Apostle Steve Lyston is advising Jamaica to remain with the monarch despite mounting pressure for the country to severe ties with the British Royal Family.
His recommendation comes, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth 11 on Thursday at the age of 96, after a 70 year reign. Both Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding have expressed a desire in the past for Jamaica to move away from the monarch.
Holness told The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in March that Jamaica was “moving on”, but Apostle Lyston, who presides over the Restoration World Outreach Ministries Inc (RWOMI) in the USA, believes this decision is ill-advised.
“Even though people are bitter with England in terms of the deportation and what takes place in the political, we should watch and see what the Lord will do because there is going to be a more wickeder regime that people [are] going to want to cry out and say, ‘it’s better we stay where we are,” he told Freedom Come Rain.
He said the Queen’s passing will usher in a new era in the Caribbean and the Commonwealth where people will begin to witness the deaths of several heads of state and many persons will return to Christ. He said it will be a, “a time of blessing, a time of refreshing, a time of revival, but it is also going to be a time of Jacob’s trouble.”
Queen Elizabeth 11 was crowned in 1953. Her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, becomes King Charles 111 and will lead the country in mourning as head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms. He described the death of his beloved mother as “a moment of great sadness”.
Apostle Lyston cautioned Christians to discern carefully the agendas supported by Charles as King. It is likely that climate change will be among them. While evangelicals believe that God expects humans to be good stewards of nature, many do not believe that climate change is real and human-caused. It is seen as part of a globalist agenda that will usher in the One World Order referenced in the Book of Revelation.
Although Charles’ leaning is towards agendas that are not supported by Christians, Apostle Lyston still maintains that Jamaica will be much better off under the monarch, considering that other world leaders are emerging that will be more inclined to follow the agendas of the Anti-Christ. He did not explicitly state these countries, but instead referred to them as countries that support the dragon. The dragon has always been a totem of the Chinese nation and is prominently displayed on the flag of Buthan, a country in south-central Asia. On the other hand, the lion is the symbol for England.
“I don’t believe that the Caribbean islands and other smaller states that fall under the monarchy, should at this time pull away from the monarchy. I believe that they need to stay under the Commonwealth because what is ahead, you don’t want to swap the lion for the dragon,” the prophet urged.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth 11 served with distinction and led with dignity and grace.
“The world has lost a global monarch, who was a steadying and constant force throughout many crises and periods of difficulty. Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth 11 made an immense contribution to the world in public life and was a close friend of Jamaica,” he said.
The Queen visited Jamaica every decade until 2002 and during these visits participated in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, and many sittings of the Houses of Parliament. Opposition Leader Mark Golding has also expressed sadness at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.