Les Feldick teaches that the British Empire declined spiritually by descending from a high level of faith and knowledge of God into the same downward moral and spiritual slide that overtook Europe.
Les points out that nations and empires can begin with a high level of spirituality but they degenerate. He says Europe after the Reformation was aflame with the Word of God, yet it went down, down, down until it was almost destitute of Christianity by World War II. He then mentions the British Empire as a great empire, placing it in that same downward track.
Romans 1:23-24 — This is the biblical sequence Les applies to empires that start with spiritual light: when they exchange God's glory for idols, God gives them up to uncleanness.
The Bible describes a solemn progression for those who turn away from the true God. Romans 1:23 says that people 'changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.' The very next verse gives the result: 'Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.' This shows that when mankind replaces the true God with man-made images, God Himself gives them over to moral uncleanness. Empires and nations are not exempt from this pattern when they turn away from the knowledge of God.
Les sees the British Empire as part of a repeating pattern in history. He teaches that nations and empires can begin with a high level of spirituality and knowledge of God, but they degenerate. After the Reformation, Europe was aflame with the Word of God, yet it went down, down, down until it was almost destitute of Christianity by the time World War II rolled around. Les then says, 'the British Empire, so great,' indicating that Britain also fits this pattern of fallen greatness. Les ties this to Romans 1. Since the Tower of Babel, when idolatry came on the scene, it has been downhill; empires that start with something better still end up on the same downward track. When a people pushes God out of their thinking and worships anything but the one true God, God gives them up. In the Western world, Les says Christianity has been the brake on moral decline. When every believer and the Holy Spirit's present role are taken away, nothing is left to hold back iniquity. He also agrees with a secular writer that a society must be guided and controlled by religious values, or it cannot last. These are the restraints Britain lost as it declined.
Les says nations and empires often begin with a high level of spirituality and knowledge of God, but they degenerate. He points to Europe after the Reformation, which was aflame with the Word of God, yet it went down until it was almost destitute of Christianity by the time of World War II. Les then calls the British Empire 'so great,' showing that Britain belonged to the same history of spiritual decline from a high starting point.
The Bible says that when people changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into images, God gave them up to uncleanness. Les applies this to empires and nations: since idolatry began at the Tower of Babel, it has been downhill, and empires that start with something better still end on the same downward track. Great Britain, in Les's view, fits this biblical pattern rather than being exempt from it.
Les teaches that Christianity has been the brake on the falling away of moral principles in the Western world. Believers have had to stand in the gap and declare that something is wrong. When every believer is taken away, along with the Holy Spirit's present role, there is nothing left to hold back iniquity. He also repeats a secular writer's observation that a society must be guided and controlled by religious values, or it cannot last. Losing these restraints is part of what makes spiritual decline possible for a nation like Britain.
Nations Begin Strong But Degenerate
Les teaches that nations and empires can begin with a high level of spirituality and knowledge of God but they degenerate; Europe after the Reformation is his example, and he places the British Empire in that same train of fallen greatness.
Jesus' Three Temptations — Why Satan's Attacks Still Matter Today
But at the time of Christ, it was the center of the then known world. The Roman Empire went west out as far as Great Britain, it went east as far as India, involved North Africa and Egypt and all those areas. So from that high vantage point, and of course both spiritual beings as well as now physical in the person of Christ at least, they could envision all of the great empires that had ever exist…
The Downward Track Since Babel
Les explains that since idolatry began at the Tower of Babel, it has been downhill; empires that begin with something better still end on the same downward track, and God gives them up when they turn from the true God.
Christianity as Moral Restraint
Les says Christianity has been the brake on society's falling away from moral principles; once believers and the Holy Spirit are removed, nothing is left to hold back iniquity.
Revelation 18 & Daniel 2: The Fall of Babylon Explained
Now it's on that last Revived Roman Empire, which is pretty much in place right now in our day and time, that Christ will strike at His coming, like a stone cut out without hand, just like a great boulder rolling down upon these feet made of iron and clay, which is the Revived Roman Empire.
Religious Values Essential to Society
Les agrees with a secular writer that a society cannot last unless it is guided and controlled by religious values; this helps explain what Britain lost as it declined spiritually.
The Antichrist Revealed: What Revelation 13 Really Says
Now he doesn't associate it with a particular beast, like a bear or a leopard, but he just associates it with something that's rather ferocious. Well, that was the Roman empire. Now we know the Roman empire was noble in some aspects, but it was bestial in many others. It had, again, no concern for the lower classes. They had no concern for the people whom they had overrun militarily.
What Happens When God's Wrath Replaces Grace — Revelation 9 & 11
This of course is during the temptations of Jesus after that 40 days of fasting. You all know the account. You know the Scripture portion. Verse 8 says, "...and again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of this world." See? Now we're not talking about something out there that's ethereal or invisible.
Romans 1:23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
This verse states the first step in spiritual decline: exchanging God's glory for images.
Romans 1:24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
This verse describes the divinely given result of idolatry: God gives people up to uncleanness.
No. He says empires and nations can begin with a high level of spirituality and knowledge of God but they degenerate. He points to Europe after the Reformation going down until it was almost destitute of Christianity by World War II, and he places the British Empire in the same pattern of decline.
He meant that Europe had already gone down, down, down from its Reformation-era height, so that by the time World War II rolled around it had become almost destitute of Christianity. This was part of the same spiritual decline he sees in the British Empire.
Les uses Romans 1:23-24 to show that when people exchange the glory of the uncorruptible God for idols, God gives them up to uncleanness. He says empires that start with something better still end on this same downward track.
Watch the Teaching: Why God "Gave Them Up" — Romans 1 & the Wrath to Come