Reflections a year on from Grenfell and Manchester.

This week we were reminded of two tragedies in our nation. On Monday the media carried harrowing reports of the tragic loss of life at Grenfell Tower, as the main inquiry into the cause of the disaster began.

On Tuesday, memories of the 22 lives lost and the multitude injured in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack replaced memories of Grenfell.

I heard no-one in the media asking the obvious question, “Where was God in all of this?” Indeed, God has been so sidelined in the thoughts and lives of the majority of our nation that we no longer even hear the question, “Is there a God?”

Yet, we still live in a nation whose Queen, at her Coronation, swore an Oath to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has protected us beyond our deserving over many years. Central to that Oath was the commitment to maintain his laws and the true profession of the Gospel. Over a generation, this commitment to God has largely been forgotten by the nation’s leaders and is rarely mentioned by the leaders of the established Church.

Unprotected Children

As far back as the 1980s, I was waiting one day in the playground of the school where our youngest two children were about to finish their school day. I watched as the classes were dismissed and as a crowd of children emerged, each looking for a parent to take them home safely. I thought I heard the voice of God in my mind saying that these children were no longer under his protection.

Over a generation, our national commitment to God has largely been forgotten.

I wondered if I had imagined it, because these were simply innocent children, embarking on their lives in a country God has greatly blessed and protected. I recalled the wonderful protection of my own childhood when, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, family and community co-operated to re-build our nation after the devastation of war, thankful for God’s deliverance from the evil that so easily could have engulfed us.

Yet, since that day when I thought I heard that voice of God, one disaster has followed another in our nation, making me think that God was indeed speaking, in the early stages of removing his hand of protection.

Let me say clearly, however, concerning both the Manchester and Grenfell disasters that God was not punishing those who had assembled there, any more than those who lost their lives when the Tower of Siloam fell in Jesus’ day. The picture is bigger: that, whilst we must also recognise that God allowed these disasters, they serve as signs to our nation – warning signs that we will not live in safety if we choose to live outside of his protection.

Knowing God’s Ways

If, as we should, we search our Bibles to discover God’s ways, we will see that God does take his protection away from his people if they do not seek him with all their heart. At the time of Samuel, for example, when the religious framework of the nation had decayed under Eli the priest and his wicked sons, the Philistines prevailed over Israel.

Again, when the kings of Israel and Judah led the people astray (kings whom God warned his people they should not desire), the troubles of the nations soon followed. Ultimately, God’s protection was removed: first from the Northern Kingdom of Israel which fell to the Assyrians, and then from the Southern Kingdom of Judah which fell to the Babylonians.

Disasters like Grenfell are warning signs that we will not live in safety if we choose to live outside of God’s protection.

God’s sadness was displayed through the weeping of the Prophet Jeremiah, as recorded in the Book of Lamentations. Similarly, Jesus wept over Jerusalem when he foretold the coming second fall of the City.

God knows what will happen when the doors are allowed open to the evil adversaries of the people of this world – adversaries both physical and spiritual. God weeps when the time comes for him to remove his protection from a people who do not seek him, who choose to try to live without him under the beguiling principles of humanism and false religion, where false gods are honoured. But he is willing to remove his protection.

We are reaping the consequences of this in Britain today despite the fact that we have had sign after sign that should bring us to ask, “where is our God?”

The Prime Minister adds her condolences to a 'Tree of Hope' in Manchester. See Photo Credits.The Power of Testimonies

The testimonies of those who lost loved ones at Grenfell and the memories of the fatal night in Manchester are profound. But they should not only be sparking human sympathy and attempts to celebrate and unite a community (such as in Manchester where a concert has been held), but be compelling those who have responsibility for our nation to lead us in seeking God in repentance.¹

God is a loving Father to those who seek him with all their heart and protects his loved ones beyond their deserving – always. But he is also a strong God who will not bend from the eternal balance of justice and mercy. He is Judge of the entire earth and cannot compromise in the ‘big picture’ of his eternal covenant purposes throughout history.

God weeps when the time comes for him to remove his protection from a people who do not seek him.

If he did not spare his own Son in these eternal purposes of overcoming sin and offering eternal redemption to those who would accept it, he cannot continue to protect a people who reject him and choose lives of sin.

There is a Way Back

There is always a way back and those who know the Lord, namely those in the churches of our nation (especially the leaders of the churches), should be his prophetic voice. It is imperative that we take the opportunity while we still have it to call this nation back to repentance and seeking God.

It is time for the leaders of our Government - from the Royal Family through to the executives who are duty-bound to outwork the purposes of the Monarch’s Oath - to take their responsibility before God and lead the nation back to him. This is what the tragic signs are telling us. We are vulnerable outside the protection of Almighty God and that vulnerability is bringing increasing pain, sadness and loss of life - not only to those who lead but to those for whom they are responsible.

Notes

1 And we do not mean just any God. The multi-faith service in Manchester which was part of the memorial activities a year after the attack is yet another symptom of how far our nation has compromised our allegiance to the One True God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Israel warned that horses and chariots cannot be trusted

With all the threats Israel is now facing, it is perfectly understandable that they should be sharpening their swords as they prepare for the worst the enemy can throw at them.

A strong defence force is certainly necessary. But an even more serious danger is that they should rely on the power of their weapons, or indeed on their own strength of will and character, along with their growing expertise in military innovations.

It is dangerous because it demonstrates that they are relying on what the Bible refers to as “horses and chariots” rather than on the Lord who called them, as his chosen people, to be a light to the Gentiles.

For it is only when we trust the Lord with all our hearts and do not lean on our own understanding that God will give us the guidance we need in order to tread the path for which he has destined us (see Proverbs 3:5f).

Hope for a Turning

As one who loves Israel, I am not blind to the fact that many of its citizens lead a sinful lifestyle. This is no reason to withdraw support for the beleaguered nation, but they do need to repent of their waywardness and godlessness.

As they have done so many times in their long history, they have absorbed the ways of the world around them – and so we witness political correctness here as elsewhere, most starkly seen in a defiance of sexual morality.

But they are the people of the Book, who gave the world the Bible, the Ten Commandments and Jesus himself. God is saying: do not wait until you are overrun by enemies before you turn back to the Lord, who called you out of slavery in Egypt with a mighty hand. He urges you to trust him now!

It is only when we trust the Lord with all our hearts and do not lean on our own understanding that God will give us the guidance we need.

That said, thousands of Jews gathered to pray for rain at Jerusalem’s Western Wall on 28 December in response to the call of Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel – and God has clearly answered with an abundant outpouring, coming with such force that it has caused flooding in places.

I very much hope that we are seeing the beginnings of a turning to God in Israel, and the fact that a Government minister has initiated a call to prayer is quite amazing, and hugely encouraging.¹

Self-Reliance the Worst of Sins

I can’t recall why, but my wife and I were discussing Israel’s sin, and whether God’s judgment was inevitable, before turning to our daily reading which is our habit every morning. We use the ‘Every Day with Jesus’ notes of the late Selwyn Hughes which focus on a theme over a two-month period drawn together by a variety of different Scripture passages. So we opened the little book and found that the text for the day was Hosea 14:1-3: “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall” (v1). It goes on: “Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses…” (v3) (for Assyria, perhaps we should read America!).

The Lord was clearly in on our discussion and had a ready answer! Bear in mind that the Prophet was concluding his book which pictures Israel as an adulterous wife who repeatedly runs after other men, breaking the first commandment that we should have no other gods in our lives.

Self-reliance is thus the worst of sins because we put ourselves in God’s place and we are saying we can live without him; that he is redundant. This is gross idolatry, and we must repent of it.

DAVID COUNTRY: Yad HaShmona, in the Judean hills, not far from the Valley of Elah where David defeated Goliath.Notice, however, that in spite of their serial adultery, God has not forsaken Israel; he has not divorced the one he loves. He loves her with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). He has entered into a covenant relationship which cannot be broken. But we should not abuse his great faithfulness.

In the Name of the Lord Almighty

The recent archaeological find near Tel Aviv, suggesting human activity in the area half-a-million years ago, did not exactly excite me. Far more edifying was the August 2015 find in Gath, a city once occupied by Philistines who plotted against the Israelites, their sworn enemies, and the home of the infamous Goliath!

The huge gates uncovered by archaeologists² were thought to be indestructible. But in an extraordinary battle in the Valley of Elah, a young man who trusted in the Lord brought down their giant leader with a single stone, proving indeed that the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Cor 1:25).

I very much hope that we are seeing the beginnings of a turning to God in Israel.

Goliath defied the armies of Israel, but David responded: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam 17:26). And he taunted the giant: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Sam 17:45).

Like other nations, Israel needs to seek forgiveness from God for succumbing to the ways of the world as well as for their outright disobedience to his commandments. We need to move from independence – the great sin of the age – to reliance upon God.

Isn’t it time we heard Israel’s leaders say, with great clarity and in defiance of political correctness, that we do not trust in sword or spear or javelin, nor even on our allies, but in the name of the Lord Almighty?

References

1 David Soakell of Christian Friends of Israel in his Watching Over Zion newsletter, 11 January 2018.

2 Archaeologists unearth the gate to Goliath’s hometown. Times of Israel, 5 August 2015.

Grenfell Tower and God’s purposes for Britain.

The Grenfell Tower disaster continues to fill our newspapers and will no doubt do so for a long time to come. Left-wing politicians see it as an opportunity to lambast a Conservative Council for neglecting the poor, the powerless and the immigrant. Anarchists are stirring up rage while seeking the opportunity for overthrowing an elected government.

Lawyers are rubbing their hands at the prospect of prolonged legal battles. Criminals are said to have spirited away huge amounts of gifts and clothing donated by the public, and millions of pounds have been donated to online appeals, some of which have been set up by crooks.

But what about the survivors who have suffered the cruel loss of loved ones reduced to ashes – and the loss of everything they own, their homes, passports, precious family photos and mementos? Who is caring for them? How are they coping with devastating bereavement and shock?

In this issue of Prophecy Today we are publishing an interview with the pastor of a local church that has been intimately involved with the survivors since the first hours of the fire. I also have spoken to this pastor and heard some of his amazing testimony to the grace of God. They have just been filmed for the BBC’s Songs of Praise, so some of these testimonies may well be broadcast to the world.

Warning After Warning

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem (Luke 13:4). Jesus saw this disaster, which God had allowed, as a warning that something was severely wrong in the city and unless people took heed, a greater disaster would occur. History shows the result of his warning being ignored. Less than 40 years later, Jerusalem was totally destroyed by the Romans after a disastrous four years’ war.

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem – he saw it as a warning that something was severely wrong.

Christians who are alert to the times in which we are living know that God has been sending us warnings for a long time. Our nation has deliberately turned away from truth to embrace every kind of evil, from child abuse and gross immorality to lies and corruption in high places in the governance and commercial life of the UK.

We have deliberately defied the word of God, even to attempting to ‘re-define’ the founding principles of Creation. In so doing we have put ourselves outside the protection of God and we are already reaping the whirlwind of our own creation.

Is Repentance Still Possible?

Disaster will undoubtedly follow and I believe the Grenfell Tower inferno is the latest warning sign that God has sent to us. Of course, it is not too late for national repentance. Jeremiah was still calling for repentance when the Babylonian army was outside the gates of the city, because he knew that God could strike them down and save Jerusalem even at the last moment. But he also knew that there would be no repentance because of the blindness and wickedness that gripped the nation, so he knew that God would allow disaster to happen.

In the 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, God raised up three prophets – Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah – all with a similar message. They each gave severe warnings; they each said that only repentance and turning to God would prevent disaster; and they each looked beyond the inevitable disaster to a time of restoration and blessing.

I personally believe that the people of Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance (although still possible) could save us from inevitable disaster. We are being driven by powerful forces of destruction. This is vividly illustrated in the spirit of death that is gripping many young people who are being driven to self-harm and suicide via the internet. In the same way, Western nations are being manipulated and steered by forces of evil.

I personally believe that Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance, though still possible, can save us from inevitable disaster.

Severe Testing – But with Purpose

Of course, these forces of darkness could be broken if there arose in the Western nations a powerful army of intercessors empowered by the Holy Spirit to scatter the darkness and heal the land. But there is little sign of this at the moment because churches are either gently sleeping in their cosy traditions or actively pursuing the policies of apostasy – the fruit of false teaching and rejection of the truth.

The three pre-exilic prophets of Judah were each told that God would actually use the disaster to further his purposes by sweeping idolatry, immorality and injustice out of the land to prepare the way for the new covenant relationship inaugurated by Messiah. The promises of restoration given by each of these prophets can be found in Jeremiah 31:27f, Habakkuk 2:14 and 3:16f, and Zephaniah 3:14f.

In the recent prayer times led by Issachar Ministries in different parts of the country where we have had intercessory gatherings to spend time together listening to the Lord, the outstanding words that have been received have been urgent calls for repentance, but also calls for strengthening the Body of believers to enable them to stand firm during the coming storm. Christians need equipping with the full armour of God, which is not only for defence but also for declaring the word of God in a hostile environment - that is, we must exercise the sword of the Spirit as well as raise the shield of faith!

The major revelation from these times of waiting upon God is that Christians in Western nations are going to go through days of severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal, spiritual awakening and blessing.

Signs of Future Blessing

A little sign of future blessing can be seen in the Grenfell Tower disaster, out of which many people are entering into a new relationship with God - according to the reports we are hearing from churches in the area. Local Muslims in particular have been greatly shaken, not least because the inferno occurred during Ramadan, which they normally regard as a time of blessing; and because no Muslim would ever have his body cremated - yet so many have been reduced to ashes.

Christians in Western nations are going to go through severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal.

There are reports of Muslims questioning their faith in the wake of Grenfell Tower, and the recent terrorist atrocities committed in the name of Allah, as well as the widespread tragedy unfolding in the Middle East – particularly in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where Muslims are slaughtering each other. Many Muslims in Kensington are said to be responding to the love being shown to them by Christians and there is a new openness to the Gospel. Is this the beginning of a new harvest for the Kingdom?

Yes, it is a sign.

Confusion came to Israel and Judah when they turned from God’s covenant, according to the clear statements of what would bring curse and what would bring blessing in Deuteronomy 28 – an increasingly severe set of circumstances besetting the nation, eventually resulting in the Babylonian captivity.

Early in the return from the captivity, Ezra summed it up:

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. (Ezra 9:7 KJV, emphasis added)

The UK is not Israel, but the principles of the Bible are there for us to study. Indeed, we are a nation that has sought to covenant with God and to live by biblical constitutional principles developed over many centuries. These principles have been behind God’s favour and protection in past times - but they have been broken piecemeal through the present generation.

Escalating Signs

In this magazine, just as Amos warned Israel by interpreting the signs (Amos 4), we have highlighted the escalating signs in our nation for more than 30 years. Now, in the context of an election founded on the need to withdraw from an alliance with the EU, with terrorist acts of violence in the background, we have emerged with a hung Parliament and confusion abounding.

We are a nation that has sought to covenant with God and live by biblical constitutional principles – until the present generation.

We have recognised a period of grace from the Lord to withdraw from the EU and many of us hoped that this withdrawal would be enabled through a clear election result. But even then we would have recognised it as, at best, a beginning of potential recovery to the Lord’s favour – and by no means a guarantee.

However, it is not going to be that easy! God’s judgment, in whatever way Almighty God has brought this about in our nation, is not to make this path easy. If we could read the signs clearly, we would hear His voice calling, “return to me wholeheartedly and I will return to you and help you.”

Call for Repentance

At the time of writing, there is still an ongoing assessment of the fall-out of the election - discussions which go this way and that to try to understand the factors at work and the way forward. For the moment the Conservative Party holds the ground of leadership, though weakly, but change of the entire political landscape is very close.

Through the election campaigns, even from a human perspective there have been clear undercurrents in the country that mark a transition in our nation. There has been an undercurrent from young people, fired up by what seems like a faint light of hope from the leader of the Labour party. New forms of social media evident across the world have been playing a significant role, signalling a new form of democracy - he who captures the moment will capture the future. Yet despite high levels of voter engagement and turnout, the rallying cries from politicians have been on principles that are far from centred on the ways of the God of Israel.

God’s judgment is not to make this path easy.

The themes of the election campaigns have focussed on important issues, including Brexit, the NHS, social care, pensions, tax, education, Scottish devolution and defence. No-one would say that the party manifestoes were completely devoid of righteous ideals, but equally there has been no talk of honouring or rescuing the biblical underpinnings of our nation, or of reversing the laws that have been passed in our nation over this generation that are 100% against biblical principles.

The abounding confusion is a clear sign that God is calling for repentance and things will not get better unless and until there is a turning back to him. However righteous the words of the electioneering may seem, they will fail unless they are enabled through the righteousness of God.

Time to Unite

But what about the Christian community in Britain? Where was our voice in the public arena throughout these past two months of electioneering? Indeed, where has a united Christian voice been over the last generation of the UK’s falling away from God? We must admit that we are diverse and disjointed. We seek to highlight our concerns but we only talk to one another – to our relatively small groups of like-minded Christians.

Surely now is our time to unite together before God in watching and praying, so that we might hear from God together what we, his Priests of the New Covenant, are called to do with one heart and one voice. We, among all the people of the nation have the resources to find the way of calling the nation to God in repentance.

Surely now is the time for believers to unite together before God in watching and praying, that we might hear from God together.

By coincidence my reading this morning was from Hosea 10, which features principles that we have highlighted over many years and which could not be more appropriate for our nation today. I leave them here as a prompt to prayer:

For now they say, we have no king, because we did not fear the Lord. And as for a king, what would he do for us? They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgement springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field. (Hosea 10:3-4)

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till he comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)

South African-born journalist, Charles Gardner, brings a second report on the signs of revival currently in South Africa.

The South African revival to which I referred in an earlier dispatch is now in full bloom, as evidenced by an extraordinary prayer meeting attended by an estimated one million people.

The ‘Call to Prayer’ – named It’s Time – came from farmer-evangelist Angus Buchan in response to allegations of corruption in Government, an intolerable crime rate, violent student protests, and immorality at many levels.

Call to Prayer

Affectionately known Oom Angus¹, the preacher has made a huge impact on the nation since experiencing a dramatic encounter with Christ in 1979. In recent years, he has focused his attention on men, imploring them to live up to their responsibilities by leading their families in prayer and dedication to God.

For seven years he held annual weekend camps at his KwaZulu-Natal farm Shalom, initially hosting just family and a few friends, but eventually drawing some 400,000 men. Similar events, known as ‘Mighty Men Conferences’, have since spread to other parts of the country as well as to the UK.

But with the country now embroiled in chaos led by a Government apparently steeped in corruption, Angus believed it was time to call Christians to serious prayer – and the venue chosen was 2,500 acres of farmland near the central city of Bloemfontein.

With the country now embroiled in chaos led by a Government apparently steeped in corruption, believers are gathering in prayer.

Believers responded by travelling from all parts of the country to set up camp, pray over many issues such as abortion, crime, injustice, and poverty, and draw inspiration from the beloved evangelist with his uncompromising message focused on living according to the Bible’s precepts.

“You will sleep with no-one until you are married!” he urged young men, adding (echoing a phrase used by Britain’s legendary Pentecostal evangelist Smith Wigglesworth): “God said it; we believe it and that settles it.”

Healing for Israel

An Israeli flag could be clearly seen fluttering in the breeze as a video camera panned across a sea of people stretching some 1.4 kilometers from the main platform, and strong gusts of wind accompanied prayers in scenes akin to the initial Holy Spirit outpouring recorded in the New Testament, (Acts 2:2).

I mention the Israeli flag to further support the thesis of my previous article on the subject: blessing the Jewish people is a key to revival, something the UK church has yet to grasp!

In addition to YouTube videos, I have friends taking part who have kept me informed of progress, and it is difficult not to see this as further fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28). Such a time could quite conceivably coincide with the restoration of Israel along with the judgment of those nations opposing them (Joel 3:1f).

Blessing the Jewish people is a key to revival.

It’s Time is evidently inspired by the biblical promise of healing for Israel when God’s people humble themselves and pray.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain (South Africa has been suffering a severe drought), or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chron 7:13-14)

I do not have an exact count of the attendance at this event, but my sources tell me that as many as 1.7 million people had registered beforehand. That is equivalent to the population of Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city, and greater than Birmingham, Britain’s second city.Mighty turnout: Men gather in great numbers for the Karoo Mighty Men's Conference in the heart of South Africa's farming community.

Clearly, prayer leads to revival, along with blessing Israel as I have already emphasized. There is a distinct correlation between this move of the Spirit and a general understanding and support of Israel, to whom Christians are indelibly attached. If we cut ourselves off from our Judaic roots, the Church cannot truly exist (Rom 11:17f).

Churches in South Africa Today

Churches in all parts of South Africa – black and white as well as English and Afrikaans-speaking – are bursting with new life as they provide a counter-culture to secularists and humanists. They are especially a thorn in the flesh to the Government which is reportedly rife with corruption and virulently opposed to Israel - even to the extent of virtually cutting off diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. This is in spite of the fact that it was Jews who led the resistance to apartheid in the days of the whites-only Parliament.

Angus, who has led a similar gathering in Israel, has proved a huge inspiration as he urges men to run their homes, love their wives and exercise Godly discipline with their children, which leads to inevitable clashes with political correctness!

Moreover, the default position of many of South Africa’s churches today is an understanding of God’s everlasting love for Israel and of the church’s enormous debt to them – for the Bible, for their Saviour and much more. A friend of mine put it this way: “If you don’t believe in God’s plan for Israel, you’re a biblical atheist.”

The point is that these South African Christians have woken up, having come to love God’s chosen people. UK churches are in desperate need of gaining similar biblical truth.

For revival, you have to be in the right place with God so that, as far as is possible, his thoughts become our thoughts (see Isaiah 55). We don’t worship Israel, as they are human and sinful like us, but we do worship the God of Israel who has blessed us with his precious Word and with his Son, the Jewish Messiah, who is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Fear vs Faith

I have re-visited my home country a number of times in recent years to see family and friends, and I became aware that it is no longer divided along apartheid lines, but between those who live in fear – the secularists who erect huge steel barriers to protect their property from burglars – and those who live by faith and in freedom, who love their neighbours and believe in the country’s future under God.

For revival, you have to be in the right place with God.

I appreciate that Jesus warned of deception in the last days, but I feel that sometimes we are in danger of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel on this point. Author/preacher RT Kendall, writing of how Israel as a whole failed to recognize their Messiah, says: “We are all so sure that we would recognize the authentic Christ. You could not have told a Sadducee or a Pharisee that the Messiah would come to Israel without them knowing and acknowledging him. But he came and they rejected him.”²

There are many signs that this revival is authentic. And if we wish the same for our nation, we need to humble ourselves and pray, repenting of our wicked ways, especially over our treatment of God’s chosen people.

References

¹ Oom is Afrikaans for 'Uncle'.

² Why Jesus Died (Monarch Books), p40.

John Job looks at the relevance of Zechariah's message for today.

Despite being one of the longest books among the minor prophets, Zechariah is seldom read by Christians. Many view the post-exile period in which he prophesied as being of less importance than the exile itself and the days leading up to it, when Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel exercised their ministries. Moreover, Zechariah's overall message is not easy to follow.

Yet Zechariah is widely quoted in the New Testament, particularly at crucial moments in Jesus' ministry. Are these quotations to be seen as isolated verses which happened to fit in with the Gospel story (if so, the rest is of less importance)? Or does the whole message of Zechariah prepare the way for Christ?

The book can be divided into two parts. In the first part, Zechariah is mentioned as the recipient of eight visions. He then answers a question about fasting (Zech 7:1-8:19). With no specific mention of his name afterwards, some believe that the rest (as with Malachi) was originally an anonymous prophecy. Whatever its origins, this last part shares key themes with the first.

Key Message: Hope for the Repentant

The basic message is one of hope. Israel's past, characterised by continual disobedience to the former prophets, lay behind them. The important words, "they repented" (found in Zech 1:6), did not refer to the people's forefathers, who had suffered as a result of their unrepentance and were no longer to be found (Zech 1:5). It was those who listened to Zechariah who had repented and opened up the prospect of a more hopeful outcome.

The way in which the prophecy begins suggests that, in its present form, it may have been intended to be used devotionally or liturgically. Worshippers meditating on it could see their past as bearing marks of sin. However, while this was pointed out in the text, its message carried an assurance of God's restoration, on the condition of penitence.

Zechariah's basic message is one of hope – the past lies behind, and repentance opens up the prospect of a hopeful future.

Eight 'Russian Doll' Visions

The eight visions, which run from Zechariah 1:7-6:15, offer hope to a repentant people. They form a Russian doll-type structure in that each of the latter visions bears similarities to an earlier one. The first vision corresponds to the eighth; visions two and three correspond to numbers six and seven. This leaves visions four and five as a centre-piece.

The first of these two central visions concerns the reinstatement of the high priest, Joshua (Zech 3:1-10). The second covers the provision of divine resources for both Joshua and the prince, Zerubbabel, who was a direct descendant of David (Zech 4:1-14). In the time of Zechariah, the people's hopes of leadership were placed in Zerubbabel, but he mysteriously disappeared from the face of history. Subsequent generations were therefore left to see these words as unfulfilled prophecies concerning a coming king.

Zechariah is widely quoted in the New Testament, particularly at crucial moments in Jesus' ministry. It is interesting to note that the New Testament presents Jesus as both our great High Priest and the expected Messiah.

The Coming Cleansing

With respect to the vision concerning the high priest, Joshua, Zechariah 3:9 is of particular importance, yet has two possible meanings.

It could mean "Upon one stone are seven facets, and on it I will engrave its inscription". This interpretation would refer back to Exodus 39:6, where an inscribed gold plate was given to Aaron to wear whilst carrying out his duties as high priest. Alternatively, it could mean "Upon one stone are seven fountains and I will open its opening".

The following verse (Zech 3:10) goes on to speak of the removal of the land's iniquity. When compared with the statement in Zechariah 13:1, which says, "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity", it would appear that these verses are inspiring hope in a reality which, at that time, was yet to come. This reality was fulfilled by the shedding of Christ's blood, for which the Old Testament priesthood was a preliminary symbol (this symbolism is explained more fully in the book of Hebrews).

Zechariah's words about a coming king were not fulfilled in Zerubbabel – but left unfulfilled, awaiting the Messiah.

The Levelling of Opposition

In the vision concerning Zerubbabel, we find that he was encountering opposition to the rebuilding of the Temple (Zech 4:7). This opposition had arisen from Jews concerned that the project was either too ambitious, or likely to annoy the Persian authorities. Jesus, whose objectives also correspond to rebuilding the 'temple' (see John 2:19-20; 1 Cor 3:10-17) likewise experienced opposition from within the Jewish fold; as did his Apostles.

The same can still apply today, if the true interests of the Church are opposed by those within it. They often are. But Zechariah's message here also still holds: this kind of mountain can become a plain.

Spiritual and Moral Victory

An important theme emerging from a careful study of the other six visions is that while the first three deal with the defeat of the offending nations in Jerusalem's literal restoration, the last three focus on the primacy of God's law, the banishing of idolatry and a spiritual conquest of Babylon.

This has great relevance to modern Jewish aspirations, which are still often confined to the material trappings of nationhood. Christians can find here the same emphasis in embryo as is found in the Beatitudes, where Jesus reinterprets hopes of victory and possession of the land in terms of a realm in which the key feature is a right relationship with God.

In the passage about fasting (Zech 7:1-8, 19) it is important to note the emphasis on the moral aspects of the Law and the observance of justice (Zech 8:19), as opposed to the ceremonial. The end of the book's first section highlights this too. Whereas the introduction spoke of the Deuteronomic curse which had fallen on the people, here we find God's blessing - not just for Israel but for the Gentiles too. They will be attracted to the New Jerusalem when they see the beauty of its law-abiding character. This challenge needs to be heeded today! It is tragic when outsiders see in the Church the same lack of scruples, marital unfaithfulness, sexual licence and financial corruption as they are aware of in the world outside.

God's blessing is not just for Israel but for Gentiles too – who will be attracted to the New Jerusalem when they see the beauty of its law-abiding character.

Part II: Victory, But Not the World's Way

The second part of Zechariah is harder to interpret than the first. The key is to notice the way in which passages with a militaristic atmosphere are reinterpreted by the juxtaposition of verses breathing a spirit of peace. This makes it clear that the whole message should be interpreted in a non-militaristic way.

For example, Zechariah 9:1-8 has sometimes been seen as a description of Alexander the Great's conquest of Tyre. But this is immediately followed by the best known passage in Zechariah, "Behold your king is coming to you, humble and sitting on an ass". Not exactly one's impression of Alexander the Great! Similarly, in Isaiah, verses describing conquests of the Persian king are interspersed with the portrait of a very different victorious figure who, like Cyrus, is God's servant.

In this second section of the book there are two parallel parts. It appears that the objective of chapters 12-14 is to change the picture originally presented in chapters 9-11. In any case, this twofold final section - like the first - looks forward to a final divine victory. The difference is that the last part makes the point that this would be achieved after more tribulation than had previously been thought.

The scenario behind this is now lost, but a message which reassures us when life turns out more problematic than we had anticipated, is never out of place. Zechariah finds echoes not only in the book of Revelation, but also in Jesus' words: "In the world you will have tribulation; but fear not; I have overcome the world" (John 16:13).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 13 No 3, 1997. Revised November 2016.

David Anderson looks at the Prophet Joel and his message to a nation that had walked away from God.

It was a perceptive remark, one that contained a precious gem of truth. An elderly man, in the course of a general discussion on the state of the world, expressed to me his heartfelt longing: "What is desperately needed is the communicating word from heaven which expresses what God is saying and what he is doing."

Such a word came to Joel, the son of Pethuel, probably a Temple prophet around 400 BC. Joel, a common enough name, carried such a unique and awe-inspiring message to his nation that one scholar, RA Stewart, has commented: "This is one of the briefest and yet one of the most disturbing and heart-searching books of the Old Testament."

In his day, Joel was God's man for God's hour but, like all the Old Testament prophets, Joel speaks not only to his own age, but to ours.

The Day of the Lord

This inspiring prophecy, comprising three chapters of similar length to each other, focuses on one central theme: the day of the Lord.

For the Jews, the day of the Lord was regarded as a great climax to history in which, beyond the terrible judgments of God, there would emerge a new and better world. Prior to that climax, there would be various foreshadowings of the day when God would intervene to defeat his enemies and restore his people.

Thus, in a breath-taking narrative about a contemporary plague of locusts, the prophet reflects in turn on this first judgment (Joel 1), a future judgment, possibly an enemy invasion from the north (Joel 2:1-11, 2:20) and a final judgment (Joel 3). In each case, though its time reference and application varies, the message is the same: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand" (Joel 2:1).

Testing the Source of Prophecy

Joel's very name, meaning 'God is God', emphasises the much-needed truth that, whether it be in revival or in judgment, God is sovereign. Nothing can ultimately hinder his sovereign purposes: The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand" (Isa 14:24).

Another truth of vital importance here concerns the origin of this famous prophecy. In these days when rumours of revival abound, never was there a more paramount need for the church to head the biblical injunction, "Guard the truth" (2 Tim 1:14) and, "Test everything" (1 Thess 5:21).

Significantly, right at the outset of the book, we read that this message is "The word of the Lord that came to Joel" (Joel 1:1). In other words, what the prophet says is not something out of his own head, but is inspired by God. The most important aspect of any prophecy is not its message, but its source.

Whether it be in revival or in judgment, God is sovereign, and nothing can ultimately hinder his purposes.

If the source is not God but man, even if it be a wonderful and inspiring communication, it is immediately invalidated. When the true prophet speaks, like Joel here, it is God speaking and we need to open our ears to hear what he is saying.

The burden of Joel's message is that he sees the problem of the nation (Joel 1) which, in turn, calls for the priority of repentance (Joel 1:13,14; 2:12-17). Finally, in two glorious passages he describes the prospects for the future (Joel 2:18-3:21).

1. The Problem of the Nation

According to the prophet, there is something rotten at the heart of the nation. Something quite unprecedented has happened: successive swarms of locusts have come in ever-increasing numbers, laying waste the countryside, destroying the fragile economy, and leaving the barns empty and even the cattle perplexed.

Such calamities are not uncommon in Israel even to this day, although this particular locust plague was of unusual scope and size - not unlike the one which hit Jerusalem in 1915, possibly involving billions of insects, and causing widespread devastation.

Like all true prophets, however, Joel sees beyond the dreadful tragedy to what God is saying to us through it. How important it is, when significant events occur (e.g. the Aberfan disaster, the anniversary of which we are marking this week, or recent terror attacks), that we take time to pray the prayer of Samuel - not, "Listen, Lord, for your servant is speaking" but, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam 3:9).

For the Israel of Joel's day, the all-important truth is that this plague was a sign from God, unmistakable and undeniable, that the entire land stood under his judgment. This was not a judgment that was specific to some folk and not to others. It was literally 'a plague on all their houses'. Everyone, from the greatest to the least, was called to heed what God was saying.

The suggestion is occasionally made that when Joel calls later for repentance in the light of God's judgment, he does not name any specific sin of which the people are guilty. Only a superficial reading of the text could reach such a conclusion. Indeed, it is striking how the sins of Joel's day parallel the problems we face in 21st Century Britain.

The most important aspect of any prophecy is not its message, but its source.

There were leaders who obviously did not listen to God: "Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land" (Joel 1:2). How many leaders, secular or spiritual, are listening to that still small voice - the voice of conscience and the voice of Christ? Some would rather sit on the fence than nail their colours to the mast! As someone remarked, "When did you last hear of a Conservative MP or member of the Cabinet who resigned on a matter of principle?"

In turn, there is usually a clear link between the kind of leadership we have and the kind of life we live. This is a common theme for the prophets and Joel was no exception to the general rule. Evidently, self-indulgence was rife, especially addiction to alcohol (Joel 1:5). Most people lived for themselves and were lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. As a result, the house of God was the first to suffer as the offerings dropped and then dried up altogether (Joel 1:13). Even wild animals, cattle and sheep are suffering (Joel 1:18-20).

Someone once said that the nation that refuses to learn from its history is condemned to repeat it. The facts were obvious. The nation was simply reaping what it had sown. Joy had gone (Joel 1:12), judgment had come, and, if they continued in their rebellious ways, worse would soon follow (Joel 1:15). So the crucial question for Israel here, as for our own nation today, was, 'Can this future judgment be averted? Can God restore this people, his people, who deserve only his wrath and judgment?'

2. The Priority of Repentance

Joel's answer is both clear and costly. In one of the greatest of all prophetic utterances in the Old Testament, he says that the nation's problems underline the urgent priority of repentance. "'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God'" (Joel 2:12,13). Repentance must be heartfelt.

Here, surely, is a word for us today. Such is the perilous state of Britain, with so many of its leaders devoid of conscience, and with so many people selfishly living for themselves, that the nation is morally bankrupt. Anything goes and everything is acceptable; the country having become spiritually rudderless because the Church so often fails to speak out. As a result, we are in grave danger of losing the wonderful Christian heritage that previous generations have bequeathed us.

There is usually a clear link between the kind of leadership we have and the kind of life we live.

At this very moment a persuasive combination of multi-cultural, humanistic, secular and New Age philosophies threatens to drown out the Christian voice and relegate it to the lunatic fringe. Only one thing can save us - only if we return to God and really mean it, will he forgive us, restore us and heal our land. That, in essence, is Joel's timely message. In it, we can surely hear echoes of 1 Peter 4:17: Judgment begins with the family of God.

What is needed in the first instance is not repentance in the nation, but repentance in the Church; one that begins in the pulpit (Joel 1:13), spreads to the few (Joel 1:14), and then reaches out from the people of God to our lost nation outside. Nothing else, nothing less, can bring God's mercy to a nation that has long since forfeited his blessing.

I believe that God is calling for spiritual leaders, heads of denominations, and leaders of local churches throughout the nation to recognise that things will not improve but only grow worse unless and until we weep for the sins of Church and nation in genuine and heartfelt repentance.

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O Lord'. (Joel 2:17)

When leadership truly weeps, God will surely work. As the history of revival reminds us, it is the tears of repentance that are so often the harbinger of times of refreshing: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" (Acts 3:19).

3. The Prospect for the Future

The concluding part of Joel's message (Joel 2:18-3:21) turns from the gloom of the present to the glory God has in store for his people, a future that will lead to unprecedented blessing on a universal scale for all who call upon the Lord. Material blessings will abound (Joel 2:19, 23-27). In particular, God will restore the years of waste and rebellion (Joel 2:25).

It is a timely reminder to us that, for the people of God, the future is always one to which we can look forward. Joel's prophecy looks towards Pentecost and beyond. The best is yet to be: "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions...And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:28-32).

I believe that God is calling spiritual leaders to recognise that things will only grow worse until we weep for the sins of Church and nation in genuine repentance.

There is a new dawn, says Joel, for the people of God, and a glorious future. For those who reject God, however, there will be a valley of decision in which people's destinies will be decided on the basis of their response to God: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near" (Joel 3:14). These are the two prospects facing the world in the coming days.

In the light of all this, who would not wish to be a Christian? What a thrilling prospect for those who love the Lord! What a dreadful prospect for those who reject his love and, in so doing, go their own way - the way of destruction. What a challenge, too, to each one of us!

As one of the Puritans of old once said, "Let us who love the Lord, live each day as if Christ had died yesterday, had risen again today, and was coming again tomorrow!"

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 11 No 2, March 1995. Revised October 2016.

It is vital that those in Britain who know the Lord declare the Gospel with their words and lives.

In last week's editorial, I wrote about the signs of God's blessing upon Britain in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. All the forecasts of doom from those who wished Britain to remain within the EU have not been fulfilled.

The economy has not suffered dire consequences, the housing market has not collapsed, unemployment is down and retail sales are up, giving a general feeling of buoyancy and hope for the future. But will it last? That is the big question.

One of our readers posted a comment last week pointing out that God's blessings are conditional. He is absolutely right in this and if God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and have some understanding of the nature and purposes of God.

Passing on the Message

Last week we reminded readers that only 44% of the nation now claim to be Christians and 48% say that they have no religion at all. In many churches in Britain today the congregation consists mainly of elderly worshippers which means that they have a huge responsibility for evangelism if these churches are to survive beyond the present generation.

If older Christians are to be successful in passing on the faith to the next generations, they not only need to know the Gospel but also need to understand what's going on in the world today. This was the great strength of the prophets of Israel, who were able to declare the word of the Lord with conviction and authority because they were keen observers of the contemporary world as well is being in communication with God.

If God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and the purposes of God.

Jeremiah's great frustration was that nobody was aware of the great dangers facing the nation. He said:

I thought, these are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. (Jer 5:4-5)

Jeremiah continued, "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer 5:31). The whole nation was living with a false sense of security when there was a tremendous storm brewing on the international scene and the moral and spiritual life of the nation was in a mess (see also the article on Jeremiah by Tony Pearce which we are publishing today).

Seismic map showing the impact of North Korea's recent nuclear test. See Photo Credits.

Very Present Dangers

There are many similarities with today. On the international scene the threats to world peace are growing daily, with North Korea now claiming the ability to launch a nuclear warhead on international ballistic missiles. Tensions between Russia and the USA are increasing in the highly unstable situation in the Middle East. The unspeakable horrors of the civil war in Syria show no signs of ending and Turkey's intervention has added further complication.

Poverty and deprivation in Africa are combining with the tragedy of the Middle East to force vast numbers of migrants to seek refuge in Europe. They are not only changing the face of our continent but also bringing with them militant Muslims who pose a threat to the communities where they settle. Their presence is having an unsettling effect throughout the European Union, where right-wing protest parties are gaining support and popular demand is rising to follow Britain's lead and leave the EU. All these things are increasing uncertainty for the future.

If ever there were a time for steady and firm international leadership it is surely today; but America is paralysed in the run-up to their November presidential election, the outcome of which could be even more disastrous. The choice facing the American electorate between the corrupt Clinton and the loudmouth bully Trump is unenviable. Voters will have to decide between the lesser of two evils: but either way the future for world peace looks ominous.

Jeremiah's day was like our own - the whole nation was living with a false sense of security while there was a tremendous storm brewing.

Times of Turmoil: How to Respond

So what does the Bible have to say that helps us to understand the world situation today and what Christians should be doing? Jesus warned that days of great turmoil would happen when nation would rise against nation and there would be famines and earthquakes and persecution of those who believe in God (Matt 24). The Apostle Paul warned of what he called "the man of lawlessness" being released into the world in a time of great rebellion among the nations (2 Thess 2).

None of us knows whether we are in those days. But we should all be aware of what is prophesied in the Bible so that we can communicate the Gospel effectively to our friends and neighbours, who are bewildered by what is happening and who do not know the word of the Lord, or his love and promises to those who are faithful to him.

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom. The powers of darkness that they face have never been greater, especially with all the pressures of the internet and social media shaping their lives ever-more invasively. Young people are also vulnerable to the deliberate attempts of secular humanists and satanists to rob them of their innocence and thirst for the truth. Parents and grandparents should be aware of the intention of satanists to establish after-school clubs to counteract Christian teaching – it's already happening in the USA.¹

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom at this time.

Faith in Word and Deed

We should all be rejoicing in the sense of hope that there is in the nation today while also being on the alert to the enemies of God and their evil intentions. God is clearly giving us a window of opportunity to communicate his love and his purposes to more than half of the population who have no faith at all and who are at risk.

We need to remember that we communicate our faith as much through our daily lives as through our words. The Apostle John reminds us of the power of love. He says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death" (1 John 3:14).

References

1 Horton, H. Satanic Temple tries to open after-school clubs in 9 US districts. The Telegraph, 5 August 2016.

The word 'Jeremiah' has come down the years to mean a foreteller of doom. But this does him an injustice, as Tony Pearce notes in the next of our series on the prophets.

Jeremiah was clearly not one of the more popular preachers of his day. It is unlikely that his diary was full of engagements or that he was invited to leadership meetings planning the next wave of revival. In fact, in his times of dejection he sat alone, lamenting the day of his birth and describing himself as a "man of strife and contention" whom everyone cursed (Jer 15:10).

Plain Warnings

Some might have argued that his isolation was his own fault. He did not go out of his way to make friends and influence people. He denounced his generation as spiritual and physical adulterers "going after other gods to their own hurt", and "like well-fed, lusty stallions, everyone neighed after his neighbour's wife" (Jer 5:8).

He had no time for their hypocritical form of religion in which they kept up appearances of faith in the Lord, while breaking at every turn the covenant he had made with them. He punctured their illusions, particularly the false assurance that, because the Temple stood in Jerusalem, God was under an obligation to defend them from enemy invasion and the deportation that had previously afflicted the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Jer 7:4).

Jeremiah warned his listeners plainly that God's condition for protection was that they amend their ways, that they "execute judgment between a man and his neighbour" and they do not go after other gods (Jer 7:5-6). For 23 years Jeremiah repeated this message, telling the people to repent and turn back to the Lord, upon which change of heart he would cause them to dwell in the land (Jer 25:3-6).

The People's Response

But although he faithfully relayed God's word to them, neither king nor priest, rich nor poor, would listen. Therefore, he said, God would compel them to listen by bringing Nebuchadnezzar against them to destroy the city and the Temple and taking them away captive to Babylon for 70 years (Jer 25:8-11). For this warning he was denounced as an enemy agent come to undermine the confidence of the people, thrown into prison, and left to die. A scroll containing his message - God's prophetic warning — was torn up and thrown into the fire by the king.

It was much more encouraging to listen to those who were prophesying peace, saying in effect, 'It does not matter how you live, laugh, enjoy yourselves, have parties and fun. God will look after you and give you peace, because you are the King's kids.' Jeremiah denounced these men as false prophets, which did little to improve his popularity rating. He prophesied that the sword, famine and pestilence, would come on that wicked generation (Jer 14:12).

The soothing prophecies of peace and safety were much more attractive and acceptable to the people. But they were false prophecies, while Jeremiah's predictions of forthcoming doom on that generation were true, and actually came to pass.

Soothing prophecies of peace and safety were much more attractive to the people - but they were false, while Jeremiah's predictions of forthcoming doom were true.

The catastrophe he had prophesied materialised and Jerusalem and the Temple lay in ruins. But did Jeremiah then point the finger and say, 'I told you so?' No. In the book of Lamentations he wrote, "My eyes overflow with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people" (Lam 3:48). His heart beat with the compassion and mercy of God. Even as he saw God fulfil his word of judgment he knew that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases" (Lam 3:22).

Prophecies of Hope and Restoration

Jeremiah was not just a prophet of doom; he wrote some of the most beautiful pictures describing Israel's restoration, showing the people that there would be a "future and a hope" when they sought the Lord with all their heart.

70 years later in Babylon, Daniel recognised that the word of the Lord through Jeremiah concerning the desolation of Jerusalem had been fulfilled, and in prayer he confessed the sins of the nation (Dan 9). He coupled the disaster which had come upon Israel to the breaking of the covenant which God had made with her through the Law of Moses (Lev 26; Deut 28; Jer 31:32).

Following Daniel's prayer, Jeremiah's prophecies of restoration were fulfilled: the exiles returned from Babylon and the Temple was rebuilt. In the fullness of time the Messiah - whom Jeremiah also prophesied - came to bring in the new covenant made with "the house of Israel and the house of Judah". Through the witness of the first Jewish believers in Jesus, people all over the world can come into that new covenant and enjoy its benefits:

'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts; And I will be their God and they shall be my people...They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' says the Lord, 'For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.' (Jer 31:31-34)

The Message for Today

The message of Jeremiah is relevant to our time, as we see the approaching judgments of the end times. We cannot "heal the hurt of the daughter of my people lightly, saying 'Peace, peace,' where there is no peace" (Jer 6:14). We cannot make grand promises of coming revival, where there is no true repentance and faith. Whether it makes us popular or not, we must warn of the terrible judgment that is coming on this wicked generation that rejects the word of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus warned of a time of great tribulation coming at the end of this age (Matt 24:21). As in Jeremiah's day there is a reason for this time of trouble coming. Our century has seen a rebellion against God on a scale that is unparalleled in human history. We boast of our technological ability which we vainly imagine has made us 'the Captains of our fate', no longer dependent on God. Yet the very technological advance contains the seeds of our own destruction as we pollute the only planet we can live on and create bigger and better weapons with which to destroy each other.

Whether it is popular or not, we must warn of the terrible judgment coming on this generation that rejects the word of the Lord.

Conscious of the coming calamity, nations and religions are joining hands in a vain attempt to save the world by means of a 'New World Order' backed by a 'Global Ethic' which, it is hoped, will unite humanity. The slogans are attractive and the promises dazzling, but it is a house built on the sand. It ignores the sin problem of humanity and decisively rejects the only solution to this problem - repentance and faith in the one way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock

"Peace, peace, where there is no peace." "Peace and safety." The voice of the false prophets is as loud in our generation as it was in Jeremiah's. It offers a false peace and a false hope based on human potential and human goodness and reconciliation apart from God revealed in Jesus Christ.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him... (Isa 53:5)

But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been made near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace. (Eph 2:13-14)

The true prophets pointing to the Lord Jesus as the only way to God and warning of his soon coming in judgment face scorn, rejection and persecution as Jeremiah did in his day. They are not welcome at the great international gatherings where political and religious leaders try to sort out the world's problems. In the great ecumenical and inter-faith meetings the Lord Jesus too stands outside the door and knocks, as he stood outside the door of the worldly, self-confident church of Laodicea (Rev 3:20).

Does he also stand outside the door of many great evangelical and charismatic gatherings? David Wilkerson spoke of a "Christless Pentecost" in which phenomena and physical manifestations become the mark of spiritual re-birth, rather than a humble walk with the Lord and a life of service.

How many prophecies of coming great revival, backed by spectacular miracles which will dazzle the unbelieving world into submission, are in fact false prophecies, raising hopes and expectations but ultimately leading to disappointment and disillusion, as did the false prophecies of Jeremiah's day?

How many contemporary prophets of revival will the Lord say, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and caused my people to hear my words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (Jer 23:21-22).

How many contemporary prophets of revival will the Lord say, 'I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied'.

Today God is looking for those who will stand for him in the public place, as Jeremiah did, and say to the kings (political leaders), the priests (religious leaders), the rich and poor alike: "Hear the word of the Lord...Amend your ways and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place" (Jer 7:2-3).

First published in Prophecy Today Vol 11 No 6, November 1995.

In Part 5 of our series on the message of the Prophets, Richard Griffiths looks at the prophet Nahum.

The Bible, someone once said, is a tale of two cities - Babylon and Jerusalem. Even before either was founded, and again after Babylon fell, there was confrontation between the people of God (represented by Jerusalem) and the enemies of God (Babylon).

Assyria and its capital city Nineveh were the historical predecessors of the Babylonian empire, but the 'Babylon principle' was as evident in Nineveh as it ever was in Babylon and its successors, the empires of Greece and Rome and their structures to the present day.

Nahum's prophecy is "an oracle concerning Nineveh" written probably during the mid-7th Century BC, but it contains principles relevant to every place and age.

Ninevah's Pride and Arrogance

Ninevah was not only a pagan city, but one unsurpassed for its pride, arrogance and determination to rule the world. Already, during the course of its relentless advance, Assyria had overrun the 10 northern tribes of Israel and their capital Samaria. Some 50 years before Nahum's prophecy, its armies had laid siege to Jerusalem itself.

Predecessor of Babylon, Ninevah was unsurpassed for its pride, arrogance and determination to rule the world.

During those years, Assyria had learned something of the ways of the living God (Isa 37:4); indeed, a hundred years earlier they had turned to God in repentance, responding to Jonah's message.

Their repentance had not lasted, however, and God's next warning came with awesome power. The leaders of the besieging Assyrian army had dared to ridicule the living God (Isa 37:4) by making him out to be no better than the gods of the nations (Isa 36:18-20). Isaiah predicted the downfall of the army and its king. In a single night the Angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp (Isa 37:36).

Later, back in Nineveh, King Sennacherib of Assyria (who had dared to mock the true and living God at the walls of his temple) was brutally murdered while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch (Isa 37:38).

When God Draws Near, We Have a Choice

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God who, from time to time, draws near. There are times when he is to be found and people should seek him; times when he is near and people should call upon him (Isa 55:6). At such times he comes in love and in judgment; to forgive or to destroy. At such times his prophets - Jonah, Isaiah, Nahum and others - may declare his judgment. Yet, whenever people turn to him in repentance, they find that he is a God who in wrath remembers mercy (Hab 3:2).

He has always been like that, from the day that he sorrowfully sought Adam and Eve in the cool of the day so soon after they had taken the forbidden fruit. Time and again his chosen people learnt this truth about their God when, even as they felt the first stirrings of his wrath, they turned to him - only to be enveloped in his love.

At the time of Jonah, the Assyrians tasted the consequences of repentance; at the time of Isaiah they experienced the inevitable results of defiance. They knew that the living God was not to be mocked (Gal 6:7), yet they still refused to honour him. Once again God spoke against Nineveh, and this time it was final.

At the time of Jonah, the Assyrians tasted the consequences of repentance; at the time of Isaiah they experienced the inevitable results of defiance.

Nahum: The Man

We know nothing of Nahum except what we can glean from the prophecy that bears his name, which means 'comforter'.

That a message of such stern judgment should come from a 'comforter' reminds us that the same Holy Spirit who inspired the message is both the comforter of believers and the one who convicts the unbelieving world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11).

The object of his message, Nineveh, had a proud history. Even centuries after its ruin, its place may still be identified. By contrast, Nahum came from Elkosh. No-one can now identify the location of Elkosh, and no record remains of Nahum and his family - a nobody from nowhere, with a message concerning the downfall of the world's greatest superpower! Surely the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of man (1 Cor 1:25).

Nahum may have been a nobody, but his soul was aflame with the majesty of God. After the shortest of introductions his vision of God blazed from him (Nah 1:2-6). Here was a man whose mouth had been touched by coals from the altar (Isa 6:6-7).

The world, even though it will not acknowledge them, needs prophets; the need being particularly acute at times when God is 'drawing near' in judgment and mercy. We ourselves live in such times, yet sadly there are few leaders in whose hearts such prophetic fire burns. Could it be that we are so busy carving out our reputations and hurrying about God's business that we have no time left for the holy place?

Better a nobody walking in awe of God's majesty than any amount of human achievement and reputation. Nineveh had plenty of both, but Nahum feared God more than he feared Nineveh.

Better a nobody walking in awe of God's majesty than any amount of human achievement and reputation.

Nahum: The Message

Under Josiah, the people of Judah were once again returning to God and seeking him (2 Chron 34:3), and in fulfilment of his promises God returned to them (cf. Mal 3:7; Nah 1:15). In so doing he would overthrow their enemies. There was a confrontation between Nineveh and Jerusalem, but the outcome was determined by their response to God. It was Nahum's task to bring to both nations the revelation of God's burning holiness.

Nahum, however, perceived more than God's majesty. He saw, in vivid detail, the course and the consequence of God's judgment on Nineveh. Chapter two of his prophecy describes the Assyrians' hopeless attempts to save their city against the onslaught of the invading Medes.

With true insight Nahum sees that these adversaries are not the real enemy. Nineveh has defied God, and the Medes are merely the rod of his wrath. It is God who is against them (Nah 2:13). It is always the prophet's task to see beyond the superficialities of world events to the hand of God that orders them.

When God turns against a nation they are helpless. In the third chapter, Nahum introduces a note of panic. The aggressor has become the victim (Nah 3:1). The rhythm of the poetry changes to one of breathless fear through which again resounds the terrible declaration: "'I am against you', declares the Lord Almighty" (Nah 3:5).

A generation before, Assyria had taunted Jerusalem about its reliance on Egypt (Isa 36:6). Assyria was greater even than Egypt - why should not Jerusalem shelter under her protection (Isa 36:16,17)? Are you really better than Egypt? asks Nahum (Nah 3:8-9). It fell, and so will you, he says (3:10-11).

It is always the prophet's task to see beyond the superficialities of world events to the hand of God that orders them.

A People of Blazing Passion

Nahum stands in the great tradition of the Hebrew prophets: his prophetic word was born in the holy place. There was fire in his message - not the fire of oratory, nor even of poetry, but of the divine presence.

God is looking for men and women who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter the holy place, and who out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him.

Standing in the holy place, he perceived the hand of God behind the events of history. He saw God's hand in the reforms of King Josiah and knew that the Lord was once again with his people. He saw the hand of God stretched out over Nineveh and knew that God had seen enough of the blood and the lies, the plunder and the victims (Nah 3:1). He did not hesitate to declare that God was against that wicked city.

Today, many of God's people are experiencing God's blessing in new ways, and are entering into a depth and reality of relationship with him such as they have never found before. What is to be the fruit of this?

As Christians respond to God's graciously drawing near today, I believe that he is wanting to raise up people who will be prophetic in our day, just as the leaders of revivals were in theirs. In meetings throughout Britain and in many other parts of the world, ordinary Christians are falling to the ground under the power of God's Spirit moving in their lives. One of my colleagues said at such a meeting, "It is not how you go down that matters, it is how you get up." Exactly so.

God is looking for men and women who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter the holy place, and who out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him.

Today we talk of 'blessing,' but God is looking for more than that. He is looking for men and women who may be nobodies in the world's eyes, but who are hungry for God; willing, like Nahum, to enter into the holy place, and who, out of that meeting with God, will have a blazing passion for him, his purity and majesty. Given such people the church will once more be a prophetic voice calling the nations to repentance.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 11 No 1, January 1995.