NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH 8
During the closing weeks of the year 2000, during which we saw the clear and unmistakable signs of the Nation State of the United Kingdom in an advanced state of disintegration, we caught sight of what lay ahead as the Government of the day continued its policy of re- defining the country as a precursor for entering into a `United Europe'. The Education Minister was reported as launching a textbook which will form the basis for Compulsory Citizen lessons, at this stage for all children in State Schools in the age group of 11-16 years. It states that it has the `objective of creating a spiritual, moral, social and cultural renaissance'. It was also reported that this textbook, written by an American Educationalist, is littered with New Age terminology about the `mystery of self' and the need to `honour the spirit'. The news article concluded with the remark that `. . . the Government has just changed the law to take control of what is taught in Teacher Training College'.

We would emphasize again that we are not concerned at Newswatch with party politics, but we do `watch the news' with eyes fixed on Scripture so as to gain understanding of what is happening through political actions - that is, political actions, in the correct sense of being an act of involvement in and over the affairs of free and equal eople - so that we, as `elect strangers', are prepared for what is unfolding, and which will enter the life-stream of society in the immediate days ahead! Daniel, looking down the corridors of time, `saw' the future events that we are now experiencing in our contemporary times, and he set down, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, all he understood at that time to be `. . . closed up and sealed until the end of time'. Now, at the end of time, through an understanding of Scripture, we are seeing increasingly the `opening up', in the most exact detail, of the emergence of the Fourth Beast, recorded in the Book of Daniel Chapter 7.

In this Newswatch, however, we would turn our thoughts to the earlier Chapter 2, where Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is recorded: (Daniel 2:40-43)

" Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron - for iron breaks and smashes everything - and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture, and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. "

With that in mind we move back into the general political scenario for a moment. It is now generally accepted by historical commentators - who also work with `the precious gift of hindsight' - that the Nation State, as we understand that expression, is a political `invention' and not, as has been thought and taught, a progressive, enlightened form of government rising to ever higher summits of man's achievement! In general terms, the Nation State is maintained through two main `political forces'. One, imposed from the top, that is, an elite governmental or monarchical system which determines and enforces its political will upon its citizens or subjects who, in turn, accept the dominant authority for as long as it provides security and general well-being for its people. It outworks that security through pride in one's country - and more often than not this is seen in military or naval victories over an `inferior' country - and in extolling the superiority of its people in times of conflict. This `security' is also outworked through provision for advancement in the acquisition of wealth and prosperity though Health and Pension Benefits. The `political system' ensures its continued existence through control of the media; through education; through what is taught in Teacher Training Colleges; through passing and enforcing State law; and through constantly reminding the people of its superiority in national events, sporting achievements and the like. We may well think that today, we are, generally speaking, a people more enlightened than past generations, who so often were led blindly into war under the guise of `love for your country'. But we need only to remember the national pride demonstrated in the Falklands Conflict (hardly a war!) and, more recently, the spin (now generally recognised as political propaganda, with many well-hidden political designs) over the distressing war in Kosovo, to be reminded that we are no more enlightened than previous generations!

The other recognised `political force' is one that spontaneously erupts from beneath, through a people who no longer trust that the governmental or monarchical authority they once accepted can provide the security they need for their general well-being. This is a minor form of war, as seen recently in the `Petrol Protest'. This political force from beneath leads in the end to what we previously described as the `indelible stain' of countries re-emerging after long decades of oblivion. In its most dramatic form in our time it was seen in the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, and perhaps even more dramatically seen in the break-up of the former Soviet Union; almost overnight we saw small countries with strange-sounding names rise up out of the `corpse' of the once seemingly invisible Soviet Union! We now see the first signs of this `political force from beneath' beginning to stir in the mighty United States of America (a political invention of the highest magnitude) in the unbelievable antics of politicians in the election for the next President. The clear signs of a recession are being seen, with the mighty dollar under severe strain and a massive National Debt draining the confidence of the people in their national leaders. This was demonstrated in the appalling low turn-out at the polls, which resulted in a `no win' election of a President! This background of historical political forces has been necessary before we bring our thoughts back to the problem of an educational Citizens' Course being introduced into our schooling system.

Keeping in mind our continual warnings of what we see outworking in our time, we see here a very dramatic and determined shift in political policy by a dominant governmental political force, which `knows' that the Nation State is but a passing political system and is openly introducing an educational policy to lead the people into a new form of governmental system - seen in what is unfolding in the European Union! There is nothing particularly sinister in that, apart from the Scriptural knowledge of what Daniel described as the
`Fourth Beast'
which was terrifying and very powerful. However, if we leave aside the probability of persecution and the suppression of the proclamation of the Gospel of God, which will come about as the formation of the `Fourth Beast' gathers momentum, you will recall that we said previously that the real danger lies not in the success of the formation of the E.U. but in the danger that it will fail! Here we have a very volatile situation developing. On the one hand, a sighting of the rapid disintegration of the Nation State in the U.K. (and also in other European countries), which is necessary for the E.U. to come to maturity as the new political entity. On the other hand, there is the determination of the Government to educate a new generation of citizens and `persuade' the general population into acceptance of a new form of governmental system.

Scripture reveals this will fail - as seen in Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream concerning a coming kingdom of `iron mixed with baked clay, so that the people will not remain united, any more than irom mixes with clay'. As this `kingdom' fails, and so cannot provide the security which gives it the right to rule, the second political force will arise from beneath. We know it by the name `revolution' (a revolt against the established political force), and the emergence of this unknown political force could be as hostile to the proclamation of the Gospel as anything that a `tolerant One-World governmental system' could enforce!

We now need to consider the implication of this amongst the ` Community of Believers' who will be caught up in the political upheaval that is coming - and we need to be honest and admit that the two main `political forces' are very much at work in our `religious community': The unscriptural groupings of local churches and fellowships, under `covering ministries' . . the denominational preferences of the mainstream historical churches . . the formation of newly formed `free churches' . . or loose coalitions . . all offer security to the people through `spectacular' conventions, miraculous signs and wonders and `anointed' ministries, or in the case of the historical denominations, a quiet, steady conservative stability and a broad doctrinal position - all revealing how much of the world system has entered the Church!

Through events that are moving rapidly through the secular powers, the religious power structure will also be unable to provide the security it once provided in order to continue its dominant hold on the `Church'. And if, in the break-up, it follows the same course of the secular political forces, this will also lead to the emergence of a new religious `political force' springing up from the people, local autonomous churches, who will provide their own `security', which is needed by any community. However, unless there is a clear understanding and an agreed outworking of what contributes a local autonomous church, there will emerge dictatorial, totalitarian, religious groupings as each `autonomous' church seeks dominance over other `autonomous' churches in their area - and we see signs of this already appearing! If we can understand what is unfolding, and prepare for it in a personal desire for the security of the knowledge of the faithfulness of God, in the fulness of time we shall see and experience the fulness of the local body of believers emerging from the debris of the `religious political force' that has kept the Body of Christ in bondage for long centuries!

For such a time the Apostle Paul longed and laboured, as he said in his Second Letter to the Corinthians:

". . . that I may present you as a pure virgin to Him . . . "

and to that end all who long for His appearing will work whilst there is yet time!

Date 5th January 2001

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