UPDATED 30th November 2023
New: Articles on the Israel-Gaza War
Recent article: We live in an age of Deceit
Recent article: Why I do not support Donald Trump
Recent article: Israel “facing dictatorship…civil war…war with Iran” 2nd May 2023
Recent article: “Climate Change and Extreme Weather” 21st March 2023
I hope you find the site helpful
You are welcome to keep in touch by:
- going on the mailing list to receive updates (Go to https://www.christianteaching.org.uk/)
- linking with me on Twitter (Go to @TonyHigton)
- becoming a friend on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tony.higton.1)
- leaving a comment on the blog
I have various purposes in this blog and my associated websites:
1.TO ENCOURAGE SERIOUS PRAYER FOR REVIVAL
Christianity is growing around the world and some churches in Britain are growing. But one of the main motives for praying for Revival in Britain is the widespread decline of the church numerically, spiritually and morally. Meanwhile British society is increasingly turning away from belief in God, seriously ignorant of Christianity and rejecting biblical morality. The church and country desperately need a special supernatural movement of the Holy Spirit in revival, bringing many to faith in God. We need to pray in depth, in faith and in holiness. There is some relevant material on this blog but for more information see my website Network for Revival.
2. TO ENCOURAGE A SENSIBLE APPROACH TO ESCHATOLOGY (THE DOCTRINE OF THE END TIMES, THE RETURN OF CHRIST, ETC).
Many Christians (including Christian leaders) neglect this, either because they don’t feel competent to deal with it or because they are embarrassed by unbalanced extremists. I want to help rectify this by providing Christian teaching and also comment on current events and trends, with particular reference to anything relevant to Jesus’ teaching on the signs of the End Times. I try to take a constructively critical, extensively researched approach. I have completed the main (systematic) section with teaching on the subjects listed below. See the Full (more detailed) version Eschatological Book – FULL and a Summary Version Eschatological Book- SUMMARY.
However you will find Updates on Eschatology on the blog below (which have also been incorporated into the main website above) and you are welcome to comment on them here.
3. TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT THE ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
For a number of years I lived and ministered in Jerusalem, leading an international organisation whose aim is to share the gospel sensitively with Jewish people and leading Christ Church, Jerusalem. Since then I have been seeking to inform Christians about the need, pain and fear on BOTH sides in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, because God loves both sides. See http://www.prayerforpeace.org.uk/index.html. My recent newsletter on the Israel-Gaza conflict is at http://www.prayerforpeace.org.uk/newsletter.html.
4. TO MAKE CONSIDERED PROPHETIC COMMENT ON CURRENT EVENTS AND TRENDS.
See below on the blog.
5. TO PROVIDE FREE, PRACTICAL, USER-FRIENDLY RESOURCES FOR CHURCHES AND INDIVIDUALS
These include apologetics (defence of the faith), biblical material, church development, church issues, devotional articles, doctrinal resources, evangelistic, interfaith and pastoral issues. Additions will be made to these materials. See https://www.christianteaching.org.uk/
ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) SUBJECTS COVERED
The signs of the End
Will there be a sudden, secret “Rapture” of believers to heaven?
The ‘Great Tribulation’ and the Antichrist
Secular eschatology – What secular scholars are predicting about the future of the world
The Battle of Armageddon & Cosmic signs
Old Testament Eschatology
The return of Christ
Will there be a literal Millennium?
End times judgment
Approaching death
Resurrection
The destruction of world
The truth about Hell
The hope of Heaven
Appendix: Understanding the Book of Revelation
Appendix: The Place of Islam in the End Times
What about the Good News?
I am aware that, in focusing on eschatology and prophetic comment on the news, I frequently major on bad news rather than good news. Does that mean I’m only interesting in doom and gloom? No, not at all. However, there is a lot of doom and gloom in New Testament eschatology, and we must take it seriously alongside the love, joy, peace and eternal life which results from the gospel.
Jesus himself told us to watch for negative signs of the time: wars and rumours of wars, famine, disease, earthquakes, persecution, church decline and apostasy, false prophets and messiahs, great distress (tribulation) and worrying events in the heavens. The rest of the NT has a fair amount of doom and gloom about the End Times. After all, the Book of Revelation is hardly light-hearted
So I major on giving updates on some disturbing “signs of the times”: artificial intelligence, church decline, genetic engineering, global warming, Islam, oppression & persecution of Christians, secularisation & societal decline, matters of sexuality, significant political developments, terrorism and war, world poverty, etc.
We have to take note of such things if we are to obey Jesus who said: “Watch out that no one deceives you … keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt 24:4, 42-44).
Having said all this, I do come across Christians who take eschatology seriously but read almost everything in society and the church negatively – it’s all doom and gloom. And I don’t believe that is correct. There is a huge amount of good in the world (theologically-speaking, it is the result of God’s “common grace” or the “general work of the Holy Spirit”). We need to maintain the balance and I do seek to share some good news amidst my main emphasis of keeping watch and noting the “signs of the times.”
What is on this site?
AUDIO SERMONS BY TONY & PATRICIA HIGTON
Tony and Patricia met at theological college and have spoken together in many places around the world for many years.
Go to Sermons and click the appropriate link.
BLOG POSTS
RECENT POSTS
INDEX TO THIS BLOG
ATHEISM (SCIENCE & RELIGION)
Relevant articles include:
Secularisation and non religious spirituality/ 2015
Religious people are less intelligent than atheists/
Richard Dawkins speaks favourably about Christianity/
BIBLE
Relevant articles include:
The inspiration and authority of Scripture
The nature of God in the Old Testament
An outline of the Old Testament
Oppression of christians in the west/
The threat to the family part 1-the importance of the family/
The threat to the family part 2-attacks on marriage and the family/
How do we recognise God’s judgment?
The Bible predicts Jesus will rule over Israel
CHURCH
Relevant articles include:
CHURCH DECLINE & DEVELOPMENT
Update on the church – May 2020
Oppression of Christians in the West
The church desperately needs Revival
Update on decline in Christian belief
Update on the Church of England
Secularisation and non-religious spirituality
Bishop encouraged Osama bin Laden
Update on Signs of the End “Turning away from the Faith”
ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES)
When asked about the signs of his coming and the end of the age, Jesus told his disciples to take note of the “beginning of the birth pains [of Messiah]” (Matt 24). These are early, recurring signs – rather like signposts on a motorway, each one closer to the destination. He specified wars and rumours of wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilences, persecution, apostasy, false messiahs, false prophets, worldwide evangelism, “fearful events and great signs from heaven.” So, Jesus wants us to note the often negative trends and events in society and the world which point towards his return. (These posts include detailed updates on such trends and events in society and the world, which are informative in themselves quite apart from their eschatological significance).
[For more teaching on Eschatology see Eschatology
Why the church fails to teach about eschatology
Can We Ignore Signs Of Jesus Return.pdf
Some Thoughts On The Book Of Revelation.pdf
Jesus preached the present and coming rule of God
John the Baptist said Jesus would baptise in the Spirit and judge the impenitent
REVIVAL
The church desperately needs Revival
RECURRING POINTERS TOWARDS THE END TIMES
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
Why we should take notice of wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilences
Update on “Birth pains of the Messiah” – Global warming
What is God saying about Coronavirus?
Recognising the significance of major events
TURNING AWAY FROM THE FAITH
Update on Signs of the End – Turning away from the Faith
DECEIT
PERSECUTION & OPPRESSION (Recurring pointer towards the End Times)
The oppression of Christians in the West
Serious trends in the present situation
Update on Signs of the End – Persecution & Oppression
“Street preachers must not preach about morality”
Tory MP says anti-terror laws against teachers who say gay marriage is sinful
Ex-MI5 Boss warns counter-extremism bill could be used against Christians
Anti-Christian attitudes in Britain – Tim Farron
PANDEMICS (Recurring pointer towards the End Times)
Update on the danger of pandemics
Update on the Signs of the End – Pestilences
WAR (Recurring pointer towards the End Times)
Update on war and the threat of war
Update on the serious implications of terrorism
Update on the Signs of the End – Nuclear terrorism an war
Queen’s speech on nuclear war having broken out
DANGERS OF WORLD GOVERNMENT
Trends towards world government and political oppression
Update on trends towards world government
Christians and others under antichrist rule
Movements towards World Government
Update on World Government and Oppression
Update on World Government and Political Oppression
RESTORATION OF ISRAEL & THREATS TO ISRAEL
Articles about the Israel Gaza War
Israel “facing dictatorship…civil war…war with Iran”
Update on Israel after the May 2021 war
Update on the Signs of the End (Anti-Semitism)
The Bible predicts Jesus will rule over Israel
World Council of Churches statement on the Middle East
An update on anti-semitism and some dangers in combatting it
DANGERS OF EXTREME VIEWS
What should be our attitude to the European Union?
SECULAR ESCHATOLOGY
Alongside seeking to take seriously biblical teaching on eschatology it is instructive to take notice of what is sometime called secular eschatology, i.e. secular predictions by scholars of serious disasters which the future could hold.
Will Artificial Intelligence be the end of the human race?
ABORTION
HOMOSEXUALITY
My attitude to homosexuals
We are called to love our neighbour and that includes our homosexual neighbour. If we do not love our homosexual neighbour we are being sinful. We are to love our neighbour but that doesn’t mean loving his/her wrong behaviour. The old saying is relevant: “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” And that applies to all sinners, including sexual sinners – heterosexual or homosexual.
I address the subject, not because it is the only sin or the worst sin facing the church, neither because of any hang-up about God’s wonderful gift of sexuality, but because it is strategically important. It is the sin the church is beginning to justify, with dire consequences.
The basic issue is whether homosexual practice is God’s will for human beings. I conclude that the Bible says it isn’t. You can read my detailed reasons for this conclusion in the following three articles
What does the Bible say about homosexual practice.pdf
Homosexuality and the church.pdf
Here are my blog posts on the subject:
The undermining of God’s plan for the family
The threat to the family – Part 1 The importance of the family
The threat to the family – Part 2 Attacks on marriage and the family
What about the Irish referendum on gay marriage?
The wrong attacks on freedom of belief and speech
Oppression of Christians in the West
Update on the oppression of Christians
I agree with Peter Tatchell over Asher’s bakery!
The Belfast gay cake controversy
The decline of the church partly over this issue
Update on the decline of Christian belief
The church desperately needs revival
SECULARISATION OF SOCIETY
Secularism and populism undermine the foundation of society
Secularisation and non-religious spirituality
Update on the Signs if the End – “Turning away from the Faith”
Richard Dawkins speaks favourably about Christianity
So the government wants to relax the Sunday trading laws
Is the UK more Christian than the rest of Europe?
· DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIANS
Discrimination against British Christians
Discrimination Against British Christians – Update 1
Oppression of Christians in the West
Iraqi Christian leader refused entry to US to advocate for persecuted Christians
See also above “Church Decline & Development
ISRAEL & MIDDLE EAST
My attitude towards Israel and the Palestinians
The decline of Christianity in the Middle East
World Council of Churches statement on the Middle East
Is the UK more pro-Israel than the EU?
Update on the Signs of the End (Anti-Semitism)
The Bible predicts Jesus will rule over Israel
The Middle East situation and its effects on Christians and Israel
ISLAM
We must love and respect our Muslim neighbour but that is not incompatible with expressing disagreement with the teachings of Islam.
Christians and others under antichrist rule
Serious trends in the present situation
Chair of Islamic Society of Great Britain says the next coronation should be Christian
Good News: Palestinian rescues 5 Jewish students under attack in the West Bank
Former Imam who attacked churches converts to Christianity
Muslim Imam raises money for church vandalised by young Muslim
Thank God for this Muslim leader’s comments
Homosexual baker strongly disapproves of homosexuals bullying Christian bakers
Update on Middle East tensions
GENERAL TOPICS
Why I do not support Donald Trump
Issues of Morality Transexualism, polygamy, divorce, abortion, gene-editing
One reply on “Welcome to Tony Higton’s Blog”
I enjoyed your articles on end-time prophecys and totally agree with what you say. I do feel that the Church is not addressing the short time left before the second coming of Jesus. I believe that it is just around the corner and I believe it will be in this generation. I am an intercessor at a local Cathedral and I do feel that we should be preparing ourselves to meet Jesus. The question I raise is this “Are our bags packed ready?”
Wendy Bristow