With input from experts in the legal profession, Clifford Hill reflects upon some of the judicial issues involved in the Referendum debate.

The British justice system is incompatible with the system of justice operated by the European Court. That is the verdict of senior lawyers in Britain who have first-hand experience of dealing with the European Union. Problems arise from the fundamentally different traditions of law between Britain and continental nations.

British legal tradition is based upon biblical principles. Above the state entrance to the Old Bailey, Britain's Central Criminal Court, are inscribed the words:

"Defend the children of the poor. Punish the wrong doer".

These words are based upon Psalm 82:3 which says, "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed".

Common Law Tradition

The British traditions of law, based upon the Common Law of England¹ (going back to the days of Magna Carta), are rooted in the Bible. Justice is considered on a case-by-case basis rather than in conformity to some abstract concept of law.

English Common Law is an unwritten law which has been evolving for many centuries. It reflects the common customs of the kingdom and is based upon reference to previous judgments. Precedents are formed as the number of judgments increase on a particular issue and these become guidelines for judges in deciding similar cases.

Changes in society sometimes trigger new issues in law. Common law judges are free to depart from precedent to establish a fresh judgment, thus setting a new precedent. This demonstrates the dynamic character of Common Law which is always changing in order to be relevant in a changing society.

English Common Law is unwritten, dynamic and flexible - relevant to a changing society - and has developed along biblical lines.

European Civil Law

In contrast to British Common Law, European Civil Law is a system based upon ancient Roman law in which judges resolve cases by referring to established principles. The Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD formed a collection of ancient pagan Roman law.²

The Napoleonic Code in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer. See Photo Credits.This became the basis of the 'Code of Justinian', which in mediaeval times quickly spread throughout the countries which now form the western part of the European Union. Local statutes and customs were codified in order to form a harmonised body of law throughout the continent. Historically only England remained apart from this until Britain joined the European Union.

Roman law had its origin in pagan and Imperial Rome and during the 18^th and 19^th centuries its codification was influenced by atheistic and humanistic ethics derived from revolutionary France. This system of Civil Law was adopted by most continental countries producing a strong measure of unification which was adopted by the European Union, replacing national differences in law with international practices.

Since the 18^th Century, political leaders in Europe have regarded legal codes as necessary instruments for establishing national unity and enforcing central authority. Napoleon's objective in the 'Napoleonic Code' was to secure his conquests and this code became the basis of the legal systems of some of the founding members of the European Union such as the Netherlands and Belgium.³

By contrast, European Civil Law is based on established principles and codes collected over the centuries and influenced by both pagan and atheistic societies.

Comparing Civil Law and Common Law

There are fundamental philosophical differences between these two systems of law.⁴ For example, the 'Law of Evidence' which is an integral part of Common Law has no counterpart in the Civil Law practised in the European Union because there is no such thing as 'inadmissible evidence' in continental Europe.

Most continental countries separate their administrative courts, from those that deal with criminal cases and private law disputes. Under Common Law all kinds of disputes are determined in the same courts, in order to apply the same rules of fairness and justice.

In England a fast growing area of law is 'judicial review' which, on a daily basis, challenges the actions of politicians and quangos, thus holding our Government accountable to law.⁵ It is difficult to imagine this happening on the continent under the philosophy of Civil Law. Civil Law systems usually uphold all contractual promises and then enforce penalty clauses. In England Lord Denning in the post-World War II period pioneered a system of justice whereby contracting parties would be protected when the contractual terms are deemed to be unjust.

Another difference between Civil Law and Common Law systems is in terms of personnel. Under Common Law judges are drawn from barristers with many years of practical experience in dealing with justice whereas under Civil Law they are usually career bureaucrats serving the state. Trial by jury is an essential element in Common Law where it is the right of individuals to be tried by their peers. This is not often used in civil law on the continent where cases are decided by professional judges. In some continental countries laymen are used but not as jurors but as lay judges alongside professional judges.

There are fundamental differences between Common Law and Civil Law, which mean different attitudes to evidence, courts, jury and personnel.

What of the future?

The continental system of law adopted by the European Union is imperial and uniform and allows no differences for national law. The EU constantly sends out a stream of legal regulations which change our laws and bind our Parliament and our courts. Even our criminal law is not safe from EU interference and we are not able to deport convicted criminals to their countries of origin who appeal to the European court on grounds of the infringement of their human rights.⁶

In the article by Viscount Tonypandy that we published last week, he referred to the famous case of our Fisheries Act being declared illegal by the European court which overrode legislation passed by our elected Parliament. This effectively destroyed the livelihoods of our fishing fleets working in our own waters from Cornwall to Scotland.

It is the declared intention of the Commissioners of the European Union to move towards closer and binding integration. If Britain remains in the EU, our entire system of justice will be threatened. The threat is from two sources: from the mass of legislation that seeks not only to regulate but to standardise all the member nations of the European Union, and from the decisions of the European court which override national laws of member states.

In a federal Europe, towards which the EU is moving, the system of law that will be imposed upon us will be interpreted by judges who bind our judges by their decisions and there will be no room for our traditions of Common Law.

In a federal Europe, the system of law imposed upon us would leave no room for our Common Law traditions.

Our national heritage, based upon concepts of law drawn from the Bible, will be swept away by the European Union. We must ask ourselves whether it is more important to ensure that justice before God is shown to all people or whether we merely administer man-made laws.

On the 23 June 2016 we will be faced with a choice similar to that offered by Joshua to the people of Israel, whether or not to put our trust in God. He said "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you." He added the declaration: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Josh 24:20 and 24:15).

References

1 See Common law, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

2 Codex Justinianus, Wikipedia.

3 See The Napoleonic Code, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

4 For differences other than those mentioned here, a useful discussion can be found here: The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions, University of Berkeley, California.

5 See Judicial review in English law, Wikipedia.

6 EU laws 'prohibit UK from sending foreign criminals home'. BBC News, 7 June 2016.

The spiritual battle raging for control of Europe has deep historical roots.

The Prophecy Today Editorial Board met earlier this week and in a time of prayer we were seeking guidance for the content of this editorial, as we approach Referendum day on 23 June.

It is in many senses a 'D-Day'– a decision day which may become a 'Deliverance Day', as it was in 1944.

We were actually meeting on 6 June and we remembered the thousands of young men who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy on that day more than 70 years ago. As we prayed about this it became clear to us that it is the same battle being waged today – a great spiritual battle over Europe.

The Battle to Control Europe

This battle has been raging for centuries. From Charlemagne to Hitler, there have been many attempts to unify and dominate Europe – to bring all the nations of the continent under one ruling authority. What is it about Europe that makes it such a special target for those who want to rule? Why has the continent been driven by war between neighbouring nations for centuries and then in the 20^th Century been the centre of two incredibly destructive and bloody World Wars?

Could it be that there is something in the history of the continent that has got into its very DNA and which is now fighting its greatest battle for control?

Few people would deny that Hitler and his Third Reich were a demonically directed force aiming to control the whole of Europe, from the Irish Sea to the Urals. Today there are many indications that the European Union has a similar objective.

The fact that the EU has chosen to adorn its headquarters in Brussels with the statue of 'a woman riding the beast' from Greek mythology (many Christians relate this to Revelation 17) and has refused to acknowledge the Judaeo-Christian heritage of Europe in its constitution, shows how much pagan and secular humanist ideologies now dominate the continent, which was once the world centre of Christianity.

The battle to unify and dominate Europe has been raging for centuries, in different guises.

Gotthard Tunnel Opening

The opening of the Gotthard Tunnel between Switzerland and Italy on 2 June showed that the pagan spirit is very much alive in central Europe. The ceremony actually involved Satanist rituals with a cohort of acrobats representing miners in orange jumpsuits marching like zombies towards the tunnel entrance. The miners were ritualistically sacrificed in the tunnel and emerged as veiled spirits, at which point an actor dressed as a goat ritualistically consumed and mated with the veiled dancers.

All this took place in the presence of President François Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Johannes Schneider-Ammann of Switzerland and a very large crowd of sightseers. A group of church leaders also took part in a ceremony, dedicating a plaque to Saint Barbara, said to be the patron saint of miners. For more information, click here for TruNews' coverage. It is surely a demonstration of how far Europe has departed from its Judaeo-Christian roots!

Historical Turning Point

Our prayer time in the Editorial Board meeting led me to explore the spiritual history of Europe. Was there a great turning point in this history that was of huge significance?
I believe there was - and it may be found right back in the fourth century AD when the Emperor Constantine, a new convert to Christianity, called Christian leaders together from around the Roman Empire and presided over the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD - but he refused to invite any of the Jewish leaders of the Church.

Constantine had formerly been a sun worshipper and he hated Jews, who he described as 'detestable' and 'deservedly afflicted'.¹ He made Sunday the official day of rest for the Roman Empire and discarded the Hebraic calendar and feasts, for instance replacing Passover with Easter.

The recent events at the Gotthard Tunnel opening in Switzerland show just how far Europe has departed from its biblical heritage.

Fresco depicting the First Council of Nicaea.From New Testament times the Church had been predominantly led by Jewish believers in Jesus and even after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jews were still in the majority in the Church. Following the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against Roman rule in 138 AD when half a million Jews in Judaea were murdered, all Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Judaea. Gentiles rapidly became a majority in the Church and centres such as Antioch, Alexandria, Ephesus and Rome replaced Jerusalem as centres of Christian leadership.

The Council of Nicaea was a seminal moment in Church history, but Messianic Jews were excluded from it by Constantine. The sharp theological dispute between Arius and Athanasius which sorely divided the Church could easily have been resolved by a Hebraic theologian but there was not a single Hebrew-speaking Christian in attendance.

This was a great turning point in Church history when the Gentile Church rejected its Hebrew roots, discarding its biblical heritage and leaving the way open for the growth of anti-Semitism which has plagued Europe ever since that time.²

Jewish Persecution by Christians

Throughout European history since Roman times, Jews have been actively persecuted by Church leaders and slaughtered by Christians. As a young man, it was Luther's fervent desire to see Jews regain their place in the Church. In 1523 he wrote an essay 'That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew', urging Christians to treat Jews kindly. He said that church leaders had treated Jews with great injustice:

As if they were dogs rather than human beings; they have done little else than deride them and seize their property...If the apostles, who also were Jews, had dealt with us Gentiles as we Gentiles deal with the Jews, there would never have been a Christian among the Gentiles.³

Sadly, when the Jews refused to convert to Gentile Christianity he became their enemy, and urged the German princes to drive them from the land. In 1543 he wrote a 65,000-word anti-Jewish treatise, 'On the Jews and Their Lies' which was widely used by the Nazis in justifying their policy to exterminate all Jews in Europe.

In Britain, our record in the mediaeval period was not been much better than the Nazis' in the 20^th Century, with outbreaks of violence in towns and cities across England. In 1190, 30 Jews were beaten or trampled to death in London riots. In the same year, over 150 Jews died in Clifford's Tower in York, 57 were massacred on Palm Sunday in Bury St Edmunds and there were pogroms in several other towns.

These outbreaks of violence continued for another hundred years until in 1263, when 400 Jews were massacred on Palm Sunday in London. In 1278, when 680 Jews were imprisoned in the Tower, 290 were hanged. Then in 1290 the King in Council passed a law expelling all Jews from England – the first general expulsion of Jews from any country.⁴

A great turning point in Europe's spiritual history was the Council of Nicaea, when Jews were excluded and the Hebraic roots of Christianity discarded.

Anti-Semitism Rising Today

Today, anti-Semitism is on the rise again throughout Europe and is especially severe in France and Germany, where there are large communities of Muslims. In Britain anti-Semitism is endemic but often hidden, as in our universities and in large business enterprises such as the Co-op, which boycotts Israeli produce.

Sadly, the roots of this anti-Semitism are in the Church in what theologians call 'Replacement Theology', whereby Gentiles are said to have 'replaced' Jews in their covenant relationship with God.

This false theology, based upon inadequate biblical knowledge, appeals strongly to people with innate racist tendencies and is a powerful force among many church leaders. But it is also responsible for robbing the gospel of power by cutting the Church off from its biblical roots, opening Europe to the power of secular humanism, paganism and the onslaught of Islam.

Spiritual Attack on Europe

Today Europe is under enormous spiritual attack, at a time when it has deliberately rejected its biblical foundations and is adrift in perilous seas, while its leaders lack both compass and rudder.

Economically, they have no idea how to deal with the unsustainable amount of debt and unemployment that has been created across the Eurozone by trying to force all their economies into a single financial system. Meanwhile, mega financial organisations want Britain to remain in the EU to keep the ship afloat a bit longer, so that they can continue making vast fortunes from the mounting crises in the continent.

The rejection of our Hebraic roots has opened the door for centuries of anti-Semitism and the onslaught of other religions.

Europe is also under a great spiritual attack caused by the imploding of Islam throughout the Middle East with conflicts between Sunnis and Shias becoming more violent and destructive by the day. This is creating vast numbers of refugees and migrants - and likely will continue for decades until Islam finally destroys itself - which could take the rest of this century.

In the meantime, Muslims continue to pour into Europe. Without a strong evangelical Church and Christians on fire with the gospel to love their new neighbours and bring them to Jesus, the Islamisation of Europe is almost inevitable – unless God intervenes.

D-Day Approaches

Is it possible that God is giving Britain the opportunity on 23 June to escape the worst of the tragedy that is likely to descend upon Europe? Are we being offered a 'Deliverance Day' from the EU? God has promised that if any nation puts their trust in him he will guarantee their protection and prosperity.

The following are a few of the scriptures that Christians should be considering before casting their vote. A promise given to Israel through Moses lays down a seminal spiritual principle:

When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you. (Deut 30:2)

This was extended to all nations through the promise given to Jeremiah:

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)

This month Britain has the opportunity of taking a bold step towards becoming 'A Nation Under God', whose trust is in the Lord. That cannot be achieved without recognising the plight we are in and asking God's forgiveness. Like the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, there would be an immediate response from God.

Are the prayers of the faithful remnant sufficiently powerful to save the nation? If Britain votes to come out of the European Union, can we become 'A Nation Under God'? What would such a nation look like?

That is the theme of next week's editorial.

References

1 Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book 3, chapter 18.

2 This has been supported by the anti-Semitic teachings of the 'Church Fathers', including Chrysostom, Irenaeus and Augustine.

3 Luther, M, 1523. That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew. Trans. Walter I. Brandt, in Luther's Works (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1962), pp200-201, 229.

4 See Roth, C, 1941. History of Jews in England. OUP, 3rd revised edition 1978.

Clifford Denton explains how closer integration with Europe would threaten this 'voluntary covenant' with God.

A pivotal point in the debate about Britain's relationship with the EU must be our Coronation Oath, which sets us apart as a nation of declared intention, seeking to live under the rule and protection of Almighty God. With the Bible at the foundation of our laws, setting a protecting boundary for the free and open proclamation of the Gospel in our nation, with thousands of years of history to get us to 2 June 1953, the Queen led the way in commitment at the Coronation service in Westminster Abbey.

Britain has long been betraying this corporate Oath, with law changes that depart from the ways of the Bible. We also believe that the Oath has been compromised by each successive closer merger with the EU, which has no such constitution as ours, being secular and humanistic at its heart.

We reproduce below, with minor editing to bring it up-to-date, an article on this topic that was published in Prophecy Today in 1989.

THE CORONATION OATH: UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORD FOR EUROPE

Is it a fanciful view of Britain's status before God to see it in covenant terms? God alone knows if that is how he sees his longstanding relationship with us. Nevertheless, so strong was our view of what the Coronation Oath meant that we used the following strapline for the article: "Britain has entered into a 'voluntary covenant' with God, through the Coronation oath. Clifford Denton explains how closer integration with Europe would threaten this unique status."

This is what we published back then. Did we foresee something of immense importance that was not being heeded at the time and that has even greater relevance now?

"What makes Britain special?" we also asked. Have we really been a nation that has been blessed and used by God? We went on to explore these questions, and we would do well to consider them again today in relation to the EU Referendum.

A key to understanding the answers to these questions is in the Coronation Oath. This Oath presents a 'voluntary covenant' with God, and attempts to offer God a framework through which he can help us to manage our affairs according to the teaching of the Bible.

This is not the covenant that God made with Israel. No nation can replace Israel as a covenant nation - but Britain has probably done more than any other Gentile nation to live in a covenant relationship with God. Surely God has helped, blessed and protected us over the centuries, despite our gross imperfections, because of this.

Britain has probably done more than any other Gentile nation to live in a covenant relationship with God.

Strangely, while this oath should be a central issue to consider in our decisions relating to Europe, it is hardly being discussed at all. Most decisions relating to national sovereignty are concerned with self-government rather than the Government of God.

Yet, an alliance with the powers of Europe on financial and political grounds represents a betrayal of the Coronation Oath and a betrayal of God himself, for there is no similar covenant within the constitution of Europe.

Historical Background

The Reformation of the 16^th Century freed Britain of papal control, but the reign of James II (beginning in 1685) threatened to undermine the Protestant framework being formed in British institutions. James' commitment to Catholicism was resisted by some prominent national leaders and this finally led to an invitation for William of Orange to come to Britain in 1688 and redress the nation's grievances.

James fled to France and this was interpreted as an abdication, whereupon a new Parliament was formed and William and Mary (James' Protestant daughter) were offered the Crown. This bloodless revolution was called the 'Glorious Revolution' and became the means by which a more secure Protestant Government could be established in Britain in the framework of (as far as a Gentile nation can go) a voluntary covenant with God.

The Bill of Rights of 1689 ensured that no future monarch could be Roman Catholic and ensured that the monarch would not have unconditional powers. The Government of Britain was put in the form of a contract between the monarch and the people through representation in Parliament.

In 1689, the Glorious Revolution and the Bill of Rights established a secure Protestant Government in Britain, in voluntary covenant with God.

The Coronation Vow

The Coronation Oath, made law in 1688 and taken first in the Coronation of 1689, was in the form of a vow made before God to govern Britain according to God's laws and in accord with the true profession of the Gospel. The Coronation of every monarch ever since has been a Protestant Christian service centred on this Oath. The promises made by the monarch are contained in the following words, according to law:

The Archbishop or Bishop shall say: "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this kingdom of England and the dominions thereto belonging according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on and the laws and customs of the same?"

The King and Queen shall say: "I solemnly promise so to do"

Archbishop or Bishop: "Will you to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judgements?"

King and Queen: "I will".

Archbishop or Bishop: "Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the gospel and the Protestant religion established by law? And will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy of this realm and to the churches committed to their charge all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them?"

King and Queen: "All this I promise to do".

After this the King and Queen laying his and her hand upon the Holy Gospels shall say: "The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep so help me God".

Then the King and Queen shall kiss the book.

These words are taken directly from the Coronation Oath Act of 1688. The monarch cannot be crowned until and unless these promises are made.

Queen Elizabeth II

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth on 2 June 1953 was a solemn occasion. The young Queen went through the Christian ceremony with full conviction of what she was doing before God. Many of us were children then, and there was not the same ease of media communication as there is today, though the use of television was growing quite fast.

Thus many of us did not see beyond the royal splendour of the day to the heart of what was going on, but the Queen made her promises before God, was anointed with oil for the Holy Spirit to come upon her, took communion and was then crowned. The record of this has been kept in heaven as well as at the BBC. We are in a covenant with one another and with God because of this. This is true for all people in Great Britain.

Queen Elizabeth made her coronation vows with full conviction of what she was doing before God. The record has been kept in heaven as well as at the BBC.

Affirming the Promise

For example, every Member of Parliament makes an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the monarch. The wording of the oath is: "I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."

This promise is the counterpart to the Queen's Oath so that she and the Government together can seek a way of establishing God's rule within the nation, our God being the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and no foreign god or new age idol.

Similarly, every time the national anthem is sung there is a reflection of the people's allegiance to the Queen and all that the Coronation Oath is intended to convey, and whenever allegiance to the Queen is promised (as, for example, in the promise of Scouts and Guides) acceptance of the Coronation Oath is implied. How many fans at our great sporting events realise that when they sing the National Anthem they are praying a prayer to God? God knows what is intended, even if the words have become empty to most of our nation!

Protection by the Grace of God

So, the British nation has established a framework of government which binds together monarchy, government and state church, also drawing in the allegiance of the people, which reflects what we are calling a voluntary covenant with the living God.

Even though we have had this framework, we have not been a perfect nation by any means, yet surely, by the grace of God, we have been a protected nation for many years. The grace of God is always beyond the bounds of our deserving. We have done a little and he has done much.

We have not been a perfect nation – but because we have had this national framework, we have been a protected nation for many years.

He took us through world wars, helped us become a prosperous nation, and gave us opportunity to reflect his ways to the world through our educational, governmental, financial and social systems as well as through the Church, which was once strong and which has known God's true revivals.

Fall from Grace

God's protection has not gone completely, but surely we are on the brink of disaster. In one generation we have turned away from the absolutes of biblical truth and law and entered an age of relative morality.

Our law structure once reflected God's laws as they are understood from the Bible, thanks to the dedicated and faithful work of many national leaders over the years. But now, our nation is reaping what has been sown through the liberalising of laws. Pornography, adultery, greed, injustice, violence, abortion, degrading sexual practice, divorce and every form of sin is rising (to which, in recent days, we can now add the re-definition of marriage away from God's order).

Contrasting the Coronation Oath with European Rule

In addition, we are now at a decision point regarding deeper alliance with the EU. The Coronation Oath represents a framework of government that is open to God's ways and to his direct help. Europe has no such framework of government.

In one generation Britain has turned away from the absolutes of biblical truth and law, and entered an age of relative morality.

Many people suspect that the religious powers all over Europe will eventually be drawn into the alliance, becoming part of a humanistic economic and political system which will reflect a seductive and anti-Christian religious and spiritual power. Whether this is true or not, we must either change the Coronation Oath or betray it in order to make firm alliance with the powers governing Europe in our present-day.

Even though the Oath was made in 1953, all that it represents is still in full force today. Surely God is more aware of this than we are. Thus, as far as all our unrighteousness is concerned, the time of judgment draws near. As far as Europe is concerned, we must attune ourselves to God's perspective on this key issue, before we risk betraying he who has protected us through the years.

What Should We Do?

The Coronation Oath belongs to the fabric of our national life – we are all involved. We must consider together just what we have offered to God through the institution of monarch, church and state.

But when it comes to the breaking of the Oath, who is responsible? This is a more complex question than we might think. It is not just the Monarch. It is also the Government, along with all who elected the Government. It is also the Church, standing by while our oaths to God are betrayed in the reversal of godly laws and false alliances with other powers. Surely the Queen should also lead the nation into repentance and the church should rise up as the conscience of the nation.

When considered in these terms, it seems almost impossible to achieve a reversal of our decline. Yet surely we know that with God all things are possible, and we have a responsibility to respond at this crucial time in the nation.

It seems impossible to achieve a reversal of our national decline. But with God, all things are possible – and Christians have a responsibility to respond at this crucial time.

The fact that God has preserved Britain as an individual nation, with its own governmental systems, for so many centuries, should be a prompt for us to reconsider any deepening alliance with Europe. We should reconsider what the Coronation Oath represents so that we might preserve and develop our heritage before it is too late.

When the bottom line is drawn it is neither the monarchy nor Europe that is the first consideration. It is the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel that matter. The Coronation Oath has been the vehicle for their preservation whereby, within a framework of godly laws, there has been a freedom and protection for the true Gospel to go forth across the nation. This is what God has blessed and this is what we are about to give up for financial gain and political advantage within the framework of an ungodly and humanistic empire that is developing in Europe.

We believe that the spiritual powers behind the EU will attack every aspect of our godly heritage, including the British monarchy, to bring it down so that the Coronation Oath will fall with it.

Those who understand these things from a spiritual as well as practical perspective must stand together, because our spiritual adversary has already many people in high places who will use powers of finance, media and politics to drive us into Europe in betrayal of our promises to God. The flattering promises of electioneers who emphasise alliance with Europe will reflect this too. We can expect the powers at work to be both humanistic and seductive.

Endnote

The above article was written when the debate was whether the UK should abolish the Pound and adopt the Euro. The argument remains fresh for this new debate as to whether we should remain in the EU or leave - an opportunity that was barely plausible in 1989.

This week, during which has been the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation Oath, let us prayerfully weigh these things. Should we, despite all else, realise that this opportunity to leave the EU once and for all, though brought about by men, has been given us through the gracious working of Almighty God?

Clifford Hill comments on the increasingly underhand tactics being used by the Government.

What is happening to our British sense of fairness and honesty? The whole of our relationship with the European Union, from its foundation, has been marred by misinformation and a lack of transparency.

Edward Heath was the Prime Minister who took us into the EU, assuring us that we were only entering a 'trade alliance' - although later admitting that he knew this was not the whole truth.¹

David Cameron toured EU capitals last year trying to negotiate reforms which he said were essential to our remaining in the European Union, but the reforms presented to us lacked clear details. The Government's Remain campaign has, since, been notable for a lack of facts and a surfeit of speculation and scare stories.

Are we now descending into tactics that look extremely like electoral rigging? The Electoral Commission has called on Bristol City Council to scrap an EU referendum 'how-to-vote' guide being sent to postal voters (see below), over claims it favours the Remain campaign.²

If you've received a voting guide like this (with a pencil hovering in the Remain box) please get in touch below! pic.twitter.com/ug1YxMtaiJ

— LEAVE.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) May 30, 2016

Next Issues of Prophecy Today

In this issue of Prophecy Today and over the next two weeks we will try to present some of the issues that are rarely dealt with by our political leaders. Today we are re-publishing an article by the late Viscount Tonypandy (a former Speaker of the House of Commons) which we originally published back in May 1997. In this thought-provoking article he warned about the political consequences of being drawn closer into the European Union.

We are also re-publishing an article by Dr Clifford Denton on the significance of the Coronation Oath, which we believe is also highly relevant to the situation today where closer integration into the European Union would bring about profound changes in our national life.

My major concerns are for the spiritual state of the nation and the future for young people, who (according to the polls) are more likely to vote to stay within the EU. Many of them are listening to Government propaganda saying that their future jobs depend upon Britain being part of the EU. But the reverse is true. It is young people who are suffering most in the Eurozone. More than half of all young people in Spain and Greece are unemployed – long-term unemployed with very little prospects of earning a living wage.

The 2015 figures for youth unemployment in Spain were 49.9%, Greece 49.7%, Croatia 43.6%, and Italy 42.7%.³ The latest figures (April 2016) published by the EU show an increase in youth unemployment in Spain 51.7% and Greece 51.1%.⁴

These figures for youth unemployment are an utter disgrace to the European Union and they should be a warning to Britain's young people. Britain's youth unemployment increased slightly during the past year from 15.7% to 16.1% but Germany, the mastermind and dominant power in Europe, remains with the lowest rate of youth unemployment in the EU at 7.4%. The future prospects of employment for young people are most likely to get worse in the EU because of the commitment to an unworkable single currency policy that tries to force all the national economies into one mould.

Young people are more likely to vote to stay in the EU - but across the Eurozone, it is young people who are suffering most.

An Alliance Not by My Spirit

My concern for the spiritual health of the nation is because it is the major determinant of both physical health and prosperity. This has been amply demonstrated in the history of Britain when even those who were only nominal Christians acknowledged that it was the high level of faith and prayer that enabled us to survive the Battle of Britain, when the nation stood alone against colossal odds across the Channel.

In the history of Israel there are numerous examples of that tiny nation surviving against mighty empires when they put their faith in God. It was the major task of the prophets to steady the nation in challenging times. A good example is when the nation faced the danger of invasion from the mighty Assyrian Empire. Instead of calling the nation to prayer the leaders were planning an alliance with Egypt and they sent a large gift on the backs of donkeys and camels to buy the Egyptians' help (Isa 30:6).

Isaiah was outraged. He said:

Woe to the obstinate children, declares the Lord, to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance but not by my Spirit... Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended upon deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly in an instant. (Isa 30:1, 30:12-13).

His illustration of the wall related to a city wall built of stone in two sections with the centre filled with rubble. This often included the city waste which, in time, rotted and built-up pressure within the wall so an engineer had regularly to inspect the wall for bulges due to the corruption inside. Hence Amos speaks of God setting a 'plumb line' against the city wall to measure its spiritual health (Amos 7:8).

The spiritual health of the nation is the major determinant of both physical health and prosperity.

Isaiah saw so much corruption, lies and deceit, that he feared sudden collapse unless there was a total change in the spiritual health of the nation. He knew that righteousness exalts a nation and brings the blessings of peace and prosperity. He said, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" (30:15).

I believe that this is the message that needs to be heard in Britain today. Of course there are many unknowns facing the nation if we decide to leave the European Union, but if we put our trust in God there is no doubt that that he will bless both the health and the prosperity of the nation.

Putting Our Hand into God's Hand

Britain has faced many challenges in the past. Many historians believe 1940 to be the darkest hour in our history when King George VI called the nation to have faith in God. In his 1939 Christmas message he said,

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown". And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way." May that Almighty Hand guide and uphold us all.

If only the nation today had this kind of faith, we should have no fear for the future!

References

1 See one of our previous articles, Future Hope or Great Deception?

2 EU Referendum: Row over 'biased' postal vote form. BBC News, 30 May 2016.

3 Unemployment statistics, Eurostat.

4 Ibid.

When was the first national referendum in recorded history?

The answer is in Deuteronomy 30, where Moses had in front of him the whole nation of Israel. He knew he was near the end of his life and he called them to make a choice that would have a lasting effect upon the future of the nation. This was the choice he presented: "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction."

A similar choice is being offered to the British people today, but it is being obscured by a multiplicity of opinion and a paucity of facts. There is grave danger of voter fatigue overtaking the Referendum campaign. We are already on overload with politicians, big business moguls and celebrities bombarding us with their versions of 'facts and figures'. A large portion of the population is still undecided, and is likely to be put off voting by the increasing intensity and nastiness of the debate.

Nasty Debate

The suggestion last week that the whole EU project is being driven by Germany's desire to control Europe under a unified structure, thus completing the work of Napoleon and Hitler, took the debate to a new level of nastiness. Historically, of course, there is a lot to support such a contention. But Germany's remarkable rise from the ashes of defeat and destruction in 1945 to its present prosperity is a demonstration that the Protestant Work Ethic is more powerful than military force.

It may well be Germany's aim to create a 'European Super-State' in which, as the largest economy, she will have the greatest share of power and will be able to dominate the rest of Europe. But our objective in this article is to point to issues that are being bypassed by campaigners on both sides of the debate. These are the spiritual issues at the heart of national identity.

The spiritual issues at the heart of Britain are being bypassed by campaigners on both sides of the debate.

Setting Out a Reminder

What Moses did in the formative days of Israel, in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, was to remind the people of the spiritual journey that had brought them to this point. He said:

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh King of Egypt. (Deut 7:7-8)

Moses not only reminded the people of the good things that God had done in the days of their forefathers, but he also reminded them of the teaching they had been given, including the 10 Commandments, setting out the standard of behaviour required if they were to continue enjoying God's blessing. He stated clearly the blessings of being in a right relationship with God and the inevitable consequences of forsaking God.

Each of these is clearly stated in Deuteronomy 28:16-29. In politics Moses said that disobedience would lead to "confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to" (28:20) and his final point in terms of relationships with other nations was: "you will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you" (28:29).

When Israel came out of Egypt, Moses reminded the people of the spiritual journey that had brought them to that point – and God's goodness to them along the way.

Reviewing Our Spiritual Heritage

Of course, we cannot compare our own nation with that of Israel. Britain was never chosen by God to be in a covenant relationship. But as a nation, historically, we have chosen to accept the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be our God: and this is sealed in our Coronation Oath.

The status of adopted children is freely available to each one of us through faith in Jesus and this has been influential in the history of our nation. Under Greco-Roman Law, adopted children actually had closer ties to the father than putative children. They could not be reclaimed by their biological parents and they could never be rejected by their adoptive father.

Paul obviously knew this law when he told the believers in Ephesus (Gentiles and Jews) that God had "predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:5). He also wrote to the Galatians that God had sent Jesus so that Gentiles "might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out 'Abba, Father'." (Gal 4:6)

The Referendum debate gives us the opportunity of reviewing our spiritual heritage. We are a small nation and yet we have had the immense privilege of establishing the largest empire in world history that is now a commonwealth of free nations. Of course we must not overlook the many wrong things we did in the days of empire and colonialism, especially by tolerating and benefiting from the horrors of the slave trade.

But there were many good things our forefathers did in health and education and in opposing tyranny in countries that are now free to work out their own destinies. We can also thank God for the way he has blessed and protected our nation when he saved us from invasion in World War II, even though we stood alone against aggression.

The Referendum debate gives us the opportunity of reviewing our spiritual heritage.

Choose Life!

Moses urged his fledgeling nation to review their history and to re-affirm their relationship with God. He said "I have set before you life and death...Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him" (Deut 30:19-20).

Voting to leave the EU will not in itself bring peace and prosperity to Britain. But re-affirming a determination to seek a right relationship with God will undoubtedly bring an era of blessing. The great unknown is whether the faithful remnant of believers in Britain in the older generation and the rising tide of young people who are accepting Jesus as role model, Saviour and Lord, have sufficient strength to inspire the nation to embark upon a great adventure of faith.

The Government's propaganda may put people off, or it may deceive them - just as the nation was deceived in the 1975 EU Referendum.

British people dislike bullies. We have a strong sense of fair play and on big issues we like to weigh the evidence and make up our own minds. We are an island people and we value our independence. We do not like being bullied. This is why the huge pressure being put upon the electorate by the Government and their overseas friends, international leaders, big business corporations and bankers may prove to be counter-productive.

The Government promised to help the undecided by publishing the facts. Instead, they have spent £9 million on a blatant piece of propaganda trying to persuade us to stay in the European Union. The front page title of the booklet gives the game away. It says nothing about a presentation of the facts. Its title is "Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK". It then states "The UK has secured a special status in the reformed EU".

We should surely be entitled to ask, what 'special status'? And in what way is the EU 'reformed'? Are the British people once again being deceived by lies from powerful politicians - as we were 40 years ago?

More Deception?

What is happening today looks very similar to how we were tricked into entered the European Union. Ted Heath, the Prime Minister who did the original deal in 1973, readily admitted before he died that he had lied to Parliament and to the British people because he knew that we were not simply joining a trading group but that the intention was always to work towards the formation of a United States of Europe in which we would all lose our sovereign identity.¹

This fact was deliberately kept hidden from the British public when we voted at the 1975 referendum on whether or not we should stay in the 'European Economic Community' ('Common Market') as it was then described. In those days it was largely a trading group with nine member states, whereas today the EU is a very different beast, with 28 members in a tightly regulated organisation bound by treaties, such as Maastricht and Lisbon, and controlled by an unelected Commission backed by an enormous bureaucracy, with institutions such as the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice exercising enormous power over our own parliament and legal courts.

In 1975, we were asked to vote on whether we should stay in a small trading group of nine countries. Today, the EU is a very different beast.

When the Maastricht Treaty was being negotiated there were attempts by churches to get some reference to the Judaeo-Christian heritage of Europe but this was strongly resisted by secular humanists, who prevailed.² The resultant European Union is not only deliberately a godless - in fact, God-denying - organisation, but it is also systemically corrupt, as demonstrated by the fact that it has not been able to persuade the auditors to endorse its accounts for at least the past five years.³ In this country, if a company were in that situation they would not only be prosecuted but they would not be allowed to continue in business.

Miracles in the Past

So how should Christians decide on such an important issue? We surely have to recognise the moral and spiritual battle for the soul of Britain that is involved in the present referendum debate. Christians need to know what God is saying to us, not least by looking at the recent history of Britain in a biblical context. This enables us to understand the purposes of God and what he requires of a nation with a strong Judaeo-Christian heritage such as Britain's.

There are still many people in the older generation who remember that God worked a miracle at Dunkirk in 1940, saving our army from annihilation and giving us victory in the Battle of Britain in the skies. Even Churchill acknowledged in Parliament that it Dunkirk was a "miracle of deliverance".⁴ Those were days when the whole nation turned to prayer.

It was also at a time of national prayer that Hitler took the irrational decision not to invade Britain. It is now recognised that if the German invasion had taken place in 1940 nothing could have stopped them conquering Britain. Dad's Army would no doubt have fought valiantly but German Panzer tanks would have been rolling down Whitehall within days. 

When a nation puts its destiny in the hands of God it can expect miracles to happen. It has happened in the past and it can happen again today – if there is a sufficiently strong believing remnant in the country.

When a nation puts its destiny in the hands of God it can expect miracles to happen. It has happened in the past and it can happen again today.

Opportunity for the Remnant

Of course we know that as a nation we have spurned our spiritual heritage: we have passed many ungodly laws and we no longer deserve to be called a Christian nation. But there is undoubtedly a strong remnant of believers in the older generation and there are many indications of young people coming to faith in Jesus – possibly in reaction to the mess their unbelieving parents have made of the nation. It is the middle generation who are missing in many churches up and down the country today.

Believing Christians know that as a nation we deserve judgement but we also know the love and mercy of God who has given a solemn promise, "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).

The Referendum debate is bringing believing Christians to prayer throughout the country. Many prayer meetings are organised for this weekend, St George's Day, 23 April, and many more are planned between now and 23 June. These prayer meetings give us a chance to seek the Lord and know what he is saying to the nation so that we can pray in line with God's will and vote accordingly.

Word on the EU, 2015

We have already nailed our colours to the mast in this magazine but we know many Christians who are still undecided. We respect their integrity and we therefore encourage them to join other Christians in prayer where they can spend time spreading the whole issue before the Lord who will surely answer in clarity.

If you have not yet decided which way to vote, we encourage you to join with others in prayer and spread the issue before the Lord.

Alongside this article we are printing a prophecy from David Noakes that has already been widely circulated. I was with him when he received this prophecy towards the end of last year. David and I have been close friends and colleagues since the early days of the old printed magazine, Prophecy Today.

We have shared a platform at hundreds of meetings over the years and I have heard him prophesy many times, but I have never heard him bring a word that is as directional as this. In publishing it today, please understand that we are not saying that this is a direct word from the Lord. We offer it in love and humility to our fellow believers for weighing and testing, and we offer it as part of the process of seeking the word of the Lord for Britain today.

References

1 E.g. Quote from PRO/FCO 30/789, Sub-committee of official committee on monetary aspects of UK entry to EEC, 1970. The Heath Government's positive response: PRO/CAB 164/771, Informal talks with the European Commission and the exchange of views with member countries during the negotiation period, 1970.

2 E.g. Anderson, MJ. Ungodly Ways: The Dark Side of the European Union. CRISIS Magazine, 1 June 2003.

3 Waterfield, B and Dominiczak, P. EU auditors refuse to sign off more than £100billion of its own spending. The Telegraph, 4 November 2014.

4 Speech to the House of Commons, 4 June 1940. Transcript available via The Churchill Society.

A prophecy to the nation in relation to the forthcoming Referendum on EU membership - for your weighing and testing.

The Prophecy Today UK editorial team has decided to publish a prophecy to the nation in relation to the forthcoming Referendum on EU membership. The prophecy has already been widely circulated and we believe our readers should see it in the context of seeking guidance from God in regard to the Referendum.

We remind readers that all modern prophecy should be tested and not simply accepted as having come from a reliable messenger. Please read the prophecy and then the following note by our Editor-in-Chief, Clifford Hill.

DAVID NOAKES' PROPHECY

This was the word given by David when meeting with a small group of Ministry leaders on 17 November 2015.

"Nation of Britain, I have loved you with a love which has not ceased, despite the state of apostasy and degradation into which you have fallen. My anger towards those church leaders who have taught false things in my Name, and encouraged others to believe and act as they do, is intense and my judgment upon them will be severe. Yet I have compassion upon those who have been like sheep without godly shepherds; and my heart still longs to exercise mercy upon a nation whose forefathers upheld my Name and took my Word to the ends of the earth; a nation whose belief in the truth of my Word framed godly laws and inspired a culture of uprightness.

"Rather than rely on Me and my faithfulness to you, you chose, for worldly purposes, to join yourself to an institution which has denied my Name and refused to acknowledge Me in its councils. My fierce anger is upon that institution on account of its rebellion, its defiant rejection of me and its hardness of heart towards my ancient people Israel.

"I warn you now that the European institution will not repent, even though I bring disaster and destruction upon it. I urge you, O Britain still beloved by Me for the sake of your godly forefathers, come out of her, so that you may not be caught up in that same destruction, for I am even now arising in judgment to bring to nothing what she has sought to achieve. If you will separate yourself from her declared rejection of God, I will have mercy upon you and restore my hand of protection; and I will use you once again to bring light to many lost in the darkness which is now steadily increasing.

"Hear Me, O once godly nation and respond to my call, or you also will come to ruin in that same judgment of destruction. This is not my will for you, but you must choose the course which you will take. I urge you to respond to Me and choose life under my hand of discipline and protection, rather than death in the disaster which is even now coming upon Europe."

David Noakes

About the author: David Noakes was a solicitor in London until he joined Clifford Hill’s ministry in 1984. He has been part of the Prophetic Word Ministries/Prophecy Today team since that time, although he has also exercised an independent ministry speaking at conferences both in Britain and overseas. He has visited Israel many times and until recently was chairman of Hatikvah Film Trust, working with Hugh Kitson making films about Israel. He is a well-known Bible teacher with an established ministry and remains an official advisor to Issachar Ministries (Prophecy Today UK's parent charity).

Additional Note from Dr Clifford Hill

The Apostle Paul warned the church in Thessaloniki not to treat prophecies with contempt but to "Test everything. Hold on to the good, avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thess 5:21). This still applies today. If anyone receives a revelation it should be tested by others, however well-known and reliable the speaker.

I can testify to David's reliability and integrity. We have been close friends and colleagues for more than 30 years. I first heard him prophesy at a gathering of men and women with prophetic ministries at Mt Carmel in April 1986. Since then we have spoken at countless meetings together and many times he has received a word from the Lord that has been helpful to a local fellowship.

This prophecy is different and I have to say that it would have been much easier to weigh and test if David had expressed it in the third person rather than the first person singular. But that should not prevent us from a careful consideration asking fundamental questions, such as:

• Does it conform to Scripture or is there any way in which it does not?
• Does the prophecy edify and build up the church?
• Is the prophecy expressed in love?
• Does the prophecy glorify Christ?
• If the prophecy is predictive or has promises of blessings or warnings of judgment, Are there any conditions to this prophecy?
• Does the prophet himself/herself pass the character test required of one bringing a revelation from God? This character test was one of the major tests of prophecy in the New Testament churches.
• Finally, Is there a witness of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the believers who hear this prophecy?

An expansion of these tests can be found here. These tests of prophecy were expanded still further in my book Prophecy Past and Present, published by Eagle (Guildford, 1995).¹

We are not going to answer these questions here because it is for readers to weigh the prophecy for themselves. We are simply indicating the way in which mature Christians should consider any word of revelation that is given today and we remind readers that our words are the human expression of what we believe we are hearing from God in our prayer times. These words have to go through our minds and none of us can claim to be sinless - so the words we speak must be weighed and tested, in accordance with the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

Over the next few weeks on Prophecy Today, Clifford Denton will discuss some of the well-known prophecies that have been given in modern times.

Dr Clifford Hill

References

1 pp237-251, in the chapter 'Testing Prophecy'. Copies of PROPHECY PAST AND PRESENT: An Exploration of the Prophetic Ministry in the Bible and the Church Today are still available from the Issachar Ministries office – email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The latest revelations from the Panama Papers are damaging the Prime Minister's credibility.

Next week promises to be a very lively week in Westminster, with the Prime Minister fighting for his political life following revelations of his offshore investment - and charges that Number 10 brought forward the announcement of the publication of the EU leaflet to deflect attention from David Cameron.

Officially, Parliament is still on its Easter holiday break. But from all over the country, breaking news today (Friday 8 April) shows MPs on both sides of the House highly disturbed at what is going on in the government. The publication of the so-called 'Panama Papers' is rocking Downing Street because David Cameron's father is said to be one of those named in the database of Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm. The leaked documents are said to show how the law firm helped rich clients to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.

Damaged Credibility

There is no suggestion that David Cameron or his father were involved in illegal financial deals but the very fact that it took some days for the PM to admit that he had personally owned some shares in his father's firm is damaging to his credibility. He has stated that he sold the shares in 2010 before he became Prime Minister and that he complied with all the UK tax requirements when cashing in his investment.

Further damage to the Prime Minister's standing comes from the advanced publication of the government's EU Referendum leaflet which is to be distributed to every household throughout Britain - at a cost to the taxpayer of nearly £10 million. Already the leaflet is being heavily attacked for the veracity of its claims, which are said to be highly biased in favour of recommending the public to vote to stay in the European Union.

The very fact that the government is going to such extraordinary lengths to try to persuade voters to stay within the EU is profoundly disturbing. It is more likely to make people question the reasons why they are using such heavy-handed tactics.

The extraordinary lengths to which the government is going to persuade voters to stay within the EU are profoundly disturbing.

Doubting the Government

There were already many doubts about the 'new deal' the Prime Minister had said that he would negotiate with all the member states of the EU. He had boasted that he aimed to see a 'reformed Europe' which he could present to the British people. In pursuit of this reform he toured the capitals of Europe and spent hundreds of hours in discussion with EU leaders. But the resultant deal was certainly not a 'reformed Europe'.

Now, with this government leaflet that appears to be little more than EU propaganda and the Prime Minister's personal reputation being damaged, public trust in the government's handling of the Referendum may well wane.

A Nation Under Judgment

Many Christians believe that Britain is already a nation under judgment, following so many unrighteous Acts of Parliament that have steered the nation away from its biblical heritage into the paths of secular humanism. When a nation has embraced the Judeo-Christian faith for hundreds of years - as we have done in Britain - and then turns away from the truth, there are inevitably dire consequences in its spiritual and moral welfare which affect the social and economic health of the whole population. Quite simply, this is what has happened in Britain.

There is a severe warning in scripture to those who deliberately turn away from the truth: "The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him" (Deut 28:20). I know that these words were said to Israel who are a people in a special covenant relationship with God. But in Jeremiah 18, there is a similar warning that applies to all nations. It says this: "If at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it" (Jer 18:9-10).

When a nation embraces God for centuries and then turns away, there are inevitably dire consequences.

Confusion and Rebuke

Clearly our government is being severely shaken, with many backbench MPs even considering refusing to vote for the budget because of the distorted 'facts' in the EU Referendum leaflet – "confusion and rebuke" would be a good description of what is likely to be happening in our parliament in the next few days.

What can Christians do? Certainly we should be praying for our leaders. But also we should be calling for a clear presentation of the facts about the EU and not standing for attempts to scare people to remain under its jurisdiction. It is time for honesty and truth from our leaders. This is the only way that trust can be restored.

Is the Referendum debate getting too dirty?

I have rarely read a more blatant piece of character assassination than a recent article by Matthew Parris in The Times about Boris Johnson,¹ whom Parris described as "a dangerous charmer".

Parris began his article by referring to Johnson as "an essentially liberal minded fellow Tory...who has never been anything but friendly to me". He said, "I feel uncomfortable writing like this: writing about a fellow columnist, my former Spectator editor".

The discomfort Parris claimed to feel did not discourage him from indulging in a withering political and personal execution of a man whom he claims to have been a friend and colleague over many years. He warns:

There is a pattern to Boris's life, and it isn't the lust for office, or for applause, or for susceptible women, that mark out this pattern in red warning ink. It is the casual dishonesty, the cruelty, the betrayal; and, beneath the betrayal, the emptiness of real ambition: the ambition to do anything useful with office once it is attained.

Is this the depths to which we have sunk in Britain in the EU Referendum debate? Is this the opening salvo of a dirty war as politicians and commentators plumb the depths of insult in an attempt to further their views on whether or not Britain should remain within the European Union? Are we to be treated to slanging matches between politicians that will make Donald Trump look like a Sunday School teacher gently rebuking noisy children?

Slanging Matches

Can we expect protagonists on both sides of the Referendum battle to take the opportunity for working out their personal antagonisms against anyone who opposes their views? Matthew Parris has never forgiven Boris for opposing the repeal of Section 28 proposed by Labour and stoutly resisted by Margaret Thatcher (Section 28 made it illegal for local authorities to 'promote homosexuality' in schools). Parris is quite open about his own homosexuality but according to Dominic Lawson in the Daily Mail² there may be another influence behind his intemperate outburst.

Is this the opening salvo of a dirty war as politicians and commentators plumb the depths of insult in an attempt to further their own EU agendas?

Lawson says that Parris's partner used to be David Cameron's speech writer and what Parris wrote in his Times column may be a reflection of the fury in 10 Downing Street that Boris is backing Brexit. It all gets more complicated and increasingly nasty as Ross Clark in The Spectator noted when he said that "Boris can be a slimy opportunist...But show me a top politician who isn't!"³ Clark nevertheless believes that Boris is genuine in his desire to see Britain come out of the European Union.

Underlying Agendas

As we get closer to the Referendum it seems as though we can expect a lot more Boris bashing and personal insults on both sides of the argument. The big question will be: what will Boris do after 23 June? If Brexit triumphs and Cameron is humiliated it will surely not be long before Boris makes a play for the top job. If Britain votes to stay in the EU it will be Boris who will be humiliated, but keen political observers say that this will not stop his bid to succeed the PM, it will only delay it.

So is Matthew Parris right in exposing the character weaknesses of Boris Johnson at a time when it is becoming increasingly likely that the Conservative Party will turn to him in their search for a leader who can take over from David Cameron? Or is Parris simply reflecting the undeserved ire of 10 Downing Street that Boris is not backing the main party line?

Unfulfilled Promises

I do not dispute some of the criticisms levelled at Boris by his critics. Indeed, I too have suffered disappointment at his hands. In the run-up to the London Mayoral election in 2008, Boris and his agent persistently chased me for a meeting, but I was reluctant to get involved in electioneering. I knew that his objective was to gain the black minority votes in inner-city London boroughs. His interest in me was because of my links with leaders in the African and Caribbean communities.

Eventually terms were agreed that my concerns for the young unemployed and underachieving school children would be discussed. We met in a scruffy office in the old LCC building on the south side of the Thames. I outlined the project I was working on following the Zong slave-ship project at Tower Pier, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. That was a project which had been warmly supported by Ken Livingstone, the outgoing Mayor, who was also interested in the follow-up.

It seems increasingly likely that the Conservative Party will turn to Boris in their search for a leader, whether or not Britain votes to leave Europe.

Boris was polite and attentive and quick with his humour. He made all the right noises and gave promises in response to my concerns for the black communities. Eventually I agreed to use my influence in persuading community and church leaders to attend a Westminster meeting where he would speak. Many leaders came to that meeting and Boris spoke well.

The May 2008 vote in the election for Mayor of London surprised the pundits by the level of support for Boris in the inner-city boroughs, especially from the black population. But what happened to the promises of support for community work among young people suffering from high levels of social deprivation in inner-city London boroughs?

Community leaders and church leaders are still waiting to see those promises fulfilled – even after a second term! I personally bear no ill-will towards Boris. I simply count my experience as typical of the low standards of political promises among politicians today.

Pray for Boris?!

But, what about the future for Boris as he steps down next month after eight years as Mayor of London? No doubt there will be historians in a much better position than I am to assess his achievements. But I would like to go on record of saying that while I am glad he is supporting the view that Britain would be better outside the European Union, I nevertheless would fear for the future of Britain if Boris Johnson ever becomes Prime Minister – whether in or out of the EU!

I certainly believe Boris to be a man of immense ability as well as charm – if only he had a faith in God to give him the purpose and direction he lacks. Perhaps, if everyone who reads this article would stop for a moment and pray for him, it would make an impact on his life. What a great man of God he could be!

Boris is a man of immense ability as well as charm - if only he had a faith in God to give him purpose and direction. Will you stop and pray for him?

Does this not also say something to us about the biblical injunction to pray for our leaders – which most of us neglect? In a very real sense we get the leaders we deserve. Back in the mid-20^th Century it was fashionable among evangelicals to advise their children against going into politics because it was a "dirty business". So committed Christians left the field wide open to secular humanists. The results can be seen today. Perhaps before bashing Boris and others like him, a bit of repentance among Christians should come first!

References

1 Parris, M. Tories have got to end their affair with Boris. The Times, 26 March 2016.

2 Lawson, D. DOMINIC LAWSON: I was betrayed by Boris, too. And like everyone else, I can't help forgiving him. The Daily Mail, 28 March 2016.

3 Clark, R. In defence of Boris Johnson. The Spectator, 27 March 2016.

23 June brings a major decision point for the UK. But what lies ahead after that?

Even if we vote to come out of the EU, will the blessings and protection of God be fully and immediately restored to our nation? Surely there is more to it than that.

An Unforeseen Opportunity

The referendum is a major opportunity to regroup as a nation; at Prophecy Today we are viewing it as an opportunity offered by God to begin the process of turning to him with all our heart. It is an opportunity that many of us did not foresee as, over the years, integration with the EU has felt like a non-return valve, with ever-deepening commitment drawing us in.

We have long had prophetic warnings about God's displeasure with the EU, even warnings that this system was moving ever nearer to the anti-Christian international government described in the Book of Revelation. On account of Britain's Christian heritage and our commitment to God in the Coronation Oath, we have been warned to withdraw - lest we come under the wrath of God.

For years, integration with the EU has felt like a non-return valve – so the referendum is an opportunity to regroup that many of us did not foresee.

Therefore, on the one hand is the danger of the Remain campaign keeping us in this vulnerable position and, on the other hand, the question as to our position before God if the Leave campaign prevails. One step at a time, of course, but let's begin to look at the future of the UK beyond the referendum with some sense of real possibility.

Living in Babylon

Shortly, Clifford and Monica Hill will publish a book and workbook on the theme 'Living in Babylon'. That illustrates where we are at Prophecy Today: our view is that it is useful to compare the situation of modern believers in Jesus the Messiah with that of Israelites living among the Babylonians during the captivity of Judah, under Nebuchadnezzar. Both represent holy remnants trying to work out how to live faithfully in the midst of an unfaithful, even pagan culture.

The cry to "come out of her, my people" of Revelation 18:4 is for the Lord's people to come out of the latter-day world system, likened to Babylon of old. However, whether or not the EU does represent this end-time Babylon, it is shallow to think that a vote Leave would fulfil this command of Revelation 18:4. Much more would be necessary for the UK as a whole to be considered a nation belonging to God once again, so we can't rest on the laurels of our historic blessings from God, profound though they have been.

The situation of modern believers can be compared with that of the Israelites in captivity in Babylon, trying to live faithfully in a pagan culture.

Paganism EnduresPalmyra Monumental Arch in 2010, prior to damage by Islamic State. A replica arch will be erected in Trafalgar Square from 19 April. See Photo Credits.

Much of the Christian world is abuzz at the moment with the news that a replica of an ancient monument in Palmyra in Syria is to be erected in Trafalgar Square this month. The ancient arch has survived attempts to demolish it by Islamic State. Replicas are to be erected in London and New York to celebrate World Heritage Week 2016.¹

With the tide of world affairs being driven by the need to defeat terrorism, this seems to be a symbol of victory – but there is something subtler here. The arch, originally constructed in AD 32, was an entrance to a temple that was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel. It formed the centre of religious life in Palmyra. So, whilst many in the UK are campaigning to come out of the EU, simultaneously some of our prominent leaders are opening the door to the very god of Babylon that the God of Israel warns us about!²

This is an illustration of the confused times in which we live - and a prompt to dig deeper. Despite our Christian heritage, one only needs to walk around the centre of London and other of our cities to see the extent to which we have never really cleansed ourselves of the images of ancient ungodly empires. Take another poignant example: statues of the pagan gods Gog and Magog on London's Guildhall, traditionally associated with Britain through the times of the Roman occupation, were destroyed by the Blitz of the Second World War. In a strange British ritual, they have been considered as the guardians of the City of London, brought out annually to lead the Lord Mayor's parade.

While many Brits campaign to come out of the EU, some of our leaders are opening the door to the god of Babylon in other respects.

Ironically, in 1953, the very year of the Queen's Coronation, the statues on the Guildhall were replaced.² Whilst at the Coronation the Monarch was celebrating the Bible as our Book for guidance in all things, some of her prominent subjects were ignoring the references to Gog and Magog in the book of Ezekiel, where their connection to end time spiritual battles is emphasised.

Idolatry, Inside and Out

Yet that is not all: the centres of our cities abound with statues and images that could be likened to what typified ancient Greece and Rome – as well as modern equivalents like billboards which glorify sensuality and vanity. The philosophy of our age – humanism – ultimately leads to replacing worship of the One True God with worship of idols and false gods. No wonder that one dictionary definition of humanism is the seeking after the philosophies of Greece and Rome.

So there is more to deal with in our nation than simply coming out of the EU. Coming out might provide opportunity for recovery – and perhaps even make a good start - but we also need to reflect on other matters that displease the God of Israel.

Images and idols to false gods is one thing. But these external images point to an inner problem that must also be cleansed. We have highlighted in previous Prophecy Today articles, for example, the many laws that are on our statute books which are an offence to God and a betrayal of our constitution based on the Coronation Oath - laws which have made legal many things that are not legal in God's eyes, hence leading us into individual and corporate sin.

The philosophy of our age – humanism – ultimately leads to replacing worship of the One True God with worship of idols.

Awake, Believers

For the UK as a whole to truly 'come out of Babylon' in every respect, much needs to be done after we leave the EU. Otherwise the UK may remain an outpost of a modern-day 'Babylonian Empire'. The call to "come out of her, my people" will then be for the Christian remnant within to brace up to withdraw from the ungodly nation that the UK may yet become – in or out of Europe.

Now is the time for us to go beyond the current events and look prophetically into the future. There is yet hope while our Queen lives, whose 90^th birthday we celebrate this month. The Coronation Oath still stands as our rallying point and the Lord's promise of Jeremiah 18:7-8 is still valid:

The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

For Christians, the challenge is to commit the future to God in deepening intercessory prayer while the signs of his judgment are relatively mild and, firmly but lovingly, call people in Britain to repentance. This will be a deeply emotional process, as we begin to sense the Lord's sadness over our nation - recall Jesus's weeping over Jerusalem prior to his sacrificial death on the Cross, and Jeremiah's weeping over fallen Jerusalem when the Babylonians took Judah to captivity.

For the UK as a whole to truly 'come out of Babylon', much more needs to be done than leave the EU.

Meanwhile, the arguments concerning the EU referendum should not be primarily led by financial considerations or the nation's love of football (even that has entered into the debate!), but by our standing before God. Whether in or out, the Lord can shake all our institutions. If he does bring further shaking to our nation, it will be as a sign calling us back to him.

References

1 See, for example, Gayle, D. Palmyra arch that survived Isis to be replicated in London and New York. The Guardian, 28 December 2015. See also the Institute for Digital Archaeology, which is carrying out the project.

2 Voice for Justice are currently running a petition against the replica arch planned for Trafalgar Square. Click here for more information.

3 Gog and Magog Back in London 1953. British Pathé.