Our second installment on 'Changing Britain' looks at how the Gospel message is being passed on to future generations. Following the statistical analysis is a biblical comment from Monica Hill.

Transmission of Faith

Re-printed from Brierley Consultancy's FutureFirst, June 2014 issue, with kind permission.

The transmission of faith from one generation to another is critically important. One person who has studied this in some depth is Prof David Voas, now of Essex University but previously Professor of Population Studies at Manchester University. In one piece of research published in 2012 he and a colleague evaluated the impact of family life on church attendance through three generations using data from the 2001 International Congregational Life Survey, a significant study with over 9,000 respondents.

In general they found the older a person the more likely they were to have or have had churchgoing parents. The graph shows the percentage of churchgoers in England in 2001 who did NOT have regularly attending churchgoing parents.

Percentage of current churchgoers whose parents rarely or never went to church, England, 2001.

• Older people now attending church are more likely to have continued the family tradition of churchgoing. The research compared results with the Australian data which was based on similar questions, and the overall results found:
• Men were about 5% more likely than women to have or had parents who were not churchgoers, except for those aged 85 or over (2% difference).
• Australian churchgoers were less likely than those in England to have or had parents who were not churchgoers, also by about 5%, 18% to 23%.
• The impact of two churchgoing parents is considerably greater than one.
• Grandparental religious activity also has a significant effect.

Approximately a quarter, 23%, of English churchgoers therefore have started going to church when their parents did not, and this might be taken as an estimate of the percentage of "conversion" growth of current congregations. Church congregations grow, of course, because new people join the congregation (having started going to church elsewhere) or newly start coming to that particular church. Other studies have found that new people in a church are relatively few (a 2012 English study found just 24% of those in evangelical churches had been attending less than 20 years), meaning "church growth" is mostly "church transfer". David Voas's research thus underlines the huge importance of transmission in family life.

Some factors in present-day family life make that transmission more difficult. Almost half, 46%, of children today will see their parents divorce before they are 16, and a family split inhibits transmission of faith very severely. Churchgoing parents seem to be as likely to divorce as non-churchgoing ones.

Many church families are middle-class, and many have both parents working. Those aged 30 to 44 are especially likely not to attend as regularly as others simply because of the pressure in their home with a young family, but it is in this age-group where those practices are often most needed to establish the tradition of churchgoing, and encourage transmission.

The very large majority of churchgoers in both England and Australia are married, much more than the percentage of married people in the population. For the large majority of these, both partners attend church together, so they are making joint decisions on this activity and thus encouraging their children in churchgoing.

The finding about grandparental influence confirms other research of young people undertaken in England – one study found some 60% were likely to attend church if their grandparents did.

The importance of family life and the traditions embodied within that, especially of religious activity, is crucial, and this research confirms this. Encouraging family religious life should therefore be a priority in church teaching.

Sources: Article by David Voas and Ingrid Storm in Review of Religious Research, Vol 53, No 4, Jan 2012, Page 377; Living the Christian Life, Brierley Consultancy, April 2013; Newsletter, Marriage Foundation, Spring 2014; Reaching and Keeping Tweenagers, Christian Research, 2002.

Biblical Comment

Monica Hill

Handing on the baton is the responsibility of every believer. Failure to pass it on, to the very best of the ability of all believers, places the continuance of the faith in ANY nation at risk.

We can learn a great deal on the survival of the Jewish faith over the centuries by reading how they passed on their faith to their children. This mainly took place in the family home. Both boys and girls were taught the rudimentary elements of the faith by their mothers in the home up until the age of 11 or 12. It was only then that the boys (after their Bar Mitzvah) went into schools to go more deeply into the faith.

In the home the children learned to recite the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" as an assertion of God's Kingship (Deut 6:4-9), which is followed by "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children."

Hearts and Minds

Deuteronomy 11:18 adds "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds." There are practical ways in which this can be achieved: "talk about them [God's teachings] when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates" (Deut 11:18-20). The reason is one which we should all embrace: "so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth" (v21).

More than Head Knowledge

A 'Christian' country' or specific group claiming to be Christian is only one generation away from extinction unless a full understanding and a personal belief is embraced and passed on to others. In order for it to survive, faith needs to move beyond 'learning by rote' to having personal meaning so that those who try to communicate to others are helping them catch more than just 'head knowledge'.

A 'Christian' country' is only one generation away from extinction unless a full understanding and a personal belief is embraced and passed on to others."

Unfortunately, parents first passed this responsibility on to the Church (who developed all kinds of groups such as Sunday Schools, youth clubs and uniformed organisations) and then to state schools, where all pupils received Christian instruction and each day started with a worship assembly. Parents relaxed and left it to others who they thought were more proficient than themselves.

The churches did a good job in teaching the young of both believers and those on the fringe, until social and family issues saw the demise of afternoon Sunday Schools and uniformed organisations went out of fashion, demanding new methods of outreach and attracting youngsters. In schools, the emphasis changed from knowledge, to education, to theoretical study of comparative religions; teachers no longer needed to be believers and legal changes then led to stagnation. A religious and spiritual understanding is no longer a priority.

Danger of Complacency

Many churches are now trying new methods of reaching out, like 'messy church' and holiday clubs, but the crucial home influence is still waning.

Any nation that settles back into thinking that it will always be a 'Christian nation' and that the next generation will automatically become Christians without any input, witness or prayer from them, is in for a shock. God can, and should, speak directly to each individual, but we are all called to be witnesses - even if we do not have the gift of an evangelist.

Any nation that settles back into thinking that the next generation will automatically become Christians without any input from them, is in for a shock."

Christianity is built upon relationships and although we can highlight moral codes and values, once the close personal link with the Creator is lost, it can become no more than a list of rules and regulations to keep. God has no grandchildren – only children who have a direct relationship with him.

Seize Every Opportunity

However, today there is an amazing challenge to those believers who have grandchildren (or even know other people's grandchildren). It is almost as though they are being given a second chance to reach another generation, even when they have not made a good job of passing their faith onto their own children. Grandparents can be 'cool' when parents can just be an 'embarrassment'. The opportunities are there in an age when older people are living longer and there are an increasing number of grandparents and great-grandparents who have 'known' the Father (1 John 3).

How can we encourage older people to take their responsibilities for our nation seriously? This should be a major objective in every congregation, family and community.

Series background

Over the next few weeks we will be using some recent surveys from the Brierley Consultancy to delve further into what God is saying to Britain. Each instalment will feature statistics on a different set of trends, followed by biblical analysis from Monica Hill.

Hard factual evidence drawn from different kinds of surveys can help Christians to ascertain exactly what, where and how our society is changing, and can equip them both to pray and to take action where necessary.

Christians should be alert to current trends and be prepared to act to bring things into alignment with the ordained will of God. While nothing can take place outside the sovereign will and knowledge of God, not all activities are God-ordained.

Previous weeks: The Rise of Secularism: YES, I have NO religion!

Edmund Heddle looks at the deep symbolism behind the Spirit's descent on Jesus 'like a dove'...

We cannot answer the question 'What is a prophet?' adequately until we turn our attention to Jesus, the Prophet, and discover the secret of his prophetic ministry. Moses foretold the coming of a prophet like himself and yet greater (Deut 18: 15-19). The early church believed that Jesus was that prophet (Acts 3:22-23, 7:37). Jesus referred to himself as a prophet (Matt 13:57, Luke 3:33) and his contemporaries certainly regarded him such (Matt 21:11, Luke 7:16 and John 4:19).

Jesus and the Spirit

It is highly significant that Jesus' prophetic ministry did not commence until after the Spirit had descended on him, immediately following his baptism by John in the Jordan River. Jesus was the Son of God and the Word from all eternity, yet as man he had to receive and rely upon the Spirit of God to carry out his ministry as a prophet. If this was true of Jesus, how much more must it be true for us!

Jesus' prophetic ministry did not start until after the Spirit had descended on him. If this was true of Jesus, how much more must it be for us!"

Who saw the Dove?

What is the special significance in our being told that the Spirit descended on Jesus 'like a dove'? Some have been content to see this as a reference to the innocence and harmlessness of the Spirit, along the lines of Jesus' words in Matthew 10:16, "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves". But there is a much deeper meaning in this phrase 'like a dove', if we let the biblical references fill out its meaning.

Who saw the dove? According to Matthew and Mark the dove was seen by Jesus (Matt 3:16-17, Mark 1:10-11). Luke mentions the descent of the dove but does not say who actually saw it. John's gospel however indicates that the dove was also seen by John the Baptist, and that this was the pre-arranged sign by which he would recognise the Messiah (John 1:31-34). It is to be noted that none of the gospels indicate that the dove was seen by the crowds standing by.

A Real Dove?

We need also to note that the gospels do not say that it was a dove, but that it was 'like a dove'. As on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit revealed himself like rushing mighty wind and like tongues of fire, so here it does not say that an actual dove flew down and alighted on the newly baptised Jesus. It was real to Jesus and his forerunner John, and deeply significant to these two, both of whom had minds that were soaked in the stories and teaching of the Old Testament.

The Spirit's descent 'like a dove' would have been deeply significant to both Jesus and John the Baptist."

The Brooding Dove

We have only to turn to the second verse of the Bible to read: "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Some translators prefer 'brooding' to 'hovering', but both words describe the activity of a bird. The Talmudic comment on this verse reads: "The Spirit of God who moved on the face of the waters like a dove." Those who are familiar with Milton's Paradise Lost will recall the lines "...and with mighty wings outspread, dovelike sat'st brooding on the dark abyss".²

The descent of the dove on our Lord marks him out and qualifies him to be the one to bring mankind out of the chaos of a fallen world and into the "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Pet 3:13). The dove is symbolic of the mighty creative power of God, which rested in fulness on Jesus. Yet at the same time it reveals the quietness of such power; expressed beautifully by Dr Alexander McLaren in the words: "The Spirit of God was brooding over chaos and quickening life, as a bird in its nest by the warmth of its own soft breast."¹

Dove with Olive Branch

The second Bible reference to the dove occurs in the story of Noah's flood (Gen 8:6-12). Because of the spread of man's violence and the unheeded preaching of Noah, God's judgement fell on all except those who took the God-provided way of escape (Gen 6:11-13; 2 Pet 2:5). After the floodwaters had receded and the Ark had come to rest on Mt. Ararat, Moses sent out two birds. The raven, a bird of prey, flew off and stayed away, doubtless feeding on what had died. The dove returned to the Ark as the earth was still covered with water.

Seven days later the dove was again sent out and this time returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. The dove bearing the olive branch was messenger of hope to the prisoners in the ark, telling them that judgement was past. The raven, in contrast, was too intent on gorging itself that it brought no message.

The dove's descent marks Jesus out as the One to bring order out of the world's chaos, hope out of despair, life out of death."

Augustine put it like this: "As the dove did at that time bring tidings of the abating of the water so doth it now of the abating of the wrath of God upon the preaching of the Gospel." The dove that comes to us with a leaf plucked from the tree of life is symbolic of the redemptive power of our Saviour and of the good news that through him we have escaped judgement and have been reborn into his new creation.

Poor Man's Sacrifice

In the Old Testament system of sacrifices, the only bird that was allowed to be offered was the dove. The rich were required to bring a bull or a lamb, but the poor man (as in the case of Jesus' parents) could bring a pair of doves (Lev 1:14-17, Luke 2:24). We know that doves were acceptable offerings from the stories of Jesus cleansing the temple and his overturning the benches of those selling doves (John 2:14-16, Matt 21:12-13).

St. Cyprian sums up his understanding of the doves' acceptability as a sacrifice in the following words: "A dove, a gentle joyous creature, with no bitterness of gall, no fierceness of bite and no violence of rending claws".³ The Spirit who came on Jesus was the Spirit of sacrifice, the Spirit that led him eventually to offer himself without blemish to God (Heb 9:14). The voice from heaven that accompanied the descent of the dove declared that Jesus after living thirty years in Galilee was totally acceptable to God.

Jesus' submission to baptism by John in the Jordan and the descent of the dove upon him are the negative and positive aspects of his Spirit of entire self offering; of his oneness and identification with the sinful race he came to save and of his complete consecration to achieve their eternal salvation cost what it might.

In the Old Testament, the dove was the only bird acceptable as a sacrifice. The Spirit who came on Jesus was the Spirit of self-sacrifice, leading him to offer himself on our behalf- an offering with which God was 'well pleased'."

Spring and Lovers

The Song of Songs tells us that the dove is the herald of spring and is associated with lovers:

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land...My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely (Song of Solomon 2:10-12, 14).

The Hebrew word for dove comes from the word yayin, which contains the ideas of effervescence and intoxication and refers to the warmth of doves' love-making. There is a 'twoness' about doves. The poor man's offering was a pair of doves. Doves live in pairs and lay a clutch of two eggs, "nurturing their young together; when they fly abroad hanging in their flight side by side; leading their life in mutual intercourse; giving in concord the kiss of peace with their bills; in every way fulfilling their unanimity" (to quote from St. Cyprian again⁴).

The coming down of the dove on Jesus symbolises our Lord as the lover of our souls, desiring to become one with his bride- the Church."

Their twoness becomes oneness, or as St Paul says to the Ephesians (5:31-32), "the two shall become one". Paul says he is referring to Christ and his bride, the church. The coming down of the dove on our Lord reveals him to be the lover of our souls who cannot be content until we respond to his eternal love-making.

The Dove Prophet

As well as the direct references to the dove in Scripture we have examined, there is a very instructive one, which is not immediately apparent. The Hebrew word for dove is 'Yonah' or 'Jonah': the name of a prophet who tried to escape from the responsibility of declaring God's message to the city of Nineveh. When Jonah was sent he disobeyed but the One on whom the dove came acted in absolute obedience, when his Father told him to leave heaven and travel to our earth with the message of God's pardoning love.

Jesus is the true and perfect Jonah, the final dove-prophet."

Sinful Jonah, when sent by God, disobeyed and found himself jettisoned into a storm of judgement. Yet in the incredible mercy of God he was saved by being swallowed up and vomited out! Sinless Jesus was completely obedient to God's instructions and yet found himself overwhelmed by the storms of judgement and death. But he rose again! Furthermore, the only sign he would give his generation was the sign of Jonah (Matt 16:4). Jesus is the true Jonah, the final dove-prophet, the missioner of God. It was when John saw the dove descend on him that he recognised his cousin to be nothing less than the Son of God, the Lamb of God and the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit (John 1:29-34).

Dove-Prophets Today

Those who are prophets today must be careful to make sure that the Spirit that is inspiring their speaking is truly the Dove.

A possible reaction to man's rebellion and violence and to its inevitable consequence of divine judgement and punishment, is that we become harsh in our attitudes, judgmental in our speech and separatist in our relationships. But we are not to manifest the spirit of the raven, but the Spirit of the Dove.

Those prophesying today must not manifest the harsh spirit of the raven, but the endlessly loving Spirit of the Dove."

Dove-prophets are to be endlessly loving, always seeking unity and togetherness. They must sacrifice their own plans and preferences for the greater joy of announcing forgiveness to those who would otherwise perish. They are to be ever hopeful; convinced that the last word is with the God who will yet have heaven and earth as he intends.

Commenting on the descent of the dove, Dr. Alexander McLaren said of Jesus: "Since he was a man, he needed the Divine Spirit. Since he was sinless, he was capable of receiving it in perfect and unbroken continuity."⁵ If he needed the Dove, so much more do we- and the thrilling truth is that our need has been met. Every Christian prophet today may by faith receive the Spirit in fullness; the Spirit that is 'like a dove'.

References

1 Commentary on Mark 1:9-10

2 Vol. 1.

3 Treatise 1, section 9.

4 See previous note.

5 See note 1.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 1, No 4, 1985.

Clifford Denton argues that the Christian Church is intended to be the authentic expression of Biblical Judaism.

Biblical Roots

So far in this series, we have looked at how the Christian Church emerged from a Jewish background. It seems strange to us today, but first century Christians would have considered themselves the authentic manifestation of Judaism. Whilst the Church's departure from many aspects of Rabbinic Judaism is understandable, it need not have completely severed itself from its roots. Indeed, every authentic aspect of the Christian Church has its roots in what we might call biblical Judaism.

Our use of this term 'biblical Judaism' is expressly different from the biases associated with Rabbinic Judaism (the most important of these being the denial of Jesus as Messiah, and of the New Covenant manifestation of the Torah written on the heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit). The Apostle Paul taught clearly about this in his letters to the Romans and the Galatians. Nevertheless, the metaphor of the Olive Tree in Romans 11 is an inclusion of the Gentile branches into a pre-existing body, not the growth of an entirely new body. It was the task of all the teachers of Israel to interpret the entire Bible for the people. This principle became the background to the teaching of the Christian Church as much as it was the foundation of Rabbinic Judaism.

The metaphor of the Olive Tree in Romans 11 shows the inclusion of Gentile branches into a pre-existing body, not a growth of an entirely new body!"

Now, however, many branches of the Christian Church have re-defined what was inherited through the first Apostles, so as to divorce itself from its roots. It was as if 'the Church' was a totally new entity, instead of being the result of a continuous covenant plan which began in Genesis and continues to the truths of the Book of Revelation, with all held in perfect balance.

We must, therefore, assess afresh the relationship of the Church to its biblically Jewish heritage. With this perspective, we will be in a position to understand the present situation in the Church and be conscious of our corporate responsibility to reconnect ourselves into our heritage.

Looking back to go forward

It is part of our biblical heritage to look back in order to go forward. Concerning the Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for example, the Bible records that the Children of Israel were to remember what God did in bringing them out of Egypt (Ex 13:5-15).

And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage.' (Ex 13:14)

This gave rise to the question that the youngest child asks at each Passover Meal as part of the Seder in a Jewish home: "Why is this night different from every other night?" This question gives the head of the home the opportunity to relate what God did for Israel at the Exodus.

All of the biblical feasts are reminders of what God has done for his people. These things have generated the Hebraic mindset: always conscious of the past, as one walks into the future. The present and the future emerge from the past. Mankind is prone to forget the past so God himself demanded that his people remember their origins. A Hebrew has been likened to a person rowing a boat into the future, looking backwards as he rows forwards.

All the biblical feasts are reminders of what God has done for his people. But they are also prophetic pointers to the future. For God's people, the present and future emerge from the shadows of the past"

The future for God's people comes out of the shadows of the past. The Feasts are both reminders of history and prophetic pointers to the future. The Passover was the coming out of Egypt, but also points forward to the Messiah's sacrifice and our release from the bondage of sin into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Christian Church, therefore, recalls the exodus from Egypt and celebrates this historical deliverance of the Children of Israel, as well as celebrating the greater fulfillment, through Jesus, bringing freedom from the bondage of sin.

Shavuot, the Feast of Pentecost, is a remembrance of the giving of the Torah on tablets of stone, but it also points forward to the giving of the Holy Spirit and the writing of the Torah on the hearts of God's people. Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, reminds us of Israel's wilderness years and our dependence on God. It also continues to remind us that we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth (Heb 11:13), pointing to the Messianic Kingdom when Jesus the Messiah returns.

The Christian Church has tended to accept its biblical inheritance in Christ without paying enough heed to the continuity of biblical history. The Sabbath was moved to Sunday and lost some of its original purpose. The Passover became Easter. The bread and the wine became Eucharist and the central part of Mass, disengaging itself from the fulfillment of the Passover meal. These are examples, and there are others, reminding us that the Christian Church divorced itself from its own history whilst keeping some of the symbols and practices, but in a different framework.

Parting of the Ways

There followed a fragmentation into different sects and denominations of Christianity with their own authority structures, creeds and points of divergence. When many Christians look back to their origins they look back to the Church Councils and so-called 'Church Fathers' rather than to the deeper origins of the believing community. This has contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from the emerging Judaism of the First Century.

An example of the ongoing fruit of this can be found in a statement, in recent years, from Vatican 2, a major council of the Roman Catholic Church. In the 'Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions', of 28 October 1965, there were moves towards reconciliation of the Roman Catholic Church to the Jews. The following statement is contained in the document:

Indeed, the Church reproves every form of persecution against whomsoever it may be directed. Remembering, then, her common heritage with the Jews, and moved not by any political consideration, but solely by the religious motivation of Christian charity, she deplores all hatreds, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism leveled at any time or from any source against the Jews. [emphasis added]

Yet, in the paragraph preceding this statement, there is also this statement:

It is true that the Church is the new people of God...

Even in recognizing the roots of the Roman Catholic Church as coming from biblical Judaism, so strong is the pull to the later Catholic foundations that there is an ongoing proclamation of separation rather than the continuity of covenant history. The same is true of other branches of the Christian Church and this can be discovered if one reads popular accounts of church history.

Today there is an ongoing proclamation of separation, rather than a recognition of the continuity of covenant history. But every intended characteristic of the authentic Christian Church has its origins in biblical Judaism!"

In discussing the separation between Christians and Jews, Marvin Wilson draws attention to some of the issues he sought to address in his book, in a useful summary for our study here:

The revelation or teaching of the living God, who gave guidance and instruction for the benefit of his people, will be our main emphasis on Jewish heritage. (Since he revealed the truth of his Word primarily through Hebraic concepts, significant Hebrew terms will be emphasized throughout this work.) Many chapters will focus on the Jewish background and understanding of various institutions and theological or ethical themes of Scripture, the Lord's Supper, and the Church as community. We will study the nature of salvation, faith, and spirituality.

We will also give attention to the Jewish concept of history, work and worship, and the importance of wisdom, knowledge and learning. In addition, we will emphasize the importance of understanding the Jewishness of Jesus. Furthermore, the reader will find extensive teaching on marriage and the family, because these topics are so foundational to the Church's Jewish heritage and of contemporary relevance to most Christians.¹

If we stop and take stock of every intended characteristic of the authentic Christian Church, we can look back and find the origins in the history of biblical Judaism. We must not look at those origins and perceive the Church as a new institution taking those traditions and redefining them in a new framework for the Gentile world. We should look back and reconnect with the history of our people.

Pausing to Consider

In an essay entitled Neither Fish nor Fowl,² Kai Kjer-Hansen writes:

It is a historical fact that what was later to be named Christianity and the Christian church first emerged as a Jewish phenomenon. Jesus was a Jew, the first to receive him were Jews, the kingdom of God which he proclaimed came out of a Jewish context, and the church was, by its very nature, a Jewish phenomenon intended for all, Jews as well as gentiles. The new belief was Jewish belief, not a new religion: "It was Judaism of a different kind," as Jakob Jocz has put it. This "Judaism of a different kind" had its focal point in the person of Jesus, his words and deeds – to such an extent that it was said that there is salvation in no other name than Jesus (Acts 4:12). [emphasis added]

In his book Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, David Flusser looks at the foundations of Christianity through the eyes of a Jewish scholar. He confirms the view that Jesus entered the world of Judaism, and that the Christian Church emerged as a totally Jewish response to Messianic expectation. In the beginning to Chapter 1, The Early Christian Writings and their relationship to Judaism, he writes:

The early Christian writings reflect ideas, beliefs, views and trends in Second Temple Judaism. They reflect the world of the sages' Biblical exegesis, their parables, and even their own uncertainties. One also finds expressions of the hope for redemption and of the Messianic beliefs current in Judaism during that period. One can also discern echoes of most streams in Judaism of the time, including those of groups which the Sages regarded as heretical, such as Hellenistic Judaism and the Essenes, or the Dead Sea Sect.³

Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:

...at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:12-22)

This was a letter to believers from among the Gentiles declaring their inclusion in the covenant family. Those who were far off were brought into the fellowship that began with those who were from a Jewish background and followed the teaching of Jesus. That teaching was the total fulfillment of what was promised through the covenant history of Israel.

The Christian Church has established a Gentile religion, exchanging its Jewish heritage for influences from the Greek and Roman world"

In this way we perceive that out of the context of Israel's Messianic hope and all the preparations that went before, came the emergence of a movement that encompassed both Jews and Gentiles. Some branches of Christianity have separated from this flow of history and become established as a Gentile religion. In so doing, the Church has taken into itself emphasis from the Greek and Roman world. When we look back we see a parting of the ways between the Christian Church and its true roots while retaining practices re-defined in Christian terms (such as baptism, communion, prayer, worship of the God of Abraham, biblically based ethics, and much more) that it first inherited from its Jewish and Hebraic background.

Looking Forward

With this looking back, we can with confidence also look forward. We can position ourselves conceptually in biblical history where the background to the Church was formed and look forward, as it were, to what the Church was always intended to be.

From one continuous flow of history, God has worked to redeem one covenant family from all mankind. Here are some of the principles that we can see developing as we look forward into the future, when we reconnect with our past:

• Through Adam all mankind was separated from God through sin (Gen 3:24).
• God prepared a Covenant plan before any single nation was chosen (Gen 8:21-9:17, Gen 17).
• Abraham was singled out to be the father-figure of this Covenant nation (Rom 4).
• The condition for membership of the Covenant community is faith, faith that is fulfilled in Jesus and is evidenced by fruitful lives of good works (Rom 4, Heb 11).
• The Covenant principles were further revealed through Moses, David and the Prophets (Ex 20, Deut 29, Jer 31).
• God showed his people how to live as individuals, families and a community. He gave them righteous and ethical rules for ordering society. He gave them their Feast days. He even gave them their language – the language of Scripture, namely Hebrew. He gave them models to follow in interpreting his Torah.
• Through the centuries the Torah principles were interpreted into an ordered lifestyle, with every aspect of life from birth, through marriage to death, from farming and finance to mealtimes and raising families, all included.
• The principal of ordered, Godly life was first through family and second through the community in which elders interpreted the ways of God as given through Moses (Ex 18:13-27).
• Though there was falling away by Israel from the teaching of God, and even exile from their Land, we learn from their struggles and their history about the background into which Jesus and the Apostles came to teach us all (1 Cor 10). We can picture the Temple, the Synagogues, the family framework of society, the Torah basis of life, ceremonial washing, the worshipping community, the Feasts, and so on, as we explore our biblical heritage anew.
• From this background emerged Jesus the Messiah. An expectation of the coming Messiah built up over the years of Israel's history. As we take a step back conceptually into this biblical history and culture, and look forward from Adam's fall to our day, we gain relevant concepts of who Jesus is. We also understand better who we are as the Covenant community today, and have a better understanding of the ongoing place of Israel in God's purposes. Through this, we understand more clearly Jesus' coming into the world, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel going to all nations. It was into this historical context that Gentiles could finally come in and fulfill their part of God's Covenant promise to Abraham.

If we consider every aspect of the development of the Covenant Community prior to the call to the Gentile nations, we can properly identify what was intended in the extension of the existing community to include both Jews and Gentiles by faith in Jesus the Jewish Messiah.

The Church existed before the Gentiles entered it: Jesus brought reformation to the existing community of faith."

Jesus brought reformation to the existing community: the Church existed before the Gentiles entered it. In terms of a gathered community it went back at least to those who stood before Mount Sinai to receive God's commandments and it extends through all history to encompass some from every nation in the one community of faith. I would say it went back even further than that, certainly to the family of Abraham, and in some way to the heavenly community that existed before creation.

Summary

The roots of the Christian Church in the history of Israel are vital to understand: not only to properly understand the Church's true identity, but also to understand its relationship with Israel- past, present and future.

Every practice and function of the Christian Church (including the origin of the term 'Church', the practices of communion and baptism, the Feast days, the ethical structure of the community, the family basis, worship, prayer, knowledge of God through faith, the authority structure, the meaning of Torah and on and on into every principle and practice) can be best reviewed in terms of the Hebraic and Jewish heritage.

For Study and Prayer

Consider if there are any ways in which your own Church has moved away from the biblical heritage of the First Century. How might we reconnect with that heritage?

Next time: The Council of Jerusalem

References

1 Our Father Abraham, Eerdmans, 1989, p33.

2 In Jewish Identity and Faith in Jesus, Caspari Centre, 1996.

3 Adama Books, 1987.

These studies are developed from the course Christianity's Relationship with Israel and the Jews, first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.

'A Wondering Jew', by John Fieldsend (Radec Press, 2014, 181 pages, available from CWI Bookroom for £8.99 + postage)

Here is an autobiography to warm the heart, a personal story of a life under threat in its early stages and yet which, under God's grace and guidance, has been long and fulfilled.

John Fieldsend was one of the Kindertransport children rescued from Nazi tyranny by Nicholas Winton. Born in Czechoslovakia and brought up in Germany during Hitler's rise to power, early pressures forced his family back to Vitkov in their native land- but there was to be no respite. Following the failure of the Evian-les-Bains conference in July 1938 to offer increased help for Jewish refugees, Nazi confidence and aggression grew. Before long, John was on his way to England.

Here, a long and eventually fruitful life started to take shape: education, marriage, ordination and ministry, especially in the area of Jewish-Christian relations where John was often a pioneering force. The drama unfolds in a way that demonstrates God's sovereign hand at work. He confesses that he did not experience a dramatic calling to full-time Christian ministry, but "the seed had been lodged in my mind while still in the RAF; it was growing and would not go away." (p63). It took others to reassure him of the reality of his calling, which he then readily followed.

Whilst John's story is enlightening and encouraging, its force lies in his admission of an identity crisis due to his Jewish background"

As well as providing enlightening historical details and encouraging personal memories, so clearly related, the force of his story lies in his admission of an identity crisis. The issue of being Jewish and Christian was one that "had pierced right into the heart of my being and pulled me into a deep identity crisis, which took the form of a long dark tunnel. I was dominated by wondering, 'Who am I?' and could find no answer." (p110). His honesty is refreshing, as he realises that such confusion would reduce his effectiveness to serve God. But eventually he came out of that tunnel as realisation dawned that rather than being a Christian with a Jewish background, he was a Jewish Christian, a Messianic Jew. God had set him on a new path that would help many others, a path that he continues to tread now, well into his eighties.

The rest of his story resonates with gratitude and a desire to live by faith, and is one that will bring hope and encouragement to others. Although the paragraphs are often overlong, the book is set in a clear, well-spaced type which helps readability. Overall, here is an account of a spiritual journey which should make us wonder afresh at the purposes of our loving heavenly Father.

Is there deeper significance in events on and off the football field?

The dramatic arrest of FIFA officials in the luxury Baur au Lac hotel, overlooking Lake Zurich on charges of corruption took the football world by surprise. But allegations of corruption have been levelled at FIFA for many years. In 2011 an independent panel convened to deal with these allegations proposed a number of measures, but their recommendations were ignored. The surprise this time was due to the intervention of American law enforcement agencies investigating crimes of money laundering and corruption involving banks based in America.

Controversy and Injustice

The refusal of 79 year old Sepp Blatter to step down as President of FIFA after 17 years in office is, perhaps, the greatest scandal. Even if he himself is totally innocent of corrupt practices, he has presided over an organisation that has a terrible reputation. It would seem logical to say that as head of the multibillion-dollar organisation he ought to have known what was going on. He is either corrupt or incompetent and in either case he is not the man to clean up such an influential International Association.

Football is no longer just a game: it is a highly lucrative international industry offering huge wealth to both sponsors and players, and is therefore vulnerable to massive corruption. But there are also enormous differences in the rewards paid to players. In some of the developing countries such as Uruguay and Costa Rica professional players earn only a $150 a month¹ whereas in Europe they can earn $150,000 a week! FIFA should be addressing such vast injustices.

The controversy surrounding the President of FIFA has highlighted differences in economics, culture and practices between European nations and those in the developing nations. Sepp Blatter has spent the past 17 years promoting high-level international football (with its huge financial rewards) in Africa and South America, where he has won many friends who have benefited and want him to continue as President.

FIFA already presides over huge injustices, such as massive global disparities in footballers' wages. The latest allegations of bribery and corruption just add insult to injury.

'Shrewd' Business in the Bible

Jesus told a parable in Luke 16 about a shrewd businessman who knew that he was going to be dismissed for incompetence so he called a meeting of all the firm's debtors and reduced their debts so that when he lost his job he would have many friends who owed him favours. The point of the parable Jesus said was that worldly people know how to manipulate financial transactions to their own advantage. Righteous people should take a lesson from this and make sure that their lives produce spiritual fruit for eternal life. This is of far greater importance than ensuring a comfortable lifestyle on earth.

Shaking the Establishment

Daily Herald article, 1963

For Christians, it is important to note the spiritual significance of what is happening in the commercial world, and especially how it throws light on how God is working out his purposes today. We have already seen the shaking of the banks and the exposure of corrupt practices, the shaking of the political establishment in the Western nations, the shaking of newspapers and journalists, celebrities and many others. Now football is the latest of the world's big institutions to be shaken.

For many fans, football plays a large part in their lives and has almost become a religion. When Spurs won the league and European Cup double in 1963, the team paraded through the streets of Tottenham North London, with their fans displaying placards saying "HALLOWED BE THEIR NAMES" and "O COME LET US ADORE THEM" (see right). At the Wembley cup final it is traditional to sing the Christian hymn 'Abide with me', though it is doubtful if many in the crowd sing it to the glory of God. Maybe this is the reason why football is the first major sport to come under judgement!

What we are seeing today is in line with the Bible's prophecy of a great shaking of the nations recorded in Haggai 2:6-7, where it is said that this will be accompanied by a great shaking in the world of nature. In the New Testament the writer to the Hebrews interpreted this great shaking as preparing the way for the Kingdom of God; the end of the age, which is generally believed to be the second coming of Jesus (Heb 12:26).

We are living in an incredible period of world history with nations in every part of the world being shaken. As each great event hits the headlines, corruption is revealed as the norm, and dishonour the standard, in the lives and careers of many. As we make a stand for faith, let us stand in the love and strength of Christ, which provides a new way- a way of justice and righteousness -for those who choose to accept him.

References

1 Reuters, 'This should've happened long ago', First Post, 28 May 2015.

As we continue to seek an answer to the question 'What is a prophet?', Edmund Heddle looks at the truth stated in Revelation 19:10: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy".

First, let us notice the close connection that existed between witness-bearing and prophecy in the early church. Jesus' final words to his disciples before his ascension promised:

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Later on, when the Day of Pentecost arrived, Peter explained the extraordinary happenings as a fulfilment of prophecy. But in quoting Joel 2:28-29, Peter added four of his own words, not found in the original prophecy: 'And they shall prophesy'.

Prophecy and witness

Putting together the two stated results of the Spirit's coming -'you shall be witnesses' and 'shall prophesy', it becomes clear that what the disciples of Jesus were to engage in was 'prophetic witnessing'. This means they would be speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, with the words he gave them to speak, and the central theme of their speaking would be Jesus. To them this would be a fulfilment of the promise Jesus made in the Upper Room, when he said "The Spirit of truth...will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses" (John 15:25-27).

Primary witness

Jesus shows here that in the work of spreading the gospel throughout the world, the primary witness was the Holy Spirit and that although the secondary witness of the disciples was essential, without the Holy Spirit their witness would be totally ineffective. This essential relationship in witnessing underlies what Peter said to the Jewish Sanhedrin: "We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:32).

In the work of the gospel, the primary witness is the Holy Spirit and the secondary witness is us. Both are essential"

Old Testament Prophets

The close link between prophecy and witnessing to Christ is also seen in what the New Testament says about the prophets of the Old Covenant. Peter preaching in the house of Cornelius declared "To him all the prophets bear witness" (Acts 10:43).

The writer to the Hebrews refers to the Holy Spirit bearing witness to Christ's perfect offering for our sins (Heb 10:14-18). Peter makes it clear that prophets were moved to prophesy things that were totally beyond their understanding. He said: They enquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. (1 Pet 1:11)

Devoted to prophecy

It is in the Book of Revelation that we see the closest connection between prophecy and witness, or testimony to Jesus. Revelation is the only book in the New Testament devoted entirely to prophecy (Rev 1:3, 10:11 and 22:18). It is a prophetic message from the Lord Jesus through John, to be read at the worship services of the church in Asia Minor. John never refers to himself as a prophet, though he is not the only example of an apostle prophesying (Acts 27:21-26).

In the book of Revelation we see the closest connection between prophecy and witness"

C. M. Kempton Hewitt shows how important the Book of Revelation is to our understanding of New Testament prophecy. He writes:

The Book of the Revelation is necessary to complete the New Testament canon. Without it we would know very little about the form and function of prophecy in the primitive church.¹

Important statement

The most illuminating statement about prophecv in the Book of Revelation (and possibly in the whole New Testament) is the verse we have already referred to in chapter 19:10 – "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." William Barclay in his commentary describes it as "an ambiguous phrase and a very import one."

John had been listening to a breath-taking account of the final salvation God will bring about and the blessedness of those who are invited the marriage supper of the Lamb. Finally, when the angel assures him the absolute certainty of these things, John understandably falls down to worship the angel. The angel immediately warned him against such action, saying, "You must not do that! I am but a servant like yourself and your brothers who hold fast the testimony Jesus. Worship God!" Then follows the statement, "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy", though it is not clear whether it is part of the angel's message or whether it is John's inspired comment.

Difficult phrase

Commenting on this phrase, the Translator's New Testament (produced by the Bible Society to assist those making new translations in the vernacular) states:

This is a difficult phrase, partly because of the two possible interpretations of the first part of the sentence (the testimony of Jesus may mean 'the testimony which Jesus bore' or it may mean 'the Christian testimony to Jesus'); partly because it is not clear whether the reference is to OT or NT prophets and partly because of the form of words in 'is the spirit of prophecy'.

On the other hand, Henry Alford in the Greek New Testament² is quite decided about the right way to understand this phrase. He argues that Jesus in the genitive must be objective and therefore the phrase must be understood as 'the testimony borne to Jesus by these fellow-servants'. He adds, "There is no reason for destroying its force by making Jesus subjective and ',the Testimony of Jesus' to mean 'the witness which proceeds from Jesus'."

Rev 19:10 is a difficult, ambiguous phrase. But one thing is for certain: it affirms a clear link between prophecy and witness to Jesus."

William Barclay, however, noting that scholarship is divided on whether the phrase means 'the witness which the Christian bears to Christ' or 'the witness which Christ bears to men' wonders whether the double meaning is intentional and writes (in his Commentary on Revelation):

This is the kind of double meaning of which the Greek language is capable; and it may well be that John intended the double meaning and that we are not meant to choose between the meanings, but to accept both of them.

Prophets and witnesses

One thing is certain, however the verse may be understood: this phrase affirms an inseparable link between Christian prophecy and witness to Jesus.

David Hill³ draws attention to the parallel between this verse and a similar situation and verse in chapter 22:9 and concludes that the brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus are to be identified with the prophets. He declares:

What appears to be implied by the collocation of clauses in this verse is that all members of the church are, in principle or potentially, prophets, just as the whole church presents itself, in exemplary fashion, in the form of the two witnesses [emphasis added, see also Rev 11:3].

The Spirit glorifies Jesus

Enough has been said to establish the connection in Scripture between prophecy on the one hand and witness, or testimony, to Jesus on the other. But such a link is only to be expected. Jesus said "The Spirit of truth...He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14). We should expect therefore that all prophecy that is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit will witness to Jesus; to who he is, to what he has said and done, to what he is doing now and to what he will yet do.

We should expect that all prophecy that is truly Holy Spirit-inspired will witness to who Jesus is, what he has said and done, is doing now and will yet do"

Angels and men share task

From the incident before us we see that it is prophecy that links men and angels as fellow-servants of God; as those who are engaged in one common task, bearing witness to Jesus. Martin Kiddle writes⁴:

The Christian who holds the testimony of Jesus does no less than an angel. The angel proclaims the eternal truth of Christ's gospel; he comes from the Presence with messages to men [Luke 1:30-35; 2:10-12]...But the prophet also performs this task; he also proclaims the mind of Christ.

It is prophecy that links men and angels as fellow-servants of God, engaged in one common task of bearing witness to Jesus"

The angel forbade John to worship him. But both angels and men join to worship the Lord Jesus. He is the one whom the disciples worshipped without rebuke (Matt 28:9, 17) and concerning whom Scripture says, "Let all the angels of God worship him" (Heb 1:6).

Witnesses and martyrs

The Book of the Revelation warns us that the prophets of the New Testament church, like their predecessors in the Old Testament, must expect persecution it they bear a faithful witness to Jesus Christ. Remember the writer himself was imprisoned on the isle of Patmos "on account of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev 1:9), and many other apostles were put to death. And so the witness (in Greek, 'martus') becomes the martyr.

Testing prophecy

It is precisely because prophecy affirms things about Jesus that both Paul and John are insistent that all prophecy must be tested. They warn us not to accept every inspired utterance at its face value. We do well to remember Jesus' warning that there would be false prophets as well as true ones (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:19-22, 1 John 4: 1-3, Matt 7:15-20).

It is precisely because prophecy affirms things about Jesus that all prophecy must be tested."

Christ-like prophesying

The inspiring Spirit at the heart of all true prophecy is ever seeking to point men to Jesus and to the truth about Jesus. We can take it, however, that the phrase we have been studying refers not only to the content of the prophecy, but also to the manner in which the utterance is presented. If a prophecy is to bear effective testimony to Jesus it must at the same time bear witness to his loving and gracious attitude of service. Bernard of Clairvaux got it right when he said "Learn the lesson that if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe." Prophets, like Jesus, are to be servants and must not use their gift to lord it over God's people (Luke 22:27).

Prophecy's dark side

George Mallone points out that "singing only one tune in prophecy fails to express the full nature of Christ as it is revealed in Scripture".⁵ There is a dark side to the prophet's ministry and a full-orbed presentation of judgement and grace must feature in any adequate testimony to the Lord Jesus.

Speaking in love

As we sum up our answer to the question 'What is a prophet?' we see that it is someone who is so filled with the Holy Spirit that this influences everything that he says and the way that he says it. John Gunstone said:

I have heard prophetic utterances that brought congregations to their knees in penitence and joy, and I have heard other utterances devoid of inspiration that spoke only of the anger and frustration of the one who gave them.⁶

Prophets must never forget the danger pointed out by Paul, when he said "If I have prophetic powers...but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2).

Prophets must never forget the danger pointed out by Paul, when he said "If I have prophetic powers...but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2).

So, whether we are thinking of the continuing prophetic witness all believers are responsible to maintain, or of the gift of prophecy manifest occasionally in the church, or of those who have been given a prophetic ministry in the church and in the world, all true Christian prophesying will be distinguished by the fact that it points to Jesus and promotes his honour. For this is what the Spirit of prophecy is constantly urging all true prophets to do.

First published in Prophecy Today, 1985, Vol 1, Issue 3.

References

1 Handbook of Biblical Prophecy, Baker, p112.

2 Vol 4, p726.

3 New Testament Prophecy, Marshalls, pp89-90.

4 Moffatt Commentary on Revelation

5 Those Controversial Gifts, Hodder & Stoughton, pp40-41.

6 A People for His Praise, Hodder & Stoughton, p105.

Clifford Hill responds to the Irish vote for same-sex marriage.

"You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time." It looks as though the Irish have disproved this platitude. The campaigners, a small group of homosexuals who joined forces with a determined army of secular humanists, themselves said that this could not have happened five years ago. In an incredibly short time they have succeeded in creating a social revolution in Ireland. But what they hail as a "victory for equality" is in fact a victory for deception!

Victory for Equality?

Same-sex marriage has nothing to do with 'equality'. You can have equality in the law of the land simply by legalising same-sex partnerships; but you cannot 're-define' marriage, which is part of God's act of creation, any more than you can redefine the moral law of truth, or the natural law of gravity. The state may call a same-sex relationship 'marriage', but it will not be marriage in the sight of God.

Amidst all the campaigning for 'equality', there has been a huge cover-up of the health risks associated with actively gay lifestyles."

It is amazing how the campaigners have been able to deceive the nation. At the public celebrations a number of Government Ministers were interviewed – all hailing the result as a victory for 'equality'. The Minister of Health welcomed the result: but he did not acknowledge the great deception – the cover-up of the health risks, that by encouraging boys to engage in homosexual practices they are reducing their life expectancy by over 20 years because the human body is not designed for penetrative anal intercourse.¹ But the medical facts are ignored.

Discrimination Unacceptable

In my work in the community over many years I've had countless conversations with both men and women with homosexual tendencies or in active relationships. I have a great deal of sympathy for their desire to be accepted on the same terms as everyone else. All discrimination is totally unacceptable. But most of the people I have talked with are not simply concerned with equality: even if they are not practising Christians, they want their relationship of love to be both recognised by others and blessed by God. The blessing of God is the one thing of which I have never been able to assure them.

All discrimination is totally unacceptable. But we cannot assure people that God blesses homosexual relationships as marriage"

A true love relationship between two people of the same gender is not wrong and can be blessed by God who is the very essence of love. But the Bible emphatically states that homosexual acts are wrong. It says, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Lev 18:22).

Most of these sexual regulations relate to the health of individuals and society: for example, to prevent inbreeding in a small community. But the teaching of the New Testament is equally clear on what is regarded as sexual deviance, "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9).

SSM and the Church

In biblical terms, 'marriage' is between one man and one woman and can never be redefined- whatever laws are passed by human parliaments. I have a great love for the Irish people, but I recognise that many of them have a very limited knowledge of the Bible because the Catholic Church in Ireland has never encouraged people to study the word of God for themselves. Most people have just left 'religion' to the priests.

There have also been many cases of abuse of children and of harsh treatment of single mothers in care homes. In fact, this huge vote in favour of homosexual marriage may well be an expression of the way the ordinary people in Ireland have reacted against the Catholic Church for the way the hierarchy desperately tried to cover up their sins. The same-sex marriage vote may be an anti-church vote as much as a vote for social change.

The same-sex marriage vote in Ireland may be an anti-church vote as much as a vote for social change"

The Tide of Secular Humanism

Sadly what has happened in Ireland will affect other nations in the Western world as it adds force to the tide of secular humanism sweeping Europe and undermining the Judaeo-Christian foundations of the nations. As I watched the scenes of rejoicing in Dublin I remembered the warning given to Abraham "the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure" (Gen 15:16).

The sin of the Amorites began with homosexual practices and degenerated into all kinds of sexual perversions. In several Western nations, pressure groups are already lobbying for the age of consent to be lowered- and some even for the legalisation of some form of paedophilia.² They say that young people below the present age of consent at 16 are increasingly engaging in sexual activity and it is wrong to criminalise them. They argue that society should recognise the social revolution that has taken place and therefore all forms of sexual activity for any age group should be legalised.

Once again their argument is based upon 'equality'; but once again it is deception, as they ignore the immense harm they are doing, not only in weakening family life but also in endangering the physical, mental and emotional health of every individual caught up in the so-called 'social revolution'.

References

1 Eg Cameron, P and Cameron, K, 2007. Federal distortion of homosexual footprint (ignoring early gay death?), Family Research Institute, CO. Please note that this research is largely rejected by the pro-LGBT community.

2 Age of consent reform, Wikipedia

As the dust settles in Nepal, Charles Gardner considers the prophetic significance of earthquakes...

Frightening scenes of the earth shaking in the Himalayan region, bringing death and destruction to Kathmandu while trapping climbers in an avalanche, are stark reminders of our insecurity on this planet.

And although this is a terrible tragedy for the people of Nepal, where thousands of helpless souls were caught in its grip, I believe this is a prophetic sign from heaven as the mountain range known as the 'rooftop of the world' threatens to bring the 'house' down – that is, everything we have held safe and dear during our temporary stay on terra firma.

Wake-Up Call for Israel

In fact, a recent Jerusalem Post editorial referred to the first Nepalese earthquake as a "wake-up call" to Israel, urging the government to ensure that the nation is better prepared for a similar disaster, pointing out that the Jewish state lies on a 'fault' line which runs down the Jordan Valley and that a quake could strike at any moment.¹

Experts have been warning for a number of years that Israel is at risk of a big earthquake in the near future.

Reinforcements are still necessary for schools, hospitals and other public buildings more than 35 years old (ie built before stricter quake-resistance regulations were introduced). Apparently Israel experiences a serious quake every 80-100 years, and the last one occurred in 1927.²

The findings for such a scenario (prepared for Israel five years ago) – that a quake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale (less than Nepal's) would kill an estimated 16,000 people and render 377,000 homeless – are sobering indeed.³

Earthquake Prophesied at Jesus' Return

Yes, it's scary, and we should prepare for the worst. However, such an apocalyptic vision will inevitably become reality for Israel – it's in the Bible! The prophet Zechariah foretells of a time, at the end of the age, when all the nations would come against Jerusalem, causing terrible distress. But the Lord himself will go out and fight them in the day of battle.

On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. (Zech 14:4)

In a recent blog for the Times of Israel,⁴ I mentioned how Yeshua, the Jewish rabbi whom Christians (and a growing number of Jews) worship as Messiah, indicated that earthquakes would strike with increasing frequency and severity, as labor pains on a woman in childbirth, immediately preceding his return.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus returns in glory, he will stand on the Mount of Olives and it will split in two"

And the New Testament records that it was from the Mount of Olives that – 40 days after Passover – the risen Jesus ascended to Heaven. Luke, thought to be the only Gentile to have authored any book of the Bible, said Jesus was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.' (Acts 1:9-11)

Verse 12 tells you that this dramatic incident occurred on the Mount of Olives. So we believe that Yeshua, when he returns, will place his feet there and the ensuing quake will shake the foundations of every man and woman on the planet.

Solid Foundations

We must ensure that the foundations of our lives are solid, rooted in an absolute trust of Elohim⁵, and not just in our temporary homes on this earth, so that when everything else shakes around us, we at least emerge with our faith intact. And when all is said and done, that's what really matters. For all who have not built their 'house' on the only strong foundation there is will be left naked, ashamed and forlorn.

If the foundations of our lives are solid, rooted in absolute trust of God, then as everything else shakes we will emerge with our faith intact."

Famous British author and journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, in his book Jesus Rediscovered, wrote:

The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves to be at home here on earth. As long as we are aliens, we cannot forget our true homeland.⁶

There are many people, including Christians, who are convinced things will get progressively better. Their worldview is based on a utopian aspiration that believes our efforts can bring heaven to earth. But as Jews for Jesus international director David Brickner says, this is not the worldview the Bible presents:

Anyone who thinks things will become progressively better in our world either hasn't heard or hasn't believed what Jesus said in the Olivet discourse (in which he discussed the end of the age). In a word, it is cataclysm, defined as 'a flood, a deluge, any violent change involving sudden and extensive alterations, an upheaval, a social or political one'.⁷

Brickner states: "Jesus says to expect a geopolitical, religious, economic, ecological, sociological and astronomical cataclysm".⁸ But as the world around us disintegrates, if we believe and trust in Yeshua, he promises to help us, strengthen us and guide us to a bright and beautiful eternal future where the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14).

References

1 Nepal wake-up call, 26 April 2015.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Earth-shaking events are signs from heaven, 29 April 2015.

5 This Hebrew name for God (Gen 1:1) traditionally signifies God as Creator and Judge of all.

6 Fontana, 1969, p30-31.

7 Dystopia: the truth behind the fiction, May 2014.

8 Ibid.

'Paradoxology' by Krish Kandiah (Hodder & Stoughton, 2014, 308 pages, £13.99, available on Amazon for £12.78)

To Western minds, paradox shouldn't exist. Everything should be explicable within a neat logical system. In Christianity we strive to produce systematic theologies to help us understand the complexities and mysteries of our faith. Yet instinctively we know that life isn't so simple.

In 'Paradoxology', the author recognises that Christianity was never meant to be simple. Paradoxes are not only to be expected, but embraced as pathways into a deeper truth. Rather than undermine faith, they make it more vibrant.

Each chapter takes one main biblical paradox and explores it via Bible characters (mainly Old Testament) and events. As such, it is a Bible-centred book (a key strength), although those already well-grounded in Scripture may find there is an excessive re-telling of Biblical narratives which can be rather tedious.

All the best-known paradoxes of the Christian faith are included. Through Abraham, Moses and Joshua we are led to think through how the God who needs nothing from us can demand so much, how God can be both close and far away, permanently with us and yet often elusive, and how a compassionate God can be associated with so much violence and slaughter.

Christianity is not meant to be simple. Its paradoxes should be embraced as pathways into a deeper truth: they make our faith more vibrant."

Moving on to Job, Hosea and Habakkuk, we consider suffering in the light of God's omnipotence, how a forgiving God can reject people, and how an unchanging God can be unpredictable, reliable yet surprising. Through Jonah and Esther we tackle issues such as free will and predestination, inclusivity and election; God loves us all and yet elects some more than others! Does God have favourites after all?!

The New Testament provides further material, most notably Jesus himself: the key paradox of divinity and humanity in one person. Judas illustrates choice versus fate, and the cross is seen as multi-paradoxical – how does it actually work? Can one event solve everything? Paul's letters to Rome and Corinth open up personal paradoxes: we are a new creation and yet do what we hate rather than what we should (Rom 7:15). He also considers the paradoxes of the Church as the Body of Christ and his Bride-to-be, yet often inadequate, ineffective and flawed.

Here is a comprehensive collection of Bible paradoxes which encourages a change of mind-set towards faith and the realities of life."

Issues such as these are often debated, but here is a comprehensive collection in one place. The result is a very full book, perhaps overlong. There is a sense that the author is putting in everything he can think of from his wealth of experience and expertise, including his scientific background (a bit technical!), personal examples and plenty of quotations. This is a book from an academic's study, one to read carefully and then keep on the shelf for future reference.

Its main value is that it might help change our thinking towards that of the Biblical writers, for whom paradox and mystery were normal. As our mind-sets become more Hebraic, we will be better able to wrestle with the complexities of our faith and the realities of life. In addition, our worship of God will become more meaningful and our ability to trust in him will increase.

This book does not seek to resolve the paradoxes of our faith- it encourages us to live with them productively."

The author is realistic enough to admit that the "paradoxes of our faith will not be resolved by this book, or any other book" (p307). But then, his main thesis is that we should not even try. Instead we should learn to live with them, and to that end his book makes a valuable contribution.

Clifford Denton continues to consider consequences of the separation of branches of Christianity from its original roots.

The Jewish Messiah becomes the Gentile Christ

This week, we are pausing in our historical survey of Christianity's parting of the ways with Israel and the Jews to consider some of the consequences. There is nothing more important to consider than the way Israel's Messiah has been taken out of his historical and cultural setting and re-defined by Christian theology. At the extreme, some Christian theologians have made Jesus Christ unrecognisable as the expected Messiah of Israel.

Of course, a rejection of Yeshua by many Jews contributed to Christians making fresh claims and re-defining him in a Gentile context. This included changing his Jewish name (Yeshua) to a Greek form (Jesus), and changing his title (Mashiach – Messiah – Anointed One) to the Greek (Christos, shortened to Christ). Whatever the cause, the same Christian theology that saw the Church as replacing Israel has often also been in danger of transforming Yeshua into a Greco-Roman god, an Anglican Bishop, a product of Lutheran or Calvinistic theology, or many other things including a European, African or other form of iconic figure.

Jesus has often been removed from his historical and cultural setting and re-defined by Christian theology, so we lose a sense of his Jewishness."

Words that we use and pictures that we paint are loaded with meaning and are interpreted through the way hearers think. The meaning of the words Jewish and Messiah must be understood without modification of their true, intended meaning. When understood correctly, it is a certain fact that Jesus is both Jewish and Messiah. He perfectly describes and fulfills the meaning of those terms. He was born into a Jewish family, and came to earth to be the Messiah.

These are basic issues for both Christians and Jews. Jews may have defined their Jewishness in a certain way and their Messianic expectation in a certain way, so that many Jews missed the moment of revelation that Yeshua (Jesus) is indeed the Jewish Messiah. Whatever may be the reasons, however, many Christians have disconnected themselves with Judaism so much as to miss the point that Jesus was, is and will return as King of the Jews.

In truth, Jesus was, is and will return as the King of the Jews."

Jesus and his followers

We can read the biblical account over and over again, and still have a mindset that has been cultivated through our own background and culture. We might pay lip-service to the Lord's Jewishness, without realising that our image of him is actually far removed from the truth.

Jesus was born and raised out of the stock of Israel and the Tribe of Judah. He is the fulfillment of the covenant promise given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets of Israel. It was essential, in fulfillment of prophecy (see below), that he was and is of the Tribe of Judah, King of the Jews and the promised Jewish Messiah.

Marvin Wilson writes in his book, Our Father Abraham:

The life and teachings of Jesus reveal a deep commitment to the Jewish beliefs and practices of his day. He was born of Jewish parents (Matthew 1:16) and circumcised on the eighth day in accord with Jewish Law (Luke 2:21). As a boy he celebrated Passover (Luke 2:41-43), and as a youth he learned by interacting with various Jewish teachers, all of whom were amazed at his understanding (Luke 2:46-47). Frequenting the synagogue from Sabbath to Sabbath as was his custom at the start of his adult ministry (Luke 4:16), Jesus was exposed to a wide range of Jewish thought.¹

Marvin also points out:

Furthermore, Jesus' early followers were Jews. Less than three scant years after Jesus launched his public ministry, a nucleus among them would found the primitive Christian assembly. Jesus discipled his followers in the fashion of a typical first-century itinerant teacher of Judaism. Not in synagogue classrooms but on hillsides, in fields, and in remote locations, this Galilean carpenter's son clustered many pupils about him.²

Jesus came to the world of the Rabbis (each being from a various sect of Judaism) and ministered according to Rabbinic traditions, in his own perfect exposition of the Hebrew Scriptures. In particular, we note Jesus' own central purpose while he was on this earth, to find "the lost sheep of Israel" (Matt 15:24).

Jesus the Jewish Messiah

Not only did Jesus come into this world as a Jew, he also fulfilled the promises given through the prophets of the coming Messiah to suffer for his people. The Hebrew root of the word 'Messiah' is 'one who is anointed'. The Messiah foretold by the Scriptures is the one who is anointed by God to lead his people, and bring in eternal peace.

Jesus first came to suffer and pay the sacrifice for the redemption of his people. On his return he will fulfill the remaining prophesies and bring in the Messianic Kingdom (Jude 15, Rev 2:27). Many people from the tribes of Israel expected the Messiah to fulfill the promises all at once when he came. There was an expectation of the "lion lying down with the lamb", the symbol of peace that would confirm the Messianic Kingdom (extracted from Isaiah 65:25). There was therefore a disappointment when this did not take place all at once, and this has been a cause for many Jews rejecting Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah to this day.

Jesus came in fulfillment of the promises of Scripture and will return in fulfillment of the promises of Scripture."

Yet, he came in fulfillment of the promises, will return in fulfillment of the promises and continue to confirm that he is indeed the Messiah. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died as a Jew in fulfillment of all prophecies pointing to his sacrificial death and resurrection. He will return as the King of the Jews, returning to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel and Judah. Here are some of the Scriptures pointing to Jesus (Yeshua), the Jewish Messiah.

• Jacob prophesied His coming from the Tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10).
• Balaam foresaw the Star out of Jacob and the Sceptre from Israel (Num 24:17, 19).
• Moses foresaw the coming Messiah (Deut 18:15).
• David knew that the Messiah would come from his descendants (Psa 132:11).
• Micah was told that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2).
• Daniel was shown the time of the coming of the Messiah to suffer for His people, and Isaiah predicted the suffering too (Dan 9:26, Isa 53:5, 7).
• David related the suffering of Messiah to the Passover Lamb (Psa 22:6).
• Zechariah was shown that Messiah's own brethren would be involved in the sacrifice (Zech 12:11; 13:6).
• The Messiah would rise from the dead (Isa 53:10, Psa 16:10, 11).
• He would be the Son of God (Psa 2:7).
• He would rule with the Father (Psa 110:1).
• He will return to execute vengeance on His enemies and establish the Messianic Kingdom (Jude 15, Rev 2:27).
• He came as the Lamb (John 1:29) and will return as the Lion of Judah (Rev 5:5).

While some people, including many Christian theologians, have created an image of Jesus that is divorced from his Jewish and Hebraic background. Others, including some of his own brethren, have not realised that God raised him up as one of them, of the Tribe of Judah, totally integrated into the biblical world of Israel. He was, is and will return as the Jewish Messiah.

Jesus was, is and will return as the Jewish Messiah. In him is the mending of the rift between Christians and Jews: there is no other way."

The mending of the rift and uniting of Christians with the Israel of God is in and of Yeshua HaMashiach. There is no other way.

For Study and Prayer

Do you agree that some Christians may have unconsciously accepted concepts of Jesus that are not compatible with his Jewish background? Can you think of any examples? How can we move towards correcting any misconceptions?

Follow this link for a study of the significance of the Hebrew letters that form the name Yeshua.

Next time: The Jewish Heritage of the Christian Church

These studies are developed from the course Christianity's Relationship with Israel and the Jews, first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.

References

1 Eerdmans 1989, p40, emphasis added.

2 Ibid.