AN ISRAELI PROPHETIC PERSPECTIVE ON GULF WAR II

Avner Boskey: An Israeli Prophetic Perspective on Gulf War II
        
Final Frontier Ministries   
www.davidstent.org
psalm67@netvision.net.il    
                                     

February 12 2003


The clock is ticking. The countdown has begun to war in Iraq.  Let's consider the possible outcome. Will there be an overwhelming and speedy American-led victory? Or will the war turn ugly, with staggering battlefield casualties and savage Islamic terror attacks on civilian populations? Does the God of Israel have any thoughts concerning this time of crisis? And is there a unified prophetic voice as to what awaits around the corner? How are we to pray and intercede?



Israelis Consider Gulf War II

In Israel the possibility of soon-coming war is discussed by everyone all the time. Many confidently declare that the war will be over nearly before it starts, with US technological superiority and massive firepower decimating Iraqi forces. Others remember unprovoked Iraqi attacks on Israel's civilian population in 1991, and are concerned that this time the Scuds may be armed with weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
 

Rachel and I continue to have a very sober sense about upcoming events. We're not afraid for our own personal safety or for that of our children. But we do remember how the Lord spoke to us back in 1991 during the first Gulf War. At that time we felt that Desert Storm was a dry run for another war later down the road, and that people would not get off so easily next time around. And here we are at the 'next time around.'



Unease in Zion

At various crisis points in Israel's recent history, Israeli reactions have swung between fear for the very survival of the state (May 1948, May 1967, October 1973), overconfidence (prior to 1973's Yom Kippur War) and deep despair or disillusionment (post 1973).  At this very moment Israel certainly faces many challenges, tests that might cause weaker nations to crumble.
 

On our northern border waits Hezbollah (the party of Allah) - Islamic terrorists supported by Iran and Syria - armed with Katyusha rockets able to hit targets from Haifa to Tiberias. On the northeast lies Syria with Scud C's equipped with chemical warheads able to hit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheva. Not far from our eastern flank Iraq lurks, with improved Scuds able to hit anywhere in Israel, as well as an unbelievable arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. There may also be Iraqi 'dirty' nuclear bombs, or even contraband Russian-built nuclear suitcase bombs. Israeli military intelligence daily gives public briefings, some of which refer to the real possibility of kamikaze chemical attacks on Israel by Iraqi MIG jets or by unmanned crop-dusting drones with biological warfare ability. Occasional reference is made to the possibility of lone wolf Iraq-dispatched terrorists attacking public places or the national water supply with WMD. It is significant to note that as of last week public access to Israel's National Water Carrier has been temporarily halted due to the need for 'repairs.'
 

All Israelis know that, in any case, once the war with Iraq is over, pressure will be brought to bear by the US, UN, Russia and the European Community for Israel to surrender more chunks of our God-given land to Palestinian terror groups. This exact scenario occurred once before, after the First Gulf War in 1991, when President George Bush Senior and Russia pressured Israel into the land for peace Madrid accords. That agreement laid the groundwork for the failed Oslo peace plan and the present Palestinian Authority. Truly there is reason for unease in Zion.
 

Please pray for Israeli hearts and spirits to turn to the God of Israel and His Messiah Yeshua as the only solid and unshakeable protection at this time!

  

Saddam Hussein's Bombshells

As documented in our January 2003 newsletter, Saddam Hussein is a genuinely evil man who has left a trail of blood, murder and state terror across Iraq. He has attempted to assassinate a US President, has massacred Kurds with chemical weapons, and has probably had a helping hand in various terror events like the Oklahoma bombing and both attacks on the World Trade Center. He has tried to build nuclear weapons and has stashed away mind-boggling stockpiles of anthrax, smallpox, bubonic plague, aflatoxin, sarin nerve gas, etc. Evil mischief is up both of his sleeves. Believers should certainly pray for Saddam to be brought down as soon as possible.
 

At the same time, we should consider what options Saddam Hussein may exercise if a war starts. Yeshua the Messiah once said that a king should count the potential cost before going to war (Lk.14:31). Saddam has had over a decade to preposition his forces for WMD terror attacks against the West, either using Iraqi security personnel or in cooperation with Islamic jihad forces like al-Qa'ida. Unfortunately, both Europe and North America have been heavily penetrated by radical Islamic terror groups for more than a decade. If chemical or biological attacks on civilians occur in NYC's subway system, in London or in Tel Aviv, or on coalition armies invading Iraq, this could cause heavy casualties. One respected prophetic voice in the 1990's spoke of the need for an initial minimum of 50,000 body bags for coalition soldiers if the USA enters Baghdad. Islamic terrorists who want to destroy 'the great satan' know that New York City is the economic heart of America, and that the significant Jewish population there is seen by them as an easy 'enemy' target.
 

Only a few such successful attacks could seriously sow terror and confusion on a scale hitherto unknown, and could lead to a shaking of the US economy. These scenarios could be some of the potential fallout from an impending US-led attack on Iraq. If our leaders knew for sure that these were the probable costs of an imminent Gulf War II, would they go for it?



Can Intercession Hold Off a War?

A dear prophetic friend of ours was told by the Lord that Saddam Hussein has cancer and has only a brief time left to live. If cornered by an invasion he will lash out with WMD, but if he is only contained for a short while longer, he will die and his regime will collapse on its own. According to this word, it is a prayer possibility that Saddam Hussein can be taken out without war, without bio-chemical attacks and huge loss of life.
 

In Amos 7:1-6 the prophet was given a vision of a complete destruction falling upon the land of Israel, first by a plague of locusts, and then by fire. In each case, though the sins of the nation were not yet forgiven, Amos cried out in intercession and asked God to avert the decree: "O Lord God, please pardon! Please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?" In both cases the Lord changed His mind about the coming destruction.
 

Can we lift up a cry into the night and ask the God of Israel for mercy, grace and a postponement of war? Perhaps it is not yet determined that war must occur. Perhaps God wants us, even now, to ask Him to change His mind!



Holy Vessels

When David son of Jesse came secretly to Ahimelech the priest at Nob and asked for provisions, he commented that the commando team traveling with him had kept themselves pure and that their bodies, their vessels, were holy (1 Sam.21:5). It is unusual to think of an army as a particularly holy gathering, yet in God's sight unusual favor comes upon armies which honor Him.
 

America is partly a Christian nation, partly secular, pagan and New Age, partly Hindu and Buddhist, partly Islamic and partly Jewish. Its soldiers are men and women who are trying to do their best to serve their country, and are prepared to defend America even at the cost of their own lives. These heart attitudes are worthy of honor.
 

Yet soldiers always stand in proxy for a whole nation. Their fate is bound up with the spiritual condition of the country they are defending. So let's ask the question: In God's sight is America a clean vessel? Is it a nation wholeheartedly dedicated to God's honor? Does the maxim 'In God We Trust' truly reflect the spiritual condition of the country? From God’s perspective, is America's cup full - of mercy and compassion, justice and worship? Has a spirit of spiritual brokenness and repentance swept the nation since 9/11 and does it characterize most of America today? Even now, as weapons are being trained on Saddam's forces, are a majority of Americans calling out to God en masse before the sobering war to come?
 

It is certainly true that Saddam Hussein represents great evil, that he is a clear and present danger to the world, and that he has lied and tried to deceive the world about his warehouses of WMD. But in light of the seriousness of the above threats, we need to make sure that all possible spiritual protection is in place: Is God going out at the helm of, or even alongside of, the armies of America? And if not, what would it take for His aid and presence to become a reality for America and her coalition forces?



Echoes of Desert One?

The ghosts of Vietnam have long haunted policymakers in the US. To some extent both Gulf War I (Operation Desert Storm) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) broke that mold of despair and pointed to a more positive military vision. Yet it is important to remember a previous American military operation in the Middle East that took place not far from the border with Iraq.  It was called Operation Eagle Claw and it met disaster at Desert One on the salt flats of Iran, 200 miles southeast of Tehran in the early morning hours of April 25, 1980.
 

One of the mission’s top commanders, Air Force Col. James Kyle, called it "the most colossal episode of hope, despair, and tragedy I had experienced in nearly three decades of military service." The mission was aborted due to unusual abnormalities - a freak Iran desert dust cloud called a 'haboub', unforeseen technical difficulties on the RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters, and a sudden wind which forced a copter into a C-130 Hercules transport, causing an explosion and massive fire. Visibly shaken Marine fliers later said that "the hours in the milk-like dust cloud were the worst experience of their lives, which for some included combat in Vietnam" (www.afa.org/magazine/jan1999/0199desertone_print.html).
 

The Book of Daniel talks about demonic forces which actually have geographical assignments and areas of influence. One of these is called 'the prince of Persia' (Dan.10:13, 20-21). These spiritual forces of great wickedness exist today and the fact of their opposition needs be considered in order to arrive at a biblical understanding of what went on at Desert One.
 

Today, in the same way, demonic forces are active and alert in modern Iraq, and President Bush and coalition leaders need all of our prayer support to recognize and deal with the spiritual aspects of this upcoming potential war. Present-day Iraq is situated on the ancient territories of Babylon, Assyria and Akkad. A glance at Rev.16:12-19:3 shows that both the Euphrates River in Iraq and the territory of Babylon itself figure prominently in last days conflicts and in spiritual uncleanness. These ancient spiritually corrupt forces are much older and wiser than even the technologically most advanced country in the world. Intercessory and prophetic prayer is the only safe guide through such minefields!



'Michael Your Prince'

I would like to give a word of explanation about the archangel Michael (Jude 9). He is called a chief or great angelic prince (Dan.10:13, 20; 12:1). He is the princely protector who is assigned to watch over and defend the Jewish people. Whenever Michael's name appears in the Bible (consider Rev.12:7-12), the reader knows immediately that the safety and calling of the Jewish people are under attack, whether by biblical Hamans or by modern-day Hitlers. Back during Gulf War I in 1991 my family (and probably many others as well) prayed that Michael would come to watch over and protect his Jewish people, pushing Scud missiles off-target if necessary. At the end of that war, only one fatality in Israel was attributed to direct Scud impact.
 

Please pray with us that He who guards Israel, the Mighty One of Jacob, will release His ministering spirits (see Heb.1:14 and especially 2 Ki.6:16-17) and especially Michael the archangel to watch over and protect Israel ("those who are with us") and the forces allied with Israel, while defeating "those who are with them!"


Avner Boskey    
FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES   
www.davidstent.org
 

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