Brexit, Iran and questions about the end of days.

The news media is awash with Brexit and we all know we are living in momentous days. Everyone is murmuring that this week may have been the most significant week in British politics for centuries.

I have no wish to detract from this state of affairs. Virtually all of us are, I believe, experiencing a sense of reverence for the seriousness of the situation in which we find ourselves. Seeking the Lord for how to pray must be a top priority. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that there is a big wide world out there, beyond Brexit, which has not dropped everything this week to stay glued to the BBC Parliament channel. Other things of significance have been happening that we would do well to heed.

Prelude to War

Top of the bill is surely Iran’s newest contravention of the 2015 nuclear deal, bringing the ayatollahs another step closer to nuclear capability. Previously enriching uranium at 4.5%, today (6 September) will see a move beyond this, potentially of up to 20%.¹ This comes in the midst of a spike in Middle East tensions that saw Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon narrowly avoid escalation to all-out war last weekend.

In the bigger picture, Iranian entrenchment across the entire region shows no signs of letting up, despite the combined efforts of Israel and its allies. Commentators have long warned that when the Syrian civil war finishes, Iran’s efforts to exploit regional instability to its own ends will start to consolidate. Indeed, the dust has not even settled in Syria and Hezbollah is on the brink of developing a precision-guided missile system with the express aim of attacking Israel, while Iranian proxies from Iraq to Gaza, Syria to Yemen are being resourced to the same end.

These are grave matters that go far beyond wars of words on Twitter. The mullahs in Tehran, openly hell-bent on wiping Israel from the face of the planet, are ideologically compelled: in other words, in the long run, sanctions and diplomacy may not make any difference whatsoever.² Barring pre-emptive (or divine!) intervention, we are witnessing the prelude to a combined assault on Israel that could end up being both ballistic and nuclear, with the IDF forced into a multi-front war with enemies on all sides - not unlike the situation Israel faced immediately after its national rebirth just over 70 years ago (though with much superior weaponry).

No wonder then, that in this ‘week of all weeks’ in British politics, Israeli PM Netanyahu has managed to book an unexpected visit to Boris Johnson, later seeing the US Secretary of Defense who has also been in London (as has US Vice-President Mike Pence). Perhaps Israel is quietly seeking support for military action on a different level from that on which it has currently been operating.

I have no wish to detract from the seriousness of the situation in Britain – but there is a big wide world out there, beyond Brexit, which has not dropped everything this week to stay glued to the BBC Parliament channel.

Are We Nearly There Yet?

This entire situation does not escape those with an interest in eschatology (that is, the study of the end times), because Persia (modern-day Iran) features in passages of Scripture that are clearly yet to be fulfilled. The most obvious example is Ezekiel 38-39, which tells of a multi-army war on Israel involving Iran, nations from north Africa, likely Turkey and possibly led by Russia.³

Although there is disagreement about just when this war is supposed to take place in the grand scheme of God’s end-time purposes, and we are clearly not there yet, we watch current trends with interest. Most of the peoples mentioned in these chapters harbour a militant hatred of Israel today (or ally with those who do), in an increasingly joined-up manner.

As children of our Heavenly Father, the question always hovering near us is the question all children notoriously ask their parents on long journeys: Are we nearly there yet?

Many generations have thought that theirs was the ultimate - the last - yet history has continued, God’s grace towards sinful man outlasting all expectations. But this is no reason to become complacent: we are all called to be watchful and alert, especially when we see a particular selection of signs coming to pass in close conjunction.

Signs All Around

These are outlined, most fundamentally, in Matthew 24, flanked by the Old Testament prophets, many other New Testament passages and of course Revelation. The signs include:

• The restoration of Israel from international exile to the Promised Land, for a second and final time;
  
• A widespread falling away from Christianity and rejection of belief in God;
  
• The spread of selfishness and moral licentiousness with a consequent rise in pride, greed, abuse and violence;
  
• An increase of deception and false prophecy within the Church;
  
• Political turbulence all over the world, part of the great ‘shaking of the nations’ prophesied in Haggai 2:6 and Hebrews 12:10;
  
• Worldwide persecution of believers and a general hatred towards the Gospel;
  
• The move towards a global government of an authoritarian, surveillance-based nature.
  

It is increasingly impossible to deny that these things are coming to pass today, albeit perhaps not yet on the scale described in Scripture. This begs more questions for believers here in Britain: where does Brexit fit into this big picture? If these signs are coming to pass, since they are biblically inevitable, why bother to defend our democratic freedoms or take a stand against the existential threats to our crumbling culture? What possibility for revival is left?

Many generations have thought that theirs was the ultimate - the last - yet history has continued. But this is no reason to become complacent. We are all called to watch the signs.

The Gospel at the Centre

I do not pretend to have all the answers to these questions – but then, I’m not entirely sure that we need them. What we need is a renewed and robust focus on the Gospel. “No man knows the day or the hour” at which the Son of Man will return (Matt 24:36; Acts 1:7). We might have every reason to believe that his return is truly ‘right at the door’ (Matt 24:33) - and we should certainly live like it. But we do not know what mercies the Lord will yet grant us, nor what intercession might yet achieve.

One thing we can all be asking with great fervency is for “the Lord of the harvest to send out workers”, for “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matt 9:37-38). We can be certain that the Lord is working his purposes out, chief among which is for the truth about Jesus to be preached “in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Matt 24:14), giving everyone the opportunity to hear and respond.

The Gospel – that is, the truth about Jesus Christ, his death, resurrection and soon return, and the coming Kingdom – is why God is permitting British politics to go into meltdown. The Gospel is why he is allowing nuclear threats to gather on the international horizon. The Gospel is why Revelation is in our Bibles. The Gospel is why you and I are here, right now, living another day. Let’s not forget the Gospel, in the midst of Brexit.

Notes

1 For whether or not this is a bluff and what it might mean for the region, read Jonathan Tobin at JNS.

2 Trump’s sanctions may yet drive Iran to its knees and to the negotiating table, but this is not a regime that can be reformed. Europe’s efforts to appease (led by President Macron, following Obama’s footsteps) have only fuelled Iranian aggression.

3 This is presuming that these chapters are to be read literally.

East-West relations hit a new low.

The attempted assassination of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury last week has created dangerous worldwide repercussions.

Theresa May’s forthright condemnation of Russia as being responsible for the attack upon British soil has quickly led to the support of other Western nations, creating the possibility of an East-West split such as we have not seen since the end of the Cold War.

There were heated exchanges in the UN Security Council in which Russia strongly denied any involvement in the Salisbury incident that also left a policeman seriously ill. Russia demanded absolute proof of the material in the attack as claimed by Britain. Speaking on behalf of the United States, US ambassador Nikki Haley said:

Let me make one thing clear from the very beginning: The United States stands in absolute solidarity with Great Britain. The United States believes that Russia is responsible for the attack on two people in the United Kingdom using a ‘military-grade’ nerve agent.

Earlier, in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Theresa May had said that there were only two possible explanations for the nerve agent being used in the UK: either Moscow was directly responsible for the attack, or it has lost control of its stockpile of chemical weapons.

A Defining Moment

This is clearly a defining moment in East-West relationships as Britain is a member of NATO and under that agreement, an attack upon one member is regarded as an attack upon the whole organisation. The four major NATO nations - Britain, the USA, France and Germany - have jointly declared Russia to be guilty of the attack.

There is mounting anti-Russian propaganda in the Western press and on social media which could get out of hand and even escalate into war with Russia. I know this sounds highly improbable but we live in unstable times, and there are some very unpredictable politicians currently leading the nations.

This is a defining moment in East-West relations that could easily escalate.

President Putin has recently been boasting that Russia’s latest weaponry is capable of detecting and destroying American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and in an interview with NBC, and he said that nuclear retaliation would be immediate for any attack on Russia or its allies - nuclear or 'conventional'.¹ Fighting words! He has been raising the temperature of international relationships. All of this is highly dangerous in a world with so many nations having weapons of mass destruction.

Fears of Armageddon

Inevitably, fears of some kind of Armageddon are being raised. There are many warnings in the Bible of worldwide destruction. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of the earth being broken up: “The earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind” (24:19).

In former generations, biblical scholars usually interpreted these scenes of mass destruction as being metaphorical, because it was unimaginable that destruction on such a scale could ever become a reality. Today we know that the weapons of mass destruction now in the hands of the nations, if they were actually used, could in a few minutes cause the widespread devastation described by Isaiah.

The Day of the Lord?

The difficulty we face is that there is no timeline linked to the eschatological passages in the Bible. Sometimes it is unclear whether descriptions of destruction refer to the time leading up to Jesus’ return, or God’s final act of wrapping up the whole of Creation at the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign on the earth. This is the case for 2 Peter 3:

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare…That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

Historically, biblical scholars usually interpreted scenes of mass destruction in the Bible as metaphorical – but now weapons of mass destruction have made them a distinct possibility.

Jesus himself spoke of times of great distress in the period leading up to his own Second Coming when he will establish the Kingdom. He said “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Luke 21:25). And this is elaborated in Matthew 24 where Jesus speaks of “nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom”.

What are we to make of all these predictions of worldwide destruction? The big question we have to face when dealing with biblical prophecy is whether or not the events revealed are given as foretelling facts that will undoubtedly happen, or whether they are given as signs to give human beings the opportunity of changing direction - in accordance with God’s promise in Jeremiah 18 – to avoid the massive devastation foreseen.

I personally believe that some of the threats of judgment such as Isaiah 2:12-22 and Isaiah 24 are given to us in the Bible as warnings of what could happen. My reason is because I believe in the sovereignty of God – that he holds the nations in his hands “as a drop in a bucket” as Isaiah says (40:15). Despite all human activity, God is still in ultimate control and he is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:13).

To the Ends of the Earth!

It may be that the times in which we are living, when there is increasing risk of the nations plunging into the horrors of World War III, God is saying something very special and very urgent to those of his people who are watching and listening.

God is drawing our attention to the warnings that he has given through the prophets and through Jesus and the apostles. And through the Holy Spirit, the Father is empowering us, his children, to warn the world of the direction in which it is heading and to bring a message of salvation that points to “a new and living way”. This is the message of the Gospel that has been entrusted to us, his people.

God’s stated intention is that his message of salvation should be taken to the ends of the earth. If ever there were a day when those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour should each be active in our own sphere of influence to declare the truth of the Gospel, it surely is today!

Author’s Note: I know that this brief excursion into biblical eschatology is far from adequate; but my major intention here is simply to open up the subject of the great threat that confronts our world today, to stimulate discussion among our readers in the hope that the Gospel message may reach many, including the leaders of the nations.

References

1 See the full interview transcript here. Excerpts are available on Youtube.

Tracking developments in Iran.

President Trump’s speech to the United Nations this week heightened tensions in East Asia, when he declared that the USA will “totally destroy” North Korea if US interests are threatened by the rogue state led by Kim Jong-un.¹ The rest of the world has watched anxiously as Kim’s antics have threatened global peace, while Japan has protested vehemently as rockets have been fired over its territory.

But could all this attention to North Korea be something of a red herring, diverting the eyes of the world away from a much greater and more imminent threat: Iran?

For alert, Bible-believing Christians, this should come as no surprise. After all, it is Iran, not North Korea, that is named in Scripture as a key player in the end times drama set to unfold around Israel.

A Vibrant History

The region we know today as Iran has a long and fascinating history stretching right back to the early chapters of Genesis.² The Iranian plateau was first dominated by the Elamites (descended from Noah’s son Shem), who were eventually subsumed into larger empires, including those of the Assyrians and Babylonians. When Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, the first Persian empire rose to prominence for around 200 years, becoming one of the largest empires in history.

‘Persia’, as the region became known,³ did not always set itself against God’s people Israel. Cyrus the Great, for instance, released the Jews from Babylonian captivity and allowed them to return to their land. The sparing of the Jewish people from the genocidal plans of Haman (perhaps a type of the Ayatollahs to come), as told in the Book of Esther, took place under the rule of the Persian King Xerxes nearly a century later. And Nehemiah oversaw the re-building of Jerusalem’s walls thanks to the support of Xerxes’ successor, Artaxerxes.

‘Persia’ has not always set itself against God’s people Israel.

After the Persian empire was overtaken by Alexander the Great, the region passed from one empire to another until the rise of Islam in the 7^th Century AD. This blotted out the territory’s pagan religious heritage,⁴ consolidating it under the distinctive influence of Shia Islam which has, for the most part, dominated it ever since.

The Making of Modern Iran

Fast forward to the start of the 20^th Century, and the Iranian plateau became a battle-ground as Britain and Russia competed for its oil reserves. After World War I Iran became a sovereign, secular nation, changing its name formally from ‘Persia’ in 1935.

The Islamic Revolution of 1979.Iran fought alongside the Allies against Germany and Russia during World War II, and afterwards entered into a long-term, positive relationship with the USA and Western Europe, exchanging oil for military and economic aid. It was this positive relationship with the West, and Iran’s increasing modernisation and secularisation, however, that fomented deep criticism from Islamic clerics, leading to an Islamist uprising in 1979.

The revolution, led by Ayatollah Khomeini (not to be confused with the current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini), toppled the secular Shah, sieged the American embassy and replaced Western-friendly Iran with the fundamentalist Shia theocracy we see today. Iranian relations with the USA deteriorated rapidly as the US was recast as ‘The Great Satan’ and Israel ‘The Little Satan’. As its relations with the USA were upturned, so Iran’s connections with Russia also reversed – from bad to good. In fact, Iran has received long-term aid and investment from Russia since 1989.

From the 1980s onwards, Iran became involved in seeding anti-Semitic terrorism and has been outspoken about its intent to wipe Israel off the map (cf. Psalm 83:2, 4). It has even erected an audacious countdown clock in central Tehran giving Israel 25 years left to exist,⁵ whilst Iranian officials boasts that they could bring this deadline forward at any time. Last year a senior Iranian military commander threatened that Iran’s ballistic missiles, famously emblazoned with ‘Israel must be wiped off the earth’, could “raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes”.⁶

Iran’s positive relationship with the West collapsed after the Islamist uprising of 1979.

Iran’s Nuclear Capabilities

If Iran makes headlines in the West today, however, it is usually because of controversy surrounding its nuclear programme. It began developing nuclear capacity for peaceful purposes in the 1950s with US and Western European help. Following the 1979 revolution, these partnerships collapsed and Iran switched over to Russian expertise.

Soon after 2000, international suspicion was aroused that Iran’s nuclear activity may involve uranium enrichment for weapons. Investigations were followed by sanctions, but no amount of international pressure halted this activity.

Ayatollah Khameini, Iran's current Supreme Leader. See Photo Credits.In 2015, in a deal brokered by Obama, sanctions were eased in return for Iran’s agreement to “redesign, convert and reduce its nuclear facilities” and accept enhanced monitoring from external bodies.⁷ The deal was welcomed by most world leaders, except Israeli PM Netanyahu, who insisted that Iran could not be trusted and should be made to dismantle its nuclear facilities, not simply limit or convert them.

He declared at the time that "Such a deal would not block Iran’s path to the bomb. It would pave it"⁸ and assured the international community that safety would not be guaranteed until Iran’s regional aggression was curtailed and its vow to annihilate Israel rescinded. Indeed, only recently an Iranian official boasted that the country’s nuclear enrichment facilities could be back up and running in five days if the Obama deal is scrapped by President Trump.⁹

Greater Threat Than ISIS

Since the beginning of the 21^st Century, therefore, a fascinating global picture has been emerging. Every day we seem to move closer to the war depicted in Ezekiel 38-39, which prophesies a ‘last days’ alliance between Russia, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya and Turkey coming against Israel and being utterly destroyed by Divine intervention.

Since the so-called ‘Arab spring’ of 2011, many Arab states have experienced instability or descended into civil war – yet Iran has been growing in power, investing in regional power struggles to its own advantage.¹⁰ Meanwhile, Israel has been watching with a wary eye.

Now, Iraq and Lebanon are acknowledged Iranian proxies¹¹ and Syria lies in ruins. The American and European concern to eradicate ISIS will further clear the path for Iran’s ascendancy, with experts warning that this will present a far greater threat to global stability than ISIS ever did.

Every day we seem to move closer to the war depicted in Ezekiel 38-39.

Indeed, there is a growing Iranian presence around Israel’s borders, with the US recently agreeing to allow Iran-sponsored militias within 10km of the Golan Heights.¹² Iran is making no secret of its agenda, its flag joining a host of others on a hill overlooking Israel’s northernmost town, Metulla. Nearby, a sinister poster depicting Ayatollah Khomeini’s face glowering over the Dome of the Rock reads “We are coming” in Hebrew and Arabic.¹³

Meanwhile, strong connections exist between Iran and North Korea, as journalist Melanie Phillips notes: “Iranian scientists and military brass have been reliably tracked to North Korea inspecting or witnessing its nuclear weapons programme development; and…almost certainly Tehran has outsourced some if not much of [its] programme to Pyongyang.”¹⁴ She argues that the current brouhaha with North Korea is actually a ‘dry run’ for Iran, testing out international responses for signs of weakness.

Where Next?

The biblical jigsaw puzzle is on the way to completion, but we are not there yet. Iran still has a complex relationship with Russia, which has its own regional agendas and is still open to working with Israel. Furthermore, the prophesied alliance with Turkey is yet to materialise.

However, the general trend in the region is clear to see: unchecked Iran consolidating its power, investing in strategic military operations and alliances to extend its reach westwards, obsessed with annihilating Israel. With all the fuss about North Korea – which may or may not yet prove to be a red herring – let’s not ignore the word of Scripture being fulfilled before our very eyes.

References

1 Read the full transcript here. 

2 The historical information in this article owes a significant debt to Darrell Young’s 2004 survey of Iranian history, found here.

3 The name ‘Persia’ comes from the Greek ‘Persis’, a Hellenised form of ‘Pars’ (a region in southern Iran), whereas the term ‘Mede’ was used for those who settled in the centre and north of the region.

4 The region’s religious heritage involves a blend of the Zoroastrianism of the Medes and Persians and the Hellenistic religion of the Greeks. But Medes and Persians are mentioned in Acts 2:9 as being present at Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit – and so may well have been among the first Christians. Today, Christians in Iran make up a sizeable minority – though many are secret believers.

5 Iran Sets Up Clock Counting Down to Israel’s Destruction in 2040. United with Israel, 26 June 2017.

6 Iranian commander: We can destroy Israel 'in under 8 minutes'. Times of Israel, 22 May 2016.

7 Iran nuclear deal framework, Wikipedia.

8 Toosi, N and Gass, N. Netanyahu warns of nuclear arms race. Politico, 3 April 2015.

9 Iran could make weapons-grade uranium within 5 days, nuclear chief claims. Jerusalem Post, 23 August 2017.

10 For instance, Iran has been known to fund Shia militias to fight against ISIS (which is Sunni), whilst also funding ISIS terror attacks against civilians in the West. It is now reportedly recruiting ex-ISIS fighters out of Mosul into its own regime.

11 Last week former Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya’alon described Lebanon as “kidnapped by a terrorist organization [i.e. Hezbollah] operated by another country [i.e. Iran], but the reality is that the international community has become used to the world order and does not deal with it”.

12 Winer, S. US to let Iranian-backed militias within 10 km of Golan Heights — report. Times of Israel, 31 August 2017.

13 Frantzmann, S. Iranian flag joins array of enemy symbols planted on Lebanon border. Jerusalem Post, 28 June 2017.

14 Phillips, M. The Iranian symptom of the West's auto-immune disease. 4 September 2017.

70 years on, the Dead Sea Scrolls still back up the Bible’s divine authorship.

The threats of the North Korean dictator are frightening indeed, and could well ignite a nuclear war, but they are part of a bigger picture of worldwide rebellion against the God of Creation.

On a more specific front, they’re a smokescreen for a potential Armageddon in the Middle East as Russian-backed Iran and its allies move dangerously close to Israel’s borders.

Only last week (7 September) Israel carried out a daring air strike against an Iranian-run weapons factory in the heart of Syria, severely damaging (if not destroying) the facility where chemical and biological munitions as well as medium-range missiles are being developed.¹ Syria has in turn warned about “dangerous repercussions”.²

The strike took place exactly 10 years after Israel – the only country in recent years that has stood up to North Korea until now – destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor being built with the help of the rogue regime.

British politicians, while appalled by the antics of Kim Jong-un, are nevertheless shaking their fists at God in their own way as, with their atheist agenda, they question the existence of a Divine order. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden (see Gen 3:1), they pose the subtle question: “Did God really create man and woman to procreate?”

Last week Israel carried out a daring air strike against an Iranian-run weapons factory in Syria, 10 years after a similar strike on a nuclear reactor.

Proving Israel’s Claim to the Land

At the centre of the earth today stands a small Jewish state. And what the world interprets as an ideological battle over a piece of land the size of Wales is in effect an Arab-Muslim challenge to the God of Israel, revealed to us through his Son Jesus Christ.

Their claim that the land does not belong to the Jews despite thousands of years of historical, archeological and biblical evidence was decisively countered by the 1947 discovery – 70 years ago - on the shores of the Dead Sea of ancient scrolls proving Jewish connection to the territory well before the emergence of Islam. This was recognised as such by the United Nations that same year.

The findings in caves at Qumran included the entire original text of the Book of Isaiah, over 2,500 years old. This was found intact among hundreds of parchment scrolls hidden in the desert cliffs³ exactly as it is recorded in modern times – no Chinese whispers here, but God’s authentic hand.

There is no doubt that the unearthing of these scrolls – along with much more archeological evidence – fully vindicated Israel’s claim to the land, quite apart from other political and biblical factors.

Battle Over Who God Is

At the heart of all the sabre-rattling going on now is a battle – not really over whether there is a God, but over who he is. And the Judeo-Christian position that formed the basis of Western civilisation is that he is the God of Israel. When Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, threatened Jerusalem with destruction in ancient times (2 Kings 18 and 19), Judah’s King Hezekiah prayed to the ‘God of Israel’ and the result was a resounding defeat for their enemies. The emphasis of his prayer was that his Lord would demonstrate that he alone was God (2 Kings 19:14-19).

What the world interprets as an ideological battle over a piece of land the size of Wales is in effect an Arab-Muslim challenge to the God of Israel.

Similar threats are heard today from those opposed to Israel. The former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, has been denied the chance “to promote dialogue and a better understanding of the Palestinian narrative” in the UK Parliament thanks, it seems, to an 18,000-strong petition.⁴ But the barefaced nerve of a man who has called for the destruction of Britain to attempt to infiltrate its Parliament with his poisonous lies takes some beating.

This man represents the same ideological ethos as Islamic State. We are investing so much in the prevention of terror, yet are pathetically slow to recognise such threats to our democracy. ‘We all worship the same God,’ I hear so many naïve people say – even in church pews. But Sheikh Sabri says that when he enters the Al-Aqsa Mosque (on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount) he is “filled with rage toward the Jews”.⁵

Contrast this with Jesus’ command to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors (Matt 5:44). As the Sheikh makes clear, Islam is a death cult committed to the destruction of ‘infidels’. “The Muslim loves death and martyrdom,” he says.

Absurd Accusations

Part of the ‘Palestinian narrative’ is that Israel is guilty of human rights violations and of being an apartheid state. But the absurdity of these accusations is underlined by the emergence of a transgender Arab Christian from Nazareth as a new secret weapon against BDS, the boycott Israel campaign. Talleen Abu Hana, winner of the first Miss Trans Israel pageant, was guest of honour at the Israeli Embassy in Washington during LGBT Pride month.⁶

At the heart of all the sabre-rattling going on now is a battle – not really over whether there is a God, but over who he is.

Abu declared: “I’m happy to be Israeli because being Israeli means being truly free.” And when an American journalist questioned Israel’s record on human rights, she replied: “Are you crazy? In what other country in the Middle East can I live my life openly.”

Most Christians, including myself, do not agree with her lifestyle choice, but far more distasteful is the rank hypocrisy behind much liberal thought which sets politically correct agendas that are inevitably contradictory.

The Fig Tree and the Olive Tree

The olive tree symbolises Israel as a nation under God.In any case, Israel’s restoration – according to biblical prophecy – is not yet complete. A restoration to the land (i.e. a political re-birth) is what we are witnessing today; this will be followed by a restoration to their Lord and Messiah, which is in the process of happening but still in the early stages.

One line of theological thought sees the fig tree (Matt 24:32) as a symbol of political Israel while the olive tree is seen as representing a return to its original purpose as a nation under God.
The fig tree is certainly blossoming as Israel becomes a powerful nation once more, but many of its inhabitants are still in rebellion against the Almighty.

Christians are privileged to have been grafted into the natural olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:11-24). But the day is coming when all Israel will finally turn to their Messiah (Rom 11:26). All the hordes of hell are trying to stop that happening – hence the current battle – because it will usher in the Lord of Glory who will crush the enemies of Israel and rule over the earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years of peace.

Notes

1 Amir Tsarfati, Behold Israel update, YouTube, 7 September 2017.

2 IDF attacks Syrian chemical weapons base. United with Israel, 7 September 2017.

3 Drosnin, M, 1997. The Bible Code. Orion, p91.

4 BREAKING: Extremist former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to visit UK Parliament. Christians United for Israel, 31 August. Also VICTORY! Islamic extremist sheikh DENIED entry to UK. Christians United for Israel, 5 September 2017.

5 Ibid, 31 August.

6 Israel Today, Aug/Sept 2017.

Clifford Hill considers the possible long-term implications of the recent deals with China, arguing for the need for spiritual discernment.

The deal struck between China and the British Government allowing China to be involved in the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset is a landmark in relationships between the two countries. But who does it benefit and are there any long-term disadvantages?

David Cameron certainly laid on a royal reception for Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-day visit to Britain, during which he was hosted by the Queen in Buckingham Palace and red carpet was laid out in Downing Street for his visit to Number 10.

Many people in Britain will be surprised that such a reception was given to the leader of a Communist dictatorship with an abysmal human rights record and a reputation for the brutal repression of dissenters.

Courting Chinese Business

The way had been prepared for this visit by Chancellor George Osborne's trade mission to China last month in which he secured a number of business deals with the world's second-largest economy.

China already invests heavily in property in Britain and Chinese firms are currently in the process of purchasing a number of British businesses and even Independent Schools (such as the deal struck last year to acquire the prestigious Chase Grammar School in Staffordshire, where boarding fees are £36,600 a year).

Steel Politics

Xi Jinping's visit to Britain comes at the same time as workers across Britain are dismayed by news of steel plant closures caused by China's action in flooding the world market with cheap steel, resulting from a slowdown in the Chinese economy and their refusal to cut back production.¹ Two months ago the Chinese took stock markets by surprise, devaluing their currency three times, making their export products even cheaper and showing how little they care for the health and well-being of other economies.

The European Union has already taken steps to impose additional import duties on steel from China and similar measures are being considered by the US Government. But will the British Government have the strength and resolve to confront Chinese leaders about this issue at a time when the Conservatives are striving to complete big energy deals, or will they sacrifice the steelworkers in order to pursue their policy? How many thousand steelworkers will be thrown out of work? What is the price of 'Caring Conservatism'?

Whilst the Conservatives court Chinese business, British steelworkers are being dismayed by plant closures as China dumps cheap steel onto the global market.

Hinkley Point Power Station, SomersetSecurity Questions

Another big question is security. A number of MPs have raised concerns about the security risks of giving China a stake in British nuclear power. There are fears that if the Chinese design and build the reactors they could insert 'technical trapdoors' into the reactor systems.

This would enable them to override British controls, or even shut down the plant in the event of any diplomatic dispute between the two countries - such as that which occurred in 2012 when Britain hosted the Dalai Lama, who China dislikes (and who, coincidentally, recently criticised Britain's policy toward China as "Money, money, money – where is morality?"²).

Bernard Jenkin MP, chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, was quoted in The Times³ saying "In 2014 the Prime Minister assured the Joint Committee on National Security 'there is going to be a proper NSC consideration of this' and this was welcomed, but there is no indication that ministers have asked for or received a comprehensive analysis or assessment of the risks." He called for the Government to publish a risk assessment for the scrutiny of MPs or a full Parliamentary Select Committee will undertake the task.

Calls have been made for a proper risk assessment to be carried out by the Government, because of concerns over security.

Peng Liyuan, China's First LadyXi Jinping and his famous pop-singer wife are popular with ordinary Chinese people although she entertained the troops in Tiananmen Square soon after they had massacred pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989. He rose from poverty through the ranks to become head of the ruling Communist Party and China's most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping. But his smiling face and the large sums of money his Government is prepared to invest in British nuclear power plants may not be good for Britain's long-term interests.

Need for Discernment

The big question is whether or not our present political leaders have sufficient spiritual discernment as well as business acumen in agreeing the terms of this deal. It is spiritual discernment that is called for in assessing the long-term prospects.

Those who are familiar with the history of Israel will remember the lack of discernment shown by King Hezekiah when a number of envoys visited Jerusalem from Babylon about 695 BC, long before the Babylonian Empire became a world power (see Isaiah 39). The King had recently recovered from a serious illness and the political leaders of Babylon sent a gift to him celebrating his recovery. That should have put Hezekiah on alert but instead it was all smiles and warm greetings all round. Hezekiah was so pleased to receive them that he showed them everything in his palace – all the gold and silver and treasures acquired by his illustrious forebears.

The prophet Isaiah was scathing in his rebuke because he foresaw the rising power of Babylon and the day when the Babylonian army would invade the towns and cities of Judaea. He saw the terrible havoc they would create through the destruction of Jerusalem - including the great Temple and the Palace of the King.

King Hezekiah was rebuked by Isaiah for accepting gifts from Babylonian envoys - Isaiah foresaw Babylon's coming rise to power.

Wisdom in Foreign Policy

Have our political masters really taken seriously their responsibility to seek the well-being of this nation by taking before God such a far-reaching matter as our relationship with China? This is where church leaders and politicians should work together, seeking the wisdom of God for our international relationships. The great danger facing Britain is that these deals are struck purely for short-term financial gain without due consideration of the long-term implications. This is where we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But only prayer-centred leaders of the nation can ensure making the right decisions.

References

1 Weldon, D. Why British steel is in crisis. BBC News, 21 October 2015.

2 Dearden, L. Dalai Lama on Britain's Policy Towards China. The Independent, 23 September 2015.

3 17 October 2015.