Newsletter 133 Autumn 2019
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars: and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear of those things which are coming on the earth, …..” Luke 21:25, 26.
In this edition
Climate change; a religion without hope
Returning the world to how it was
The Downfall of Babylon
The Next War
Christ the reaper
Revelations of Jesus Christ – From the book of Revelation
What ever happened to the church?
Climate change; a religion without hope
With another round of Extinction Rebellion protests and school strikes having recently taken place I unapologetically return to the subject of climate change. I last wrote on this topic in Trumpet Sounds 131 Spring 2019.
In October 2019 a group of men and women gathered outside King’s Cross station. They formed a circle and started their new religious rite. They swayed, chanted and preached about the end times. A hymn was sung to the god of science; “We have got all the science, all that we need, to change the world, Hallelujah. They distributed leaflets and called on the passers-by to repent. ‘Buy less, fly less fry less’ was one of their slogans. If you dared to question their ‘truth’ you would be subjected to the inquisition and denounced as a denier.
Extinction Rebellion has been described as an eco-death cult. If their policies were implemented millions would starve or die of disease all because of their fear of a crisis which is not a crisis.
Eco-anxiety
The Daily Telegraph reported (15/09/2019) that protest groups such as Extinction Rebellion and apocalyptic warnings by teenage activist Greta Thunberg have prompted a ‘tsunami’ of young people seeking help for eco-anxiety. They are engulfed in a sense of hopelessness and frustration that they are powerless to change anything. If humanity is on course for self-destruction, planning for the future is hopeless. Youthful activists grieve for a future they will probably never have. They are fearful and overwhelmed. What is the point if it will all soon end!
Their fears are stoked by reports from bodies such as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In October 2018 it announced that, “We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe.”
The New Ice Age
Opinion polls have shown that the older generation are generally more sceptical regarding the findings of what is called climate science. As a member of that generation I remember being here before. Only last time we were bombarded with scientific assertions that the world faced an impending ice age. As a reminder I set out a few headlines from the 1970’s.
“Scientist predicts a new ice age by 21st century”
“Air pollution may obliterate the sun and cause a new ice age in the first third of next century.” – The Boston Globe, April 16, 1970
“Dr. Ehrlich, outspoken ecologist, to speak”
““Giving aspirins to cancer victims” is what Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich thinks of current proposals for pollution control. No real action has been taken to save the environment, he maintains. And it does need saving. Ehrlich predicts that: the oceans will be as dead as Lake Erie in less than 10 years.” – Daily Facts, Redlands California October 6, 1970
“US Scientist sees New Ice Age Coming”
“Dr. S. I. Rasool of the National Aeronautics and Spaces Administration and Columbia University says that: In the next 50 years the fine dust man constantly puts into the atmosphere by fossil fuel-burning could screen out so much sunlight that the average temperature could drop by six degrees. If sustained over “several years” – “five to 10” he estimated – “such temperature decrease could be sufficient to trigger an ice age.”- Washington Post, July 9, 1971
“Space Satellites show new Ice Age Coming Fast”
“Worldwide and rapid trends towards a mini Ice Age are emerging from the first long term analyses of satellite weather pictures.” – The Guardian, 29th January 1974.
“Another Ice Age?”
“Telltale signs are everywhere – from the unexpected persistence and thickness of pack ice in the waters around Iceland to the southward migration of a warmth-loving like the armadillo from the Midwest. Since the 1940’s the mean global temperature has dropped about 2.70 F”. Although that figure is at best an estimate, it is supported by other convincing data. When Climatologist George J Kukia of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory and his wife Helena analyzed satellite weather data for the northern hemisphere, they found that the area of ice and snow cover suddenly increased by 12% in 1971 and the increase has persisted ever since.” – Time, June 24, 1974
Even into the beginning of the 21st century global freezing was seen as the primary threat as we see from the following report.
“Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us.”
“Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters.”
“A secret report, suppressed by US defence chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a ‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.”
“The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents.”
“Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life,’ concludes the Pentagon analysis. ‘Once again, warfare would define human life.’”- The Guardian, Sun 22 Feb 2004.
From Freezing to Warming
The change from the fear of global freezing to a fear of global warming happened quite suddenly in 2006 with the release of Al Gore’s crisis film “An inconvenient truth.”
A Religion of Hope
The verse quoted at the head of this newsletter foresees a time immediately prior to our Lord’s return when men’s hearts are failing them from fear of those things which are coming on the earth. They fear because they are without any knowledge of God. But the one who trusts in the Saviour need not fear.
It is tragic that the ‘church’ is not trumpeting a message of reassurance to those who are burdened with anxiety. Praying recently with regard to the Extinction Rebellion protests the Lord spoke to me that these are ‘sheep without a shepherd’. I have long believed that the time will come when people’s hearts fail them with fear. When that time comes, as I believe it now is beginning, it will bring opportunities to witness. While the world despairs, we who trust the Lord have hope. This world will one day end. But Jesus has promised that there will be a new world which will last forever.
Returning the world to how it was
“These that turned the world upside down have come hither also,” Acts 17:6. The Jews of Thessalonica recognised the transformational impact of the gospel. When people are saved they are changed. The new covenant, initiated by Jesus, promises to write God’s laws on our hearts. Instead of our rebellious heart of stone, we receive a heart which seeks to serve and obey God. This change takes place in the lives of individuals but if enough people are born again, society is also changed. The story of the Christian reformers who changed nineteenth century Britain testifies to this.
The ‘turned upside down’ society upholds laws which are conformed to God’s word in the Bible. Society is healthiest when it functions in accordance with the Maker’s instructions. God has decreed that certain activities and behaviours prove destructive both to the individual and society at large. In a society which honours God, laws are enacted to protect the individual and for the general good.
De-criminalisation
Mankind is by nature in rebellion against God. The final battle, which closes the millennial reign of Christ on earth, demonstrates this (Revelation 20: 7 – 10). The people of that age will have lived in a kingdom ruled over by Jesus Christ. When Satan is released they have a champion who will lead the fight. They want to throw off godly laws and rule themselves. That same spirit is at work in our present age.
As the number of the saved dwindles the rebellious seek to counter the salt and return the world to its former status. That process starts with de-criminalisation. Just as Eve listened to Satan in the Garden of Eden so man is led to believe that he can be like God, determining good and evil.
It is argued that personal behaviour in private does not affect others, therefore should not be illegal; that various occult activities are a legacy of past superstitions and not a real threat; that a life which cannot survive on its own is not a life and does not need protection. The list could go on. The de-criminalisation of such activities is presented as progressive.
Toleration
If actions are not illegal they are to be tolerated. It is considered bigotry to think otherwise. Being non-judgmental is promoted to being one of the highest virtues. Any who question the wisdom of allowing certain actions to go unchecked are shouted down. Therefore toleration only works one way. It is not about accepting a diversity of opinion, but enforcing conformity to the new code of moral values. The aim is acceptance of what was previously regarded as sin.
Acceptance
That which was once regarded as contrary to God’s laws in now considered normal. Right and wrong are considered personal judgments. Children are no longer given moral guidance on how to live their lives. It is for them to work out their own morality which, due to the fallen nature of man, means that if it suits me, it is OK.
Celebration
Many Christians imagine that tolerance and acceptance were the goals of those who brought about de-criminalisation. We hope that although we disagree with what has happened, somehow we will find ways of uncomfortably tolerating each other. This is a failure to understand that those in rebellion against God want to turn the world back to the way it used to be. The process does not stop at toleration and acceptance. The next step is celebration.
Forced Participation
Let them celebrate if they want to! If only it were that simple. For the world, acceptance means endorsement. Just as the early Christians were required to prove their loyalty to Caesar by worshiping him as god, so we must prove that we subscribe to the new morality. In Revelation 11, the world celebrates when the two witnesses are killed. They are rid of the two who challenged their conscience and called for submission to God. Nothing is to be allowed to disrupt the fantasy world which has now been created.
Punishment of dissent
The final step in this progression is to criminalise any who disagree. With making it a crime to hold to the older godly values, the process is complete. The world has been returned to the other way up.
We passed the stage of toleration and acceptance a long time ago. In the UK we are now into the final phase in which dissent is punished. Initially punishment was the loss of work. Now we are moving to a time when heavy fines or even prison are used to enforce this new moral disorder.
But the triumph of the rebellion will be short. Soon the King is coming who will reign with a rod of iron and crush all opposition. He will re-establish godly laws, justice and righteousness over all the world.
The Downfall of Babylon – From Melanie Phillips’ newsletter 08.11.2019
“The attack on the West has been driven by the combined forces of secularism and Marxist beliefs posing as liberalism, with the aim of creating a new world order in which God is dethroned by mankind, biblical morality is replaced by secular ideology, and truth is subordinated to power.”
“Moral and cultural relativism have accordingly replaced “what is right or true” by “what is right or true for me.” The template of the family as based on marriage between a man and woman has been replaced by “lifestyle choice.””
“The belief that humans are the pinnacle of creation and have a duty to steward the natural world has been replaced by the pagan belief in the superiority of the natural world over mankind.”
“The principle that every individual merits equal respect because all are made in the image of God, has been replaced by the doctrine that everyone is entitled to the same outcomes as everyone else, regardless of behavior, thus negating moral responsibility for one’s own actions. We are even questioning the very basis of what it is to be human.”
The Next War
Do you remember the news on the 14th September 2019? On that day there was a successful drone attack on two Saudi Arabian oil processing facilities. It halted 5% of the global oil production. As quickly as it became headlines it was then forgotten.
For some, the 14th September marks the opening of a new era in warfare. The drone attack exposed the inadequacy of conventional defences. The Saudi’s have spent millions on securing its facilities against attack. But all the latest weaponry proved ineffective at stopping the drones. Think of a swarm of locusts descending on a field. The farmer may try to swat them or fire his shot gun at them all he wants, but in minutes his crops will have been destroyed.
Swarming drones are seen as the future of warfare. Drone swarms, which could number hundreds of drones guided by artificial intelligence, are relatively inexpensive to build and maintain. They could imitate flocks of birds and be almost impossible to detect. The drones could carry chemical weapons or explosives. They don’t require highly trained personnel and can be controlled from a remote secure location. Even quite small nations could afford this technology.
Christ the reaper
Jesus opened His ministry with a quotation from Isaiah. It started with the words “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” and ended with, “to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord”. Luke 4: 18 – 19. The prophecy in Isaiah 61: 2 continues with the words “And the day of vengeance of our God”.
For the last 2000 years we have lived in a time of God’s favour. It has been a time when the gospel has been taken to all nations. A time when a way of salvation has been offered to all people. But the favourable day of the Lord will not last for ever. There will come a day when our God pours out His vengeance on a rebellious sinful world.
In our studies in the book of Revelation we come to Chapter 14 verse 6 through to chapter 16 verse 21. This section opens with three warnings of coming vengeance and closes with an outpouring of God’s wrath. The first warning is the gospel preached to all who dwell on the earth. The second warning is the fall of Babylon. The final warning is the reign of the beast which we looked at in the previous article in this series.
The gospel to all people
Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come.” Matthew 24: 14. Before judgment can come, the followers of Christ must complete the commission to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16: 15.
John sees an angel flying in heaven with the everlasting gospel to be preached to all who dwell on the earth. The gospel having been preached, God is looking for a response. The angel calls on people everywhere to, “Fear God and give the glory to Him” and to “worship Him who made the heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
We live in an age when men have rejected the idea of a creator. According to scientific mythology, existence is due to a random process guided by what is called ‘natural selection’. If we are the product of natural processes there is no God. Therefore there is no need to either fear God or give Him glory.
The gospel will be preached to all people and then rejected by the rulers of this world. They will be entrenched in their opposition to Christ and fight against Him when he returns to claim His throne. In response God will pour out His wrath. With the rejection of the gospel by the leaders of the nations the age of God’s favour draws to a close.
The fall of Babylon
The second warning of coming judgement is the fall of Babylon. The identity and fall of Babylon is dealt with in more detail in Revelation chapters 17 & 18. Here it is sufficient to say that Babylon is what men call ‘civilisation’. God calls it the ‘kingdom of this world’.
At the close of this age the kingdom of this world will experience sudden collapse. According to the Bible in one hour she will be made desolate and her great riches will come to nothing.
The total collapse of its economic strength, destroying its self-reliance, is a warning from God of the emptiness of all that man aspires to. The angel proclaims that Babylon’s fall is God’s judgment. It is also a sign that the time is drawing close when God will pour out His wrath.
The final warning
The fall of Babylon will lead into the time of terrible destruction through war that is described in Revelation chapter 9. In desperation men will cry out for a deliverer. But instead of turning to God they will accept Satan’s man.
The kingdom of the beast is the final warning to humanity that the time of God’s favour is coming to an end. His vengeance is soon to be poured out.
If people choose the rule of Satan instead of God there is no longer any mercy. By receiving Satan’s mark they have sided with the enemy of God and will be treated as His enemies. Those who worship the beast and his image will be tormented and have no rest day or night.
The Endurance of the Saints
During these times, the saints are called on to be patient and to persevere. Those who keep the commandments of God and faith in Jesus during this time will be blessed. The striving of this present age will give way to rest.
How will we endure? “…..let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus”. Hebrews 12: 1. We will complete the race by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. Contrary to our natural inclinations, the Bible presents suffering for Christ as a privilege.
From the beginning we have known that the followers of Jesus will be hated by the world. Jesus said that “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” Luke 21: 17. He calls on us to be patient and adds that not even a hair of our head will be lost.
The Harvest of the wheat and the tares
Having heard the third angel make the proclamation of judgement, John now, in the vision, witnesses it being carried out.
In Revelation 14 we learn that the first harvest will be by the Lord Himself. The one like the Son of Man, who will rule over the nations, will reap the harvest of the faithful. He is also called the good shepherd and the one who knows His own sheep. Not one, who should be in his safekeeping, will be forgotten.
The Lord gathers His own but leaves it to the angels to gather the wicked. All those who offend and practice lawlessness are thrown into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13: 36 – 43). Revelation uses more graphic imagery of grapes thrown into a wine press and crushed.
The Saints
Before that wrath is described we are given a vision of the saints now with their Lord. During the reign of the beast they were called on to persevere. We now see their reward. The victorious are spared the outpouring of wrath. They sing the praise of God recognising all that is about to happen is holy and just.
The Wrath
The Tabernacle in the wilderness contained the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the ark were the tablets with the commandments of God written on them (1 Kings 8:9). The angels coming from the tabernacle signify that the judgements are on an evil world ruined by man’s disobedience to the commandments of God. We have now reached the limit of the patience of God.
Once the day of judgement has come smoke prevents anyone entering the Temple to intercede on behalf of the suffering until the plagues are complete.
What follows is similar to the trumpet judgements only more intense. These judgements are no longer the work of evil angels. They are the direct wrath of God poured out by faithful angels on a wicked earth. It is a dreadful picture of suffering in which bodies are covered with painful sores, the seas die and water becomes undrinkable.
Three times (verses 9, 11, 21) over in this passage the response of men to the plagues sent by God is to blaspheme His name. They blame God, not themselves, for all that is happening to them.
Armageddon
Instead of repenting, spurred on by the evil trinity, they make a final futile effort to dislodge God from this world and claim it as their own. Using lies and falsehood the trinity of evil stir up the nations to war. There is a double emphasis on what comes out of their evil mouths. The frogs come from their mouths, and frogs catch their prey with their tongues.
The prophecy of Joel declares that God will gather the nations of the world to the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2). Jehoshaphat means YHWH judges. There He will enter into judgement against them. God uses the evil trinity to fulfil His plans.
A warning is inserted to beware. There is a danger that if we fail to watch we will fall under the outpouring of God’s wrath. All the references, in the New Testament, to Jesus coming as a thief warn of the danger of losing what is rightfully ours (Mt 24:36 – 25:30. Lk 12:39, 1 The 5:2, Rev 3:3). At this point in time believers should be with our Lord, enjoying His presence and preparing for His return, not suffering wrath. Going naked speaks of an empty worldly form of faith. Through faith in Christ we are clothed in His righteousness.
The day of the Lord
The bowls of wrath and the gathering of the world to Armageddon combine to become what the Old Testament frequently refers to as ‘the Day of the Lord. The Prophets of Israel often spoke of a time when the Lord would come in judgment. It would be a terrible day when God acts in judgment on a rebellious world.
“It is done”.
When the seventh bowl is poured out a loud voice comes from the throne declaring “it is done”. This day ends the judgement of God on this evil world opening the way for the reign of Christ.
This series of articles and more is now available as a book, ‘Revelations of Jesus Christ’ see below.
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Revelations of Jesus Christ – From the book of Revelation
The following are two extracts from a longer review of ‘Revelations of Jesus Christ’ published on the Prophecy Today website. To read the full review use the following link:
“Philip Wren’s Revelations of Jesus Christ may be unique in the way it takes us through the Book of Revelation. Subtitled ‘A devotional study’, it centres around how the Hebrew names of God relate to the various ways in which Jesus is presented in Revelation. Whilst this approach might strike readers as unorthodox, there is a beauty and simplicity in it. It unifies Wren’s writing and, more importantly, harmonises with Revelation’s core message: our need to worship the risen Lord as he truly is, particularly in the face of persecution.”
“Philip Wren is biblically ‘on message’ by drawing our attention back to Jesus, our total dependency on Him in times of persecution and our need to better understand the signs of His return. With its devotional focus on the Lord, the book is therefore especially worth considering as a basis for group study, particularly in churches which are usually wary of Revelation and its message.”
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Revelation completes not just the New Testament but the whole Bible. It concludes many previous themes and ties up loose ends. The Bible story is the prologue to the main story which begins once we enter the Heavenly city. A story which will continue for eternity.
‘Revelations of Jesus Christ’ is available from either Christian Publications International or Trumpet Sounds. Cost £8.00 plus £2.00 p&p. It is also available through Amazon.
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Help spread the word
If you have now read ‘Revelations of Jesus Christ’ and consider that others would find reading it to be helpful, I would greatly appreciate your posting a review on Amazon and Eden and giving it a star rating. The review need not be long, a couple of sentences will do.
What ever happened to the church?
An increasing number of believers are, for a variety of reasons, finding themselves no longer part of a church. In Trumpet Sounds 129, I set down four key words love, discipleship, body and witness, which defined a true ‘ekklesia’, whether it is comprised of a few or many members.
The first two words, love and discipleship, were covered in Trumpet Sounds 130 and 131. The next key word which defines a true church is body. We are very familiar with the teaching on the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12: 12 to 31 and Ephesians 4: 1 to 16. The ekklesia is to be a group of people all of whom play an active role part in the life of the church. At the heart of the body of Christ is our love for each other. This will cause us to use whatever gifts we have been given to serve one another.
In the article on discipleship we recognised that the purpose was to help people become more like Christ. The prime method of achieving this is by mature Christians setting an example (1 Corinthians 4: 16, 11: 1). The church needs to go beyond the setting of an example. It should help the new believer discover their gifts. These are not necessarily natural gifts but those which the Holy Spirit gives.
The new believer will naturally gravitate towards certain areas of service. The Lord places in the heart a desire to serve Him in the way He chooses. If each member responds to that call the body will function healthily. The Bible teaches that all gifts are necessary, none is more or less important in the fellowship. Many churches have procedures to encourage and test the call to pastoral ministry. Few churches recognise a responsibility to encourage and test the calling of every member. If truly born again then there is a calling on that life.
The failure to recognise the diversity of callings is one reason why there is a build-up of frustration for many in the church. It is also a reason why many pastors suffer from burn out, unable on their own to sustain the pressures of leadership.
Christian Ministries
Below is a list of some of the ministries which should be present in the body:
Leadership motivates people to work together in unity toward fulfilment of the commission. (Rom. 12:8).
Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes. (1 Cor. 12:28).
Teaching instructs members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).
Wisdom is the gift that discerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the body and applies His teachings to the needs of the body (1 Cor. 12:8).
Knowledge; a word of knowledge is a Spirit-revealed truth applying God’s word to a situation (1 Cor. 12:8).
Faith believes that God can accomplish His purposes. It will often lead to exhortation. (1 Cor. 12:9).
Healings; Jesus can grant the power to heal the sick (Mark 3:15, 1 Cor 12: 9).
Miracles; Some have the faith to move mountains (Mark 16: 17, 1 Cor 12: 10).
Prophecy brings and applies the word of God, often through preaching and teaching. (1 Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).
Discernment tests the spirit behind the message and actions of others for the protection and well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10).
Tongues and interpretation believe that God still speaks today (Rom. 12:10).
Exhortation encourages others to trust in God (Rom. 12:8).
Giving, cheerfulness and liberality are characteristics of individuals with this gift (Rom. 12:8).
Mercy keeps the body healthy and unified by being aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).
Shepherding looks out for the spiritual welfare of others. (Eph. 4:11).
Evangelism leads others to Christ. (Eph. 4:11).
Apostles are sent from the body to plant churches in order to carry out the Great Commission (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
Service/Helps recognize practical needs in the body. Christians with this gift do not mind working behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7).
Hospitality is the ability to make visitors, guests, and strangers feel at ease. Persons with this gift integrate new members into the body (1 Pet. 4:9).
A church is blessed when these ministries are recognised and encouraged.
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Past articles published in Trumpet Sounds are available on the web site.
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