Confusion

The Labour government that has ruled New Zealand for the last six years seems to be struggling. Since Jacinda Ardern stepped down as Prime Minister at the beginning of the year, five cabinet ministers have resigned or been sacked from their roles.

In a way, this is not surprising, as apart from a few skilled ministers, Labour was always a fairly weak team, and managing a government department is a very challenging role. Very few politicians are up to it. The chief executives of the key government departments have spent years learning to work the system, and those who get to the top role are very skilled power operators. It is very difficult for a relatively experienced politician to rein them in (I explain this further in Political Power).

When Chris Hipkins became the leader at the beginning of the year, the news media jumped on the band waggon, but now their mood has changed. They are writing articles suggesting that Labour may have already lost the election in September, in order to position themselves as those who determined who becomes the government (as they like to believe).

The most recent resignation was the Minister of Revenue, who resigned because he disagreed with tax policies announced by the Prime Minister. This suggests that in addition to personal failures, the cabinet is also fraught with power struggles over policy issues.

When I look at this situation and try to understand the spiritual realities behind these difficulties, the word that comes to mind is “Confusion”. In 2015, I wrote the following words about the spiritual climate in Wellington when I sensed that a spirit of confusion had been released by those with power in the capital city.

Wellington will be confused
People will buzz in and out of the beehive,
uncertain of what to do,
Filled with fear, perplexity and confusion (Is 22:5).

All treading on each other
to get to the top (out of habit),
but not knowing where the top is,
or what they will do if they get there.
Not knowing their right hand
from their left (Jonah 4:11).

No ideals, except for
pride,
power,
position,
privilege.

Trouble to the left
Trouble to the right
All is confusion
All is confusion
Disaster behind us
Terror ahead of us
Confusion,
all is confusion.

This confusion has been bubbling away for quite a while but is now becoming manifest. The leaders of the National Party are crowing about the problems of the incumbent government, but they have forgotten their own struggles with confusion. Following their loss in the 2017 election, they suffered several leadership coups that produced four leaders and four deputy leaders in two years. Each of these leaders came from quite different political perspectives, so there is obviously a great deal of division and confusion beneath their desperate, election-driven unity.

Most of the people with government experience disappeared from the political scene during the leadership struggles, so if National does win the election, they will have a bunch of untested ministers trying to control the heads of government departments with years of practice at handling power. They will come under the same spirit of confusion and will not have the spiritual wisdom to deal with it.

Political Change

Some time ago, I sensed that a spirit of destruction had set up a throne the gate of the city of Wellington (the capital city of New Zealand).

We appeared to be heading up to a boring election, but in the last two weeks, we have seen the careers of two national political leaders being destroyed.

The first leader to be destroyed Andrew Little was the leader of the main opposition party in New Zealand. He was a sincere man, but his position was weakened by poor opinion polls, and some unwise comments to the news media that exposed him to a move to replace him. The new leader of the Labour party is a younger woman with charisma and television presence.

The second leader to be destroyed was co-leader of the Green Party. She resigned after coming intense media pressure. She had announced that twenty years ago when she was a sole mother she had given false information when applying for a benefit.

This is not politics as usual, but a sign of what the spirits of destruction and confusion when working together.

The general election is only eight weeks away. I suspect that another national political leader out of Wellington will be destroyed before that day comes.

Train and Ferry

Last weekend, we travelled by train and ferry to the North Island. I had never done this trip before, because it is quicker and almost as cheap to fly, but the views are better by rail and ferry. The ferry travels through the bush clad hills of the Queen Charlotte Sound for an hour before crossing Cook Strait to Wellington.

Wellington has a reputation for being windy, but on Saturday the sea was calm and the city looked spectacular.

On Sunday we travelled to Martinborough and Greytown in the Wairarapa. These small towns are popular with day-visitors from Wellington.

Wellington

Wellington will be confused
People will buzz in and out of the beehive,
uncertain of what to do,
Filled with fear, perplexity and confusion (Is 22:5).

All treading on each other
to get to the top (out of habit),
but not knowing where the top is,
or what they will do if they get there.
Not knowing their right hand
from their left (Jonah 4:11).

No ideals, except for
pride,
power,
position,
privilege.

Trouble to the left
Trouble to the right
All is confusion
All is confusion
Disaster behind us
Terror ahead of us
Confusion,
all is confusion.

Waitangi and Wellington

Yesterday was Waitangi Day, a national day of celebration looking back to the treaty a treaty agreed between Maori Chiefs and the British crown in 1840. This event marked the founding of New Zealand.

The day began with a dawn service in the treaty grounds at Waitangi, where the treaty was signed. The service is attended by various political leaders and religious dignitaries and the Prime Minsiter lead a prayer. A retired Anglican minister and Maori elder Gray Theodore, who was born Te Kerei Tiatua, was to lead the final hymn. He stunned the thousand people in attendance, when he shared a vision that he had received thirty-eight years ago. Here is some of what he said,

Whenever we hear the news broadcast or televised on TV, all they say is hee is the news; and its often good news and bad news. So with the word of the Lord, it’s good news and bad news. I wish I didn’t have to say this, what I have to say. I have seen the destruction of Wellington… thirty-eight years ago. A terrible earthquake is going to hit Wellington.

The Lord has shown me the harbour (with) water going out and coming back as a Tsunami. I have seen the Lord ride the waters out and bring it back, and the waves started to seethe from Kaiapoi to Kaikoura… from the south east of the South Island, it started to move up.. it got to Wellington and Parliament, and went up the North Island toward Whanganui and Taranaki.

I have seen body bags in the streets of Wellington. I have seen the army called into Wellington. I have seen houses on the hills of Wellington – some of them disappeared. Last of all I want you to know this, and you can judge me for what it’s worth. I have seen the roof of the Beehive lying in the debris of the streets of Wellington.

No time was given in terms of years, and I have waited thirty-eight years to say this. The only indication given was the month of June.

I am not sure if this was all he said, but it is all that was broadcast on video.

Later Mr Theodore told a journalist that he had had the vision 38 years ago and had "run from it" ever since. He said he had been to Wellington (the capital city) with the intention of warning the Government twice before but events intervened to stop him – including when another minister fell dead in his arms and he had to take over his service. The third opportunity, yesterday, was biblically correct, as the Lord always spoke three times.

The Prime Minister said that he would not be taking much from it.

The leader of the Maori Party scoffed and joked about going overseas in June.

When a prophetic warning comes out a national event attended by public officials, it should be taken seriously. God prefers to speak in public.

Gray Theodore is not a flake. I heard him speak once, and he seemed sensible and down to earth. He is a trusted pastor and Maori elder, who has served faithfully in the church for a long time. I am sure he did not share the vision likely.

I have very little confidence in prophecies shared after the event. When a word of warning is given in advance, I sit up and take notice, because that is they way the Lord works.

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants the prophets (Amos 2:7).

I would like to know what else Gray shared. He mentioned good news, so I would like to know what he meant by that. I would like to understand more about the context of the vision and if any conditions were attached to its fulfilment.

I also wonder if the fulfilment is physical or spiritual. The roof of the Beehive (the government office building) lying amongst the debris might symbolise the collapse of government.

Envoy Clinton in Wellington

At that time the young king of Babylon sent and envoy to King Hesitant letters and an agreement. Hesitant received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that King Hesitant did not show them.

Then the prophet went to King Hesitant and asked, “What did those people say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,” Hesitant replied. “They came to me from the Great Babylon.”

The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hesitant said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

Then the prophet said to Hesitant, “Hear this word: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon the Great. Nothing will be left. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of the North.”

“The word you have spoken is good,” King Hesitant replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime,” and being a good politician that is what he loves.