Brexit’s woes in spiritual perspective.

I knew I had to write about Brexit in this week’s editorial, so this morning I listened to the news more carefully – a depressing experience. I turned to my Bible for a word of comfort.

It fell open to the fall of Jerusalem and the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The word of the Lord came to me strongly, “This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips…The Lord has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath” (Jer 7:28-29).

Of course, that was written to Israel, a nation in a covenant relationship with God, but Jeremiah was also given a promise for all nations: “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned” (Jer 18:7).

With these scriptures in mind we can turn to Brexit and ask what God is saying to us and to the people of Europe. What is God doing to work out his purposes today?

Rebellion Leads to Destruction

We cannot deny that Britain and the nations of the European Union have all turned away from the word of God. Though they have had the Gospel for more than a thousand years, each of these nations has been invaded by secular humanist philosophies that have devoured their good Judeo-Christian heritages. Europe has adopted an atheistic culture and God-denying policies that have, in large measure, brought us to the disastrous situation we face today.

The European Union is imploding under the weight of multiple crises. Its leaders are terrified of seeing Hungary, Poland, Italy and other key nations breaking away from the union as populist movements gain momentum across the continent.

The European Union is imploding under the weight of multiple crises.

In desperation, the Brussels gravy train, frightened that it is going to lose power and wealth, is trying to close ranks, punishing Britain in order to frighten off rebel elements in other nations. Of course, British politicians should know that they will never get a good deal from Brussels! The EU’s tactic now is to delay and delay – always holding out the hope of a deal but never actually concluding one, so that Britain continues to pay vast sums into EU coffers, but never actually walks away free.

The EU elites are exploiting the confusion they know surrounds British politicians of all persuasions in Westminster. But Christians should not be surprised at this confusion - because it is a classic sign of the judgment of God promised upon those who deliberately turn away from his truth: “The Lord will inflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind…You will be unsuccessful in everything you do” (Deut 28:28-29).

The Shaking of the Nations

For those who are familiar with the whole word of God in the Bible, it is obvious that we are going through a period which was revealed to the great Prophets of Israel more than 2,500 years ago. God said that there would come a time when he would bring judgment upon all the nations by shaking everything – the world of nature, politics and every structure of society: which is precisely what we are seeing today (see Haggai 2:6-7, cf. Hebrews 12:26-27).

As well as economic and political turbulence and societal breakdown, we are also seeing incredible storms, hurricanes and tsunamis hitting many parts of the world – as well as earthquakes and famines. The terrible wars and bloodshed in Syria and much of the Middle East, the upheavals taking place in Venezuela, Brazil and many other parts of the world, are all evidence of the great shaking of the nations.

Jeremiah’s Revelation

The great revelation that was given to the Prophet Jeremiah is one that we ought to be studying today. Jeremiah was facing the destruction of his country and the demolition of his city, Jerusalem, by the Babylonian army. His prayer (Jer 32) enabled him to see beyond the immediate tragedy and understand what God was doing: how, through it all, he was working out his purposes.

It is obvious that we are going through a period of worldwide shaking, revealed to the great Prophets of Israel more than 2,500 years ago.

The prayer began with the words, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” Then Jeremiah came to his central conundrum: although he knew that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, he had been told by the Lord to buy a field at Anathoth - already enemy-occupied.

In his prayer Jeremiah said to God, “Though the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, you, O Sovereign Lord, say to me, buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed” (Jer 32:25). God’s response revealed to Jeremiah the significance of this symbolic act: “As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. Once more fields will be bought in this land…because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord” (Jer 32:42-44).

Jeremiah realised that God had to allow a whole generation to suffer judgment before they would repent and be open to the truth. This is the way that God has always dealt with nation-wide rebellion – starting with Israel’s grumbling in the wilderness. And it enables us to understand what he is doing today in allowing the turmoil that is enveloping the nations.

God’s ultimate purpose, of course, is to see as many as possible come to a knowledge of salvation in Jesus – restored to right relationship with God and able to enjoy all the blessings he has to bestow upon his children. But persistent rebellion only brings more destruction.

If we are truly to understand the ‘Brexit Battle’, we have to see it in the context of the purposes of God revealed to us in the Bible. This is not just a little political wrangle. We are at a major crossroads in the history of the world and the unfolding and working out of the purposes of God.

Being Careful in Prayer

This is why Christians need to be very careful how they pray. We have said many times before on Prophecy Today that if we pray “Peace, Peace” when the Lord is saying “There is no peace!” we will actually put ourselves against God. We have to understand God’s nature and purposes and ensure that our prayers are aligned with what he is doing today.

Jeremiah’s prayer enabled him to see beyond the immediate tragedy and understand what God was doing: how, through it all, he was working out his purposes.

If we do this, declaring God’s truth and his good purposes to our godless generation so that people can understand what has gone wrong, and if this leads to a spirit of repentance and turning away from the ways of darkness, Britain will undoubtedly see days of revival come through this time of great shaking. This is the other message we have been emphasising recently on Prophecy Today.

Bible-believing Christians will undoubtedly ask, where does the Second Coming of Christ fit into this scenario? The answer is that it is not for us to know the times the Lord has set in his own timetable: but we may be nearer to that event than any of us knows. We have to obey the command of Jesus to “Watch and pray”.

Three books from the well-known Rector of St Aldate's Church, Oxford.

Charlie Cleverly is the Rector of St Aldate’s Church in Oxford and has authored several books. Here we feature three that are highly recommended by some of our reviewers.

The Passion That Shapes Nations (Victor, 2005)

Although written some years ago now, this book is timeless in terms of its subject matter and relevance. The author contends that in times when the Christian faith is under fire, what is needed is “a resurrection of the spirit of the witnesses/martyrs” (p17). His book is a contribution towards the ‘unforgetting’ of those who have gone before, whose stories of courage and conviction can easily be overlooked and yet have so often founded a stronger Christian witness in the nations where God has placed them.

By operating within the principle of sacrificial love and often paying the ultimate price of a martyr’s death, their passion for Christ has indeed helped shape nations.

In a sense, this book follows in the tradition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and at times Cleverly quotes from it, but this is no repetition of material found elsewhere or just a catalogue of those who have died for their faith. The author dwells on their lives, not just their deaths, knowing that this will inspire us far more to serve God faithfully in our own circumstances.

This is a contribution towards the ‘unforgetting’ of those who have gone before, whose stories of courage and conviction can easily be overlooked.

Inevitably, selecting which martyrs to include from “so great a cloud of witnesses” is a difficult task. It is no surprise to find chapters on Polycarp, Wycliffe and Tyndale, Latimer and Ridley, Bonhoeffer and Schneider. But there are others, less well known, whose stories also deserve to be told.

The author focusses on James Hannington and the Uganda Martyrs, the Chinese Church (one of the longest chapters) and those suffering under Islamic persecution, which is described as the “third most prolific cause of martyrdom of Christians in history” (p144).

Each chapter tells its own story; it might be that the best approach to the book is not to read it all at once but to consider a chapter a day over a period of time. That way the individual stories can stand out in their own right rather than being lost in a larger wave of information. Each one calls out to us today - their voices still speak across history. We would do well to listen.

The Passion that Shapes Nations (176pp, paperback) is available on Amazon.

The Discipline of Intimacy (Kingsway Publications, 2002)

This is a book on prayer and its principles, written for those who know that prayer is meant to be easy and yet who find it difficult, and for those who need inspiration and encouragement to pursue the deeper levels of intimacy which make prayer more of a joy than a duty.

The book is written “with the conviction that every Christian is called to pray” (p16) but that we do need to be taught (or, rather, disciplined) in order to become more effective in prayer.

The book is in two parts, the first being based upon the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2. In this section the author outlines several steps to intimacy as part of the process of developing a more disciplined prayer life. There is also a chapter on the Lord’s Prayer, entitled ‘The Master Plan of Prayer’ - a much better title than simply calling it a ‘model’ prayer!

The second part of the book is much longer and starts by asking ‘what is intercession?’ Each chapter in this section is prefaced by a ‘story of…’ based upon a biblical character such as Abraham, Hannah, Joel, Isaiah. This keeps the Bible continually before us as a guide to prayer.

This book is written for those who know that prayer is meant to be easy but find it difficult, and for those who need inspiration and encouragement in their prayer lives.

The longest chapter is reserved for praying for the nations, and within this is a very well-balanced and informative section on praying for Israel. The aim of praying for a nation is to see its divine destiny fulfilled. The author usefully includes an appendix containing some well-known prophecies for certain nations to help us understand that God does have plans for nations.

Other chapters in Part II include praying for the Church, and the seven prayer burdens of Christ. The latter is based upon John 17 and encourages us to enter into a ‘school of prayer’, with Christ as our Master. There are also reflections on the prayers of Jesus from the Cross - perhaps his shortest prayers to the Father but certainly some of the most deeply felt. He could only pray these prayers at that time because he had learnt the discipline of intimacy during his life. As he lived, so he died, in intimate prayer with his Heavenly Father.

The final chapter tackles the issue of prayer in times of barrenness, when God is silent. The book ends with a useful study guide with questions and reflections on each chapter.

This is not just another book on prayer but one that will last a lifetime, for those willing to engage in an unending journey of discipline and discovery.

The Discipline of Intimacy (238pp, paperback) is available on Amazon.

The Song of Songs (Hodder, 2015)

Charlie Cleverly has also written a detailed commentary on the Song of Songs, subtitled Exploring the Divine Romance. Drawing on a wide range of literary and theological sources, he presents a clear rounded understanding that combines the two different aspects of the Song: a sexually-charged love story and a metaphor of the relationship between God and his people.

A very helpful book for those who have previously neglected this portion of Scripture or who have tried to come to terms with it but found it rather puzzling or off-putting.

The Song of Songs (336pp, paperback) is available from the publisher for £9.99. Also on Amazon.

The peace that dare not speak its name: untold story of Arab-Jewish reconciliation.

A shaft of fresh revelation dawned on me after watching the extraordinary YouTube clip featuring former terrorist Mosab Hassan Yousef berating Palestinian delegates at the UN for betraying their own people and fanning the flames of the conflict with Israel.

I can see now that British and other Western media – by censoring what is not on their agenda – are partly responsible for the continuing violence in the Middle East. Let me explain.

Son of Hamas Switches Allegiance

Yousef, son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, switched allegiance to Israel’s Shin Bet security service after witnessing the torture of fellow prisoners by their own (Arab-Muslim) people. He discovered, to his great surprise, that his Israeli interrogators were friendly and caring.

And later, in the midst of working undercover on their behalf, and saving many lives in the process by tipping off police about planned atrocities, he had a ‘Damascus Road’ experience in which met and came to love the Jewish Messiah after taking up an invitation to study the Bible at Jerusalem’s iconic YMCA – the invitation was handed to him outside the famous Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the walled Old City.

But his life was now in double jeopardy – as if being a spy for Israel wasn’t dangerous enough, he was also forsaking his Islamic faith to follow Jesus. He was eventually forced to flee to America, where he is now courageously campaigning to spread the truth about Israel to a world media all too keen to swallow the ongoing propaganda denying Jewish connection to the territory.

‘Son of Hamas’ Mosab Hassan Yousef switched allegiance to Israel’s security service, and later came to love the Jewish Messiah.

Countering Vicious Lies

And so it was that he found himself as guest speaker for UN Watch¹ as he addressed delegates to the UN Human Rights Council last week.² As the Palestinian Authority delegation reacted with shock and irritation, he accused them of committing human rights abuses against their own people, describing the PA as “the greatest enemy of the Palestinian people”, adding: “If Israel did not exist, you would have no-one to blame.”

Damascus Gate, Jerusalem. See Photo Credits.Before Yousef spoke, country after country spewed attacks against Israel, accusing them of being a genocidal, apartheid state. But Yousef silenced them all when he accused the Palestinian leadership of being hypocrites.

“Where does your legitimacy come from?” he asked them. “The Palestinian people did not elect you and they did not appoint you to represent them. Your accountability is not to your own people. This is evidenced by your own total violation of their human rights. You kidnap Palestinian students from campus and torture them in your jails. You torture your political rivals. The suffering of the Palestinian people is the outcome of your selfish political interests.”³

And they used Israel as a scapegoat, he added.

Only One Peace Process

Yousef has found peace with the Jews, and with all men, through his relationship with Christ, having been reconciled both to God and man through his death on the cross (see Eph 2:14). His best-selling book, Son of Hamas,⁴ is still available in bookstores.

I have written widely about men like him who have come to love and honour the Jews, not through a political peace process involving endless negotiations and compromises, but through what Jesus did for all men as he took their sins and nailed them to the cross, thereby bringing an end to their enmity with one another – especially between Jew and Arab, descendants of Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham.

Yousef has found peace with the Jews, and with all men, through his relationship with Christ.

After attending a conference at Christ Church, Jerusalem, I wrote all about it in my book, Peace in Jerusalem, and continue to write about this precious subject as it lies at the very heart of the gospel which brings reconciliation between God and man and between Jew and Gentile.

Christ Church, Jerusalem. Photo: Charles Gardner.With my own eyes, I witnessed Jew and Arab embracing one another as they shared communion, representing the body and blood of the Lord who brought them together through his mercy and grace. In doing so, I also witnessed the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “For to us…a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called…Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).

The Best Story Never Told

As a journalist of more than 40 years, I can spot a good story – and this, I reckoned, was the best story that has never been told: the answer to peace in the Middle East, and indeed the world. Over a two-week period, I offered my daily copy (free) to mainstream (Fleet Street) newspapers in the UK, but didn’t even receive the courtesy of a single reply to my emails.

Nevertheless, the inspiring stories were widely circulated to news outlets on four continents. So that’s why I say that the British media are partly responsible for the lack of progress in the Middle East, which has got considerably more violent since that 2014 gathering.

But it was so refreshing that historian AN Wilson tackled the ridiculous lengths to which political correctness has been taken in last Saturday’s Daily Mail,⁶ describing it as reflecting a “new dark age of intolerance”. Though not claiming to be a believer himself, he spoke up for those Christians who are treated with incredulity for believing, for instance, that abortion and sexual promiscuity are wrong.

Yet it is still very non-PC for our media to take an uncompromising stand on the Christian faith that underpins our nation with thousands of years of history, justice, innovation, education and care. It usually falls to others, these days, to spell out in no uncertain terms the total relevance to our world of the Lord Jesus Christ, who made it absolutely clear that he was not one of many options for guiding us to Heaven’s domain when he said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Notes

1 UN Watch is a Geneva-based NGO whose stated mission is “to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter”.

2 Jerusalem News Network, 29 September 2017, quoting Arutz-7.

3 Watch the full video here.

4 Written with Ron Brackin and published by Tyndale Momentum.

5 Daily Mail, 30 September 2017.

Thanks also to David Soakell of Christian Friends of Israel and South African friend Suzette van Rooyen.

Kelvin Crombie asks why there is constant turmoil in and around the nation state of Israel.

If a visitor from outer space visited Planet Earth and glanced through the history books of the last century, I am sure one matter in particular would confuse him (or her or it) – the agitation revolving around the land of Israel. He could quite understandably ask: 'Why all the fuss over such a small bit of real estate?' Indeed, any neutral observer of events in the Middle East over the past 100 years from Planet Earth could ask the very same question.

Ever since the concept of an official restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Israel became tangible, with the vote by the British War Cabinet on 31 October 1917 (thereafter known as the Balfour Declaration), there has been no more contested matter in the world than the legitimacy of the people of Israel to have a political entity in the land of Israel.

But why all the fuss about the Jewish people inhabiting such a small bit of real estate in the Eastern Mediterranean?

Ever since the concept of a Jewish homeland became tangible, there has been no more contested matter in the world than its legitimacy.

The Land Title Deed Bestowed by a Covenant Oath

The fuss is more than just about real estate - strategically important real estate as it might be. The fuss revolves around the very existence of a covenant keeping God. The very fact of God's existence is indelibly linked to the presence of the nation of Israel in the land of Israel. The issue is about God.

In Genesis 12:1-3 God gives various promises to Abram (Abraham) on the condition that he leaves his homeland and goes to the land of Canaan. These promises include becoming a great nation and being a blessing to all the families of the earth. Abram duly obeys the call. Sometime later while in Canaan, however, Abram seeks confirmation from God about these promises, surmising that he should now be birthing a mighty nation which would be a blessing to the entire world. Nothing though was happening as he had no son to whom he could legitimately bestow these promises of God.

There then transpires an amazing dialogue between Abram and God, as found in Genesis 15, where Abram asks for confirmation, initially concerning the need for an heir. God then duly provides a confirmation to this request, and then stating to Abram: "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it."

The fuss is more than about real estate – strategically important real estate though it might be. The fuss revolves around the existence of a covenant-keeping God.

Abram in response asks God: "How shall I know that I will inherit the land?" Now that is hutzpah. After God had just confirmed one of his promises, Abram was now asking for confirmation about another of those promises, the promise of the land. It would be totally understandable if God asked Abram if he was a bit dim minded - BUT he did not.

If the incident occurred today, God may have said to Abram: 'OK, let's go down to the lawyer's office and we will draw up an official contract with the promise of the land, then I will sign it, and in addition I will get a witness to sign it, and it will be officially sealed.'

But lawyers' offices did not exist in those days. Instead God did the equivalent from ancient times – he cut covenant. This is not the place to go into depth about the principles and mechanics of covenant,¹ but we see in the transaction recorded in Genesis 15 many of the attributes of cutting covenant as revealed within the entirety of Scripture, and from the suzerainty treaties of the ancient world. God granted a legal transfer of the land of Canaan (Israel) to Abram, a title deed later conferred to his son Isaac, to Isaac's son Jacob and then on to Jacob's sons, and their descendants the children of Israel.

One important matter in the cutting of covenants in antiquity was the swearing of an oath, which effectively placed the legal 'seal upon the deal.' Genesis 15 does not say in actual words that there was a swearing of an oath, but in antiquity often times the 'walking between the pieces' (Gen 15:10,17) did just this. In addition, there are numerous occasions where Scripture informs us of God stating: "the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (e.g. Ex 6:8; Num 11:12) while the writer of the book of Hebrews confirms what happened when God swore an oath (Heb 6:13-18).

God's Character at Stake

There are some wonderful references in Scriptures about the inviolability of an oath sworn to seal the cutting of a covenant. The character of the party who swears the oath is at stake if he breaks or violates his own oath. Thus in this case, the character of God is at stake if He were to break His own oath.

God granted a legal transfer of the land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants (through Isaac and Jacob), sealed by an inviolable oath.

An argument could then be mounted that Israel as a nation subsequently disobeyed God, and thus have come under the curses for covenant disobedience. This argument is true – but these curses are actually associated with a different covenant - the covenant cut with the nation through Moses, in the Sinai desert. The covenant cut with Abraham is a different covenant altogether.

According to the principles of covenant, once a covenant is sealed with an oath – IT CANNOT BE CHANGED. Scriptural examples of how in ancient society one could not alter a covenant, or agreement, once it had been sealed (with an oath) include the case of Joshua with the Gibeonites (Josh 9); Darius and Daniel (Dan 6:15), and the Jewish people during the time of Esther (Est 3:12; 8: 8; 9: 1).² God's character, therefore, is at stake if Israel is permanently separated from her land.

God Reminded of His Covenant Responsibilities

In the Sinai God wanted to finish with Israel and begin anew with Moses. But Moses would not agree, and reminded God of his covenant responsibility to unfaithful Israel (Num 14:11ff). Then when Israel languished in Babylon, Daniel reminded God of his covenant responsibility to restore them to their land (Dan 9:1-19).

Collective Israel (Judah, with representatives of the northern tribes) was restored, and about 30 AD God cut a new covenant with Israel, with Jesus of Nazareth being the representative Israelite (Jer 31:31-34ff; Matt 26; 28; Mark 14:24 ; Luke 22:20). But Israel again succumbed to covenant infidelity and was exiled by the Romans in the 1st century AD, this time to the ends of the earth.

Then, from the 1600s onwards, when countless Christians throughout Europe began reading the Scriptures, many recognized the need for the people of Israel to be re-established in the land of Israel. These intercessors reminded God of his covenant responsibility. Is it any wonder therefore that from the 1600s onwards we begin to see moves within the church, within geo-politics and within the Jewish people which ultimately brought about a restoration of the people of Israel to the land of Israel in the modern period?³

Throughout history, intercessors have reminded God of his covenant responsibility towards Israel and he has restored them to their land.

The culmination of much of this aforementioned activity occurred from 1915 with the beginning of the Gallipoli campaign, and especially in 1917 when the combined British, Australian and New Zealand forces captured Beersheba, Jaffa and Jerusalem, with the remainder of the land of Israel being captured from the Turks in 1918. This victory over the Islamic Ottoman Empire provided an opportunity for the Jewish people to return to the land covenanted to them, initially through the issuing of the Balfour Declaration by the British Government.⁴

An Opportunity to Acknowledge God's Faithfulness

In 2017 an opportunity will be availed to us to remember and commemorate these important historical events, and in the process to give glory to God for "remembering His covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Ex 2:24). This time will involve commemorative events in Beersheba, Jerusalem and Semack on the Sea of Galilee, as well as in London, to remember the issuing of the Balfour Declaration.

Balfour portrait and declaration.Every person who professes to be in covenant with Jesus the Messiah should be encouraged to participate in these events, as they are indicators to us that if God can be faithful to a covenant promise sealed with an oath some 4000 years ago – then He will surely remain faithful to His covenant promises to us through Jesus.

2017 marks the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and provides a tangible opportunity for us to make a fuss as well – professing that he who cuts covenant is faithful to his word and oath.

The fuss made by the 'kingdoms of the world' over the ownership of the land of Israel will continue, as many entities continue to covet the land and many further attempts will be made to separate the people of Israel from the land of Israel. But 2017 will provide us with a tangible opportunity to also make a fuss - and to profess that He who cuts covenant is faithful to His word and to His oath.

References

1 Two books have written by the author on the mechanics of covenant, The Oath of the Covenant and In Covenant with Jesus. Both are available through CFI and CMJ.

2 Jesus also alluded to the seriousness of swearing an oath (Matt 5:33-37).

3 Much of this activity is described in For the Love of Zion, and Anzacs, Empires and Israel's Restoration 1798-1948.

4 This campaign is presented in a DVD, Gallipoli – The Road to Jerusalem, Heritage Resources Pty Ltd 2015. Copies available through CMJ and CFI.

© Kelvin Crombie 2015 (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and www.heritageresources.com.au). Reproduced with kind permission.

A Tribute to Chief Solomon Lar, Governor of Plateau State: Clifford Hill looks back on how God used Prophecy Today to help bring about huge transformation in Nigeria.

A presidential prophecy...

It was the final day of a conference in Port Harcourt Nigeria on 28 December 1987. A small team from Prophecy Today were speaking. There was a sudden stir among the large company present. Into the hall came an imposing-looking man in the traditional dress of a Nigerian Chief. He slowly made his way through the hall accompanied by a small group of attendants, mounting the platform to huge applause from the delegates and warm embraces from the platform party. Our Prophecy Today team had no idea who this man was, but clearly he was well-known and well-loved by the 1,000 Christian pastors in the hall.

The conference chairman extended a warm welcome to him, explaining that as a political prisoner he had just been released by the military junta ruling Nigeria. He was invited to speak and did so without making any reference to his personal circumstances or to the political situation. He simply expressed great joy at being in there and his prayers for God to extend the work of the gospel and to bless the preachers and evangelists.

The chairman then asked me to pray for this man whose name I had not even been told. I began to pray asking God's blessing upon the man while at the same time I was desperately seeking divine inspiration. Suddenly I found myself prophesying over him and saying that the day would come when great power would be bestowed upon him and he would be the ruler of the nation. I also prophesied that God would intervene in the affairs of the nation and that before the end of the century Nigeria would have its first Christian President.

"Suddenly I found myself prophesying over him and saying that before the end of the century Nigeria would have its first Christian President!"

The prophecy was received with great joy and acclamation by the conference although I myself was immediately assailed with anxieties and doubts. There have been very few occasions in my life when I have given a prophecy with an actual date for its fulfilment. My anxieties were increased by a conversation I had after the meeting with the man whom I learned was Chief Solomon Lar from Jos in Plateau State. He explained that he had come to the conference because he wanted to meet the Editor of Prophecy Today and he knew that we were speaking there.

We sat and talked a lot about the political situation in Nigeria and he said that he greatly appreciated my prayer for him but unless God specifically worked a miracle the prophecy could not be fulfilled. The military rulers had decreed that none of the politicians who had previously been in government would ever again be allowed to hold power. Solomon stayed for the remainder of the conference and we promised to keep in touch. I was, nevertheless, surprised to receive a letter from him the following year inviting Monica and me to visit him in his hometown of Jos and to speak at an Easter Monday Christian celebration as well as to fulfil other engagements in Lagos.

Chief Solomon Lar, with Clifford and Monica Hill and Dr Mary Lar

Chief Solomon of Jos

The Easter Monday celebration was amazing with the main city street filled with more than a quarter of a million Christians and non-Christians in this ethnically mixed city. There were a number of musical events with local choirs and a time of inspirational worship before the speeches. Both Monica and I spoke through interpreters. The man who interpreted my message was also an evangelist who added to the word that I had given, concluding with a powerful call for salvation to which hundreds responded.

It was when we visited their home that Solomon told us of the circumstances that had led to his imprisonment and the reason why he had made the journey to Port Harcourt to meet us soon after his release, after four years in jail as a political prisoner of the military Government. Solomon was a Member of the first Government of Nigeria elected in 1959 just ahead of independence from Britain the following year. He served faithfully in several different positions and was a popular Governor of Plateau State.

In 1966 the democratically elected Government was overthrown by a military coup. This led directly to the Biafran Civil War which lasted from July 1967 until January 1970. Military government continued in Nigeria until the assassination of the military head of state in 1976. His successor, General Muhammadu Buhari, initiated a process of transition to a democratically elected Government in 1979. Solomon was a Minister in this Government which lasted until 1983 when another military coup brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power. He was overthrown in 1985 by the worst dictator of all Nigeria’s rulers, General Sani Abacha.

Imprisonment

Following the 1983 coup most of the Government Ministers were either executed or imprisoned. Solomon was sentenced to 88 years on 31 December 1983. He shared a prison cell with a British pilot who had been attempting to rescue members of the Government when the military rebels intervened. It took the British Government more than two years to obtain the release of the pilot during which time he complained about the food and succeeded in getting the Red Cross to send him food parcels.

"Following the 1983 coup most of the Government Ministers were either executed or imprisoned. Solomon was sentenced to 88 years in prison."

A British missionary heard that Solomon was in prison. She had been his teacher at primary school in the northern town of Langtang and had kept in touch with him from boyhood. Somehow she got get letters into the prison and Solomon told her he was sharing a cell with the British pilot. When the next food parcel was being prepared by the Red Cross she took a copy of the first issue of the magazine Prophecy Today which fitted exactly inside a cornflakes box. She included a letter to Solomon urging him to read the magazine. It was to be a life-changing experience for Solomon and he says that the magazine was passed all around the prison and read by many of the thousand men.

That issue of Prophecy Today had two articles that particularly spoke to him. One was about injustice and inequalities whereby the rich Western nations are overfed and millions in the poorer countries die from malnourishment and preventable diseases. This was a cause close to Solomon's heart. The second article was about listening to God and how the great biblical prophets learned to discern what God was saying to them. Solomon had been a Christian all his life but he had never before had time on his hands to study the Bible in depth. Slowly he learned to take things before God, to intercede, and to listen.

God's faithfulness

One of his fellow prisoners, also a Minister in the Government, was condemned to death. Although a Muslim he was a particular friend of Solomon who had worked with him in the Cabinet. Solomon began to intercede on his behalf and he heard God say that his friend would not die at the hands of the military junta. Solomon reported this and the man gladly received it; but no word of reprieve came and the day was set for his execution. Solomon prayed all the more fervently and he was convinced God would save his friend. He continually reassured the man that God is faithful and he never breaks his promises.

The day prior to his execution arrived. He was due to be executed at dawn. Solomon prayed throughout the day and right through the night. Then the most amazing thing happened. During that night another military coup took place. The Military Government was overthrown by another group of power-hungry colonels. The first thing they did was to cancel all political executions. News reached the prison one hour before dawn.

In the morning Solomon's friend came to him and threw himself on the ground in front of him saying, "How did you know?" Solomon said quite simply that Jesus had told him. His friend said he wanted to know Jesus and Solomon had the joy of leading him to the Lord. This man later became a powerful evangelist with a great testimony to the faithfulness of God who answers prayer, even at the 11th hour!

Nation-wide oppression

We visited Nigeria several times in the next few years doing missions in Lagos, Ibadan and other parts of the country. Solomon and Mary also visited us in England and our friendship grew; so too did our love and concern for Nigeria. We went a number of times, always with an armed escort, but it became too dangerous to take a team to Nigeria where social unrest was widespread. Throughout the 1990s the Military Government in Nigeria became increasingly oppressive and corrupt. Foreign aid was siphoned off into the pockets of the military rulers, and bribery and corruption were present at all levels in Government and among petty provincial officials.

General Abacha reportedly siphoned off £5 billion from the national purse into his own offshore accounts, aided by members of his family. Social unrest in the 1990s became more violent with high rates of unemployment and poverty. The British Government put great pressure upon the military rulers to allow the country to return to democratic rule, but they continually broke their promises. Nigeria was suspended from the British Commonwealth and the UN imposed severe economic sanctions, but General Abacha refused to relinquish power.

The whole country was rapidly degenerating into social and economic chaos and there was grave fear that, unless there was a complete change of Government, Nigeria would slide into civil war. From the mid-1990s Solomon had been secretly meeting with former members of the last democratically elected Government. Their communications were always exchanged with great care as they all knew they were risking their lives. If Abacha had heard of their secret liaisons they would undoubtedly have been executed.

"The whole country was rapidly degenerating into social and economic chaos- there was grave fear that Nigeria would slide into civil war."

In 1998, the 'Group of 18', as they called themselves, resolved that the national situation was so serious they could no longer delay. They decided to challenge the President that if he did not resign and give way to an elected Government they would bring the whole country out on strike and force his hand. But how could they get the message to Abacha? They decided to write a letter setting out their demands. One of the 18 had to take the letter and confront him. The group all asked Solomon to do this, and after much prayer and discussion with Mary, Solomon agreed to take the letter.

God's intervention

Solomon said goodbye to Mary, not knowing if he would ever see her again, and set off for Abuja, the new capital of Nigeria. He was kept waiting for six days before being granted an audience with the President. On the sixth day he went into the closely guarded presidential palace and came face to face with the General. He told him he had come to read a letter to him. As he read the letter Abacha flew into an apoplexy of rage and shouted "Treason! Treason!" He called the guards and ordered them to arrest Solomon and hold him overnight. He said that he would pronounce sentence in the morning.

Solomon was led away and spent the night in prayer in a police cell, expecting this to be his last night on earth. But during that night God intervened. General Abacha often used the presidential jet to fly Asian prostitutes for his use. That night he had two Indian girls flown in from Dubai cavorting in his bed. He suffered a massive heart attack at 4:30am and by 6:30 he was dead.

In the morning the guards came to Solomon with the news of Abacha's death and senior officials from the military junta implored him for the sake of the nation to take control. Solomon immediately went on air and broadcast to the nation announcing the death of the President who was buried that same day according to Muslim tradition. Solomon promised that political parties would once more be legalised and there would be a swift return to democratic government.

Solomon himself led an Interim Government. He ruled the nation for a year; overseeing preparations for a General Election in 1999. He became Chairman of the People's Democratic Party and when elections were held his Party won a clear majority. Solomon did not wish to become President himself. The years of imprisonment had taken their toll on his health and he asked his friend Olushegun Obasanjo to become President. He was installed in July 1999.

The prophecy fulfilled

Six months before the end of the Twentieth Century Nigeria had its first Christian President. The prophecy I had given in Port Harcourt in December 1987 was fulfilled. That prophecy had been widely circulated throughout Nigeria and soon after the new President had settled in Abuja, Solomon (as chairman of the ruling Party and close confidante and adviser to the President) invited Monica and me to come to Abuja to meet the new President. We were impressed that among his first actions he had built a church in the grounds of the Presidential Palace where a former president had built a mosque.

"Six months before the end of the Twentieth Century Nigeria had its first Christian President: the prophecy I had given was fulfilled."

President Olushegun Obasanjo was a devout Christian who had a room in the church set aside for his daily quiet time. It was plainly furnished with just a table, a chair and a Bible. Faced with huge social and economic problems, the legacy of years of political corruption, plus the tensions of a racially divided nation, he knew that it was only divine guidance that would enable him to survive. We spent some time talking and praying with him as well as enjoying a family meal at his table. The next time we visited Nigeria we had a meal with two presidents: the President of Nigeria was hosting the President of the USA, Bill Clinton. So we had dinner with him and his daughter Chelsea.

President Obasanjo strove to root out the corruption endemic in Nigerian society but he was constantly impeded by Parliament who even attempted to impeach him. It is a deeply divided society between Christian and Muslim and although President Goodluck Jonathan is a Christian, he has been powerless to control the army which has always been controlled by Muslims from the Northern states. Today that is the home territory of Boko Haram, the jihadist terrorists who kidnapped 200 girls in 2014, and in January 2015 razed to the ground a whole area of villages around the town of Maiduguri, killing an estimated 2000 men, women and children.

Goodluck Jonathan also failed to deal with the widespread corruption in Nigeria. When the Governor of Nigeria’s central bank reported that $20 billion had been stolen, Jonathan sacked him. It is because of these failures that many voters deserted the PDP and voted for former General Muhammadu Buhari, who briefly ruled Nigeria some 32 years ago. His human rights record at that time was appalling and political opponents were executed, but as a Muslim from the North he may be able to deal firmly with the jihadist terrorists. His election on 1st April 2015 is a triumph of democracy for which Solomon Lar laid the foundation.

Solomon Lar died in October 2013. His moderating influence is greatly missed in Nigeria today, but there are many who still thank God for his great contribution in saving the nation from military dictatorship and establishing the principles of godly democracy. The whole of Nigeria has much to thank God for this courageous man of prayer who learned to listen to God and to be obedient even when it put his own life at risk. We thank God that Prophecy Today was helpful to him in his hour of need. We continue to pray that violence against Christians will cease and that a new era of peace and prosperity will come to Nigeria.