*Must See* Guy Fawkes & the plot that couldn't succeed !

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The Gunpowder Plot: Why Human Schemes Cannot Thwart Divine Purpose.

Every 5th of November, bonfires blaze and fireworks illuminate the sky across Britain, commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. While many view it as a simple tale of treason foiled, a deeper examination from a scriptural standpoint reveals a profound truth: the plans of men are subject to the overruling will of the Almighty. This analysis explores the historical and spiritual reasons why this plot was destined to fail.

**The Dark Ages and The Forbidden Book**

To understand the motives behind the Gunpowder Plot, we must look back to the period known as the Dark Ages. From approximately 500 to 1500 A.D., England was under the thrall of the Catholic Church. The only Bible available was the Latin Vulgate, a text accessible only to priests. The common people were denied direct access to God’s Word, receiving it solely through the Latin liturgy of the Church. Attempts to translate the Bible into English were met with severe persecution. In 1382, John Wycliffe produced an English translation and was promptly declared a heretic. After his death, his remains were exhumed and burned. Later, Church councils issued decrees ordering all vernacular Bibles to be surrendered for burning. The possession of an English Bible was a forbidden act, demonstrating a concerted effort to keep the Scriptures from the people.

**Divine Concurrence: The Printing Press and the Reformation**

Despite this oppression, God was working through world events to make His Word known. At just the right time, Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1440 revolutionized the spread of information. Soon after, scholars like Erasmus compiled original Greek texts, enabling men like William Tyndale to begin the perilous work of translating the Bible into English. Tyndale, too, was condemned to death for his efforts, a martyr for the cause of a readable Bible. Concurrently, God used the ambitions of King Henry VIII to further His purpose. Though Henry’s motives for creating the Church of England were personal, his break from Rome in the 1530s created a sovereign English church separate from papal authority. This was the era of the Protestant Reformation across Europe, and England was now open to change. Henry commissioned the “Great Bible” translated by Miles Coverdale, though its errors limited its impact. The subsequent reign of “Bloody Mary” forced Protestant scholars to flee to Geneva, where they produced the influential Geneva Bible. Those who remained in England under Elizabeth I created the Bishops’ Bible. This resulted in a division between Protestant groups, but both shared a common opposition to Catholicism.

**Catholic Persecution and the Birth of a Plot**

By 1604, England was a Protestant nation, and life for Catholics was miserable. They could not practice their faith freely; noble families built “priest holes” to hide their clergy from soldiers. When James I, the son of the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, ascended the throne, Catholics hoped for relief from persecution. When this hope was dashed, a group of desperate noblemen, led by Robert Catesby, conceived a drastic plan. The plot was not merely to assassinate the king but to “replant the Catholic religion” in England. The conspirators, who grew to thirteen—the “unlucky thirteen”—included Guido (Guy) Fawkes, a soldier experienced with gunpowder. Their plan was to lease a cellar directly beneath the House of Lords, fill it with 36 barrels of gunpowder, and blow up King James I, his family, and the entire Protestant leadership during the State Opening of Parliament.

**Divine Setbacks: A Chain of Providential Failures**

The plotters’ scheme was meticulous, yet it was thwarted by a series of remarkable setbacks, which we can view as the hand of God disposing of man’s proposals. 1. **The Abandoned Tunnel:** Their initial plan to dig a tunnel from a rented house was abandoned due to the difficulty of the task. 2. **The Convenient Cellar:** They then secured a cellar directly under Parliament, a seemingly perfect solution. They stockpiled the gunpowder and placed Fawkes, using the pseudonym “John Johnson,” as the guard. 3. **The Delaying Plague:** An outbreak of plague forced Parliament to be delayed from its original opening date to the 5th of November. This postponement risked the gunpowder degrading and extended the period in which the plot could be discovered. 4. **The Monteagle Letter:** One plotter, concerned for his Catholic uncle Lord Monteagle, sent an anonymous warning letter. This letter was read aloud at dinner and eventually reached the King, who shrewdly interpreted the word “blow” to mean an explosion. 5. **The Discovery:** On the night of 4th November, a search party discovered Fawkes in the cellar, matches in hand, ready to ignite the fuse. He was arrested and, under torture, revealed his co-conspirators. The plotters were executed, and Parliament declared the 5th of November a national day of thanksgiving for the “joyful day of deliverance.”

**The Ultimate Reason: The Authorised Bible and God’s Prophetic Plan**

While the immediate causes of the plot’s failure are historical, the ultimate reason it could not succeed lies in God’s purpose for the British nation and His Word. In 1604, the very year the plot was hatched, King James I convened the Hampton Court Conference. His goal was to resolve the religious division between Anglicans and Puritans by authorising a new, universally accepted English translation of the Bible. The Gunpowder Plot was foiled at the precise moment this vital work had begun. By 1611, the Authorised King James Version was complete. This Bible, born from a political compromise and authorised by a king who had nearly been assassinated, became the text that would be carried across the expanding British Empire. God used the failure of the plot to ensure His Word was spread to the four corners of the earth—to Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Southern Africa, and India. Furthermore, the failure of the Gunpowder Plot anchored England as a Protestant power, separate from Catholic Europe. This separation resonates with biblical prophecy concerning the nations. Scripture speaks of the “kings of Tarshish and of the isles” (Psalm 72:10), which many Christadelphians understand to be prophetic of Britain and its role in the divine plan. The nation’s subsequent separation from Europe, even in modern times, is seen as a continuation of this providential pattern.

**Conclusion: The Most High Rules**

The story of Guy Fawkes is far more than a historical curiosity. It is a powerful testament to the truth declared in the book of Daniel: “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:25). Despite the ambitions of kings, plotters, and politicians, God was working through seemingly insignificant events to bring about His will. He ensured the preservation of a Protestant Britain through which His Word could be globally disseminated, all leading toward the ultimate purpose: the establishment of His Kingdom under His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the lowliest of men who is destined to be King of kings. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever (Psalm 72:18-19). We are a Christadelphian team, Brothers and sisters of Christ, and we’re passionate about delivering powerful, Scripture-based content to strengthen and inspire your faith journey. If this article resonated with you, help spread the encouragement—share it with a friend today!” [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50K4wtHLsyQ[/embedyt][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] https://christadelphianvideo.org/must-see-guy-fawkes-the-plot-that-couldnt-succeed/?feed_id=104269&_unique_id=690a3ae672a9c