Is there any hope for Britain?

Over the New Year holiday, I spent some time seeking the Lord for his word to Britain and I was strongly led to what God said to Ezekiel at a time when Jerusalem was in turmoil. He said, “Son of man you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.”

This message meant that people could not see what should have been blindingly obvious. The nation was facing disaster but her leaders, both religious and secular, were running around like headless chickens, fighting one another but not taking any positive steps to deal with the situation.

Jeremiah (unlike Ezekiel) was actually in the city. He was driven to despair. “Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you,” he said. “My people are fools…They have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good” (Jer 4:18-22). Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah knew that the nation was under judgment which the people had brought upon themselves by deliberately turning away from the truth of the word of God.

In Britain, we are in a similar situation. The scenes of turmoil in the House of Commons in the run-up to Christmas were a vivid illustration of the mood in the nation – it is a mood of dissatisfaction with everything; yet no-one has any idea what to do about it! It is in this situation of major disagreement among our political leaders that the voices of the mob in Westminster streets calling for a ‘people’s vote’ should be ringing alarm bells everywhere. Such a vote would spread dissension and conflict across the land.

People bring judgment upon themselves when they deliberately turn away from the truth of the word of God.

Social Problems Side-lined

The Brexit debates in Parliament for the past two months have been so all-consuming that major social issues affecting the welfare of the nation have been woefully neglected. A review of school exclusions was delayed which could have helped to deal with the crisis of knife crime that claimed the lives of more than a hundred young people on the streets of London in 2018.

The Green Paper on social care was also kicked into touch despite the crisis in the NHS, the shortage of beds and elderly people not being cared for in the community. Many other urgent social issues have been side-lined by the Brexit rows that have split the Conservative Party and exposed the weakness of the Opposition.

These are all signs of the serious moral and spiritual issues that underlie the great Brexit debate that is dividing the country. What is being exposed is the lack of an overriding standard of truth by which all issues can be judged.

It is because truth has been eroded from the public square and the forces of darkness have been allowed to spread deception that we are seeing the very thing that both Ezekiel and Jeremiah saw in Jerusalem. 500 years later Jesus saw the same thing when he wept over Jerusalem that both leaders and people were blinded by deceit. He said “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matt 13:13).

Good for Evil, Evil for Good

In Britain, we have not only abandoned truth, but we have actually embraced lies and deception. Even our language has changed to accommodate opposite values. Children and young people call good things ‘wicked’ and evil things that are harmful to them are celebrated as good. It is a rebellious generation that has no understanding of ultimate values. This is why we are seeing knife crime ruling city streets, as gang life is substituted for family life; loyalty to the gang for the love of parents and siblings.

Urgent social issues have been side-lined by the Brexit rows, which have split the country and exposed its lack of an overriding standard of truth.

Also driving society deeper into deception are the false values of LGBTQ+ that have been embraced by politicians from all our political parties. We are led by a Prime Minister who was the chief architect of radical changes when she was Home Secretary, driving the Same-Sex Marriage Bill through Parliament despite the opposition of more than a hundred MPs of her own party and all the warnings that were sounded across the nation.

That legislation, more than five years ago, marked a tipping-point in the nation: Britain went from at least nominally acknowledging the biblical foundations of its social value system to adopting a system based upon the total denial of truth. It was ignoring the clear warnings given in the Bible – “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isa 5:20).

You cannot ignore fundamental standards of truth that are part of the creation of the universe without bringing disaster upon society. But this is exactly what we have done in Britain and this is the reason why we are seeing the turmoil in our Parliament that is reflected across the nation.

The plain fact is we have brought judgment upon ourselves, one of the consequences of which is listed in Deuteronomy 28:28 as “madness, blindness and confusion of mind”, which we can see clearly by watching the debates in Parliament.

Hope for the New Year

But the Bible does not only warn us of the consequences of rejecting truth. It also sets out the remedy. Jeremiah was given a promise from God that applies to any nation at any time: “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 circumstances of the giving this promise should give us great hope and encouragement as a message for the New Year.

You cannot ignore fundamental standards of truth that are part of the creation of the universe without bringing disaster upon society.

Jeremiah was told to go to the potter’s shop where he watched the potter at work. The clay he was using simply did not run in his hands so he was unable to form it into the shape in his mind. He stopped the wheel and Jeremiah probably expected to see him throw that obstinate bit of clay into the dust across the floor of his workshop. But instead, the potter patiently kneaded it back into a ball, put it on the wheel and carefully made it into a pot. It was not the beautiful vase he originally envisioned but it was a useful pot that would no doubt serve a busy housewife.

From this, Jeremiah learned a message about God’s love and forgiveness. We all of us mess up our lives at some point; but God never abandons us, in the same way as the potter did not throw away that bit of clay. When we confess our sinfulness and our need of his love, he immediately re-makes our lives, as the potter re-shaped the clay.

This is the message of hope that God wishes to convey to us for 2019.

The subject of God's judgment is a tricky one for Christians and as such it is often avoided - but what does Scripture teach us?

The subject of judgment is a tricky one for Christians and as such it is often avoided, lest we put people off God by positioning him as vindictive, just waiting for an opportunity to trap us in our errors and pour out his wrath.

The Bible teaches us that God is pure and holy and unable to compromise - yet also full of compassion and love. He will shake the nations if necessary - or leave us to our own devices, like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. Yet, also like this father, he mourns for his child and desires redemption and restored relationship.

Through a full and balanced reading of Scripture we come to know the emotions of our God that bring mercy balanced with justice in the context of judgments that can shock, punish, bless or restore individuals and nations.

Judgment in Hebrew: mishpat

When we talk of 'judgment', what do we actually mean? The Hebrew word for judgment is mishpat. It is a word with legal connotations, meaning a verdict (either favourable or unfavourable). Judgment of God is not only associated with woe and punishment – it can also be to do with blessing. Simply put, biblical 'judgment' refers to the judicial decisions God makes as he interacts with mankind. Our closest analogy is a court of law where a judge sums up the evidence and makes a decision concerning right and wrong, justice and mercy.

This, however, is an insufficient picture, because it sets God into a framework of constantly presiding over a law court. His relationship with mankind is deeper than that, being founded on pure love and desire for fellowship with the people he created. God as judge is active in his responses to the world situation - not passively judging from afar.

The Hebrew language is more verb-orientated than noun-orientated - the Hebrew words for judging and judgments imply action. Unlike human judges, who endeavour to stand back from the circumstances presented to them in order to make an impartial decision, God interacts with his creation with his own righteous agenda, working to bring about his own purposes.

Nevertheless, it is important for us to know that judgments of God can be favourable or unfavourable, depending on the circumstances of our walk with him.

God is active and involved in the world situation, not passively judging from afar.

Judges Appointed by Moses

God also gives his people some responsibility to make judgments themselves. For instance, Moses appointed judges. The Hebrew word for these judges is shophatim, derived from the same root word as mishpat. Exodus 18 contains the account of the appointment of these first judges from the elders of Israel.

Moses was to "teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do" (18:20) and the elders were to "judge the people at all times ...every small matter they shall judge...the hard cases they brought to Moses" (18:22, 26) who stood before God for the people (18:19).

Some disputes were to be settled as in a court of law, but this was just a part of the picture. The main purpose of the judges was to help the people of God to understand how to walk with him, according to his teaching (Torah). The picture is of people desiring to have a close walk with God and wanting to get it right. The elders settled the simpler interpretations of Torah and Moses, who was the intercessor for the people, took the hardest cases to God.

In Moses' time, judges were appointed to help the people understand how to walk closely with God. They wanted to get it right.

With this picture in the background, we can begin a balanced study of what else the Bible says about the judgments of God. We can also form an idea of God's vision for justice and mercy for all nations.

The Big Picture

God's first decision (judgment) regarding the world was to create it! Into the world he placed people with free wills. How he weighed up the risks and the consequences is not in our ability to understand, but his decision was made with the logic of Heaven.

The first consequential judgment came at the Fall, when God judged to send mankind forth from Eden into this imperfect world environment. Our need to struggle against sin and to experience sickness and all other evils is a consequence of God's judgment on Adam's and Eve's sin. Additionally, that same satan that tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden and Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4) is allowed by God to tempt us too (James 1:13-15, 4:7-10, Luke 22:3, 22:31).

God has decided that this will remain the condition of the world until the time he returns and brings in a new heaven and a new earth, as described in the Book of Revelation. We may not understand this fully, but we must accept the nature of this world's imperfections, both physical and spiritual, and – crucially - discover God's purposes in them. Indeed, how mankind responds to these circumstances gives rise to further judgments from God.

The Great Flood

The Great Flood at the time of Noah indicates the seriousness of our need to seek God and follow his ways. The consequences of mankind using their free will to walk away from God brought the judgment of the Flood.

Yet what was in God's heart when he "was sorry that he had made man on the earth" (Gen 6:6)? Scripture says that "he was grieved" (Gen 6:6). This is the same God who looked on his creation and judged "that it was very good" (Gen 1:31). The judgments of God well up out of the emotions of his pure heart. The results can be catastrophic - but God suffers too.

God's judgments well up out of the emotions of his pure heart. The result might be catastrophic for humans – but God suffers too.

Covenants and Conditions

When God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, and through Jeremiah, he established parameters for his judgments.

One of the 'biggest' words in the Bible is if. God's covenants with Noah and Abraham placed responsibility upon God himself. There were no ifs. God's decision (judgment) was to ensure seedtime and harvest for all generations so that he could draw a covenant family to himself, whatever it would take for him and for us to accomplish this.

Yet conditions for human beings were also made clear within this overall plan - especially in the covenant made with Moses – conditions not for ensuring its ultimate fulfilment (God's responsibility), but laying out the consequences for their obedience and disobedience within it. So, up until the coming of Messiah, Deuteronomy 27 and 28 were the conditions for God's covenant with Israel. These passages are full of ifs: blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience.

Studied carefully, we can discern that God will bring about growing hardship for his people if they disobey the terms of the covenant, bringing initial signs in the physical environment and eventually, if necessary, even removing them for a time from their Promised Land. Later, the Prophets were sent to remind Israel of the covenant and interpret the signs of judgment around them (eg see Amos 4, which can be read alongside Deuteronomy 27 and 28).

In the Mosaic covenant God laid out conditions for his people – blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Yet, always remember the heart of God for his people. It was not with a vindictive attitude that God sent his people to exile in Babylon. The tears of Jeremiah over fallen Jerusalem (read the Book of Lamentations!) are a prophetic insight into the sadness of God. This sadness can be contrasted with the joy of God over his people when his judgments have brought blessing (reflected wonderfully in many Psalms and in the Song of Songs).

Removing Protection

When God sent Israel into captivity, he took away the nation's protection and allowed their enemies to prevail. He always takes responsibility (read Habakkuk, for example); he ensured that those who were used to sift Israel were themselves to be judged (see, for example, Ezekiel 35). But this principle of taking away protection is a key to understanding many of God's corrective judgments in the world today, as well as in the history of Israel (eg Num 14:9; Ezra 9:9; Ps 64; Isa 25:1-4, 30:13).

If we reject the protection of God, or if he himself removes it, we are vulnerable to the dangers of the world and of our unseen spiritual enemies, and also the consequences of our own sin and foolishness.

The judgment of God, therefore, is often outworked when he takes his protection away, so that we discover our need of him. We are in a fallen world, subject to temptation and the results of evil all around – but remember that this is the world where God sent Adam and Eve because of their own rebellion against him. In a way, then, we can bring judgment on ourselves by rejecting the protection of God. This applies to belief in Jesus too, and the invitation to eternal life through faith in him (John 3:18).

Conditions for Israel

There is always a way back - even for a nation. It is not God's desire to punish, but to redeem. Solomon prayed to God when the Temple was consecrated; God answered and gave conditions for the restoration of Israel, even if they were scattered across the earth. The prayer and God's response (2 Chron 6-7) should be read in full - carefully.

There is always a way back – even for a nation. God's desire is not to punish, but to redeem.

The verse that is well-known is 2 Chronicles 7:14, "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 will forgive their sins and heal their land." The history of Israel (whether within God's blessings or curses) depends on their living by faith and obedience according to the Torah given through Moses. Yet, even at the extremity of God's judgments, God has covenant promises which means he will never abandon them completely.

Though the above show God's character, compassion and forgiveness and therefore give hope to any nation, the context of the passage is a promise directly for Israel as God's chosen nation. Sometimes we of another nation would like to read it as directly to us, but that would mean that we have a covenant with God like Israel has. We must not take this lightly or become fanciful and confused. The principles for any nation are found in Jeremiah 18.

Conditions for Any Nation

Jeremiah was shown at the potter's house that, like a potter re-modelling clay, God could re-model even a Gentile nation. The promise was similar to 2 Chronicles 7:14 but subtly different. We might think that we could read 2 Chronicles 7:14 as being that if Christians pray earnestly then God would heal their land. However, Jeremiah 18:7-10 requires that the nation as a whole repents and seeks God. Of course Christians can intercede, but ultimately the nation must come to God as a whole.

Rather than 2 Chronicles 7:14, it would be more realistic for Christians to place their hope in and quote "If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring on it" (Jer 18:8).

Nevertheless, the God of judgment is also a God of redemption and signs of his judgment always come with hope. Indeed, we can see God's judgments as having the purpose of redemption, being designed to turn hearts back to him.

God's word contains promises of hope to both Israel and to Gentile nations – his judgments always have the purpose of redemption.

Favour Before Woe

This is "the year of the Lord's favour" (Isa 61:2; Luke 4:18-19) and not yet "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isa 61:2b). This is the period of God's covenant purposes when he is holding out a hand of mercy to all that will turn to him from any nation.

When this phase of God's purposes for redemption is over, his promised judgments will be termed woes because they will have the purpose of punishment rather than refinement. This is what we find in Revelation 18. Though this day will come we are not there yet! This is important to remember because the way we understand the judgments of God influences the way we understand his character.

Justice and Mercy

The weeping of Jeremiah over Jerusalem, recorded in the Book of Lamentations, is echoed in the weeping of Jesus over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and is to be borne in mind as we read Luke 21 and Matthew 24. The judgments of God, first on Jerusalem in 70 AD, and on Israel in exile since then, and the mighty signs and judgments in the world and on all nations are necessary. They are in the context of a gathering from all nations of God's covenant people as the Gospel goes out. James understood the balance in God's heart when he wrote "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).

This points us to the Cross of Jesus Christ where, in the judgment of the Father, the Lord took all the pain of the sin of the world upon himself. (Selah – pause and reflect)

Furthermore, the immense happenings in this world described by Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are not so much judgments, but signs of the Lord's return (Matt 24:3). We draw near to the momentous climax of this world's existence – no wonder there is such a shaking! Such is needed to draw mankind's attention to God and his covenant purposes.

The immense shakings going on in the world are not so much judgments as signs of the Lord's return.

Without compromise God is moving through history, gathering his community who will experience the reverse of the Fall, whilst the wider consequences of human sin bring us to the climax of history - Jesus' return and God's final judgment of all people.

The Prophetic Task

So what is God doing and why? Well, we need only glance at current world affairs to know that God is not careless about our world and is working out his own purposes – including his chief goal of preparing a people of his own for the time of Jesus' return.

Though his ways are beyond our full understanding, we can gain insights that are sufficient for our day-to-day lives. Let us as a prophetic people be sure to understand the heart of our God so that we can truly understand the times and know what must be done.

An important aspect of the prophet's ministry is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God in repentance and obedience.

The word of God teaches us that, "We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isa 53:6). Here is a characteristic shared by every member of the human family. We may differ as to age, sex, colour, race and nationality, but all have this in common: we have strayed from the right path and have obstinately chosen to go our own way and to do our own thing.

An important aspect of the prophet's ministry, not only in Old and New Testament times but also today, is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God at a level of repentance that leads to future obedience.

The Sending of Prophets

"Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, 'Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions'..." (Jer 35:15). Their message was, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isa 30:15 RSV). The NIV translates the Hebrew word shuvah, which means 'to turn back', as 'repentance'. Constantly the prophets call for God's people to return to Yahweh. "Come, let us return to the Lord...Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God...Return to me with all your heart...Take words with you and return to the Lord...Return to me and I will return to you" (Hos 6:1, 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Mal 3:7).

The Blessings Promised to Those Who Return

The first blessing was that of forgiveness. "Let the wicked forsake his way...let him turn to the Lord, and he will have rnercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isa 55:7). "I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you" (Isa 44:22).

As well as pardon for the past the people were promised a new beginning. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...and move you...to keep my laws" (Ezek 36:26-27). "I will give them a heart to know me...they will be my people...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:7).

Those who return to the Lord are promised many blessings, including forgiveness and a new beginning.

They would be brought back to inherit the land. "I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:6-7). They would enjoy material blessings, as Moses had promised to God's people: "All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (Deut 28:1-12). "'Test me in this', says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the flood-gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Mal 3:10).

Disasters Threatening Those Who Turn from God

The prophets of the Bible have no hesitation in believing and proclaiming that God is behind all things that happen, including unpleasant and frightening events: "I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isa 45:7). Jeremiah announces that disaster is on its way and that it behoves God's people to turn from their evil ways: "This is what the Lord says: 'Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways...'" (Jer 18:11). When Baruch, Jeremiah's assistant, wrote a fresh scroll to replace the one King Jehoiakim had burnt, all the threats of coming disaster were repeated along with "many similar words..." (Jer 36:32).

According to the story of Jonah, a threatened disaster was averted when men repented. "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10). The opposite was the case in the time of Isaiah. In his ninth and tenth chapters is a phrase that repeats four times: "For all this his anger is not turned away, his arm is still upraised" (Isa 9:12, 9:17, 9:21, 10:4). In the Good News Bible this passage reads, "Yet even so the Lord's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish."

When men do not respond to disaster, the result can be only that greater disaster will come upon them. This is surely a salutary thought for us as we think back over the series of disasters we have witnessed or experienced in Britain during recent times.

Those who refuse to turn bring disaster upon themselves - and when they do not respond to this, the result can only be greater disaster.

Another aspect of the prophets' ministry is to draw their listeners' attention to crises that have occurred. The book of Amos contains a striking example of such action. In chapter 4 (verses 6-11) he reminds them of the disasters that had occurred. These included famine, drought, blight, locusts, plague, war and raging fire. One recurrent phrase in these verses sounds like a death-knell: "'Yet you have not returned to me', declares the Lord." God does not want to have to bring ever more serious disasters - that is not his nature or desire - but it may become inevitable, "You crushed them but they refused correction They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent" (Jer 5:3).

Why Do People Turn from God?

1. Because they do not know God's word.

Jeremiah writes of the people and their leaders, "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" (Jer 5:4-5). It is a very sad situation when the ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders because they have rejected the revealed word of God. Like so many today, they are left with only the unsure ground of situation ethics as the nations plunge further and further into moral chaos.

2. Because they listen to false prophets.

"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you, they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds..." As a result of this error, "From the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land" (Jer 23:15-16). How sad that when the ministry of the prophet was so needed, as in Jerusalem then and in our situation today, we are confronted by so-called prophets who have not heard from God at all, but speak forth their own dreams and delusions. "...prophets who prophesy the delusions of their own minds...[they] prophesy false dreams...and lead my people astray with their reckless lies..." (Jer 23:26, 23:32).

It is of vital importance today that the stream of prophecy is kept clear by careful observance of the scriptural rules laid down for us in the New Testament. If we tolerate human traditions and unscriptural practices, we may lose the effective working of a very precious and necessary gift.

It is a sad situation when ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders, because they too have rejected the revealed word of God.

3. Because they fail to learn from the mistakes of others.

In the time of King Josiah, the prophet Jeremiah received a word from the Lord condemning Judah for copying the behaviour of her 'adulterous sister' Israel (Jer 3:6-10). "I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no tear she also went out and committed adultery" (Jer 3:8). We see many examples of wrong behaviour, especially in the area of sexual morality. Sadly, some of these have been within the Christian church; sadder still, a few have been among its leaders.

We need prophets today who are not afraid to remind God's people of the standards laid down in his word. But at all times they should avoid that judgmental and critical spirit which hurts yet more and condemns. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Gal 6:1).

The Folly of Not Returning to God

According to one of the Church Fathers, "Outside of God there is nothing but death." Therefore, the only sensible thing for anyone to do is to return to God. Ezekiel is feeling the urgency of the matter when he cries out, "Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek 33:11). He makes it clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked rather "...am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"

Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness of living or dying without God and consequently the stupidity of concentrating all our efforts on amassing this world's goods arid striving for its fame Jesus was speaking very much to the point when he said of the rich man, in his story, "You fool!" (Luke 12:20).

Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness and folly of living or dying without God.

The Blessedness of Turning Back to God

God is holy, and he is a God of justice and judgment. But Scripture teaches that judgment is his "strange work...his alien task" (Isa 28:21). There is no doubt that in this injunction he is providing an example to prophets. Justice and judgment must have their rightful place in the ministry of today's prophets. "If I have the gift of prophecy...but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2). In Jesus' greatest story we see an example of the love that should characterise all his followers. Whatever they have done in the past, "Let's celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:24).

The Reward for the Prophets Who Turn Men to Righteousness

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead [RSV 'turn'] many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever" (Rev 12:3). It is true that "we all like sheep have gone astray" (Isa 53:6). We all have an inborn determination to do what we want to do. Sadly, Scripture points out that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov 14:12).

We did not find the right road by our own cleverness but by the grace and mercy of God. Now we in turn must share what we have experienced. It is just such prophets who will shine, because they have turned others from their sins and have played some part in returning them to the Father and to home.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 5, September/October 1990.

Clifford Denton begins a two-part study on what happened to Jews and Christians under the rule of Rome.

Every nation needs its own land. It is within its land that a nation establishes its particular way of life. Part of God's covenant with Israel was to give them the Land of Canaan. The people would be kept safe in this land providing that they followed the ways of God revealed through Moses. However, at their low times, Israel came under the rule of other nations.

This was the case at the time of Jesus and his first disciples: Rome ruled Israel. The climax of Roman occupation came with the fall of the Temple in AD 70. This coincided with the early days of the spread of the Gospel and so contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots.

People and Land

After the wilderness years following their deliverance from Egypt, the children of Israel finally inherited their own land. Under Joshua they took possession of the Land of Canaan and established the nation, first under the judges and then under the kings. This was in fulfillment of the covenant promise given to Abraham:

On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates --the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. (Gen 15:18-21)

The conditions that the Lord gave for Israel's ongoing possession of the Promised Land were made clear through Moses. It is important to remember the precise terms of this Covenant.

Blessings for obedience:Man tending grain, Israel.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (Deut 28:1-7)

Curses for disobedience:

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me...

The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth...

Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. (Deut 28:15-33)

These are not words to treat lightly. Christians should not stand in judgment over Israel, and use these words to support a persecution mentality towards Jews. It is in God's hands alone to work out his purposes according to the covenant that he made. He placed Israel at the centre of his covenant plan for the whole world. God's purposes are far higher, more complex and more loving than most of us realise, and so we must be careful how we read some of the harder scriptures, lest we misunderstand. Indeed, it is the role of those grafted into the Israel of God to comfort and pray for Israel the nation.

The covenant blessings and curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are not words to treat lightly, but Christians should also be careful to not stand in judgment over Israel.

Israel itself must understand her own destiny as a nation and be aware of the covenant conditions that God has made. It is not for us to interfere in some of the major issues between Israel and God, especially regarding judgment. Indeed, we have already noted how this is understood by some leaders and interpreters of Torah. For example, in Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living,¹ we read in the chapter entitled Serving the Creator:

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language (Hebrew), to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles. But God has promised the eternity of the Jewish people: "And yet for all that, though they be in the land of their enemies, will I not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, nor will I break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God." (Leviticus 26:44) And it is said: "For I, the Lord, I have not changed; and you, sons of Jacob, you have not ceased to be." (Malachi 3:6)

Go forth and search for the nations of old; where are they today? They have vanished! Not so the people of Israel who live on forever more. What is the secret of their survival? There is but one answer: The Torah! "And you who cleave unto the Lord your god, you are alive, everyone of you, to this day." (Deuteronomy 4:4) Our sages explained it this way: The children of Israel who clung to God, the Source of Life, have come to possess life everlasting.

If Israel would return to God in true repentance, then will He fulfill unto us His promise which He gave us through the prophets, His servants, to gather in the remaining exiles from the four corners of the earth, to restore us to the land of our inheritance, and bring us the Messiah who will rebuild the Temple and restore Divine Worship and the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.

These covenant issues are between Israel and God alone. Indeed, when God has brought enemies to rule over Israel these enemies are on their own path to God's judgment. This, for example, is what we understand from the prophet Daniel. Right up to the end times, the nations that come against Israel will eventually be judged by God. In Daniel 11:45-12:1, we read of the antichrist movement of the last days:

...he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

When God has brought enemies to rule over Israel, these enemies are also on their own path to God's judgment, and will eventually fall.

Historically, the nations of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome came against Israel. They are now no more, while Israel survives and goes on to the end time purposes of God. Those who come against Israel have already built up reasons for God's judgements on themselves.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream where he saw an image of a statue representing the world empires that would be used in Israel's history (see right). They would all disappear. The gold head represented Babylon, the silver upper body depicted the Medes and Persia, the bronze lower body stood for Greece and the iron legs were Rome (the feet of iron and clay represent the empire of last days).

It was into this context that Jesus, when Israel was under Roman rule, predicted the fall of the Temple and yet also, in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 12, spoke of the continued purposes of God for Israel outworked through suffering.

For Study and Prayer

• Study Deuteronomy 28, 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, Jeremiah 31:31-37, Romans 11. What is the relevance of these covenant principles to the fall of the Temple in 70 AD?
• How should this make us reflect on Britain's relationship with the nation of Israel?

Next time: The Fall of Israel under Rome (Part 2)

References

1 Edited by Avnere Tomaschoff, and sponsored by the World Conference of Jewish Organisations (1985)