Great Britain has fallen!

And great was the fall thereof?

GREAT BRITAIN HAS FALLEN!
By Wale Babatunde
New Wine Press. 160 pages. £6.99
ISBN 1 903725 14 3

The title is obviously meant to bring to mind the cry from Revelation 18 that great Babylon has fallen. This is a book which rightly accuses Britain of its sins and sees our nation as under the judgement of God and heading for disintegration.

The writer is from Nigeria, but now ministers in this country. He has a love for our land, but, as a Christian man from outside, he laments and is rightly angry with the downward spiral into decadence which we see all around us. He lists turning points in our legislation over the last 50 years, including the Obscene Publications Act of 1959, the Abortion Act of 1967, and the Sunday Trading Act of 1994. He takes the leaders of our nation to task including various governments and the Royal Family. 'The separation and all the sexual scandal between the Prince and Princess of Wales, which eventually led to her death, are marks of God's displeasure!' (p.65). The Queen has failed to uphold her coronation oath concerning defending the faith. Britain is being brought down because of its arrogance and pride, especially towards other nations in the Commonwealth. The way the gospel is prospering among many ethnic minorities who have come to Britain while the white British population remains hardened to the gospel, is a sign of God's judgement.

But the real blame for the fall of Britain lies with the church. We have failed to be salt and light to our society. Here the author points the finger of accusation at many issues, including the church's defection from biblical standards concerning sex and sexuality, the downgrading of the Bible, and 'peace and prosperity preachers' who pander to the carnal desires of a church enslaved to consumerist materialism. Of many Bible colleges who have failed to hold to biblical fundamentals he says that we have 'a bunch of dead lecturers, passing on a dead message, producing a bunch of dead ministers'. The need of the hour is for true repentance.

Initially produced for the Queen's Jubilee this book is well worth reading and taking to heart. Too often ministers are prepared to preach messages which only touch on personal salvation and spirituality, while ignoring the national disaster unfolding all around us and failing to call the church to give up its sins. Apart from some questionable use of a charismatic 'vision' the book's weakness is that it tends to use a parallel between Britain and the nation of Israel in a way which is not really sustainable biblically. He is basing much of what he has to say on Romans 11 rather than Romans 1 when it comes to our country. But overall we have to say: 'Thank you, Mr. Babatunde, we need to hear this.'

Great Britain has fallen!

And great was the fall thereof?

JEB

John Benton

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