by Reuven and Mary Lou Doron
email: OneNewManMail@aol.com

God has but One Body

The Spirit of the Lord is stirring up vigilant prayers all over the world among those who are tuned to the magnitude of the crisis and to the Lord's agenda. Crisis spells opportunity for those with vision and courage, and if anyone has these virtues, it's the praying saints of the Most High God.

Friends and intercessors have asked us for continual prayer reports and situational analysis as the crisis enters its third week. Since the media and other ministries provide detailed news as the events unfold from day to day, we'll limit our contribution to addressing the prophetic perspective and prayer objectives as they relate to these events.

What is Happening? Keep the Big Picture in Mind

Simply put, the prince of darkness is raising hell to oppose the inevitable and glorious coming of the Lord Jesus. Israel's national resurrection and return to the land promised by covenant to the Patriarchs, signaled the beginning of the end of this age. The devil, who knows the word of God, recognizes that his time is nearing its end, and is coming down with great wrath to discourage, deceive, and ruin as many lives as he can. He knows that the land of Israel is the Lord's "landing strip," where the Lord's Kingdom shall soon be anchored.

Ever since Jewish pioneers (including my late grandparents), placed their feet upon the ancient soil more than a century ago, hell's fury has risen against them time and again. Loving and cultivating the land as a husband does a bride, they cleansed it from abuse, restored it from centuries of neglect, and rebuilt it again according to the prophetic word. However, with every miraculous progressive step of restoration, the enemy responded with fierce counter attacks.

These intensifying cycles of redemption, greater restoration, and conflict are not able to slow down the nearing of the Lord with His glorious Kingdom, and are in fact, the very "birth-pains of the Messiah"--the incredible contractions of the Kingdom of God's Son coming to the earth. As in a natural birth, the contractions will increase in intensity and in frequency, as we draw near to the end. God's promise is that He will shorten those days for the sake of the elect.

Roots and Fruits in the One Olive Tree

Keeping this perspective in mind, the intercessor is resolute in his/her mind that God is not only on the battlefield, but that He is carrying out His will, and is executing His plan accordingly. All the doubter needs to do is reflect upon past times of crisis in Israel's modern history, and examine the accompanying results in the earth. The roots and the fruits of the Olive Tree spoken of in Romans 11, are always connected in God, as Israel and the Church are One Body in His purpose.

As it is written, "...if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you." Romans 11:17-18

Examples of Restoration Patterns— First the Natural, then the Spiritual

1) 1900. The humble early waves of Jewish immigrants into the Promised Land at the turn of the 20th century, were met with increasing Islamic hostilities as the two spiritual movements first clashed. Greatly outnumbered and ill equipped, Jewish farming communities sank roots in mostly deserted and neglected (often swamp) lands purchased from local landowners, and began the great work of redemption.

What was God accomplishing through the Church at this same time? His Spirit settled with power upon the Azusa Street revival in 1903, and that Pentecostal presence has been sweeping the earth ever since. We all are a living testimony of that spiritual outpouring that occurred simultaneously with the opening of the natural gates of Israel's return to the land. The natural and spiritual were released together!

2) 1948. Israel's recognition as a sovereign nation by the United Nations and her consequent declaration of Independence in 1948, were met (within 24 hours) with an all out Arab military assault. Five neighboring Arab armies, plus volunteers from other hostile nations, closed in on the fledgling state of Israel in a death grip. The War of Independence lasted for eight long months, Israel prevailed, and the territory was secured.

What was God accomplishing through the Church at this same time? Powerful mantles of anointing were given to many during the late 1940's and early 1950's known as the "Healing Evangelists" (Billy Graham being the best known and most enduring one). Evangelism rose to a higher level world-wide, bringing in the harvest with power when Israel's sovereignty and territory were established.

3) 1967. The miraculous Six-Day War was forced upon Israel in June of 1967. Launching pre-emptive air and ground campaigns on all three fronts, Israel secured an overwhelming victory within six days of fierce fighting. Not only was the Sinai Peninsula (which was later returned to Egypt) and the Golan Heights captured, but Jerusalem's Old City and Temple Mount were liberated and, for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, came under Jewish sovereignty.

What was God accomplishing through the Church at this same time? What is known today as the Charismatic Movement, gained momentum in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Not only was the Spirit of God "invading" mainline, denominational strongholds, but the Jesus Movement took off with power among the flower children and the counter-culture generation. A great harvest of souls were maturing in the fertile fields of both the traditional church and the youth culture, when Israel expanded her natural territory in battle.

Time and space limited further reflection about other crisis' in Israel's modern history that yielded spiritual fruit, or setbacks for the Church, such as the 1973 Yom-Kippur War (abortion was legalized in 1973 in the USA), and more. We have no doubt that, in looking back at 2006 from a future perspective, the spiritual observer will be able to connect the dots, and draw the inevitable connection between God's work in Israel and in the Church. These birth-pains are unstoppable, as should be our intercession.

Emerging Facts Leading to What End?

As the conflict broadens and intensifies with Israel "taking off its gloves" and the enemy responding in-kind, hundreds of Hizbullah rockets and mortar shells are hitting towns and villages throughout the Galilee. For the first time in Israel's history, enemy artillery struck as deep as the coastal city of Haifa. Israel's official stance remains--it holds Hizbullah, and the government of Lebanon, responsible for the ongoing long-term terror that is supported and funded by Syria and Iran. Israel is committed to uprooting it entirely this time, after six years of tolerance and restraint. Meanwhile, the presence of Iranian "military advisors" in Lebanon, has been confirmed. The involvement of Iranian soldiers in this crisis is a matter of urgent prayer.

At the same time, the various Islamic militant factions operating in the region, both in Gaza and in Lebanon, openly unveiled their cooperation and partnership in their sworn war against the "Zionist enemy." Hizbullah is thought to have over 13,000 missiles, including Iranian rockets capable of striking deep within Israel's population centers. Still, the enemy's camp is also riddled with confusion and rivalry, and violent clashes between Palestinian units broke out recently at the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Pray for confusion and division to increase in the enemy's camp.

Apart from the northern front, the campaign of terror continues on the southern front, with Kassam rockets continually fired on Israeli towns from Gaza. Israel's challenge in Gaza, is Palestinian militants staging their launchings from densely populated areas, which Israeli forces aren't willing to hit, in consideration of civilian casualties. Throughout Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), Arab militants were throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli targets, and fired at soldiers. Thankfully, Israeli security forces have been able to stop a number of terror operations against civilians before they were carried out. Pray for the enemy's plans inside Israel's center to be exposed and thwarted.

We advise the intercessors and those personally involved, to brace for the long haul. Pray for a harvest and protection among the Lebanese civilian population caught in the cross fire. Thousands of international visitors in Beirut cannot depart the besieged city and need prayer as well.

With the dark shadow of Syria and Iran on Israel's eastern horizon, an all out regional war is always a dire possibility. If and when such a war erupts, and should Israel find itself backed into a corner (which is not hard to imagine given her small territorial depth), nuclear weapons may be introduced into the arena and reshape the Middle East forever.

Prophetic Words of Battle and Comfort

A number of intercessors from around the world have reported meaningful visitations and visions. Two of these are being shared below as, we believe, they capture the heart of what the Spirit is saying:

Jane Pickering wrote: "I was praying for protection for military personnel and those who were in danger, and soon came to the point where I had no words left. I asked God to show me what He wanted me to pray. Suddenly I was weeping and had a sense of deep grief. All I could do was cry out, 'Yeshua, Yeshua,' again and again (I'm not Jewish). Then, added to the grief, was a powerful sense of purpose. I had my shofar in my hands and asked if there was anything I could blow for. The Lord said to blow for His people to be sustained.

The next moment, in the Spirit, I was standing on top of a building on a hill. I asked where I was, and was told I was on top of the Dome of the Rock (in Jerusalem). I've only seen pictures of it, but even from those, I didn't recognize it because the dome was no longer glowing gold, but a dull and weather-beaten blue.

I blew my shofar for a long time, and a column of angels descended down over the dome, but they didn't touch it. The column broke, some way above my head, and the angels spread out over the land. They were taking strength, courage, and comfort to wherever they were needed, and all the time they were saying, 'Yeshua, Yeshua.' I felt that they were specially linked to Him, and that, in all they were bringing, they would be stirring up a yearning for Him." End of quote.

We hear the Spirit indicating not only the Lord's nearness and comfort in the heart of the crisis, but also that those ministering angels are sent to draw the people to their Savior at the same time. Crisis can serve God's highest purposes since the harvest is not brought in by the harp, but by the sickle! Let the intercessors work in prayer with those angels, and ask for the opening of blind eyes and the turning of many hearts toward Jesus.

Stephen Bennett from Awesome City Music in Australia wrote: "In early June, we went into an unusual time of intercession and prayer for Israel. The presence of the Lord was very powerful, and many had prayers and words from the Lord. I personally had a vision of the Lord sitting on a big throne 'over' the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem--the throne was so big it completely covered it. Jesus was releasing His presence, glory, and protection over the city with waves of power from His arms.

We prayed for her peace as the Bible calls us to. I also saw a 'swarm' of dark demonic hordes. A huge dark wall of evil suddenly filled the sky, swooping into Israel and Jerusalem from the east, hell bent on her destruction, and demise in any way possible. It was vehement and looked very ugly. That night, there was an urgency of the Holy Spirit that the Lord was calling believers all around the world to pray for Israel and Jerusalem. The war was intensifying for that nation, and will continue to do so as it has for decades." End of quote.

What is the Spirit Saying to the Church?

Scripture instructs us to prayerfully discern what the Spirit is saying. Given the double witness of the appearance of the Lord's angels and authority over the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (Islam's crucial spiritual claim in the land), we believe that the Spirit of the Lord is saying that not only is the battle going to be hard, but its primary "hot spot" and determining factor will be the unseating of the demonic aspects of Islam, which energizes and activates the blinded Arab masses. Pray for the strength of the Lord to command this battle and wage this warfare!

As we wrote in the past, the sooner this militant demonic world principality is broken in battle, the better off the Arab masses will be who are presently in bondage under its dark shadow. Israel, it appears, may soon be called to fulfill yet another of her end-time purposes--that of bringing down Islam.

Prophesying of the glorious Kingdom that is coming at the end of this age, the word of God sets the volatile context, saying, "Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, 'Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.' But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor do they understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hooves bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the LORD, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth" Micah 4:11-13. Pray the word!

Is Israel Alone?

Never! Not only is God ever present, watching over His interests and covenant promises, but myriads of angels and intercessors are watching, praying, and waging spiritual war. You may be called to be one of them.

In addition, if you take a look at your map and examine the lands northeast of Israel, from which the main demonic thrust is issuing--Iran and Syria, you'll find Iraq lodged right in between them. An American force of roughly 100,000 battle ready troops, plus forces from other coalition nations, is stationed in Iraq at present. We have previously called attention to this unique fact, openly pondering the possibility that the Lord may have a different purpose for those coalition forces beyond the Iraqi mission--"for such a time as this."

Will the USA, Israel, and possibly other coalition nations, join efforts to subdue a fierce Islamic threat that is driven by demonic hatred to flood the world with Jihad? Islam's primary objective is to annihilate Israel, but that is only the beginning of its global intent of world domination. Without Israel taking a stand against it, Islamic terror will continue to flood westward, uninterrupted as it has already begun. However, the final wars will be fought, "May God help the nation that turns her back on Israel in her hour of need."

Watch and pray. The battle is the Lord's, yet the folks on the battle fields carry the brunt of the campaign. "Bein Hameitzarim" recently started and is the three week season of distress on the Jewish calendar. During this window of time, the Jewish nation suffered repeated historic disasters, including the destructions of both Temples. This period of extreme danger ends on August 3, and is a time of urgent heightened prayer for Israel and her survival.

In grace,

Reuven and Mary Lou Doron

One New Man Call
P.O. Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
OneNewManMail@aol.com

Posted on August 2, 2006