God is giving us an amazing opportunity for the advancement of his Kingdom - but there is much work to be done.

In our Editorial two weeks ago we said that the Referendum day was "in many senses a 'D-Day' – a decision day which may become a DELIVERANCE DAY" on 23 June.¹

That, as it turns out, was a prophetic statement. The nation has voted for freedom from the shackles of the European Union.

Of course, all of us on the Editorial Board of this magazine are glad and we see this as a great act of mercy and compassion of God. We believe it is a wonderful answer to prayer. God is giving us an amazing opportunity for the advancement of his Kingdom. But our rejoicing is tempered by the knowledge that the moral and spiritual state of our nation remains unchanged by this vote.

Long Journey Ahead

One of our readers who commented on the Editorial mentioned above said, "...it is glaringly obvious that the UK does not meet the conditions for divine intervention in Jeremiah 18:7-8".²

They saw the Referendum as more like Dunkirk than D-Day, and the little prayer and Bible study groups around the country like the "little ships that played such a key role in evacuating the troops off the Dunkirk beaches."³

This perceptive comment reminds us that Christians are now in the minority in Britain and we have a huge mountain to climb if we are to seize the opportunity that God is graciously giving to us to make a real change in this nation.

Acknowledging the Good of the EU

Prophecy Today was first published in 1985 and since that time we have always sought to present the truth in every situation - even if it has been unpopular. We know that some of our readers do not share our dislike of the European Union and our passion to be free from its restrictions and regulations. We understand that, and we want to acknowledge the good that the EU has done in providing Europe with the longest period of peace in its history over the past 500 years of sporadic warfare and squabbling among the nations.

God has been so gracious to us – but we have a huge mountain to climb if we are to seize the opportunity to make real change in this nation.

The EU has also a good record on human rights and ensuring the fair treatment of workers and opposing gender and racial discrimination. These and many other good things should not be discarded by our leaving the European Union.

There were many advantages in the Common Market that we originally joined some 43 years ago, that have enhanced trade and contributed to good international relationships – peace and prosperity. But the old sinful human lusts for power, and greed for wealth, became the driving force behind the direction of the EU's growth from a small trading association towards a super-state exercising increasingly totalitarian control over its members. This has been its undoing – the corrupting power of power, which has given vast wealth to some and unemployment and poverty to others.

Revolt Against the Elites

Of course the global corporations and bankers and the ruling classes wanted Britain to remain in the EU, but the ordinary working people across the country saw through the facade presented by those who wanted to retain the status quo. The real significance of this Referendum is that it was a 21^st CENTURY PEASANTS' REVOLT.

The politicians who live in the Westminster bubble and London itself, where property prices have been obscenely inflated by foreign capital, have been becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the country. This is a fact that is glaringly obvious from the Referendum voting.

Turmoil and Testing

The greatest casualty in the Referendum Debate has been TRUTH. The amount of mud-slinging and personal abuse, mixed in with deliberate lies and deception, has been a national disgrace. It needs to be followed rapidly by a large amount of humility and forgiveness on both sides of the debate, not merely to quieten things down but to seek genuine unity of purpose for the good of the country.

Of course the immediate future is likely to be characterised by turmoil, not only in the financial markets which always hate uncertainty, but also in terms of social solidarity. This will be the greatest test of David Cameron's leadership: to steer the nation through the next few months until he is replaced in Number 10.

I believe him to be an essentially honest politician – a rare accolade in any age. Of course he has made mistakes, because like the rest of us he is a human being. But there are few politicians who would have had the courage to give the nation a Referendum as he has done! We should honour him for this.

I believe David Cameron to be an essentially honest politician, and we should honour him for his courage to call the Referendum in the first place.

His biggest mistake has been to claim that he had achieved "a reformed Europe" following his whirlwind tour of European capitals. Everyone could see that there were no signs of 'reformation' in the European Union. So when he referred to it people laughed. If only he had said that he had been unable to obtain the reforms that he wanted to see and then led the nation to leave the EU - his political career would have soared!

Weathering the Storm

We must now pray for godly leaders to emerge in Westminster, to lead the nation through turbulent waters. The nation needs leaders who acknowledge the moral and spiritual mess we are in and who are prepared to assert biblical values of truth and honesty with humility before the Lord, emphasising the Judaeo-Christian heritage of this nation and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Lord for the way forward.

God is giving to Britain an amazing opportunity to enter a new era of blessing and prosperity when we have weathered the storm of our exit from the EU. Our leaving is likely to be met with hostility from EU leaders, but we have to be prepared to return good for evil and to find ways of establishing a new partnership with the other nations of Europe, rather than turn our backs upon them and try to live in isolation. That would surely not be right in the sight of the Lord.

We must pray for godly leaders to emerge in Westminster, to lead the nation through turbulent waters.

Trust in the Lord!

After weeks of praying "Thy will be done", Christians need to recognise the outcome of the Referendum as an act of God and give thanks for his goodness. But so much now depends upon our seeking brotherly love and Holy Spirit unity within the Church of all traditions – ancient and new – as the Body of Christ in Britain.

This would be a powerful witness to the nation. Whichever way they voted, many are now nervous of the future. By our love we must "strengthen [their] feeble arms and weak knees" (Heb 12:12) and encourage one another by our trust in the Lord and our devotion to Christ.

All Bible-believing Christians believe in the Sovereignty of God, and God has chosen to give us freedom from the EU. Therefore, we have now to ask the Lord what he wants us to do with the new freedom that he has granted us; not just to be free once again to fish in our own waters and pass our own laws, but to declare publicly the word of God in this land!

We need to recognise the outcome as an act of God – but so much of the future now depends on the Church's response.

There are already signs of God touching the lives of people in some parts of the country and if we are faithful we could see an amazing work of God with many people giving their lives to Jesus and our prayers being answered for his name to be hallowed in Britain, and his will to "be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!" (Matt 6:10).

References

1 Click here to read the editorial.

2 Click here to read the full comment.

3 Ibid.