Still, is it a coincidence that the partial joining of the two sticks of Ezekiel 37, when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, happened 400 years from this Jubilee year of 2003? Is it a coincidence that 2003 marks seven years from the removal of Jacob’s Pillar Stone from London? Many believe that this event forecast judgment upon true Israel, paralleling the seven days warning of judgment God imparted to Noah in Genesis 7: 4.

There are other coincidences but I shall end with this one on the Stone. Is it a coincidence that the ancient Irish name for Jacob’s Pillar Stone has been so enduring over the centuries? That this name, “Lia-Fail” is so magnificent, “Lia” meaning, “stone” and “Fail (Phail) meaning, “wonderful.” Isaiah 9: 6 tells us that “wonderful” is one of the names of the Messiah so Christ was both “Lia,” the Spiritual Rock that followed the Israelites in the wilderness, and “Fail”, that is “wonderful.” Finally, is it a coincidence that “LiaFail,” read left to right or right to left gives us the same word, the same meaning and the same message.

We also cannot overlook the meaning of the name of Elizabeth, or “God’s Oath.” So much of Bible prophecy is wrapped up in this remarkable name. Both Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II played amazing roles in the fulfillment of God’s Oath, yet, their roles could not have been more different. Try to imagine two construction foremen, one oversees the building of beautiful homes, the other oversees the demolition.

Elizabeth I presided over the glory years of Britain, leading up to the great commonwealth of nations prophesied for Israel in Genesis 48: 19. God’s hand was surely upon this remarkable lady. Not only is her position of greatness in history revered, she was probably the most popular of all English monarchs, affectionately referred to as “Good Queen Bess.” She possessed the staying power of a Jeremiah, the courage of a David and the wisdom of a Solomon. She needed all these qualities because she inherited a huge mess. As one of her courtiers exclaimed at the time of her Coronation, “The Queen poor, the realm exhausted, the nobility poor and decayed. Want of good captains and soldiers. The people out of order. Justice not executed. All things dear. Excess in meat, drink and apparel. Divisions among ourselves. Wars with France and Scotland. The French King bestriding the realm, having one foot in Calais and the other in Scotland. Steadfast enmity but no steadfast friendship abroad.” It was little wonder that when Bloody Mary died, the country rejoiced.

Yet, you see, God was at Elizabeth’s side all the time. In a few short years, the finances were replenished; England was at peace; a great revival in trade, agriculture and manufacturing was in full swing; exploration was claiming many overseas colonies and she oversaw the emergence of Britain from under the shadow of the great European powers. She was a source of great inspiration for her leadership in the Spanish Armada, Britain’s greatest military victory, and she did what was necessary in ordering the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, an act that prevented Britain of once again falling under the control of the Papacy. So much has been written about this lady that it seems unnecessary to comment further. Yet, it would be remiss not to mention her dedication to God Almighty and it is best summed up in these few words in her last speech to parliament, “And in my governing {of} this land, I have ever set the last Judgement day before mine eyes, and so to rule, as I shall be Judged and answer before a higher Judge, to whose Judgement Seat I do appeal in for those thoughts {that are sometimes} cherished in my heart that tended not to {be for} my people’s good.”

Elizabeth, “God’s Oath”, summed up very nicely for Elizabeth I, who began the final period of punishment for the Judah monarchy. Some wonder, even wish, that an Elizabeth I were on the throne today. Yet, it couldn’t be, for she was there to oversee the building stage of an empire; her attributes would never permit her to watch over the demolition stage. Indeed, in Elizabeth II, God’s Oath has been fulfilled through this gentle woman who has relied on the advice of ministers and not on her Coronation pledge. Sadly, she didn’t have a Walsingham, a Leicester, a Raleigh or a Churchill surrounding her, instead she has had advisors with a world agenda as opposed to a national one. And so, one by one, over forty countries left the Commonwealth, until today, the rather insignificant Falkland Islands is the largest jewel in the empire. Sadder yet, Britain is rapidly losing her independence as she is merging into the EU and immigration is pushing her proud heritage to the background.

Yet, Elizabeth II is as much deserving of the name (God’s Oath) as Elizabeth I. For God promised that at the end, we would be under a dominion and at some point, would be calling upon Him to save us once again.

God’s Throne is awaiting the King. Judgment will prevail. Peace, prosperity and order will return. Israel as a nation will be protected. And maybe those coincidences coming together as they have in this great Jubilee year of 2003 will soon make sense to all of us.