The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest
 

Vol: 35 Issue: 20 - Friday, August 20, 2004

"On the Plains of Megiddo"
by Jack Kinsella

Tehran has raised the ante once more, threatening pre-emptive military
strikes against United States armed forces in the region.  'Pre-emptive'
strikes are those in which they hit us first, BEFORE we can hit them.

"We will not sit [and] wait for what others will do to us. Some military
commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations that the
Americans talk about are not their monopoly," Defense Minister Ali
Shamkhani told Al Jazeera television Wednesday when asked whether Iran
would respond to a U.S. attack on its nuclear facilities.

An exchange of threats between Israel and Iran in recent weeks points to a
repeat of Israel's strike against Saddam's Osirek nuclear reactor in 1981.
But in 1981, Israel had just one target, and Iraq was preoccupied with its
war with Iran.

The Iranians have scattered their nuclear facilities all over the country,
employing hardened shelters, underground facilities and decoys that make
it extremely unlikely that Israel could destroy Iran's nuclear capability
in a first strike.

Asked about the possibility of an American or Israeli strike against
Iran's atomic power plant being built by the Russians in Bushehr, Mr.
Shamkhani said: "We will consider any strike against our nuclear
installations as an attack on Iran as a whole, and we will retaliate with
all our strength."

(Iran is also believed to have the capability to produce a variety of
biological and chemical weapons.)

Shamkhani also warned Washington, "Where Israel is concerned, we have no
doubt that it is an evil entity, and it will not be able to launch any
military operation without an American green light. You cannot separate
the two. . . America is not the only one present in the region. We are
also present, from Khost to Kandahar in Afghanistan; we are present in the
Gulf, and we can be present in Iraq."

More than a year ago, US Undersecretary for Arms Control John Bolton told
the Congress that, "While Iran claims that its nuclear program is peaceful
and transparent, we are convinced it is otherwise," Bolton said.

"One unmistakable indicator of military intent is the secrecy and lack of
transparency surrounding Iran's nuclear activities."

Iran vigorously denied it then and it still (officially) denies it now,
but Iran's denials are in direct contradiction to Iran's increasingly
bellicose rhetoric and not-too-thinly-veiled threats that it will use
nukes before it will lose them.

In June 2004, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi rejected further
outside influence on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

"We won't accept any new obligations," Kharrazi said. "Iran has a high
technical capability and has to be recognized by the international
community as a member of the nuclear club. This is an irreversible path."

Assessment:

As the 70th year of the Babylonian captivity dawned, the prophet Daniel,
having studied the Book of Jeremiah, went to the Lord in prayer, reminding
Him of His promise that the captivity would last 70 years.

"In the first year of his [Darius the son of Ahasuerus] reign I Daniel
understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD
came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in
the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek
by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
(Daniel 9:2-3)

Daniel records that the angel Gabriel "touched me about the time of the
evening oblation", saying, "I am now come forth to give thee skill and
understanding."(Dan 9:21-22)

The angel Gabriel revealed instead God's plan for Israel from the
restoration of the Temple to the Crucifixion and finally, Israel's
national restoration in the last days.

Daniel waited three years before again petitioning the Lord about His
promise.

Daniel prayed for three full weeks before receiving another visit.

This visit was different. Instead of Gabriel, Daniel received a visit from
 "a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold
of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance
of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet
like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the
voice of a multitude. . . Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I
heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and
my face toward the ground."  (Daniel 10:5-7, 9)

Compare Daniel's vision with that of the Apostle John's;

"And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,
clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine
brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many
waters. . . And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead." (Revelation
1:13-15, 17)

You DO see Who it was that appeared to Daniel, don't you?

Now that we have identified Daniel's Visitor, let's re-examine His visit.

"Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou
didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy
God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.  But the prince of
the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael,
one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the
kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:12-13)

Note several things here.  First, the Messenger's identification -- it is
clear that He is what theologians call the 'Christophenes' the
pre-incarnate Christ. The two matching descriptions given by Daniel and of
John are NOT coincidental.

Then, there is a message -- delivered in code -- so to speak.  Since the
Messenger is Jesus, the reference to His being held up for twenty-one days
by the 'Prince of the kingdom of Persia' is a coded reference. Clearly,
Satan is no match for Jesus.

He told Daniel, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall
thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days."
(10:14)

That is also a coded reference, aimed at the generation that will witness
the events being described.

"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be
the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words
are closed up and sealed TILL THE TIME OF THE END. Many shall be purified,
and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of
the wicked shall understand; but THE WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND." (Daniel
12:8-10)

The Revealing Angel told Daniel that, although He had been held up by the
prince of Persia, the archangel Michael came to assist Him. (10:13)
Moreover, He told Daniel that, having delivered His message, He would
"return to fight with the prince of Persia." (10:20)

Then there is another coded message in verse 21 -- "But I will shew thee
that which is noted in the Scripture of truth: and there is none that
holdeth with Me in these things, but Michael your prince."

Now we'll try and connect the dots.  10:14 tells us the vision is for
'Daniel's people' and tells us twice it deals with the last days.  Daniel
12:8-10 tells us it is encrypted until the generation to whom it was
addressed had come.  ('the words are closed up and sealed TILL THE TIME OF
THE END').

The Prince of Persia is responsible for delaying the answer to Daniel's
prayer to be liberated from captivity, and there are but two warriors in
the spiritual conflict with the Prince of Persia.  One is the
pre-incarnate Christ, the other is Michael the archangel, whom Jesus
identifies to Daniel as 'your prince'.

Now we fast forward 2600 years from Daniel to today's Omega Letter.  We
find the Persians developing weapons of mass destruction with the help of
the Russians and the tactical support of the Islamic world.

The principle targets of the prince of Persia are the State of Israel,
(under the spiritual protection of Michael the archangel) and the United
States.  The US is the only nation to stand with Israel.  The only reason
that the US DOES stand with Israel is because of the influence of the
Church.

For an American president to turn his back on Israel in this generation
would be political suicide. And as long as the Church continues to exist
in the United States, Israel can be assured of US support.

The Church continues to pray for liberation from captivity through the
Rapture.  Israel continues to pray for liberation from captivity by the
coming of the Messiah.

Jesus is the Head of the Church.  Michael is the archangel the Bible
identifies as Israel's protector.  And as noted by Iran's Defense
Minister, "You cannot separate the two."

The vision is for the last days.  Persia is modern Iran.  The 'prince' of
modern Iran -- its spiritual ruler -- is the spirit of Islam.

"Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall
do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the WISE SHALL
UNDERSTAND." (Daniel 12:10)

The final conflict on the plains of Megiddo is often called the 'Battle of
Armageddon." But that is not exactly correct.  It is actually a war that
concludes on the plains of Megiddo.

And it has already begun.