Readings: Genesis 6:9-11:32; Isaiah 54:1-55:5; Matthew 24:36-46; 1 Peter 3:18-22

Looking at the state of our world we may feel that we are living in the days of Noah again. But in the midst of end time storms and growing darkness, like Noah we may know the ark of God's protection.

The Ark of Salvation

This week's readings teach us about God's patience, mercy and covenant faithfulness for those who will trust him, and his eventual judgement for those who will not.
Traditional Christian interpretation views the ark of Noah as a type, or illustration, of the salvation Jesus brings. Our reading from Isaiah echoes this, reminding us of the breadth of God's faithfulness and compassion for his people Israel, despite their perfidy:

'This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Verse 10 above is echoed in Romans 8:38-39, where Paul declares that nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God, found in Christ Jesus.

Noah an Example

God's covenant people and those who join with them by faith are protected by his endless love and mercy. Their example in faith and obedience is Noah, as Hebrews 11:7 says:
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

There is a proto-gospel in this story: Noah simply trusts and obeys God and is saved. However, "as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:26-27): for those who reject God's free offer of salvation, sudden and unexpected judgement awaits.

God always punishes sin, but he also rescues from among the corrupt those who are righteous (2 Pet 2:5-9). So we need not fear, even in the midst of destruction. We are safe in the ark of God's loving-kindness and covenant faithfulness. Our inheritance is a city built of precious stones:

O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. (Isa 54:11)

Joining with Israel

Isaiah speaks of nations (Gentiles) coming to the God of Israel and to his people. The Gentile church has come to the God of Israel, but many claim we supersede Israel in God's plans and purposes. However, for those who understand that we have joined with, not replaced, Israel (Eph 2:11-22), we are that nation of Isaiah 55:5:

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. (ESV)

Noah's family fathered all the nations of the world. From Shem came Abraham, the father of God's priestly nation, Israel. God promised that through Abraham all nations would be blessed - Gentile believers in Jesus are heirs of that promise..

As Noah's and Abraham's children, rescued from the flood of sin and degradation sweeping humanity, we run to Israel "because of the Lord" (Isa 55:5) and in turn Jewish believers run into the ark of our remnant unity, as we work out our "one new man" (Eph 2:15) life of faith. As persecution increases, our love for each other and our unity in the gospel of Messiah will be an ark of protection for the faithful.

Author: Helen Belton

Reading Schedule: Genesis 1:1-6:8; Isaiah 42:5-43:11; John 1

The Bible begins with a brief account of Creation, which humbles us every time we read it – and read it we must. No earthly logic or scientific experiment will prove or disprove the Creation. We receive the account in the way our Creator God intends us to receive it – by faith. We are right to ask questions, though (according to Hebraic ways of thinking) they may be only answered in part or may raise other questions. Our questions reach out to a heavenly logic far higher than our earthbound logic. As we study and pray on the matter we find that the Holy Spirit increases our faith in our Creator more than gives us scientific formulae (though, of course, valid scientific enquiry is in harmony with biblical truth).

Such faith can be the beginning of our walk with God, expanding into faith for all he is and all he does. This is what David discovered, leading him to pen Psalm 19. Meditation on the Creation builds confidence in Creator God for all things – from the great to the small, from upholding the order of the universe to helping with the hidden sins of the heart.

Only by Faith

There is a logic known only to our Creator which requires us to trust him in all things. This trust was what Job learned through inexplicable suffering. "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" was God's question in response to Job's questions (Job 38:4).

This is why the writer to the Hebrews lists faith in God the Creator as the first principle of all faith – "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made by things which are visible" (Heb 11:3). It is also why Paul strongly warns that those who deny the Creator will also be vulnerable to a gradual decline into all manner of sins and wickedness (Rom 1).

Towards Marvellous Things

There is a clear parallel between John 1 and Genesis 1, both commencing with the words, "In the beginning". If our minds and our hearts are prepared through meditation on the Creation, faith is built for Creator God to do marvellous things beyond our human logic. If he created all that we see, then he can also intervene in the physical laws of the universe – and in our lives - in any creative way he chooses. He is also able to come down into our midst in bodily form, from the heavens that were there before the first atom in this physical universe was formed. The Creator entered his own creation when the Son of God became the Son of Man.

Meditate upon these things once more this week.

Author: Clifford Denton

Monica Hill recommends a recent documentary on global population growth.

Do you switch off when statistics are mentioned? Are you concerned over their use or do you find them difficult to understand? This lecture to the Open University by statistician Hans Rosling, broadcast recently on BBC2 and still available on BBC iPlayer, is well worth watching. It deals with the tricky, controversial subject of trends in global population growth - but in an accessible, interesting way.

Watch the full programme here.

Now the blood moons have passed, where are the world-changing events that many thought would accompany these celestial signs?

Blood Moons and the Shemitah Year

On September 28, the final of the tetrad of 'blood moons' was visible across the world. The blood moons were considered significant because they coincided with God's 'appointed times' (moedim), the biblical feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, two years in a row.¹

In addition, 2014-2015 was a Shemitah (meaning 'release') year. Every seventh year Israel's land was to lie fallow and debts were to be released.² Added to that, a Jubilee year is thought to begin (calculations of years are uncertain³) in September 2015 at Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year, the biblical Feast of Trumpets).⁴

America or Israel?

Yet the financial collapse leading to global catastrophe that many anticipated has not occurred - at least not yet! It may be that with hindsight we will see how current events from this period set in train future cataclysmic events.

In the meantime, much has been made of signs of judgement for the United States. As a nation founded on biblical principles, "under God", by its Pilgrim Fathers seeking Christian freedom, its rejection of God's word on marriage and the erosion of biblical values in public life are thought to have invited God's judgement. This focus regarding the blood moons themselves may be misplaced since signs in the moon relate to Israel, according to Jewish tradition, not to the Gentiles.

Much has been made of the blood moons as signs of judgment on America, but this focus may be misplaced - since signs in the moon traditionally relate to Israel .

The Talmud (containing the wisdom of the sages of Israel) considers that signs in the sun are for the Gentiles and signs in the moon are for Israel, since the Gentiles reckon their calendar by the sun and Israel's calendar is lunar:

Our Rabbis taught, When the sun is in eclipse it is a bad omen for idolaters; when the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel reckons by the moon and idolaters by the sun. If it is in eclipse in the east, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; if in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; if in the midst of heaven it is bad omen for the whole world.

If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world...Thus saith the Lord, 'Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.' [emphasis added]

The last part is a quote from Jeremiah 10:1, reminding Israel that God is in charge of their future and that they do not need to fear heavenly signs.

The Coming Sword

Accordingly, not everyone sees the blood moons as a sign of trouble. One Messianic leader in Israel, Bob O'Dell, who has studied the blood moons extensively says that the blood moons are "bread crumbs in the sky", left by God to remind the Jewish people that he has not forgotten his covenant to restore them to the land of Israel. Thus, they should be a cause for celebration for the Jews, rather than fear. He has proposed a theory that the chronology of the Exodus from Egypt fell on the dates of a blood moon tetrad.⁵

However, the 'sword' did come to Israel and its diaspora during this lunar tetrad period. In July 2014 the Israel-Gaza conflict took place, leading to an upsurge of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. The worst incidents took place in France, culminating in January 2015 with the kosher supermarket hostage crisis following in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

Whilst the blood moons may signify God's faithfulness as well as coming trouble, 'the sword' has come to Israel during the recent tetrad period.

Signs for the Gentiles

The Gentiles are not left out of this picture though. The latest tetrad of blood moons was also accompanied by signs in the sun. In 2014, the Passover and Tabernacles blood moons were followed by a partial solar eclipse and, in 2015, the Passover blood moon was preceded by a total solar eclipse and the Tabernacles blood moon was preceded (just before Rosh HaShanah, the biblical Feast of Trumpets) by a partial solar eclipse.⁶

What do these signs in the sun mean? Certainly, there is plenty to concern us in the Gentile world. The migrant crisis has worsened significantly during this period, presenting a Gentile mass movement of Exodus proportions. In the stock markets, the most significant event has been what a Beijing spokesman called 'Black Monday' on 24 August 2015, causing hundreds of billions to be wiped off global financial markets and a plunge in oil and gold prices.

The recent 'signs in the sun' perhaps signify that Gentiles are not being left out – with events of global concern including the European migrant crisis and economic problems in China.

In our own nation believers are interceding, pleading for God's mercy in prayer groups up and down the land as we slide into further spiritual torpor and decline. At the prophetic gathering in October 2014, at which Prophecy Today online was announced, a lady received a picture of a sword over Britain. Another participant entered into travail and deep sorrow through the Holy Spirit for Britain's state. Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Clifford Hill, linked this to the great shaking prophecies received at Mount Carmel in Israel in 1986.

'First to the Jew...'

However, it is in Israel that trouble has arisen most swiftly since the final of the tetrad of blood moons at the Feast of Tabernacles – "first to the Jew".⁷ There is talk once again of a third intifada. Terror has struck Israel's streets in an unprecedented form. Random stabbings, shootings and vehicles driven into crowds are the new and terrifying weapons being used by Palestinians. Formerly bustling public spaces have been deserted, children have been kept home from school and extra security guards have been deployed on buses.

It is in Israel that trouble has arisen most swiftly since the final blood moon of the tetrad, with a sharp rise in terror attacks and talk of a third intifada.

On 17 October, Palestinians set fire to the compound containing the tomb of the patriarch Joseph, where Jews go to pray. This was doubly calculated to offend as it was set ablaze on Shabbat (during the early hours of Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath).

The catalyst for the current crisis was in July when Jewish worshippers tried to go up on to the Temple Mount for Tisha B'Av (meaning the 9th of the month Av, which is a day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples). Muslims worshippers repelled them and soon after Israeli police went up on to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to remove weapons being stockpiled there. It was thought the intention was to attack thousands of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall below gathered for Tisha B'Av. Stones, Molotov cocktails and firecrackers were discovered inside the Al Aqsa Mosque. As the police entered the Temple Mount they were met with Muslim rioters.⁸

The Blood Moons and Temple Mount

There is a precedent for violence over the Temple Mount following the occurrence of blood moons.

The last time blood moons coincided with both Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles was in 1996⁹ (also the year that Benjamin Netanyahu first came to power). A new exit was opened from the Western Wall Tunnel on to the Via Dolorosa in the Arab quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, so that visitors could leave the tunnel without having to retrace their steps from the entrance by the Western Wall.

The Palestinians were incensed, believing this to be a sign of major excavation under the Temple Mount that would destabilise the foundations of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, both of which stand on the Temple Mount. This led to the worst violence in Israel since 1967 and the Six Day War. Again, Joseph's tomb in Nablus was an easy target for violence, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

The last time blood moons coincided with Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles was in 1996 – when Israel experienced the worst violence since the Six Day War in 1967.

Each time violence flares, Israel and the Palestinians come under pressure to renew peace talks. The Temple Mount is the eye of that storm, being the touchstone of faith for Jews, as the site of the biblical second Temple and their most important religious heritage site, and for Muslims, who deem it their third holiest site. For Christians, it is thought by many that Jesus was crucified somewhere on Mount Moriah (an area larger than the Temple Mount), where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, since it links to Abraham's description as being the place where God provided sacrifice: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided" (Gen 22:14).

Jerusalem an Immovable Rock

The United States and the UN have not tried to push for any further progress regarding the status of Jerusalem because it is the hottest religious and political coal of all. The Lord has decreed that Jerusalem will be a cup of reeling or staggering for those who come against it and an immovable rock (Zech 12:2-3): "All who try to move it will injure [lit. rupture] themselves."

He promises to protect all those living in Jerusalem and destroy the nations that attack his city (Zech 12:8-9) because his ultimate purpose must be protected, which is to pour out on his re-gathered people Israel glorious repentance and grace:

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

God has promised that Jerusalem will be an immovable rock for all who come against it.

No Need to Fear

We need not fear signs in the heavens because the Lord has decreed Jerusalem's future. As the Talmud reminds us, quoting Jeremiah (10:1):

Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.

Whatever happens, those who have joined with Israel by faith in their Messiah need not fear because the Lord promises: "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you" (Is 54:10).

So as we wait for the Lord's return, let us be faithful in praying for the peace of Jerusalem in the words of Psalm 122:

May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you.' For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Ps 122:6-9)

References

1 Biblical references to blood (ie red) moons: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31), which is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:20 and echoed in Revelation 6:12: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood."

2 Lev 25:3–6.

3 Lev 25:8-13. Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs writes, "...there is considerable doubt whether the present identification of Sabbatical years is correct and whether the count begins again on the jubilee year, the fiftieth, or on the next year, the fifty-first after the previous cycle." Jacobs, 1995 Sabbatical Year (Shemitah) and Jubilee Year (Yovel). My Jewish Learning. Re-printed with permission from The Jewish Religion: A Companion (OUP).

4 The year 5775 in the Jewish calendar is the Shemitah year and 5776 thought to be the Jubilee year.

5 Forman, A. Blood Moons: Everything You Need to Know. Israel Breaking News, 22 September 2015.

6 Stucken, P. Signs of the Times. Operation Exodus website.

7 Rom 1:16 and 2:9.

8 Temple Mount Erupts in Violence. Israel Today, 26 July 2015. See also Clashes erupt at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa on Jewish holiday. Al-Jazeera, 26 July 2015.

9 27 September 1996 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_1996_lunar_eclipse.

'I will pour out my Spirit on all people...both men and women': Edmund Heddle looks at the Bible women who exercised a prophetic ministry.

It was the prophet Joel who foretold the day when there would be an unrestricted outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

And afterwards I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

This promise would signify unrestricted giving on God's part, for he undertook to pour out his spirit and it would come down on all people. The promise does not mean that the Spirit would descend on all people without exception but that he would come down on them without distinction. No longer would there be any restriction imposed on the basis of sex, age or social position. The Spirit would come on sons and daughters, on old men and young men, on male and female slaves.

God's promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not without exception, but is without distinction.

In his commentary on these verses, John Calvin says that this was giving "in great abundance". However deep our own experience of Pentecost, there is much more for each of us of God's unrestricted outpouring and in the gift and ministry of prophecy which is thereby made possible (Acts 2:17¬-18). In this article we investigate how Bible women exercised a prophetic ministry.

Women Prophets in Scripture

Miriam

Miriam was the sister of Aaron and Moses and is described as a prophetess (Ex 15:20). Following the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites joined in a song of praise to the Lord: "I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea..." When Miriam saw the Israelites walk through the sea as on dry ground, she took a tambourine and, as all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing, sang to them, echoing Moses' song with these words: "Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea".

We must not think of Miriam just as some young thing aflame with enthusiasm. By this time Miriam was well past middle life. She was twelve when Moses was born, and remembering that Moses spent forty years in Egypt and then a further forty years in the land of Midian before the crossing of the Red Sea, we may conclude that she was well into middle age at the time of this account. What a blessing it is when the older women can lead their younger sisters in prophetic praise!

Josephus, the Jewish historian, states that Miriam was a married woman - but the Bible is silent on the matter and hymn-writer George Matheson says of her: "There is neither marriage nor courtship. Her interests are not matrimonial, they are national. Her mission is not domestic, it is patriotic." How much should we thank God for prophetic women who have a deep concern for our national well-being and are not afraid to stand up for God's standards today!

Miriam, described in Exodus as a prophetess, shows what a blessing it is when older women can lead their younger sisters in prophetic praise.

Deborah

Deborah the prophetess functioned as one of Israel's judges (Judges 4 and 5). She was married to Lappicloth and had her headquarters under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel. She must have been open to the prophetic gifts of wisdom and knowledge (1 Cor 12:8), for Israelites from various tribes who had questions to ask and disputes to settle travelled to her for counsel. It was therefore only to be expected that when Israel came under oppression by Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, the people turned to Deborah for advice.

Deborah summoned Barak, a leader of Israel, saying, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you..." His answer indicated Deborah's standing among the people: "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go, I won't go." She said she would go with him but warned that the honour would not be his, as Sisera would be killed by a woman. Her Song of Deborah (Judges 5) is one of the most ancient passages in the Old Testament, and from it we learn that victory over Sisera's chariots was brought about by a cloudburst. Sisera was killed by Jael, another woman, with a tent peg.

So far as we know, Deborah never experienced natural motherhood, but this judge, prophetess and poetess was a "mother in Israel" (Judges 5:7). Some of today's women who have not had their own children might exercise a prophetic ministry among God's people, not least in the matter of spiritual warfare.

Huldah

Huldah the prophetess was the wife of Shallum, keeper of the wardrobe in the Temple during the reign of Josiah. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District (2 Chron 34:22). In 621 BC the Book of the Law was discovered when building work was being undertaken in the Temple. When the book was read to the young king he tore his robes and sent his officials off with the order:

Go and enquire of the Lord for me about what is written in this book which has been found. Great is the Lord's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book (2 Chron 34:14-21).

It is remarkable that, although Jeremiah and Zephaniah were both prophesying at that time, it was a woman and not these prophets who were consulted. Huldah's message to the king confirmed that divine wrath would be poured out on Jerusalem, but she went on to say, "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God...you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place" (2 Kings 22:15-20).

When King Josiah sought God's word of guidance, he called upon Huldah, a prophetess – despite the fact that both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were also alive and prophesying at the time.

One of the purposes of prophecy is to provide the 'Now word' of guidance as to how Scripture may apply. Again, we remark how significant it is that, although there were other male prophets around and the king was surrounded by men like Hilkiah the chief priest, Shaphan the secretary, Asaiah the king's attendant and others, it was a woman prophet who was consulted for God's Now word.

Anna

Coming to New Testament times, we meet Anna in the opening chapters of Luke's gospel. Also a prophetess, "She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:35-38).

Anna arrived on the scene just as the aged Simeon had taken the infant Jesus into his arms and was uttering what we now call the Nunc Dimittis. Under the guidance of the Spirit, she gave God thanks for the child and went on to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

These so-called 'quiet people' were remarkable for the 'timing' of their lives. Simeon entered the Temple under the direction of the Spirit just at the time Jesus' parents were bringing him in to present him to the Lord. Anna also came in "at that very moment" (Luke 2:38). It is not enough to know the right prophetic word to bring; we need also to know the right time to bring it to those to whom it is directed.

Anna shows us that it is not enough to know the right prophetic word to bring – we also need to know the right time, the right place and the right recipients.

Women False Prophets Named in Scripture

Noadiah

Noadiah was a prophetess who opposed Nehemiah, governor of Jerusalem (Neh 6:14). She was a supporter of Sanballat and Tobiah, opponents of Nehemiah in his work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Her name means 'One to whom the Lord revealed himself', and it is possible that she was a genuine prophet who really knew the Lord.

Sadly, she attached herself to these two men and used her speaking abilities to intimidate the man God had sent to renew the walls. Sanballat and Tobiah made repeated attempts to persuade Nehemiah to meet them and discuss the situation, but he refused and committed the situation to God in prayer.

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

This prayer was answered; Noadiah's influence was overthrown and Nehemiah finished the work of restoration (Neh 6:15). How important that God's prophets should make sure that they are not passing a word which is not from him.

Noadiah may have been a genuine prophetess, but she attached herself to the wrong people and ended up passing on 'words' that were not from God.

Jezebel

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who had introduced Baal-worship into Israel and who had erected a sanctuary for four hundred priests who fed at her table. She was a typical oriental despot, ready to murder anyone who stood in her way. Hers was the name given to the New Testament false prophetess who had led the church at Thyatira into idolatry and immorality.

The risen Lord Jesus writes to the church and tells them, "I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess...she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols...do not hold to her teaching" (Rev 2:20-25). All prophets, male or female, need to remember that no prophetic word that contradicts scripture is ever to be accepted or promulgated.

Women Prophets Not Named in Scripture

Isaiah's wife

Isaiah, whose name means 'Yahweh is salvation' and who is called the 'evangelical prophet', had a wife who was a prophetess. Some scholars think that this is merely a courtesy title for a prophet's wife, but others believe she exercised the prophetic gift in her own right.

If this was the case, it must have been a great blessing to her husband to be able to share the Lord's burden with someone close and sympathetic - she must surely have been a real prophet to let her husband get away with naming her two sons Shear-Jashub, and Maher-Shalal-¬Hash-Baz! But if she really shared his prophetic insight she would rejoice that her boys were a constant reminder of her husband's message that 'a remnant will return' and that 'quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil' would come the king of Assyria to capture Samaria (Isa 8:3).

How useful it would be in our churches if we were to encourage prayerfully the coming into being of husband-and-wife prophets moving together in the prophetic ministry.

Philip's daughters

Philip the evangelist was one of the seven deacons appointed by the church in Jerusalem to relieve the apostles from the burden of organising relief for the widows. Following the outbreak of persecution in Jerusalem, he took the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:5-13) and from there to the Ethiopian eunuch travelling through the desert (Acts 8:26-28). 'Spirited' away from there, he settled in Caesarea.

At some point Philip married and had four daughters, all of whom prophesied (Acts 21:9). But the absence of any reference to his wife may mean that by now he was a widower. If this was the case, he would have been very glad to have them care for him and his home. But his greater joy must have been that that each manifested the prophetic gift which would have worked so happily together with his own ministry as an evangelist.

Families that are one in Christ might well encourage within themselves the development of complementary spiritual gifts and ministries, thus becoming more efficient and effective in the Lord's service.

Isaiah's wife and Philip's daughters show the blessings that can come when families work together with complementary gifts and ministries.

Women Who Functioned Prophetically

In addition to those whom the scriptures call prophets there are a number of women who manifested prophetic gifts.

Hannah

Hannah, whose name means 'grace', was one of the two wives of Elkanah but unlike Peninnah had no children She vowed to God that if he would give her a child she would devote him to the Lord as a Nazirite. When God granted this request Hannah gave expression to her joy and praise to God in a prophetic psalm of thanksgiving (1 Sam 2:1-10). This was clearly a prophetic utterance, containing the first reference in scripture to the king as 'Yahweh's anointed' or 'Messiah', one who would come to save his people.

Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah

After the angel Gabriel had told Mary she was to give birth to the Messiah, she hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judah to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the baby leaped in her womb and she was inspired by the Spirit to speak the words of encouragement that must have kept Mary going during the testing days ahead:

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear... Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished (Luke 1:39-45)

As we in the same way go about discovering God's purpose for our lives we, too, may experience that same leap within, manifesting itself in a blush or a moistening of the eyes and confirming that God has his hand in what is happening to us. Like Elizabeth we, too, may be privileged to confirm God's will to others. What a precious ministry this is!

Mary the mother of Jesus

Mary's response to the encouraging words of Elizabeth was to do as Hannah had done so many years before and express her praise and thanksgiving to God in the form of a prophetic utterance. Her Magnificat is first of all praise that God had deigned to choose her, a humble peasant girl, fulfil the hope of every Jewish maiden, to be the mother of the Messiah. But it also expresses praise for God's special love towards his chosen people Israel.

Alongside our traditional hymns and our modern songs is there not a place for 'spiritual songs' (Eph 5:19), with both words and music immediately inspired by the same Spirit who inspired Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary? It certainly seems an aspect of prophetic utterance most suitable for women prophets, though not exclusively so.

Alongside hymns and songs, is there not a place for 'spiritual songs' such as those uttered by Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary?

Summary of the Women Prophets

The women prophets of the Bible functioned in a number of different situations in personal, family, community and national life. In their respective situations they discovered that the Spirit promised by the prophet Joel was just as active in them as he was in their men-folk.

Miriam led the women in praise on a great national occasion.

Deborah gave wise counsel and encouraged Barak, a national military leader, to go out to conquer the enemy.

Huldah was consulted in order to bring understanding about the law book that had been found and what the king should do about it.

Anna lived in the Temple but came into the particular court where Mary and Joseph had brought the infant Jesus 'at just the right moment', guided by the Spirit.

Isaiah's wife shared a prophetic partnership with her husband.

Philip's daughters had a complementary ministry to their father's ministry as an evangelist.

Elizabeth gained the witness of the Spirit as at Mary's arrival her baby leaped in her womb.

Hannah and Mary, both promised a son, expressed spontaneously prophetic praise in words given by the Holy Spirit.

Let the women of our churches be encouraged to develop the gift and ministry of prophecy, following the example of the women prophets in Bible!

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 4, July/August 1988.

Clifford Denton discusses the writings of Justin Martyr and Origen, two early Christian theologians who contributed to the development of 'Replacement Theology'.

In the previous study we drew attention to the way Scripture can be misread to support Replacement Theology. In the early centuries after the coming of Jesus the Messiah, so ingrained had this become in the thinking of prominent church theologians that they cemented the idea into the developing church theologies. We will consider this next.

Greek Philosophy and the Early Church

In last week's study on the first part of this topic, it was mentioned briefly that Greek philosophy has impacted Christian theology. Greek philosophy is a major contributor to humanism, the exalting of the human intellect and its patterns of logic. This results in a diversion from a walk with God through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Humanism is self-contained and leads to the sort of wisdom that James uncompromisingly described as demonic (James 3:13-18).

Zechariah's insight that God will set the sons of Zion against the sons of Greece (Zech 9:13) is also relevant to consider. Greek philosophy asks for a logical answer to every question, while Hebraic thinking causes us to reach in faith to God to lead us through our journey on this earth - which raises issues that cannot be fully understood through human logic.

However, the 'early Church Fathers' liked the idea that God had prepared the Gentile world for the Gospel through the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, and so Christian theology became tainted by these Greek philosophies, contributing to the parting of the ways between Christians and Jews, and to Replacement Theology.

Dialogue with Trypho

Because of the importance of finding the root cause of Replacement Theology, we will quote widely from our first source, Justin Martyr. In Our Father Abraham (p83), Marvin Wilson writes:

Although a few Jewish Christians apparently attended synagogue in Jerome's day (ca. A.D. 400), the parting of the way seems to have been largely finalized by around the middle of the second century. By the time of Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 160) a new attitude prevailed in the Church, evidenced by its appropriating the title "Israel" for itself.

Until this time the Church had defined itself more in terms of continuity with the Jewish people; that is, it was an extension of Israel. There was a growing awareness, however, that the Synagogue was firm in its stance that Jesus was not the Messiah of Israel, and that on this point the Synagogue was not going to change its mind. The realization of this impasse gradually drew the Church to define itself in terms of discontinuity with – indeed, as the replacement of – Israel. [emphases added]

Wilson writes that because of the impasse between Christians and Jews over the Messiahship of Jesus, the Church began to define itself in terms of discontinuity with Israel – even as its replacement.

On p93 of Our Father Abraham we read:

Justin Martyr was a converted gentile philosopher who died a martyr in Rome. Justin's second-century Dialogue with Trypho, A Jew represents "the prototypical contrast of the Christian protagonist triumphant and the nervous Jew on the defensive."

Justin argues his case with Trypho by stating that Jews are separated from other nations and "justly suffer." Justin specifically hammers home the point by focusing on the fact that Jewish cities are "burned with fire" and Jews are "desolate," forbidden to go up to Jerusalem, "for you have slain the Just One and His prophets before Him; and now you reject those who hope in Him."

A useful source of Dialogue with Trypho is The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 1, T&T Clark/Eerdmans 1993). We review here the whole of the dialogue and quote brief sections to give a flavour of how leaders of the Roman Church were thinking even in the Second Century.

In his introduction, Justin recalls his background as a philosopher among the Greeks and then how he met Trypho while walking in Xystus, a suburb of Ephesus:

When I was going about my business one morning in the walks of Xystus a certain man, with others in his company, having met me, and said, "Hail, O philosopher!"..."But who are you, most excellent man?" So I replied to him in jest. [Note: Justin here is quoting from Homer]

Then he replied and told me frankly both his name and his family. "Trypho," says he, "I am called; and I am a Hebrew of the circumcision, and having escaped from the war lately carried on there, I am spending my days in Greece, and chiefly at Corinth.

"And in what," said I, "would you be profited by philosophy so much as by your own lawgiver and the prophets?" "Why not?" he replied. "Do not the philosophers turn every discourse on God? And do not questions continually arise to them about His unity and providence? Is not this truly the duty of philosophy, to investigate the Deity?"

Justin then relates his looking into all Greek philosophies one by one. He says all philosophers draw from one source; for example, regarding Plato he says:

And the perception of immaterial things quite overpowered me, and the contemplation of ideas furnished my mind with wings, so that in a little while I supposed that I had become wise; and such was my stupidity, I expected forthwith to look upon God, for this is the end of Plato's philosophy. [emphasis added]

Justin then speaks of his conversion with Trypho. He discusses how philosophers can know an unseen God:

"But, father," said I, "The Deity cannot be seen merely by the eyes, as other living beings can, but is discernible to the mind alone, as Plato says; and I believe him."

Trypho then discusses whether or not the soul is immortal and whether God can give it life or not as he pleases - something unknown to Plato. Justin responds to this with interest. His friends mock the idea of Christ and affirm Plato, saying he must take on the forms of Judaism if he will go this way. Justin desires a more middle ground, interpreting the Bible whilst acknowledging his Platonic foundations.

Justin builds a middle ground between Greek philosophy and the Bible, interpreting Scripture whilst acknowledging his Platonic foundations.

On the Law

They continue to dialogue, remembering the recent war in Judaea. Trypho accuses Christians of not obeying the biblical festivals and Sabbaths, circumcision etc. and so causing the war. Justin then gives his ideas on Christianity's relationship with Judaism. He says that the Law has been repealed and that the New Testament replaces the Old.

There will be no other God, O Trypho, nor was there from eternity any other existing, but He who made and disposed of the universe. Nor do we think that there is one God for us, another for you, but that He alone is God who led your fathers out from Egypt with a strong hand and a high arm. Nor have we trusted in any other (for there is no other), but in Him in whom you also have trusted, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.

But we do not trust through Moses or through the law; for then we would do the same as yourselves. But now – (for I have read that there shall be a final law, and a covenant, the chiefest of all, which it is now incumbent on all men to observe, as many as are seeking the inheritance of God. For the law promulgated on Horeb is now old, and belongs to yourselves alone; but this is for all universally. Now, law placed against law has abrogated that which is before it, and a covenant which comes after in like manner has put an end to the previous one; and an eternal and final law – namely, Christ – has been given to us, and the covenant is trustworthy, after which there shall be no law, no commandments, no ordinance... [emphasis added]

Justin refers to Isaiah and Jeremiah 31 to justify this. He accuses Jews of violating this new law now revealed, and not accepting atonement in the blood of Christ. He interprets the true fasting of Isaiah 58 as a replacement of the old forms of fasting, and says that outward circumcision of the Jews is so that they will be recognised in the world as those who killed Christ:

For the circumcision according to the flesh, which is from Abraham, was given for a sign; that you may be separated from other nations, and from us; and that you alone may suffer that which you now justly suffer; and that your land may be desolate, and your cities burned with fire; and that strangers may eat your fruit in your presence, and not one of you may go up to Jerusalem. For you are not recognized among the rest of men by any other mark than your fleshly circumcision.

For none of you, I suppose, will venture to say that God neither did nor does foresee the events, which are future, nor foreordained his deserts for each one. Accordingly, these things have happened to you in fairness and justice, for you have slain the Just One, and His prophets before Him; and now you reject those who hope in Him, and in Him who sent Him – God the Almighty and Maker of all things – cursing in your synagogues those who believe in Christ. [emphasis added]

Justin then takes aspects of the Torah, Feasts, Sabbaths, Circumcision etc. and says that Jews were prescribed these things on account of their sin. He contrasts this with the fulfilment of these things in Christians through the circumcision of the heart. Speaking of the eighth day, which has replaced the seventh day Sabbath, says there is no salvation outside of Christ and that the works of the Law are useless. Now, he says, it is Christians who possess the true righteousness.

Justin argues that Christ repeals and replaces the Law, and that Christians fulfil the signs and symbols previously given to the Jews – such as the feasts, Sabbaths and circumcision.

Trypho says that the prophets did not point to Christ, who himself died under a curse out of dishonour. Justin then speaks of the two advents of the Messiah. There follows a discussion of what Jesus fulfilled, then discussion of the Law. Justin says the Law contributes nothing to righteousness. Trypho asks for proof without metaphor in the Messiahship of Jesus. Justin seeks to show this from the prophets.

On Greek Literature

Justin then speaks of the devil's lies in Greek literature and stories of gods like Jupiter, Bacchuus, Mithras. But, nevertheless, he says that Greek literature contains parallels to the truths of God in the lives of the prophets and of Jesus, suggesting that the Greek philosophers have prepared the way for belief in Jesus for the Gentile world.

Justin also says that now the prophetic gift has been taken from the Jews and given to Christians:

For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that the gifts formerly among your nation have been transferred to us.

Justin describes Greek literature and mythology as the lies of the devil, yet also argues that it contains parallels to the truths of God, and that it prepares the way for Gentile belief in Christ.

More discussion follows on types and shadows of the cross and of Jesus, and on Justin's view that the prophecies point to Christians (eg Zech 2:10-13). He says that Malachi 1:10-12 is rejection of Jewish sacrifices to point to acceptance of Christian sacrifice. Christians are now the Holy People promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. Christians are the true Israel:

"What, then?" Says Trypho; "are you Israel? And speaks He such things of you?"...[Justin] "As therefore from the one man Jacob, who was surnamed Israel, all your nation has been called Jacob and Israel; so we from Christ, who begat us to God, like Jacob, and Israel and Judah, and Joseph, and David, are called and are the true sons of God, and keep the commandments of Christ."

Justin says that Christians are now the sons of God and Gentiles converted to Christ are more faithful to God than the Jews. Christ is the King of Israel, and Christians are the Israelitic race:

And when the Scripture says, "I am the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel your King," will you not understand that truly Christ is the everlasting King? For you are aware that Jacob the son of Isaac was never a king. And therefore Scripture again, explaining to us, says what king is meant by Jacob and Israel: "Jacob is my Servant, I will uphold Him; and Israel is mine Elect, my soul shall receive Him. I have given Him my Spirit; and He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles..."

Justin concludes that the Jews rejected Christ and so must now be converted.

Justin's dialogue with Trypho contains many arguments that are typical of those that go on even today. They have come to be known as 'Replacement Theology', and represent a continuation of interpreting the Scriptures through Greek philosophical eyes.

Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho contains many arguments that have become central to Replacement Theology, and which continue to be used today.

Against Celsus

We now turn briefly to a second source: Origen, a 3rd Century theologian from Alexandria. Origen is regarded as a 'Church Father', and the father of Greek monasticism, but has been traditionally rejected as a saint due to his many controversial teachings. Marvin Wilson writes (Our Father Abraham, p93):

In the third century Origen wrote similarly, "And these calamities they (the Jews) have suffered, because they were a most wicked nation, which, although guilty of many sins, yet has been punished so severely for none, as for those that were committed against our Jesus". Again, in clear terms, the suffering of the Jewish people is directly related to their "sin" of rejecting Jesus. [emphasis added]

We will quote more fully from Origen's Against Celsus:

Let this Jew of Celsus then show us, not many persons, nor even a few, but a single individual, such as Jesus was, introducing among the human race, with the power that was manifested in Him, a system of doctrine and opinions beneficial to human life, and which converts men from the practice of wickedness...

Therefore we may see, that after the advent of Jesus the Jews were altogether abandoned, and possess now none of what they considered their ancient glories, so that there is no indication of any Divinity abiding amongst them. For they have no longer prophets nor miracles, traces of which to a considerable extent are still found among Christians, and some of them more remarkable than any that existed among the Jews; and these we ourselves have witnessed, if our testimony may be received.

But the Jew of Celsus exclaims: "Why did we treat him, whom we announced beforehand, with dishonour? Was it that we might be chastised by others?" To which we have to answer, that on account of their unbelief, and the other insults which they heaped upon Jesus, the Jews will not only suffer more than others in that judgment which is believed to impend over the world, but have even already endured such sufferings.

For what nation is in exile from their own metropolis, and from the place sacred to the worship of their fathers, save the Jews alone? And these calamities they have suffered, because they were a most wicked nation, which, although guilty of many other sins, yet has been punished so severely for none, as for those that were committed against our Jesus. [emphases added] Section 2.8, Vol 4 of Anti-Nicene Fathers.

By quoting from Justin Martyr and Origen, both among the founders of much Christian thought and both from the early centuries after Jesus, we see that the phenomenon of Replacement Theology had early beginnings. Through their influence, it began to become accepted that God abandoned his plan for Israel to continue as the heirs of his covenant after the crucifixion of Jesus, and that there is now a new body, the Church, who have inherited the promises once given to Israel.

Summary

We know that the Gospel did go out to the Gentile world and that Gentile believers became the majority in the Church for many centuries. But this is not a reason to misunderstand God's continuing purpose for Israel, or for the separation of the Church from its Jewish/Hebraic roots.

The continuity of the covenant God made with Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus is a subtle one that deserves to be considered with maturity and balance, and without compromise. Replacement Theology not only enhances the division between Church and Synagogue but also leaves the Church's theology shallow and unbalanced, creating a great vulnerability to many forms of deception in this present age and also encouraging a misunderstanding of the covenant purposes of God.

Replacement Theology not only encourages division between Christians and Jews, but also leaves the Church's theology shallow and unbalanced.

By twists and turns and often strange interpretations, Scripture can be re-interpreted to accommodate a mindset that the Christian Church became 'Spiritual Israel'. As a result, Wilson suggests, "the Church argued that Jews were a people eternally cursed by God. The Church now designated itself all blessings in Scripture earlier ascribed to Israel. All curses, however, it left for the Jews" (Our Father Abraham, p94, emphasis added).

For Reflection and Comment

Pause and assess the gradual process of Christianity distancing itself from Israel, beginning with the emergence of what would have been seen as a branch of the Jewish community and ending with a community completely re-defined.

Next time: The Early Fathers of the Christian Church.

'The Return of Jesus Christ' by Mark Dunman (New Wine Press, 2015, 208 pages, available from the publisher for £10.99, or from the author's site for £10. Save £2 when you buy with 'Has God Really Finished With Israel?')

This is Mark's second book and continues the excellent standard of writing and analysis demonstrated in his first (Has God Really Finished With Israel?).

The author has skilfully navigated his way through the many issues and complexities surrounding the return of Jesus and we can follow him with confidence. He demonstrates a maturity and honesty over his own thinking on these matters, being prepared to say where he has changed his mind or is no longer certain.

Refreshingly he has allowed the study of the Scripture to overrule any emotional responses he may previously have had. He now knows what he believes but he still understands the tensions between various opinions and does not downgrade genuine views that have some Biblical support. He is always fair-minded; persuasive without being argumentative.

In this second book, Mark skilfully navigates many complex issues surrounding the return of Jesus, with refreshing honesty and devotion to Scripture.

Another Book on the End Times?

Mark is open enough to ask why there is need for another book on this topic - though clearly he believes there is. His main concern is that most Christians avoid this area because there is such a multiplicity of views which can be off-putting. He admits this state of affairs cannot be avoided but offers to help us grasp the principal views and then build on these once a basic understanding becomes established. Here is a real teacher at work.

He does not insist on a single view on everything, but will leave some things open to further insight. He recognises it is unrealistic to always expect a unanimous view but asserts it is possible to narrow down the options, clear away the weaker arguments and to indicate one view to be more likely than another. That, he states, "is what I hope to do" (p15) - and this he certainly does.

Topical Approach

His introductory chapter leads us confidently into the analyses that follow. His approach is mainly topical. He tackles the Millennium first, as it is his conviction that what we believe about this will affect other areas, such as the tribulation and rapture. This gives the book a sound structure that is easy to follow.

His second chapter is an excellent exposition on the various views on the Millennium with a very helpful summary chart at the start and other diagrams to guide us as we read on. We then move on to consider the tribulation, Antichrist and the rapture, all handled with expert ease.

Here is a real teacher at work – who admits the complexity of the situation and then helps us build up a basic understanding, without insisting on a single view on everything.

Eventually we work our way into the Gospels and the signs Jesus mentions, and inevitably some attention is given to the various views on the book of Revelation and the conundrums it contains. However, he does not go into these in great detail. His main concern is to show how Revelation ties in with similar Old Testament prophecies. Two other chapters worth a special mention are those on the mystery of Babylon, and the day of the Lord and God's wrath.

Improved Resources

As in his first book there are excellent endnotes to each chapter, which helps keep the main text uncluttered. However, unlike before, this time the appendices, glossary and indexes are placed within the book - not on his website; a definite improvement and worth the extra £1 and additional pages! There are also five appendices. Particularly illuminating are those on the Biblical measurement of time, the interpretative rule of double fulfilment and Ezekiel's temple.

There is one slight overlap with his first book - the chapter where he explains his approach to Scripture and how to interpret it. The material here is very similar but it is necessary to repeat within this book. The only question is why it is left until chapter 7 and not placed earlier on.

Fresh and Relevant

Recent events and dangers regarding the Middle East provided Mark with the motivation to write another book to ensure that Christians are not overtaken by events and to urge them to pray into these situations. Certainly there is a great need for teaching on the return of Christ, whether imminent or not. Christians have a duty to keep this theme in the forefront of their faith and to pass it on to each generation. This book shows how this can be done. We no longer have any excuse to shirk our responsibility or be scared of it.

Overall, this is a superb piece of work that cannot be recommended highly enough. It has to be one of the best recent books on the return of Christ. Every page is thoughtful and well-written. Read it at whatever pace you wish: quickly to get a clear overview if you are not yet familiar with the ideas, or repeatedly and at leisure to build up more understanding. It will remain fresh and powerful however many times you revisit it.

This is a superb piece of work – it has to be one of the best recent books on the return of Christ.

Clifford Hill considers the possible long-term implications of the recent deals with China, arguing for the need for spiritual discernment.

The deal struck between China and the British Government allowing China to be involved in the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset is a landmark in relationships between the two countries. But who does it benefit and are there any long-term disadvantages?

David Cameron certainly laid on a royal reception for Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-day visit to Britain, during which he was hosted by the Queen in Buckingham Palace and red carpet was laid out in Downing Street for his visit to Number 10.

Many people in Britain will be surprised that such a reception was given to the leader of a Communist dictatorship with an abysmal human rights record and a reputation for the brutal repression of dissenters.

Courting Chinese Business

The way had been prepared for this visit by Chancellor George Osborne's trade mission to China last month in which he secured a number of business deals with the world's second-largest economy.

China already invests heavily in property in Britain and Chinese firms are currently in the process of purchasing a number of British businesses and even Independent Schools (such as the deal struck last year to acquire the prestigious Chase Grammar School in Staffordshire, where boarding fees are £36,600 a year).

Steel Politics

Xi Jinping's visit to Britain comes at the same time as workers across Britain are dismayed by news of steel plant closures caused by China's action in flooding the world market with cheap steel, resulting from a slowdown in the Chinese economy and their refusal to cut back production.¹ Two months ago the Chinese took stock markets by surprise, devaluing their currency three times, making their export products even cheaper and showing how little they care for the health and well-being of other economies.

The European Union has already taken steps to impose additional import duties on steel from China and similar measures are being considered by the US Government. But will the British Government have the strength and resolve to confront Chinese leaders about this issue at a time when the Conservatives are striving to complete big energy deals, or will they sacrifice the steelworkers in order to pursue their policy? How many thousand steelworkers will be thrown out of work? What is the price of 'Caring Conservatism'?

Whilst the Conservatives court Chinese business, British steelworkers are being dismayed by plant closures as China dumps cheap steel onto the global market.

Hinkley Point Power Station, SomersetSecurity Questions

Another big question is security. A number of MPs have raised concerns about the security risks of giving China a stake in British nuclear power. There are fears that if the Chinese design and build the reactors they could insert 'technical trapdoors' into the reactor systems.

This would enable them to override British controls, or even shut down the plant in the event of any diplomatic dispute between the two countries - such as that which occurred in 2012 when Britain hosted the Dalai Lama, who China dislikes (and who, coincidentally, recently criticised Britain's policy toward China as "Money, money, money – where is morality?"²).

Bernard Jenkin MP, chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, was quoted in The Times³ saying "In 2014 the Prime Minister assured the Joint Committee on National Security 'there is going to be a proper NSC consideration of this' and this was welcomed, but there is no indication that ministers have asked for or received a comprehensive analysis or assessment of the risks." He called for the Government to publish a risk assessment for the scrutiny of MPs or a full Parliamentary Select Committee will undertake the task.

Calls have been made for a proper risk assessment to be carried out by the Government, because of concerns over security.

Peng Liyuan, China's First LadyXi Jinping and his famous pop-singer wife are popular with ordinary Chinese people although she entertained the troops in Tiananmen Square soon after they had massacred pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989. He rose from poverty through the ranks to become head of the ruling Communist Party and China's most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping. But his smiling face and the large sums of money his Government is prepared to invest in British nuclear power plants may not be good for Britain's long-term interests.

Need for Discernment

The big question is whether or not our present political leaders have sufficient spiritual discernment as well as business acumen in agreeing the terms of this deal. It is spiritual discernment that is called for in assessing the long-term prospects.

Those who are familiar with the history of Israel will remember the lack of discernment shown by King Hezekiah when a number of envoys visited Jerusalem from Babylon about 695 BC, long before the Babylonian Empire became a world power (see Isaiah 39). The King had recently recovered from a serious illness and the political leaders of Babylon sent a gift to him celebrating his recovery. That should have put Hezekiah on alert but instead it was all smiles and warm greetings all round. Hezekiah was so pleased to receive them that he showed them everything in his palace – all the gold and silver and treasures acquired by his illustrious forebears.

The prophet Isaiah was scathing in his rebuke because he foresaw the rising power of Babylon and the day when the Babylonian army would invade the towns and cities of Judaea. He saw the terrible havoc they would create through the destruction of Jerusalem - including the great Temple and the Palace of the King.

King Hezekiah was rebuked by Isaiah for accepting gifts from Babylonian envoys - Isaiah foresaw Babylon's coming rise to power.

Wisdom in Foreign Policy

Have our political masters really taken seriously their responsibility to seek the well-being of this nation by taking before God such a far-reaching matter as our relationship with China? This is where church leaders and politicians should work together, seeking the wisdom of God for our international relationships. The great danger facing Britain is that these deals are struck purely for short-term financial gain without due consideration of the long-term implications. This is where we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But only prayer-centred leaders of the nation can ensure making the right decisions.

References

1 Weldon, D. Why British steel is in crisis. BBC News, 21 October 2015.

2 Dearden, L. Dalai Lama on Britain's Policy Towards China. The Independent, 23 September 2015.

3 17 October 2015.

'The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament', by Kenneth E Bailey (SPCK, 2015, 288 pages, £12.99, also available from Eden for £12.50).

Anyone familiar with Kenneth Bailey's previous books will welcome this latest example of his expert analysis of Biblical texts within their Middle Eastern context.

Where this book differs is that here he takes a single theme, that of the Good Shepherd, and traces it throughout Scripture, taking us (as the subtitle states) on a thousand-year journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament.

The Figure of the Shepherd

Bailey asserts that the image of the Good Shepherd was a key figure in early Christianity and one we need to recover in all its fullness. His intention is not to provide a full commentary on each passage but to focus on "the unfolding of the extraordinary story that is created in Psalm 23 and repeated (with changes) across a thousand years down to the penning of 1 Peter" (p27).

As we have come to expect from Bailey, he offers plenty of textual details and technical analysis, possibly challenging to some readers - but ideas are clearly presented and easy to follow.

Complementing his in-depth Biblical knowledge is his experience gained from decades of living in the Middle East surrounded by shepherds. The cultural background gleaned from conversations with them is very helpful, especially for those for whom shepherding is a distant matter.

Bailey helpfully complements his in-depth Biblical knowledge with his experience of living in the Middle East.

Nine Shepherd Passages

Bailey has selected nine passages, four in the Old Testament, five in the New, treating them like episodes in a single film and studying each in the light of the previous ones. Clearly Psalm 23 is foundational, providing the first account of the person of the Good Shepherd. Thus begins a long tradition, taken up and expanded in Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 10 where the concept of the straying sheep is developed and the contrasting theme of bad shepherds is introduced.

From the start Bailey sets out ten common ideas which he looks for in each passage, noting if they appear or not. At regular stages in the book he provides side-by-side comparisons of the texts and theological summaries, which are very helpful in keeping us on track.

Bailey studies and compares nine passages of Scripture, each of which opens up the concept of the Good Shepherd.

The New Testament passages include the obvious Luke 15 and John 10 and, perhaps more surprisingly, Matthew 18, Mark 6 and 1 Peter 5. But it is in these less expected passages (Mark 6 in particular) that some of the more fascinating links with Psalm 23 emerge. But even the more familiar passages, including Psalm 23 itself, are brilliantly explained and contain many new insights. In Luke 15, for example, we can now see how a classical story re-emerges in the life of Jesus as the parable of the lost sheep becomes that of the Good Shepherd. Also illuminating is how Jesus chose a vital moment and context to re-invent this story for a new audience, with himself in the key role.

Connecting up Scripture

Bailey has written extensively on Luke 15 before (see list below) and there may be some overlap - but he claims some revision of ideas also. Indeed, there may be many books on each of these passages but none unites and unifies them in this way showing the connectedness of Scripture and how an idea builds over time within God's story. Above all, it places Jesus in a larger context in which he is the culmination of God's plan. This is one of the strengths of the book.

It is a considerable challenge to write on Scripture in this way but Bailey has succeeded in a most satisfying way. Once again he combines his rich personal experience of life in the Middle East with a penetrating theological approach. His lucid style and attention to subtle details make this book an informative and stimulating source for teachers, preachers and scholars. Another triumph!

Informative and stimulating, with a lucid style and attention to subtle detail - other triumph.

Related Resources

Other books by Bailey available from SPCK: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes. Also from Bailey on the Good Shepherd theme (and parables in Luke): Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes (Eerdmans), and Jacob and the Prodigal (The Bible Reading Fellowship).

The Synod of the Trinity Youtube channel contains several free video studies by Kenneth Bailey on the theme of the Good Shepherd, the first of which can be found here.

Edmund Heddle looks at the sobering calling on every prophet's life to warn people of coming judgment and encourage them to repent.

God operates an early-warning system. In his mercy he warns people and nations of the inevitable result arising from their continued sin and disobedience, urging them to repent so as to escape the coming judgment. This he does through his servants the prophets.

Men may not like prophets interfering in their reckless pleasures and unjust profits and may choose to ignore their warnings. That does not alter the fact that God's warning messengers are a gift of his grace and represent the only remedy for man's pride and self-pleasing - and the only way of escape from condemnation and judgment.

God operates an early-warning system, urging people to repent through his servants the prophets.

Flood warning!

The story of Noah provides the earliest example of how God always warns mankind of coming judgment.

God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is full of violence...I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens...so make yourself an ark' (Gen 6:12-17)

Sadly, the warning of Noah, the preacher of righteousness, was ignored and the people went on "eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all" (2 Pet 2:5; Luke 17:26-27). All men need to do to be lost is to be totally absorbed in daily living.

All men need to do to be lost is to be totally absorbed in daily living.

Fires of judgment

It is the prophet Amos who tells us that "the sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7), and we see this principle demonstrated in the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Then the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?'" (Gen 18:17). But he did not do that. Instead, he confided to Abraham that the homosexual practices of those cities are so utterly evil that they - the communities - must be wiped out (Gen 18:20, 19:4-5).

This sharing of God's decision with his servant made intercession possible, and Abraham did all he could to persuade the Almighty to spare those cities. When God reveals to us today that the fires of judgment must fall on modern towns far more wicked than those ancient cities, we too must intercede that they will repent and so be spared.

When God shares his decisions with his servants, it makes intercession possible.

Years of famine

The scriptures recount how Pharaoh had a double dream - a warning from God as to what was going to happen to Egypt in the next fourteen years. But neither he nor his wise men could interpret its meaning. Hearing that there was a young man in prison who could interpret dreams, Pharaoh sent for Joseph and told him:

'I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it'. 'I cannot do it', Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer' (Gen 41:15-16)

The answer Joseph gave to Pharaoh foretold that "seven years of great abundance are coming...but seven years of famine will follow them and the abundance will not be remembered because the famine that follows it will be so severe." Joseph goes on to say that "the reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon" (Gen 41:32).

The plan commended itself to Pharaoh and his officials and Joseph was put in charge, as the Egyptian leader exclaimed, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?"

This is not the only place in the Bible where guidance was given to Spirit-filled men telling them how to cope with an announced famine. Agabus predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world, and the Christians in Antioch sent help to their brothers living in Judea (Acts 11:27-30).

Threatened disaster

The Pharaoh at the time of Moses was very different from the Pharaoh who had appointed Joseph to be his Food Minister four hundred years earlier. When Moses and Aaron were sent to ask him to release the children of Israel, it was no surprise to the Lord that his answer was "No!". In fact, God had warned Moses that "he will not listen to you" (Ex 7:2-4).

At this point the Lord began a series of ten plagues, a softening-up process which continued until the final threat of disaster upon all the first-born of man and beast resulted in "loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead" (Ex 12:30).

It is still the task of the prophet to declare that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23), and this must be done whatever the response. As the Lord said to Ezekiel, "The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says'. And whether they listen or fail to listen - they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezek 2:4-5).

It is still the task of prophets to declare that the wages of sin is death – whatever the people's response.

Repeated warnings

Eli the priest had two wicked sons, Hophni and Phineas, "whose sin was very great in the Lord's sight" (1 Sam 2:12, 17). They were guilty of sacrilege and of having sex with women who were serving at the Tent of Meeting (1 Sam 2:17. 22). Eli had mildly rebuked them (1 Sam 2:23) but had failed to restrain them (1 Sam 3:13).

An unnamed prophet had been sent by the Lord to warn Eli that if they continued in their rebellion they would both die on the same day (1 Sam 2:27-34), This warning was repeated when the boy Samuel learned to listen to the Lord s voice and was given a heavy burden which he wished to keep from Eli (1 Sam 3:10-14).

The prophet has a solemn responsibility to warn leaders of God's people against the dangers of manifesting a domineering attitude on the one hand and of sexual laxity on the other. Instead, all who are called to ministry should covet to do according to what is in God's heart and mind (1 Sam 2:35).

Prophets also have a solemn responsibility to warn leaders of God's people against wrong attitudes to their ministry.

Disobedient prophet

When Jonah was first sent to Nineveh to preach against that great city, he refused (Jonah 1:1-2). He did not want the city he hated to repent so he ran away. Prophets do not always like the message God gives them to proclaim. But the Lord has ways of dealing with us and bringing us to our senses; mercifully for us it is not a three-day stay inside a great fish! God deals with us in various ways to end our disobedience and to help us to a better kind of thinking (Jonah 4:11).

When Jonah eventually got round to doing what he had been told to do and announced, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4), there was a fantastic response - all in Nineveh from the least to the greatest repented, believed and declared a fast with the wearing of sackcloth. How well the king had got the prophetic message is shown in his words: "Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish" (Jonah 3:8-9).

God wants prophets who share his outlook and are willing to obey him, whatever the cost. They are the ones who will see outstanding results for their faithfulness.

Disobedient people

During the latter years of Jeremiah, a deputation of army officers came to him with the request, "Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do". Before they left the prophet they added, "Whether it is favourable or unfavourable, we will obey the Lord our God" (Jer 42:3-6).

It was ten days later before the Lord gave Jeremiah the answer (Jer 42:7). We must not run away with the idea that we must necessarily give prophetic direction to God's people immediately, as it were off the top of our heads. If Jeremiah took ten days, we should not expect an instant answer without the need for really seeking the Lord.

Maybe Jeremiah sensed that they had already made up their minds as to where they wanted to go (Jer 42:17). Eventually he was able to put before them the alternative: "If you stay in this land I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you...If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die" (Jer 42:10-16).

Despite Jeremiah's warning after his long period of waiting on the Lord, they were determined to go to Egypt. This must have been a crowning sadness to Jeremiah: then as now, the tendency of God's people is to make up their minds first and then seek God's confirmation of and blessing on their plans. The true prophet can only look on with dismay.

The tendency of God's people has always been to make up their minds first and then seek God's confirmation and blessing.

Accountable watchmen

The awful responsibility of God's 'warning messengers' is highlighted by Ezekiel's picture of the watchmen (Ezek 3:16-19, 33:1-9).

The watchman's responsibility is to keep watch and when he sees the enemy advancing he must blow the trumpet and warn the people of their danger. If he does this faithfully and the people ignore his warning blasts and are killed, their blood is on their own heads.

However, if he fails to blow the trumpet and they perish, he will be held accountable. This simple picture reveals the solemn responsibility of God's 'warning messengers'. He will hold them responsible if they fail to warn the people and the nation to "flee from the wrath to come" (Matt 3:7).

Jesus' warning

The Lord Jesus is our example in this part of the prophet's responsibility, as in all its other aspects. In his dissertation concerning the end of the age some comments apply to the end times preceding his return, while others referred to the time of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70.

"When you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" (Matt 24:15-16). The early Christians obeyed this warning from their Lord and they escaped the awful carnage and atrocities experienced in Jerusalem.

In that same discourse there are other warning words which apply to us who live in the end times. To warn men so that they may escape danger or death is an important part of a prophet's ministry and one which we dare not neglect - for the Lord has made us responsible.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 3, May/June 1988.