This week: Some recent prophecies about Britain's relationship with the EU.

It is easy to feel overloaded when confronted with a large number of visions, dreams and prophetic words to test. Our spiritual adversary is quite capable of contributing to this overload, making it very easy for us to switch off. In so doing, however, we are likely to reject true prophecy. It is better to test everything – and hold on to the good (1 Thess 5:21).

We hope that this short series of articles in the weeks running up to the EU referendum is contributing to fellowships testing prophecy together.  Testing is a responsibility of the local Church, and it is likely that prophecies will emerge at this level which support those given at a national level. These will not necessarily be for sending out widely but simply for submitting to local elders for testing.

It is better to test everything – and hold on to the good.

Selection of Prophetic Words

With this in mind, we will not overload our readers with much more – over to you, as it were.

This time, we will feature just a few of the prophecies and reasoned arguments that have come in to the office over the last few weeks. The biblical principle of 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 implies that we can expect more than enough prophetic words. Order is required and self-discipline in reporting and testing prophecy.

Order is required - and self-discipline - in reporting and testing prophecy.

Here then are just a few more insights with the EU referendum in mind, which we can share.

1. Neil Turner (Omega Programme) / Nebuchadnezzar

Neil Turner has presented a biblical analysis based on Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a statue to draw out a reason for the UK leaving the EU. The full article is available here.

I quote two paragraphs that emphasise the reason for the article and the perceived reason why God wants us to be separate from such alliances as the EU:

The purpose of this article is not to argue the case for or against the EU, but to explore Bible prophecy to discern God's will for Britain. Simply, does the Bible have anything to say about Britain or its purposes in the last days? I believe the answer is yes, and for this we must turn to the prophecy of Daniel, given some 2600 years ago, whilst in exile in Babylon...

We must 'pray first for those in authority that we may live peaceable lives', and pray that in God's wrath towards our nation He would remember mercy. The prayer, lodged in my spirit by the Holy Spirit these last 25 years, is that 'God would sever Britain from the European Union, that we might stand alone as a nation before Him in judgment'. I believe, on the basis of Daniel 7, the British Church has the authority and responsibility to pray for exit.

May God have mercy on us.

Neil Turner, April 2016

2. Azusa Now / The Word of the Lord

Arthur Blessitt is well known as an evangelist who walked through many nations carrying a Cross. He participated in a gathering called Azuza Now in May 2016. At a ceremony on 8 May, stones were symbolically laid at a well – and a particularly poignant moment was reported. A full report is available here.

Here is a brief extract pointing to God's displeasure at disunity in the Church:

Arthur Blessitt and the Well – The Meaning

I felt the Lord was saying that the reason behind Arthur Blessitt sharing his testimony and suffering was significant. He is a man wholly focussed on and devoted to the One who mandated him. He is not one who would abandon that mandate when the going gets tough. As Arthur Blessitt shared, we heard his testimony of having been imprisoned, shot at, beaten and abused for the sake of the mandate God gave him. Yet in all these things, he so identified with the message of the cross that he never left his post.

The Lord also revealed that in the very same way that Arthur Blessitt put the cross in the midst of the well and all eyes were fixated upon it, the church needs to once again look to the cross. The church needs to know the Person of the cross and what He stands for. The church needs to preach and represent the cross in a radical way. '

The stones that were laid down blocked the well of contention, racism and division that has caused so much sickness in the Body of Christ in seasons past. There existed so much division and confusion but that well is now blocked and a new well has been erected.

Out of this new well, a new prophetic sound is arising from what the Lord is calling a Jesus movement of those that are moved by Him alone...

The Lord also revealed that many well known prophetic and prayer voices may not currently feel much direction or unction in prayer. This is because God is driving many back to the message of the cross. After looking intently to the cross, the mandates will begin to flow. The people of God will go forth in the strength and power of Elijah, Elisha, and Joshua – in great power and authority.

Let us watch and give the glory to God as He performs these signs. Yes, as we look to the cross we will learn to steward precious Holy Spirit in our midst in a greater way.

Sent to us by Rev Betty King.

3. British justice and personal freedom under threat.

Among other important concerns relating to Britain's sovereignty, justice and personal freedom are both considered to be under threat by the progress to centralise authority in the EU. If you are interested in arguments and evidence to this end, please see articles written by Jonathan Fisher QC, available here and commented on here.

4. A Reasoned Argument from Peter Horrobin of Ellel Ministries.

Peter Horrobin presents a thoughtful analysis of why he intends to vote to come out of the EU. His reasoning is based on parallels from the time of Jehoshaphat. Read the analysis on his blog.

5. Jan Evans / An umbilical cord between Britain and Europe.

The following e-mail was received from a prayer partner in the Lydia Fellowship:

Hi to everyone at Issachar Ministries, I just want to give you this picture that I saw while praying with my LYDIA prayer group. We praying about the EU, the coming elections in June and just seeking the Fathers face, regarding the whole situation. I saw the British Isles with a baby hovering over it, this baby was wrapped in a blanket, the astonishing thing about it all was that it had a massive umbilical cord, this was going across the channel into France.

I then saw over the channel coming from the top of Britain a large pair of silver scissors, but they couldn't fit around the circumference of this umbilical cord. I instantly thought how on earth are they going to cut through that...! We obviously prayed about this situation and what the Father maybe saying to us. I would very much like to hear from you after your prayerful consideration.

Jan Evans, South Wales.

Sifting Out the Truth

These are a sample of the insights we are receiving to test. There are some meaningfully reasoned arguments here as well as direct words. We have also been sent other visions of clouds of judgment coming to our shores, of Donald Trump being God's choice for America and so on. We need to sift the relevant from the not-so-relevant and together discern what God is really saying to us.

Let us use these insights, prophecies and questions alongside all else that we need to test as we move towards the decision point of 23 June. Surely God himself is showing us how important it is for us to make the right decision on that day and to go forward from that point listening to him.

We need to sift the relevant from the not-so-relevant and together discern what God is really saying to us.

Finally, we include an exhortation for prayer from prayer partner Sandy Harvey, sent via the following e-mail to the office:

When I was praying for the upcoming referendum this weekend I believe that God gave me a clear word to help us pray for it in an ongoing, continual way.

I was interceding at the time but I am aware of the enormity of the decision and the importance of fervent prayer at every possible moment in the coming days.

The Word He gave was 'open blind eyes'.

I believe God gave this as a simple strategy to be able to continually pray throughout the day wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Whilst driving, shopping or doing any every day activity if we pray those words, 'Lord, open blind eyes', we are opening a door for Him to work in somebody.

People we see in the street, the man at the petrol pump, the supermarket checkout operator, Lord open her/his blind eyes.'

Firing prayer darts whenever the vote comes to mind.

This was weighed and accepted by my prayer partner. I have also just heard that the intercessors in Israel praying for the UK about the referendum have also been using the same words. 'Open blind eyes.' (I understand that they are also praying and 'unblock ears'.)

Lay all this before the Lord, with Bibles open, and alongside other prophecies, and in a prayerful attitude seek the Lord's wisdom for the future of our nation and our vote on 23 June.

Next time: A personal overview.