“What qualifies you to comment on such a technically complex politico-economic topic?” you may ask. You could well think a hunch or mere coincidences, as in the preamble, to be just mere conjecture or insubstantial supposition.
Question Answered by Prophetic Word
More than being an informed observer, I humbly submit a qualification additional to that of being a biblical student of history. Admittedly, it’s of an immaterial nature: a Holy Spirit gifting! Six years ago Isabel Allum, the well-known teacher of prophecy, discerned it and thereby validated my decision 3 months earlier to write regularly because of an insight on the Bible (The ‘Endgame’ is now in play).
Forgive me for being so personal. It’s the first time of publicly sharing this, not to boast but to answer the above kind of question which readers’ may rightly entertain. In part, the prophetic insight Isabel brought us was as follows (with her emphases):
“…And I heard the Lord saying brother, you are a man of wisdom…He’s coming to release a new level of wisdom in you that far surpasses the wisdom of man and He’s going to make you a man of…
“And I heard the Lord say, an impartation like Daniel had is going to come into you and you will start understanding the ‘riddles’ of the Lord in a different way – the gift of interpretation itself as Daniel and Joseph had is going to come to you and God is going to open up your understanding to hear from heaven, not necessarily to understand the way men do but you will see; like Joseph said, interpreting dreams is God’s business not man’s business and dreams from the Lord cannot be interpreted through symbolism or analysis, only through revelation.
“And the Lord is going to give you the real thing and you will bring it and you will answer the questions of many. But I also heard the Lord saying He’s going to open up nations for you…”
Hence, my many references to sensing ‘God-incidents’ / ‘Invisible jigsaw’!
With that said, let’s turn our attention to the matter in hand:
A Niggling Notion
As stated in the preamble, this matter wouldn’t go away last week – it kept tapping within my spirit. Then along came inspiration in material hidden away ‘upstairs’. That post’s sandwich-style format applies here too: black text for first thoughts already drafted, as below; blue text relating to later ‘God-incidental’ finds; and black again for the conclusion, now expanded.
(Additionally, after writing both drafts yet another ‘confirmation’ came from the same source, but this time in a mailed letter!!)
Here are some brief thoughts on the financial collapse of Greece from a scriptural and spiritual perspective. In view of the direct historical relationship, this also applies to the pinnacle of Western civilisation in its supposedly advanced forms in Europe and North America.
The foundations of European and American civilisations are built upon ancient Greece, not on the later Roman Empire. All our scholastic, intellectual, scientific, literary and political history and institutions are modeled upon those of the ancient Greeks’ patterns of thought. And most importantly, our free, democratic self-government is styled upon the example set by ancient Greece.
Traditional and reformed churches so admired those ancient philosophers that theology got skewed away from the original, Hebraic foundations of our Christian faith. Greek ideas of the human constitution as being composed only of body and soul omitted the third part which, according to a Hebraic understanding, is our personal human spirit. We have a triune nature because we’re created in the Almighty’s image.
Hence, the importance of the discovery of notes from 2012 inserted into the preamble’s ‘taster’ on ‘Intellect or Revelation?’!!
The following quotations come from a paper I’d referred to during online discussion on Greek philosophy in December 2012 and ‘coincidentally’ found in our loft last week. It’s apposite to insert them in blue text (as explained above) into my remarks, between the drafted introduction and conclusion.
Humanism – Forerunner for Antichrist
As a consequence of the pre-reformation and reformed Church’s and the subsequent Enlightenment’s interest in ancient Greece, a subtle, misleading influence upon Western culture and religion developed through the introduction of humanism and its associated agnosticism and atheism.
Derek Prince was a fellow of King’s College Cambridge and a senior research student who specialised in the philosophy of Plato. Although highly qualified to comment upon the ancient Greeks and their subsequent influence, he had a life-changing encounter with the author of the Bible after being called up into military service in the Second World War. Derek was ‘born-again’ and became an very influential Christian teacher
Decades later, in 1993-4, he was given an insight into developments in USA and Israel and the conflict spanning both heaven and earth, as follows:
“The governments and the armies of this world, operating solely on the natural plane, have no understanding of the conflict and no power to deal with the satanic forces in the heavenlies. On the contrary, without realizing it, they themselves are manipulated and controlled by those forces. One essential requirement for victory is to identify the nature of the forces that are at work in any given situation.
“In recent months [in early 1990s] as I have been meditating on developments in the world—especially in the U.S.A. and Israel—and I believe that God has shown me the identity of the evil, deceptive power that Satan plans to use to consummate his purposes for the end of this age. It is HUMANISM.”
Derek had always thought humanism was “a comparatively harmless error” but upon consulting a dictionary he was taken aback by its definition, viz:
“…the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of humanity by its own efforts.
“I realized that humanism is not spiritually neutral. On the contrary, it is a deliberate denial and rejection of God’s power and authority. It is an anti-religious religion. For this reason, it can be—and often is—taught in educational systems, such as that of the USA, which prohibit the teaching of religion in its usual sense.” (Emphases added.)
In tracing this Greek concept back in time he noted its direct linkage in the dream image of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in chapter two of the Book of Daniel:
“I realised that it was Greece – more than any of the other empires – which, through its philosophy, reproduced itself in subsequent cultures“.
Beginning with their earliest philosopher they asserted that man is the highest authority in the universe and idolized the human mind, Derek writes,
“Aristotle’s concept of God was a perfect mind contemplating itself—because nothing less was worthy of its contemplation. Out of this the whole philosophy of rationalism has developed”.
With this idolatry came glorification of the male body and, “the Greeks also tended to downgrade the marriage relationship between a man and a woman, and to view a homosexual relationship between two men as being more “intellectually fulfilling”.
Derek continues by pointing out that the “so-called ‘gods’ of Greece exhibited all the moral failings of humanity…a complete absence, in fact, of any binding moral code. This left man free to be his own god, and to establish his own moral code. After all, no people can be expected to live above the level of its own gods“.
Spirit of Humanism’s Offensive
“In 1992 the spirit of humanism launched a major new offensive against both the USA and Israel. Almost simultaneously, a cloud of dense spiritual darkness descended upon both nations.
“In their national elections that year the spiritual force that brought to power both the Clinton administration in the USA and the Labor Coalition in Israel was blatant, undiluted humanism. Both administrations represent an open and deliberate rejection of God’s righteous laws and of the covenants He made with man, first through Moses and then through Jesus Christ. They have demonstrated that, carried to its ultimate, humanism will believe anything but the truth and will tolerate anything but righteousness.
“This exaltation of man is the force which will finally give rise to the Antichrist, whose name is the number of man (Rev. 13:18), the man of lawlessness, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess 2:3–4).
With this he heads into a magnificent conclusion:
“Before this final period of tribulation, however, God still has tremendous purposes to work out for both Israel and the Church. A harvest of mercy will precede the harvest of judgment. God’s preparation for this is revealed in Zechariah 9:13: “I will raise up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece…” The “sons of Greece” are those who embrace the deception of humanism. The “sons of Zion” are those who take their stand upon the infallible Word of God, embracing both its promises and its covenants.”
It’s fascinating to dig this paper out of old folders for insertion herein only to find Derek’s conclusion is the same as that which was already in my mind! But a republished letter on its way to me from his ministry has him adding an incisive scripture. More soon…
[Quotations from Humanism: Forerunner for Antichrist pdf, by courtesy of Derek Prince Ministries. Also read brief biography, About Derek Prince.]
The Current Crisis
Several times the elected leaders of Greece have rejected legitimate demands for debt repayment by the nation’s European and IMF creditors. There’s been a massive run on the banks and the nation is completely bankrupt.
Telegraph Business front page today refers to a leaked IMF report saying “Greece will need drastic debt forgiveness” and warns that “Europe’s leaders must contemplate breaking EU treaty law to provide “Deep up-front haircuts” on Greece’s debt mountain”.
In IMF stuns Europe with call for massive debt relief, the leading financial journalist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes about the revolutionary nature of this report,
‘The International Monetary Fund has set off a political earthquake in Europe, warning that Greece may need a full moratorium on debt payments for 30 years and perhaps even long-term subsidies to claw its way out of depression.
“The dramatic deterioration in debt sustainability points to the need for debt relief on a scale that would need to go well beyond what has been under consideration to date,” said the IMF in a confidential report…
‘The findings are explosive. The document amounts to a warning that the IMF will not take part in any EMU-led rescue package for Greece unless Germany and the EMU creditor powers finally agree to sweeping debt relief…’
All this is especially interesting with 2014-2016 being Shemitah and Jubilee years, when ancient Israel cancelled all debts (see Wikipedia).
In tandem with financial turmoil, we’re also witnessing widespread rebellion in Europe and America against the moral and spiritual standards ordained by the Almighty. Those who once set the motto ‘In God We Trust’ (which is treated like a mascot!) have leaders who allow His commands to be treated with greatest contempt! That nation born out of Europe proudly claimed ‘exceptionalism’, when in fact it’s no longer exceptional but apostate!
And the state named after its warrior leader and first president, George Washington, has been experiencing unusual temperatures consistently over 100 degrees Fahrenheit!
To my mind, these combined events speak strongly about the state of our ‘evolved’ Western society and civilisation – its beginning and its end.
Hopefully, it’s a warning that both ends of Euro-American civilisation are bankrupt – one the ancient historic root, the other its modern descendants – one financially, the other morally and spiritually, with all the attendant consequences!!
Now it just so happens a couple of letters to one of the first churches planted in Europe are very instructive on this matter:
Apostasy and Deception
The Book of Acts records that, whilst on a mission in Asia Minor, the apostle Paul was supernaturally called to visit Macedonia over in mainland Europe (Acts 16). In about 49 AD he arrived in the port of Philippi in northern Greece and planted a house church led by a business woman known as Lydia. From there he and his companion Silas went south to Salonika (Thessalonica), found the Jewish synagogue and preached there. A thriving church of devout Greeks and some Jews was established, but they helped Paul to escape from his violent opponents. Within a couple of years he wrote from Corinth two concise letters to those new believers to clarify points arising from his teaching.
One of those themes was upon the expected return of the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul’s second letter clarified the brief reference made in the first, as follows.
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [2 Thessalonians 2 NKJV per BibleGateway.com – Emphasis RB]
He proceeds at length to explain that the ‘mystery of lawlessness’ is already at work, but that someone who will be the very personification of evil will be revealed and come onto the world stage. Then the Lord will come from heaven and destroy him by the glory of His physical return to earth (2Thess 2:8)
Today – now – we’re well into that first stage, the ‘falling away’ from true faith in Jesus Christ, and which is also known as the ‘Great Apostasy’, as is so abundantly evident across the once-Christian Western world. (Eg. recent video clip on John Kilpatrick vision: ‘The United Apostates of America’.) Paul proceeds,
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
This means that those who fall away from the fullness of faith as originally taught by the Apostles will become so unrighteous in God’s sight that they will be wide open to being deceived by Satan and his agents. They bring a distortion and twisting of the Gospel to accommodate people’s preferences and desires instead of obeying God’s commands.
It is clear this deception is the consequential result of not loving the truth, who is the very Word of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and thus not desiring Him and the salvation He bought them by dying in their stead on the cross.
The next verse is extremely ominous. Paul explains that, because their attitude remains deliberately ungodly, the Almighty is not only allowing them to be strongly deceived but is sending an irresistible delusion, the consequences of which will condemn them:
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
By way of a careful caveat we need to note that a number of believers too readily quote verse 9 about some people through whom miracles, signs and wonders are displayed. As in my recent post on the accuser of the brethren attacking prophecies such self-appointed inquisitors claim all such demonstrations are deception. But upon reading and understanding the chapter in its entirety (as here) we find their claims to be rather judgemental.
Verse 12 gives the game away! Only those who despise the truth of the Gospel will be misled and suffer the consequences. Only a few years later Paul gave a full exposition on God’s wrath on unrighteousness in the early verses of his letter to the church in Rome – see Romans 1:18-32. (This too was written in Corinth, Greece.)
Conclusion
In my humble opinion this momentous economic crisis in the nation and continent which are the very roots of western civilisation is highly significant. It is not only a warning of economic but also of spiritual shaking.
Our leaders and fellow citizens who have chosen to rebel against the Holy One of Israel and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, are now being warned of the consequences.
Soon there will no longer be any grace covering and blessing for reprobate, unrepentant hearts. Once they’re following the deceiver in his various guises, the Holy One Himself will let them stay deluded by their own lies and salvation will no longer be available! A truly terrible personal place!
In all these musings it is significant, therefore, to re-discover the above quoted paper by Derek Prince. Equally amazing is the fact that as I was drafting both posts last week, a copy of his teaching letter Taking God Seriously was on its way in the post from his ministry!
This letter opens,
…If a person speaks to us, but we ignore — or even reject — much of what he says to us, we certainly are not taking him seriously. In fact, we are guilty of disrespect.
The same applies to God. If we ignore or reject much of what He says to us through the scriptures, we are not taking Him seriously. We are, in fact, treating Him with disrespect.
Yet this is how many Christians are relating to God. They treat His Word like a smorgasbord, picking out those portions that appeal to their taste and passing the others by.
Also, it concludes in the same vein as my preceding thesis by focussing upon the above verses 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.
If we consider chapter two of the second letter to ‘Salonika’ in a reverse sequence, like reading an email thread, it helps me to gain a clear understanding of what the Lord is allowing and why – and then what will happen. I submit to you, this may bring a different focus from a usual reading and helps us to see things from the Lord’s perspective.
Undoubtedly, we’re now in ‘The Great Apostasy’ and Paul’s letter to the early church in Greece tells us what’s happening, what’s coming and why – and what the end will be!
May the Lord bless you and keep you…
NB: see Addendum of prophetic words brought in April 2010 relating to this subject.
A week ago tonight Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn was the guest speaker at a specially convened service at Church of His Presence. The guest for last Sunday’s service was his friend Bill Salus, author on Bible End-times prophecies.
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