Hannukah - Japanese

April 3, 2025

エゼキエル 8 章 9 章

ジェイムズ・ジェイコブ・プラッシュ

エゼキエルとはヘブライ語で、「神の力によって」という意味です。彼の奉仕はまさに、ただ神の力によって実行されたものでした。預言者たちの名前は大抵の場合、神が定めたその人の奉仕の特徴を描き、表現しています。

エゼキエルは、初めイザヤによって預言され、後にエレミヤが預言したバビロン捕囚の到来の直後に登場しました。それは最終的にエゼキエルの時代に始まったのです。民が悔い改めなければ来ると言われていた、その裁きが実際に始まっていたのです。それははっきりと神の裁きとして始まったのですが、人々はそれを神の裁きではないと否定していました。すべてのことが行き詰っていましたが、人々は勝利が来ると主張し続けていたのです。これは今日の状態に似ています。『勢いのある教会(The Unstoppable Church)』(より正確に今の状態を言い表すなら“勢いのあるモスク”ですが)というような本があったりします。彼らの体は実際には重病にかかっているのに、自分の体に対して嘘を付いているようなものなのです。人々は単純に、事実に目を向けたがりません。イザヤやエレミヤが最初から現実に起こると予告していたことを、認めたがらないのです。

エゼキエルは神の裁きは継続し、ますます悪くなると予告しました。その理由は民の罪が継続し、さらに悪くなっていたからです。彼らは神の裁きが来ているのを見ても、悔い改めることをしなかったのです。また、このことは黙示録の中でもほのめかされています。神の裁きが頻繁になり、激しくなってきても、人は心をかたくなにし、神を呪い、罪にとどまったとあります。エゼキエルの時代にもそうであり、終わりの時代にもそうなるのです。エゼキエルは黙示録と深い関連があり、同じことを示しています。

エゼキエル 9 章 4 節『主は彼にこう仰せられた。「町の中、エルサレムの中を行き巡り、この町で行なわれているすべての忌みきらうべきことのために嘆き、悲しんでいる人々の額にしるしをつけよ。」』裁きが始まる前に、神の家、神の町の中で行われている忌みきうべきものを見る人たちがいます。また、神は言われます。「本当に私のものである者たちにしるしをつけよ。間違っていることを見て、何が間違っているかを理解し、嘆いている者にしるしをつけよ。裁きが来る前にしるしをつけるのだ。」

『また私は見た。もうひとりの御使いが、生ける神の印を持って、日の出るほうから上っ

て来た。彼は、地をも海をもそこなう権威を与えられた四人の御使いたちに、大声で叫ん

で言った。「私たちが神のしもべたちの額に印を押してしまうまで、地にも海にも木にも害を与えてはいけない。」』(黙示録 7 章 2 節-3 節)黙示録 13 章に至っては、獣のしるしに関して書かれており、主の与えられるしるしと獣のしるしは、互いに排他的であるということが分かります。

歴史と考古学によって、エゼキエルで言われているしるしはヘブライ語の「トブ(tov)」という文字であったことが知られています。今日、ヘブライ語のトブという文字は H

に足が付いたような形に書かれます。しかし、捕囚以前のイスラエルでは傾いた十字のように書かれていて、おそらくその原型は直立の十字でした。したがって、エゼキエルの時代の神のしるしは実際に十字架のしるしだったのです。

黙示録 9 章 4 節『そして彼らは、地の草やすべての青草や、すべての木には害を加えないで、ただ、額に神の印を押されていない人間にだけ害を加えるように言い渡された。』もう一度、神の裁きが来る前に彼の民にはしるしがつけられます。教会は患難に入りますが、その最も酷い状況からは救い出されるのです。しかしながら、その中のある時期は耐え忍び、主にしるしをつけられ、何らかのかたちで守られるのです。終末に登場する 14 万 4 千人の奉仕者たちは、確実に主のしるしを持っています。イスラエルの子孫たちはエジプトにおいて裁きの大半を経験しました。出エジプトで記されている同じ裁きがこの世の終わりに再現されます。そして、それは黙示録で起こることの主な予型なのです。暗闇や水を打つことなどがそうです。ヘブライ人たちはある部分は経験しましたが、最も酷い中からは救い出されました。それと同じことが世の終わりにも起こります。神はご自分の民にしるしをつけるのです。

主のしるしという考えは、もちろん黙示録から始まったことではなく、エゼキエルですらなく、トーラーからであり、出エジプトで言及されています。出エジプト 13 章 9 節『これをあなたの手の上のしるしとし、またあなたの額の上の記念としなさい。それは主のおしえがあなたの口にあるためであり、主が力強い御手で、あなたをエジプトから連れ出されたからである。』

エゼキエルに戻ってみましょう。裁きがやって来る前に、忌みきらうべきものとその悪とを見て、嘆く者たちは―その心が真実に神のものとなっている者たちは―十字架のしるしが付けられました。また黙示録では、忌みきらうべきものを見て、嘆く者たちに十字架のしるしがつけられるのです。

エゼキエルの時代にその裁きは始まっていました。捕囚が開始されていたにもかかわらず、

民は「ああ、ただ私たちは一時的に痛手を負っているだけだ。長続きはしない。」と言って

いましたが、実際は、ネブカドネザルはユダヤを 4 回に分けて侵攻し、その度に結果はひどいものとなっていたのです。それはあたかも悪の波が次々と来るように、先にあったものより悪くなるのです。そのように神の裁きは来ます。しかし、神の民はしるしがつけられます。彼らは真実に神のものなのです。

エゼキエルの幻は主に神殿周辺に関してでした。エゼキエル 47 章は千年王国の幻であり、ヘブライ語で「シムカ・ベイト・ハ・ショイバー(Simchat beit Ha Shoyivah)」と呼ばれる神殿の丘で水を注ぎ出す儀式を背景にしています。それはハ・スコット(Ha Succoth)と呼ばれる仮庵祭が祝われていたときでした。ヨハネ 7 章もこのことを示唆していて、その意味はいつも千年王国についてでした。

私はニューエイジ“クリスチャン”であるパトリック・ディクソン(Patrick Dixon)が意識の変化した状態について話しているのを聞きました。彼が言うには、聖書の中でいつも神の臨在が現れるとき、人々は理性を失い、普段とは違った意識に入ると言っていました。これはトロント・ブレッシング(Toronto Blessing)などを受け入れることが出来るという彼の弁護なのです。その例として、彼はペテロがイエスの山で姿が変わったことを取り上げ、彼は幕屋を作りたいという愚かで、おかしなことを考えたと言っています。ディクソンはそれをばかげたことと考えているのです。私は彼に次のことを示し、それは何もばかげたことではないと指摘しました。つまりペテロはその変貌が、ユダヤ人の祭りである仮庵祭のメシアによる成就だと考えていたのです。モーセとエリヤがメシアと共にその姿が変えられたので、何もばかげたことではなく、ペテロはそれが千年王国の到来だと考えたのです。明らかにディクソンはこのことを一度も考えたことがないようでした。その文脈において、ペテロの行為は全く理性的なものだったのです。彼は私に「どうしてそう言えるのか?あなたはそこにいたのか?ペテロと話したことがあるのか?」という質問をもって答えてきました。私はそれに対して、「私は第二神殿期の仮庵祭のメシア的な象徴がどのようであったかを知っている」と言いました。これに対してはディクソンも返す言葉が無かったようでした。このように現代はどうしても、さまざまな毒が大きな釜に入っているような状態なのです。

エゼキエルの神殿:「神殿の象徴(The Typology of the Temple)」のテープでは、ギリシヤ語とヘブライ語において少なくとも七箇所で“神殿”に関する単語、ナオス(naos)、オイコス

(oikos)、ヒエロン(hieron)、べト・ミシュカン(beth mishkan)、ベト・ミグダシュ(beth

migdash)、ハ・ヘカル(Ha Hekal)、これらが色々な箇所で教会の象徴として用いられていることを詳しく教えています。そして例えば、1ペテロ 2 章 5 節では『あなたがたも生ける石として、霊の家に築き上げられなさい。』とあり、コリント人への手紙では教会は神殿

と呼ばれており、エペソ人への手紙の 2 章・4 章では神殿は教会の象徴です。また、使徒の働きではダビデの幕屋を建て直すことが語られていて、それはアモス書の『その日、わたしはダビデの倒れている仮庵を起こし、その破れを繕い、その廃墟を復興し、昔の日のようにこれを建て直す。』(9 章 11 節)という箇所の引用です。新約聖書は少なくとも、これは部分的に異邦人の教会において成就されたと明らかにしています。また、反キリストについてのテープでは、荒らす憎むべき者に関して語っており、ダニエル書で語られた至聖所である聖なる場所に、彼が立つことについてです。このことは歴史の中のいくつかの時点で部分的に成就されました。その最も顕著な例がアンティオコス・エピファネス (Antiochus Epiphanes) によって成就されたときです。またこのことも「ハヌカー

(Hanukah)」のテープに収録されています。

エルサレムに神殿が再建され、憎むべきものがそこに建てられるとしても、それが物理的な神殿に関して起こることですが、それはただ霊的に起ころうとしていることの反映でしかないのです。イエスが十字架上で死んだとき、神殿の幕は上から下に裂けました。このことは罪深い人間と聖い神との隔たりが、もはや無くなったことを示しています。物理的な奇跡はその物理的な神殿で起こりました。しかし、それは一番大切なことではありません。一番大切なことはその奇跡が象徴していることです。私たちの大祭司であるイェシュアが罪のためにささげられたために、人間はもはや神から離れてはいないのです。したがって、荒らす憎むべき者についてもその通りです。憎むべきものが何らかの形で神殿に建て上げられるとしても―私はそれが実際に起こることを確信していますが―それはただ単に霊的に起こることの前兆なのです。反キリストは神の家で礼拝されたがります。このことは反キリストについてのテープで扱われています。そこではアラム語での荒らす憎むべき者について説明しています。

エゼキエルは主の家で忌みきらうべきことを見ました。もう一度、8 章 1 節から始まる 2

章を読んでみましょう:

『第六年の第六の月の五日、私が自分の家にすわっていて、ユダの長老たちも私の前にすわっていたとき、神である主の御手が私の上に下った。私が見ると、火のように見える姿があった。その腰と見える所から下のほうは火で、その腰から上のほうは青銅の輝きのように輝いて見えた。すると、その方は手の形をしたものを伸ばし、私の髪のふさをつかんだ。すると、霊が私を地と天との間に持ち上げ、神々しい幻のうちに私をエルサレムへ携え行き、ねたみを引き起こすねたみの偶像のある、北に面する内庭の門の入口に連れて行った。なんと、そこには、私がかつて谷間で見た姿と同じようなイスラエルの神の栄光があった。その方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。さあ、目を上げて北のほうを見よ。」(災いはいつも北からやって来ます)そこで、私が目を上げて北のほうを見ると、北のほうの祭壇の門の入口にねたみの偶像があった。』(8 章 1 節-5 節)

“人の子”とは終末的な称号であり、他のすべての預言者たちと同じく、イエスを何らか

の形で示しています。イエスは終わりの時代に関して神の子とは一度も呼ばれませんでした。彼の再臨について語られているとき、それはいつも人の子がやって来ると書かれています。

『この方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。あなたは彼らのしていることが見えるか。イスラエルの家は、わたしの聖所から遠く離れようとして、ここで大きな忌みきらうべきことをしているではないか。あなたはなおまた、大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。」』(8 章 6 節)

またここにおいても、荒らす憎むべき者が示唆されています。

『それから、この方は私を庭の入口に連れて行った。私が見ると、壁に一つの穴があった。この方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。さあ、壁に穴をあけて通り抜けよ。」私が壁に穴をあけて通り抜けると、一つの入口があった。この方は私に仰せられた。「入って行き、彼らがそこでしている悪い忌みきらうべきことを見よ。」私が入って行って見ると、なんと、はうものや忌むべき獣のあらゆる像や、イスラエルの家のすべての偶像が、回りの壁一面に彫られていた。また、イスラエルの家の七十人の長老が、その前に立っており、その中にはシャファンの子ヤアザヌヤも立っていて――彼は名前をも明らかにします!――、彼らはみなその手に香炉を持ち、その香の濃い雲が立ち上っていた。この方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。あなたは、イスラエルの家の長老たちがおのおの、暗い所、その石像の部屋で行なっていることを見たか。彼らは、『主は私たちを見ておられない。主はこの国を見捨てられた』と言っている。」さらに、私に仰せられた。「あなたはなおまた、彼らが行なっている大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。」ついでこの方は私を、主の宮の北の門の入口へ連れて行った。するとそこには、女たちがタンムズのために泣きながらすわっていた。この方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。これを見たであろうが、あなたはなおまた、これよりも大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。」そして、この方は私を主の宮の内庭に連れて行った。』(8 章 7 節-16 節)

旧約聖書の中では、神の宮を進んで行くにつれてさらに聖い場所に至ります。

『すると、主の宮の本堂の入口の玄関と祭壇との間に二十五人ばかりの人がおり、彼らは主の宮の本堂に背を向け、顔を東のほうに向けて、東のほうの太陽を拝んでいた。この方は私に仰せられた。「人の子よ。あなたはこれを見たか。ユダの家にとって、彼らがここでしているような忌みきらうべきことをするのは、ささいなことだろうか。彼らはこの地を暴虐で満たし、わたしの怒りをいっそう駆り立てている。見よ。彼らはぶどうのつるを自分たちの鼻にさしている。だから、わたしも憤って事を行なう。わたしは惜しまず、あわれまない。彼らがわたしの耳に大声で叫んでも、わたしは彼らの言うこと

を聞かない。」この方は私の耳に大声で叫んで仰せられた。「この町を罰する者たちよ。

おのおの破壊する武器を手に持って近づいて来い。」見ると、六人の男が、おのおの打ちこわす武器を手に持って、北に面する上の門を通ってやって来た。もうひとりの人が亜麻布の衣を着、腰には書記の筆入れをつけて、彼らの中にいた。彼らは入って来て、青銅の祭壇のそばに立った。』―青銅の祭壇は十字架の象徴です―『そのとき、ケルブの上にあったイスラエルの神の栄光が、ケルブから立ち上り、神殿の敷居へ向かった。それから、腰に書記の筆入れをつけ、亜麻布の衣を着ている者を呼び寄せて、主は彼にこう仰せられた。「町の中、エルサレムの中を行き巡り、この町で行なわれているすべての忌みきらうべきことのために嘆き、悲しんでいる人々の額にしるしをつけよ。」また、私が聞いていると、ほかの者たちに、こう仰せられた。「彼のあとについて町の中を行き巡って、打ち殺せ。惜しんではならない、あわれんではならない。』(エゼキエル 8 章 16 節-

9 章 5 節)

神はご自分の民に害を及ぼすことを許しませんでした。また、彼はご自分の者にはしるしをつけ、残りの者は打てと命じました。黙示録では、木々に害を加えないように命じられています。―『野の木々もみな、手を打ち鳴らす。』(イザヤ 55 章 1 節-2 節)―木々は神の民を象徴しています。これがエゼキエルでも起こったことなのです。

神はエゼキエルを取り、忌みきらうべきことを次々に見せました。それはますます悪くなるばかりでした。彼が最初に見た忌みきらうべきことに注目してみましょう:ねたみの偶像、主の家での偶像礼拝です。ヘブライ語での「礼拝する」という言葉は「ヒシャタクヴァー(hishtakvya)」といい、不定詞では「ヒスタカヴォート(Histachavot)」すなわち「ひれ伏す」ということです。誰でも像や彫られた偶像の前にひれ伏し、拝むならそれは偶像礼拝です。ハイ・カトリックやローマ・カトリック、これらのものは偶像礼拝です。

この話は次のように始まりました。神はエゼキエルを天と地の間に持ち上げて、「見よ。今あなたは天から、わたしが見るように見ている。彼らがわたしの家、わが聖所、会見の場所でしていることを見たか。」と言いました。エゼキエルはそれを見て、驚きました。しかし、神はエゼキエルに「これがわたしの家、わが聖所での偶像礼拝である。しかし、人の子よ、あなたはさらに忌みきらうべきものを見ることとなる。」と言われます。その後神は神殿の中へとさらに奥へと彼を導かれます。そこでは、はうものや忌むべき獣のあらゆる像や、イスラエルの家のすべての偶像が、回りの壁一面に彫られていたのです。ここでの

「忌むべき」とはヘブライ語で「シェケツィム(shektzim)」というもので、異邦人女性を軽蔑した言い方の「シクセー(shikseh)」という言葉はこれから来ています。黙示録において、サタンにはふたつの攻撃する形態があると、私が言っているのを聞いたことがあるでしょうか。蛇と竜です。竜は迫害者としてのサタンです。また、蛇とは欺くものとしてのサタンです。これらのはうものも「シェケツィム」と呼ばれ、それは「ねばねばした爬虫類」

という意味です。それらは古代中近東で行われていたヘビ崇拝などから来た悪魔の象徴で

すが、インドの西部に至るまでヘビ崇拝が行われています。荒らす忌むべき者はそこから取られたものです。主の家の中にいる悪霊:この時点でただの偶像礼拝が、明らかな悪霊崇拝になっていくのです。

しかし、神はそれからエゼキエルに言われます。「あなたはさらに悪いものを見ることになる。わたしの家でさらに忌みきらうべきものを見るのだ、人の子よ!」そして神は宗教指導者たち―レビ人やコヘニム(cohenim)などの“牧者たち”―をあちらこちらで名指しで呼びます。また彼はシャファンの子ヤアザヌヤが彼らの内に立っていたと書いています。そこにいるべきではない人々、いるはずのない人々が香を持ってそこにいるのです。香は聖徒の祈りを象徴しています。しかし、それらの祈りは本当の神にはささげられていないのです。彼らは真実の神を礼拝していません。パウロは1テモテ・2テモテにおいて、ヨハネは3ヨハネにおいて、信者たちを過ちに引き込もうとする指導者たちの名前を公に挙げました。使徒と預言者たちはためらうことなく、そのような者たちの名を明らかにしたのです。

このエゼキエルの箇所において、偶像礼拝が行われており、明らかな悪魔崇拝があり、また神の指導者たちが民をそこに引き込んでいました。神は主の家でそのように指導者たちが悪事に加担することは、何にも増してひどく忌みきらうべきことであると宣言しています。

『あなたはなおまた、大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。』その次に神がエゼキエルに見せられたのはタンムズ礼拝でした。タンムズは乳飲み子の神であり、彼の母であるマドンナに抱きかかえられていました。ローマ・カトリックのマドンナと子どもという考えは、タンムズ礼拝をカトリック化したものです。そうでしかありません。エレミヤ 44 章では、女たちが天の女王のためにパン菓子を焼いている光景に出くわします。これはカトリックのマリア崇拝と同じものです。タンムズに関して言うと、イエスは無力な幼児として描かれ、一方でその母は力のある独立した大人として表現されています。このような考えのもと、マリアが私たちの共通の贖い主であり、共通の仲介者であり、共通の救い主であるとカトリックは主張しているのです。彼女は今まで存在した女性の中で最も偉大であることは事実です。しかし、彼女自身、救い主が必要であると言いました。

『あなたはなおまた、大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。』そう神はエゼキエルに言いました。

『人の子よ。あなたは彼らのしていることが見えるか。』まず、それはねたみの偶像であり、

次に悪霊でした。その次に指導者たちが手をつけたものとは―より知識があるべき者たち

が民を迷わせます―タンムズ礼拝でした。この次には何が来るのでしょうか?

『あなたはなおまた、大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。』神はエゼキエルを玄関と祭壇の間にある内庭に連れて行きました。そこで彼が見たものは公然と太陽を拝む者たちでした―公然と他の神々に祈っていたのです。これらのバビロンの宗教は単なる礼拝以上のもの、不品行などをも含んでいます。不品行と偶像礼拝は共に起こります。古代ギリシヤではそれは神殿娼婦でしたが、その起源はギリシヤ以前にさかのぼります。礼拝の中での性の堕落です。サタン崇拝にかかわりを持つすべての成人式は、何らかの性的な儀式を含んでいます。ロザラム(Rotherham)にいる、私の知っているクリスチャン女性の娘は、サタン的なカルトに参加していました。そこで大祭司がサタンと関わり持たせるため、彼女を“結婚”させたのです。儀式のすべてが性的で汚らわしいことで満ちていました。この女性は当然のことながらとても動揺していました。

状況はますます悪化していきます。民はそれを無視していましたが、イザヤやエレミヤが来ると、初めから警告していた神の裁きが実現していたのです。彼らは来るべき裁きを否定し、罪にとどまっていました。その一方で、指導者たちはそこに立ち、「もはや主はこれらのことを、本当には気遣っておられない。すべてはゲームなのだ。ただこれは私たちの仕事なのだから。」と言います。聖職者の中の多くのフルタイムの奉仕者たちが―彼らの中には福音派もいますが―奉仕がただの職業にすぎなくなっているのです。奉仕は仕事になっていて、召命でもなく、情熱をもってするものでもなく、神が天職として与えたものではなくなっているのです。ただ彼らの義務になってしまっています。

最終的に神は言われます、「真実にわたしのものである者たちにしるしをつけよ」。もはや望みはなくなりました。神はそのようなことを見て嘆いている者以外、あわれむことも惜しむこともなくなるのです。神はエゼキエルを天にまで上げて「わたしの聖所を見よ」そう言われると、彼は衝撃を受けました。また、神は「またそこにはあなたが見たものを見、ひどく驚いた者たちがいて、彼らはわたしの家で忌みきらうべきことが行われているのを見て嘆いているのだ。その偶像礼拝、不品行、また彼らの指導者たち自身が民を引き込んでいるのを嘆いている。これらの者たちにはしるしがつけられる。しかし、わが裁きは下ろうとしている。さらにあなたは忌みきらうべきことを見ることになるだろう」と言われ、

「人の子よ。あなたは彼らが行っていることを見たか。忌みきらうべきことをさらに見る

ことになる」と主は言われます。

白魔術を行う者が歴史上初めて、イギリスの大学で多神教のチャプレンになりました。「スーザン・ラドーン(Susan Ladourne)がリーズ大学で、オカルトを信じた生徒をカウンセリ

ングするために職務を引き継いだ。29 歳の魔術師は、魔術や多神教の儀式や礼拝をもって、生徒を指導する。」 しかし、これよりもさらに忌みきらうべきことを、私たちは見ます。一体どのようなものなのでしょうか?祭司たち―知識を持ち合わせているはずの者―が不品行に身をまかせ、魔術を受け入れているのです。いいですか、国教会のチャプレンであるサイモン・ロビンソン牧師(Rev. Simon Robinson)は魔術師にも果たすべき役割があるとしてそれを受け入れ、次のように言いました「私たちはすでにさまざまな宗教からチャプレンを採用している」。祭司たちは忌みきらうべきことや偶像礼拝が行われている中、香を持ち立っていました。彼らは「大丈夫、神は見てはいない」と言うのです。これがまさにエゼキエル書において起こっていたことです。「神は見てはいない」とコヘニムは言い、同じ事をレビ人も言いました。また、これはイギリス国教会の聖職者が今日言っていることなのです。

「あなたはなおまた、わたしの家で大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。」と主は言われます。ヨークシャー・イブニング・ポスト(Yorkshire Evening Post)によると「一緒に住むことはもはや罪ではない―イギリス国教会は家族の価値観について姿勢を一変した」そうなのです。私は罪の中に生きていました。イエスが私の心の中に入ってきたとき、私はニューヨークに住んでいて、向かいの通りにいた、とても魅力的なアメリカ系イタリア人の女性と暮らしていました。そのとき、私は残りの薬物を取り、窓から 20 階下に投げ捨てました(それをガーナへ行く大使が拾って、自分のものにしたと思います)。そしてジューズ・フォー・ジーザス(Jews for Jesus)の当時リーダーだったサム・メードラー(Sam Madler)が私に言いました。「あなたは結婚するか、そこから出ていくかしなければならない。たとえ、あなたたちが一緒に寝ていないとしても、罪があるように見え、あなたの証を台無しにすることになる。」そこで私は彼女をキリストに導きました。よい証と信仰を保とうとして私は唯一の選択肢を選びました。つまり彼女に出ていくように告げたのです。

ここで言いたいのは、私がしていたことが間違っていると言われて、クリスチャンとしてそのままやっていけなかったということです。『結婚がすべての人に尊ばれるようにしなさい。寝床を汚してはいけません。』(ヘブル 13 章 4 節)―もう彼女とはベッドを共にしないとしても、それは罪のように見えると言われたのです。証をし続けてきた私の隣人たちは、彼女と寝ていないということを信じはしなかったでしょう。しかし現在、イギリス国教会は一緒に住むことはもはや罪ではないと言っているのです。私は福音主義カリスマ派であると聞いていた、ジョージ・カーレイ(George Carey)大監督の、公式のイギリスの住所であるランバート官邸に電話をかけました。私は電話をし、かけ返してくれるようメッセージを残しました。彼らは私が何を望んでいるのか知りたがっていたので、『結婚がすべての人に尊ばれるようにしなさい。寝床を汚してはいけません。』という新約聖書の箇所があるのに、どうやって結婚せずに寝床を聖く保てるのかと大監督に聞きました。それからという

もの返事は一切来ていません。

「あなたはなおまた、わたしの家で大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。」と主は言われます。ギリシヤ語の「デモノイ(demonoi)」とヘブライ語の「シェディム(shedim)」は、

1 コリントと申命記で使われていて、他の神々や悪霊たちのことを述べています。旧約と新約はどちらもそれを告げています。エゼキエルははうものや悪霊などのシェディムが、神の聖所、主の家で崇められているのを見ました。カンタベリー大聖堂に行き、自分自身の目で異教徒の間でなされている礼拝を見てください。アンセルム・チャペル(Anselm

Chapel)に行き、仏教徒、イスラム教徒、ヒンドゥー教徒、シーク教徒などの礼拝で溢れていて、“クリスチャン”たちがそれを受け入れているのを見てください。『あなたはなおまた、大きな忌みきらうべきことを見るだろう。』


By David Passmore May 25, 2026
Signs of the Times Tony Pearce ‍ ‍ Left, right or center – is our democracy in danger “Things fall apart, the center does not hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” W.B Yeats ‘The Second Coming. ’ ‍ ‍ Labour’s losses in the council elections and the battle for succession to their unpopular leader Kier Starmer have raised the possibility that we may soon have our seventh Prime Minister in ten years. Local elections saw Reform and the Greens make sweeping gains, leading Green Party leader, Zack Polanski to say that we are seeing ‘the end of the old two party system’. Maybe we are. In which case what comes next? Will we head to the far left, the far right or will the center hold on to power? Or will it end with ungovernable chaos as unqualified people take control of local and national government? Behind all this there are fundamental questions, ‘What is government for? Who does it represent and where is it going?’ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ According to the Bible (Romans 13) the purpose of government is to promote good and restrain evil. The government has the right to raise taxes for the common good of society and people should pay them. In 1 Timothy 2 Paul encourages us to pray for the government that ‘we may live a godly and peaceable life’. In other words, pray that the government will create an orderly and peaceful society and not interfere with our right to set up communities that teach and preach the Word of God. The situation becomes more difficult when we see government promoting things which are harmful and restraining things which are good and clamping down on freedom of speech with a threat to our ability to live a ‘godly and peaceable life’ ‍ Since becoming a Christian in my early twenties, I have wrestled with the question of how our faith applies to contemporary political issues. I started this quest on the left politically after leaving university and working as an English teacher with sympathies for Marxism. I then became a born again Christian in 1970, and joined my late wife Nikki in evangelizing the radical left, by handing out leaflets at their marches and demonstrations in London and attending their meetings to discuss matters of faith and politics with them. ‍ ‍‍ ‍ We had some good discussions with people and hope we made some consider the Christian alternative. However as we looked at Marxism from a Christian point of view and its practice in Communist countries, we understood that behind this ideology there is a strong anti-christian spirit. It denies the existence of God and promotes the idea of human perfectibility by our own effort. This is exemplified in the words of the Internationale, the socialist battle hymn, ‘No saviour from on high delivers, no faith have we in prince or peer, our own right hand the chains will shiver, chains of hatred, greed and fear.’ This Antichrist spirit led to the persecution of Christians in the Communist countries of eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and China. Far from creating the socialist paradise on earth that Lenin wrote about in ‘Socialism and Religion’, it created a society ruled by hatred, greed and fear, controlled by secret police, prison camps and responsible for the death of millions. ‍ ‍ In western society we have witnessed the growth of ‘cultural Marxism’ a movement aimed at infiltrating and changing society from within, rather than fomenting the workers’ revolution. Labour’s Fabian Society, with its (now discarded) logo of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, has been engaged in this process since the beginning of the 20th century. Social change really took off with the permissive society in the 1960s, which succeeded in changing traditional values, especially in the area of sex and the family. It replaced biblical values with a new ‘morality’ that is fundamentally anti Christian. These ideas have permeated large swathes of our society including the education system, the judiciary, the Civil Service, much of the media, mainstream political parties (including even the Conservative ‘wets’ and parts of the established church). ‍ ‍ Melanie Phillips describes the results of this in her book, ‘The Builder’s Stone.’ ‘Having decided that the West was rotten to the core, western elites set out to create a new culture that would usher in the brotherhood of man and eradicate hatred, prejudice, and war. Their Brave New World junked biblical religion with all its constraints on behaviour and revolved instead around self gratification. Everybody had the right to live as they wanted; nobody could say that their way of life was better or worse than anyone else’s; no one had the right to say that their culture was better than any other culture. That was ‘racism.’ At the heart of all this was the doctrine that there was no such thing as objective truth. Everything was relative; everything was a matter of opinion. Because there was no truth feelings became more important than facts. So the West abandoned the codes of morality, conscience, truth and lies, personal responsibility, and duty to others in favour of a culture of the self. In the process it junked its inherited traditions and biblical codes on which western culture was based.’ ‍ Britain changed from being a society that respected values based on the 10 Commandments and the teaching of Jesus Christ to one that discarded them for relative values. Ideas of ‘diversity, inclusion and equity’ became the norm, together with and a form of ‘tolerance’, that is really very intolerant if you oppose it. This ‘tolerance’ means accepting the virtues of multiculturalism and humanism and believing that all gods are equally valid or true (or none are). We must also accept that all lifestyles and family arrangements including homosexual and transsexual ones are just as valid as traditional two parent heterosexual families, with a father and mother committed to each other in lifelong matrimony looking after their own children. ‍ As society accepts this radical change in how we view culture, morality and religion, we are told not to criticize other cultures and world views or imply that they are anything less than equal to the culture, morality and faith derived from the Bible. ‍ All this has not improved society. Instead we have a collapse of values with no central idea to hold it together, just a group of competing ‘communities’ which are often only united in opposition to the traditional values and culture of Great Britain. A good example of this is the ‘red – green alliance’ of radical leftists and Islamists who come together to denounce Israel and campaign to ‘globalise the Intifada’. In practice this means a world wide war against Israel and Judaeo-Christian society and a desire to replace it with their version of either Islamism or Communism. However if one of them were to come to power, you can be sure that the Islamist’s would get rid of the leftists or vice versa. In fact that happened in Iran’s 1979 revolution, when Islamist supporters of Khomeini and Communists came together to get rid of the Shah. Then the Islamists seized power, turned on the Communists and wiped them out. ‍ Alisteir Heath wrote in the Daily Telegraph: ‘Ruined by decades of political vandalism, the Britain we knew and loved, a land of stability, pragmatism, and ancient freedoms, is no more. Today’s UK is uglier, impoverished, volatile and disorderly. We’ve lost our level-headedness. Anger and frustration have become our defining emotions. Our institutions have wasted away, and we have been taught to despise our history. The decline of family, community and faith have led to alienation, dependence on welfare and the rise of novel ideologies, mostly secular but also sectarian, turbocharged by social media. While the state becomes unnervingly authoritarian, the air reeks of insurrection and every variety of extremism. The British public’s sense of betrayal is as well-founded as it is dangerous. The machinery of state is incompetent and self-serving, a vehicle for social engineering in the global interest.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ Criticism of this process now risks being classed as ‘hate crime’ with a growing authoritarian society monitoring social media posts and public teaching of alternative ideas in ways which risk shutting down free speech in our society. A Christian teacher Enoch Burke is currently in prison in Dublin after he was suspended from his job and jailed after refusing to accept and teach transgenderism in the school. ‍ ‍ ‍ Nick Timothy, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, got into trouble when he questioned mass Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square. He wrote: ‘Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination. The adhan – which declares there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger – is, when called in a public place, a declaration of domination. The domination of public places is straight from the Islamist playbook.” He is right in this. Allah hu Akhbar actually means Allah is greater, greater than your God, Muhammad is greater than Jesus and the Koran is greater than the Bible. ‍ ‍ ‍ Tim Dieppe of Christian Concern for our Nation wrote: “The fact that we have mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square at all is indicative of the massive culture change that we have seen in the last few decades. A culture change that was not voted for or ever agreed to by the British people. And, a culture change that can hardly be described as having been entirely beneficial to our culture as a whole. I only need to mention grooming gangs involving mostly Pakistani Muslim men , sharia courts, honour crimes, terror attacks, the assassination of an MP, an attempt to blockade Parliament, mass antisemitic marches through London, a convicted terrorist standing for local elections, sectarianism, and many other examples to make the point. Earlier this month, the Government gave Muslims special protection with the adoption of an official definition of anti-Muslim hostility .” ‍ ‍ ‍ You are not really supposed to question this in public life today. A message circulating on social media is an apt commentary on all this. ‘First they overlook evil, then they permit evil, then they legalise evil, then they promote evil, then celebrate evil, then persecute those who call it evil.’ Soviet dissident Solzhenitsyn wrote: ‘A Communist system can be recognised by how it spares criminals and criminalises its opponents.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ The root cause of all this is the rejection of God and biblical values. The 18th-century French philosopher Joseph de Maistre coined the phrase "people get the government they deserve." David Pawson followed up on this idea, arguing that in democratic societies like ours, the moral and spiritual condition of a nation's citizens is directly reflected in the leaders they elect. If the general public abandons moral truths, they will inevitably vote for governments that reflect those same compromises. David Pawson taught that God may use governmental leadership to judge or bless a nation, depending on the people's obedience. He noted that Hebrew prophets saw wicked rulers as a form of divine judgement on a society that has strayed from God's laws. Therefore a nation's ultimate hope rests on repentance rather than just political change. His conclusion is that Christians should actively stand for moral truth in society. He believed that the church is meant to influence culture upward, and that a decline in national morality inevitably leads to deteriorating governance. ‍ ‍ ‍ Sadly much of the church today has become the ‘salt that has lost its savour’ through compromise with antichristian forces in society and government. It may be too late to save our country and western democracy as social and economic pressures create a collapse of democracy and push us either towards anarchy or dictatorship. ‍ ‍ ‍ Yeats’ poem quoted at the beginning of this article ends with the enigmatic line ‘Some rough beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born.’ Most likely he is referring to the coming anti-Messiah who is labelled the Beast in the book of Revelation. Many believe his is now waiting in the wings to replace the true Messiah (born in Bethlehem) and bring in the dictatorship prophesied in Revelation 13. The Bible indicates that the Beast or Antichrist will have power for a moment, but it will be short lived and doomed to destruction at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. Then the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Messiah and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11.15) and the ‘government shall be on His shoulder’ (Isaiah 9.6). ‍ ‍ ‍ Maranatha come Lord Jesus. ‍ ‍ ‍ Water, water nowhere and not a drop to drink. (Apologies to the Ancient Mariner) ‍ ‍‍ ‍ While nations worry about supply of oil and gas as a result of the war in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a much more vital commodity for human survival is water. And it is in short supply in a growing number of nations. ‍ ‍ As of 2026, over 25 countries face extremely high water stress, with the most severe crises located in the Middle East and North Africa. This region is home to the world's most water-stressed nations, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, and Libya. India and Pakistan face critical water scarcity due to overexploitation of aquifers and population density. Much of Africa , Somalia and Ethiopia in particular are facing severe shortages due to drought and climate change. Mexico and parts of the United States (particularly Texas and the west coast) are experiencing significant water shortages and declining groundwater levels. ‍ ‍ ‍ Iran is facing a severe, multi-year water crisis as of May 2026, with major cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Karaj approaching the point where taps could run dry due to depleted reservoirs. Groundwater is depleted across most of the country, and nineteen provinces are experiencing severe drought. The crisis is driven by a combination of climate change and decades of poor water management, including excessive dam construction and inefficient, water-intensive agriculture. China is facing a severe, multi-faceted water crisis defined by extreme scarcity in the north, widespread pollution, and mismanagement, threatening its food supply and economic growth. ‍ ‍ ‍ Several countries are significantly affected by upstream dam construction that reduces downstream water flow, causing, environmental, and diplomatic crises. These countries include Iraq, heavily impacted by dams built on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by Turkey and Iran, leading to reduced water for agriculture, destruction of forests, and increased sandstorms. Egypt and Sudanface significant water security risks due to the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laosare affected of dams built by China on the upper Mekong River ‍ ‍ One country which bucks this trend is Israel. Israel manages its water resources by transforming a chronic shortage into a surplus through large-scale desalination, extensive wastewater recycling, and a centralised national water carrier system. The agriculture sector has shifted away from freshwater, using treated effluent instead. Advanced drip irrigation technologies are widely used to minimise waste. Israel has exported its water technologies to countries around the world, particularly Africa where it has given advice on how to use limited water resources to great effect. ‍ ‍ ‍ Without water no society on earth can survive. Bible prophecies indicate that water shortage and pollution will be a global problem in the last days. Most obviously no water equals no food, so famine is an inevitable result of water shortages. Jesus warned of this as a sign of the last days in Matthew 24.7. Revelation 8.10-11 speaks of something called ‘Wormwood’ falling on rivers and springs of water causing it to become bitter and many to die from drinking it. ‍ ‍ Prophecy speaks of the two great rivers of the ancient world, the Nile and the Euphrates, being affected by a crisis causing the Euphrates to dry up (Revelation 16.12) and the Nile to become contaminated and its waters turn foul (Isaiah 19.5-11). Isaiah 24 speaks of a curse devouring the earth in the last days causing the earth to be ‘defiled (or polluted) under its inhabitants.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ According to the New Scientist, there are massive amounts of water hidden deep beneath the Earth's surface. Scientists have found evidence of a reservoir of water three times the volume of all surface oceans combined, located roughly 250–400 miles underground within the mantle. ‍ ‍ ‍ It may be that the Lord will release this water to replenish and clean up the earth in the Millennial kingdom when ‘waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.’ Isaiah 35. Zechariah 14.8-9 says, ‘In that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.’ Zechariah 14.8-9. See also Ezekiel 47. ‍ Rethinking Russia ‍ Things are not going well for Vladimir Putin in his ‘special military operation’. Four years after invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia is not making advances and actually losing ground. Russia is losing as many as 25,000- 35,000 casualties a month and over 1.2 million have been killed and wounded since the war began. Ukrainian skills in drone warfare have destroyed large quantities of Russian equipment, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery and rocket systems, helicopters, and naval vessels. ‍ ‍ Russia is spending an estimated 40% of the entire federal budget on the war effort. As a result of this and western sanctions, Russia is increasingly unable to fix chronic infrastructure problems at home. During the bitter Russian winter thousands of people were left without heat, light, or even water. All forms of transport, trains, trucks and planes, are facing logistical problems, making it difficult to transport goods and people across the vast Russian regions. Russia is on the way to an infrastructure collapse that will likely take decades to recover. ‍ ‍ Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov warned the State Duma that Russia's faltering economy risks stoking a 1917-style revolution. He demanded urgent financial and economic measures by autumn to avert a potential economic collapse. This raises the danger of the Russian Federation fracturing. The Caucuses are restive, the far east is looking to China and Siberia is facing an acute problem as a result of melting permafrost, causing buildings, bridges and pipelines to collapse. ‍ ‍ In the present circumstances it is hard to see how Russia could lead the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Some have said that it is more likely that Turkey is the lead power in the War of Gog and Magog. They say that Meshech and Tubal are not Moscow and Tobolsk, but regions of modern Turkey. Erdogan’s Turkey is backed by an Islamist world view hostile to Israel, seeking the recovery of its Ottoman Empire. He has his eyes on taking control of Jerusalem. Turkey is possession of a large land army already stationed in the region, some of it occupying part of Syria. ‍ ‍ The alternative is that the War of Gog and Magog is some way off, possibly part of Armageddon, giving time for Russia to recover from its present distress. We wait and see, but meanwhile spare a thought and a prayer for the people of Ukraine and Russia, suffering as a result of Putin’s futile war, oppressed by his corrupt dictatorship and facing an economic and social collapse caused by his failed policies. ‍ ‍
By David Passmore May 25, 2026
Trump's Visit with Xi Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM The tempest path of Sino-U.S. tensions came to a head during Trump's first term in office with the outbreak of Covid. Many commentators believed that the deterioration in relations was in terminal decline and that a major confrontation in the straits of Taiwan was fast looming. Trump held China responsible for the spread of Covid, insisting that he would pursue reparations. The election of Biden halted this commitment. Biden sought a non-confrontational policy towards Beijing. In the aftermath of the disastrous premature withdrawal from Afghanistan handing that country over to the Taliban and the Russian invasion of Ukraine under his watch, Biden became too preoccupied to assertively engage with China. Chinese State media portrayed Trump's visit as being rather unremarkable in the context of other foreign dignitaries lining up to meet Xi, pointing out that just a week later Putin would arrive in Beijing. China manifests that it is winning the trade war that Trump began in 2018, beating America at its own game of capitalism. They frame the U.S. as being in a position of weakness because China is able to source whatever products they buy from the U.S. elsewhere like oil from Canada, and soybeans from Brazil. The oil, soybeans and 200 Boeing's Xi agreed to purchase from Trump were presented as a mere gesture to placate Trump as China has already bought 350 Air Buses in the last year. China would have the world believe that it is only semi-conductors where America has the edge. Here China hints that it is not likely to buy H200 Invidia Chips because it would mean that China will always lag behind the U.S. in building their AI tech. China's major contention and concern is that the U.S. may impose export controls to contain China. China's strategy instead is to invest massively on indigenous innovation. China wants to become an innovation powerhouse that will export its own Chips to the Global South. China is fast catching up with America's lead in AI with the launch of Deep Seek and they claim similar progress with Chip making. China is now ostensibly only eight months behind the U.S. on Large Language Models. Running contrary to this narrative Trump insists that China is desperate to trade with America. China's economy has now peaked. Emblematic of this stagnating growth is rising youth unemployment. China is no longer America's biggest trading partner. Trump has shifted manufacturing back to the U.S. and Trump believes that China can't revive its economy without America. Lined up to meet Xi with Trump were the heads of some of America's biggest Tech Corporations. Corporations like nvidia seek a relaxing of export controls for Chips as they want short term profits, ignoring the risk that China will reverse engineer this technology. More broadly, China and the U.S. are playing a geopolitical chess game spanning the globe. Trump outmaneuvered China in Latin America with the removal of Maduro from power in Venezuela. China is exploiting its influence on Iran in order to get Trump to refrain from taking more active steps towards the defense of Taiwan. Indeed, Trump didn't say anything about Taiwan during his visit. Trump's instincts are of a transactional approach towards alliances, where he is only willing to underwrite defense assistance if allies pay up as an insurer would. It is also important to note that saber rattling the Taiwan card also serves the CCP agenda to distract internal dissent concerning the state of the Chinese economy. Most imminently Trump needs China to pressure Iran to open the Straits of Hormuz and get oil prices down before the midterm elections. China has largely insulated itself from the Gulf energy impact due to stockpiles. Trump would also like China to stop providing Iran with GPS for its missiles. Other Chinese weapons systems and technology sold to Iran have failed to perform well against U.S. and Israeli military hardware. Matters boil down to a leverage between whatever Trump can do on Taiwan, China can do on the strait of Hormouz with Iran. Human Rights concerns, espionage and the alarming rate of Chinese acquisition of U.S. land have been placed on the back burner for the time being.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore May 17, 2026
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for Phil Malone and family “Please keep me and my family in prayer. My mum passed away on 13th May at the age of 93. It's a time of mourning, but may it be a time for the Gospel of Christ to be preached to my unbelieving family, especially my brother.”
By Mea Fredrickson May 13, 2026
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for Sister Joanne Rizzetto, wife of Pastor Dave Rizzetto of Church of The Open Door in New York City. Joanne has developed painful complications and adverse side effects from medications following knee surgery. May The Lord intervene for healing and give guidance to her physicians. Lord, we humbly ask you to intervene in the life of our dear sister. We know you can do all things and that you hear our prayers and consider your servants. Please put a stop to the adverse reaction. Restrain and reverse its effects and restore our sister so that she can continue to serve you in the ministry that you have called them to. We do glorify Your Name. We don't ask as those who treat you as our debtor, but as those who have tasted your goodness and found such mercy and compassion at your feet. Grace and peace and mercy be with Joanne and Pastor Dave.
By David Passmore May 5, 2026
Will Lebanon miss its golden opportunity? Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Converging new facts on the ground have transformed the political landscape in Lebanon. With Assad removed from power in Syria, a vital lifeline of arms supplies for Hezbollah originating in Iran has diminished. Hezbollah suffered considerable losses in its last round of fighting with Israel. The decapitation of its leadership with the targeted pager attack inflicted a severe blow. Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem is a weak substitute for the charismatic Nasrallah who was assassinated by Israel in 2024. Hezbollah in its frail state foolishly fell into line with Iran's instruction to join the fighting against Israel following the recent American-Israeli war with Iran. This was contrary to the wishes of the Lebanese government which was fearful of the inevitable destruction that would be wreaked by the Israeli response. The differing attitudes to Israel amongst Lebanon's population is reflective of its ethnic composition. The predominant groups in order of plurality are Christians, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims with a smaller minority of Druze. The major concern of most Christians in Lebanon is the dire state of their economy. They have no appetite to further their plight by invoking Israel's rage. During the colonial inter war period the French envisaged the demarcation between Lebanon and Syria as carving out enclaves for Christian and Druze control. Within Lebanon there would be a shared government that by convention would have the Executive power split between a Christian President, a Sunni Prime Minister and Shia Speaker of Parliament. The Christians in southern Lebanon (particularly Maronite Catholics) saw themselves as being anthropologically descendants of ancient Phoenicians as opposed to an Arab identity where the Arab Christians were largely Eastern Orthodox. The schism between the Maronites and the Arab Eastern Orthodox dates back to the time of the Crusades. The Maronites were culturally French, speaking French as their main language and held precedence in much of the Lebanese economy. The first threat to Lebanese stability and cohesion was settled by the U.S. Eisenhower administration in 1958 which landed Marines in an amphibious operation. A repeated attempt at this by the Reagan administration in 1983 ended in a military disaster for the U.S. due to suicide bombings by Iranian controlled terrorists. Israeli efforts to bring in stability during the Lebanese Civil War in conjunction with its Lebanese Christian allies led by Major Saad Haddad likewise came to calamity when the Sabra and Shatila revenge attacks took place following the assassination of Lebanese leader Bashir Gemayel. The ''Good Fence'' policy of an Israeli friendly free Lebanon zone in Southern Lebanon eventually ended badly following Menachem Begin's second incursion into Lebanon called ''Shalom HaGalil'' aimed at stopping the PLO rocket attacks on Israeli border communities like Metulla, Kiryat Shmona, Naharya, Rosh Hanikra, Tzfat and Carmiel. The proxy Israeli occupation from the Israeli border to the Litani river became an imbroglio that many in Israel viewed as Israel's Vietnam with widespread domestic protest and a collapse of morale within the IDF. Eventually Israel absorbed Christian war refugees from Lebanon, while the Vatican and most of the Christian world turned their backs on the Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was then saddled with two states within a state. The first was in the aftermath of Black September in 1970 when King Hussein of Jordan defended his Hashemite throne and government from Yasser Arafat's attempt to take over Jordan due to Jordan having a 70% Palestinian Arab demographic majority. The Jordanian legion drove tens of thousands of its pro Arafat Jordanian citizens into Lebanon, creating a population base for the first state within a state under Arafat. However the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and other factions had their niche interests. Courtesy of the Israeli Air Force Arafat relocated what he saw as his government in exile to Tunisia. This was a missed opportunity by the Lebanese government to assert its autonomy and full territorial control by making a Camp David type peace with Israel inclusive of economic and mutual security provisions. Instead an Iranian backed Syrian intervention replaced Arafat's state within a state with a new one that morphed into Hezbollah. The fall of the Assad regime and the Israeli counter-offensive against Hezbollah re-presents Lebanon with the opportunity that it once lost. The predominantly Christian controlled Lebanese military could and should operationally coordinate with the IDF, to obliterate and remove Hezbollah as the Israelis relieved Lebanon of Arafat's state within a state. Such a rapprochement would likely have strong American and possibly French and British support, allowing Lebanon to be at a non-combative peace with Israel along the lines of Egypt and Jordan, and now some of the Emirates. The natural comradery of the Lebanese Druze community with the Israeli Druze and the pro-Israeli Druze of Syria would additionally re-enforce a regional harmony, as would the Maronite Christian community in Israel with their co-coreligionists in Lebanon.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore May 5, 2026
PASTOR JOHN ANGLISS It is with profound sadness that we learned of the temporary separation from our friend and brother Pastor John Angliss. We look forward to being reunited with John in the millennial reign of Christ and indeed in God's Eternal Kingdom. Jacob Prasch visited John a few weeks ago in the UK while John was in hospice care having been diagnosed preterminal in his illness. While medically correct, it was of course a misdiagnosis. John is now cancer free and is alive and well in the presence of Jesus awaiting us in glory while his mortal body is being renewed for resurrection and immortality. In the meanwhile, during this temporary season of bereavement we do request prayer for his beloved wife Mary and for his congregation, The Ark Fellowship in England near Reading, England. Because he has recently arrived in the USA and is scheduled to address the Moriel Canada branch conference in Winnipeg, Jacob Prasch will regrettably not be able to attend the memorial service in Britain. Our condolences however are very much with Mary and our brethren in the UK who like us knew and loved Pastor Angliss. John was one of a minority of faithful voices who upheld a traditional biblically based Pentecostalism in the era of counterfeit revivals and apostasy that overtook most of British Pentecostalism. John was a faithful friend of Israel & The Jews standing on the prophetic purposes of God for Israel and the salvation of the Jews. John was a loyal friend to Moriel and Jacob Prasch and a colleague of David Pawson and Derek Prince, both of whom likewise stood by God's promises to Israel. John was also a founding leader of CMFI - the Christian Ministerial Fellowship International, former pastor of Three Mile Cross fellowship , and former board member of Focus On Israel (a Pentecostal Ministry to the Jews). While this separation is temporary, John's eternal gain will be our temporary loss. O GRAVE - WHERE IS THEY VICTORY, O DEATH WHERE IS THY STING ? Hosea 13:14 / 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57
By David Passmore April 28, 2026
We made it this far: Israel at 78 Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Since the last anniversary milestone of Israel at 75, we have been embroiled in relentless wars. Citizens had little respite to enjoy this year's festivities, coming on the heels of a lull in fighting on the Iranian and Lebanese fronts. We are constantly waiting for a breakthrough on the horizon that will normalize our relations with our neighbors and secure our position on the world stage. It is acutely exhausting to be the focus of the world's attention. But also there is a sense of inevitability accompanying the Zionist project. Specifically that Israel is destined to be central in the wider region and global affairs. Why is this? Is it due to it being a western transplant? Being geographically positioned on the crossroads of three continents? Religious believers would point to prophetic fulfillment. It is short sighted to only look at how our problems are rooted in today’s' reality. Greater forces are at work that will dictate the direction that Israel is heading. The Jewish diaspora will likely find itself in a growing precarious position that will lead to increasing Aliyah (immigration to Israel) and will perhaps ferment the emergence of a second Jewish commonwealth that will not need to heed international pressure in the same way that todays' polity finds itself doing. In this light it is interesting to ponder how our posterity would view our predicament and gains. And I frame matters in these terms with intentionality. We are enmeshed in a seemingly intractable conflict with the Palestinians, and yet Israel has made great gains particularly in the technological fields. There is a current of thinking that perceives Israel's way out of its quagmire is by making itself indispensable to technological advancements. We don't know how tomorrows' world will be shaped by the rapidly advancing AI revolution but so far Israel has proven to be uniquely adaptable and innovative to technological change. This has proved to be a boon to Israel's economy, as have offshore natural gas discoveries being developed in concert with Greece, Greek Cypriot and American energy interests that are geographically and strategically removed from any Straits of Hormuz shipping impediments that strangle the Persian Gulf deposits shared by Qatar and Iran. On another note we should contextualize the situation. How different are Israel's challenges from other nations? Is Israel any less stable than other countries (particularly in the region)? Israel doesn't find itself uniquely challenged to define its identity (most European countries do also, particularly in light of immigration). Nor does the government experience any more volatility than other comparable democracies. Israel's real problems lay in the nature of how its Jewish citizens desire to govern themselves. It is arguable whether the judicial reform protests that occupied public discourse in pre-October 7th Israel would have led to serious civil strife. But it is without doubt that this impasse was allayed by the external attack. The underlying tensions remain unresolved and there are many ways that they could play out. It has been framed as a battle for Israel's soul. Israel's enemies predict that Zionism is imploding and that the State won't survive another 5-10 years. Supporting this claim, they point to Israel's increasing alienation and growing pariah status on the international stage. Our Prime Minister has been indicted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Even public opinion in our staunchest ally the U.S. has turned sharply against Israel. With 80% of the Democratic Party being anti-Israel in a growing climate of anti-semitism we have even witnessed the shift of Alan Dershowitz to the Republican Party which must be seen as emblematic of a trend. There is apprehension in Israel of a post-Trump America dominated by the Democrats. However, these seeming incontrovertible facts may be offset by other measures of fortitude. This may be partially countered by the high investment by Silicon Valley in the Israeli Hi-tech sector, making Israel an asset for purposes of Research and Development in America's AI race against China. New opportunities for economic relations have also been opened with Arab nations through the Abraham Accords and with the powerhouse India. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine a world in which Israel's technological prowess will not carry the sway of western decision makers in the long run. Israel's 78th anniversary is a moment to take pause and not catastrophize what the future may behold. The entire world is currently in a state of transformation and Israel is not an outlier in this context.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore April 23, 2026
Please click this link:https://mailchi.mp/christianconcern.com/action-alert-street-preaching-22-04-26?e=f1df30be3f
By David Passmore April 14, 2026
A critical juncture in NATO'S future Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM NATO was originally established in 1949 to keep the Russian hordes at bay from toppling those European countries not forked over to the Soviet sphere of influence at the Potsdam conference. Europe lay in ruins. Britain had passed on the torch of global hegemony to the U.S. by tacitly acquiescing to the decolonization of its Empire when Churchill and Roosevelt agreed terms of the Atlantic Charter for the post-war new world order in 1941. So from its start NATO was very much an American driven endeavor. American money with the Marshall plan was propping up western European economies and its military might was forming the bulk of their defensive capabilities. The lopsided nature of this dynamic has informed how tensions have persisted and recently erupted in the Alliance. During the Cold War the U.S. felt obligated to shoulder the costs of underwriting Europe's security in light of the broader interests to keep the Soviet's in check. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain European complacency became a sticking point with the 'peace dividend' further exploiting American largesse. European NATO allies spent ever smaller percentages of their GDP on defense expenditure at U.S. expense. Now in a multi-polar world U.S. and European perceived threats are less aligned. This was first tested in the aftermath of September 11th when for the first time NATO elected to trigger its article 5 collective defense protocol. And since then the U.S. has sought to continue to expand the traditional theatre of operations beyond Europe's borders. No longer is Russia perceived by America as being a proximate existential threat to its interests, but rather containing Chinese expansion in the Pacific arena. Parallel to NATO a discrete 'five eyes' intelligence sharing alliance comprising the Anglo-sphere (the U.S., U.K., Canada and New Zealand) emerged. This stands at the center of the U.S. – U.K. 'special relationship'. A relevant question would be can this signals intelligence (NSA-GCHQ) partnership persist should the U.S. withdraw from NATO? Conventional thinking would have led one to believe that with Brexit the U.K. would naturally pivot towards closer U.S. relations but under Starmer the U.K. is distancing itself. European powers misrepresent the present conflict as an aggressive, rather than defensive U.S. adventure while they themselves are more likely to be at risk. In this the Starmer government resembles the Labor party led committee for nuclear disarmament in the 1980's. It opposed the Thatcher supported deployment of U.S. cruise missiles in response to the Soviet SS20's pointed at Britain's cities. The British left branded their response to Soviet strategic escalation to U.S. aggression. This time however there is for the moment no Thatcher to bring common sense into an equation dominated by emotionally driven ideologies in the face of an aggressor with definite aims. In terms of the Russian-Ukraine conflict we are reverting to the old question dating back to the Napoleonic war era: to what extent is London happy with the European nations fighting it out alone for dominance of the continent. Britain was never willing to accept a single power in control. Many variables will dictate what kind of world emerges from the current conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. How will power be extracted from potential gains? What will be the strategic impact of this? What is sure, in the age of Trump this pattern of reliance on U.S. muscle is becoming quickly exhausted. Dating back to the Roman Empire, a factor in the decline of major powers has always been astronomical military spending, a budgetary demand that the U.S. under Trump is no longer willing to shoulder alone. (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore April 9, 2026
Please keep brother Malcolm Betts from the New Life Pentecostal Church, Winsford in prayer. He is suffering from heart failure, valve problems and spinal stenosis. Your prayers for healing and intervention are coveted. Also, Malcom’s daughter Laura-Louisa is having complications with her pregnancy. Her baby boy is due on the 22nd of April and was in a breach position, however he is now moved to an oblique position which carries serious risk and possible surgical intervention. Laura is also at risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Please pray for the midwives and obstetricians skill and wisdom. Please also pray for Malcolm’s sister Susan who has sepsis in her leg. And please pray also for Sheila Carlisle. She is undergoing knee replacement surgery.