ST GEORGE PATRON SAINT OF ENGLAND
BY DAVID MCLURE, SCOTLAND
Who was St George? A full account can be found in the book
written by the late Mrs Isabel Hill Elder entitled “George of
Lydda – Soldier, Saint and Martyr” which is published by the
Covenant Publishing Company. In it she helpfully separates fact
from fiction. How ever, for the purposes of this article, only a
brief outline of his life will be given.
George was born in the year 280 AD at Lydda in Pal estine. Lydda
was located 23 miles north west of Jerusalem and 12 miles south
east of the sea port of Joppa. His mother was a devoted
Christian, her father being the Count of Lydda. She was a
descendant of those written of in Acts 9 v 32: “And it came to
pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also
to the saints which dwell at Lydda.” George’s mother was of the
Israel people at Lydda who had received the Gospel of Christ. His
father was also a Christian, from a noble Cappadocian family.
Cappadocia was among the places where dispersed Israelites dwelt
to whom the Apostle Peter addressed his Epistle: “Peter, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scat tered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” (1 Peter 1 v.
1).
George was brought up in a Godly Christian Israelite family, but
sadly his father died while he was still a youth. Due to the
prestige of the family, the Governor of Palestine took him into
military service. Such were George’s abilities that, although
still young, he was appointed as a General over 5,000 men. It was
said of him at the age of 20 that “he was so exceeding strong and
valiant that he was the leader in battle; there was no one among
all the company of soldiers who could be compared with him for
strength and beauty, and the grace of God was with him……..
all who saw him marvelled at his power and youth, and God was
with him in all his ways”.
But, all was not well. The Roman Emperor, Diocletian, had issued
edicts against Christianity throughout the Empire (which included
the land of Palestine) and persecution of Christians was severe.
By the end of the 3rd Century AD, persecution was intensifying to
a terrible extent.
Like his parents, George was a fervent and zealous believer in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He bravely sought to appeal to Diocletian
against the increasingly tyrannical edicts against Christianity
at a time when most would not have dared to do so for fear of
torture and death. Appealing to the Emperor, he boldly declared:
“I am a Christian and I believe in my Lord Jesus Christ”. Because
of his status, character and military renown, strenuous attempts
were made by the powers of Imperial Rome to persuade him to
renounce his faith. These all failed. Eventually he was brought
before a cruel individual named Galerius who has been described
as “more wicked than any other man upon earth at that time, and
the most fearsome people secutor of Christians.” Interestingly,
at the trial, Galerius referred to George as “chief of the
Galileans” which is another evidence of George’s Israel identity.
Sadly the trial ended with Galerius pronouncing the sentence of
death. On April 23rd, 304 AD George, the mighty warrior, faithful
Christian and valiant opponent of evil, was beheaded at the age
of 24. As he was being led to his death he prayed for his
persecutors and then turning to the guards said “Come with me
brethren and fulfil your order, do what ye have to do”.
From the time of his death George’s memory was revered. Accounts
of his life and martyrdom were passed down from generation to
generation. Illustrations and paintings of George began to
appear, portraying him as a mighty, noble warrior mounted on a
white horse slaying a hideous dragon with a spear or a sword.
These paintings increasingly became a feature in many church
buildings in the East. However, as a result of the exploits of
the English Knights under the command of Richard the Lionheart in
Palestine during the Crusades, George became the Patron Saint of
England and the symbol of the warrior on the white horse slaying
the dragon became a common emblem in the “isles of the west”. The
stories of the valour of George of Lydda so impressed Richard the
Lionheart and his English Knights that the cry “For St George”
was used to inspire them as they advanced under the banner of a
red cross on a white background. This became the ensign of
English Crusader Knights. On his return to England, Richard
decided that the Order of St George should be founded and the
title “Companions of St George” conferred on those crusaders who
succeeded in scaling the walls of Jerusalem as they liberated the
city from the Moslem Infidel.
It was from the time of the return from the Crusades that the
banner of the Red Cross (speaking of blood shed in battle) and
illustrations of St George on the white horse slaying the dragon
began to appear on the walls of many Parish Churches in England.
While there is no historical record of George slaying a beast, as
depicted in these paintings, the image represents his fight
against wickedness and evil. While the forces of darkness put him
to death, yet in his death he symbolised all that was true,
righteous and Godly. His life and death was to inspire multitudes
in subsequent generations in the belief that, ultimately, evil
will be defeated and good will triumph.
What then is the prophetic significance of St George’s Day, April
23rd? Why is it that this noble Christian Israelite
warrior-martyr is Patron Saint of a nation that is almost 2,000
miles North West of his Palestinian homeland? What really is
being declared when England celebrates St George’s Day every
year?
The answer begins in Genesis 3 v.15 when God said to the ser-
pent: “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heal.” Prior to these words being uttered, God’s
man Adam had fallen from his high calling as head of all creation
through the beguiling of the one who is described as the serpent.
In Revelation 20 v. 2 the serpent is also referred to as the
dragon: “and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which
is the Devil, and Satan….”
The serpent/dragon appeared to win a great victory when Adam and
Eve succumbed to his subtlety, bringing about their ultimate
death. However, God declared in Genesis 3 v. 15 that this was but
the start of a terrible age-long battle between the seed of the
woman and the seed of the dragon.
The seed of the woman has a two-fold aspect. The first
manifestation was in the line of Seth from whence came Abram the
progenitor of the nation that would do battle against the powers
of darkness: “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with
thee will I break in pieces the nations and with thee will I
destroy kingdoms”. (Jeremiah 51 v. 20).
Sadly, Israel did not remain faithful to her Divinely appointed
role as the righteous na tion wielding the sword of the Spirit
which is the Word of God. Their failure did not thwart God’s
purposes. The prophecy regarding the seed of the woman was to
have a second manifestation. Israel (the seed that failed) was to
bring forth the seed of the woman who never fails, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He came to deal once and for all with the dragon who had
wrought such havoc in bringing sin, misery, disease and death
upon all creation. The Lord Jesus Christ, the mighty one, the
good and upright one, the one to be admired, was willing to lay
down His life for the cause of Truth. He was taken (yet he went
willingly) to the cross of Calvary, having been sentenced to
death by wicked men. But through that death He destroyed the
power of the devil (the dragon/serpent) that had brought death
into the world: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he (the Lord Jesus Christ) also himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2 v.
14).
When George of Lydda, whose life and character was such a
reflection of the Christ he honoured, was put to death it seemed
that the dragon (the devil) had triumphed in the form of pagan
Rome. However only a short while after George’s death, pagan Rome
lost its power. Likewise, after Christ’s death, the apparent
victory of the dragon was shattered when Christ rose from the
grave and the Gospel of Truth began to spread like wildfire as
recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The battle
between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent has
continued to rage down all the centuries of time, right to the
present day. At times the forces of good have gained the
ascendancy; at other times the power of the dragon has seemed
almost overwhelming.
Genesis 3 v. 15 declares that the head of the serpent/dragon will
be crushed, speaking of his ultimate destruction. The sign of
this certain victory was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the dead. The manifestation of this victory will be
revealed to the world when the words of the two angelic beings to
the disciples beholding the ascension of Christ are fulfilled:
“…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
(Acts 1 v 11).
What happens when Christ comes again?: “And I saw heaven opened,
and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make
war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many
crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and
his name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19 verses 11-
13).
The phrase “dipped in blood” represents the shedding of His blood
in the terrible battle with the powers of darkness. He deals with
those who are the willing servants of the dragon (Revelation 19
verses 17-21). Then, in chapter 20, we read of the dragon being
bound and the commencement of the millennial reign of the great
warrior on the White Horse. For one thousand years the earth will
experience the blessings of Christ’s righteous rule. The dragon
is then released for “a little season” and makes one last vain
attempt to thwart his ultimate doom, but to no avail. His final
and eternal defeat is inevitable: “And the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone….”
(Revelation 20 v 10).
What then is the prophetic significance of St George’s Day? It is
an annual witness by the people of England (although they know
not its significance) to the eternal triumph of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the destruction of Satan. It declares the wonder of
Christ’s death and resurrection, and the sure and certain hope of
His return to bring to this earth all the blessings of the
Kingdom of Heaven.
How often have Israel believers said that although blind to their
identity, the Israel people are still God’s witnesses in this
world? If only our people realised the significance of St
George’s Day and the symbolism of George slaying the dragon!
Despite their blindness, each year on April 23rd the witness is
there for all who will open their eyes and unstop their ears.
One day the Israel people will be blind and deaf no longer. They
will know who they are and who their God is. In that day
they will look no longer at paintings of St George the mighty
warrior on a white horse, but on THE MIGHTY WARRIOR Himself. He,
their King and their Redeemer, will return in triumph to set up
His victorious kingdom which will never be destroyed, and He
shall reign for ever and ever!