King James I

James I, Formerly James VI of Scotland—He was not powerful like Edward I, Henry VIII or Elizabeth I but God singled him out to play an important role in His Grand Plan.

“And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be a king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all” Ezekiel 37: 22

In my recent article in Thy Kingdom Come, “Monarchs of Destiny – King Edward I,” I suggested that Edward’s life should remind us of every man’s terrestrial struggle with shades of good and shades of evil. I also suggested that it was indeed sad that Edward didn’t quite understand the significance of his special role in God’s Celestial Sovereignty. King James I was different. He did seem to have an appreciation of his unique part in God’s Great Plan and as we shall see, his actions proved it. Yet, as we view his reign from a historical perspective, his earthly struggles were mind-boggling. This was a king placed on the Throne of David at a most significant point in time, yet, for as much as he achieved what God had intended, his stewardship was rife with self-indulgence.

Before ascending the throne, James I was James VI, King of Scotland. He was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and when she was beheaded for a plot against Elizabeth I, James became the legitimate heir. When Elizabeth died, James ascended the Throne of David, not without opposition, but through his ascendancy, he brought the warring nations of England and Scotland together into a single kingdom, as prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel centuries earlier (see Ezekiel 37: 22 above). Ironically, what the great King Edward I could not do by force was accomplished peacefully and orderly through the ascension of James I. Enemies became partners and foreign nations no longer had an ally in Scotland in their conflict with the English. This was important because at the time James became king, England was still technically at war with Spain. With Spain closely allied with the Holy Roman Empire and both being stirred up by the Papacy in their bid to counter the Reformation, the island kingdom was facing a huge potential threat. James I dealt with that threat in both statesmanlike and iniquitous ways.

Still, this was a king who knew his destiny. When he succeeded Elizabeth I in 1603, he claimed that God had made him king of Israel and had the statement “I will make them one nation” (from Ezekiel 37:22) inscribed on the reverse of a freshly minted coin, “The Unite.” He knew full well that the throne upon which he was sitting was an extension of the Throne of David. Other succeeding monarchs knew this as well, most notably Queen Victoria and King George VI, but sadly, in these days of the Esau Dominion, the truth is being concealed.

God used James I in three other significant events. The most notable, of course, was the introduction of the King James Version of the Bible and here the king must be given full marks. What began as an offhand suggestion by a college president, i.e., that a new Bible version be produced, James I spearheaded as a righteous cause. Churchill wrote that James saw it as a way of “ridding the Scriptures of propaganda and producing a uniform version that could be entrusted to all.” For nearly 300 years from when it was introduced in 1611, no other versions were deemed necessary. Sadly, as true Israel found ourselves in the midst of the luke-warm Church of the Laodicea period and the great falling away prophesied by the Apostle Paul, new translations, most of which contain many incorrect changes in doctrine to fit society’s new reality, have been churned out with great regularity. Identity believers who understand the continuation of Israel’s Throne within the British monarchy should note that only the KJV was uniquely authorized from the throne.

A second achievement was the design of the Union Jack, a symbol of greatness since James I authorized its unfolding in 1606. The name “Union Jack” came from James I himself, the name “James” being “Jacobus” in Latin and “Jacob” in Hebrew. Thus, the flag symbolizes the Re-Union of Jacob. Like the coin and James I’s recognition of himself as “King of Israel”, the flag is meant to unveil the true identity of the peoples of the isles at a God appointed time. Isn’t it astonishing to see how the Lord God Almighty works? He selected that particular time in history, coupled it with that of the subsequent incorporation of the Cross of St. Patrick into the Union Jack, and then proceeded to reveal His Great Plan for His People Israel. Here in this incorporation of three flags, A.J. Ferris traces a magnificent destiny that was first outlined four thousand years ago. The National Flag of Scotland, i.e., “The Cross of St. Andrew,” is representative of the Abrahamic Covenant and the manner of that cross is emblematic of Jacob Israel with his arms crossed as he passed on the blessings of national greatness to Ephraim & Manasseh. The Cross of St. Patrick (Ireland) denotes the Old Covenant that Israel broke, resulting in a postponement of the blessings for 2,520 years and the need of a Savior to redeem them. The Cross of St. George, which Richard I of England introduced as the National Flag of England in 1194 represents the New Covenant of Redemption, which made it possible for Israel to become worthy rulers with God. Joined together, they form the Union Jack or Union Jacob. The great significance of this may not mean much to a present day society weaned on propaganda but the joining of the three flags into the Union Jack does denote the Re-Union of Israel, the nation God selected at Mount Sinai to rule with Him and be a blessing to the entire world.

The third significant event, created as a result of the policies of James I rather than anything inspirational was the founding of New England as 100 brave souls set out on the Mayflower and inspired the subsequent emigration to the New World.

It is pretty hard to dispute the special role of James I in God’s Celestial Sovereignty. He might have gone down in history as one of England’s great kings had it not been for his terrestrial struggles. His extravagances and his contemptuous treatment of expressions of national grievances did nothing to endear himself to the people. The infamous Catholic inspired Gunpowder Plot, engineered by Guy Fawkes, occurred during his reign although this was more the result of James’ staunch support of the Elizabethan Church Settlement. He was not about to pledge allegiance to the Pope and the ire of all Catholics was stirred up by an unrelenting Papacy. Still, perhaps he tiptoed around the Catholic issue too much and it encouraged the Catholics to become too hopeful that their position might be restored. Then too, as Churchill wrote in Volume 2 of his “History of English Speaking Peoples”, James’ open attention to handsome young men resulted in a great loss of respect for his monarchy. Yet, all of these were petty compared to his concessions to Spain, concessions that created much consternation amongst his parliamentarians and subjects. The anger intensified when he authorized the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh, one of England’s best-loved explorers and a true favourite of Queen Elizabeth, simply to please the Spanish Government. This spineless act established a barrier between king and subjects that could never be overcome. Whether or not this action played any part in the subsequent overthrow and execution of his son, Charles I, James was a role model and likely Charles inherited much of the anger the people felt for James.

Still, James I was a monarch of destiny. He was the first King of Great Britain and his legacy still lives today, in the flag that still flies over many countries and in the tens of millions of Bibles in the homes of Israelites everywhere. God surely used this man of history to further His Wonderful Plan of the Ages.