An Anatolian Awakening

2016 was a turbulent and difficult year by most accounts. How can believers position themselves wisely as we move into 2017?

The New Year 2017 started very much as the old year 2016 ended, with the battle for Brexit growing in intensity. The resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers shook the Whitehall political establishment – or so it was reported. But did he jump or was he pushed? Clearly Sir Ivan could not have led Britain's negotiations to leave the EU successfully when he had a clear preference to remain within the European Union.

Sir Tim Barrow, the new British ambassador to the EU. See Photo Credits.In biblical terms, the principle that can be applied to such negotiations was clearly stated by Jesus, "Whoever is not with me is against me" (Matt 12:30). In this instant, it would certainly not have been in Britain's interest to have negotiations led by a man whose heart was not in the task of achieving a successful outcome.

Theresa May moved swiftly to replace him with another career civil servant who has publicly committed himself to Brexit. Sir Tim Barrow was British Ambassador to Russia from 2011 to 2015 and while in Moscow he established his reputation as a keen negotiator who will give support and advice to our politicians in the coming months of talks in Brussels.

Greater Problems to Come

The Brexit battle is by no means over and may be expected to grow even more intense as the date for triggering Article 50 approaches. But there are much greater problems on the horizon for the coming year, with the turmoil in the Middle East increasing by the day and the threat of terrorism right across Europe a constant anxiety.

The good news is that the threat of terrorist attacks in Europe initiated by ISIS may be diminishing now that the border between Syria and Turkey has been closed, due to Turkey's reaction to ongoing ISIS' atrocities against soft civilian targets (such as the New Year attack upon a nightclub in Istanbul).

The Brexit battle is by no means over and may grow more intense as the date for triggering Article 50 approaches.

These attacks have hardened Turkish public opinion and strengthened the military determination to close the long border with Syria. The effect of this is to deny ISIS direct access to the West and reduce its capacity to recruit and to infiltrate its fighters into Europe. But European nations must face the threat of terrorism for some while yet, as unknown numbers of terrorists may have already come in through flows of refugees, in addition to 'home-grown' militants radicalised on European soil.

Trump Incoming

The great unknown in all this, of course, is what the Trump Administration will do in the Middle East. The policy of the Obama Administration has been disastrous. They clearly backed the wrong side in arming the so-called 'moderate' Muslim rebels in the Syrian civil war. This allowed Russia to intervene on behalf of President Assad which has turned the war in his favour. But a negotiated peace is not in sight. The rebels will never agree to Assad remaining in power and he will never agree to their demands.

A further complication is the involvement of the Kurds, who have proved to be a useful ally in fighting ISIS in Syria, but they will never be acceptable in Arab areas due to centuries-old hostility.

Obama's policy has been primarily aimed at destroying ISIS. This led to US acceptance of Russian military intervention and the reversal of its opposition to Assad who is backed by Iran – an implacable enemy of the West whose stated aim is the destruction of Israel.

Will Trump continue this policy, particularly in view of his friendly attitude towards Putin? But Trump has also declared unswerving support for Israel. If he carries through his declared aim of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv up to Jerusalem, 'the eternal capital of Israel', this could well cause the whole Israeli-Palestinian dispute to explode.

If Trump carries through his declared aim to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the whole Israeli-Palestinian dispute could explode.

UN Resolution 2334US Secretary of State John Kerry, who delivered a blistering speech against Israel in the aftermath of the recent UN vote.

The vote last month in the United Nations Security Council condemning Israel's policy of settlements in disputed territory has highlighted the Arab-Israeli conflict. Obama's refusal to exercise the USA's veto allowed the almost unanimous vote against Israel (see the article by Charles Gardner elsewhere in this issue). The USA's decision was defended in a critical speech by John Kerry a few days later.

Sadly, Britain also voted in condemnation of Israel, once again breaking all the promises we made in the 1920s when we agreed that the whole land from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea would be a Jewish homeland. Winston Churchill was the Colonial Secretary at the time and he stated explicitly that the Arab part of Palestine would be East of the River Jordan in what is now known as 'Jordan' and the west would be Israel. This was officially and formally approved by the League of Nations on 22 July 1921 – the original 'two-state solution'!

There were only 600,000 Arabs living east of the Jordan at that time and they would be peacefully absorbed into Israel, as they are today in northern Israeli towns such as Nazareth where they have Israeli citizenship and vote for Arab MPs in the Israeli Parliament. Churchill stated on 30 March 1921:

It is manifestly right that the scattered Jews should have a national centre and a national home to be reunited, and where else but in Palestine with which for 3,000 years they have been intimately and profoundly associated? We think it will be good for the world, good for the Jews, good for the British Empire, but also good for the Arabs who dwell in Palestine and we intend it to be so; they shall share in the benefits and progress of Zionism.¹

Sadly, Britain also voted in condemnation of Israel in the UN vote at the end of December.

Zechariah 12 on the Horizon?

If Donald Trump carries out his promises to Israel and the USA becomes the first nation to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel established by King David some 3,000 years ago, and the vast injustice that has denied Jews the right to their own land for the past 2,000 years – it may embolden Israel to annex the whole land in accordance with the League of Nations' declaration.

This would no doubt bring strong protests from the Arab nations with the support of all the anti-Semitic nations of the West. This would look very much like the kind of scenario envisaged in Zechariah 12, when all the nations gather against Israel. Jesus himself warned that "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains" (Matt 24:7-8). Jesus also said that "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). Are we approaching that time?

The Prayers of Believers Are Vital

Jesus told his disciples "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:7) but he also told them to watch and pray - and in particular to discern the signs of the times, so that no-one is caught by surprise.

Despite this warning, 2017 is likely to bring many surprises, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe, as the great shaking of the nations spreads across the face of the earth (in particular opening up cracks in the European Union). But Britain is likely to find the exit from the EU to be easier than expected and, provided the right decisions are made by our politicians, we may expect to see God's blessing upon the nation and the economy faring better than expected.

Jesus told his disciples to watch and pray – and to discern the signs of the times.

Much is dependent upon the prayers of believers – genuine, heartfelt, persistent intercession is the only thing that will truly protect and change the nation in the turbulent days that lie ahead. Will Christians study the word of God and understand the times, so that they know how to pray? And will they commit their time to faithful prayer? The future of the nation depends upon our response.

References

1 Quoted in Fromkin, D, A Peace to End All Peace. Phoenix Press, London, 2003, p519.

Cracks in the EU, revolution in Turkey and racial tension in the USA - Clifford Hill looks at what the word of God says about these times.

It is often said among clergy that the most popular song requested for funeral services is Frank Sinatra's 'I did it my way'. The song describes various incidents in life and boasts "I faced it all and I stood tall: and I did it my way".

I think I would be really scared to go to my grave boasting that throughout my life I have done everything my way, but clearly this song strikes a chord with very many people as it epitomises the spirit of the age.

Maybe this is why so many people voted for Brexit – not because they were expressing a desire to be free from secular humanist rules and regulations from Brussels, but because they saw this as a chance to register a protest against all those in authority. It is the desire to be free – to do what we want, to be in charge of our own lives – that's what most people want, not just in Britain, but all over the world. It's very much in evidence in Europe.

Leaving the EU

Britain's decision to leave the European Union has inspired populist movements throughout the Continent. Political parties in no fewer than 18 Eurozone nations are demanding a referendum to decide whether they also can leave the European Union. Austria's highest court has ruled that the recent presidential election must be re-run due to voting irregularities. The Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer only lost by a handful of votes and is very likely to win the re-run. He has declared that one of the first things he will do is to hold an 'in/out' referendum on the EU. There are similar demands from populist parties in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, and even in Germany.

There is a rising tide of nationalism in Europe

Of course, European leaders are watching these developments with alarm knowing that their Empire building plans for a 'super-state' are being challenged by a rising tide of nationalism in most of the member countries. In Britain political leaders are trying hard to hold things together against a tide of dissent. Conservative Party leaders are closing ranks despite the disappointment of losing the referendum, while the Labour Party is tearing itself apart on a wave of rank and file rebellion against the intellectual idealists who have run the Party for decades.

Trump and ClintonMary Altaffer & Chuck Benton/AP/Press Association Images

But it's not just Europe that is going through a period of increasing instability. The same spirit of rebellion against authority propelled Donald Trump to the top to the disgust and horror of traditional Republicans. But his opponent, Hillary Clinton, is also seen as part of the hated establishment who have run America for many years - so the outcome of the forthcoming Presidential election is by no means certain.

America is teetering on the brink of what the New York Post described as "Civil War", with racial tensions between African-Americans and the white population the highest they have been for 50 years – since the days of the protest movement led by Dr Martin Luther King.

Trump's speech appealed to the angry and the frustrated.

Trump's speech accepting the Presidential nomination was deliberately targeted to appeal to the angry and the frustrated. This indicates that a highly dangerous and toxic campaign lies ahead at a time when community relationships in the USA are at an all-time low due to the number of gun crime incidents – not just the shooting of young black men by the police but multiple murders of innocent people by gunmen using sophisticated weapons that are freely available in the USA. The need for a statesman of exceptional ability to lead the nation has never been greater in America. Yet most unbiased observers can only view the future with anxiety or even alarm for the future of the world in a highly unstable period of history.

Spirit of Rebellion

It was the spirit of rebellion that triggered the Arab Spring and still drives the Civil War in Syria and the tribal war in Iraq. The same spirit of rebellion can be seen in many other parts of the world, the latest being Turkey with its failed coup that is being used by President Erdogan to subdue all resistance to his becoming a national dictator. 50,000 people are said to have been arrested – not merely members of the military who staged the coup – but judges and teachers and journalists and civil servants – anyone suspected of being a hindrance to the absolute power of the President.

By declaring a state of emergency Erdogan already has the power to rule by decree without being subject to Parliament. So democracy, which he claimed to be defending, by calling the people out onto the streets, is now virtually dead in Turkey. The implications of this are unknown for the European Union who have been relying upon Turkey to stem the tidal wave of migration from the Middle East.

So where does God come into all this?

The Word of God

So where does God come into all this? Does the Bible give us any understanding of what is happening today and how we should be praying? Psalm 2 comes directly to the point. It says that the spirit of rebellion among the nations is not just against earthly rulers, it is against God – because he is perceived as the ultimate authority. "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains', they say, and throw off their fetters...."

In the New Testament, Paul's letter to Timothy describes what we're seeing in many parts of the world today. He says "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents.... brutal... Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power... In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim 3:1-5, 3:12-13). Jesus strongly warned about deception, "Watch out that no one deceives you" (Matt 24:4).

Anarchists' Activity

That warning is particularly significant this week because there is a lot of activity among New Agers and occultists as well as anarchists who want to show their defiance of convention. There is the big 'Tomorrowland' heavy-metal festival at Boon in Belgium, a meeting of Satanists in California and the Gay Pride March through the streets of Jerusalem this weekend.

Of course we should not be fearful of these things! We know there are plenty of people who love to dabble in the occult simply to demonstrate their rejection of faith in God, which was no doubt the motive behind the Satanists' ritual at the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel between Switzerland and Italy last month.¹

As Christians we have to be realists and recognise what is happening in the world around us but remember that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). And the solemn promise of God is "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isa 41:10).

References

1 Hill, C. D-Day for Europe. Prophecy Today, 10 June 2016.

Two more attacks in the name of the so-called 'religion of peace' have been carried out in the past week in predominantly Muslim countries by Islamic State fighters.

Turkey and Indonesia are both in shock from deadly blasts in their capital cities where innocent civilians going about their daily tasks have been murdered.

Although they are targeting Westerners, the aim is also to hurt Islamic countries who they don't regard as true Muslims. So who are the true Muslims: Islamic State fighters or the ordinary Muslims of Turkey and Indonesia?

True Disciples

A similar question was asked about Christians in New Testament times. Who are the true Christians? The Apostle John wrestled with this question when he was living in Ephesus surrounded by many different religions and some Christians defected. His answer was to point to the life and the teaching of Jesus. He says "The man who says, 'I know him', (Jesus) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

People flee the attacks in Istanbul, which killed at least 10. See Photo Credits.

Jesus himself strictly forbade violence. When a Samaritan village did not welcome him his disciples asked "Lord do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them? But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village" (Luke 9:54).

If you apply the same test of truth to Muslims, you have to examine the life and teaching of Muhammad.

The whole subject of his treatment of the people of Mecca is controversial in the history of Islam in terms of the reason why Muhammad slaughtered them, but what is undeniable is the teaching recorded in the Qur'an that he used as justification when some of his supporters were reluctant to carry out his orders. He claimed that Allah had revealed a command making fighting a binding duty for all Muslims:

Fighting is prescribed for you, and you dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows, and you know not (Qur'an 2:216)

According to the Apostle John, true Christians are those whose lives point to the life and teaching of Jesus. If you apply the same test of truth to Muslims, you have to examine the life and teaching of Muhammad.

God's Purpose: Salvation

So why has the God of Creation who holds the nations in his hands "like a drop in a bucket" (Isa 40:15) allowed these two atrocities to take place? It is surely because the time has come in world history for God to expose the great deception that has held many nations enslaved in darkness for centuries. From the middle of the last century there have been prophecies of a great Muslim harvest, releasing people from the fear and violence of Islam and it is in Indonesia, the largest Muslim population in the world, that this is happening on a massive scale.

People flee attackers in Jakarta. AP/Press Association.

We reported in Prophecy Today last year that the imams in Indonesia were anxious because some 2 million Muslims a year are converting to Christianity. The Prophecy Today team have visited Indonesia a number of times and seen at first hand the rapid growth of the church there.

We have seen thousands accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour in Jakarta, Surabaya and other cities in Sumatra where a kind of spontaneous outpouring of the Holy Spirit is still bringing whole communities into faith in Jesus.

One church leader, whose fellowship had only been founded six months, asked for advice on the right time to invite a pastor to lead the fellowship. He said they were already up to 500 but they thought they should wait until there were 1,000 in the congregation before appointing a minister.

Struggle Ahead

One church in Surabaya we have seen grow from 200 to more than 25,000. It is this kind of growth that could be seen in many other countries in the near future as the great deception of the so-called 'religion of peace' is exposed and the violence practised by Muhammad - endemic in the history of Islam - is recognised.

Why has God allowed these atrocities to take place? Surely the time has come for him to expose the great deception that has held many nations enslaved in darkness for centuries.

But this will not happen without a struggle in which many innocent people like those in Paris will lose their lives; and many Christians will be martyred - like those in Syria and Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. Islam will not release its hold upon the nations of the Middle East without a struggle and acts of terrorism are also likely to spread across the Western nations including Britain.

The Coming Disillusionment

The key to the future lies with the millions of Muslims spread across Europe and America as they begin to ask serious questions about whether the Islamic State are the true representatives of Muhammad. Once the serious study of the Qur'an and the historic documents of Islam begins, in the same way as the Bible has been subjected to intense academic scrutiny, the true nature of Islam and Allah, its god, will be revealed which will result in multitudes left disillusioned.

The great danger then will be who - or what - will fill the spiritual vacuum. Will the secular humanists win the disillusioned: or will those who seek the truth find Jesus as their Lord and Saviour? Much depends upon the ordinary Christians in the Western nations who are in daily contact with their Muslim neighbours. So many nominal Christians have imbibed the secular humanist values of a greedy corrupt and godless civilisation that they are no longer witnesses to the love and moral purity of Jesus.

If multitudes of Muslims become disillusioned with their faith, who – or what – will fill the spiritual vacuum?

Need for Repentance

Perhaps the greatest need right now in the West is for a wave of repentance to sweep across the nations, beginning with the churches who have failed to stem the tide of corruption that has engulfed whole generations. It may be that only some great catastrophe will open eyes that are blind to the reality of Western civilisation that is surely a stench in the nostrils of the God of Creation. But surely he who so loved the world that he sent Jesus to bring the light of life to humanity will find a way of steering the history of the nations to the point where there is openness to the Truth – the Truth that sets us free.