MARCHING IN UNISON AND BREAKING CODES - A PROPHETIC TEACHING

Mon, 31 Aug 1998 Don Hawley don-hawley@email.msn.com

A war machine cannot operate if individual soldiers are going their own private way.

However, there is a dimension that should be considered. History has proven that since the time of Napoleon the final outcome of every single major war has been won by the army that broke the enemy's secret master code.

The reason that Paris didn't fall during World War I, when it seemed inevitable, was that the Allies knew the details of the German plans. The outcome of WWII could have been completely different had not the Allies stolen a German Enigma machine, and figured out how it worked. It was much easier to chase the Germans out of Africa when the Allied leaders knew the exact timing and route of every German supply ship that left Europe.

FOOLING THE ENEMY

They had to be careful not to sink too many, or the Germans might realize their coded messages were being read. One of the hardest decisions Churchill had to make was to allow the Germans to carpet bomb the city of Dresden without warning the citizens there. There was a terrible loss of life, but Churchill knew that if the Germans found out about the code breakthrough, the loss of life eventually would have been even much greater. With the Enigma code in their hands the Allied leaders knew Hitler's plans almost as quickly as the top German generals.

In the South Pacific the top Japanese war leader was shot down when he tried to visit an advanced base. The American public thought it was a lucky hit. Not so. The U.S. had broken the Japanese Purple Code, and six fighter plans were waiting for him near the end of his journey. He never had a chance.

WERE IT NOT FOR THE CODEBREAKERS

Let me say it again, today our children and grandchildren might be opening school by saluting the German swastika or the Japanese rising sun except for the codebreakers. These were a small, select group of exceptional men who secretly, and without acclaim, labored almost day and night to break enemy master codes. So difficult was their work that they could carry on only a few months and then they would have to be send away for rest, otherwise they would suffer a mental breakdown.

God has his army regulars; he also has his codebreakers.

"When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place. But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there."

"So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God, warning the people there to be on their guard. This happened several times.

"The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called in his officers and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?

"It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!" 2 Kings 6:8-12

EXCERCISING THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

It would seem that most of God's codebreakers through the years have been exercising the gift of prophecy. They were not always popular, but they were always indispensable. Frequently, they seemed to be out of synch with the main body of the army of the Lord.

They were viewed as a bit odd, because they were not always involved in what seemed to be the principle work of the army at a given moment. As we enter the final stage of the great controversy between good and evil, spiritual Armageddon, we will need codebreakers to lay bare the devil's plans.

From time to time there will also be other soldiers on special assignment that may appear to be involved in independent action.

Let's be careful not to quickly judge those who seem to be marching to a different drum beat.

God Bless!

Don