In what
could be called the British Israel dimension of Christian teaching, there is a
very powerful and sobering message for Scots who will be voting in September's
referendum.
Traditional
old-school BI has the Jews as Judah and the Northern Europeans of Anglo, Saxon,
Celtic, Scandinavian stock as descendants of the Northern House of Israel who
were carried into captivity by the Assyrians and who subsequently migrated
across the European landmass into the coastlands of Northern Europe and the
British Isles.
More thorough scholarship has modified this view in recent years, both by
taking into account the Khazarian origin of many Jews and by allowing for the
reality that the vast body of Judahites did not return from Babylonian
captivity but that they followed their Israelite kinsfolk on the migratory
trail.
This more developed approach has seen the emergence in BI of the broadly
accepted teaching that what we call Celts - more properly known as Gaels - are
the descendants of Judahites, while Angles, Saxons and Vikings are from the
Northern House of Israel.
In essence, then, the Judahite stock is to be found among the Gaelic people in
Wales, Ireland and Scotland - along with Cornwall. Anglo-Saxon England is where
you will find people of Northern Israel stock i.e. those from Ephraim and
Samaria. I use these terms nationally more than tribally in this context.
The re-union of the Jews and Gentiles spoken of in the New Testament - in particular
in Ephesians chapter 2 - has long been interpreted as a coming together in the
Messiah of Jews and Gentiles. However, this also has to be reviewed and revised
to suit more recent developments in scholarship. The traditional view made for
a cosy outlook on relationships between the Israeli state and the western
powers, particularly Britain and America.
However, if the traditional view has been replaced, then this effects the
ongoing dynamics of relationships between Jews and Christians. In other words,
the convenient jigsaw fit of old-fashioned British Israel teaching that unites
the two in a Judeo-Christian compact way beyond mainstream Christian thinking
is no longer fit for purpose.
Saying that, it is a debate for another place and another time.
Based
on the premise that Gaelic peoples are descendants of Judahites and
Anglo-Saxons are descended from Northern House Israelites, the Jew-Gentile
union spoken of in Ephesians 2 is far more relevant and applicable to
Scotland's referendum debate than the dynamics between the west and the Israeli
state.
It helps to be aware that the terms "Jew" and "Gentile" are
invented terms. In the original languages, "Jew" means Judahite or
Judaean and "Gentile" simply means of the nations.
What we call Jews in terms of the Pharisaical religion developed after the
return from Babylon is understood more in English but is not found in Greek.
There is no distinguishing word in Greek or Hebrew that means "Jew"
and not "Judahite".
As we see in Ezekiel chapter 37, God's purpose always incorporated a re-union
of the separated Israel peoples:
The word of YHWH came again to me, saying,
"You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it,
'For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions': then take another
stick, and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the
house of Israel his companions':
and join them for you one to another into one stick,
that they may become one in your hand.
When the children of your people shall speak to you,
saying, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'
tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I
will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes
of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even with the stick of
Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand."'
The sticks whereon you write shall be in your hand
before their eyes.
"Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where
they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their
own land:
and I will make them one nation in the land, on the
mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be
no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more
at all;
neither shall they defile themselves any more with
their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their
transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, in which
they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will
be their God.
"'"My servant David shall be king over them;
and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my ordinances,
and observe my statutes, and do them.
They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob
my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they,
and their children, and their children's children, forever: and David my
servant shall be their prince for ever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it
shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply
them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
My tent also shall be with them; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people.
The nations shall know that I am YHWH who sanctifies
Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in their midst forevermore."'"
EZEKIEL 37:16-28 NHEBSYE
Israel and Judah
were to be re-united and become one nation and one kingdom under one shepherd.
Many BI scholars believe this was fulfilled when James VI of Scotland and I of
England ascended the English throne. Full Union happened a century later and it
is important to understand that Scotland and England under the terms of the Act
of Union both gave up individual nationhood to become ONE nation and ONE
kingdom called Great Britain.
Britain is a Hebrew term, translated as covenant nation or covenant people.
This
passage in Ezekiel ties in with the passage in Ephesians chapter 2:-
Therefore
remember that you, once Gentiles (nations) in the flesh — who are called
Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands
— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He
Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle
wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that
is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to
create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making
peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through
the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached
peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him
we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. EPHESIANS 2:11-18 NKJV
This
passage is understood very simply from a BI perspective as being another way of
looking at the two sticks becoming one in Ezekiel. The two men i.e. Israel and
Judah would be re-united as one new man in Christ. Israel - that is, Northern
Israel - had become Gentilised i.e. of the nations, pagan and outside of the
covenant relationship with YHWH. Remember that this Northern House of Israel
was divorced from YHWH (see the Book of Hosea) but the Southern Kingdom was
not.
Northern
Kingdom Israelites were thus "lost sheep" and estranged from the
covenant promises. They were regarded as strangers and known as the
Uncircumcised to reflect their identification with pagans.
Of
course, we see that this mystical re-union of the Northern House of Israel and
the Southern House of Judah took place at the cross, accomplished in the blood
of Christ. How apt that three crosses make up the flag of this UNITED Kingdom.
Gentilised
Israel was adopted back to the status of sonship because Christ took the curse
upon Him, allowing these scattered Israelites to be blessed with Abraham's
blessing once more.
This is
the BI perspective on relationships between Judahite Gaels and English
Anglo-Saxons. Jesus removed the enmity and brought union and peace.
Hatred
between the Gael and the Saxon is thus enemy seed and must be bound out of our
national life. Sadly, hatred has much to do with this coming referendum.
I accept
that not everyone has this BI revelation and some may reject it.
However,
other powerful scriptural warnings that appeal more to a mainstream way of
thinking provide ample warning that voting to split up the UK is a dangerous
thing to do.
My
son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given
to change; PROVERBS 24:21 VW
Young's
Literal Translation calls these people "changers" and it is like something out of science fiction when you
examine the Hebrew. The
word in Hebrew is shanah and it literally means to transmute i.e. to mutate! It means
to become an alter or a double but one changed inside, even though the outward
appearance is the same.
It
is a bit like the sci fi cult film They
Live! where aliens lived among
humans undetectable without the use of certain glasses.
The shanah live among us and they are intent on changing
things - and not for the better!
I
have seen this happen in this referendum debate - devout Unionists going weird
and becoming shanah. Of course,
John McPhee saw all this would happen and prophesied it.
The
Master Himself warned against these things when He said that a divided kingdom
was ripe for destruction:-
And Jesus
knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself
is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall
not stand: MATTHEW 12:25
Division
- the creation of another vision - is thus a tactic used to conquer people.
These
two scriptures on the introduction of change and division, along with the
subsequent warnings about both, place a strong burden on those who want to
introduce precisely these elements to national life by calling for a separate
Scotland to provide overwhelming evidence that they are not being destructive
in doing so.
I led
with the British Israel argument because it is the most potent and removes all
possible argument, particularly when you factor in the BI belief that the
British Throne is the continuation of the biblical Throne of King David in the
earth.
I accept
that for those who struggle to accept this, it is a big ask to swallow it
whole. I remember my own fierce resistance to British Israel so won't hold it
against anyone who feels that way.
However,
there is enough to be found in Scripture to argue an irresistible case for NOT
changing things on September 18th.
What is
important is the motive or reason for change. My own observation is that much
of it is rooted in resentment and anti-English sentiment. Hardly good enough
reasons for breaking up a Union that Scots have led and excelled in for over
300 years.
The
over-riding argument in the whole matter is that this referendum is not about
personal choice or political allegiance. Those who say it is are fools and
Christians who see it as a matter of personal whim are grossly carnal.
The
truth is that this referendum is all about God's will. In other words, you have
to be sure you are on God's side of the fence before you cast your vote.
The
reality is that to vote against the will of God in such a matter is very
reckless and astonishingly dangerous.
If you
are unsure about how to vote, then don't. But pray His will be done. You can
vote AND pray this but remember the key issue is not what we think is best - it
is what the will of God is on the matter.
Yvonne
Hall made a good point about asking ourselves if the Act of Union was a
business deal type of agreement for a season or a binding covenant. Only an
idiot would say it was anything other than a covenant, given that Britain means
covenant land.
The
issue we must not skirt around is that it is for those who desire change and
division to make a valid case for such. This case must be much more compelling
than blaming Westminster for all our societal ills, particularly when there are
worryingly anti-English undertones to the argument.
Another
way of looking at it is will Scotland be a better place spiritually if
separation was obtained? In a sense, this is the same as asking is it God's
will?
What is
remarkable is that in the nation where God's sovereignty over the land, people
and rulers was demonstrated perhaps greater than at any other time in
post-biblical history by the Reformation and all that it entailed, we are
entertaining the notion of changing our destiny as a country with very little
thought given to God's will in the matter.
In
ancient times, God made the leader of the then world superpower mad until he
acknowledged the eternal truth that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men
and giveth it to whomsoever He will.
Let's
hope that the 2008 film Doomsday about
a Scotland separated from the world because its inhabitants contracted a
disease called the Reaper Virus that made them mad was not a prophetic omen.
Let
us also hope that the deciding factor in Scotland's destiny has more to do with
what God's people say and do in the courts and Throne Room of heaven than in
the ballet box booths.
Further reading
