Thousands of refugees and migrants continue to pour into Europe every day, fear of terrorism grows daily and the nations struggle to find a long-term solution. What does the future hold?

The boats keep coming. Overcrowded, unsafe boats flounder and capsize in the rough seas of the Aegean and still they keep coming – this autumn the number reaching Lesbos and other small Greek islands topped 7,000 per day.¹

People smuggling from Turkey to Greece across the dangerous seas is a multi-million dollar business. The people smugglers care nothing for humanity. They are making a fortune from the human misery of those who have lost everything in the war zones of Syria and Iraq – people so desperate that they will risk their lives boarding unsafe boats.

Looking for a Solution

Thousands are plucked from the sea every day and hundreds more simply drown, nameless victims of the greatest tragedy the Middle East has ever witnessed. This is the scene at the Eastern extremities of Europe.

At the other end of Europe, leaders of the EU nations are meeting to discuss desperate measures to deal with the crisis. How can they cope with the million strong flood of humanity that has descended upon Europe this year? How can such a human avalanche be absorbed among the nations? Even more urgently, how can it be halted, or even put on hold for a period, to give time for dealing with the situation in the war zones?

The humanitarian crisis engulfing Europe has no easy solution: neither is it a short-term problem that will be all over in a few weeks or months. Whole populations are on the move and there appears no end to the conflict that is destroying cities and towns across the Middle East and inflicting homelessness, injury and death on vast numbers of people.

The humanitarian crisis engulfing Europe has no easy solution – neither is it a short-term problem.

Europe on High Alert

The complexity is confounded by the mixture of migrants and refugees. The numbers are so great that it is impossible to discover who are the genuine refugees, who are the economic migrants and who are the jihadis slipped in among them by the Islamic State fighters.

Ever since the Paris atrocities on that notorious Friday 13 November, when at least one of the bombers had entered Europe through Greece posing as a refugee, the whole of the EU has been on high alert. The fact that the Paris bombers were a mixture of home-grown and migrant terrorists has added to the sense of fear and confusion.

Mass Fear

That fear and confusion is not confined to Europe but has spread to America as well. Just weeks after the Paris slaughter, a couple went on the rampage with automatic weapons in San Bernadino, California, slaughtering people as they were eating a meal together. President Obama used the occasion for an impassioned appeal for gun reform in the USA where he said that these mass killings were becoming routine.

The danger facing Europe is that mass killings will also become routine in the EU - unless the source of the problem in the killing-fields of the Middle East is dealt with effectively.

The danger facing Europe is that mass killings will also become routine here – unless the source of the problem can be dealt with.

Islamic 'Alliance'

Saudi Arabia has now announced the formation of a new military alliance of 34 Arab nations to fight terrorism. But who will they fight? Who do they define as 'terrorists'? Saudi Arabia has already beheaded more people this year than the Islamic State.² Their branch of Sunni Wahhabi Islam based upon the strict observance of Sharia law is rejected by half the Islamic world, including the coalition led by Iran which is presently fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have been locked in a proxy conflict for several years, with Iran backing the rebels in Yemen who the Saudis have been bombing. So the chance of this new initiative bringing peace to the Middle East is virtually nil. The most likely outcome is to extend the conflict between the different branches of Islam.

But could this be within the purposes of God?

Though all-out war between Islam and the Western nations (which in some respects would be a war between Christianity and Islam) looks ever more plausible, it could be that internal conflict between the different sects of Islam will save us from World War III.

All-out war between Islam and the Western nations could be avoided – if Islam implodes due to the internal conflict between its various sects.

Looking Forward

In the New Year's Day issue of Prophecy Today we will look more closely at what is happening in the Middle East, particularly in the context of biblical prophecy. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has gone quiet - the world's attention is upon Syria. But what does the future hold?

References

1 IOM Monitors Mediterranean Migrant Flows: 7,000 Crossing Daily to Greece. International Organization for Migration, Press Release, 10 September 2015.

2 Saudi Arabia Beheads Nearly Twice As Many People As ISIS So Far This Year. MintPress News Desk, 25 August 2015.

'The Christian in an Age of Terror: Selected sermons of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1941-50' (Ed. Dr Michael Eaton, New Wine Press, 2007, 208 pages. RRP £11.99, available from ICM Books for £8.99)

This book contains sermons preached in Westminster Chapel during the period that European nations were at war. Dr Lloyd-Jones spoke to his people about how war, persecution and suffering could be seen by Christians and afterwards he encouraged his congregation with talks on the Christian life. In view of the present threat of terrorism throughout the world, this is a book of relevance and inspiration for Christians today.

In the first chapter on religious persecution, which looks at Acts 12, we see how history does repeat itself.

If we study the history of the church we will find she has gone through periods of terrible trial and persecution – then follows a period of comparative peace and calm, then another time of persecution, followed by a time of rest. In Acts 12 we are shown how the church should act and what should be done to emerge in a triumphant manner. (p15)

We are exhorted to pray for Christians in other lands as we discover what is happening there, and to develop a ministry of intercession.

The book exhorts Christians to pray for the persecuted church and to develop a ministry of intercession, in response to news of conflict.

Reading further in the book there are wonderful chapters about how when Peter was persecuted and in prison he did not suffer alone because the whole church suffered with him and "prayed without ceasing". God is on the side of the church and that makes all the difference. Even in prison and awaiting execution, chained to a soldier on each side, Peter was given peace and calmness from God, and was sleeping soundly (Psalm 127:2 is quoted here - "He giveth his beloved sleep"). And then – a light shone in the cell and he was led out by an angel!

There are chapters on how the church has persisted and remained in spite of oppression; and another on how Christianity is a religion of revelation because it is God who acts and speaks, reveals and manifests himself to us because of his amazing love and grace. Chapter 7 answers the question relating to the value of the Old Testament, the necessity of reading it and "seeing the wonderful proof it provides of the truth of the New Testament" (p78).

The church has persisted and remained in spite of oppression - God is on the side of the church, and that makes all the difference.

Other chapters focus on how we are to live as Christians, having the mind of the Holy Spirit and loving God who gives us an assurance of our salvation and hope for the future. The concluding chapters exhort us to "Stand Fast in the Faith" and "Watch and Pray".

This is a thought-provoking and inspiring book which is well worth reading - especially for encouragement in the present uncertain days.

Now the blood moons have passed, where are the world-changing events that many thought would accompany these celestial signs?

Blood Moons and the Shemitah Year

On September 28, the final of the tetrad of 'blood moons' was visible across the world. The blood moons were considered significant because they coincided with God's 'appointed times' (moedim), the biblical feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, two years in a row.¹

In addition, 2014-2015 was a Shemitah (meaning 'release') year. Every seventh year Israel's land was to lie fallow and debts were to be released.² Added to that, a Jubilee year is thought to begin (calculations of years are uncertain³) in September 2015 at Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year, the biblical Feast of Trumpets).⁴

America or Israel?

Yet the financial collapse leading to global catastrophe that many anticipated has not occurred - at least not yet! It may be that with hindsight we will see how current events from this period set in train future cataclysmic events.

In the meantime, much has been made of signs of judgement for the United States. As a nation founded on biblical principles, "under God", by its Pilgrim Fathers seeking Christian freedom, its rejection of God's word on marriage and the erosion of biblical values in public life are thought to have invited God's judgement. This focus regarding the blood moons themselves may be misplaced since signs in the moon relate to Israel, according to Jewish tradition, not to the Gentiles.

Much has been made of the blood moons as signs of judgment on America, but this focus may be misplaced - since signs in the moon traditionally relate to Israel .

The Talmud (containing the wisdom of the sages of Israel) considers that signs in the sun are for the Gentiles and signs in the moon are for Israel, since the Gentiles reckon their calendar by the sun and Israel's calendar is lunar:

Our Rabbis taught, When the sun is in eclipse it is a bad omen for idolaters; when the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel reckons by the moon and idolaters by the sun. If it is in eclipse in the east, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; if in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; if in the midst of heaven it is bad omen for the whole world.

If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world...Thus saith the Lord, 'Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.' [emphasis added]

The last part is a quote from Jeremiah 10:1, reminding Israel that God is in charge of their future and that they do not need to fear heavenly signs.

The Coming Sword

Accordingly, not everyone sees the blood moons as a sign of trouble. One Messianic leader in Israel, Bob O'Dell, who has studied the blood moons extensively says that the blood moons are "bread crumbs in the sky", left by God to remind the Jewish people that he has not forgotten his covenant to restore them to the land of Israel. Thus, they should be a cause for celebration for the Jews, rather than fear. He has proposed a theory that the chronology of the Exodus from Egypt fell on the dates of a blood moon tetrad.⁵

However, the 'sword' did come to Israel and its diaspora during this lunar tetrad period. In July 2014 the Israel-Gaza conflict took place, leading to an upsurge of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. The worst incidents took place in France, culminating in January 2015 with the kosher supermarket hostage crisis following in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

Whilst the blood moons may signify God's faithfulness as well as coming trouble, 'the sword' has come to Israel during the recent tetrad period.

Signs for the Gentiles

The Gentiles are not left out of this picture though. The latest tetrad of blood moons was also accompanied by signs in the sun. In 2014, the Passover and Tabernacles blood moons were followed by a partial solar eclipse and, in 2015, the Passover blood moon was preceded by a total solar eclipse and the Tabernacles blood moon was preceded (just before Rosh HaShanah, the biblical Feast of Trumpets) by a partial solar eclipse.⁶

What do these signs in the sun mean? Certainly, there is plenty to concern us in the Gentile world. The migrant crisis has worsened significantly during this period, presenting a Gentile mass movement of Exodus proportions. In the stock markets, the most significant event has been what a Beijing spokesman called 'Black Monday' on 24 August 2015, causing hundreds of billions to be wiped off global financial markets and a plunge in oil and gold prices.

The recent 'signs in the sun' perhaps signify that Gentiles are not being left out – with events of global concern including the European migrant crisis and economic problems in China.

In our own nation believers are interceding, pleading for God's mercy in prayer groups up and down the land as we slide into further spiritual torpor and decline. At the prophetic gathering in October 2014, at which Prophecy Today online was announced, a lady received a picture of a sword over Britain. Another participant entered into travail and deep sorrow through the Holy Spirit for Britain's state. Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Clifford Hill, linked this to the great shaking prophecies received at Mount Carmel in Israel in 1986.

'First to the Jew...'

However, it is in Israel that trouble has arisen most swiftly since the final of the tetrad of blood moons at the Feast of Tabernacles – "first to the Jew".⁷ There is talk once again of a third intifada. Terror has struck Israel's streets in an unprecedented form. Random stabbings, shootings and vehicles driven into crowds are the new and terrifying weapons being used by Palestinians. Formerly bustling public spaces have been deserted, children have been kept home from school and extra security guards have been deployed on buses.

It is in Israel that trouble has arisen most swiftly since the final blood moon of the tetrad, with a sharp rise in terror attacks and talk of a third intifada.

On 17 October, Palestinians set fire to the compound containing the tomb of the patriarch Joseph, where Jews go to pray. This was doubly calculated to offend as it was set ablaze on Shabbat (during the early hours of Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath).

The catalyst for the current crisis was in July when Jewish worshippers tried to go up on to the Temple Mount for Tisha B'Av (meaning the 9th of the month Av, which is a day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples). Muslims worshippers repelled them and soon after Israeli police went up on to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to remove weapons being stockpiled there. It was thought the intention was to attack thousands of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall below gathered for Tisha B'Av. Stones, Molotov cocktails and firecrackers were discovered inside the Al Aqsa Mosque. As the police entered the Temple Mount they were met with Muslim rioters.⁸

The Blood Moons and Temple Mount

There is a precedent for violence over the Temple Mount following the occurrence of blood moons.

The last time blood moons coincided with both Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles was in 1996⁹ (also the year that Benjamin Netanyahu first came to power). A new exit was opened from the Western Wall Tunnel on to the Via Dolorosa in the Arab quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, so that visitors could leave the tunnel without having to retrace their steps from the entrance by the Western Wall.

The Palestinians were incensed, believing this to be a sign of major excavation under the Temple Mount that would destabilise the foundations of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, both of which stand on the Temple Mount. This led to the worst violence in Israel since 1967 and the Six Day War. Again, Joseph's tomb in Nablus was an easy target for violence, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

The last time blood moons coincided with Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles was in 1996 – when Israel experienced the worst violence since the Six Day War in 1967.

Each time violence flares, Israel and the Palestinians come under pressure to renew peace talks. The Temple Mount is the eye of that storm, being the touchstone of faith for Jews, as the site of the biblical second Temple and their most important religious heritage site, and for Muslims, who deem it their third holiest site. For Christians, it is thought by many that Jesus was crucified somewhere on Mount Moriah (an area larger than the Temple Mount), where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, since it links to Abraham's description as being the place where God provided sacrifice: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided" (Gen 22:14).

Jerusalem an Immovable Rock

The United States and the UN have not tried to push for any further progress regarding the status of Jerusalem because it is the hottest religious and political coal of all. The Lord has decreed that Jerusalem will be a cup of reeling or staggering for those who come against it and an immovable rock (Zech 12:2-3): "All who try to move it will injure [lit. rupture] themselves."

He promises to protect all those living in Jerusalem and destroy the nations that attack his city (Zech 12:8-9) because his ultimate purpose must be protected, which is to pour out on his re-gathered people Israel glorious repentance and grace:

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

God has promised that Jerusalem will be an immovable rock for all who come against it.

No Need to Fear

We need not fear signs in the heavens because the Lord has decreed Jerusalem's future. As the Talmud reminds us, quoting Jeremiah (10:1):

Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.

Whatever happens, those who have joined with Israel by faith in their Messiah need not fear because the Lord promises: "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you" (Is 54:10).

So as we wait for the Lord's return, let us be faithful in praying for the peace of Jerusalem in the words of Psalm 122:

May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you.' For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Ps 122:6-9)

References

1 Biblical references to blood (ie red) moons: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31), which is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:20 and echoed in Revelation 6:12: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood."

2 Lev 25:3–6.

3 Lev 25:8-13. Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs writes, "...there is considerable doubt whether the present identification of Sabbatical years is correct and whether the count begins again on the jubilee year, the fiftieth, or on the next year, the fifty-first after the previous cycle." Jacobs, 1995 Sabbatical Year (Shemitah) and Jubilee Year (Yovel). My Jewish Learning. Re-printed with permission from The Jewish Religion: A Companion (OUP).

4 The year 5775 in the Jewish calendar is the Shemitah year and 5776 thought to be the Jubilee year.

5 Forman, A. Blood Moons: Everything You Need to Know. Israel Breaking News, 22 September 2015.

6 Stucken, P. Signs of the Times. Operation Exodus website.

7 Rom 1:16 and 2:9.

8 Temple Mount Erupts in Violence. Israel Today, 26 July 2015. See also Clashes erupt at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa on Jewish holiday. Al-Jazeera, 26 July 2015.

9 27 September 1996 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_1996_lunar_eclipse.

Charles Gardner looks at the dangerous scenario unfolding in the Middle East and its implications for Israel.

The stage is being set for what could turn into an almighty battle in the Middle East. What are the implications for peace in the region - and especially for Israel, already surrounded by sworn enemies before Russia entered the toxic fray? We are now witnessing an extremely dangerous situation which could erupt into a major conflict that could even trigger World War III.

David and Goliath

The entire scenario needs to be seen through a biblical lens. With such a focus, we should be in no doubt that this is a spiritual battle as much as a physical reality.

Through the natural lens it may well appear as yet another young David facing up to the seemingly impossible task of slaying the nine-foot Philistine giant Goliath. But David, through whose line Jesus traces his ancestry, never saw it that way: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1 Sam 17:45)

David became the greatest king Israel ever had: today's re-born nation would do well to adopt their hero's total faith and trust in God.

David became the greatest king Israel ever had: today's re-born nation would do well to adopt their hero's total faith and trust in God.

Spiritual Awakening

True, today's Israeli society is as secular as Britain's in many ways. But Jesus said that nation would rise against nation and Israel would be threatened. The prophets foretold that before Messiah's return there will be a great spiritual awakening among God's people, whose hearts will melt as they recognise the One who declared his everlasting love with outstretched arms. The stage is now set for this great unveiling.

It is heartening to know that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a convinced Bible believer. A recent survey has revealed that an impressive 95% of Israelis have a Bible in their homes. The Jewish people may very soon welcome their Messiah. But the onus is not only on them. The Gentiles have a big responsibility to help in this mission through sharing love, support and the Gospel message.

Russia, Assad and Abbas

Meanwhile, Russia's presence in the region is intended to prop up the Assad regime, a key ally of Iran which has made no secret of its intention to wipe Israel off the map. Tensions in Israel itself are almost at boiling point, with seven children orphaned in recent attacks on innocent Jews. And now Jew-hatred is being exported to Europe, where many of the refugees fleeing Muslim countries will have experienced decades of anti-Semitism promoted through schools, newspapers and social networks. Worse still, some refugees will undoubtedly turn out to be IS fighters in disguise.

Tensions in Israel are at boiling point because of recent attacks. We stand in hope of the great spiritual awakening of Jews to the Messiah Jesus, foretold in Scripture.

Against this background the world continues to witness the deceit and hypocrisy of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas who, at the UN, compared Israel to apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany, and declared that the PA no longer considered itself bound by the 1993 Oslo Accords.¹ As bestselling author Jack Engelhard wrote last week, "The entire world is arming itself against radical Islam, and it was to support radical Islam that Mahmoud Abbas came to the United Nations."²

The word of God says: "The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head." (Ob 1:15)

Persecution and Revival

Also in the Middle Eastern firing line are Christians, who worship Jesus, their Jewish Messiah. I have just received a shocking report (from California-based Assist News Service) of the beheading and crucifixion of a dozen indigenous Christian workers near Aleppo in Syria.³

Supported by US-based Christian Aid Mission, they had opportunities to escape, but chose to stay in order to provide aid and comfort in the name of Jesus amidst the carnage. All were ex-Muslims who refused to renounce Christ, and were badly brutalised before being executed, with the two women among them publicly raped. Yet they prayed throughout their ordeal. And in the midst of such unspeakable horror, the region's underground church has mushroomed since June 2014.

In the midst of unspeakable persecution of both Christians and Jews, Syria's underground church is mushrooming.

One former IS fighter fled to Jordan where he intended to kill Christian aid workers. But something stopped him from following through with his plan and that night he saw Jesus in a dream. He subsequently received Christ with tears, and now he's helping in the church. A spokesman said: "In the past we used to pray to have one person from a Muslim background come to the Lord. Now there are so many we can barely handle all the work among them."⁴

Jews and Christians are in it together because they share their Messiah - who is clearly coming soon, judging by the many signs of his imminent return. It's time to stand with the God of Israel and the Israel of God!

Charles Gardner is author of 'Israel the Chosen', available from Amazon; and 'Peace in Jerusalem', available from olivepresspublisher.com

References

1 Not that the PA has ever kept the agreement anyway, as though their former leader Yasser Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of dropping Israel's destruction from its charter, this never happened!

2 Engelhard, J. Op-Ed: Mahmoud Abbas - You Are Not That Important. Israel National News, Thursday 1 October 2015.

3 Christian Aid Mission. Eleven Christian Workers in Syria Crucified, Beheaded. Assist Christian News, Monday 5 October 2015.

4 Ibid.

As Russian planes bomb Syria and clouds continue to gather over the Middle East, Clifford Hill asks: are we one step closer to the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38?

Once again Putin has outmanoeuvred Obama. At their meeting in Washington earlier this week, Putin offered the involvement of Russian forces in the fight against the Islamic State. Obama welcomed it! He didn't spot Putin's ploy!

Just Who is Russia Attacking?

Within 48 hours of their meeting, Russian forces piled into Syria with air-to-air missiles and SA-22 anti-aircraft batteries. But the Islamic State has no air force! So whose planes would Russia be shooting down? The only planes flying over Syria are American and French. No wonder the Russians delivered a one-hour warning to the American embassy in Baghdad telling them not to fly any missions.

Russia then launched air attacks upon the area occupied by Syrian rebels trained by the USA and supplied with American weapons in their fight against Assad. So what Obama agreed to do was the slaughter of those whom America has been supporting. Russia is now free to roam the skies over Syria in support of Assad without any commitment to destroying the Islamic State.

Obama accepted Putin's offer of military action against IS – and has unwittingly given Russia control over Syrian airspace.

International Alliances

This conflict is about far more than a disagreement about Assad's ability to rule: it is about strategic control of the entire Middle East. At the same time as launching the recent airstrikes, Russia has joined an intelligence-gathering centre in Baghdad set up by Iraq, Iran and Syria which effectively establishes a Shi'ite Muslim alliance over the whole Middle East from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea. When they have settled their battle for supremacy over the Sunni Muslims they will turn to their final objective – the destruction of Israel.

Russia knows that they only have another 16 months of Obama's weak presidency so now is the time to strike and establish their power base in the region. Meanwhile, anti-Assad rebel groups have their own international backers – including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as the US, the UK and France. Syria's civil war is fast threatening to become a proxy war – and could potentially escalate even beyond this.

The Shi-ite Muslim alliance being established over the Middle East has a final goal: and it's not victory over the Sunnis. It's the destruction of Israel.

Threat to Israel

The threat to Israel grows daily and becomes increasingly like the biblical scenario which was revealed to the prophet Ezekiel in chapters 38 and 39 which speaks of an alliance between Iraq and Iran plus the North African states of Sudan and Libya, and the involvement of the Azerbaijan area of Russia (Eze 38:5-6), all gathering to attack Israel.

The big question facing us is this: is Ezekiel's prophecy inevitable? Or has it been sent by God as a warning of what could happen if we do nothing when violent men who care nothing for human life, armed with weapons of mass destruction, come together threatening the peace of the world?

We welcome your comments!

Clifford Denton continues to examine the early separation between Christianity and Judaism, looking at their theological conflicts.

One of the main factors contributing to the early rift between the Christian Church and the Jewish community was a theological conflict that emerged as biblical prophecies were interpreted through the revelation of Jesus as the expected Messiah. We will consider here the beginnings of this theological separation.

Parting of the Ways

In Chapter 4 of Our Father Abraham, Marvin Wilson considers the parting of the Church from the Synagogue. This parting of the ways was a gradual process over many centuries, but the beginnings are found in the biblical account. In Acts 5:40 we read, "They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go." Wilson writes:

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)...was an alpine event. Its decision would have profound implications for both Church and Synagogue in the years to come. By calling this council, the Church took a clear stand on the issue of gentile circumcision (Acts 15:5, 28-29). This most ancient of all covenant rites would not be a prerequisite to join the still fledgling messianic community which had rapidly expanded into the gentile world. (p52)

In later years, Christian theology would be the subject of many councils, and the creeds of the Christian Church would be crafted. New divisions would begin to occur in the Christian Church itself as various denominations and sects emerged. It was inevitable, however, that the separation of Christians from the sects of Judaism would occur in the early days of the Apostles.

Dr Wilson continues:

The picture of the Church which we are able to draw at this mid-century juncture is composite. It comprised essentially three main groups. One segment was made up of traditionalists from the circumcision party. They were conservative Jewish believers, most likely from the sect of the Pharisees, and were closely tied to Temple worship and Jewish Law...the Ebionite sect probably represented the remnants of this movement, a group which did not die out until the fourth century. A second distinguishable group was the free-thinking Hellenistic party. The Hellenists had one foot planted in the turf of Judaism.

But the other, more firmly set in Greek soil, caused this group to lean to the West. A third segment held to a middle or mainstream position. It reflected the thinking of the council and presumably also the majority of the Jerusalem church (see Acts 15:22). Some of its leading voices were James, Peter ("an apostle to the Jews"), and Paul ("an apostle to the Gentiles" cf. Gal. 2:8). Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), this influential group sought to be open to Gentiles and yet sensitive to the Jews. (emphasis added)

The Christian movement began so powerfully, and the zeal of the early believers was so great, that it could not avoid drawing attention to itself. It was recognised as a heretical sect of Judaism and so caused response from the leaders of the Jewish community who foresaw coming division. The followers of Jesus were seen as emerging from the background of Jewish life, interpreting their message from the Hebrew Scriptures, continuing to visit the Temple, preaching their message among the Jews and interpreting their faith out of Jewish symbols and traditions.

Thus the first points of division can be seen in the Bible itself, before ever a Church Council emerged in later generations.

Theological Issues

Church creeds and doctrines crystallised over the centuries as a response to many issues of contending for the faith, but this began with the Apostles. We have already mentioned the meeting in Jerusalem (Acts 15) that has come to be known as the Council of Jerusalem. As further issues came up, so discussions took place and positions were taken. The New Testament writings introduced many statements of faith, even before systematic creeds were drawn up. Paul highlighted issues of doctrine that had to be made clear as congregations in the Gentile world faced various questions. Paul's writings, in themselves, marked a separation point from other forms of Judaism.

The New Testament writings introduced many statements of faith before systematic Christian creeds were ever drawn up.

In the Introduction to the Mishnah (translated by Danby, OUP, 1933) is an interesting confirmation of this separation based on the writings of the New Testament. The sects of Judaism codified the oral traditions while the Christian Church received the New Testament, signifying the theological parting of the ways. The Mishnah became the foundation of the Talmud and the New Testament became the basis of future creeds of the Christian Church:

The Mishnah may be defined as a deposit of four centuries of Jewish religious and cultural activity in Palestine, beginning at some uncertain date (possibly during the earlier half of the second century B.C.) and ending with the close of the second century A.D. The object of this activity was the preservation, cultivation, and application to life of 'the Law' (Torah), in the form in which many generations of like-minded Jewish religious leaders had learned to understand this Law. These leaders were known in turn by the names Soferim ('Scribes') and Tannaim (lit. 'repeaters', teachers of the Oral Law).

The latter taught the religious system of the Pharisees as opposed to that of the Sadducees. Until the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70 they had counted as one only among the schools of thought which played a part in Jewish national and religious life; after the Destruction they took the position, naturally and almost immediately, of sole and undisputed leaders of such Jewish life as survived. Judaism as it has continued since is, if not their creation, at least a faith and a religious institution largely of their fashioning; and the Mishnah is the authoritative record of their labour. Thus it comes about that while Judaism and Christianity alike venerate the Old Testament as canonical Scripture, the Mishnah marks the passage to Judaism as definitely as the New Testament marks the passage to Christianity. (emphasis added)

First Century: the Separation Begins

The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem was around 49 AD. 1 and 2 Corinthians was written around 54-55 AD, Romans around 55 AD and Hebrews in the 60s. Peter and Paul's martyrdoms were around 64 AD. Matthew was written in the 60s, Revelation in the late 80s or early 90s. Thus the date of the destruction of the Temple (70 AD) is embedded in the dates surrounding the significant writings and formation of the doctrines of the Christian Church.

Already the ministry of Jesus had been pivotal in the Jewish world, his crucifixion being around 30 AD. His followers then became living witnesses to their faith and so the Christian community was noticeable in the world of Judaism, it being inevitable that their beliefs would be scrutinised by the leaders of the Jewish community.

The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD is embedded in the dates surrounding the New Testament writings, and followed the pivotal ministry of Jesus, so the Christian community was already well-known in the world of Judaism.

Other early Christian writings give indications of the way theological ideas began to form among believers. For example, around 95 AD Clement, secretary of the Roman Church, wrote to the Corinthian congregation. He viewed this congregation as what we might consider to be on a par with the Essene community of Qumran, fulfilling what was prefigured in the Old Testament. Later, in his second letter, we see him treat Paul's writings on an equal footing to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Others such as Ignatius of Antioch have left letters which build up clues to the early theology of the Christian Church.

Statement of Faith

What emerged is called the kerygma. It is a Greek word meaning, 'proclamation, announcement, preaching'. CH Dodd (The Apostolic Preaching, 1936), and others, examined early Christian writings to discover the core of Christian preaching in the early days of the Apostles. The ancient kerygma as summarised by Dodd from Peter's speeches in Acts was:

1. The Age of Fulfillment has dawned, the 'latter days' foretold by the prophets.
2. This has taken place through the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. By virtue of his resurrection Jesus has been exalted at the right hand of God as Messianic head of the new Israel.
4. The Holy Spirit in the church is the sign of Christ's present power and glory.
5. The Messianic Age will reach its consummation in the return of Christ.
6. An appeal is made for repentance with the offer of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.

Jesus Christ, of course, was the center of this ancient kerygma. The cross and resurrection are crucial to the kerygmatic preaching of Jesus. Another useful summary is found in Chronological Charts of the New Testament (Zondervan, 1981, p120) by H Wayne House:

1. The promises by God made in the Old Testament have now been fulfilled with the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 3:19,24; 10:43; 26:6-7, 22; Rom 1:2-4; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:1-2; 1 Pet 1:10-12, 2 Pet 1:18-19).
2. Jesus was anointed by God at his baptism as Messiah (Acts 10:38).
3. Jesus began his ministry in Galilee after his baptism (Acts 10:37).
4. He conducted a beneficent ministry, doing good and performing mighty works by the power of God (Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22; 10:38).
5. The Messiah was crucified according to the purpose of God (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; Acts 2:23; 3:13-15, 18; 4:11; 10:39; 26:23; Rom 8:34; 1 Cor 1:17-18; 15:3; Gal 1:4; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 1:2, 19; 3:18; 1 John 4:10).
6. He was raised from the dead and appeared to his disciples (Acts 2:24, 31-32; 3:15,26; 10:40-41; 17:31; 26:23; Rom 8:34; 10:9; 1 Cor 15:4-7, 12ff.; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 1:2, 21; 3:18, 21).
7. Jesus was exalted by God and given the name 'Lord' (Acts 2:25-29, 33-36; 3:13; 10:36; Rom 8:34; 10:9; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22).
8. He gave the Holy Spirit to form the new community of God (Acts 1:8; 2:14-18, 33, 38-39; 10:44-47; 1 Pet 1:12).
9. He will come again for judgment and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20-21; 10:42; 17:31; 1 Cor 15:20-28; 1 Thess 1:10).
10. All who hear the message should repent and be baptised (Acts 2:21, 38; 3:19; 10:43, 47-48; 17:30; 26:20; Rom 1:17; 10:9; 1 Pet 3:21).

It was impossible for the differences in theology to go unnoticed as being a divergence from orthodox Judaism. Christianity, nevertheless, grew out of the Jewish background with common roots in the Tanakh, not as a new religion in the Gentile world, where it might have gone unnoticed. The centrality of Jesus the Messiah made it impossible for the Apostles to be silent and the fact that the oral traditions of Judaism (later codified as the Mishnah) made different emphasis, made it impossible for theological conflicts to be avoided.

It was impossible for Christianity to be ignored as a simple divergence from orthodox Judaism. The centrality of Jesus the Messiah made it impossible for the Apostles to be silent, and the difference between Christian doctrine and the Jewish oral traditions made theological conflict unavoidable.

Jewish Symbols

It was for the very reason that Christianity emerged from the background of Judaism that conflict occurred. On the one hand these are two branches of the same tree and, on the other hand, they are conflicting interpretations of the same Scriptures. On page 55 of Our Father Abraham, Dr Wilson presents Christianity as a radical reinterpretation of Jewish symbols and therefore ready to spark off reaction and potential parting of the ways:

The two Testaments exhibit strong continuity, but also a discontinuity. Many Old Testament institutions and themes are radically reinterpreted in the New Testament, often in ways – despite their foreshadowing – that the majority in New Testament times was unable to discern. In addition, the embodiment of the Torah in Jesus created a major tension. Jesus subordinated many of the central symbols of Judaism to himself, and the New Testament writers continued that subordination.

Thus, Jesus became the Temple (John 2:19-21) and the atoning sacrifice ("the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" – John 1:29). At Passover the matzah, "unleavened bread," represented his body (Mark 14:22); likewise, the lamb sacrificed at Passover symbolized Jesus' sacrificial death (1 Corinthians 5:7). In addition, Jesus declared himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). He also distinguished the ritually clean from unclean (Mark 7:1-23). In sum, in early Jewish Christianity the "Sabbath, Temple, Law, sacrifices are christologically reinterpreted by the One who is greater than them all." (quoted from P. Richardson, Israel in the Apostolic Church, CUP, 1969). The overall effect was that the first-century Jewish community largely considered these teachings strange and antiritualistic, a threat to established religious beliefs of the day.

On the one hand, Christianity and Judaism are two branches of the same tree. On the other, they are radically conflicting interpretations of the same Scriptures.

For Reflection and Comment

How might the Christian Church, without compromising the Gospel, restore theological balance and heal the rift with Israel and the Jews?

Next time: Exclusion from the Synagogue.

The 70th anniversary of VE Day is a nostalgic event for many of our older readers. After five years of war, hardship, rationing, bombing, destruction and death, a new day had dawned with endless possibilities. But could the past really be left behind?

Most British cities bore the scars of bombing but the whole of Europe had been trampled on by tanks and infantry and its cities left in ruins. Was there any hope of a return to normal? Most people could not even remember what normality was.

Britain was still at war in the Far East; it would be another year and two atomic bombs before the war with Japan ended. The cost in human life was enormous. The Second World War with Europe and Japan cost Germany 7,000,000 lives, France 550,000 lives, Britain 450,900 lives, the USA 420,000 lives, Russia 25,000,000 lives, China 15,000,000 lives and Japan 2,500,000 lives.¹

Was it all worth it?

Certainly the scourge of Nazi Fascism had to be cleared out of Europe and the ruthless imperialism of Japan had to be cleared out of the Far East, or between them they would have ruled the world and there would have been no freedom for anyone. But what kind of freedom had been won? The ink was hardly dry on peace treaties with Germany than Europe was plunged into the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and it was not long before hostilities broke out in Korea, followed by war in Vietnam.

The 20th century was the bloodiest in the history of the world and the weapons of mass destruction acquired by many nations (including some of the world's most unstable nations such as North Korea and Pakistan) now make the 21st century highly dangerous too."

Present-day conflict zones in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Aden, Nigeria and South Sudan are all claiming lives and appear to have no solution.

Will there ever be peace?

Pacts and treaties do not provide the answer because they can be easily torn up and discarded. The problem lies in human nature. We are born self-centred and aggressive- as anyone can testify who has seen a baby in a temper tantrum, or a group of infants wanting the same toy in a nursery.

The problem of warring nations will not be solved until we deal with the problem of human nature, and there is only one power that can deal with that: the power of God the Creator."

The problem of warring nations will not be solved until we deal with the problem of human nature, and there is only one power that can deal with that: the power of God the Creator. He made our human nature and only he can redeem it. He sent Jesus our Lord and Saviour for this very purpose, but we crucified him and rejected his teaching. But God, who alone can bring good out of the worst human disaster, raised Jesus from the dead and through him new life is available to everyone.

This is the message Christians have to bring to the world. God has not only given us the message, but the power to deliver it through the Holy Spirit. What are we waiting for?

References

1 Conservative estimates derived from multiple sources, see World War II casualties.