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Israel’s War With Islam:
Wanted: A Gideon To Rise
Up Against Islamic Fascism
By Gary Stearman
“They have said, Come, and let us cut
them off from being a nation; that the name
of Israel may be no more in remembrance”
(Psalm 83:4).
Of late, the term “Islamo-Fascism”
has come into vogue. In the international
war against terrorism, some have pointed
out that we have entered into a new and
ominous phase of global
warfare. Now, in addi-
tion to the old twenti-
eth-century model of
“nation against nation,”
we seem to have entered
into the era of “kingdom
against kingdom.” In
the past, nations fielded
armies wearing recognizable uniforms,
against which clear battle lines were drawn.
Governments warred against governments.
Germany, Italy, Japan and others waged
“world war.”
Today, tribal factions have the power and
wealth to field clandestine armies, posing as
anything from tourists to religious clerics.
They eagerly work through underground
weapons markets to acquire the latest su-
perweapons. Portable canisters may carry
anything from nerve gas to nuclear waste
… even nuclear bombs! They lie, cheat and
steal to plant themselves deeply into society,
awaiting the signal to strike. They have not
only surrounded Israel, they have infiltrated
the beloved Land.
But as Solomon said, “There is nothing
new under the sun.” There is a major inci-
dent in the Bible that bears a surprisingly Osama bin Laden - In the past, nations fielded armies wearing recognizable
close resemblance to Israel’s current plight. uniforms, against which clear battle lines were drawn. Governments warred against
It is the story of Gideon, the fifth in a series governments. Today, tribal factions have the power and wealth to field clandestine
of Judges over Israel. He literally saved Is- armies, posing as anything from tourists to religious clerics — and they use no
rael from complete destruction by defeating identifying uniforms. In addition to the old twentieth-century model of “nation against
a coalition of tribal kingdoms – led by the nation,” we seem to have entered into the era of “kingdom against kingdom.”
Midianites – who had laid siege to Israel, But Gideon defeated them. And his story what would transpire:
even as they crept into its interior. These carries a striking message for today. “For nation shall rise against nation, and
evil immigrants were on the verge of reduc- When Jesus spoke of the latter-day battles kingdom against kingdom: and there shall
ing Israel to a tragic memory, and there was that would precede the Great Tribulation, be famines, and pestilences, and earth-
no force capable of resisting them. He evoked two different descriptions of quakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7).
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We commonly think of a nation as having domination under their coming messiah Fascism is always centered upon some
borders, a recognizable government, with figure, the so-called “twelfth imam.” It is sense of involvement in a historic mis-
institutions and infrastructure. Today’s Iran only a dream. It will never happen. Today sion. It is militant and nationalistic, using
is such a nation, seeking to make itself a we truly see both nations and kingdoms violence without hesitation. It is usually
world power, complete with weapons of vying for power on the world stage. a cult of personality, revolving around a
mass destruction. charismatic leader. (Think of Osama bin
But Iran also actively sponsors legions of What Is Fascism? Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hezbol-
spies, insurgent armies outside its borders Usually, when we hear the word “fas- lah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, or the late
(Hamas and Hezbollah) and extra-national cist,” the fanatical movements of World Yasser Arafat.)
terrorism. Armies without borders or uni- War II pop into our minds. At the top of It is not reliant upon a civil constitution
forms are the latest development in world the list would be the “Fascisti” of Benito or an electorate, claiming a higher calling.
war. In the morning, these “soldiers” may Mussolini. This party emerged as a strong It makes a scapegoat of “modernism” and
be in the Middle East; that afternoon, they national movement that promised to bring the decline of public morality. It offers a
might have flown to Europe or the U.S. Italy into prominence as a global power. romantic calling to the common people,
Hamas and Hezbollah are not nations, but Mussolini’s braggadocio and fierce pride offering them a sense of historic mission.
they would definitely qualify as kingdoms. came to symbolize everything we think It places itself above capitalism, socialism
Their “kings” are the mullahs, sheikhs and about when we envision a fascist move- or Western democracy.
clerics of Islam. These men don’t separate ment. And of course, Adolph Hitler also fits Collectively, modern Islam meets all the
their religion from their aspirations to into the same mold. His National Socialist criteria of fascism. It is driven by an admix-
power. Party perfectly defines fascism. ture of political and religious fanaticism
Today’s Islamic clerics exude the same and a belief in the doctrinal superiority of
Caliphs and Kings swaggering conceit that marks fascist Mohammed and his ordained followers. It
In fact, they are actively seeking to movements the world over. In character and envisions itself in possession of the whole
establish new caliphates. These would be operation, they closely resemble the villains world.
territories rigidly controlled by caliphs. This of World War II. In addition to Hitler and
title comes from the Arabic word khalifah, Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Zionism
meaning “representative.” In the seventh Japan, Juan Peron of Argentina, Francisco The First Zionist Congress of 1897, sent
and eighth centuries, following Moham- Franco of Spain and many others share a rumblings of future change throughout the
med’s death, powerful Arabs established bold and aggressive mindset that marks world. Zionism, declaring the sanctity of
themselves as virtual kings. They called them as supernationalists. the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and their holy
themselves sheikhs, sultans and emirs and But one cannot define fascism as purely land, is engraved upon the heart and soul of
had absolute authority, transferring wealth political. It is always empowered by a remnant Israel.
and issuing death sentences at the snap of strong religious or mystical overtone. Some But Zionism is not new. For centuries,
their fingers. have concluded that the ultimate fascist was each year at the close of every annual
The last caliphate was brought to an end Adolph Hitler, himself. Like Mussolini, and Passover ceremony, the following words
by the Turkish Republic in 1924, with elimi- Franco, he was fiercely nationalistic. But it are declared:
nation of the Ottoman Caliphate. Today, is not generally recognized that he was also “O Pure One, Who dwells on high, raise
Islamic clerics boast that they are about to a religious fanatic. In fact, he was brought up the countless congregation, soon – guide
establish new caliphates, operated under to power by religious occultists who felt the offshoots of Your plants redeemed, to
the authority of men who stand as literal that he was the forerunner who would bring Zion with glad song. Next year in Jerusa-
substitutes for Mohammed. Their role is the “new man” to power, using the mystical lem!” (From Bondage to Freedom, Brook-
to act as protectors of Islam and political powers of the old Nordic mythology. Fa- lyn, N.Y., Shaar Press, 1995, p. 197).
ministers of the Islamic faith. natical religious zeal is always somewhere Passover celebrants remember Zion as
Thus, the would-be caliphs of Islam op- to be found in fascist movements. they shout in jubilation at the prospect of
erate as kings, as they order revolutionary As defined by the Merriam-Webster their return to the Holy Land. Zion and
armies to do their bidding. They dream of New 3rd International Dictionary, fascism Jerusalem are central to the Passover and
establishing caliphate kingdoms. Various is: “1: … the movement or governmental its fervent hope of returning to Israel. Since
sects of Islam are currently warring inter- regime embodying their principles. 2 a: A.D. 135, the Zionist hope has burned in
nally, as they decide how they will slice up any program for setting up a centralized isolated Jewish communities around the
the political pie after they come to power. autocratic national regime with severely world.
The point is this: When Jesus spoke of nationalistic policies, exercising regimen- In 1948, the replanted shoots of the fig
“kingdom against kingdom,” He foresaw tation of industry, commerce, and finance, tree began to bear their fruit. The United
the latter-day growth of factions that would rigid censorship, and forcible suppression Nations had declared the sovereign right of
battle for supremacy. Today, Islam is deeply of opposition b: any tendency toward or national Israel to exist once again. But only
divided between many sects. Everyone actual exercises of severe autocratic or a few years later, under the fierce opposition
has heard of Shi’ites and Sunnis. Daily, dictatorial control (as over others within of Islamic zealots, the same body issued a
they kill each other in Iraq, as they seek an organization) …” poisonous document.
preeminence. Additionally there is the commingling of United Nations General Assembly Reso-
There are other sects, like Wahabis, Sufis religion with governmental bureaucracy. lution 3379 concludes with the following
and Kahrijites. There are the Ismailis and Religious terminology is often used to words:
Zaidis. Another faction is called the Nizari force adherence to state doctrine. Fascist “TAKING NOTE ALSO of the Political
… the assassins. speech is sprinkled with references to faith, Declaration and Strategy to Strengthen
But they all share the dream of world purpose and identity. International Peace and Security and to
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Intensify Solidarity and Mutual Assistance thousand more quotes like the ones above, birthright that he sold it to his twin brother
among Non-Aligned Countries, adopted but they all say the same thing: “Death to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Perennial adver-
at the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Israel … death to America.” saries, Jacob and Esau began their feud
Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries held at in the womb. Today, it continues in their
Lima from 25 to 30 August 1975, which
An Ancient Fascism offspring. Jacob, the patriarch of Israel,
most severely condemned Zionism as a While it does not mention Islam by fathered the twelve tribes.
threat to world peace and security and called name as a religious movement, the Bible Esau (the federal head of Edom), raised
upon all countries to oppose this racist and is nonetheless open and detailed about the up a household that included many chief-
imperialist ideolog. philosophy and motivation of those who tains who later opposed Israel. The most
“DETERMINES that Zionism is a form of follow Islam. It mentions the ancient Mid- infamous of these was Amalek, the king
racism and racial discrimination. dle Eastern Tribes, which have coalesced who was such a reprobate that God ordered
“2400th plenary meeting - 10 November into today’s Islamic aggressors. And it does King Saul to eliminate his tribe forever.
1975” ... this in the context of an ancient battle that Among the Edom’s offspring were the
On that dark date, Zionism was officially destroyed a coalition of forces that sought Idumeans – the infamous Herodians of the
cursed by the nations. Since then, Israel to destroy Israel. first century. Herod the Great and his sons
has borne the weight of increasing hatred, As mentioned earlier, that battle was led were the enemies of Jesus and the infant
even as its enemies received carte blanche by Gideon. Its essence and its consequences Apostolic church. As we have pointed out
authority to follow the lead of the U.N. are captured in a prophetic psalm that was many times, this evil generation intermar-
Not only has Zionism been declared penned by Asaph. It expressed the passion ried with the Caesars, becoming part the
“racism,” but also the very name of Israel of a coalition that desires a world without bloodline that will give birth to the Anti-
has been blotted out by an Islamic epithet. Israel – without Zionism. christ. In the last days, he will make one
(They call it “the Zionist entity,” refusing to In the past, we have discussed portions final, Herculean effort to destroy the Jews.
use the word “Israel.”) Furthermore, they of it, with specific reference to the tribes Like those before him, he will not succeed.
call Jerusalem “Al Quds.” it mentions. In its essence, this psalm is Jewish teaching in this matter is simple.
An Israeli source called GlobalSecurity. a prayer for the destruction of those who Without evasion or hesitation, it declares
org quotes an ancient Moslem parable: would destroy Israel. But it opens with an simply, “Edom is Rome!” No wonder this
“The Day of Judgment will not come indictment against these antagonists. Its first name stands at the top of the list of the
about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing eight verses follow: eleven conspirators.
the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not Next, we find “the tabernacles of Edom
stones and trees. The stones and trees will thy peace, and be not still, O God. and the Ishmaelites.”
say, ‘O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew “For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: In this psalm, Edom and Ishmael are
behind me, come and kill him.’ Only the and they that hate thee have lifted up the seen together in tents. These tents are
Gharked tree, (evidently a certain kind of head. commonly thought to symbolize first, a
tree) would not do that because it is one of “They have taken crafty counsel against military campaign, and second, a mobile,
the trees of the Jews.” thy people, and consulted against thy hid- transient existence. Indeed, the peoples of
Throughout the twentieth century, Jews den ones. the desert are known for their transitory
planted trees in Israel, replacing those “They have said, Come, and let us cut existence. The migrations of the Bedouins
ripped up over the centuries by the Arabs. them off from being a nation; that the are legendary, roaming the deserts from the
The Arabs fantasize that even their beloved name of Israel may be no more in remem- Dead Sea to the Persian Gulf and northward
trees will one day turn against them. Their brance. to the Euphrates and the ancient trade routes
passionate public declarations continually “For they have consulted together with that run from Rome to India. The sons of
reveal a fascistic compulsion. one consent: they are confederate against Ishmael were the twelve sons who became
In December of 2000, Iran’s Ayatollah thee: the patriarchs of the Arab tribes.
Khomeini said, “Iran’s stance has always “The tabernacles of Edom, and the Next, we find “Moab and the Hagarenes.”
been clear on this ugly phenomenon (Is- Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Moab’s dishonorable origin came when
rael). We have repeatedly said that his can- “Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Lot’s eldest daughter plied him with wine.
cerous tumor of a state should be removed Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; In his drunken state, she achieved an in-
from the region.” “Assur also is joined with them: they cestuous union that resulted in the birth of
Also in 2000, Iran’s purportedly moder- have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. a son. His name – Moab – means “from
ate President Mohammad Khatami called (Psalm 83:1-8). my father,” forever stamping him and his
Israel an “illegal state.” Here, we are given the names of eleven nation with the stigma of illegitimacy. The
On October 26, 2005, President Mah- groups of people. Some of them are the Moabites worshiped Astarte, the mother
moud Ahmadinejad spoke at a meeting specific names of characters in the Bible. goddess, and Chemosh, the god who de-
called “A world Without Zionism. He said, Others are place names or tribal names. manded infant sacrifice.
“God willing with the force of God behind Taken together, they present us with a Their territory lay on the east side of
it, we shall soon experience a world with- rogue’s gallery of factions who have tried to the Dead Sea. Among their most infamous
out the United States and Zionism.” Long eradicate Israel over the past three thousand acts was the attempt by their king, Balak,
before Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini years. Their descendants are still trying to to procure the services of Balaam, the
had said, “As the Imam said, Israel must be this day. Mesopotamian prophet for hire. He paid
wiped off the map.” We shall comment upon them in the Balaam to curse Israel as Moses led the
These quotes are from Iranian leaders, order that they are mentioned. The first is tribes northward on their way to enter the
who are the chief supporters of tribal fac- “Edom,” the nation originated by Esau, the Promised Land. Balaam was unable to ef-
tions around the globe. We could mention a proud hunter who thought so little of his fect a curse, but he advised King Balak to
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corrupt Israel by seducing them with a flood defeated, and faded into obscurity. A thou- powers acted together to wipe out Israel.
of young Moabite and Midianite women. sand years after that, the Romans conquered Today, however, it is a different story. It
For all this, Moses was instructed by the the Jews in 135 A.D. As a final insult, the is important to keep in mind that offspring
Lord to place a curse upon Moab. Romans used the Latin form of Philistine of all eleven live on to the present moment.
The “Hagarenes” are the descendants – Palestina – to brand the land of Israel Only the Lord knows exactly who they are,
of Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Abra- with the name of the ancient interloper. To but they must, of necessity, be those who
ham. Jewish history says that she married this day, the arch foes of Israel still regard have lived in the area since the days of
another man after leaving his household. Palestine as the proper name of the land. Abraham, and before. Today’s Arabians,
From their union came other Arabian tribes. Philistia is listed “with the inhabitants of Jordanians, Syrians, Iraqis, Persians, Turks,
Some Jewish historians have suggested that Tyre.” These, too, were people of the sea … Afghanis and Pakistanis are descended
Abraham’s concubine, Keturah (“perfumed the ancient Phoenician traders. They were from the ancient patriarchs. They have a
one”) might be Hagar under another name. worshipers of Baal and experts in managing single goal, namely, “A World Without
In this case, Midian, Sheba and Dedan the commerce of the ancient world. Their Zionism.”
would be the tribes referenced here. collective warehouses were the riches of the Here, it is appropriate to return to the orig-
Next, we find “Gebal, Ammon and ancients. They typify Gentile world trade. inal idea of fascism, as being the correct de-
Amalek.” Gebal (meaning “boundary”) is Assyria, the ancient land of Nimrod, is scriptive term for what is happening among
a city of ancient Phoenicia. It is mentioned called “Assur,” in verse 8 of this psalm. Islamic factions in the contemporary Middle
in the Amarna Letters, where the king of Its greatness in the centuries following the East. Fascism as a descriptive term comes
Gebal pledged allegiance with Ramses II, great Flood of Noah is shown in the fol- from the Latin fascio, meaning “to bundle
against the Hebrews. Gebal was considered lowing Scripture: together and fasten as a single unit.”
a border fortress. “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to In ancient Rome, it was symbolized by
Ammon was brother to Moab, conceived be a mighty one in the earth. a battle-axe with many handles, each rep-
when Lot’s second daughter repeated the “He was a mighty hunter before the resenting a faction of the Roman empire.
sinful incestuous act of her older sister. In LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod Interlaced and tied together with a single
this way, the drunken Lot fathered another the mighty hunter before the LORD. ribbon, they were bound tight as a unit.
illegitimate son: “And the beginning of his kingdom was Such fasces, as they were called, became the
“And the younger, she also bare a son, Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, traditional symbol of Roman unity, carried
and called his name Benammi: the same is in the land of Shinar. by magistrates and rulers before the august
the father of the children of Ammon unto “Out of that land went forth Asshur, and gatherings of ancient Rome.
this day” (Genesis 19:38) builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, Today, the binding force of Islam has
Together, these two patriarchs launched and Calah, brought together Arab tribes in a way simi-
a corrupt progeny that became the scourge “And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: lar to the gathering of disparate forces in the
of Israel. The territory of Ammon was the same is a great city” (Gen. 10:8-12). ancient Roman Empire. Formerly warring
situated adjacent to Moab, on the east side Assyria remained great even to the time factions are now bound together under the
of the Jordan at the north end of the Dead of King David, when its trade brought banner of Islam. Like the fascists under
Sea. Present-day Amman, capital of Jor- wealth to the northern tribes of Israel. In Mussolini and Hitler, they are violently
dan, would lie at the center of this ancient 722 B.C., the Assyrians wiped out the ten committed to a totalitarian form of political
territory. In the days of Jehoshaphat, king northern tribes, dispersing them throughout and social dominion. They pledge to give
of Judah, these two forces came against the Gentile world. Later, in the days of king their very lives for the cause.
the Jews: Hezekiah, Assyria laid siege to Judah. Their Tiny Israel, lost in the throes of political
“It came to pass after this also, that the forces – 185,000 soldiers – were annihilated corruption, and constrained by international
children of Moab, and the children of Am- by the angel of the Lord. diplomacy, is militarily paralyzed. They
mon, and with them other beside the Ammo- In this Psalm 83, Assyria is said to have want peace, but are pressed on all sides.
nites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. joined with the sons of Lot – Moab and Once, in the days of Gideon, there was a
“Then there came some that told Je- Ammon – to wage war against Israel. similar threat to Israel. Superior numbers of
hoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great their deepest enemies gathered at their bor-
multitude against thee from beyond the An Open Conspiracy ders. More than that, they penetrated into
sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be At this point, it is important to note Israel in such numbers that they threatened
Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. that the eleven powers of this psalm are to completely obliterate the tiny country.
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself shown to be acting in concert (“They have
to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast taken crafty counsel against thy people…”). The Strategy of Gideon
throughout all Judah.” (II Chron. 20:1-3). There was never a time in the ancient world This brings us to the second half of Psalm
As a result of their appeal to the Lord, when such a thing happened. Indeed it could 83, and verses nine through eighteen. Here,
the Jews defeated these forces, but their not have happened in those days, since these we find a significant incident in the life of
descendants have lived on to this day, and nations and tribes individually rose to the ancient Israel that takes place under condi-
are still possessed by the idea of forever heights of their power at different times and tions that closely resemble the current status
defeating Israel. in different places. of Israel. The Jews were forced into battle
Next in the list is “Philistia.” The Phi- The psalm presents them as rioting to- against overwhelming forces.
listines were called “sea people.” Their gether with a single purpose toward Israel, In this psalm, Asaph recalls Israel’s
territory was situated on the Mediterranean to “…cut them off from being a nation.” miraculous victory in a series of emotional
shore. Their continual battles with the They are described as being “confederate.” images. Acting through Gideon and his
Jews occupy much Scripture. In the days But there was never a time in the world of men, the Lord acted to save Israel from the
of David and Solomon, they were finally the Old Testament when all eleven of these onslaught of these forces.
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The psalm is a mighty plea, a prayer that “And there came an angel of the LORD, remains dry. His petition is granted. Then,
summons up this remarkable historical vic- and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, on the second night, he asks that it remain
tory and implores the Lord to judge its pres- that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: dry while the ground is wet with dew.
ent enemies, just as He did in the past: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the Again, his request is granted. He is now
“Do unto them as unto the Midianites; winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. ready to pull together a force for battle.
as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of “And the angel of the LORD appeared Note that the scene of the battle is to
Kison: unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is be the valley of Jezreel, scene of Israel’s
“Which perished at Endor: they became with thee, thou mighty man of valour. end-time encounter with the nations. The
as dung for the earth. “And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, Midianites mass for battle in the place that
“Make their nobles like Oreb, and like if the LORD be with us, why then is all this is both the symbol and the actual location
Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and befallen us? and where be all his miracles, of the final great battle in Israel’s future. As
as Zalmunna: which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the prophet Hosea wrote, “… for great shall
“Who said, Let us take to ourselves the the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now be the day of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:11).
houses of God in possession. the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered Gideon realized that this would be no
“O my God, make them like a wheel; as us into the hands of the Midianites. small feat, since the invading hoards greatly
the stubble before the wind. “And the LORD looked upon him, and outnumbered Israel:
“As the fire burneth a wood, and as the said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt “And the Midianites and the Amalekites
flame setteth the mountains on fire; save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: and all the children of the east lay along in
“So persecute them with thy tempest, and have not I sent thee? the valley like grasshoppers for multitude;
make them afraid with thy storm. “And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, and their camels were without number, as
“Fill their faces with shame; that they wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my the sand by the sea side for multitude”
may seek thy name, O LORD. family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the (Judges 7:12).
“Let them be confounded and troubled least in my father’s house. In response to his call for assistance,
for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, “And the LORD said unto him, Surely I Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali responded
and perish: will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the with over thirty thousand men. Those who
“That men may know that thou, whose Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:11-16). were fearful, he allowed to go home. Ten
name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high Remarkably, the angel sees Gideon as thousand remained. But for the Lord’s
over all the earth” (Psalm 83:9-18). already having won an impossibly difficult work, there were still too many. After an-
These verses, the concluding ten verses battle against the Midianite hoards. He is other test, his army was pared down to only
of Asaph’s prophetic psalm recall one of called a “mighty man of valor.” Though three hundred men.
the greatest moments in Israel’s history. far from convinced, Gideon (whose name Using an ingenious strategy, Gideon’s
Together, they call for a repeat of that great means “one who hews, or cuts down”) men attacked the huge force at night,
event. The psalmist reasons that, just as the prepared an offering for the Lord and calls concealing torches in clay pitchers. At
Lord miraculously saved them in the past, the place, “Jehovah Shalom,” or, the Lord midnight, upon his command, they broke
they can be saved at the present moment. In is peace. the pitchers, revealing flaming torches
a series of rhetorical supplications, he asks With that, Gideon was called to a daunt- throughout the enemy camp. At the same
the Lord repeat an event that literally saved ing work. The Lord knew that he possessed time, each of the three hundred blew sounds
ancient Israel from destruction. the qualities of a dynamic leader. He had no of alarm on ram’s-horn trumpets. Awakened
Referring to a historical event that took personal desire for power, nor did he think from slumber, the Midianites were tricked
place in the thirteenth century B.C., he of himself as a man with military ability. into believing that they had been attacked
recalls an amazing story that took place And military ability was exactly what was by a huge Israelite force.
during the life of Gideon, a humble man required. The militant Midianites were the “And they stood every man in his place
who rose to become the fifth judge of Israel ringleaders of the assault against Israel, and round about the camp: and all the host ran,
in approximately 1233 B.C. His story is they had been joined by others: and cried, and fled.
given to us in the sixth, seventh and eighth “Then all the Midianites and the Amale- “And the three hundred blew the trum-
chapters of the book of Judges. kites and the children of the east were gath- pets, and the LORD set every man’s sword
Israel was plagued by the Midianites ered together, and went over, and pitched in against his fellow, even throughout all the
and other mixed tribes from the east. They the valley of Jezreel. host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in
had come in great numbers and looted “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Zererath, and to the border of Abel-me-
the Israelites’ crops and herds. Finally, as Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi- holah, unto Tabbath.
they began to settle throughout the land, it ezer was gathered after him. “And the men of Israel gathered them-
became clear that their ultimate goal was “And he sent messengers throughout all selves together out of Naphtali, and out of
to dispossess Israel entirely. Without some Manasseh; who also was gathered after Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued
act of incredible bravery and leadership, the him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and after the Midianites” (Judges 7:21-23).
twelve tribes were doomed. unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they The strategy worked when the warriors of
Enter Gideon, a common man who lived came up to meet them” (Judges 6:33-35). the enemy camp, roused from slumber, were
in the village of Ophrah in central Israel. Gideon does the logical thing. He calls confused into attacking each other. In their
When he is first introduced to us, it is as for help. For the reasons mentioned above, dazed condition, and filled with a mixture
a fearful and defeated man. His timidity Gideon sought proof that his calling was of blood lust and fear, they destroyed their
is illustrated when he is shown threshing genuine. He tested the Lord’s promise by own troops. In the darkness, they could not
grain in secret lest the enemy discover him laying out a fleece of lamb’s wool on two tell friend from foe. In all, a hundred and
and steal it. Then he is visited by an angel different nights. On the first night, he asks twenty thousand of them fell.
of the Lord, and everything changes: that it be filled with dew while the ground Their leaders – two Midianite princes
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names Oreb and Zeeb were slain. Then they had golden earrings, because they precious stones. With these, he formed a
Gideon pursued two Midianite kings across were Ishmaelites.) golden ephod, which is, of course, the outer
the Jordan: “And they answered, We will willingly garment of the high priest. The ephod is the
“ Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise give them. And they spread a garment, and sleeveless tunic that went from the high
thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, did cast therein every man the earrings of priest’s shoulders to his knees. Upon it,
so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and his prey. rested the breastplate with the twelve pre-
slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away “And the weight of the golden earrings cious stones and the Urim and Thummim.
the ornaments that were on their camels’ that he requested was a thousand and seven Somehow, Gideon melted down the
necks” (Judges 8:21). hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, gold and used it to construct the form of a
and collars, and purple raiment that was on golden ephod. One thousand, seven hun-
Aftermath the kings of Midian, and beside the chains dred shekels of gold would weigh at least
The momentous battle of Gideon and his that were about their camels’ necks. eighty-five pounds! That’s quite enough to
three hundred soldiers took place about 32 “And Gideon made an ephod thereof, make a life-sized ephod, perhaps mounted
centuries ago. Now, at this moment in his- and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and upon a human form of some sort. The result
tory, we find ourselves looking at a similar all Israel went thither a whoring after it: was an idol, formed to look like Israel’s
situation in the Middle East. Tiny Israel has which thing became a snare unto Gideon, high priest.
once again been surrounded and infiltrated and to his house. It became an idolatrous emblem of the
by hoards from the east who have pledged “Thus was Midian subdued before the true Aaronic priesthood. Israel used it to
to destroy the hated nation. children of Israel, so that they lifted up worship a false symbol, instead of the
For the reasons discussed earlier in this their heads no more. And the country was in living God. This adds the final prophetic
article, we have come to call this ragtag quietness forty years in the days of Gideon” note to Gideon’s experience. It seems to
collection of tribes and kingdoms Islamo- (Judges 8:22-28). foreshadow the outcome that Scripture
fascists. But the current situation is really no Note the recurring prophetic pattern: tells us looms in Israel’s future. Following
different from the incident that developed First, there is the obsessive desire to the massive and miraculous defeat of the
during the life of Gideon. eliminate Israel. The enemy coalesces with overwhelming enemy, Israel will believe
For this reason, Asaph’s psalm 83 is militant passion and a historic sense of reli- that it has achieved peace at last. Sadly, it
a prophecy. First, it describes an enemy gious mission. (We call it fascism.) will then accept the rule of one who presents
force that has come to full maturity in the Next, there is a gradual increase in the himself as their messiah. The antichrist will
twenty-first century. It is an alliance of number and proximity of the enemy, to the inhabit a temple, but it will not be the true
men bound together in the fascist manner. point that they seem overwhelming. The en- Millennial Temple. Rather, it will be the
Their operating principle is destruction emy masses until a critical point is reached. infamous Tribulation Temple, so often seen
… destruction of Israel, America and the Finally, the inevitable war breaks out, and in prophecy.
Western nations Israel miraculously defeats an overwhelm- The acts of Gideon foreshadow the great
Ultimately, their alliance will grow to ing foe. The assets of the enemy force are battle that is still in Israel’s future. Round
include a huge force that includes Russia, taken by Israel. The people are ecstatic. one of that battle is currently being fielded
Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, the Germanic nations Gideon refused to rule as king, even by the Islamo-fascists and their allies.
and the nations of southeastern Europe. though the people begged him. Throughout Scripture tells us that a tiny Israeli force will
Students of the Bible have evoked the the entire experience, He never desired au- use the help of the Lord and superior tactics
imagery of the battle of Gog more times tocratic power, even though it could have to smash a numerically greater power. Like
than can be recalled. The bottom line: been his. the Midianite army, its bodies will rot in the
The entire invading force will not only be There is, however, a dark footnote to sun to be marked for later burial.
slain, but allowed to rot in the sun. Israel this event. It is both historic and prophetic. Sadly, following that victory, Israel will
will require seven months to bury them all. Gideon took the Midianites’ gold and fall into a period of hideous idolatry. u
Dismantling the weapons of war will taken
seven years! Gog’s dishonorable defeat will
be monumental.
The same was true of the Midianite and
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