I have posted this at 3 pm. Exactly 80 years ago today, on 8 May 1945, at 15:00 British Summer Time, the British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill announced Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe. This date is known as VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day.

Some veterans are still alive to witness the occasion, although their numbers are diminishing each year, to such extent that this is possibly the last major anniversary with their presence. At the other end of the country, my 22-year-old mother, like many others, was up a lamppost in George Square, Glasgow celebrating at the time. She is now away to heaven to celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ’s victory over sin, death and the devil. The same day, my father was just two days beyond his 20th birthday and he had yet to meet my mother. At that time, I existed only in the eternal mind and decree of God.

Different dates

The Second World War began on different dates around the world. In Asia, it began in 1937 when Japan invaded Manchuria in China; in Europe it began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland; Russia experienced Hitler’s untrustworthy betrayal in 1941; in the USA it began in 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, making these regional wars a global or World War.

Similarly, the end of the Second World War has different dates around the world. The German surrender in Europe was in various stages, in different places on different dates. Stalin could not agree with the other Allies so Churchill took it into his own hands to announce VE Day 80 years ago today at 3 p.m. but Russia celebrates it on 9th May.

The war in the Pacific continued for the Americans, fighting their way towards the Japanese mainland because Japan would not surrender. Japan had mobilized all its citizens to repel an American invasion and young teenage Kamikaze pilots arranged their own funeral before committing suicide using their planes to dive-bomb ships, believing they would have a special place in heaven for their sacrifice. Millions more were expected to die to conclude the war, but two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki eventually forced a Japanese surrender and VJ Day was declared – Victory over Japan Day – which also has variable dates applied to it (14 August to 2 September) because of global time differences and the official signing of surrender documents, about 99 days between VE Day and VJ Day.

This was not the end of hostilities, any more than 1918 saw the end of European hostilities after World War I.

Following WWII, the nuclear age introduced the Cold War between the nuclear powers. This cooled down eventually, but has recently re-ignited with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

So it goes on. As Jesus said: “You shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in various places.” Mat 24:6-7.

There are two lessons from listening to war veterans. 1. They will tell you that war is terrible and that it must be avoided, but they do not tell us how. 2. their language even 80 years after their experience demonstrates that war as such does not make survivors appreciate the God to Whom so many of them called during times of danger. Each new generation has to learn for itself, and warfare has not yet ceased. Just as two thousand years of Christian history demonstrates the current and urgent need for Christian behaviour in the Christian church, similarly over the same period of time nations have still to learn how to live at peace with each other.

However, the time will come when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3. The post-war attempt to stop war by obliterating nation-states through the European Union project is contradicted by these Scriptures. NATO has been a more effective method. On the other hand, some put their trust in democracy because there are no examples of mature democratic nation-states going to war with each other. This probably reflects the first lesson above, however each new generation needs to be taught as well as to learn these lessons. The history of the world demonstrates to the present hour that this does not happen very well. Only this week India and Pakistan began attacking each other. The world has some way to go but Jesus has predicted and promised that the nations of the world will learn to listen to the Prince of Peace Rev 11:15. May the Lord hasten on that time.

Jesus testifies: “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

Revelation 22:20-21. The last verses in the Christian Bible.

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8 May 2025: SCP acknowledgement of the 80th anniversary of the VE Day. The BBC had no commemorative programme scheduled for 3 p.m. today, but it broadcast “a service of thanksgiving” from Westminster Abbey after a two-minute silence when Big Ben struck 12 o’clock. 80 years ago, about 25,000 worshippers took part in services of thanksgiving held in Westminster Abbey on the hour every hour from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This service of thanksgiving reflected VE Day when, after broadcasting to the nation, Winston Churchill went to the chamber of the House of Lords to address Parliamentarians and then he invited them to join him in St Margaret’s “to give humble and reverent thanks to Almighty God for deliverance from the threat of German domination.” His 10 y/o great-great-grandson Alexander Churchill took part in today’s service.

The Dean of Westminster David Hoyle began the service by reading the same Collect that was read on VE Day in 1945, asserting that “Jesus died and rose again for us all”, demonstrating that the false doctrine of universal atonement has been preached in the Church of England for a long time and continues to the present hour. For those who need to know Jesus’ doctrine, He said in His prayer to His Father: “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given to Me; for they are Thine” Jn 17:9.

The UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer read Jesus’ Beatitudes and finished with “Thanks be to God”, a God in Whom he professes not to believe. Ecclesiastical officials who tolerate such heaven-defying hypocrisy need to read and learn from the Bible.

The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell used Jesus’ words in Mat 5:9 to tell his hearers that “when we are peacemakers, we become [sic] God’s children, those most like God, building a better world of justice and reconciliation, serving the common good”, giving one application of Jesus’ words but omitting the more basic teaching of the Beatitudes and thereby misleading his hearers. His words will sound hollow to those who claim that they have suffered at Cottrell’s hands.

VE Day reminds us of the awful cost of warfare, but what is being done to teach the population to live at peace? Giving them a false Gospel will not help. Meanwhile, let us render thanks to where it is due, as Churchill said, “to Almighty God”, and not only “for deliverance from the threat of German domination” but also “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift, for the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” 2Cor 9:15 and Rom 6:23. May my readers discover this through the biblical Jesus.

15 Aug 2025: the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will bring these 10-day anniversaries to a close as there were only 33 surviving veterans left to attend the UK memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, aged 96-105 y/o.