Snowdrops of good news break through the cold hardness of secularism

A global warning that the Son of God is coming!

God is about to do mighty things in and through Britain.

God’s abhorrence at the killing of children.

“The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes”, declares the Lord. “They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my name and have defiled it. They have built the high places of Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire – something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.” (Jeremiah 7:30-31)

Jeremiah does not identify the pagan gods or goddesses that had been set up in the Temple, but his description of what was happening in the Valley of Ben Hinnom fits the description of Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites, who had been introduced to the land of Judah by King Solomon when he set up shrines to each of the gods of his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:7).

Molech was a particularly evil god to whom children were sacrificed in the fire. This form of religious sacrifice was so abhorrent to God that Moses was told to make it a capital offence: “The Lord said to Moses, say to the Israelites: any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him” (Lev 20:1-2).

The Fires of Gehenna

Hezekiah had cleansed the land of many foreign shrines on the high places but Manasseh, his son, re-introduced a wide range of idolatry including the worship of Molech: “In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practising sorcery and divination” (2 Kings 21:5- 6).

All this was reversed when the young Josiah came of age and instituted reforms, removing “from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts” (2 Kings 23:4). Josiah also “desecrated Topheth which was in the valley of Ben Hinnom, so no-one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire of Molech” (2 Kings 23:10).

Sacrificing children in pagan fire was so abhorrent to God that Moses was told to make it a capital offence.

But all this was reversed once again by Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, which is what caused Jeremiah to explode in righteous anger. The reason why Jehoiakim re-established the burning of babies in the valley of Ben Hinnom is probably to be found in a passing reference in 2 Kings 24:2, which says: “The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him.” It was a common practice to buy off raiders by installing a shrine to their god, acknowledging defeat and reducing the amount of treasure that had to be given to them. The fact that Ammonite raiders are mentioned here would be a reason for re-installing a shrine to Molech.

Jeremiah was outraged: he refers to the shrine as ‘Topheth’ which in Hebrew is a pun, rhyming with the word bosheth (‘shame’) and pronounced like the verb ‘to spit’ used in Job 17:6. The Valley of Ben Hinnom certainly became a ‘valley of shame’ as Jerusalem’s refuse tip which was burning constantly. The name was later shortened to ‘Ge Hinnom’, which when translated into Aramaic and Greek becomes the Gehenna that we meet in the New Testament, as the word for hell whose fires are never extinguished.

Speechlessness

Jeremiah’s level of outrage at the burning of little children in this valley of shame had no measure. He was virtually rendered speechless; as can be seen from the words he puts into the mouth of God: “[this is] something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.” This strange anthropomorphism is unlike any other pronouncement from Jeremiah.

It gives us another little glimpse into the life and ministry of Jeremiah and his amazing relationship with God. The words must have just tumbled out of Jeremiah’s mouth without him stopping to remember that he was speaking on behalf of the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, who was not only omnipotent but also omniscient. It is hard to think that God would actually have said that he had been taken by surprise – that the sins of the people of Judah had actually not ever entered his mind!!

The Valley of Ben Hinnom is the Gehenna we meet in the New Testament as the word for hell whose fires are never extinguished.

Jeremiah’s use of this phrase reveals the nature of genuine, God-inspired prophecy that is expressed through our own human mind and in our human language. It is a reflection of Jeremiah’s own shock and horror, and the abhorrence of the Holy Spirit, that Jehoiakim could have sunk to such a depth of spiritual degradation and offence against the word of God. He was actually committing a crime of which God had said a perpetrator should be stoned to death. Here was the King himself bringing into the land of Judah this terrible practice of burning babies alive.

Glory Departed

It was probably at this moment that Jeremiah realised why God had told him to cease praying for the welfare of the nation - because its fate was already sealed. The holiness of the God of Israel, who had created human beings in his own image for fellowship with him, could not keep company with such detestable behaviour.

God could do no other than remove his presence from the Temple, from Jerusalem and from among the people of Judah. They would now be left to their fate which Jeremiah knew meant that the Babylonians would come and conquer the land, tearing down the walls of Jerusalem, setting fire to the King’s palace and first desecrating and then destroying the Temple. Jeremiah could already foresee what Ezekiel was later to speak about – the word ICHABOD, ‘Glory Departed’, over the Temple.

So, what is God saying to us today? He sees hundreds of live babies torn from their mother’s wombs every day, thrown into a black plastic bag and taken out of the back door of our hospitals and thrown into the incinerator – the modern equivalent of the shrine of Molech. Can we really expect God to bless a nation whose land is filled with the blood of the innocent?

This article is part of a series on the life and ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah. Click here to read previous instalments. You may also be interested in our News Page this week, which features several pro-life events coming up in September.

Persecution calls for joy in hope, patience in affliction and faithfulness in prayer.

Imagine feeling a shot of panic every time you hear a motorbike go past your home. Or waving your spouse off to the shops, or your children off to school, knowing there is a distinct possibility they may be abducted or slaughtered. Or wondering every time you go to a church service whether you and your loved ones will come out alive.

This is the grim reality for Christians in many parts of northern and central Africa, where Islamist militant gangs like Boko Haram and al Shabaab are spreading terror, inspired and supported by better-known groups like Al Qaeda.

This month alone, the Barnabas Fund has reported that Islamist gunmen have been on a killing spree in northern Burkina Faso, storming church services, rounding up congregants and shooting them dead. In predominantly Muslim Niger, a pastor has been shot and a church looted, following a spate of attacks on churches. In mainly Christian Cameroon, two Christian villages have been ransacked.

In Nigeria, one of the deadliest countries in Africa for Christians, 17 church-goers were abducted by Boko Haram last weekend whilst at their choir practice. ISIS-inspired Boko Haram are intent on establishing a caliphate from north-eastern Nigeria to northern Cameroon.

Writing this on a beautifully sunny spring day in England, it’s difficult to imagine what these believers and their families are going through. The long night of Islamist persecution in Africa (particularly in the Sahel region) grows ever darker, with no sign of dawn.

Great is the Darkness

The vast regions of western Africa provide sadly plentiful examples of the persecution of the faithful but, as Open Doors unveils every year with its ‘World Watch List’, Christians are being discriminated against and abused, imprisoned and murdered all around the globe.

The Easter Day attacks in Sri Lanka made shocking headlines, but the fuller list is exhausting: Christians are being targeted by hard-line Islamists in Indonesia and Pakistan, communist state pressure in North Korea, China and Vietnam, radical Hindu attacks in India and Nepal, radical Buddhists in Laos and Myanmar, and Islamic persecution in virtually every country in central Asia, the Middle East (save for Israel) and north Africa.

Christians are being discriminated against and abused, imprisoned and murdered all around the globe.

Such a bleak map spurred the Bishop of Truro to claim in his recent report to the Foreign Secretary that persecution of Christians in some areas is at ‘near genocide’ levels, though political correctness has generally stopped it being reported in the mainstream Western press.

Open Doors' 2019 World Watch List map, showing in colour the 50 worst countries for persecution of Christians.Here in Britain, we may justifiably be concerned about the erosion of free speech, or the gradual encroachment of secularism or Islam, or the threats posed by a Corbyn government. But even with the recent spate of Islamist terror attacks on people and churches in Europe, Christians in the West do not yet face anything like the danger being faced on a daily basis by our brothers and sisters elsewhere around the world.

Refining Fire

In Matthew 24, speaking to his disciples, Jesus said that in addition to deception, wars, famines and earthquakes, one sign of his imminent return would be that “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matt 24:9). But just because these things ‘must happen’, it does not mean that Christians in the comparatively safe West should turn a blind eye, or fail to speak up on these issues, or withhold their prayers. It may not be long before we are next.

Mark well Jesus’ subsequent words: “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (emphasis added).

High levels of persecution lead to a flourishing underground Church; the Gospel has always, paradoxically, produced most life in the fires of hardship. These fires are refining: strengthening faithful believers and removing their impurities through testing.

But they are also refining in another sense, purging the dross from the Body of Christ. As persecution increases, we see the less committed falling away, their attachment to Christ not strong enough to withstand threats to their personal safety or dignity. Still others become ensnared by the smooth words and enticing promises of false prophets, who provide a tempting diversion from harsh reality.

I believe that we are seeing the beginnings of this refining in the Western Church today, where false teachings have already ensnared many and where an increasingly stark division is apparent between Christians who cleave to Scripture and to their Lord (whatever the cost), and those who have accepted a syncretistic or worldly gospel which cannot save.

Just because these things ‘must happen’, it does not mean that Christians in the comparatively safe West should turn a blind eye.

Momentous Drama

It may be that one day soon, believers in the old heartlands of Christianity will face the same long night as our brothers and sisters are currently enduring elsewhere around the world. We must pray that if and when it comes, we will be found faithful.

The wonderful news is that a worldwide surge in persecution will be accompanied by the worldwide spread of the true Gospel and the adding of many more believers to the true Church, who is being prepared as a Bride for her Husband (Matt 24:14).

As this momentous drama unfolds, we are enjoined by the Lord Jesus to guard our hearts and not let our love grow cold – which I take to mean both our love for him, and our love for each other. May this dreadful news from west Africa this month fan the flame of love in our hearts, especially for our persecuted family, in the knowledge that one day soon, our Lord will return and justice will be done (Rev 6:9-11).

Here are several ministries through which you can stand with the persecuted Church. If you know of others, please post them below.

• Barnabas Fund https://barnabasfund.org/en
  
• Open Doors https://www.opendoorsuk.org/
  
• Release International https://releaseinternational.org/
  
• Samaritan’s Purse https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/article/help-persecuted-christians/
  
• Sat-7 (satellite network reaching the Middle East and North Africa with the Gospel) https://www.sat7uk.org/
• Morningstar News (news service focusing exclusively on the persecuted Church) https://morningstarnews.org

Napoleon I, Emmanuel Macron and the spirit of European integration

The leaders of the French Revolution instituted a ‘Cult of Reason’ and set up an altar to the ‘Goddess of Reason’ in Notre Dame cathedral, where the provocatively-clad ‘Goddess’, hailed as Liberty, frolicked with her entourage of maidens.

This ‘Culte’ has subsequently played a significant role in the French political consciousness. The cathedral has become a monument not to the glory of God, but to the glory of France: a symbol of French nationalism.

Here, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor in 1804; throughout the ceremony he wore a golden laurel wreath representative of the Roman Empire, and he crowned his wife Josephine (later divorced) with a replica of Charlemagne's crown. Charlemagne, a largely beneficent monarch, was the main heir to the Roman Empire in France/Germany.

From Napoleon to Macron

Napoleon emerged from the French Revolution. He most resembles Oliver Cromwell, but lacked Cromwell's deep Christian faith. Napoleon was a brilliant general, and the scourge of most of Europe for a decade. He ruled France in an enlightened secular regime, effectively as dictator, and crowned himself ‘emperor’ of France and Italy, seeing himself as a successor to Rome.

Notre Dame has become a monument not to the glory of God, but to the glory of France.

He attempted to overrun all of Europe; only Britain (who liberated Spain and Portugal from his grasp), Russia and Prussia had any success at all against him. At first, only the English Channel saved Britain; Napoleon began building (but never completed) a Channel tunnel. Hubris brought him many enemies outside France. In exile, the Mediterranean island of Elba couldn't contain him – he only succumbed when sent to the island of St. Helena in the remote south Atlantic. Consequently, many French people regard their emperor as a martyr.

President Macron is a fervent admirer of Napoleon and of French hegemony. After the fire, Macron described the restoration of Notre Dame as “notre destin profond” (‘our profound destiny’). He is anxious to have it restored before the Paris Olympic Games of 2024, which would (after the Paris Climate Conference, the Paris Peace Treaty regarding Iran, etc) seal France's and the EU's prestige as the leader of the international community. These games will celebrate, in Monsieur Macron's estimation, the re-establishment of Napoleon's empire - the EU.

I think we should pause to consider what spirit oversees Notre Dame – and the EU. I doubt it is God's spirit.

Asserting Control

The European Union is the construction, in the first place, of France (and Belgium, which is deeply under French influence). It was founded by the Treaty of Rome, and soon began to look like an embryonic ‘Roman Empire’ (actually embracing more of Europe now than the latter ever did).

Under President Macron, France is again asserting its dominance in continental Europe. His authoritarian, not to say aggressive,¹ attitude to the issue of Brexit, is noteworthy: President Macron is no Anglophile! History, especially French history, is very important to him.²

Under President Macron, France is again asserting its dominance in continental Europe.

Napoleon was very wary of democracy, and the EU is not democratic. The one thing that Brexit has so far demonstrated is that Britain is a true democracy – albeit in need of reform. But, like France, the EU is presidential: it is an oligarchy, only supported by a democratic assembly.

There is little doubt that this disaster and the outpouring of national sentiment accompanying it are in accord with President Macron's objectives for France in Europe, as would the Olympics in Paris in 2024 being seen as a glittering affirmation of the EU and its position in the world. If we value our freedom and integrity, it's another signal to Britain to leave as soon as possible.

Dr Chris Wright

Notes

1 It is worth noting that M. Macron's Masters thesis at Nanterre University, Paris, was on Machiavelli and Hegel.

2 Interestingly, Macron was born in Amiens. In 1803 Britain broke the Treaty of Amiens to form an alliance against Napoleon, and ultimately (together with Prussia) defeated him. I am sure this fact is not lost on Macron.

What’s the spiritual significance of the Notre Dame fire?

The newspapers have been full of accounts of the blaze that was within half an hour of destroying the whole structure, and several have even mentioned divine intervention to save the building. But has anyone asked the question, “Is God saying anything to France through this fire?”

The inferno at Notre Dame was horrible to watch on television. Certainly, my heart went out to the Parisian crowds standing in silent disbelief, some weeping in the streets, others too numb even to weep. Their iconic monument that symbolised the city and held hundreds of years of history was being destroyed and they were powerless to help. But I could not help wondering if the crowds were mourning the loss of a national place of prayer, or just an historic monument.

When any national disaster takes place, it is always right to seek if God is conveying something important to the nation, which in biblical terms is a ‘sign’. A good example is the way Jesus dealt with a tragedy that had shaken the whole of Jerusalem when the Tower of Siloam collapsed, killing 18 people (Luke 13:4).

I did not hear any of the clergy or political leaders in Paris speaking of the spiritual significance of the fire: if I missed some important statement I will gladly apologise. But the most outstanding comment I heard was President Macron’s determination to rebuild the burnt-out structure and restore the building to its former glory.

Of course this is laudable, but it surely misses the significance of this event which is clearly in the context of God shaking the nations. I believe God is sending a warning shot to France that they are in grave danger of losing the spiritual soul of the nation. They need to see this fire in the context of what is happening to churches all over France, where two church buildings a day are being attacked by various forms of vandalism or arson, reportedly carried out by Muslims who are attempting to wipe out Christianity in France.¹

When any national disaster takes place, it is always right to seek if God is conveying something important to the nation.

The Church Under Attack

Last month, the 800-year-old Basilica of Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb now mainly occupied by Muslim immigrants, was heavily vandalised with considerable damage to the organ and stained-glass windows. The alleged perpetrator, identified by his DNA left on the altar, is currently before the courts. He is said to be a Pakistani immigrant who speaks no French and has only been in the country two months.² This is reported to be his third offence.

A report from the Central Criminal Intelligence Service of the French police, according to Le Figaro, says that between 2016 and 2018 there have been thousands of cases of church vandalism in France, with 1,045 cases in 2017. In 2018, the Ministry of the Interior recorded 541 anti-Semitic acts, 100 anti-Muslim acts and 1,063 anti-Christian acts.³

France is said to have the greatest amount of anti-Semitic activity in Europe, with gangs desecrating Jewish cemeteries and synagogues: but the desecration of churches is outstripping other forms of vandalism. The Catholic hierarchy has kept silent about these episodes, not wishing to give publicity that might encourage copycat action. In any case, the Church has enough trouble on its hands dealing with the revelations of clergy sex abuse and a chronic shortage of priests.

The politicians also don’t want to speak about the anti-Christian attacks: they fear being dubbed Islamophobic by the left, or stirring more anti-immigrant sentiment on the right. They also have enough problems on their hands with the Yellow Vest protests and the rising level of street violence, as anti-establishment populist sentiment grows across France.

The Church has been a stabilising influence in the country for many hundreds of years - until recently, when there has been a catastrophic fall in church attendance. The question now is: will the Notre Dame fire spark a resurgence of faith, a return to prayer and support for the Church, or will the issue quickly be forgotten and the protesters soon be back on the streets?

I believe God is sending a warning shot to France that they are in grave danger of losing the spiritual soul of the nation.

Revolution or Reformation?

France has had its fair share of political upheavals and revolutions, its Joans of Arc and its Napoleons, but it has never had the equivalent of Germany’s Martin Luther or Switzerland’s John Calvin. Perhaps what is most needed in France today is a Protestant Reformation breathe new life into the Church - a resurgence of the 16^th Century Huguenots (who were persecuted and eventually expelled), to bring a fresh Bible-based reformation to restore the soul of the nation.

References

1 Read more at the Gatestone Institute.

2 Pakistani Migrant Faces Trial for Smashing Historic Church Holding Tombs of French Kings. Breitbart, 16 April 2019.

3 Statistics as reported by The Times.

A house theologically divided against itself cannot stand.

In 8 January, the Anglican Centre in Rome issued a joint statement¹ with the Archbishop of Canterbury announcing the appointment of Dr John Shepherd as its Interim Director. Within days it came to light that he had preached a sermon in 2008 questioning the traditional view of Jesus' resurrection.

Immediately there were calls that Shepherd should resign,² and Justin Welby's judgment was openly questioned.³ Following the outcry Shepherd issued a statement seeking to clarify his beliefs⁴ but, as one commentator has observed, it far from confirms his orthodoxy.⁵

Shortly before this debate I was reminded of events 35 years ago surrounding the consecration of another resurrection-denier as a bishop. I believe that those events were a missed opportunity to steer the CofE away from the confused place it has now reached.

The Fire of 1984

A few weeks earlier a non-Christian friend had asked me if I could explain why CofE vicars were unable to understand the violent nature of Islam. My thoughts went immediately to the fire at York Minster which started 36 hours after the Archbishop of York, John Habgood, ordained David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham. Jenkins was on record as not believing in either Jesus’ virgin birth or the resurrection. In the early hours of the following Monday morning, ‘lightning’ struck the Minster, and the roof of the South Transept was consumed in flames. Many saw this as significant because that was the section of the Minster in which hands were laid on Jenkins by Habgood and others.

Faced with such a compelling set of circumstances, the Archbishops of the day did not heed the biblical injunction to ‘consider their ways’ (Hag 5:1). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, told The Times that “the Lord was on our side as we battled with those flames.” In a letter to the same paper, Habgood questioned the opinions of some who suggested that God was behind the incident, asking, “What kind of a god do your correspondents believe in?” He concluded that this was “the kind of world from which the Christian Gospel rescued us.”

Faced with such a compelling set of circumstances, the Archbishops of the day did not heed the biblical injunction to ‘consider their ways’ (Hag 5:1).

At the time many suspected that this denial of divine intervention was because the Church’s insurance policies did not cover ‘acts of God’, but were there more fundamental reasons behind their protests?

The South Transept of York Minster ablaze, 1984. PA/PA Archive/PA Images.Habgood’s god was shaped by the theology of deism, in which God takes no action in the world. This argument is consistent with Jenkins’ denial of the virgin birth and resurrection, for a prerequisite of both is faith that God is actively involved in our lives. The Archbishops therefore colluded in twin denials: the first being that Jenkins’ disbelief was of any consequence; secondly that the Creator remains involved with people.

Was God Serious?

It is easy for some Christians to react to major traumatic events when they occur with claims that they are expressions of divine anger. It is much harder to then watch through several subsequent decades of no apparent further consequences and still believe that God was serious when he broke out “like fire” (Amos 5:6) in 1984.

Elijah, however, did not meet the Lord in the storm, earthquake or fire, but through his still, small voice (1 Kings 19). God does not always work within our human time-frames; in order to understand his purposes, we must draw near him and listen intently.

Enoch was a prophet who warned of coming judgment 1,000 years before the Flood. Similarly, Israel rejected the Lord as their king over 1,000 years before Jesus’ incarnation, but they only spoke out their rebellion a few hours before his crucifixion (1 Sam 8:7; John 19:15). At this point there was no sudden thunder from Heaven, no immediate sword of the Lord - it was almost 40 more years before they reaped what they had sown.

When answering my non-Christian friend, I realised that many clergy are now incapable of discerning good from bad, unwilling to take God at his word and unable to understand his ways and purposes, as the recent debate around Rev Shepherd illustrates. But there are consequences of disbelief: throughout the Scriptures we discover that the Lord uses both nature and people to discipline those who are known by his name (Heb 12:4-8) and that he judges them more stringently than unbelievers.

The Lord uses both nature and people to discipline those who are known by his name (Heb 12:4-8) and judges them more stringently than unbelievers.

People Who Lack Knowledge

Israel was warned of the dangers of disbelief by various prophets. One was Hosea, who highlighted the consequences of not seeking truth, mercy and a knowledge of the Lord. Hosea specifically warned that God’s people would be destroyed for their lack of knowledge, adding, “Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (4:6).

Three decades after the York fire, we are in a situation where the ‘children’ of that generation are now in leadership. They bear all the signs of having embraced the disbelief of their forefathers and having forgotten the law of God. They are people who have not had their senses trained to discern between good and evil (Heb 5:12-14). Though the current Archbishop of Canterbury is from the evangelical stable, he seemingly approves of secular sexual ideologies which seek to eradicate all memory that the Lord created us male and female. Thankfully not all in the CofE agree – over 2,600 have now signed an open letter urging the House of Bishops to reconsider their position on transgender ‘celebration’ services.⁶

The CofE was built on disjointed foundations, and any house thus theologically divided against itself cannot stand (Matt 12:25). 35 years after the events of 1984, therefore, that we have arrived at this current state of affairs should be no surprise.⁷ But where is God?

It may seem that since 1984, the Lord’s response has involved little more than starting a fire. But if we join the dots of disbelief in that institution and elsewhere, we will appreciate that he has not forgotten, nor is he slow in fulfilling his promises: in fact, he is enduringly patient, wanting all to be given opportunity to come to know the truth (2 Pet 3:9). Only then, when it is his time, will he judge them in righteousness.

The Lord has not forgotten: in fact, he is enduringly patient, wanting all to be given opportunity to come to know the truth (2 Pet 3:9).

Many faithful clergy and congregations are ready to leave the CofE altogether, while others continue to hope that the tide will turn. There has never been a time like the present – as the hallmarks of judgment described in Romans 1 manifest across the nations - for believing Anglicans to seek the Lord’s heart and guidance.

I’m not sure if my non-Christian friend has accepted that the disbelief of their predecessors is the reason why many vicars are unable to discern the spirit behind Islam, but I pray that one day he will embrace the Son of God who was born of a virgin and whose transformed body was raised from the dead. Would that the leaders of the established Church would do the same.

References

1 Anglican Centre in Rome: Appointment of an Interim Director for the Anglican Centre in Rome.

2 Bird, S and Wyatt, T. Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy who disputes the resurrection of Christ urged to quit Vatican post. The Telegraph, 12 January 2019

3 Ashenden, G. The appointment of a heterodox priest as new Director to the Anglican Centre in Rome. ‘What would Jesus do?’ is not what Welby did.

4 Anglican Centre in Rome: A statement from the Very Rev Dr John Shepherd.

5 Believing in the body: Reflections of an Anglican Theologian.

6 See https://www.responsetohob.co.uk/.

7 The CofE is not alone. In most denominations leaders are falling over themselves to embrace the godlessness prevailing in the nation.

See also: 'Joining the Dots of Disbelief in the Church of England' by Randall Hardy.

Background links

July 9, 1984: Lightning bolt is responsible for catastrophic York Minster blaze | BT

Memories of York Minster fire in 1984 | York Press

How the York Minster fire sparked an unholy row in The Times | YorkMix

The fire at York Minster, July 9th 1984 | Prophetic Telegraph

THE UK DROUGHT 1984, Weather Vol 39(11) | DeepDyve

The Son of God is coming soon, along with fiery judgment

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of Britain’s Brexit prospects, doom-and-gloom merchants have assembled in Poland for a Global Warming summit expected to paint an apocalyptic picture of a world choking to death on carbon emissions.

Indeed, Sir David Attenborough predicts the collapse of civilisation if suitable action is not taken.¹

Admittedly it’s a touch warmer than usual for the time of year, no doubt aided by the amount of hot air generated from the 200 nations represented at the symposium, but the heat that should really concern us is the fire of God’s judgment soon likely to be unleashed on our planet.

I like the poster I saw outside our local parish church not so long ago: ‘Global warning – the Son of God is coming’.

Signs of His Coming

It is appropriate at this time of year – known as Advent in the Church – to focus, not only on Christ’s birth but also on his promised return in power and great glory. And prophecies of end time chaos as a prelude to his Second Coming abound in the scriptures.

I mentioned a significant one last week, indicating signs of a 2,600-year-old prophecy of Ezekiel being fulfilled with the Dead Sea coming to life as fresh water and fish flow back into an area choked with salt for thousands of years.

Jesus too, a fulfilment himself of hundreds of Old Testament scriptures pointing to the coming Messiah, outlined a number of specific signs he said would indicate the imminence of his return.

And one of those would indeed be climatic chaos! Listen to what Jesus describes, especially bearing in mind the frightening tsunamis we have seen in recent years:

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:25-27)

Signs of Jesus’ return include environmental chaos – not primarily due to our mismanagement of the earth, but as a wake-up call sent by God that judgment is inevitable.

In addition, wars, famines and earthquakes would occur with increasing severity, as with labour pains for a pregnant woman (Matt 24:7f).

But all this would not primarily be due to mismanagement of the earth, though it is no doubt partly to blame as, out of our selfishness, we do not take care of our God-given environment as we should.

No, it is chiefly a wake-up call to flag up inevitable judgment on a wicked world along with the Second Coming of our Saviour, Jesus. The earth is experiencing the pains of childbirth (see also Romans 8:22) that will ultimately usher in the rule of Christ.

Yes, the Bible is clear that he is coming back to reign from Jerusalem for a thousand years of perfect peace. But his coming will be preceded by terrible times of violence, immorality and rebellion against the Creator.

The Mount of Olives, where Jesus will return, according to the Scriptures (Zech 14:4; Acts 1:11). Photo: Charles GardnerJesus will finally place his feet on the Mt of Olives overlooking Jerusalem (Zech 14:4) and put an end to war. Those who love him will welcome him with great joy, but those who have rejected him will mourn over what they have done to him (Matt 24:30).

Not Yet Fulfilled

Ezekiel also predicted a terrible war in the last days that would see a group of nations coming against Israel, but great numbers would perish in the conflict as God ‘sends fire’ on the aggressors (Ezek 39:6).

50 years ago an elderly woman in Norway shared a frightening vision of the time leading up to Christ’s coming and the onset of a ‘Third World War’ that would be ended, she said, with a ‘nuclear atom bomb’.

In view of the fact that much of her vision has come true – a long peace between the super-powers, a falling away from the Christian faith, a huge increase in violence and immorality and unprecedented immigration to Europe – it should at least be taken seriously.

Meanwhile a new book, Floodgates by David Parsons (Whitaker House), supports the biblical premise that while God’s judgment of flood on the ancient world at the time of Noah will not be repeated, judgment on the modern age is just as inevitable – except that it will be by fire, not water.

The Apostle Peter predicted that in the last days there would be much scoffing about such talk (of the Second Coming) by godless people suggesting life would continue as it always has done.

“But they deliberately forget”, he writes, “that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Pet 3:5-7).

In fact, if there is any delay in his coming, it is because he doesn’t want anyone to perish.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth…will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)

If there is any delay in his coming, it is because he doesn’t want anyone to perish.

Peace in Christ

One person who has already experienced apocalyptic horror of this kind is Kim Phuc Phan Thi, the nine-year-old girl pictured running in terror from the effects of a napalm bomb during the Vietnam War – a photo that shocked the world. Though scarred for life, she found peace after committing her life to Christ on Christmas Eve 1982.

The pastor spoke of how Christmas is not about the gifts we give to each other, so much as it is about one gift in particular: the gift of Jesus Christ…How desperately I needed peace. How ready I was for love and joy. I had so much hatred in my heart – so much bitterness…My faith in Jesus has enabled me to forgive those who have hurt and scarred me.²

Hers is a true peace following a particularly bloody war. And you too can experience such transformation through Jesus, who loved you so much that he died in your place to give you eternal life!

References

1 Live Science, 3 December 2018.

2 New Life, December 2018 – www.newlife.co.uk

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Floodgates’ by David Parsons (Whitaker House, 2018).

This is a highly significant and well-researched book on the end times and, perhaps more importantly, what is already happening around us as we head towards the coming wrath.

David Parsons is an attorney, journalist, ordained minister and Middle East specialist working for the ICEJ. In the book, he aims to identify God’s specific ‘end game’ strategy for bringing this present age to a close.

Parsons claims that the moment we enter the Tribulation will be self-evident, but what about the period leading up to it? The author sets out “to break new ground in our understanding of the prophetic Scriptures” and attempts to widen the lens “to reveal what will transpire before we reach those last seven years” (p15).

The Genesis Flood as a ‘Type’

His approach is to take the Genesis Flood as a ‘type’, and in particular, the “days of Noah” as a parallel, just as Jesus does in Matthew 24. Parsons asserts that whereas in the first global judgment God opened the water floodgates, in the end judgment it will be the fire floodgates.

Just as God opened the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens (Gen 7:11), so there is fire stored up above our atmosphere and below the earth’s crust, waiting to be released to destroy the current world before the new Heaven and new Earth are created.

Parsons’ approach is to take the Genesis Flood as a ‘type’, and in particular, the “days of Noah” as a parallel, just as Jesus does in Matthew 24.

Parsons explains that biblical references to the ‘days of Noah’ point us back to the long period before the Genesis Flood during which the Ark was being built. This period – possibly as long as 120 years (based on Gen 6:3) - represents the time between God’s decision that judgment would come and the actual execution of that decision. He had made up his mind to flood the world long before he opened the floodgates. In legal terms, the verdict was in, judgement was inevitable - it was just a matter of time before the sentence was executed.

Parsons asks: what if we are already in a similar period leading up to the final floodgates of fire being opened? What would that look like?

Deconstructing Humanity

Part One of the book is taken up with considering the Flood of Noah, with chapters about the Divine Nature and proof that the biblical Flood was a real event.

There is also a very helpful discussion on the ‘forbidden union’ between angels and women which created the Nephilim (Gen 6:4). Here, the author brings clarity and certainty to a passage that is often seen as complicated and controversial. The vital conclusion is that hybrid humans could not be allowed to continue and multiply further. Mankind had gone against the natural order of God’s Creation and this, together with high levels of violence and sexual perversion, meant that humanity from that point was doomed.

Part Two, The Modern Rebellion, explores the ‘parallel plunge’ today, with chapters on the blight of violence and the sexual revolution. But the heart of this section is Parsons’ assertion that the verdict for the ‘end time’ judgment has already been given. We have passed the tipping point, identified by Parsons as the acceptance of evolution as a mainstream idea. This outright denial of God as our Creator has led to devastating consequences in all parts of human society and encouraged us to explore ourselves as a species without fear of God or his judgment.

Without being too specific regarding dates, Parsons asserts that this tipping point was not during the life of Darwin or at the time of publication of his works; rather it was the subsequent proliferation of his ideas and their embedding within human thinking and development. Once in place, they set us on a new path, from which Parsons argues there is now no turning back.

God had made up his mind to flood the world long before he opened the floodgates. In legal terms, the verdict was in, judgement was inevitable - it was just a matter of time before the sentence was executed.

Transgressing God’s Created Order

In Parsons’ view, this ‘social Darwinism’ began around 1900, with one obvious outworking being the horrors of Nazism. He writes well on this topic, which incidentally was what led him to write the book in the first place.

Interestingly, Parsons highlights two other features from the turn of the 20^th Century: the emergence of evangelical Pentecostalism and the rise of Zionism leading to the re-creation of the State of Israel. Together, these three strands are all vital in God’s end time plans. True Spirit-filled believers and the restoration of the Jewish people together form an Ark-like contrast to the majority of humanity.

We often see our times as characterised by violence and sexual perversion, and discern these as precursors of judgment, but Parsons adds an extra dimension. What is unredeemable is the belief that God is no longer a credible Creator and hence we can go our own way, transgressing his boundaries with abandon. We seek to create and fulfil our own destinies, but by playing with our God-given humanity we will lose it and final destruction will follow.

These days we have both the capacity and the desire to interfere with our species to an extent that blurs the distinctions that God has ordained. With genetic engineering, cross-breeding, sex changes and attempts to augment and enhance human bodies using technology, we can create human hybrids without input from fallen angels.

Distinctive Slant

The book has been 20 years in the writing, during which Parsons has been living and working in Jerusalem. As such, it has slowly crystallised into a comprehensive prophetic thesis about our times with a distinctive slant that is well worth thinking through. It certainly makes sense, both biblically and in terms of what is happening in the world today. If Parsons is right, the verdict has already been declared. Denying God as Creator has primed the final judgment.

We seek to create and fulfil our own destinies, but by playing with our God-given humanity we will lose it and final destruction will follow.

The book has good and full endnotes and an extensive bibliography of books, articles and websites. There is no index but this is not really a problem. Overall, a valuable book and highly commended.

‘Floodgates: Recognize the End-Time Signs to Survive the Coming Wrath’ (272pp) is available from Eden for £12.99. Also available on Amazon, including Kindle.

Parsons’ blog and website, www.floodgatesblog.com, includes updates and commentaries from the author, reviews and endorsements, videos and more background information about the book.