Category Archives: Society

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

The Royal City – History of Jerusalem Part 03

Its transformation was breathtaking. From an obscure Jebusite walled village, perched on the Ophel hill, it became the capital of the united kingdom of Israel. The arrival of the ark of the covenant, symbolising the presence of Almighty God, made it a holy city. And God’s promise to give David a son and heir who would rule from his throne forever made it the city of the great king. To seal its special nature, God Himself said that the city was the place where His name would dwell (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 21:4; 7; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 33:4; 7; Revelation 3:12).


This is Jerusalem, the city of David and the city of God. It was already a thousand years old when David took over. Now that his kingdom was established, Jerusalem became the royal city. In this article, we will see how the sons of David fared while ruling and reigning from there.


Temple of Solomon (963 BC)


David, as a worshipper of God, had a passionate desire to build Him a house in Jerusalem. After all, David lived in a king’s palace while God’s earthly abode was a glorified tent called the tabernacle. God declined David’s offer because as a warrior-king he had shed too much blood. Yet, it was at this point that God made the famous Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17, promising the coming son of David, King-Messiah. 


The job of building the temple was left to David’s successor and son, Solomon (Hebrew: shlomo), whose name means ‘peace.’ When God offered the young king in a dream to ask for whatever he wanted, Solomon requested a wise and understanding heart to lead the nation of Israel. The Lord was pleased with his answer and gave it to him on the spot. As bonuses, Solomon was given that which he had not asked for: riches and acclaim.


Solomon commenced the building of the temple according to the plans and material resources left by his father David. No expense was spared; it had to be exceedingly magnificent. Some estimate that it would have cost in the billions by today’s dollar. The dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 was one of the pinnacles of Israel’s Old Testament history. Now God had a stable local earthly address; Israel had a meeting place for the three pilgrimage feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles; and the Gentiles had a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).


In the natural, Solomon lived an enviable life. He had large, secure borders, and peace on every side, a rarity in centrally located Canaan. Riches, honour, respect, material comforts, and a reputation for being a wise monarch were Solomon’s lot. His reputation attracted the visit of a faraway oriental queen.


Solomon never had to fight the battles, indignities, and persecution his father David fought. Yet his love of many strange foreign women who worshipped false gods (1 Kings 11:1-2) contributed to his personal undoing and the rupture of David’s kingdom. 


An Avoidable Split


The twelve tribes of Israel, under one crown from the House of David, were about to experience a rupture. Solomon’s backsliding led to that point. He was succeeded to the throne by his son Rehoboam, who seriously lacked his father’s wisdom. He was the ‘son’ addressed in the Book of Proverbs (3:1) who did not accept wisdom’s invitation and he and Jerusalem suffered because of it.


The battle lines were drawn: King Rehoboam, the grandson of David, ruling from his throne in Jerusalem, was confronted by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who represented the ten tribes of the north. ‘Lighten our burden that Solomon your father put on us,’ said Jeroboam, ‘and we will serve you’ (1 Kings 12:4). Solomon’s advisors urged Rehoboam to agree to their reasonable demand. However, he foolishly rejected their advice and listened to his mates who told him to ‘add to their yoke’ and ‘whip them with scorpions.’ It was the height of arrogance and folly, and it cost the king the bulk of his kingdom. 


Jeroboam led the ten tribes from the kingdom of David. All Rehoboam was left with was Judah, the holy city and holy temple. Jeroboam and the northern tribes were called ‘Israel’ and Rehoboam and the house of David became the kingdom of Judah.


Give Us A King


God’s plan from Day One was His Kingdom and it still is. God’s Kingdom and His forever king are His first priority. Everything else flows from that. Yet, the free will that God gave us has resulted in some terrible decisions and outcomes. The first couple, Adam and Eve, rejected God’s rule and their disobedience introduced sin and death into the world. Centuries later the people of Israel rejected God as king by demanding that the prophet Samuel give them a human king. Why? So they could be like all the other nations of the earth (1 Samuel 8:20). Samuel warned them that a human king, even an Israelite one, would use and abuse them; all pain and no gain. Unmoved by this grim prospect, Israel still clamoured for a king. They ended up with Saul and he was a disaster. 


After the division of the house of David into Israel and Judah, there was a succession of kings on both sides. Many were bad (they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord) and some were catastrophic. Out of thirty-nine monarchs in Israel and Judah, only eight of them were good and all of them were from Judah. Some of the notable good ones were Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah yet even they made their foolish mistakes; Josiah’s cost him his life. 


Jerusalem witnessed all this and more. The lesson: even the best of earthly kings is no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. Centuries later, that perfect king did come to Jerusalem and it responded by hanging Him on a tree. He rose from the dead and is coming back, but not before they say, ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’ – Matthew 23:39.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Coronation Countdown: What It Means for the Church? Part 01


It is a thousand-year-old service in a thousand-year-old church that has not been witnessed for almost seventy years. Full of pageantry, music, solemnity and dazzling jewels, its most important aspect will not be seen at all. Only two thousand two hundred people will be present but the event will be witnessed by 100s of millions worldwide. The event in question is the coronation of King Charles III, scheduled at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023.

For over a millennium Britain has been a solidly Christian country. Some of history’s greatest men and women of God came from there. From its shores, the gospel spread worldwide. Its legacy of Protestant Christianity, the King James Bible, famous revivals and sound Bible teaching has left an incalculable legacy for the world. Yet a recent poll revealed a shocking statistic: only forty-six per cent of people in the United Kingdom identify as Christians – less than half. Church attendance is declining. A strong secularist impetus over the decades has contributed to this; cultural Marxism and the culture war have taken their toll. 

The wells of living water have been filled up by the Philistines. Like Isaac in Genesis 26, we fight the spiritual drought and famine by unstopping the wells of spiritual life. This means diligently seeking God and acknowledging what He has done. 
The coronation of the king is not just a civic affair; it is truly a religious one and part of our collective Christian heritage. It is a proper Bible-based Christian anointing service, officiated not by a government official but by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. 
We need revival. If we recognise, respond, and celebrate our Christian heritage and its spiritual values, the living waters will flow again. 

                                                    Definition 
Coronation is a grand ceremony where the king is recognised as crowned with a literal crown (actually, two) placed on his head. It also recognises his role as the head of the Church of England. In a very real sense, the coronation inducts the monarch into the ministry. Though there are other European countries that have monarchs, only in Britain does the king get a coronation service.
The order of service, the words, rituals and symbols have basically remained unchanged since they were first introduced in 973 AD. They are a reflection of the values and priorities of the monarch. King Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1042-1066 AD, built Westminster Abbey, which became the venue of the coronation. 

Buckingham Palace has said that although the coronation will be “rooted in long-standing traditions“, it will also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future.” Our goal is to focus more on ‘long-standing traditions,’ not any potential innovations

The King and Queen Consort will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the ‘King’s procession.’ After the coronation service, the royal couple will participate in the bigger ‘coronation procession’ back to Buckingham palace. There will be a ‘royal viewing’ from the palace balcony with Charles, Camilla, and a chosen few.

Here are the main highlights of the coronation:

The Recognition: The Archbishop presents the monarch to the guests of the Abbey, approximately 2,000 in total (in 1953, it was 8,000). Their response: ‘God Save the King.’ (1 Samuel 10:24; 2 Samuel 16:16; 1 Kings 1:25; 34; 39; 2 Kings 11:12; 2 Chronicles 23:11)

The Oath: The centrepiece of the entire coronation. More about that later.

The Anointing: Ditto

The Investiture: Costly items encrusted with jewels are religious symbols. This includes Orb, the sceptre, the sovereign’s sceptre, and a white dove. After the presentation of these items, the Archbishop places St. Edward’s Crown on the head of the King.

The Enthronement and Homage: The monarch moves to a proper throne after leaving the coronation chair. Peers come and kneel before him in an act of homage. 
After this, the Queen Consort will be anointed and crowned. 

The Oath – A Most Christian-Based Pledge
The significance of this oath cannot be overstated. It is a solemn pledge before God and the people that is so solidly Christian that in today’s secular milieu, it comes as a surprise. Key points of the oath:

  • The monarch pledges to the utmost of his power to maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel. There is nothing secular or political here. Even in a multicultural Britain, home to several main religions, there is still an acknowledgment. Former Prime Minister David Cameron said in 2011 that the ‘UK is a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so.’ He called for a revival of traditional Christian values to counter Britain’s moral collapse.
  • The oath includes a commitment to maintaining the United Kingdom as a Protestant Reformed Religion established by law. There is nothing secular here; the welfare and growth of the church is a high priority.
  • The monarch pledges to maintain and persevere inviolably of the Church of England in key areas including ‘doctrine’ and ‘worship.’
  • There are other key phrases but in response to all this, the monarch says ‘All this I promise to do.’ 
  • The coronation oath should guide the Parliament, too. David Gardner, in his book The Trumpet Sounds for Britain Volume III, page 61, points out that the solemn coronation oath – to maintain the laws of God and the profession of the gospel – is not just obligatory on the monarch but also on his/her government. Quoting Lord Lauderdale speaking in the House of Lords in June 1976: ‘So no matter what Governments take office … they take office within the context of that oath and therefore in support of it. It is an oath solemnly given and solely subscribed by the Queen, at the instance, ultimately, of the State. It is binding, it is mandatory, it is categorical: and I ask the Government to affirm that that is so.’
  • The crown represents the identity, unity, history, heritage and ultimate destiny of the nation and the family of nations in the Commonwealth. 
  • The coronation service consecrates, dedicates, and anoints the monarch for servant-leadership, just like any Christian minister. The implications of the coronation service and oath are staggering; the service is a dry run to the ultimate coronation at the coming again of the King of kings and Lord of lords. 
  • In Part Two, we will see that the ceremony puts a high accent mark on the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay tuned.


Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

USD 31 Trillion – America Hits the Debt Ceiling – Now What?

It looks like a regular billboard but the content is not regular at all. Instead of advertising the latest perfume, theatre program, or sporting event, it provides up-to-date information – no, not the time nor the weather – but America’s national debt. The billboard is in New York City and is known as the ‘National Debt Clock.’ As of January, America’s federal debt was $31,341,547,109. That’s $31 trillion (each trillion is a million dollars a million times) in debt. Wrap your mind around that figure. As a bonus, the debt clock adds another piece of information: Your family’s share of the debt is $237,520 per family. 

America’s national debt has been frightfully increasing over many years. In the current US administration, Congress has passed several spending bills totalling over $6 trillion. Credible complaints point out that there is much ‘pork’ among the beef, including the recent 4,000-page omnibus spending $1.7 trillion, which was hastily passed before the incoming Congress took over in early January.

If that’s not all, now we get the announcement: America has reached its debt ceiling. Unless Congress agrees to raise the ceiling or suspend it altogether, the government will lack the legal authority to borrow more money to meet its financial obligations. There is a danger of a US default on its loans. This would be like a high-speed car chase inexorably heading towards a brick wall; the US needs to avoid this outcome at all costs. A default will result in global financial instability and hardship for many. Even the hint that it might happen is unsettling.

What is the debt ceiling? How can we see all this in context? And how should people of faith respond?

Perspective 

At present, the United States has the largest economy in the world. It has been an economic superpower for decades. So if its debt is big, remember that its economy is, too. America’s debt to GDP-ratio is 128%, which is lower than many countries, including Japan (240%), Italy (156%), and Singapore (131%). Covid relief spending and the economic shutdown exacerbated the debt ratio from 107% in 2019 to the present level today.

The debt ceiling is the congressionally agreed spending limit which can only be increased if the ceiling is raised. It was originally introduced during the first world war in 1917 and has been raised many times without incident. Only the first major confrontation happened in 2011 when the Republican Party demanded that President Barack Obama, a Democrat, come to the negotiating table and agree on spending caps, to which he eventually did.

These caps were either ignored or abandoned in 2018. Apparently, during the Trump years, a Republican president with a Republic Congress (until 2019), the limit was either raised or waived three times.

When America raises its debt ceiling, there are eager investors to buy and invest in the debt in treasury bonds, bills, notes, and securities. These bonds are considered the most stable and safest investment, a safe haven during periods of economic storms.

So What’s the Fuss?

As mentioned, America reached its spending cap in January 2023. In order to keep the government going, the debt ceiling needs to be raised. Yet there is a tussle between the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democrat White House. It is not an economic debate but a political one. Congress wants to explore raising the debt ceiling in the context of a financial plan and needful cuts in spending. The White House wants no pre-conditions: just raise the debt ceiling for the sake of economic stability.

“He (Joe Biden) will not allow Republicans to take the economy hostage or make … working Americans pay the price for their schemes to benefit the wealthiest Americans and also special interests.” Karine Jean-Pierre said Jan 18th

The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, introduced ‘extraordinary measures’ – which have been done before – to help the government function while the debt ceiling is being resolved. It is a temporary thing to prevent default. The current short-term limitations on spending should enable the government to function until June.

The problem with spending cuts is that there are limitations, including big-ticket untouchables, like defence, Social Security (aged pension), Medicare, and Medicaid. All these represent $1 trillion out of $1.6 of spending deemed off-limits. To even talk aloud about cuts with the untouchables is political suicide. The wrath of the voters would be volcanic if Social Security is even mentioned, let alone touched.

One expert says it says cutting alone may not stave off the debt bomb. They say it is better to impose a 2% growth cap on discretionary spending (and close down some government departments that really are not necessary). You could save $1 trillion in a decade.

What Can We Do?

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender – Proverbs 22:7

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just — Proverbs 13:22

While we can always vote for fiscally sensible political candidates, it will take more than an election to rectify the budget blowout. It will involve spiritual solutions and a change of thinking – the fruit of revival. Just as we need to have a fiscally responsible government, we need to be the same in our lives.

  1. Economic responsibility: live within your means; live by a budget; get out of needless and unsustainable debt; have cash for a rainy day. Diversify where you store your money: bank, stocks, precious metals, and property.
  2. Personal discipline: in money and time management. 
  3. Spiritual life: this is the most important area of all. A walk with Christ makes you a participant and beneficiary of the kingdom economy. Practice kingdom economics and get kingdom results. God will open the windows of heaven and rebuke the devourer for all those who give to Him first (Malachi 3:10-11). Isaac sowed and reaped one hundredfold in the land while it had drought and famine; God fed Elijah during the three-year dearth; Jesus served thousands of meals with five loaves and two small fish. Kingdom economics will cause you to thrive even when the earthly economy falters.
  4. Trust God: this is not a trite glib phrase: it’s a lifeline. For those who trust God with all of their heart all of the time, God promises to feed you in famine (Psalm 37:3); be your provider (Genesis 22:8,14), and provide all your needs according to the inexhaustible riches of his glory (Philippians 4:19). 

Pray for leadership for fiscal sanity and wisdom; pray for revival – the only long-term solution, and pray that God’s people will walk according to kingdom economics. In economically shaking times, it will be an impressive testimony.