The world news is full of protest movements, from Hong Kong to Bolivia, Iran to Lebanon, from Chile to Spain, from London and Paris to Cairo and Beirut. Everywhere we look there are demonstrations, mostly involving young people. The Middle East is a boiling pot of anger and with 60% of the population under the age of 30,¹ the protests are not likely to subside quickly. But what is causing this widespread unrest?

Most of the protests are about inequality, corruption and injustice. These are issues that particularly affect young people growing up in a world where dynastic power and corruption are endemic.

Other protests such as in Hong Kong and Catalonia in Spain are political, seeking freedom from what the protesters see as imperial powers. The Hong Kong protests that have been going on for more than six months were triggered by agreements to extradite offenders to mainland China, thereby threatening the independence of Hong Kong from the Communist regime. In Catalonia the protests are against the jailing of politicians who had been leading the calls for independence.

Mothers protest against climate change outside Labour HQ, London, 2 December 2019.By contrast, street protests in Britain and other Western countries have called attention to climate change and made demands for radical policies to protect the environment.

Underlying many of these protest movements is a spirit of anarchy: a desire to overthrow the regimes of those who presently hold power. Some protests are driven by a righteous desire to uphold freedom in the face of tyranny and oppression, while others are driven ultimately by rebellion against the authority of God as Creator.

Domestic Divisions

In Britain, protests have been evenly divided between Brexit issues and climate issues; both of which have become involved in the General Election campaign, now entering its final week. But there are also other deeply-held divisions at play in this election, such as those between Scotland and England or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which threaten to break up the union.

Opinion polls are producing uncertain results and there will be up to three million new voters, most under 30 years of age and having no traditional political loyalties, whose voting is highly unpredictable. With only days to go, the outcome of the 2019 General Election is still uncertain, reflecting the volatility in the nation.

With only days to go, the outcome of the 2019 General Election is still uncertain, reflecting the volatility in the nation.

By this time next week, we will have a new Government in Westminster, but will it bring peace and tranquillity to Britain? Will it mark an end to the street protests? Will we no longer hear the word ‘Brexit’ mixed in with our daily breakfast news? And will the climatologists be satisfied that green policies will be pursued by politicians in our new Government?

In a word, is the General Election going to placate the current spirit of unrest that is hovering just below the surface across the United Kingdom (which is rapidly appearing less and less United)?

Underlying Problems

We cannot answer this question unless we first understand what has led to this highly unstable situation in our country, with its centuries of tradition and firm biblical foundations that have held the nation steady throughout the storms of history. In Prophecy Today UK we have been reviewing the changes in law which have been put onto the statute book of the United Kingdom in recent decades that are directly against biblical values.

It is surely the combination of these unbiblical laws, underpinned by a spirit of rebellion against the God of the Bible, that are the direct cause of the instability and volatility we are seeing in the nation today. They are likely to bring immense harm to the nation in the future unless there is widespread repentance and a radical change of both social and political policy – whatever the outcome of the election.

Blowing a Trumpet

In this week’s Jeremiah study, the focus is on chapter 23 where both the religious and the political leaders were charged with corruption. We ask the question:

Which is worse for the health and prosperity of a nation: corrupt political leaders, or corrupt religious leaders? Corrupt politicians produce ungodly laws that lead to injustice and oppression and bring suffering upon the people. But corrupt religious leaders lead to the suppression of truth and without truth, the foundations of the nation crumble.

The Psalmist poses the question, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps 11:3) Surely the answer is that the righteous should be blowing a trumpet of warning to the nation, raising awareness of the danger and calling for change…

It is our unbiblical laws, underpinned by a spirit of rebellion against God, that are the direct cause of the instability and volatility in the nation today.

In the UK we are faced with two alternatives – a hung parliament or a stable government. A hung parliament (unless dependent upon a Bible-believing minority group such as the DUP) will undoubtedly bring great instability that could lead to widespread social unrest. That would be a sign of God’s judgment on the nation, which we all know is richly deserved.

If the outcome of the election produces a stable government it does not mean we can expect godly government, but it does mean that God is giving another opportunity for the faithful remnant in Britain to blow a trumpet of warning calling for change.

BUT can the faithful remnant rouse a slumbering Church into biblically-based action to redirect the nation into ways of righteousness and truth? Perhaps that is an even more significant question than the outcome of the General Election!

**As you pray ahead of Thursday’s election and consider your own vote, we recommend the articles in our ‘Pray for the nation’ section. You may also be interested in resources from other related Christian ministries, listed on this week's News Page.**

References

1 According to the IMF.