Wise Sentinels

Nga mihi ki te hunga e whai ana i to rātou whainga… (Greetings to everyone who is pursuing their purpose),

The text for this post is Daniel 11:32b (NLT), “He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.” 

Many have and still do unsuccessfully interpret Daniel’s visions of a war to the north and south of Israel as one to end the world as we know it. Apocalyptic literature has a way of eluding attempts at clear prediction. “Apocalypse”, literally meaning to uncover or reveal, is one of the biggest oxymorons in the English language—the literary form obscures far more than it reveals. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something from it. The onus is upon the reader to interpret wisely (“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand…”, Revelation 2).

The context of the partial verse above is a vision of a great war between a northern empire and the southern power that opposes it, with the Holy Land squeezed in between. The closest alignment in history to date is the break-up of the Greek empire among four generals and in particular the Seleucids of Syria (north) and the Ptolemies of Egypt (south).

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

Much of what was foreseen by the prophet Daniel some 230 years before it happened matches the vision, but not everything aligns. It leaves some margin for a future fulfillment. As the quote attributed to Mark Twain attests, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”.

From the time Daniel was captured and taken to Babylon, the center of the great Persian power, the world has seen many empires rise and fall. Not just the Greeks and Romans, but also the Byzantines; Hunnics; Vikings; Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming Chinese dynasties; Mongol/Yuan empires; Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations; and of course, the Iberian, European, and British colonial dominance. Today, the capitalism-fueled United States of America is the world’s most influential power with few single contenders but growing opposition.

On this side of eternity, in one form or another, this world will always be dominated by an Empire. It is endemic to corrupted human nature to judge, subjugate, and exploit. In Scripture, especially in most Prophets, Daniel, and John’s Revelation, God’s people are told to do good and patiently endure the brutalities of the powerful, but never to become the powerful.

Any interpretation otherwise is a perversion of the biblical narrative. Those who align comfortably with the powerful are viewed, as in the quote from Daniel, as “those who have violated the covenant”. In this world, the strongman with its supportive cabal of the wealthy and violent is never aligned with the justice of God. Never.

Within Scripture, however, we also see a paradox. While the strongman is fundamentally opposed to the purposes of God, God still uses the strongman precisely to fulfill those purposes. That does not mean we ought to aid the strongman, or even tolerate its excesses. To do so would compromise our covenantal responsibilities.

However, we can live in confidence that whatever the principalities, powers, and authorities in the dark realms (e.g. Ephesians 6:12) influence the strongman to do will not thwart God’s plans. Even though it may result in a great and terrible time of testing for the faithful people of God who stand in the way of the strongman’s ideology, frustrating political and economic gains by standing up for God’s right ways.

God’s will always prevails.

Ultimately though, God’s will always prevails. Daniel 12:10 reveals that the oppressive period of persecution inflicted upon those who follow God’s right ways will be beneficial: “Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means.”

In the world today, embracing any form of suffering sounds perverse. Yet the onus is on us to be among the wise, those who call out injustice, even if it means suffering for it. The world will not understand that such wisdom results in great gain.

My father, a follower of Jesus, awoke one night from a vivid dream. “You are my sentinel” reverberated in his recall. When he told me of the dream, I immediately remembered thinking about God’s call on Ezekiel, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately.” (Ezekiel 3:17 NLT).

Oddly, I had a similar experience around the same time as my father’s dream while visiting Burg Hohenzollern (castle), formerly part of Brandenburg Prussia from which my father’s maternal grandparents and family migrated in 1876 during von Bismarck’s Kulturkampf (cultural struggle). They left to seek freedom and better economic prospects in the rapidly developing British colony of New Zealand.

On the ramparts of the burg, I photographed stone sentries overlooking the land for as far as the eyes could see (pictured above). My wife recognized the meaning before I did and put words to why I felt moved by the sculptures. Ezekiel 3:17 captured it perfectly.

A sentinel, watchman, sentry needs keen discernment, detects signs long before others see them coming, and sounds a warning.

My father passed away a couple years later, but I carry his sense of call to keep watch with wisdom. A sentinel, watchman, sentry needs keen discernment, detects signs long before others see them coming, and sounds a warning so others can prepare for a potential occurrence, whether good or bad. Without the aid of modern devices like a telescope, binoculars, sonar, radar, or electronic surveillance, the detection of movement far away can be imprecise. Warnings can be unjustified, but rarely for an experienced sentinel.

We probably all know the story of Chicken Little who claimed that the sky was falling (spoiler alert: it was an acorn), or the boy who cried wolf. In a dark version of the former morality tale, Chicken Little and her cohort were so fearful of disaster looming that they were easily conned by a fox who led them astray and to their doom. In the latter story, the boy was a habitual liar, so no one believed him when the real danger was upon them, and the wolf had his way.

Following the (re)election of Donald Trump to be the 47th President of the United States of America, INFEMIT (International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation) reposted a “A Call For Biblical Faithfulness Amid the New Fascism”. The original call was made in 2016 on the eve of President Trump’s first inauguration. Even back then there were signs of increasing nationalism and control by more world leaders.

Some global Evangelicals (no doubt with support of at least 82% of US American Evangelicals) expressed concern that referencing fascism was a mistake and that associating strong nationalistic leaders, such as President-elect Trump is likely to be, with fascism was highly inappropriate. But INFEMIT is not alone. Both Time magazine and PBS News in the States have expressed similar opinions concerning Donald Trump’s rhetoric and US Evangelical implicit support of it.

Perhaps it is a little too early to say for sure, it certainly was in 2016, but the trend continues to arc toward that reality. Sometimes the light can play tricks on even the wisest of sentinels. Then again, sometimes it’s a just a matter of timing before what they detect and suspect becomes reality—by then, it’s often too late.

For the record (with a little help from ChatGPT), the key attributes of fascism include:

• Authoritarian Leadership: A single leader or party with absolute control, demanding obedience and loyalty.
• Ultra-Nationalism: A belief in national or racial superiority, often accompanied by xenophobia and an aggressive, exclusionary patriotism.
• Militarism and Violence: Glorification of military power and the use of violence as a tool for achieving benefit for the society that supports them and their political aims.
• Suppression of Opposition: Repression of political dissent, freedom of the press, individual rights, and flat rejection of outsider criticisms.
• State Control Over Economy: While allowing private ownership, usually by powerful oligarchs, the state typically controls or heavily influences economic production to serve national interests and oligarch profit.

A strongman knows intimately how to “flatter and win over” a populace.

While nations hold to a democracy, with economic, racial, religious, migrant, and speech freedoms, fascism is held at bay. There may be many other toxicities in governance and society, but it is not necessarily fascist. Nevertheless, it is healthy to remain aware of how easily it can shift. A strongman knows intimately how to “flatter and win over” a populace, leading them to leave a prior covenant and make one anew with the strongman, for their own benefit. Self-interest is deceptive like that.

The movie “Lee” captures this perfectly. Featuring producer Kate Winslet in the lead role, it begins in 1938, just as Hitler’s power in Germany, almost two decades in the making, was about to spill over violently into Europe. Winslet’s character, photographer Lee Miller recalled, “It happened so slowly. Yet, kind of overnight. We woke up one morning, and Hitler was the most powerful man in Europe. Even as it was happening it didn’t feel real.” “So what did you do”, the Journalist asked. Miller responded, “I got on with my life”.

This echoed Ernest Hemingway who wrote that an event happened “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly”. It is so easy to ignore and override nagging concerns. To maintain the status quo. If it doesn’t have immediate impact on your quality of life, what does it matter to you? If it improves your quality of life, you’ll surely defend it. But these indicators do not satisfy the sniff-test of the wise sentinel. Sentinels will discern if something seems off.

“Who goes there?!” is not just a request for identity or credentials. It is an opportunity to assess the integrity and intent of the ones approaching. Are they friend or foe? INFEMIT were correct to put out a warning in advance, even as early as 2016. Today, the rise of fascist regimes is ever more apparent around the world.

Even if a strongman can give you daily bread, and seemingly bring manna down from the heavens, we would do well to consider the cost. There is always a cost. Jesus said as much. What is the sniff-test for the follower of Jesus, for those who adhere to the New Covenant writ in his blood? We don’t need to guess. It’s there in black and white. In Matthew 22:37-40; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; and Philippians 2:3-8ff among many other passages that represent the ethics of New Creation under the reign of God.

What do we really benefit if we choose the world?

Do our political leaders align with these attributes of love, faith, and service to God? No, hardly any ever do. That is the nature of politics in this world. Yet that is not to excuse polar opposite behaviour of leaders who promise us ease and dominance. We who would live in Christ’s counter-kingdom should not fail to call ungodly behaviour to account. Yes, we will lose favour. Yes, it will cost us. Yes, it may bring suffering. But what do we really benefit if we choose the world? Jesus makes it plain,

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the good news, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’” (Mark 8:34-37 NLT)

I am not saying that the sky is falling, but I am with those who are seeing danger on the horizon. Hear the warning in Daniel’s vision and don’t fall for flattery that leads you away from your covenantal responsibilities. Know your God, and what allegiance to Jesus requires of you. Be wise, stay strong, resist evil. In my response to the INFEMIT warning, I penned this prayer, may it light your way ahead…

Loving Jesus, Prince of Peace, son of the living God, have mercy on us, sinners, in these darkening days.

Guide us by the light of your love. May we who are your people, called by your name, embody love, exhibit joy, bring peace, persist with patience, and pursue goodness. Lead us to serve our bent and broken world to co-create your New Creation in our lived realities, the evidence of your true Kingdom at work, with gentleness, loving kindness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Spirit of God enable us to walk through the world humbly, to resist power, to love mercy, to boldly seek justice, and meekly manifest the righteousness of God that runs counter to all that this aggressive world thinks is right. We acknowledge that our battle is not against fellow humans, but against the unseen authorities that rebel against you. We know they and their parody empires will not prevail before you, your glory will not be diminished. It will only be magnified as we stand against their purposes.

We stand, then, strengthened by your truth, encouraged by your righteousness, stable in the gospel of peace, shielded by our unwavering faith in the kenotic liberty we have in Christ, our minds set on the safety of the non-anxious presence of our Saviour, countering every evil thrust with your will revealed to us by your Spirit.

As we obey your call on each of us to serve your purposes, empower us to converse with you at all times, fully dependent on you alone as we remain alert in defensive solidarity with one another, working and waiting for your return, Jesus, in the fullness of your authoritative glory to make all things permanently new.

Your Kingdom come, your will be done, in all the Earth, as it is in heaven. For ever and ever, amen.

Arohanui ki a koutou e haere ana ki te ao (love to you all as you go into the world),

Jay

This essay was previously published as as an opinion editorial by Christian Daily International.