Jerusalem Chronicles

Finally, we are able to bring you Part II on the war in Iraq. For those of you who have not read Part I, President Bush - The Iraq War, you need to do so before reading this (go to the Archives button on Home Page). At a time when our country is in an uproar over the war, and a new President is to be elected in November, we need to understand the truth of the war in Iraq.

As I said in Part I, there are three major reasons why President Bush was right in invading Iraq. The first, which I addressed in Part I, is the fact that the war is biblical. Now we will cover the last two reasons why the Iraq war was necessary.

REASON TWO: The Third Jihad

At the time of Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D. the Roman Empire, both Eastern and Western, was in shambles. As Christianity became the state religion, the average person was under heavy taxation, along with the pressure from the church to pay tithes. Islam, which was growing by leaps and bounds, offered everyone who would convert to its religion freedom from taxation and paying tithes. Those who would not convert faced death. Needless to say, many converted.Islam spread from Saudi Arabia to Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Persia, etc. meeting little resistence. This was called the “First Jihad.” The Oxford D ictionary, volume V, page 583 defines Jihad as “...A religious war of Mohammedans against unbelievers in Islam, inculcated as a duty by the Koran and traditions.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 6 says, “Jihad, also spelled jehad, Arabic jiohad (“fight” or “battle”), a religious duty imposed on Muslims to spread Islam by waging war; jihad has come to denote any conflict waged for principle or belief and is often translated to mean “holy war.”

This “First Jihad” was to conquer the world, with the objective of converting everyone to Islam. It was only by the efforts of Charles Martel of France, called Charles the Hammer, that Islam was stopped in the battle of Tours in France, and Islam was finally driven from Spain in the battle of Granada in 1492. The rise of the Ottoman Empire brought about the “Second Jihad”. Larry Abraham, in his article in World Net Daily, July, 2,2004, defines the Second and Third Jihads most succinctly.

“The “Second great jihad” came with the Ottoman Turks. This empire succeeded in bringing about the downfall of Constantinople as a Christian stronghold and an end to Roman hegemony in all of its forms. The Ottoman Empire was Islam’s most successful expansion of territory...By 1683 the Ottomans had suffered a series of defeats on both land and sea...by this time a growing anti-western sentiment, blaming its internal failures on anyone but themselves, was taking hold and setting the stage for a new revival known as Wahhabism, a sect which came into full bloom under the House of Saud on the Arabian Peninsula shortly before the onset of WW I. Wahhabism calls for the complete and total rejection or destruction of anything and everything which is not based on the original teachings of The Prophet (Muhammad)...Its Ali Pasha (Field M arshall) is now known as Osama bin Laden, the leader of the “Third Jihad”, who is W ahhabi as were his 9/11 attack teams, 18 of which were also Saudi. The strategy for this “holy war”...began with the toppling of the Shah of Iran back in the late 1970's. With his plans and programs to “westernize” his country, along with his close ties to the U.S. and subdued acceptance of the State of Israel, the Shah was a soft target. Remember the “America Held Hostage?”

Thanks, in large Part to the hypocritical and disastrous policies of the Jimmy Carter's State Department, the revolution was set into motion, the Shah was deposed, his armed forces scattered or murdered and stage one was complete. The Third Jihad now had a base of operations and the oil wealth to support its grand design or what they call the “Great Caliphate.”

What this design calls for is the replacement of a secular leadership in any country with Muslim majorities. This would include, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, all the Emirates, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Malaysia and finally what they call the “occupied territory” Israel. As Part of this strategy, forces of the jihad will infiltrate governments and the military as a prelude to taking control, once the secular leadership is ousted or assassinated.

The long-range strategy of the Third Jihad counts on three strategic goals. First, the U.S. withdrawing from the region just as it did in Southeast Asia, following Vietnam. Second, taking control of the oil wealth in the Muslim countries, which would be upwards to 75% of known reserves; third, using nuclear weapons or other WMD’s to annihilate Israel. A further outcome of successfully achieving these objectives would be to place the United Nations as the sole arbiter in East/West negotiations and paralyze western resistance, leading to total withdrawal from all Islamic dominated countries.

The war in Iraq also met a very strategic necessity in that no one knew how much collaboration existed between Saddam Hussein and the master planners of the Third Jihad or Hussein’s willingness to hand off WMD’s to terrorist groups including the PLO in Israel. What the U.S. need ed to establish was a significant base of operations smack dab in the middle of the Islamic world, in a location which effectively cut it in half. Iraq was the ideal target for this and a host of other strategic reasons. Leadership of various anti-American groups both here and abroad understood the vital nature of the Bush initiative and thus launched their demonstrations, world-wide, to “Stop The War.” Failing this, they also laid plans to build a political campaign inside the country, with the War in Iraq as a plebiscite, using a little known politician as the thrust point - Howard Dean. By building on the left-wing base in the Democrat Party and the “Hate Bush” crowd, the campaign has already resulted in a consensus among the aspirants... to withdraw the U.S. from Iraq and turn the operation over to the U.N.”

What is most disconcerting, is that not only do the Democrats seem to be set on bringing our country down, considering Barak Hussein Obama’s Muslim background, and his close association with evil people, but even President Bush, over the past few years, has been a major instrument in working to validate Islam, calling it a “peaceful religion”. Claiming to want to wipe out terrorism, while at the sam e time trying to force Israel to accept giving up their land to one of the greatest terrorist organizations in the world, whose goal is the destruction of Israel, President Bush and Secretary of State Rice continue to push for a Palestinian state.

On the one hand, the Iraq war is fulfilling God’s plan as Part of end time bible prophecy, while on the other hand our government is allowing Islam to grow in the U.S. at an astronomical rate, as Islamic schools, mosques and terrorists organizations continue to increase and operate, unabated, throughout our cities. Christianity is being thrust out of our schools and public places, while Islam is being accepted. We, as Americans, are on dangerous ground.

I remember watching the Twin Towers fall in New York on 9/11. I had no emotions as I watched, knowing that thousands were dying, and I could not understand why. Why was I not feeling anything? Then, as I sat there, I asked the Lord about it, and heard Him say “This is not the big one. It is yet to come.” It was only later that my emotions were affected by what had taken place.

ASSYRIA: The Third Reason for the Iraq War

Of all the hundreds of nations in the world, there are three that God has spoken of in His Word, prophetically to be blessed. These are Israel, Egypt and Assyria. Some may say that Egypt and Israel now exist, but not Assyria, and that is true. But God’s word tells us that He still has a plan for the nation of Assyria in these last days before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is this issue that I want to address in regard to the present Iraq war. To do this we must start at the beginning.

The nation of Assyria was located in Northern Iraq, with its capital being Nineveh, or present day Mosul, where our troops have been fighting. According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden was located in this area of the old Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians acquired their name for Asshur, the son of Shem, who was one of Noah’s sons, Genesis 10:22, and are his descendants, sometimes called “Asshurians.” The first capital of Assyria was “Asshur,” which is located about fifty miles south of Nineveh (Mosul), and to my knowledge has never been excavated. In 702 B.C. Nineveh became the capital of Assyria under King Sennacherib and Assyria became a world power. We remember how God used the Assyrians to conquer northern Israel, and lead the 10 tribes away captive in 721 B.C., due to their rebellion against God and worshiping other gods. In 612 B.C. the collapse of Assyria took place as they were continually attacked by the Babylonians, M edes and Scythians. Yet many of the Assyrians fled to outlying villages and cities such as Arbel, Harran and Nissibin. They were never exterminated as a people because God had a future plan for them. Isaiah 19:23-25 is a very compelling prophecy concerning Assyria.

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH

John Booko, Sr., in his book “The Assyrian Revelation.” pp.72-75 gives a history of the Assyrians from 612 B.C. to WWI. “The Assyrian empire collapsed in 612 B.C.. The Assyrian people survived the loss of their state, and they remained mostly inconspicuous for the next 600 years. The Persians mentioned employing Assyrians as troops, and there was a failed attempt at reestablishing an Assyrian Kingdom in 350 B.C. Assyrians continued living in their homeland throughout this dark age, until that momentous moment in human history, when the Lord, Son of God, gave Him self for the salvation of mankind. Very soon after the crucifixion, the bulk of the Assyrian population converted to Christianity, although some remained to be Ashurites, until 256 AD.

It was the Apostle Thomas, with Thaddeus and Bartholomew who came to the Assyrian city of Edessa and founded the Assyrian Church of the East , the first and oldest church in the world. Armed with the word of God, and after 600 years of dormancy, the Assyrians once again set out to build an empire, not a military empire, but a religious empire founded on divine revelation and Christian brotherhood. So successful was the Assyrian Missionary enterprise, that by the end of the twelfth century, the Assyrian Church was larger than the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches combined. It spanned the Asian continent, from Syria to Mongolia, Korea, China, Japan and the Philippines. The Assyrian missionary enterprise, which had been so successful throughout the Asian continent, came to an abrupt end with the coming of Timurlane the Mongol. The indiscriminate destruction leveled by Timurlane against the civilizations he encountered put to a permanent end the Assyrian missionary enterprise.” That was not the end of the Assyrians. They were a faithful and loyal people, and God was going to use them to help win World Wars I and II.

THE ASSYRIANS AND WORLD WARS I AND II

The Assyrians were a great force in fighting against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. In John Booker’s book “The Assyrian Revelation”, page 122, he quotes the writings of John Nimrod and Homer Ashurian..

“Assyrians not only worked hand in hand with the American and English missionaries, but...were persuaded by the British, French and Russian authorities to join the Allied Forces and fight against the invading forces of the Ottoman Empire. The military values and bravery demonstrated by the Assyrian combatant forces were so highly valued that the British writers referred to them as their “Smallest Allies.” The Assyrians were promised a homeland by the British, but the then League of Nations, after World War I, drug the process on to the point that Germany was, once again, preparing for yet another war. With World War II on the horizon, the plan for giving the Assyrians their homeland back was discarded. Yet this did not deter the loyalty of the Assyrians
in entering World War II on the side of the Allies forces. On page 120 of John Booker’s book “The Assyrian Revelation” it says,

Everyone admits the Assyrians have given fine, loyal service to Britain, and have earned our gratitude and the rewards of good soldiers. The British Empire, and indeed all the Allied nations, owe the Assyrians a heavy debt following their key-victory at Habbanaih, in 1941, which checked German expansion to Asia Minor and stopped a rapidly growing danger of linkage in force with Japan via the Persian Gulf at a time when the latter was poised for attack Rashid Ali and Nazism would certainly have controlled Iraq; the Allies would thus have been split at a critical phase of affairs before they had mustered their strength, and the vital oil region would have been lost–as probably would have been the war itself–for both India and Russia would have been isolated and the Mediterranean outflanked.

In both wars the Assyrians had played a major Part in defeating the enemies, yet they were given no homeland. This brings us to today and the Iraq war. Last year I was on the internet doing some research and I came across an astounding article on the Assyrians and their quest for a homeland today. It is called “Operation Assyrian Province.” Below is the direct quote from that article by Dan Wooding.

WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) – 'Operation Assyria' volunteers from throughout the United States and overseas have been flooding American Congressman and Senators and The White House demanding the passage of a Congressional Resolution supporting the “formal Request For An Assyrian Province” presented to the Iraqi Government on September 19.
...Assyrians from other countries have been joining together in an unprecedented movement to follow up on the offer from the Iraqi Government for an Assyrian Province. Emphasis mine.
...”Based on the public statements of both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister (of Iraq) who said, ‘The Assyrians are the original people of Iraq. They are entitled to a province of their own and should request it,’ the move towards the Province is spreading from Washington to other countries with a similar resolution being prepared for presentation to the EU (European Union) Parliam ent.

I don’t know about you, but this is quite astounding to me. To think that after over 2,600 years Assyria could become a nation again in our day, thus fulfilling biblical prophecy. But this could not have happened if Saddam Hussein had not been removed from power and a new government put in place, with the help of the United States. Also, the U.S. presence in Iraq is preventing Islam’s “Al Mahdi” (their Messiah) from appearing, either form Karballa or Samarrah, Iraq.

So let us recap the three reasons why the United States and their coalition forces invaded Iraq. First, it is a biblical war, according to Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51, especially 50:4-5 and 50:41-43. Secondly, by invading Iraq, President Bush split the Islamic nations down the middle, thus preventing thme from taking over secular Islamic governments, military operations and 75% of the world's oil resources. Thirdly, it is fulfilling biblical prophecy by being a part of bringing forth an Assyrian Province in these last days, which will be almost as great a miracle as Israel becoming a nation again after over 2,500 years of exile. “Lift up your heads for our redemption draws nigh.”