The cause of our current crises
Have you ever wondered what Europeans priorities are? I mean they are in a panic about the environment and climate change, when it is their mode of life, sparked by the industrial revolution which started in the UK, that has led to the unstoppable greed and consumption in consumerist capitalist society.
Our forefathers paid a heavy price by their enslavement and free labour which helped build these “great” societies. Did you know that when slavery ended, many slave owners were compensated for loss of “property” because slaves were considered as property, but the slaves received nothing. The Jews received compensation from Nazi Germany after their holocaust, but black peoples, who’s holocaust arguably is still continuing in perhaps more subtle ways, receive nothing but false charity and contempt.
Notice how European’s believe they have the answer on how to solve these problems, they frame the debate, but do you think they are sincere? Aren’t they playing a game where the simply want to halt the rampant progress of China as it rises to become the new world power, aren’t they willing to stop the development of many nations who want a piece of the capitalist pie? Why? Because they don’t want the status quo to change. Did you know reputable organisations in the UK have noted that some of the UK’s key ways of tackling carbon emissions in the production of power actually create more emissions that conventional ways of creating power? These new carbon reducing schemes simply offset the damage they do now by planting trees, which they hope will take back in the carbon they emit now at some time in the future. And in many ways they cheat the figures like this!
Which countries are likely to suffer most from climate change, the countries who most damage the environment, or those whose labour, resources and land have been constantly plundered from them throughout history and who are not the drivers of the problem and who generally don’t have the resources to stop its effects? Which nations are steering the debate on climate change? Are they really consulting the nations who will be most affected, or are they making some tweaks on their current plans, so that they can continue down the same path having fooled many people with their false sincerity about their desire for change.
If the Europeans really cared they would do something major about it. How about a tax on their own consumerism that should be paid to nations that have not contributed in the same way to climate change? Would the Europeans really vote for a way of change that causes them pain? I doubt it. It seems what they are looking for is a painless fix, a sticking plaster, a catchphrase that catches the media headlines, but doesn’t challenge their way of existence.
Europeans are looking at the surface of things, what is happening now, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. They ignore their responsibility for the actions they committed in the past and somehow now miraculously have realised that we are in a “one minute to midnight” situation. Oh how convenient for you to realise at the last minute when you have already reaped the benefits of your consumerist, capitalist colonial empiric exploits! The Europeans need to look beneath the surface to see what transpired throughout history to cause this problem, and not just think about pruning a few leaves, but rather consider root and branch reforms.
Then we could talk about Covid-19 and Corona Virus, because again these great nations have pledged to give Africa vaccines, but have they lived up to their fine sounding words. The simple answer is no. Again Africa is last in their thoughts.
There is another crisis, that of refugees who want to flee African countries for a better life in one of the “developed first world nations”. We know that the destabilisation of the African continent, the killing of its leaders, redrawing of borders by colonial powers, billions leaving the continent in either “capital flight” or extortion via legacy colonial taxes all contributes to the present day difficulties of the people that live there. This is another situation where Europeans have gone in, made a mess, then stand in the limelight of the world stage to appear without fault while criticising others and refusing to accept responsibility for their past actions.
Europeans, this world is the way you made it. Sadly, you are the cause of the world’s current crises! Will you be honest enough to admit it and perform the deep change of actions needed to end these endless injustices against mankind?
The law of sin and death
Under law means, without Messiah, legalistic, looking to works alone for justification before Yah, everyone fails this because no one can keep all 600+ commands without fault. Paul had this spirit before his encounter with Messiah on the road to Emmaus, and this is what Paul is talking about by legalism. Knowing the law, living by it, but not realising who the law was pointing too, i.e Yahshua Hamashiach.
When we come to faith in Messiah, the “New Covenant” is written in our hearts, this is a new agreement between Yah and mankind, where Yah’s laws remain the same, but the agreement between Yah and man (Heb ch8) extends to us more grace for our transgressions because the covenant is mediated by a new priest, i.e. Yahshua Hamashiach.
Therefore, it is not “the law of sin and death” as previously under the old covenant, where when we sinned we must die, but rather instead it is “the law that gives life”, because our high priest empathises with out infirmities in order to lead us to repentance, rather than judge us for sin leading to a life of hopelessness and death. Let’s not give credibility to interpretations of scripture that are leading many astray.An analysis of the Apostle Paul’s Attitude toward The Law
I have found the Apostle Paul’s attitude toward God’s law, the law as found in the first five books of the bible and as modified by Yahshua in Matthew chapters 5-7; to be difficult to pin down and understand, even at times contradictory. I originally wrote this as relatively young believer aged 34 in 2008, when I had been a baptised believer for around 9 years. Even the apostle Peter says Paul writes some things which are hard to understand, and it has taken me time to search out clarify and contextualise what he writes guided by prayer and study. However, at that stage of my life, and still in 2021, this it my true opinion of this man’s work, as regards the title of this essay.
Yahshua called Paul, an account of this is given in Acts chapters 8 and 9 (also 11, 12, 13, 22 & 23) he clearly is a servant of God. In Acts chapter 26 we learn that Paul was a Pharisee, this is an important fact to remember throughout this essay. The commonly held false belief about what the term Pharisee means is, a person who is very keen to uphold God’s law. However, Yahshua describes them as the opposite, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” [1] It is true the Pharisees did many of the outward things that made them look like godly people, but they would sin when they could get away without it being noticed or condemned by others.
I quote this because Yahshua also says this, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” [2]. And yet the Apostle Paul says this, “So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Yahshua, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. […] by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of The Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” [3] Let’s unpack this to see what Paul means.
If Yahshua says the law will not pass away until heaven and earth pass away, can Paul override his words? [4] Clearly the answer is “no”, and the heavens and the earth are still here so this proves that the law has not been abolished. I believe that Paul is actually saying that we do not follow the law according to the administration of the “old covenant”, but rather according to the administration of grace offered through the “new covenant” established by Yahshua [5]. We have died to our old sin nature, that is what bound us, and as Romans 8:7 says “For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.” (NLT). No one is justified by observing the law, but on the other hand surely freedom in Yahshua is something other than simply blotting out the rules – i.e. abolishing the law! I believe the message in Acts 15 was to turn people away from “justification by works” for there were certain people who taught “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1 NLT). However the aim of Peter’s and Barnabas’ message was not to stop people obeying the law by choice, or by compulsion, but rather to obey through the inward regeneration of The Holy Spirit, as spoken of in Romans 8:1-8.
Let’s also remember the law isn’t all about rules that tell us what not to do, it isn’t all negative. There are a lot of commandments and teachings about how to treat the poor, justice for foreigners, justice in the courts, fairness in trading, things which we could do well to implement today, and indeed what some people refer to as The Royal Law, is actually taken word for word from the “old testament” scriptures.
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 22:36–40 NRSV
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5 NRSV
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:18 NRSV
Our problem is that we are sinners and are in varying degrees unable to keep God’s law perfectly whether that be what the law forbids or encourages, Yahshua is our salvation and the answer to this problem. Paul states that believers are ‘not under the supervision of the law’ [6]. This doesn’t mean that we don’t obey the law, it means the law isn’t our only guide. Yahshua says he will send us another counsellor, but he doesn’t seem to imply that he will abandon the first which is the law [7]. Remember Yahshua is The Word made flesh, not just the prophecies pertaining to his birth, ministry and death, but all scripture which comes through The Spirit of Yah, and Father, Son and Spirit which are one.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 NRSV
Also consider Matthew 5:17-20, and that the bible includes Paul’s report and handling of some cases where God’s law has been broken, where Paul uses the law himself in various ways. [8] According to some interpretations of Paul’s work, wouldn’t this show Paul ‘in two minds’ by using God’s law directly in his handling of these cases? As case ‘d’ shows, Paul contradicts himself as well as Peter’s and Barnabas’ teaching in Acts 15:20. So my question is, why not obey God’s infallible and eternal commands, in preference to the fallible works of men? [9] For even though Paul was called by God, he was flesh and subject to corruption like any other believer.
In the Old Testament we could see the examples of good but all to often poor behaviour, the Old Testament is very warts and all. No-one sensible however, would discount all of the Psalms of David because he had an affair with Batsheba and virtually had her husband Uriah murdered, it is clear from scripture that God’s love was bestowed on him. In the same way Paul’s scriptures should not be discounted because he stumbled once in his teaching on food sacrificed to idols. We know that The New Covenant is about forgiveness, and surely he too will find forgiveness.
Our approach to law obedience should be led by The Spirit, sincere, truthful and fair, for we too are being turned into a spiritual priesthood as the bible states [10]. The basic truth we should learn from God’s word is this, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” [11] This message has been at the heart of God’s word since the beginning, yet man still has difficulty accepting it, as I believe Matthew 13:13-15 suggests.
In 1 Corinthians 5, 6:12 – 20, & 7:1 – 28,* Paul has to work against a shocking situation he finds upsetting to The Holy Spirit, he then goes on to write about ‘sexual immorality’ and a ‘crisis’. I will use these situations as examples to further my argument against the interpretations of Paul’s work that seek to void the obedience to the law for believers. Look at 1 Corinthians 5, and then examine what the written code states, “Do not dishonour your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. [12]
Yahshua knew that prevention is better than a cure, for he said ‘whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven’. If Yahshua’ instruction had been obeyed, then this offence may never have happened. And, In this case the guilty person has not only broken the law quoted above, but also the fifth commandment ‘Honour your father and your mother’. [13]
The laws in Leviticus chapter 18 show practices God considers detestable. Certain churches have adulterous, immoral, or abusive members, and in other churches homosexuality is a problem. What is clear, is that those unrepentant in sin; adulterers, the immoral, abusers and homosexuals are breaking God’s law [14]. Certain groups within the Church try to find ways of bending the teachings of Yahshua to suggest that he would not only forgive, but allow these kind of practices [15]. However, I believe that as in the case of the woman caught in the sin of adultery who was brought to Yahshua; yes Yahshua will forgive, but we are encouraged to repent of the sin [16]. The bible describes sin as ‘the breaking of the law’ [17], and considering what Yahshua said in Matthew 5:17-20, I think it is a false teaching to say that grace allows us to continue in sin and teach others similar patterns of disobedience. Paul says clearly, God’s children must turn away from wickedness [18].
Using the law unjustly to single out people or groups of people who sin according to biblical standards, going against the laws of society by discriminating, persecuting, abusing or attacking such people is not the aim of the law either. The Society we live in is a secular one, to the extent now where people who have religious beliefs may find it hard to practice those beliefs because of the disdain secular society has for them. In any case, the laws we adhere to reflect that our society is indeed secular, even antinomian, and for us to be a light in a dark world, we have to approach these delicate matters of explaining God’s standards and God’s love with respect for all people. The biblical emphasis is on teaching, example, persuasion, reason – and these things harm no one, and as Paul says – “the law is good if it is used properly” (1 Tim 1:8).
My point is, how are people to know these important things if the law is not taught or at least used as the congregations’ or believer’s guide to what is right and wrong. Why do we need to try to ‘re-invent the wheel’? That is, to come up with our own laws, traditions and ‘ethical’ standards of right and wrong, when God has already revealed his will plainly to us in his law. This isn’t to say only the law must be preached without the gospel, or in preference to the gospel, the bible is best served whole and with even handedness, providing context and proving the continuity and consistency of scripture.
I believe that God’s law is a worthy standard for all people, at all times in all places, we do not need tailor-made doctrines to suit. Before Yahshua was born in the flesh into this world, the zeal required to uphold the judgements of the law, and the violent and dishonest ways of many of those who lived under the law, may seem unpleasant and frightening to us today. However, we now know the changes Yahshua made to the law taught in Matthew chapters 5 – 7, we know there is a judgement to come, and we know that Yahshua is the only worthy judge of our souls. So the law is still useful as it details what is known of God’s moral guidance for man. The law is there to help us identify sin, and as we obey it through the work of The Spirit, we gain wisdom. David said:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
Psalm 19:7 NRSV
I do believe strongly that the Holy Spirit guides us to know right from wrong, but there are many spirits, so how do we know that we act upon the guidance given by the Holy Spirit? Perhaps the only reliable test of this is that the Holy Spirit has to be found in agreement with God’s word. The bible tells us of the unity between The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, the three are in agreement [19], and therefore it follows that God’s word as spoken or written by his servants, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will also stand in agreement with his law and prophets which came first.
God’s law stresses that immorality is wrong, and the apostle Paul defines it as a punishment 20. How then can those who claim to have The Spirit of God within them practice these lawless acts? I believe that Paul’s ideas concerning freedom have been taken too far by some, but the truth is that apart from God’s commandments, ideas about what is moral and what is immoral are subjective and change with times. However, God’s commandments are timeless 21, and they are not open to misinterpretation because they are explicit and unlike many of the generalisations found in the New Testament, that people sometimes make commandments and traditions out of, and that people are perhaps more likely to interpret in different ways, and even distort 22.
[…] So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
2 Pe 3:15–16 NRSB
Paul’s doctrine focuses the spotlight on the freedoms believers can have. Paul writes about being ‘bound’ by the law 23, but I do not believe that the law is opposed to freedom, or that it binds us in any way and neither does Paul – for he talks of our old nature or the flesh as being hostile to God’s law. Consider this, it was not until the Israelites were freed from Egypt that they were given the law 24. Why would God have freed his people from slavery in Egypt only to ‘enslave’ them to the law thereafter? Does our God exasperate his children? Indeed the law of sin that Paul talks of is our own inability to obey God, we inherited that through Adam (Romans 5:14-17), but through faith in Yahshua who obeyed the law perfectly, our nature is transformed to be free to obey God through The Spirit of Messiah.
Everyone who believes that Yahshua is the Messiah has God as his father, and everyone who loves a father loves his offspring too. Here is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God, we also do what he commands. For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome, because everything which has God as its Father overcomes the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust. Who does overcome the world if not the person who believes that Yahshua is the Son of God?
CJB 1 Jn 5:1–5).
Yahshua also said, ‘everyone who sins is a slave to sin’ 25, and to ‘sin’ means to break the law. So, how can the law be considered to bind and enslave? Unless for you, sin is not slavery, but freedom? The truth is, that through faith in Yahshua and with the guidance of The Holy Spirit, knowing the law and all scripture, we become aware of the sins that can trap us, and blind us to the godly freedom we can enjoy. If we try to keep the law without accepting Yahshua and The Holy Spirit to renew us, we are then under law, we are trying the impossible task, you will be a slave to your own failure, a slave to sin, for if you break one law or have ever broken one law, you have broken all of it (James 2:10) and we all have fallen short of perfect obedience.
Under law means, without Messiah, legalistic, looking to works alone for justification before Yah, everyone fails this because no one can keep all 613 commands without fault. Paul had this spirit before his encounter with Messiah on the road to Emmaus, and this is what Paul is talking about by legalism. Knowing the law, living by it, expecting to be justified by law alone, but not realising who the law was pointing to, i.e Yahshua Hamashiach. When we come to faith in Messiah, then the “New Covenant” is written in our hearts, this is a new agreement between mankind and Yah, the laws remain the same, but the agreement between Yah and man (Hebrews ch8) extends to us more grace for our transgressions. Therefore, it is not “the law of sin and death” where we sin and must die, but “the law that gives life” (Romans 8:2), because our high priest empathises with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) in order to lead us to repentance, rather than judge us for sin leading to a life of hopelessness and death.
Let’s not give credibility to interpretations of scripture that are leading many astray.
Yahshua spoke of ‘the yeast of Herod and the Pharisees’ 26. Consider that if the word of God is ‘bread’, adding additional teachings or ‘yeast’ to it does not mean that more people will be taught or ‘fed’. Paul adds many teachings to an already complete and wonderful body of knowledge 27. But in some cases in the New Testament, Paul seems to put down the commands written in the Old Testament 28. When you look closely you will see this was because of the needs of his audience who were too focused on the law and justification by works. Arguably the situation is quite the reverse today, our society is libertine, this affects us believers because of the moral filth in the world. Some people interpret Paul as expressing the ‘law’ in terms of opposition to ‘faith’, the ‘Spirit’ and ‘grace’, but I believe the law, faith, the Spirit and grace will be understood in terms of agreement and unity 29 when one has understood Paul teaching correctly. Where Paul uses phrases such as ‘the law of sin and death’ (meaning old covenant obedience – justification by works, our own effort to keep the law and not Yahshua’s Spirit within us doing his work), I feel for some, this casts a negative light on the law. Fortunately, Yahshua leaves us in no doubt as regards his intentions on his law, for I believe by his example and teaching Yahshua’s desire is to promote a partnership of law obedience and faith rather than an option (or false dichotomy) of one or the other. In my view all scripture provides the roots needed for a strong faith.
I believe in all cases we should test what we read in the New Testament to see that it agrees with the Old Testament, for it is written, “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails–given by one Shepherd. Be warned […] of anything in addition to them. 30 And who but Yahshua is the shepherd referred to here? The church’s standard of morals should be God’s law, and when we ignore it we act unwisely. The moral and material standards of society change from generation to generation (e.g. relationships, pleasures, dress etc), but God’s word remains the same throughout all generations and endures without fault. I believe if people are searching for truth, justice and a salvation that is steadfast and pure in today’s corrupt and ever-changing world, It should be the church that provides them with it. But the church must have its teachings founded truly upon the ‘solid rock’, the rock that is Yahshua, as the song says, ‘all other ground is sinking sand.’
[1] Mark 7:8&9, also see Deuteronomy 4:2.
[2] Matthew 5:17 – 20, and note 1 John 5:1-5. See Matthew 23:1-3 for Yahshua’ description of the ‘teachers of the law’.
[3] Based on Romans 7:4 – 6, cf. 1 Timothy 5:12&13.
[4] See John 13:16, & note Malachi 1:6 (the biblical hierarchy).
[5] See 2 Corinthians ch 3, Romans 7:12 & ch 8, Acts 15.
[6] Galatians 3:1-25, Colossians 2:13-15 & Ephesians 2:14-17.
[7] John 14:15/16, 26, & John 16:5-15, note 2 Peter 3:14-18, & Jude 4.
[8] See: a: Romans 1:18 – 32 & note Exodus 20:1-17; b: 2 Corinthians 13:1 & note Deuteronomy 19:15, & Ex 23:1-3 & 6-9; c: Hebrews 4:1-11 & note Ex 20:8-11, & Leviticus 23:3; d: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 cf. 1 Co 10:14-22, & note Acts 15:20, Ex 20:3-6, Revelation 2:12-29.
[9] See John 3:31-36. Consider human fallibility vs. God’s infallibility.
[10] Malachi 2:1-9 note verse 9, also see 1 Peter 2:4-12 note verse 5.
[11] From Ecclesiastes 12:13. THE LAW AND SACRIFICES: read Hebrews 9:1-10:39, Isaiah 66:2-4, & 1:10-31, & Proverbs 21:3. CIRCUMCISION: read 1 Corinthians 7:18&19, & Romans 2:25-27.
* Do you think that the situations described in these passages parallel with the situation Yahshua speaks of in Revelation 2:12-29?
[12] Leviticus 18 note verse 7, & Lev 20:10-21, Deuteronomy 22:13-30.
[13] Exodus 20:12, & Deuteronomy 5:16.
[14] See footnote 11, see Leviticus 18:22, & 20:13, note Genesis 18:20-19:29 (note 19:5), Romans 1:18-32, & Jude (note verse 4).
[15] Hosea 4:6-12 & 2 Peter 2, cf. Romans 6:1&2, & Hebrews 10:26-31.
[16] John 8:1-11. JUDGEMENT: read Ecclesiastes 3:16&17, Matthew 7:1-5, John 3:16-18, 5:19-30, 12:47-50, & 1 Corinthians 4:5.
[17] Based on 1 John 3:4.
[18] See 1 John 3:9, Ephesians 5:5-7, Romans 3:5-8, 2 Timothy 2:19.
[19] See Matthew 17:1-8, John 14:15-31, & 16:5-16, also see premise.
[20] See footnotes 11 & 13.
[21] See Psalm 111 [note verses 7&8], & Matthew 5:17-20.
[22] See 2 Peter 3:15 & 16 & note Jude verse 4.
[23] See Romans 7:6, also see Galatians 3:1-5, cf. Matthew 19:17.
[24] See Exodus 19:1 – 20:21 (or 40:38), & note Psalm 119.
[25] See John 8:34-37, Rom 6:16, also see 1 John 3:4-10.
[26] Matthew 16:5-12, & Matthew 7:21-23. Note John 6:25-59.
[27] See Luke 16:16-31, Ecclesiastes 6:11, & Matthew 28:18-20.
[28] See footnotes, 4, 6, & 7 case ‘d’, Note Matthew 12:15-21 cf. Isaiah 42:1-4, Matthew 13:47-52.
[29] See John 17:20-26, note v 22 & 23. Also see Luke chapters 1&2.
[30] From Ecclesiastes 12:11&12, also see Hosea 14:9.
Dividing lands
What happens if your neighbours move their fence so it takes up space on your side of the garden, or if someone continually uses your parking space and refuses to move? What happens when fishermen stray out of waters they are entitled to fish in, to fish in waters allocated to other nations? Don’t these things cause disputes?
What happens then, when lands are divided up in ways that affect the inhabitants? I guess it could be hard to imagine England, The United States, or Australia being partitioned into separate nations. We can see problems related to the division of land in places like Ireland and Northern Ireland, Germany (Wast and West before unification), Russia since it’s break up and in Israel with Palestine.
The scriptures state:
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.
Proverbs 22:28 (CJB)
However, when we consider the scripture above in relation to the map at the start of this article it seems stunning to realise that Europe has had several strands of imperialism (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Belgian and Italian) that have grown their empires to impact three quarters of the world and in the process divided many, many lands in a perhaps irreversible way. Speaking of the arrogance and complacency of the rich, a Psalmist writes:
Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
Psalm 49:11 (NIV)
Let’s take one example Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was previously named Rhodesia after Cecil Rhodes who Wikipedia describes as “An ardent believer in British imperialism”. Cecil Rhodes, apparently the son of a vicar and no doubt supporting interpretations of scripture that underpin European colonialist exploits, not only gained control of large swathes of Africa because of British military superiority, but he also became a key player in the mining industry in Africa, forming a company you may well have heard of, De Beers, which he started with funding from the now infamous Rothschild (“New World Order”) family!
What gave Europeans the supposed “right” to take over other lands?
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Psalm 73:9 (NIV)
Yah elsewhere in scripture describes the actions of such people thus:
“Look around among the nations! What you see will completely astound you! For what is going to be done in your days you will not believe, even when you are told.
Habakkuk 1:5–11 (CJB)
I am raising up the Kasdim [Babylonians], that bitter and impetuous nation, who march far and wide over the earth to seize homes that are not their own.
Fearsome and dreadful they are; their rules and strength come from themselves.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at night. Their cavalry gallop in from afar, flying like vultures rushing to feed.
All of them come for violence, their faces set eagerly forward, scooping up captives like sand.
They scoff at kings; princes they deride. They laugh at any fortress; they pile up earth and take it.
Then they sweep on like the wind, but they become guilty, because they make their strength their god.”
Imagine the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, atomic bombs dropped on civilian populations. Some say this was done to bring WWII to and end more quickly, some say that this was retaliation for attack on Pearl Harbour and America flexing its military might. Nevertheless, between 129,000 and 226,000 peopled died in those bombings, and the debate still goes on even today about its legitimacy. Regardless of your view on this European’s have always been a law unto themselves, the allow themselves to commit crimes and excuse themselves for it while accusing others for doing the same things, or even for having the capacity to do the same things!
Moreover, if the use of force in Hiroshima and Nagasaki can be accepted, and I for one do not think it can, then what about the use of force in the Iraq War which many view as illegal? Doesn’t this repeated action show a pattern of disregard for human life and the ability for European nations to exercise their rights outside of the framework of the rights of other nations, thus being a law unto themselves?
You can take this onto a micro-level and look at the interactions in society between some sections of society and law enforcement. Not only is it self evident that law enforcement enforces law according to different standards for different sections of society, there are also situations where law enforcement, politicians and other people who play a key role in the institutions of authority show that they too see themselves as being above the law.
Therefore when Adonai has done everything he intends to do to Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim, “I will punish the king of Ashur for the boasting that comes from his proud heart and from reveling in his arrogant looks.
Isaiah 10:12–14 (CJB)
For he says, “ ‘With my own strong arm I have done this, and with my wisdom, because I’m so clever! I erased the boundaries between peoples, I plundered their stores for the future; as a mighty man, I subjugated the inhabitants.
My hand found the riches of the peoples like a nest; and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered the whole earth! Not one wing fluttered, not one beak opened or let out a chirp!’ ”
Renewing focus on the central argument. Now, these scriptures do refer to different ancient kingdoms throughout the history of the earth, they are not even in coded language supposed to relate directly to Europe or its imperialist, colonial empire building activities. Yet, the key point to take from these scriptures is that Yah opposes those who devour lands that do not belong to them. In a spiritual sense then, these scriptures relate to Europeans because their own actions are the same as those of the people and nations presented in the scriptures. Europe does not have a special dispensation or “free pass” to exclude itself from the wrath of Yah for these crimes.
What we do see in scripture is the notion of a union of kingdoms which has absolute power over all the earth’s inhabitants, but this is more than physical and economic, it also represents spiritual power:
and I saw a beast come up out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten royal crowns and on its heads blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, but with feet like those of a bear and a mouth like the mouth of a lion. To it the dragon gave its power, its throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast appeared to have received a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed after the beast in amazement. They worshipped the dragon, because he had given his authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying,
Revelation 13:1–18 (CJB)
“Who is like the beast?
Who can fight against it?”
It was given a mouth speaking arrogant blasphemies; and it was given authority to act for forty-two months. So it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God to insult his name and his Sh’khinah, and those living in heaven; it was allowed to make war on God’s holy people and to defeat them; and it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded. Those who have ears, let them hear!
“If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he goes!
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he is to be killed!”
This is when God’s holy people must persevere and trust!
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence; and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal wound had been healed. It performs great miracles, even causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth as people watch. It deceives the people living on earth by the miracles it is allowed to perform in the presence of the beast, and it tells them to make an image honoring the beast that was struck by the sword but came alive again. It was allowed to put breath into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could even speak; and it was allowed to cause anyone who would not worship the image of the beast to be put to death. Also it forces everyone—great and small, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead preventing anyone from buying or selling unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This is where wisdom is needed; those who understand should count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person, and its number is 666.
This union of kingdoms is referred to as secret or “Mystery Babylon”:
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 17:1–18 (AV)
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
These prophecies in the book of Revelation don’t come about because this is Yah’s ideal situation for the earth. Rather, they come about because of rebellion against Yah. These prophecies are foretelling unhappy events some past, and some to happen in the future.
The one nation Yah gave the right to drive out nations before them was Israel, and that was many thousands of years before these European empires came into existence. Since the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD70 in line with Yeshua’s prophecy in Matthew chapter 24, Israel largely became a scattered people until the 1940’s when they some began to return, although some were already in the land, with the help of various European nations such as Britain, and the offspring of Europe such as America.
However, my understanding is that although Israel’s right to be a nation is perpetual, the means by which it achieves this is not to be through the war mongering exploits practised 5000+ years ago, but through being a beacon of justice and hope as I have written elsewhere.
The contrary perspective that Messiah provides is not that the strongest, most heavily armed, most full of intrigue, or those with the most extensive alliances will inherit or take possession of the earth, but:
How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land!
Matthew 5:5 (CJB)
What we see with the slow demise of European empire is not the world returning to the state in which it was before borders were redrawn, peoples were enslaved and exported and resources were forcibly confiscated; no, none of those things have happened to any meaningful degree. What we do see is a morphing of the European power, having effectively raped lands and taken what they wanted, they now effectively control the destinies of those lands, people and resources remotely through military power, through economic, religious, social and cultural mechanisms. This in itself causes further problems for societies and peoples trapped between a world of their own heritage, and the heritage of oppressors who first and foremost only maintain relationship to safeguard their own interests, with the welfare of people coming second at best.
I don’t think it has ever been within European nations plan to completely reverse the harm they have caused, but to prolong their use of power for as long as possible, like leeches draining blood. Even if Europeans wanted to undo the harm they have done, would they know how?
Let’s look at this from another perspective. What do western nations do with nuclear waste, waste from electronics, the waste from over-consumption? I expect you have heard about The Pacific Garbage Patch? The illustration below is from 2019, and it demonstrates the size of a growing patch of garbage in The Pacific Ocean which is several times the size of Germany, and approximately the size of Mongolia or Libya. Consider, America has 4% of the world’s population, but 12% of the world’s waste, China with 15% of the world’s population produces 18% (only 6% more of the world’s waste than America) despite having a population almost four times the size.
The thing is, no one knows how to clear this patch or even stop it growing and the amount of waste we use is growing fast.
The key thing about Europeans is, though skillful in their exploits, though outwardly successful, they do not know how to clear up the mess they make, and for them, the confusion that mess causes becomes a catalyst for the continued exercise of their unjust power, they know now shame for it, and will rarely be bound by the rules which they set upon others.
Taking back land and property
If Israel has the “right” to evict Palestinians off land and property that they have owned for generations. Does that mean that members of various African nations have the right to take back lands and property that European “settlers” have taken?
What about Native Americans?
What about Aborigines?
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!
