of today's prophets. "If I have the gift of prophecy...but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2). In Jesus' greatest story we see an example of the love that should characterise all his followers. Whatever they have done in the past, "Let's celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:24).

The Reward for the Prophets Who Turn Men to Righteousness

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead [RSV 'turn'] many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever" (Rev 12:3). It is true that "we all like sheep have gone astray" (Isa 53:6). We all have an inborn determination to do what we want to do. Sadly, Scripture points out that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov 14:12).

We did not find the right road by our own cleverness but by the grace and mercy of God. Now we in turn must share what we have experienced. It is just such prophets who will shine, because they have turned others from their sins and have played some part in returning them to the Father and to home.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 5, September/October 1990.