‘Fiddler on the Roof’ story behind Gospel outreach to Jews

With the annual Holocaust Memorial Day fast approaching, it is worth being reminded not only of how many perished, but also of those who escaped the jaws of Nazism – often miraculously.

It is a little-known fact that in spite of terrible persecution in Eastern Europe, thousands of Jewish people were very open to the message of Jesus. In fact, research is currently being undertaken on the so-called ‘Messianic’ believers who died in the Shoah.

Among those who experienced miraculous deliverance from the death camps was Jakob Jocz, a Lithuanian-born third-generation follower of Yeshua who became an evangelist to the Jews of Poland under the auspices of CMJ (the Church’s Ministry amongst Jewish people), a British-based international society already reaping a plentiful harvest of souls throughout Europe and North Africa by the 1930s.

Such was the response to their work that the Warsaw branch CMJ chief Martin Parsons expressed the need for over 700 staff rather than the mere ten suggested at the time.

Miraculous Deliverance

Jocz was sent to Birkenhead, near Liverpool, to train for Anglican ordination, and when he returned to Poland, he wrote: “In spite of anti-Semitism and increasing hatred, the Jews met us in many places with an open mind and with great readiness to hear the gospel.”¹

He added: “Today when the cross is being twisted into a swastika…Jewish men and women flock into the mission halls to hear and to learn about the wonderful Saviour.”

In May 1939, he received an urgent call to England to replace the main speaker of the Church Missionary Society’s annual summer conference, who was unavailable due to illness.

It is a little-known fact that in spite of terrible persecution in Eastern Europe, thousands of Jewish people were very open to the message of Jesus.

In a recent research paper The Rev Dr Jakob Jocz, Dr Theresa Newell writes: “This was indeed a miraculous deliverance as members of his family died at the hands of the Nazis soon afterwards…” Jakob’s father Bazyli was betrayed to the Gestapo and shot to death.

Rich Legacy

The family’s story has something of a Fiddler on the Roof² ring to it. Jakob’s grandfather, Johanan Don, was the local milkman in his shtetl (village) who first encountered the good news of Jesus when seeking medical help for his teenage daughter Hannah (Jakob’s mother) who had been crippled in a fall.

The doctor was a Jewish believer and gave Johanan a Hebrew New Testament. He subsequently became a disciple, but died soon afterwards.

In order to make ends meet, his widow Sarah took in a boarder, a young rabbinic student named Bazyli Jocz. When he read Isaiah 53, he asked his teacher, ‘Who is the prophet speaking about?’ It was of course a situation very reminiscent of the Ethiopian eunuch’s conversion in the Book of Acts (chapter 8). But the teacher was no evangelist, instead hitting him over the head and calling him a ‘detestable Gentile’ for asking such a ‘foolish’ question.

Bazyli was shocked, but undeterred, and after consulting the same doctor who had pointed Johanan in the right direction, he too became a believer.

He duly married Hannah, and Jakob was born in 1906. He became a noted evangelist and theologian whose writings represent a rich legacy of inspiration and encouragement for Christians – all called to preach the Gospel to Jews.

To the Jew First

As the Third Reich stormed across Europe, he wrote a booklet appealing to churches to speak out against the persecution of his people. As an Anglican bishop pointed out in the foreword, “he rightly calls attention to apathy in the church on the subject of missionary effort amongst the Jews.”

Indeed, he challenged the Church to become ‘missional’ as its raison d’etre and to remember the call in that mission is “to the Jew first” (Rom 1:16).

If the Church has no Gospel for the Jews, it has no Gospel for the world.

If the Church has no Gospel for the Jews, he believed, it has no Gospel for the world. He had total confidence in the authority of Scripture and stood on the premise that “loyalty to Jesus Christ is the ultimate test of the disciple”, adding: “Commitment to Jesus Christ makes universalism [the idea that all roads lead to God] impossible.”

He was highly critical of rabbinic Judaism, lamenting that “making Torah into a religion robbed it of life” and saying that the removal of the sacrificial system (following the destruction of the Temple in AD 70) without their acceptance of the “once and for all times sacrifice” of Jesus led Judaism into a pre-occupation with the study of the law. The irony of this, of course, is that the law was anchored in the fact that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin” (Lev 17:11).

One of his theses was that the early Church was much closer to the Old Testament than rabbinic Judaism is today. And he advocated Jewish believers to fulfil the prophetic call to take the Gospel to all nations.

Life in the Midst of Death

Jakob certainly practised what he preached. It is estimated that, through outreach efforts like his, there were as many as 100,000 Jewish believers in Yeshua by the time war broke out in 1939, many of whom would no doubt have shared the fate of their brethren in the concentration camps but who would also no doubt have shared the life-giving Gospel of their Saviour.³

Notes

1 The Rev Dr Jakob Jocz (Olive Press Research Paper, CMJ) by Dr Theresa Newell, to whom I am greatly indebted for the basis of this article. Find out more about CMJ at www.cmj.org.uk.

2 The musical about Jewish survival amidst the oppression of early 20^th Century Tsarist Russia starring a poor milkman famously played by Topol.

3 Peace in Jerusalem (olivepresspublisher.com) by Charles Gardner, p28.

Searching for reality in a 'post-truth' age.

The famous words of Pilate at the fake trial of Jesus have echoed down the centuries – what is truth? These words have taken on new significance in the 21^st Century with the development of social media and the spread of ‘fake news’. Paul defines truth in very simple terms: as the good news of salvation (Eph 1:13). Jesus says that he himself is truth. He says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). By this statement Jesus means that anyone who knows God, knows truth.

If truth is so central to the purposes of God, it is small wonder that it is under attack from the powers of darkness that are presently ruling the world. It is as though a huge blanket of cloud is covering humanity and preventing clear perception and rational thinking. The evidence of this can be seen in every part of the world.

In America, division over immigration has led to parts of Government being shut down because of President Trump’s dispute with Congress over the wall he wants to build between the USA and Mexico. Europe too is wracked by disagreement over immigration and the many other problems besetting the EU project: in Germany there is mounting fear over the failing economy and the future of the Euro. In France there are growing social problems, with millions taking to the streets before Christmas in populist demonstrations against the policies of President Macron.

These problems are not going away and there are similar tensions in other EU states. But, arguably, none have such potentially far-reaching consequences as the divisions over Brexit.

No Alternatives?

At the moment Brexit arguments in Britain have not spilled over into the streets, although there are plenty of noisy groups in Westminster demonstrating around Parliament day after day. The major upheavals are inside Parliament where confusion reigns supreme.

The Prime Minister insists that the deal she has negotiated with the EU is the only deal and there is no Plan B. But Parliament has voted to take back the initiative by insisting that if her deal is voted down by Parliament next week, she must come back to the House of Commons in three days with a further plan.

If truth is so central to the purposes of God, it is small wonder that it is under attack from the powers of darkness that are presently ruling the world.

Although there appears to be no valid alternative to Mrs May’s deal, there is probably a majority of MPs who want to ensure that Britain does not leave the EU with no deal at all. The EU fears a ‘No Deal’ more than Britain does, but our politicians appear blind to this. If the MPs make it impossible for ‘No Deal’ to happen, they strip the Prime Minister of the most powerful weapon in negotiations with Brussels.

The Netherlands alone say that they will lose more than £2 billion in trade if there is no deal between the EU and Britain. Germany is desperate to sell their cars in Britain, without which their economy would be in serious trouble; and the EU itself urgently needs the €39 billion promised in the divorce bill, without which the Euro currency is likely to fail. Many of our MPs seem completely unaware of the power they hold over the EU, which is part of the blindness afflicting leaders of our nation.

The Consequences of Rebellion

This blindness to truth is not simply a political, economic or social issue: it is fundamentally a spiritual problem resulting from Britain’s rejection of her biblical foundations. Though this rejection is not recognised, its consequences can be seen throughout the life of the nation.

One obvious example is that every week there are young people dying on the streets of London through a wave of knife crime, drugs, gangs and lawlessness that is spilling across to other cities. This is a national issue, but our politicians are too busy arguing over Brexit to notice what is happening on our streets.

But this wave of violence is directly linked to our rejection of God. We have rejected the biblical foundations of Britain’s value system, so we are no longer able to recognise truth. For 50 years we have allowed the nation to be driven by secular humanist activists who have deliberately undermined traditional family life, promoting divorce, cohabitation, sexual perversion, abortion-on-demand and more recently, transgenderism. These policies have all been based on a lie – the lie that all types of family are equal.

This blindness to truth is fundamentally a spiritual problem resulting from Britain’s rejection of her biblical foundations.

There have been scores of sociological research reports demonstrating that only faithful marriage as the Bible describes it produces happy, stable and successful family life for both adults and children. But this truth about families has been wilfully ignored or rejected by post-modernist agitators who have done untold harm to British children.

Every child who dies on the city streets of Britain is in some way a victim of the post-modern, secular humanist, pro-LGBTQ+ policies that have deliberately aimed at destroying family life in the nation in this ‘post-truth’ age.

Spiritual Blindness

The greatest crime in Britain today is the blindness of our leaders, in both Church and state, to recognise the sickness of the nation and the root of its problems.

I have been responsible for no less than eight sociological reports to Parliament on family life in Britain during the past 30 years. They have set out clearly the consequences of following policies based upon the false concept of ‘equality’. But successive Governments have been blind to TRUTH.

This blindness is a spiritual malady. It is not a lack of intellectual capacity. It is plain and simply a spiritual force of darkness, given a foothold through rebellion and rejection of God’s word, that makes it impossible to understand and accept TRUTH.

This is why our MPs are in such utter disarray over Brexit. There is no shared vision because they are blinded to TRUTH. The plain fact is: no political solutions to the nation’s problems can be found until there is repentance for what has been done to the nation; and new openness to the word of God. What will it take? Is it a matter of more prayer, or more truth-telling – or must more disaster be allowed to come upon Britain?

At this time, it is vital that the faithful remnant of God’s people seek to understand what he is doing and pray and act in line with his will. Elsewhere in this week’s issue of Prophecy Today UK is an article to this end, entitled ‘A Word for 2019’. Please do read this and bring it before the Lord in prayer, seeking how you might respond.

The dreadful consequences of touching the apple of God’s eye

As we once again recall with horror the terrorist atrocity witnessed by the whole world when New York’s Twin Towers were reduced to rubble in 2001, few will be aware of an earlier 9/11 that destroyed an entire city.

It happened on the night of 11 September 1944, when the German city of Darmstadt suffered a devastating air raid by RAF pilots sent out from my home town of Doncaster, headquarters of Bomber Command.

12,000 residents were killed and many more made homeless amid ongoing controversy even in Britain as to whether it was really necessary as the war was almost won by then.

But as fire swept through the smouldering ruins, a devoted young German Christian wept bitterly over her nation’s terrible sin against the Jewish people – she clearly saw the bombing as the judgment of God.

Sister Thekla (sitting) and Sister Glory pictured at Jesus’ Return, their home near London.Basilea Schlink determined to do something about it and subsequently founded the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, dedicated to confessing the sin of her nation and making restitution with God’s chosen people, chiefly by loving and serving them in whatever way they could.

Touching the Apple of God’s Eye

More than 70 years later, the order is represented in nations across the globe, including Australia and the United States, and I have just spent a weekend at their UK base near London where a coffee-table book on their history recalls that fateful night in Darmstadt:

For years our mothers had prayed for revival in the girls’ Bible study groups they led; now their prayers were answered – far differently than they had ever expected. That night the girls encountered God in his holiness as Judge and Lord over life and death…

Following that night of terror, there was a move among those young girls to bring sin into the light and receive forgiveness…God’s moment had come. Out of the ashes emerged new life.¹

Have we still not learned that there are shocking consequences for those who touch the apple of God’s eye, which is how the Bible refers to Israel?

Not surprisingly, the British-based sisters are deeply grieved at the rise of anti-Semitism all over Europe so soon after this terrible disaster caused by the Nazis’ sickening murder of six million Jews in the death camps of Poland and Germany.

Have we still not learned that there are shocking consequences for those who touch the apple of God’s eye, which is how the Bible refers to Israel (see Zechariah 2:8)?

When and Where to Flee

According to Alex Brummer in a Daily Mail article,² all the talk among British Jews is now focused on which country to flee to if Jeremy Corbyn gets into No. 10 as he has failed miserably to deal with the rise of anti-Semitism in his party, which has traditionally had the support of the Jewish community (and it now appears there has been a cover-up over party members allegedly involved in anti-Semitic hate crimes3).

According to my sources, many have already fled traditionally Jewish suburbs like Golders Green in north London in order to set up home in safer areas following a series of anti-Semitic incidents.

And although British Jews have become accustomed to bias against Israel in recent decades, “never before has a major political party in Britain regarded the creation by the post-war so-called Great Powers (including Russia) of the state of Israel in 1948…as an act of colonialist occupation”, Brummer writes, referring to Mr Corbyn’s stated beliefs.

“But that this [fleeing the country] is even being discussed, just 70 years on from the horrors of Auschwitz; that British Jews should be feeling so insecure in the country they love, is deeply disturbing,” Brummer adds.

And he pointed out that Israel wasn’t necessarily their first choice of destination, because some see it as a move from the frying pan into the fire. But I disagree with that. I go along with a participant on BBC2’s We Are British Jews programme⁴ who said that “It’s the safest place in the world to be”.

All the talk among British Jews is now focused on which country to flee to if Jeremy Corbyn gets into No. 10.

God’s Purposes

Yes, the Jewish state is surrounded by implacable enemies with an insatiable desire to wipe them off the map and, yes, they are threatened once more with annihilation. But Israel’s security is very tight – and effective.

In any case, should physical safety be their only consideration? Isn’t the safest place of all in the loving arms of God – the God of Israel? And his purpose is that they should return to the Land of their forefathers, the Land promised to Abraham as a permanent possession (Gen 17:8). After all, the Tenach (Old Testament) prophets foretold of a great ingathering of Jews from every corner of the globe.

Picture: Charles GardnerAlmost half of world Jewry are now living in Israel and, according to the Bible, it would appear to be God’s will that they should all return (Ezek 39:28). But don’t misunderstand me. I do not wish to encourage persecution so that they feel forced to flee. Jewish contribution to European societies has been priceless – without the ongoing input of their high achievers we would all suffer. But woe to those whose intimidation does cause them to leave; for they will come under a curse (Gen 12:3).

Nevertheless, it is God’s purpose that his chosen people should be back in the Land before Messiah returns. Yes, there will be a battle over Jerusalem, and the nations will come against it, but the Lord will intervene and defeat the enemies of Israel, once and for all (see Zechariah 12-14).

Messiah’s Return

When Jesus ascended to heaven as his perplexed disciples watched in wonder, angels explained to them that he would one day return in the same way he had left – and this took place on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem (Acts 1:11).

The Prophet Zechariah confirms this – that Christ will indeed place his feet on the Mount of Olives and that the Jewish nation will have their eyes opened as they recognise Jesus as the One they had pierced (Zech 12:10).

Almost half of world Jewry are now living in Israel and, according to the Bible, it would appear to be God’s will that they should all return.

The Messiah for whom Jews have longed will appear on earth, and they will acknowledge that he has been here before – as the suffering servant (Isa 53). Although they will mourn over what they did to him (we all need to confess our sin in order to be cleansed), their hearts will be sprinkled clean – and “all Israel will be saved” (Ezek 36:25; Zech 13:1; Rom 11:26).

Jesus is coming again – and the establishing of the people of Israel in their Land is a major sign.

References

1 A Celebration of God’s Unfailing Love, published by the Evangelical Sisters of Mary.

2 Daily Mail, 30 August 2018. According to a Jewish Chronicle poll, almost 40% of UK Jews would ‘seriously consider’ leaving if Corbyn became PM (Times of Israel, 5 September 2018).

3 Daily Express, 5 September 2018.

4 A two-part series screened last week (on 4 and 5 September).

Hungary’s populist victory and the disintegration of Europe.

The re-election of Viktor Orban in Hungary’s presidential election last week came as no surprise, but it has caused dismay in Brussels where there is a real fear that Orban’s trashing of the EU rules may spread to other states within the European Union. His campaign was built on fear-mongering and anti-immigration which gave his right-wing populist party a vastly increased majority.

Orban’s victory is a direct challenge to the core values of the European Union which, according to Christian Ultsch in the Austrian press,¹ has caused some to claim the EU is being “shaken to its foundations”.

Many Christians may be happy to see the secular humanist ‘core values’ of the EU being shaken and all those who respect the Christian values that have formed the foundation stones of Western nations will have some sympathy for Victor Orban’s endeavour to protect his country from a large influx of Muslims. He has seen the difficulties that have arisen in Germany following Angela Merkel’s opening the door to one million Muslims and within months some of them became involved in highly publicised terror attacks and sexual attacks upon women and girls.

In France the latest Islamist attack that has shaken the nation was the murder of Mireille Knoll, an 85-year-old Jewish woman and Holocaust survivor. She was stabbed 11 times before her body was set on fire in an anti-Semitic crime that brought 30,000 people onto the streets in protest.

Equality and Tolerance?

Those who uphold the politically correct EU core values of ‘equality’ and ‘tolerance’ believe that over a period of time integration will take place as people live together and accept one another as equals. But this secular humanist, atheist, Marxist dream of a tolerant society is utterly unachievable and simply reveals the ignorance of those who are the driving force behind the secularisation in Brussels that is seeking to remodel Europe.

They simply do not understand Islam, whose Qur’an specifically forbids Muslims to make friends with Jews and Christians: “O ye who have believed, do not choose Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends to each other; whoever makes friends of them is one of them” (Qur’an 5:51).

Those who uphold the EU values of ‘equality’ and ‘tolerance’ believe that over a period of time integration will take place as people accept one another as equals.

Integration is not on Islam’s agenda. Islam’s short-term objective is to rule Europe and the long-term intention is to dominate the world.

There is no compromise in Islam: which is why there is total deadlock between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The Palestinians do not want peace with Israel: their sole objective is the total destruction of Israel! In Britain we have seen the result of politically correct town councils and secular humanist social workers refusing to believe poor white girls being abused by gangs of immigrant men, so we can understand the widespread indignation in France where similar things are happening and Islamists are particularly targeting Jews.

Islamic Anti-Semitism Exposed

Protests in France against the murder of Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll. See Photo Credits.

A letter signed by more than 300 French dignitaries (including former President Sarkozy) denouncing the new anti-Semitism in France has been published this week in a Parisian newspaper.² It calls attention to the alarming surge in Islamist radicalism that is driving a string of attacks upon Jews.

The French Jewish community of more than half a million - the largest in Europe - has seen a wave of emigration to Israel over the past 20 years at least partly driven by the virulent anti-Semitism of Muslim immigrants. The letter highlights the “quiet ethnic purging” that is taking place in working-class city neighbourhoods.

Against this backdrop, the rise of far-right populist parties is understandable. But it is not just the EU’s values that are being shaken. Orban’s victory in Hungary is linked with divisions that are destabilising the whole of Western society – it represents the rise of a new kind of nationalism that has its roots in racism.

Self-Destructing Society

It is strange how wherever you look in the Western world today, division and hatred are on the rise. It is as if our societies are tearing themselves apart from the inside out. While immigration into the West has imported a plethora of new prejudices, home-grown hatreds are also flourishing - at both ends of the political spectrum.

Wherever you look in the Western world today, division and hatred are on the rise.

In the USA, right-wing populism brought President Trump to power, but already his presidency has seen a rise in anti-black racism as well as a spike in anti-Semitism.

In Britain, the populist movement that brought about the Brexit vote has coincided with a rise in racist incidents. But the focus recently has been upon left-wing anti-Semitism in the Labour Party since Jeremy Corbyn became leader. In a meeting last week with representatives of Jewish communities Corbyn was challenged to do something to eradicate the racism that has become apparent in the Labour Party.

Behind the Division

What is it in human nature that drives people to hatred of other human beings?

The answer can only be that we have turned our backs on God. We have rejected the biblical values that have formed the foundation of Western democracy for centuries. Once we depart from these core values the cracks in the structures of society begin to show and it’s not long before all our social institutions, such as the family, begin to crumble.

In the absence of love, justice and unity that stems from God, humans soon turn to hatred. Barely one generation passed in Genesis before mankind turned to murder, brother against brother. The lesson of history is that rebellion breeds hatred and violence. Today, from end to end on the political spectrum, we see people trying to build a world without God – just like at the Tower of Babel. We cannot be surprised to see hatred and division on the rise as a result.

The Litmus Test

The litmus test of the health of a society is the poisonous presence of anti-Semitism, the “oldest of all hatreds”. Whereas other racisms regard hated groups as ‘inferior’ (e.g. anti-black racism), anti-Semitism strangely blames Jews for being ‘superior’ because of their achievements in finance, business, banking and the arts. Whereas all other racisms have definable roots, anti-Semitism transcends time, geography, politics and social class.

In the absence of love, justice and unity that stems from God, humans soon turn to hatred.

It also transcends religion. Islamic anti-Semitism is widespread around the world, stemming right back to Mohammed who turned on the Jews and viciously slaughtered them when they refused to accept his new religion. Christian anti-Semitism has flourished through the ages as Jews have been blamed for killing Jesus and punished for rejecting the Gospel, while Replacement Theology has been manufactured by the Church to write Jews out of God’s purposes altogether.

When people rebel against God and reject his word, this manifests most virulently in a spiritual hatred for the Jews as the covenant people of God, through whom he chose to reveal his nature and purposes to the world. But the Bible says that “The word of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and settle disputes for many peoples” (Isa 2:3-4). This has never been rescinded; and is still God’s intention to fulfil.

The cracks and divisions in our society today have one common root: rebellion against God. This is surely the major problem of our humanity that only the Gospel can cure.

References

1 Die Presse, Vienna, 9 April 2018.

2 Click here for the original letter (in French) or here for the translated page. Please also see this article from Jihad Watch.

People power and the hand of God.

This week we have seen the fall from favour of two powerful politicians – Mugabe and Merkel. They have each held power in very different societies but their downfalls are both linked to the rise of people power.

People power signals the awakening of ordinary people to the misuse of power among the ruling elite that has been the source of oppression for far too long. It is now even affecting cruel dictatorships such as the Mugabe regime, which has dominated Zimbabwe for decades.

The popularist backlash has begun: where will it end?

Angela Merkel’s problems stemmed from her unwise single-handed decision to welcome more than one million asylum seekers from the Muslim world and to try to force other EU nations to follow the same policy. Her nearest neighbours - Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria - have all resisted this pressure.

Populist Revolts

Other parts of the EU are experiencing something similar - a populist reaction against decisions made by those in power. In France, Macron’s sudden rise to prominence reflected a workers’ revolt against both left and right traditional political parties. But his failure to please the workers has brought them out onto the streets in protest.¹

It remains to be seen whether a similar pattern will be followed in Zimbabwe if the vast army of unemployed do not see radical change with their new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Politicians in traditional parties throughout the EU are watching the growth of anti-establishment, populist movements with trepidation.

And what about the European Union itself? The cracks we have been forecasting in Prophecy Today UK are beginning to widen. The corruption at the heart of this evil institution with the gross rewards it pays to its unelected officials is becoming widely known and will bring its inevitable consequences. Politicians in the traditional parties throughout the European Union are watching the growth of anti-establishment, populist movements with trepidation.

The God Factor

Angela Merkel announces the failure of her coalition talks. See Photo Credits.

But the major factor that the Establishment does not recognise is the God factor!

Yes, certainly, the forces of social change that are sweeping Europe and other parts of the world, including traditional monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, are of sociological significance, but they also have theological significance! They are not simply generated by human ambitions or discontent: they all show signs of the guiding Hand of God!

The Prophet Haggai prophesying in the year 520 BC may not have known God’s timetable, but he certainly received a clear revelation of the purposes of God when he declared, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: in a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations…”.

We are certainly seeing a great shaking of the world of nature through storms, hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes – arguably more than in any other period in recorded history; and we are also seeing a great shaking of the nations.

The forces of change that are sweeping Europe and other parts of the world all show signs of the guiding Hand of God.

This is where we need our Bibles more than sociological and political theory to give us a steer about what is happening and the likely outcomes of the forces of change that are driving the nations.

When we get a clear view of the nature and purposes of God, we have the necessary tools of analysis to enable us to understand what is going on in our world today. Without this knowledge we are left with our secular human frailty; alone in the universe, facing the gathering storms with winds of change reaching hurricane force and no compass or rudder to guide.

The two fundamental assets of the biblical prophets were: revelationary knowledge of the nature and purposes of God; and understanding of the sovereignty of God - that everything that happened was either because God directly willed it, or because he allowed it.

Exposing Injustice

So, what’s happening among the nations today? Certainly, we can see that in Europe and the West, God is exposing the corruption, injustice and oppression exercised by the ruling elite who misuse their riches and their power to pursue selfish aims and objectives.

As Jeremiah stated in his famous ‘Temple Sermon’ (Jer 7), God hates injustice and oppression. There is something in our fallen human nature that still reflects the image of God, in which we were created, that enables us to recognise injustice and oppression and to reject them. This is what is happening today as God turns on the light, exposing the corrupt financial, political and social systems of the modern world.

Mrs Merkel’s fall from power is likely to trigger elections in the new year which will benefit the far-right nationalist ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) party, or even the ex-Communist Left Party. This will further destabilise Germany and could possibly trigger the collapse of the European Union, already under threat because of Britain’s withdrawal.

The two fundamental assets of the biblical prophets were: revelationary knowledge of the nature and purposes of God; and understanding of the sovereignty of God.

This gives an enormous opportunity to Britain to review the whole policy of offering enormous sums of money to the EU to allow us to come out from under its oppressive regulations.

But is the British Government sufficiently spiritually aware of what is happening in the world that political decisions can be made in line with the purposes of God? This is evidently not the case – unsurprisingly, given how few MPs are biblical Christians. This is where Christians are greatly needed to make their voice heard in the nation and to bring a ‘God-perspective’ into national decision-making.

Church, Arise!

At present there is very little indication that God-centred direction will come from the Church. But it is the Church that should be the prophet to the nation. In the absence of the word of God thundering through the naves of our cathedrals and from the pulpits of our churches, perhaps people power may yet emerge from the pews!

It is surely time for Bible-believing Christians to find every opportunity in this media-saturated world to declare the word of the living God to this godless generation!

The authorities in Israel were forced to take note of the disciples: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). May the backlash not only be seen on the streets, but in the churches as well!

Notes

1 E.g. Read more here.

Protests, confusion and cries of abuse have a common root.

In the week that we have been remembering the 500^th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, it is appropriate to look at Europe today where we see the widespread rise of protest movements. Luther’s challenge to the practices of the Catholic Church was a direct challenge to its authority. Today we are seeing challenges to authority in almost every part of Europe – but these stem from a very different spirit.

In Britain, our media never ceases to inform us of the chaos and confusion surrounding the Brexit negotiations. The confusion is not just in Westminster; it is also in Brussels. We are facing so many ‘unknowns’ – political, legal, commercial, as well as ideological. Our politicians and media commentators spend their time consulting their crystal balls trying to discern the future, but only succeed in generating greater confusion.

But Britain and the EU are not the only centres of confusion. Throughout Europe there are signs of growing discontent and dissatisfaction with policies that have been followed by traditional leaders for decades.

Uprisings Against Traditional Authority

Young people in particular are exerting influence, rising up to challenge traditional authority. France, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic have all voted for young leaders; part of a populist uprising across Europe.

The Catalan declaration of independence, challenged by the Spanish Government, has rapidly descended into chaos with their leader running away to Brussels. Austria voted last month for Sebastian Kurz, a 31-year-old right-wing leader who is said to be talking to the far-right Freedom Party in an attempt to form a government.

Throughout Europe there are signs of growing discontent and dissatisfaction.

The Czech Republic has also voted for an anti-establishment leader, Andrej Babis, who obtained 30% in last month’s election.

In Germany, the far-right ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) party won 94 seats in the Bundestag in September’s elections, which was the first time any such party has made gains in Germany since the 1930s. In Italy the two northern regions are seeking to organise a referendum to gain greater autonomy and the populist five-star movement (M5S) also elected a 31-year-old leader.

Abuse and Loss of Trust

Defence Minister Michael Fallon has lost his position because of the recent allegations about sexual misconduct at Westminster. See Photo Credits.Back in Westminster, confusion is not confined to the Brexit negotiations: politicians are greatly concerned by allegations of sexual impropriety among MPs, which has attracted much media attention with women queueing up to tell tales to journalists. ‘Someone touched my knee 20 years ago: I lost my confidence and it ruined my life.’ What a load of codswallop! Has the world gone completely mad?

Of course, if there are incidents of serious sexual malpractice or harassment there should be a safe place where complaints can be lodged and dealt with professionally, but the current politically correct hysteria is ridiculous. Is our society not sufficiently adult to be able to sort out relationships between the genders?

Two days ago I was in my study with the door shut and the young woman who does some cleaning for us was hoovering in the dining room. I heard her phone go and then she burst into loud crying. My wife was out so I immediately went to her and between uncontrollable sobs she managed to say that someone in her family had died. I had hardly ever spoken to her before but I simply took her into my arms and let her cry on my shoulder.

When she quietened down I told her I believe in prayer and could I pray for her? She nodded and I prayed, which brought about a total transformation. She said she used to go to Sunday School as a child but hadn’t been to church for years; so I talked about the love of God and gently gave her the Gospel. Far from accusing me of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, she was profuse in her thanks. We were just two human beings – one in distress and the other offering comfort.

Incidents of serious sexual malpractice should of course be properly dealt with, but the current politically correct hysteria is ridiculous.

Breakdown of Relationships

Surely, all the major problems we see in modern society come down to human relationships which have failed, broken or been abused in some way. The ongoing drama over Brexit and the political instability right across the Western world are but symptoms of this deeper, more systemic problem of human relationships.

In the same way, the current wave of sex scandals delighting the media has its origins in broken human relations – particularly the breakdown of marriage, but also a broader disintegration of trust and commitment to faithful and loving relationships. This is where Christian churches have much to teach secular humanists. In most churches, relationships are a strong uniting factor and churchgoers regularly exchange greetings with hugs or kisses, with no fears of sexual impropriety. Even in Anglican churches, often regarded as formal and cold institutions, sharing ‘The Peace’ is usually an opportunity for hugs all round!

When human relationships are based upon mutual respect and trust, we do not have to worry about political correctness or ‘inappropriate behaviour’. We can just be natural and free from inhibitions and fear of being misunderstood in our relationships with others.

Getting Our Relationship with God Right

But it is vital to recognise that these ideal human relationships are the outcome of a right relationship with God: recognising him as Creator, who made us all (both male and female) in his own image; as Father, who designed us for intimate relationship with him as his sons and daughters; and as Lord, who alone is the true authority, setting out right from wrong and holding us all to account.

When we get our relationship right with God, this automatically puts right our relationships with other human beings, because our whole attitude is different.

We do not seek to ‘lord it’ over others, because we know that we ourselves are no better or worse than they, and all are subject to God. We are enabled to love others and given wisdom to handle difficult times – dealing with differences, misunderstandings, or complex negotiations. Mutual respect in personal relationships leads to the same spirit prevailing over wider issues involving whole communities and nations.

When we get our relationship right with God, this automatically puts right our relationships with other human beings.

The basic problem in Western society today is that we have abandoned this biblical authority structure – once a fundamental part of our Judeo-Christian moral, social and political foundations, enjoyed by our forefathers. These were passed on to us, but they have been despised and rejected. We have rebelled against God’s good plan, inverting his model for right and blessed relationships and deleting God from the equation.

The Apostle Paul went to the heart of this issue by saying “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Rom 8:7, ESV). The answers to our difficult personal relationships and our complex international relationships all lie in getting our relationship with God right.

It’s worth just meditating on a few verses from Psalm 119:

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
Turn my heart towards your statutes and not towards selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. (vv33-37)

500 years ago this coming week, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

500 years ago this coming week (31 October 1517), Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. In those days, this was the traditional way to initiate a public debate on a given theme.

This time the theme was a 95-fold challenge to the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church of the day, that was bent on fundraising at the expense of the poor by selling so-called ‘indulgences’, whereby the unsuspecting were persuaded that they could purchase forgiveness of sins.

The 95 items¹ were headed with the words:

Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Luther summarised his overall purpose under three headings:

1. Selling indulgences to finance the building of St Peter's is wrong.
   
2. The pope has no power over Purgatory.
   
3. Buying indulgences gives people a false sense of security and endangers their salvation.
   

Thus broke out what became the Protestant Reformation, with the rallying cry of Habbakuk 2:4:

Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

Luther did not succeed in reforming the Catholic Church of his day but became cut off from this community, instead propelling into existence the Lutheran wing of the Protestant Church, which has spread its influence widely over these 500 years.

Luther did not succeed in reforming the Catholic Church of his day, but propelled into existence the Lutheran wing of the Protestant Church.

Luther’s Blind Spot

This week, we should celebrate this astounding move which brought freedom to millions who were no longer to be chained by the religious orders of the historic Roman Catholic Church, but free to explore the life of faith which pleases God. The later reforms of the Roman Catholic Church surely also owe something to this early proclamation of Luther.

The church door in Wittenberg, Germany, where Luther pinned his 95 theses for all to see. See Photo Credits.

Yet, great though the Protestant Reformation has been, we would also be wise to perceive an unfinished work. Luther had one tremendous blind spot. When he failed to impact the Jewish community with his proclamation of the Gospel, he turned against them. In his publication of 1543 ‘On the Jews and their Lies’, he described Jews as a "base, whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boast of lineage, circumcision, and law must be accounted as filth." He wrote that they are "full of the devil's faeces...which they wallow in like swine," describing the synagogue is an "incorrigible whore and an evil slut".²

He proposed the following seven actions:

1. To burn down Jewish synagogues and schools and warn people against them;
   
2. To refuse to let Jews own houses among Christians;
   
3. For Jewish religious writings to be taken away;
   
4. For rabbis to be forbidden to preach;
   
5. To offer no protection to Jews on highways;
   
6. For usury to be prohibited and for all silver and gold to be removed, put aside for safekeeping, and given back to Jews who truly convert;
   
7. To give young, strong Jews flail, axe, spade, and spindle, and let them earn their bread by the sweat of their brow.
   

Luther could not have foreseen that this unfortunate after-thought in his later life, following many years of powerful and fruitful ministry, would be taken up literally by Hitler’s Nazis as an impetus to the terrible ‘final solution’, culminating in the horror of the Holocaust.

Let us thank God for the good fruits of Luther’s ministry, but now take responsibility for the completion of the Reformation.

The True Life of Faith

Luther was fluent in Hebrew yet he failed to fully understand Hebraic thought. He saw the Epistle of James as a “perfect straw-epistle” because he did not understand James’ teaching that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).³

No doubt his mind was already so much against those from a Jewish background (like James, whose name was actually Jacob) to consider them as having a doctrine of salvation by works, like the Roman Catholics of his day.

He did not consider the Hebrew emunah sufficiently to observe that it means both ‘faith’ and ‘faithfulness’, so that Hebrews 11:1 can be translated equally “faith is the substance of things hoped for” and “faithfulness is the substance of things hoped for”, which completely validates James’ teaching that the faith which pleases God involves the fruitful outworking of our lives.

Luther was fluent in Hebrew yet he failed to fully understand Hebraic thought.

A Careful Eye on Prophecy

Of course Luther did not live in our day when we see the miracle of Israel’s re-birth as a nation. Nor did he witness the increasing numbers of Messianic Jews declaring faith in Yeshua HaMashiach. Would he have been ashamed if he knew of his own contribution to fanning the flames of Replacement Theology still rampant in the Christian Church?

Had he lived today perhaps he would not have been so foolish as to speak against the Jews as he did and may well have written a 96^th thesis. He may have had a more careful eye on the outworking of prophecy. In his day, just as he discarded the Epistle of James and also that of Jude, he discarded the Book of Revelation. Perhaps he had not the prompting to consider end time prophecy as we have, with signs all around us.

What would this 96^th thesis be? Let me suggest it:

96 For discussion: We live in the sure expectancy that God is drawing together both Jews and Gentiles into the one community of faith which Paul calls the ‘one new man’ (Ephesians 2:14-15). It is now time to rediscover the original roots of our faith together. God, in His wisdom, is enabling a fresh interaction between Messianic Jews and believing Gentiles as never before to firmly establish the common faith. Surely this will be the means of strengthening for the days ahead, for washing away all doctrinal and denominational division when we are united in Spirit and Truth through Faith in the One True God and His Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is to be the goal of all who believe in Him, whether from Catholic or Protestant backgrounds. Surely this will complete the Reformation begun so sacrificially 500 years ago, but now to be completed as we wait for the return of our Saviour.

References

1 Click here for a translation of the entire 95 theses.

2 Anti-Semitism: Martin Luther - "The Jews & Their Lies" (1543). Jewish Virtual Library.

3 Martin Luther and the Book of James. Biblestudy.org.

Christine Burden reviews ‘Rose-Tinted Memory: Holocaust Truths that Can’t Be Erased’ by Michael S Fryer (Perissos Group, 2016).

Michael Fryer draws on his experience as a police officer in the National Crime Squad, as a pastor of Father’s House Sabbath Congregation, in North Wales and as a graduate of Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Memorial in Israel), to investigate the Church’s involvement and complicity in the Holocaust.

For those who believe that the Gentile Church and the general public in Nazi- occupied Europe were all rescuers of Jewish people, this book will be a startling revelation. For sure, there were 25,685 aptly named ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ that are recognised by Yad Vashem and the author does not ignore this fact. However, the thrust of the book is to examine to what extent Christendom was aware of what happened to the Jewish people in Europe during World War II and what its response was.

How the Church Paved the Way

Fryer documents how Christendom in Germany and Europe helped to create the climate of hate which allowed Hitler and his accomplices to introduce their terrible programme of genocide.

“95% of Germans had church affiliation” (p19). The author asks: why did these people allow God’s chosen people to die in their towns and villages?

Fryer documents how Christendom in Europe helped to create the climate of hate that allowed Hitler to introduce genocide.

Even before the rise of Nazism in Germany, the teaching that came from the pulpits began the process of “de-humanising” the Jewish people. Consequently, it was not long before members of the public seemed to have no problem in “voluntarily shooting Jews- men, women and children - at point-blank range” (p50).

On the Protestant side there was the German Christian Movement (GCM). The aim of this group was to integrate the Protestant Church with nationalistic fervour for German culture and ethnicity. “By the mid-thirties this movement had more than 500,000 members who fully endorsed the Nazi ideology” (p49).

Chapter 11, entitled ‘German Christians’, gives numerous examples of anti-Semitic teachings circulated at this time. For me this is one of the most important chapters in the book. Examples include, “removing any idea that Christianity was in any way connected to Judaism” (p51). Hymn books and Scripture were revised to erase all ‘Jewishness’.

Practical Complicity of the Church

The author describes the national census in Germany, in which Christendom played a major role. Churches provided baptismal and marriage certificates plus other documents to establish whether a person was a Jew or Aryan. This information was used to provide lists of Jews, which then enabled officers to round up the Jewish population.

It is also well-documented that the Vatican knew of the existence of the concentration camps and did nothing to help the Jews. Without guidance from the Pope, the clergy did not know what to say, and often remained silent. Even today, the Vatican has papers concerning the Holocaust, which it refuses to release.

German Hymn books and Scripture were revised to erase all ‘Jewishness’.

The Involvement of the Public in the Genocide

Another powerful chapter poses the question, ‘Just a few Nazis?’ Again, our thinking is challenged as to how many people were complicit in Jewish persecution.

“German perpetrators numbered well in excess of 100,000. There were 10,005 camps which included satellite camps situated on the edges of towns and villages” (p43). In addition to this there were other staff and members of the general public who would have known what was happening.

“In Poland, local people were used to exterminate 3 million people. Local people then buried the dead” (p56). Many people, including professing Christians, must have been aware of the atrocities.

Justice and Accountability After the War

The author highlights some startling facts - some of which are well-known, others less so. For instance, there were 13 Nuremburg Trials held between 1945 and 1949, but they did not call many people to account.

Hitler and others committed suicide and therefore escaped earthly justice. Only 24 senior Nazi officers appeared in court and not everyone was found guilty. Meanwhile, many escaped down so-called ‘rat lines’, often with the help of the Church. Before 1949, 10,000 ex-SS officers were allowed into the UK, while only 2,000 displaced Jews were allowed entry into Britain.

Many ordinary people who had committed racially-motivated murders in their communities, or who had been involved with the camps, were never called to account. People returned home and kept quiet or remained in denial.

Modern-Day Considerations

In the concluding chapter, the author shares his concerns about Christendom allowing the Jewish people to be harmed today. He questions whether this will come in a different guise, that of Anti-Zionism, where teaching “that Israel is an occupying force is promulgated by large sections of Christendom” (p73).

Many ordinary people who had committed racially-motivated murders were never called to account.

Before and during the Holocaust, Christian leaders preached messages of hate. Sadly there are many examples of church leaders saying hateful things against Israel today. In the city of Liverpool, Hope University, the only ecumenical Christian university in Europe, staged an exhibition vilifying Israel. A Jewish lady wrote to Mr Fryer sharing her deep concern about the university, and expressing the fear that she feels at times, living as a Jew in Liverpool.

Conclusion

This book serves as a warning to all believers and hopefully will provoke us to study the biblical plans God has for the Jewish people. It documents uncomfortable truths, but truths that I strongly believe every Bible-believing Christian needs to be informed about.

I have no hesitation in highly recommending this well-documented book. Let us thank God for watchmen like Mr Fryer who attempt to highlight the lesser-known realities of the Shoah.

‘Rose-Tinted Memory’ (95 pages) is available from Amazon for £2.12.

David Longworth remembers the decisive Allied victory that turned the tide of the Second World War – and protected Jews in the Middle East from annihilation.

Tuesday of this week (15 November) marked 74 years since church bells around Britain rang out in thanksgiving for victory in the Second Battle of El Alamein, which had been won on 11 November 1942. This victory, which marked a decisive turning point in the war and the history of Israel, was described by Churchill in a speech at Mansion House in London on 10 November 1942, "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." On the day the battle was won Churchill told the Commons it was "a British victory of the first order".

To remove all possibility of misunderstanding, an announcement was made from Downing Street that church bells should be rung everywhere before morning service on Sunday 15 November 1942¹ (since June 1940, the customary ringing of church bells had been brought under Government prohibition. Bells were only to be rung if the authorities needed to give warning of imminent or actual German invasion). Looking back, Churchill later wrote in his history of the Second World War: "It may almost be said, 'Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat."²

Ringing with Hope

Today there are those who seek to decry the significance of this great event, and even to dismiss the bell-ringing as a fond fantasy. However, the records of ordinary people testify differently: for example, the North-East Diary (now online), 1939-1945, clearly records, "Sunday, 15 Nov. Church bells are rung for first time since June 1940 to celebrate the victory at El Alamein".³

On the same day Robert Osborne, in training with the Canadian Grenadier Guards, wrote to his mother, "Today is a big day for England. The Church bells are ringing for the first time in 3 years – my but they sound good with a ring of hope in them...".⁴

Furthermore, digging into the records of those who experienced those times reveals a spiritual dimension and confirms the ancient Scripture: "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men" (Dan 4:17, also 4:25, 31).

Despite a wartime prohibition on bell-ringing, Downing Street announced that all church bells should be rung to celebrate the victory of El Alamein.

July 1942: The Road to Palestine BlockedDeployment of forces at Second Battle of El Alamein, 23 October 1942. See Photo Credits.

The second great battle of El Alamein commenced on 23 October 1942, after Rommel's Afrika Korps had swept the British Army roughly a thousand miles eastward, from Tripoli in Libya as far as the ridge of El Alamein (Egypt). At this point, in July 1942, British General Claude Auchinleck had managed to hold a defensive line, a mere 70 miles from the crucial port of Alexandria. But morale, from Generals to Privates, was at rock bottom, after a series of defeats including the fall of Tobruk (Libya) in June 1942, when Britain had lost about 35,000 soldiers, captured as prisoners of war.

Back in Britain and the Empire, according to anecdotal memories, the North Africa crisis was the subject of many prayer meetings. One in particular stands out, being well-documented. At the Bible College of Wales, in Swansea, on 4 July 1942, Rees Howells said, "Unless God will intervene on behalf of Palestine there will be no safety there for the Jews. These Bible Lands must be protected, because it is to these lands the Saviour will come back. If I had the choice today, I would say to God, 'Take all I have, but preserve Palestine.' We want to say to God today, 'unless there is a special reason for Egypt to fall, don't let Alexandria be taken, but give Rommel a setback.' Can I carry the same burden today for Alexandria, as I would if Swansea were being attacked?"⁵

Unknown to Rees Howells, we now know that in the summer of 1942 the German Einsatzgruppe Egypt was on standby in Athens, awaiting Rommel's breakthrough to the Middle East. Their task was the liquidation of the Jewish populations of Egypt and Palestine. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, had agreed to assist in local recruitment to the unit and was already engaged in anti-Semitic incitement, not least by radio broadcasts.⁶

In the College in Swansea students and guests continued in prayer for many hours that Saturday afternoon. On the evening of Sunday 5 July, after yet more prayer, Howells was assured: "I thought Hitler might be allowed to take Egypt," he said, "but I now know he will never take Egypt – neither Alexandria nor Cairo will fall."⁷ The clarity with which the Holy Spirit orchestrated prayer and assurance is truly remarkable: Rommel began his assault on Auchinleck's defensive line on 1 July and battles raged to and fro until 31 July, ending in stalemate - but Egypt was secured and the path to Palestine blocked.

August 1942: The Right Leadership

On 3 August 1942, Churchill himself flew out to Cairo, where the Eighth Army had its HQ, specifically to stiffen the backbone of the British Forces and appoint a General who had swagger and self-confidence. He was attracted by General William Gott's record as a bold and aggressive leader. But the Chief of the General Staff, Sir Alan Brooke, had noticed the man's battle-weariness and lack of vision for the next stage, and attempted to dissuade Churchill, recommending the appointment of Bernard Montgomery. Brooke was unsuccessful. Auchinleck was relieved of his command and Gott, who was known for his Christian virtues,⁸ appointed.

We know from his diaries that Alan Brooke was another Christian, a man who habitually prayed for God's help and guidance. Writing in retrospect of the invitation in November 1941 to become Chief of the General Staff, he said, "I am not ashamed to confess that as soon as I was out of the room my first impulse was to kneel down and pray to God for guidance and support in the task that I had undertaken."⁹ This was our top military leader, whose advice Churchill overruled.

Rommel's breakthrough to the Middle East would have meant the liquidation of the Jewish populations of Egypt and Palestine.

On 7 August General Gott took off from his base camp to take up his appointment in Cairo in an RAF transport plane. Sadly, a carelessly uncoded British wireless message was intercepted by Rommel's signals unit. Six Messerschmitt fighters were sent to intercept the flight, the plane was skilfully crash-landed in the desert, but was mercilessly strafed, killing most of the passengers, including General Gott, the principal target of the Luftwaffe mission.¹⁰

Churchill, awaiting Gott in Cairo, was given the awful news by a staff officer, who remarked, "It may be a blessing in disguise".¹¹ In 9 months Britain's Eighth Army had gone through four commanders. Alan Brooke again urged Churchill to appoint Lt-General Montgomery, but Churchill now wanted General Wilson, the officer commanding the 9^th Army in Syria and Palestine. Brooke persisted and by midnight Churchill relented.

Commenting later, Captain Tom Witherby, Wireless Officer of 23^rd Armoured Brigade under Gott's command, said "Gott was a brave man, but he was tired and simply did not have the intellectual stature for the command. I do really feel that the circumstances in which Montgomery appeared at this critical time was one of the rare examples of direct intervention by the Almighty!"¹²

September 1942: National Prayer

Under Montgomery's leadership, meticulous planning and preparations began. In spite of political pressures, 'Monty' would not be rushed. He even insisted upon a new Chaplain General, hopeful of more effective prayer.¹³

Back home in Britain, a National Day of Prayer was called for Thursday 3 September. Archbishop William Temple insisted on it being kept on the anniversary of the start of the War, to ensure that it did not lose effect by being part of Sunday routine. Gatherings for prayer were organised in homes, factories, canteens, offices, schools, military locations, cinemas, theatres, fields and squares, and many other people listened to the broadcast services in their homes. A very high proportion of the population must have participated.¹⁴

Pathé and Movietone films of the day show over 7,000 RAF servicemen and women attending on one airfield alone, and a large congregation in the bombed-out ruin of St Dunstan in East London.¹⁵ Before Montgomery went to church in Egypt that day, "he gave orders that there was to be no forward movement from the main battle positions except by patrols, which were to concentrate on the destruction of the enemy's motor transport...It was a quiet morning, and all who could attended church services."¹⁶

A very high proportion of the population must have participated in the National Day of Prayer on 3 September 1942.

October-November 1942: From Assault to Victory

Italian prisoners of war, taken at El Alamein. See Photo Credits.

In North Africa, military preparations continued. 23 October was eventually set for the commencement of the great assault against the Afrika Korps. This is what Derek Prince remembers of the start of that day: "I was serving with a military ambulance up in the desert, a little way behind the advancing British Forces. On the tailboard of the truck there was a little portable radio. I listened as a news commentator described the preparations at Montgomery's headquarters just before the Battle of El Alamein. He described how Montgomery came out and assembled his officers and men and said this: 'Let us ask the Lord, mighty in battle, to give us the victory.'"¹⁷

Major General DN Wimberley, the General Officer Commanding the 51^st Highland Division, recalled "One thousand guns were to start firing at 21.40hrs. I watched my Jocks filing past in the moonlight...There was nothing more I could do now to prepare for the battle. It was only possible to pray for their success, and that the [Highland Division] would live up to its name and the names of those very famous regiments of which it was composed."¹⁸

Twelve days later, on 4 November, having been driven back from any defensible position, particularly by the 51^st Highland Division supported by the 4^th Indian Division, Rommel had to withdraw his forces from any major engagement (though units of the Eighth Army continued to harry his retreat for several days more). The Second Battle of El Alamein was over – and so, very soon, Einsatzgruppe Egypt was disbanded. The assurance given to Rees Howells was fully justified.

Gratitude?

In the estimation of many, it was the great turning point of the war. In spite of many mistakes and shortcomings in our armed forces, God had overruled - the forces of evil had been thwarted. Yet the spiritual dimension of these great battles now lies largely forgotten, if not airbrushed from standard histories. The faithful work of leading intercessors like Rees Howells, the hours spent by diligent prayer warriors, as well as the willing response of the masses to the national call to prayer, had been fruitful.

The faithful ministry to the young that had nurtured the seeds of early faith in those God-fearing officers and men had played its part. And the Lord, mighty in battle, had indeed granted the victory.

But where now is the gratitude? Remembrance Day has just passed once again, the fallen have been honoured, the nation's pride in its armed forces reiterated, but with little recognition of the One who rules all things.

In our homes and in our churches we should surely repent of our pride and ingratitude. The unseen spiritual battle continues today. Oh that we would return to seek the Lord in thousands and would intercede, that the forces of darkness at work in our nation would be driven back! It is worth remembering the prayer of Daniel, one of a tiny minority in pagan Babylon, "Blessed be the Name of God for ever, for wisdom and might are His...He removes kings and raises up kings...He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him" (Dan 2:20-22).

References

1. Seaman, LCB, 2003. Post-Victorian Britain, 1902-1951. Routledge.
2. Churchill, WS, 1951. The Second World War (Vol. 4). Houghton-Mifflin.
3. Ripley, R & Pears, B. North-East Diary, 1939-1945. Accessed 28 October 2016.
4. Osborne, RE & Osborne, DE 2016. Pax in Bello: Peace in War. David Osborne.
5. Grubb, N, 1952. Rees Howells: Intercessor. James Clarke and Co Ltd, 2003.
6. Mallmann, KM, Cüppers, M & Smith, K, 2010. Nazi Palestine: The Plans for the Extermination of the Jews in Palestine. Enigma, New York.
7. See note 4.
8. Nash, NS, 2013. Strafer, Desert General: the Life and Killing of Lieutenant General W.H.E. Gott. Pen and Sword.
9. Quoted in Hare, RM, 1998. Essays in Religion and Education. Clarendon Press.
10. Carver, T, 2009. Where the Hell have you been? Short Books.
11. Nash, NS (see note 8), op. cit. p238.
12. Ibid.
13. Chandler, DG, 1990. World War II on Land. Mallard Press, accessed via The National Archives.
14. Williamson, P, 2013. National days of prayer: the churches, the state and public worship in Britain, 1899-1957. English Historical Review 128(531), pp324-366.
15. British Pathé Archive, Film ID 1336.22, released 07/19/42. Movietone Digital Archive, Story No. 42802, released 07/09/42.
16. Carver, M, 1962. El Alamein. Wordsworth Editions, p69.
17. Prince, D, 2009. Secrets of a Prayer Warrior. Chosen Books, pp118-119.
18. Delaforce, P, 2007. Monty's Highlanders: 51^st Highland Division in the Second World War. Casemate Publishers, p43.

New light is shed on the Holocaust heroine who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The discovery of a handwritten will and more than 70 photographs has provided fresh insight into the life of a Christian martyr who perished at Auschwitz.

Just six months before the camp was liberated by the Red Army on 27 January 1945, the life of courageous Scot Jane Haining was snuffed out, aged 47, by Nazi butchers for the 'crime' of loving the Jewish girls under her care.

Priceless Discovery

The "priceless" finding in the attic of the Church of Scotland World Mission Council's archive in Edinburgh has once again brought Jane's story into sharp focus, four years after the publication of a new book on the subject.

From Matron to Martyr – One Woman's Ultimate Sacrifice for the Jews (2012, Tate Publishing) is authored by New Zealander Lynley Smith, a distant relative who travelled the world to research details for her magnificent portrayal of this brave woman from Dunscore, near Dumfries – the only Scot to be honoured with a 'Righteous among the Nations' award by the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.

Commenting on the poignant discovery of her last will and testament, dated 2 July 1942 and bequeathing her typewriter, coat and other items to various people, council secretary Rev Ian Alexander said:

It is a wonderful document and tremendously exciting to have something that Jane Haining herself has written. It gives a sense she was fully aware of the risks she was taking...Scottish missionaries were advised to return home from Europe during the dark days of the Second World War, but Jane declined and wrote: 'If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness?' ¹

Jane Haining's life was snuffed out, aged 47, by Nazi butchers for the 'crime' of loving the Jewish girls under her care.

Beyond the Call of Duty

Jane had been living and working in the Glasgow area before taking on the role of matron at a girls' home in Budapest, Hungary – the boarding establishment of a school run by the Scottish Mission to Jews.

So dedicated was she to what she believed was her life's calling that she refused to leave her post when given several opportunities to escape, and even being ordered home by her superiors who feared for her safety. But more important to her was the safety of the Jewish girls under her care, already suffering under relentless discrimination and persecution even before the Nazis marched into their country.

Many of their parents were forcibly split up by the authorities as they sent the breadwinning Jewish men away, ostensibly to work camps, leaving families destitute and distressed.

The children often took refuge in the arms of Jane, who loved to comfort them with hugs and prayers of assurance. When she was forced by new laws to sew yellow stars onto the uniforms of her girls, she sobbed uncontrollably. And when some of the poorer pupils had no footwear, she effectively cut off any remaining ties with her homeland by using the soft leather of her suitcase to make soles for the girls' shoes.

She could identify with those who had lost parents as her mother died in childbirth when she was only five (her baby sister Helen lasting just 18 months) and her father died soon after remarrying, leaving his grieving widow pregnant.

Jane refused to leave her post when given several opportunities to escape, and even when ordered home by her superiors who feared for her safety.

Death, Where is Your Sting?

Jane was eventually arrested by the Gestapo on a series of charges which basically amounted to the fact that she showed too much concern for the Jews. Leaving her girls distraught, she was moved around various local prisons before being corralled into a cattle truck, crushed in with some 90 other women in conditions worse than animals would suffer, with access to neither water nor toilets for the long and tortuous journey to Auschwitz in south-west Poland.

She died soon afterwards, allegedly of natural causes. But since she had a strong constitution and had held up well even when sharing her food with her fellow inmates in an earlier prison, she is more likely to have been either shot or gassed, like so many of the million-plus Jews estimated to have perished at this most infamous of all death camps.

A postcard written two days before her death indicated no ill health, but hinted at her impending 'promotion' to meet with her Lord in heaven.

Intriguingly, in a chapter titled A View from the Summit early on in the book, the author imagines the scene of Jane's arrival in paradise, which serves the useful purpose of taking the sting out of the horrors that ensue in the narrative. Indeed, the Bible speaks of how the promise of resurrection removes the sting of death!

Delighted by the new discovery, author Lynley Smith told me: "It shows that Jane was well aware of the danger she was in – something I have always said. Bearing in mind that her Bible was miraculously rediscovered in 2010, I think God is keeping her story alive as its message – her example of loving the Jews enough to die for them – is so urgent for today."

Jane is likely to have been either shot or gassed, like so many of the million-plus Jews who perished at Auschwitz.

Reaping with Songs of Joy

The book has been translated into Hungarian, a key Budapest thoroughfare has been named after her and the government there has also honoured Jane for her sacrifice. But in truth, anti-Semitism there is once more on the rise, inflamed by the policies of the right-wing Jobbik Party.

In fact, little appears to have changed since those dark days in 1944. Lynley has told me how, on a recent visit to Budapest to launch the Hungarian translation of her book, she witnessed a group of skinheads racing through the city, one of them giving a 'Heil Hitler' salute as he dashed past a policeman.

In 2010 Jane was awarded a Hero of the Holocaust medal by the UK Government. Yet she had sought no honour in this world except to do the will of God and love his Chosen People. Meanwhile the Church of Scotland Mission in Budapest, which was home to a sizeable Jewish population in the 1930s, marked its 175^th anniversary last weekend.

As I was meditating recently on Psalm 126 – that "those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy" – I thought of Jane Haining, who wept uncontrollably as she was forced to sew yellow stars on the uniforms of the Jewish girls in her care. A harvest of life from the dead would surely follow, of which the re-birth of Israel was just the beginning.

As the Rabbi who wrote a foreword to Lynley's book said, "Jews need to know that true followers of Jesus are our friends."

References

1 Life of Scottish missionary who died in Auschwitz revealed. Jewish News, 15 September 2016.