Christians have a choice: apostasy and judgment, or faithfulness and preparation?

Anti-Semitic protests reveal national rebellion against God.

The newly-retired chief executive of Christian Witness to Israel, one of several movements dedicated to sharing the gospel with the Jewish community, has warned of a "battle royal" over the Balfour Declaration this coming year.

Mike Moore was referring to the forthcoming centenary celebrations of the British Government's 1917 pledge to do all in its power to help Jews return to their ancient Middle East homeland. We have already witnessed the chaotic launch of a campaign to persuade the government to apologise for Balfour – a House of Lords meeting where Jews were even accused of bringing the Holocaust on themselves.¹

That led to the resignation from the Liberal Democrat Party of the meeting's host, Baroness Tonge. And the British Government has now supported an anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations that completely undermines legitimate Jewish rights to the city of Jerusalem and, in particular, Judaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount.₂

We have also seen a significant rise in anti-Israel protests on university campuses and elsewhere, causing London's Metropolitan Police to request organisers of pro-Israel gatherings not to disclose the venue of their meetings in the interests of their own safety.

Indeed, the UK Government has responded to these worrying developments by allocating over £13 million towards the security of its Jewish institutions following 924 reports of anti-Semitic incidents last year including 86 violent assaults.³

The former chief executive of Christian Witness to Israel has warned of a "battle royal" over the Balfour Declaration this coming year.

Balfour: from 1917 to 2017

Why is the Balfour issue in particular causing such a stir? The short answer can be summed up as rebellion against God and his plans, both for the salvation of all through his Son and for restoration of his chosen people – to the land promised them for millennia and to Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah known to Westerners as Jesus.

The timing of the declaration by Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur James Balfour in November 1917 could not have been more precise, coming just weeks before the capture of Jerusalem by British and Allied forces led by General Edmund Allenby, ending 400 years of rule under the Turkish Ottoman Empire and handing to Britain on a plate the means by which they could honour their pledge.

It could not have happened in today's politically-correct climate which has seen the Bible almost entirely marginalised from our culture – and certainly from the corridors of power. But in 1917 things were very different. Britain was at the zenith of its power and influence - largely, I believe, through honoring God and sending out missionaries to many parts of the world.

Biblical Revival and its Fruit

The preaching of the Gospel and the application of biblical teaching to everyday life had been going on for well over a century, courtesy of what has become known as the Great Evangelical Revival, which had a direct effect on the social welfare of the nation, considerably reducing the crime rate for one thing.

Crime rates fell dramatically throughout the 19th Century, so that by 1870 there were only 10,000 in the jails of England and Wales. But even more remarkable was the continuing fall over the next few decades, so that by 1910 there were only 3,000 prisoners in the nation's jails, despite the population rising from 25 to 35 million.⁴

Why is the Balfour issue in particular causing such a stir? The short answer can be summed up as rebellion against God and his plans.

With today's population at 60 million, our jails are full to capacity with 80,000 prisoners, and bear in mind that many Victorian inmates would only have been regarded as petty criminals today.

The contrast is staggering. There is no more room in our overcrowded prisons, and yet we live in a more lenient society (with some exceptions of course, such as the repeated injustice meted out to Christians).

Widespread Biblical Literacy

During the famous Welsh Revival in 1904, crime was almost non-existent in some places, leaving police with little to do, while the pit ponies (used down the coal mines) are said to have no longer understood the commands of their masters whose foul language had been cleaned up.

It was this revival of biblical Christianity that changed everything for the Jewish people. It meant that the generations preceding the Balfour Declaration were made aware that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still has a special love for his chosen people, whatever they may have done to disown him, and that national prosperity was dependent on our blessing the seed of Abraham (Gen 12:3).

Men of influence understood this well – among them General Allenby himself, who had prayed for Israel's restoration as a young boy, and in the end was used by God to help bring it about.⁵ With the bridge to neighbouring Jordan named after him, Allenby is still honoured in Israel.

Britain's pledge to help the Jews recover their homeland could not have happened in today's politically-correct climate.

Not Today

Tragically, today's generation is biblically illiterate, knowing almost nothing of our precious Judeo-Christian heritage. On a recent train journey to London, I heard a young boy pointing at a tall church steeple in Grantham, Lincolnshire (typical of many in the land), asking his dad: "What is that? Is it Big Ben?" (We were still 110 miles from London). The irony is that Virgin Trains, who sold me the ticket, advertise their service with the slogan 'Be bound for glory', taken from the traditional gospel song This train is bound for glory.

Recent generations in this great country have rebelled against God, and a glorious future for ourselves and our nation is only possible if we get back on track with the biblical truth that tells of a Heaven to be gained and a Hell to be shunned.

Jesus is the only way to glory. If your intended destination is Heaven and eternal life, then you need to take the gospel train that leads to Jesus, who said: "I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

References

1 Battle ensues over Balfour, Israel Today, 3 November 2016.

2 Christians United for Israel UK, 5 December 2016.

3 World Israel News, 5 December 2016.

4 Hill, C. The Great Evangelical Revival. Prophecy Today UK, 30 September 2016.

5 Jonathan Cahn, TBN UK, 20 November 2016.

Shocking anti-Semitism as Britain prepares to celebrate.

As British Christians prepare to celebrate a famous milestone in Jewish history, battle lines are being drawn up and some shots have already been fired in anger.

Passions of indignation from left-wing politicians and others are being stirred in response to plans for marking the centenary next year of the Balfour Declaration, through which the British Government promised to do all in its power to facilitate the return to their ancient homeland of the Jewish people.

From Balfour to the Birth of Israel

Lord Arthur Balfour was British Foreign Secretary at the time, the Government having over the previous century been influenced by a succession of anointed Christian leaders – such as William Wilberforce, Charles Spurgeon, Lord Shaftesbury and Bishop J C Ryle – along with the fledgling Zionist movement among the Jews themselves.

As it happened, Britain was perfectly positioned to fulfil the pledge she had made within weeks of this announcement, when General Edmund Allenby and his forces marched into Jerusalem to end 400 years of Turkish rule over the region.

It should not, of course, have taken another 31 years for the Jewish state to be re-born, but this extraordinary political act clearly paved the way for this eventual outcome. And it is something for which British people can be justly proud, in spite of the unnecessary delays caused by appeasement in the face of Arab opposition.

The extraordinary Balfour Declaration paved the way for the Jewish state to be re-born.

New and Old Denials

But the tide of world opinion has once more turned against God's chosen people. In 2017 we will also be marking the 70^th anniversary of the United Nations vote recognising Israel - in which Britain shamefully abstained. But it was carried by the required two-thirds majority, to the great jubilation of world Jewry along with Bible-believing Christians across the globe who were excited by the imminent fulfilment of many ancient prophecies about the return of exiled Jews from the four corners of the earth.

But now this same body has denied historic Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, recognising them only as Muslim holy sites. Since Islam only emerged in the 7^th Century AD, and mountains of archaeological and biblical evidence point to Jewish existence in Jerusalem for thousands of years, how absurd is that?

As Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu put it, "To declare that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall is like saying that China has no connection to the Great Wall of China or that Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids."¹

Anti-Semitism in the House of Lords

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority leaders have – not for the first time – threatened to sue the British Government over Balfour! Perhaps this is what encouraged the outrageous meeting held last week in the House of Lords – called to launch a campaign to apologise for the Balfour Declaration – in which Jews were blamed for the Holocaust.

Hosted by Baroness Tonge, a former Liberal Democrat MP who sits as an independent, the meeting provoked concern about the level of anti-Semitic discourse in mainstream politics and sparked off the subsequent resignation from the party of the Baroness. An Israeli Embassy spokesman described the gathering as "a shameful event".²

Participants at the event said that some in attendance made anti-Semitic statements, including blaming Jews or Zionists for the Holocaust. Participants also reportedly drew comparisons between Israel and Islamic terrorists.³

Last week a campaign was launched calling for Britain to apologise for the Balfour Declaration.

This is just the latest in a series of such occurrences involving Tonge, who recently blamed Israel's treatment of Palestinian Arabs for the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain. In July this year she said that "the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel is a major cause of the rise of extreme Islamism and ISIS."⁴ Back in 2004, she said she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she were an Arab living in the Palestinian Authority.

Violence on Campus

Also in London last week, police were called to the University College after anti-Israel protesters stormed an event organised by pro-Israel advocacy groups. Things were said to have "got out of hand" and officers apparently warned attendees to stay inside for their own protection.⁵

A similar event took place at King's College, London, earlier this year when protesters violently disrupted a talk by Ami Ayalon, ex-Commander of the Israeli Navy and former head of the Shin Bet internal security operation.⁶

The Ultimate Battle Lines

Attempts by the UN and others to rewrite history will ultimately fail because God will have the last word. In Zechariah 12:3, the Bible warns that a day will come when the nations will attempt to wrestle Jerusalem from the Jewish people. But they will only 'injure' themselves.

Better to give up opposing Israel now than face the fury of the Lord when he comes in his glory round about the time this prophesied event occurs (read Zechariah 12-14).

Jesus, the Jew, is coming back to reign on earth. Make sure you are on his side!

Notes

1 Ravid, B and Khouri, J. UNESCO backs motion nullifying Jewish ties to Temple Mount. Haaretz, 13 October 2016. See also Prophecy Today commentary, 14 October 2016.

2 Dominic Kennedy, The Times of London, 27 October 2016.

3 Arutz-7/Jerusalem News Network, 31 October 2016.

4 Ibid.

5 Algemeiner/Jerusalem News Network News Network, 31 October 2016.

6 Ibid.

We re-print an important article on Britain and the EU, by former Speaker of the House of Commons, Viscount Tonypandy.

Viscount Tonypandy, former Speaker of the House of Commons and a committed Christian, was a supporter of Prophecy Today and gave us this article which we published in Vol 13(3), May 1997.

It was a time when Britain was being pressed to join the Common Monetary Fund and there were calls for a Referendum. We feel that it is still very relevant for today.

DEFENCE OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Viscount Tonypandy speaks out about the dangers of Britain being drawn more into the European Union

Because ancient tradition requires former Speakers of the House of Commons to avoid involvement in party political affairs, I want to begin by asserting that the future destiny of this land is not a party political issue, it is bigger than that.

It is for this reason I support the initiative in forcing the question of the European Union onto centre stage. Our people have been kept in the dark about Europe, and many have been lulled into the belief that our future is sustainable only if we obey the diktats of non-elected Brussels bureaucrats.

Losing our Liberties

We are experiencing an unprecedented erosion of our traditional liberties; as both our fishermen and our farmers can testify. We are also suffering an ever increasing interference in our domestic, social, political and economic life. We realise how much dust has been thrown in our eyes, so that we have not properly seen where we are being led.

Monumental and historic decisions have been taken in our name, but they have not been made fully public. A supreme example of this chicanery is provided by our famous Fisheries Act which prevented Spanish fishermen sailing under our flag and taking a quota of the fish allocated to us. After the Bill had careful scrutiny in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords it was sent to the Privy Council where the Queen in person gave her approval. Thus it became law – or so we thought! How wrong we were!

The politically motivated European Court of Justice instructed us that our Fisheries Act was illegal. They defined limits on what our Parliament could legislate. Our Westminster Parliament was humiliatingly put behind the European Union! As a further measure of contempt for Westminster, Europe proceeded to give the bullying Spanish fishermen authority to demand compensation for the period that our Privy Council and our Parliament, by our legislation, kept them out of our waters.

What has happened to this proud nation that we allow anyone to treat us in this arrogant way? Has our pride already been consigned to the history book? Nay, I do not believe that. A national referendum is vital to prove that the fallacy is wrong.

We are still proud to be British and no German dominated European Union will ever succeed in crushing that pride.

Britain today is stirring anxiously as it is beginning to realise the extent of the betrayals we have suffered. Our young people are awakening to the peril threatening their future.

Common Market

The largest Common Market in the world is that forged by Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. They function quite successfully without a common currency! They do not intervene in each other's internal affairs. They are not troubled by calls for integration or by threats to each other's national sovereignty. That sort of common market makes sense. It was for that sort of common market, and only that sort, that Britain linked with Europe!

We have been victims of deceit! Britain said 'yes' to the type of common market we see across the Atlantic. As for a common parliament and a common bank – we have never had an opportunity to give our opinion.

Intrigue in high places has embargoed knowledge of secret negotiations reaching the people. In the name of human rights, we demand the chance to decide our own destiny that is the real issue at this time.

Chancellor Kohl's Aim

Listen to the chilling words of German Chancellor Kohl when he was addressing his own people earlier this year (1997). "The future will belong to the Germans – when we build a house of Europe."

Forgetting that the world was listening he added, "In the next two years we will make the process of European integration irreversible. This is a really big battle, but it is worth the fight."

It certainly was for Germany! As for us, if we fail to read the menace in the German Chancellor's announcement of his aims we shall betray our heritage. When German chancellors outline in advance what their intentions are, it is criminal irresponsibility not to take their threats seriously (surely that is a lesson we have learned from history after two world wars!).

We said yes to a common market - as for a common parliament and common bank, we have never had the opportunity to give our opinion.

Parliamentary Government

My life has centred around Parliamentary Government in this country. I hold it in the highest esteem, because I know that Parliament is not a caucus of clever creatures who are free to do what they like in Government. The House of Commons is an assembly dependent on a mandate from the nation. And every Government is answerable to the House of Commons.

No cabal of politicians elected for a maximum of five years' service as MPs without any guarantee that they will be even Members in any subsequent Parliament has ever been trusted with a mandate to diminish our heritage, or to barter away our liberties.

The question of a single European currency involves explosive consequences for the UK. We are fortunate because we have one of the most sophisticated electorates in the world; our people have an instinct that alerts them to any threat to our democratic way of life. When we, the British people, are given the vital information, we will tell Parliament the direction in which we demand to go. They will not tell us. We will tell them. Our intellectuals are not less able to assess conflicting issues than are our parliamentarians.

In Britain, parliamentarians serve the people. They do not tell us which direction to take - we tell them.

A referendum, conducted before our Government takes decisions concerning either a single currency or irreversible integration, will compel the production of facts that the electorate has every right to know, but which have not hitherto been fully revealed.

British Constitution

Our unwritten constitution is based on a sure foundation, that has served us well for centuries and that is that no Parliament can bind its successors. Yet this fundamental principle disappears if we integrate with the European Union or have a single European Currency which would make it inevitable. Our gold and currency reserves would be handed over to the European Central Bank in Germany as a 'common resource'. Every future parliament in Britain would be bound and manacled to the biased Brussels bureaucrats.

If any future parliament in this land says, "Enough is enough; we wish to readjust our relationship with you", do you think that the Frankfurt Bank would return our gold and currency reserves? Of course not! Chancellor Kohl has outlined his plans for Europe and I take him seriously. He has warned us that he is intent on making integration irreversible.

Once integrated, there will be no getting out. Integration would be the unforgivable crime of yielding up the liberties and rights for which so many of our compatriots nobly fought and died.

Those who believe that they can frighten or bully us into accepting integration make an old mistake. They underestimate the character of the British people; apparent apathy is grievously misleading to them: a steel-like determination to survive as a nation is part of our make-up.

Those who believe they can frighten or bully us into accepting integration underestimate the character of the British people.

Economic Issues

We fool ourselves when we talk of economic advantages in belonging to the European Union. Europe, sadly, is a diminishing not an expanding factor in world trade. Its significance in world markets diminishes daily. This is not my opinion. It is a fact. In any case we shall continue to trade with Europe, even if we are outside the Economic Monetary Union, but never forget global trade is our vital lifeline for our island history.

We need a referendum badly and we need it before any new decisive moves are made by any Government in this country concerning Europe. For me, the issue towers over party political considerations. It is a concern whether this nation survives with its cherished liberties or not. Give us a referendum in time and we will survive. I am in harmony with the sturdy defence of our British Parliament advanced by my predecessors in the Speaker's Chair in the House of Commons.

For me to remain silent now would be an act of treason, for such cowardice would betray the noble heritage handed on to me by former Speakers of the House of Commons.

God bless your efforts, as you battle for Britain, I wish you well.