Something Missing From London’s Olympic Opening Ceremony

Today, July 27, marks the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Queen Elizabeth ii will officially open the Games during the much-anticipated event, which begins at 9 p.m., British Summer Time (3 p.m. Eastern). Sixty-to-eighty-thousand spectators will watch live in Olympic Stadium, and estimates of the global television audience that will tune in range from 1 to 4 billion people, which could easily make it the largest audience in human history.

“It’s very exciting. I think there’s a huge sense of excitement and anticipation, because Britain is ready to welcome the greatest show on Earth, and it’s going to be an incredible few weeks for our country,” British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters. “I think it’s a great opportunity to show the world the best of Britain, a country that’s got an incredibly rich past but actually a very exciting and vibrant future.”

The theme of the opening ceremony, “Isles of Wonder,” was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The £27 million showcase simulates a tour of Britain, including nods to the English countryside, contemporary and classical music and even the fictional character James Bond. Artistic director Danny Boyle will have the chance to show hundreds of millions of people what it means to be British.

Hosting the Olympics presents Britain with a priceless opportunity to showcase its past, its present and its future. However, Britain’s richest history, its unstable present and its incredible future will be completely absent from these ceremonies. Along with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the royal wedding before that, millions will miss out on the opportunity to learn why Britain’s past was so glorious, why its present is so inglorious, and why its future is filled with stunning hope.

To learn about why Britain has so much more to celebrate than just the Olympics, read this eye-opening book by Herbert Armstrong, The United States and Britain in Prophecy.