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Persia Then and Now

Persia Then and Now

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.  I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.  Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are  with you.’” Ezekiel 38:1-6, NKJV

One of the greatest empires of ancient history, the Persian Empire, played a key role in the Old Testament story of God’s Chosen People.  A careful study of Scripture makes it clear that Persia (modern-day Iran) has a key role to play in future prophetic events as well.  To better understand what the Word of God teaches about these coming events, we first need to look at the storied past of this often victorious and powerful nation.

The beginnings of what would become the Persian Empire can be traced back in Iran hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.  Two major tribes that became known as the Medes and Persians grew to become powerful groups in their own right.  They were first under the control of the Assyrian Empire and later the Babylonians.  At first, the Medes were the dominant partners in the pair, but after a period of struggle, Cyrus the Great supplanted the Medes and established himself as ruler over all of Persia. 

It was the Persian army that was encamped around the famed city of Babylon the night that Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall of his palace as he celebrated a drunken feast.  Belshazzar made a fatal mistake when he called for the vessels of silver and gold that had been looted from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought in for use in their celebration.  That very hour the judgment of Babylon was written on the wall.  It is no coincidence that the disrespect shown by Belshazzar to the God of the Jewish people was the final act that brought his reign to an end.

The prophet Daniel was called when none of the wise men of the kingdom could interpret what had been written.  He delivered the message that the words MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN meant that God had numbered and weighed Belshazzar and was about to judge him by taking his kingdom from him.  Just as Daniel foretold, the city was taken that very night by the invading Persian army.

Cyrus was very kindly disposed toward the Jewish people and issued the Edict of Restoration, which called for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.  This act was foretold by the prophet Isaiah more than 150 years before it happened, including naming Cyrus as the leader who would allow the Jews to return to their homeland.  Skeptics scoff at the notion that the prophet could have identified by name a future pagan king who would return God’s Chosen People to their ancient capital of Jerusalem, but it is yet one more indication that whatever the Word of God says will surely come to pass.  The God who knows all things has given us glimpses into the future, and when we rightly study the Word, we can learn the things He wishes for us to know to prepare for the future.

The Persian Empire expanded even more under Cyrus’ successors, the most famous of whom was Darius the Great.  (This is not the same Darius as the ruler named in Daniel 6 who was deceived into signing the decree that ended with Daniel being thrown into the den of lions, but a later king with the same name.)  Under Darius the reach of Persia stretched across from Europe and North Africa across the Middle East and into Asia.

As foretold by Daniel, the Persian Empire lasted until it was conquered by the Greeks under Alexander the Great some 300 years before the birth of Christ.  From that time forward, the land we know as Iran passed from one hand to the next.  Among the empires who ruled Iran were the Parthians and the Sassanids.  Not long after the foundation of Islam, Iran was invaded and conquered, and it became part of the Islamic Caliphate.

The Mongols under Genghis Khan conquered Iran as part of the westward expansion of his empire. The region was a major battle ground for centuries, until the establishment of the Safavid Dynasty some 1,500 years after the birth of Christ.  They settled the borders of what is now Iran and ruled into the 1700s when the Ottomans from the West and the Russians from the north took much of their land and held it until after the First World War.

In 1925, a military coup placed Reza Shah in power, and he and his son Mohammed Shah Pahlavi ruled the country for most of the next 50 years until the Iranian Revolution under Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.  This revolt, which was covertly and sometimes openly supported by many Western nations, including the United States under President Jimmy Carter, installed the radical Islamist regime that still holds power today as a bitter enemy of the nation of Israel.  This represented a radical change for Iran, which under the Shah had been very friendly toward the Jewish state.

This enmity is no surprise to students of prophecy.  In describing the participants who will take part in the great End-Time battle against the restored nation of Israel, Ezekiel lists Persia as one of the nations that will be drawn into the conflict in defiance of God and His Chosen People.  It is not hard to see the prophetic pieces being positioned when we read the news day after day. 

The leaders of Russia and Iran have had a series of recent meetings, and it is known that Russia has reaped billions of dollars in profits from the sale of nuclear and military technology to Iran.  These actions, taken in defiance of United Nations sanctions to prevent Iran from getting such advanced weaponry, are a clear indication that Russia is arming potential allies for a future war.  Iran has benefitted greatly from the technological know-how of Russian advisors and scientists during its current build-up.

No one knows the exact timing of the war to annihilate Israel foretold by the prophet Ezekiel, but we do know that it will certainly take place.  Those who oppose the Jewish state and wish to see the Jewish people destroyed have taken sides in the ancient enmity between Satan and God over the fate of His Chosen People, and their judgment for doing so is certain.

The Bible not only foretells this great battle, but it gives us the end result as well:

“And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.  Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:22-23).

Many people believe that the Bible foretells a nuclear strike against those who attempt to destroy Israel and the Holy City of Jerusalem.  For example, the prophet Zechariah described the results of the battle in terms that certainly match the effects of a nuclear blast:

“And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths” (Zechariah 14:12).

Whatever means are used to bring about their defeat, there is no doubt that the enemies of Israel, including Iran, will be destroyed for their attempt to touch the “apple of God’s eye”—the Jewish people.  This Bible prophecy is just as certain as the many that have already been fulfilled.  Though Iran certainly poses a grave threat to Israel, and its desire to see the Jewish state destroyed cannot be denied, ultimately Iran will fail in its evil purpose because God has declared that He will do battle to defend Israel and bring glory to His name.

 

Spirit Wars

 

“Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.  And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.’ While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.  Then he said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.’” Daniel 10:10-13

In the book of Daniel, we find the great prophet and man of faith praying and fasting and seeking answers from God about the visions he had been given regarding the future.  After three weeks Daniel was visited by an angel who brought him the answer to his prayer, but the angel also revealed to Daniel a spiritual battle that had been taking place in the unseen realm.

The angel said that the answer had been sent immediately, but it had been delayed because a demonic power that he referred to as the “prince of Persia” had blocked it from being delivered.  It was not until the archangel Michael, who is seen in Scripture as a great fighter for God’s people, arrived and helped win the battle that the angel with Daniel’s answer was able to come to the prophet and deliver it to him.

The Bible teaches that there are different levels of authority in the spirit realm.  Paul wrote,

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

One of the most important truths I have ever learned is that no battle can be won in the physical realm unless it has first been fought and won in the spiritual realm.  If Daniel had not been faithful to continue praying, even though his answer was delayed, I do not believe that the spiritual battle would have been won.  We are not observers in spiritual warfare; we are on the front lines of the battle.  Our prayers matter a great deal, and they are powerful.  The great hymn writer William Cowper said, “Satan trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees.”

We have a responsibility to be active participants in spiritual warfare.  We must take this seriously, because these spiritual powers—both demonic and angelic—are actively at work in our world today.  This is one of the vital lessons of this story from the book of Daniel.  Each of us is facing battles against differing levels or layers of authority in the spiritual realm.

This is not just true on an individual basis; it is true on a national level as well.  The demonic being referred to as “prince of Persia” had power and authority over one of the greatest empires of history.  This is not an isolated or special case.  Other nations have demonic powers assigned to them.  After talking with Daniel, the angel revealed that there was another evil spirit involved.  “Then he  said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come” (Daniel 10:20).

This tells us that just as Persia had a demonic power working in authority over its empire, there was a “prince of Greece” as well.  It was only after the demonic power behind the kingdom of Persia had been defeated by the archangel Michael that the Greeks, under Alexander the Great, were able to defeat them on the field of battle.  Previous to that time, the Greeks and Persians had fought a series of battles, but there was no decisive victory until the demonic power dynamic was changed. 

This matters a great deal to us today because Persia—modern-day Iran—is once again involved heavily in potential conflict with the nation of Israel.  We do not know whether the same “prince of Persia” that was active in Daniel’s day is the same one behind the rulers of Iran today, but there is no doubt that there is a demonic power behind the throne.  Satan has hated God’s Chosen People throughout all of human history, and his demonic powers have turned many governments against them.  From Pharaoh in Egypt to Hitler in Germany to the leaders of Iran today, the same evil forces are at work to try to destroy the Jewish people.

I personally confronted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other top Iranian political and religious leaders in New York City a few years ago.  I can tell you without any question that the demonic power in these men is real.  I could feel its presence when I walked into the room with them.  I immediately began to pray in my spirit that the Spirit of God would bind those demonic forces and give me His power.  God is greater than any power of the enemy!

The reality of spiritual warfare is that Israel cannot be defended just with tanks and planes and soldiers and intelligence services or any other weapons.  The Jewish state must first and most importantly be defended in prayer.  That is why the Jerusalem Prayer Team exists—to gather Believers from around the world to fight and win the most important spiritual battle of our lifetime. 

As Daniel did, we must be faithful to pray until the victory is won.  Only when the “prince of Persia” is defeated in the heavenlies will Israel have victory over the great threat posed against her today by Iran, and that victory will not happen unless and until we do our part to win it.

 

Shia vs. Sunni

 

There is a deep theological divide within Islam that dates back to the days just after the death of Mohammed. The great majority of Muslims in the world today follow the traditional Sunni sect.  The more radical Shia trace their roots back to Mohammed’s son-in-law Ali, who they believe should have succeeded Mohammed as the head the religion.  Shia is a shortened version of Shiat Ali, the party of Ali. 

Most Muslim countries today are dominated by Sunni Muslims.  The most notable exception is Iran.  There, the Shia have held sway since the Islamic revolution in 1979 that overthrew the Shah and placed Ayatollah Khomeini in power.  For the past 36 years, Iran’s leaders have been attempting to export their theology by sponsoring terrorist organizations like Hezbollah.

The Shia hold a particular end-times prophecy that closely mimics the Christian doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ.  They are watching for the 12th Imam (because of this, they are often referred to as “twelvers”) to return and place the entire world under Islamic sharia law.  They believe that this descendant of Mohammed will only be revealed after a bloody and violent war—all the more reason not to trust Iran with nuclear weapons.

 

A Friend Betrayed

 

In the 1970s, the Shah of Iran was a great friend of both the United States and Israel.  Under his leadership, Iran was rapidly becoming part of the modern world, but during the disastrous presidency of Jimmy Carter, the U.S. turned its back on a friend and paved the way for a wave of Islamic terrorism like nothing the world had seen before in the modern age.

I had the privilege of interviewing Shahbanu Farah Diba some years ago.  She recounted in detail the many ways in which the U.S. government worked to undermine her husband, and how billions of dollars were poured into the coffers of Ayatollah Khomeini to use for his revolution.

The sad reality is that most of the terrorism we are fighting around the world today traces its roots to the Carter Administration’s decision to support the Islamic revolution that took over Iran in 1979.  The lessons of America’s betrayal and the fate of Iran in the 1970s are not lost on Israel today.  There is no guarantee that the United States will stand with Israel with either the Iranian nuclear program or a potential United Nations vote on Palestinian statehood.

 

A Speech to the Nation of Israel

 

When I addressed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, I talked about the four different ways of waging war in the modern era: 1) economic war, 2) media war, 3) proxy war, and 4) boots on the ground.  Much of modern conflict is aimed at achieving victory before step four is ever reached.  Then I said this: “I don’t need to tell you about winning military wars.  Israel has won wars against overwhelming odds time and again.  You have all the tools to fight and win conventional wars.  What Israel needs is help fighting the spirit war that motivates these attacks.”

The truth is that while Israel’s military is amazingly well trained and equipped, and it has been proven again and again in battle, it cannot win the war.  America’s military might cannot win the war.  The war—the war that matters most—can only be fought and won by Believers who are willing to wrestle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.   

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Where Will America Stand?

Where Will America Stand?

 

During his State of the Union Address, President Joe Biden announced plans for the U.S. to build a floating harbor in Gaza, which would be used to distribute food and other humanitarian aid. He condemned Israel for the situation on the ground and uncritically used vastly inflated casualty figures distributed by Hamas in the process. While it is true that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is severe, it is not true that Israel is to blame for it. The fault for that lies directly on the Hamas terrorists who are carrying out their orders from Iran. One reporter called the State of the Union speech “the most anti-Israel presidential speech in history.”

 

In addition, a British newspaper reported that the Biden Administration is working behind the scenes to try to force the collapse of the government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu. They hope to see him replaced with someone who will not prosecute the war against Hamas with such intensity. The Biden Administration continues to hold Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where Hamas terrorists have regrouped as off limits for a ground invasion, even referring to it as a “red line” that Israel must not cross. Israel has so far rejected any outside nation placing restrictions on how they fight to eradicate Hamas and defend themselves, but they are under increasing pressure to hold back.

 

The United States has been a friend and help to the Jewish people, even long before the nation of Israel was miraculously reborn in 1948. President Harry Truman was the first foreign leader to recognize the new Jewish state when they declared independence. For more than 75 years now, America has been a staunch friend and ally of Israel. And Israel has been America’s most reliable ally in the Middle East in return. Now U.S. support for Israel is hanging in the balance. Where will America stand? It is up to us to pray and speak out to ensure that we do not turn our backs on God’s Chosen People in this crisis moment.

 

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A Look at Iran’s Leaders

A Look at Iran’s Leaders

Supreme Leader Grand

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Born in 1939, Ali Khamenei claims to be descended from Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin of Mohammed and the first Imam of Shi’a Islam.  Within Iran, his office gives him absolute power and authority.  Khamenei was a top ally of Ayatollah Khomeini during the Iranian revolution.  Following the overthrow of the Shah, he served as Iran’s Secretary of Defense and was appointed to lead Friday prayers in Tehran.

In 1981, after surviving an assassination attempt that left his right arm permanently paralyzed, Khamenei was installed as president of Iran.  In his inaugural address, Khamenei promised to eliminate “deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists.”  During the Iran-Iraq war which started in 1982, Khamenei developed close ties to the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards. 

Khamenei remained in office as president until 1989, when following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, he was selected by the Council of Experts to be the spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic.  The office of supreme leader, as established by Ayatollah Khomeini is to serve as a “theocratic guardian” of the people.  No law passed by the government may take effect without his approval.  Even those who are elected to office only serve if he deems them fit for the position.

One observer described Khamenei as the “omnipotent overseer of Iran’s political scene.”  Khamenei rarely speaks in public and has established a firm policy of not meeting with representatives or leaders of any Western government.  He does appear on Iranian television with foreign leaders from Muslim nations and the representatives of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.  Under his leadership, Iran has poured billions of dollars into training and arming various terrorist organizations.

Khamenei promoted the candidacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to serve as president when he first ran for office, and again in 2009 as a bulwark against reform efforts.  The 2009 election was marked by massive fraud and allegations of government interference.  Following massive protests, in which a large number of Iranians were killed, the government consolidated its grip on power.   The two men were once close, but reports of rifts between them followed the removal of several key Ahmadinejad allies from their government posts. 

Khamenei is no fan of tolerance.  His persecution of Christians, the Baha’i community, and even Sunni Muslims has been harsh.  As president, Khamenei signed a declaration that called for members of minority groups to have their “progress and development blocked” and keep those who openly practice religion from attending school or gaining meaningful employment.

Among the demonstrations of his absolute power are his edict closing public music schools because music education corrupts the minds of young children, and his forbidding the parliament of Iran from even debating the laws governing the press.  Khamenei also appoints the members of the Council of Guardians, who select those who will be allowed to run for office.

Khamenei once said that it is “clear that conflict and confrontation between [the Islamic Republic of Iran and the U.S.] is something natural and unavoidable.”  He described the United States as “trying to establish a global dictatorship and further its own interests by dominating other nations and trampling on their rights.”  In a speech to Iranian students in 2008, Khamenei said, “the Iranian people’s hatred for America is profound. The reason for this [hatred] is the various plots that the U.S. government has concocted against Iran and the Iranian people in the past 50 years. The Americans have not only refused to apologize for their actions, but have continued with their arrogant actions.”

The Iranian leader reserves his harshest words for Israel.  He stated publicly that, “this cancerous tumor of a state [Israel] should be removed from the region.”  In a 2008 sermon Khamenei declared that “it is incorrect, irrational, pointless and nonsense to say that we are friends of the Israeli people.”

President Ebrahim Raisi

The eighth president of the Islamic Republic, Ebrahim Raisi was born on December 14, 1960.  His father died when he was five, and Raisi attended a number of schools.  At the age of 15, four years prior to the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Shah, he began studying at Qom Seminary.  There is considerable dispute as to the extent of his studies.  He has claimed to have a doctorate, but no records have been found to support that.  He has also claimed to be an Ayatollah, but again there does not appear to be any basis for that claim.

After the revolution when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, Raisi was appointed as a prosecutor.  He rose through the ranks and was moved to Tehran.  Raisi has been named as one of the members of the “death committee,” which met to assign the penalties for those deemed not to be sufficiently in agreement with the new Islamic Republic.  Though the government officially recognizes less than 4,000 deaths, outside groups like Amnesty International place the death toll at more than 30,000.

In addition to his service as chief prosecutor in Tehran, Raisi was later named First Deputy Chief Justice of Iran.  After ten years in that post, he was designated Iran’s Attorney General.  Raisi continued to distinguish himself as a hard-liner, even by the extreme standards of the government of Iran.  

In 2017 Raisi ran against the incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani.  Other ultra conservative candidates dropped out of the race and threw their support behind him, but in the end, Raisi received only 38 percent of the vote, and Rouhani was elected to a second term.  In 2021, Raisi ran again for the open office of president.  This time he received 68 percent of the vote, although there were widespread allegations of voting irregularities.  Opposition candidates claimed the vote was rigged, but Raisi became president nonetheless.

Raisi made it clear from the beginning that he was committed to continuing Iran’s hostility toward Israel.  He picked Ahmad Vahidi to serve as Minister of Interior in his government.  Vahidi was involved in the deadly terror attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1994 that killed 85 people and injured more than 300 others at a Jewish community center.  

His term in office has been marked by widespread protests across Iran, and the people demand the freedoms and reforms they have been promised.  But Raisi continues in power, and is expected to run for reelection when his current term ends in 2025.  He has been officially named by the United States government and sanctioned for human rights violations.  He has been unable to travel outside the country for fear of arrest.

In 2006 Raisi was named to Iran’s Council of Experts, the 86 member body that selects Iran’s leaders and approves all candidates for office.  He began serving his second ten-year term in that body in 2016.  It is widely believed that if the current Supreme Leader were to die, Raisi would become the third Ayatollah of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  His hatred of Israel is well-known, and he is one of the strongest voices in defense of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Major General Hossein Salami

In April of 2019, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Hossein Salami to be the head of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran (the Revolutionary Guards). Since the revolution in 1979, this has been one of the most powerful positions in the government of Iran.  Salami replaced Major General Mohammad Jafari who had held the post since 2007.

Salami was a student at the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran when the Iran-Iraq War started.  He left school to serve in the army, returning after the war was over to finish both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Salami has served in Iran’s military ever since, rising through the ranks to become a major general.  He carries on his country’s forty-year hatred of Israel.  In January of 2019, Salami told an Iranian television station that the “Zionist regime” needed to be wiped off the map.  Salami previously served as deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards and is known to be very hardline against both Israel and America.

The Revolutionary Guards are a radical group even by Iranian standards.  They are the most committed to ensuring the ideological purity of the regime and enforcing the standards of strict Islamic law on everyone in Iran.  The group is also a major supporter of world terrorism, and many of its top officials, including Salami have been personally sanctioned by the European Union and other Western powers.     

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How to Develop Mountain-Moving Faith

How to Develop Mountain-Moving Faith

The evangelist Dwight L. Moody once said, “Faith that fizzles in the finish has a flaw in the beginning.” For many Christians, faith is a concept, not a reality. It is easier for them to talk about faith than to walk by it, but the Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. What kind of faith pleases the Lord? Faith that can be tested and can be stretched…mountain-moving faith!

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:22-23).

To survive in today’s world, you need faith—but the right kind of faith. Not flawed faith that “fizzles in the end.” That isn’t really faith at all, is it? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality—faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (Amplified).

Romans 12:3 says, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” You have received a measure of faith! If you want to develop your faith, you have to exercise it. What does that mean? “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Can you develop your faith simply by going to church and listening to good preaching? Yes, you can increase your faith that way. But relying solely on your sense of hearing will not turn your faith into mountain-moving faith. You must hear the Word of God with your heart!

Hearing the Word of God is not the same as listening to it. Hearing goes beyond the physical act. It engages the heart—and it begins, not with the ear, but with the eye. If you want to develop mountain-moving faith, you must be in the Word every day. You must read it and let God speak to you through it. From there, you begin to latch onto truths that impact you, and you step out in faith.

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The Machal

The Machal

Israel’s quest for independence was greatly aided by the Machal or Mitnadvei ChutzLa’Arets (Volunteers from Outside Israel). This was a group of volunteers, approximately 3,500 strong, who hailed from at least 37 different countries. Young and old, they answered the rallying cry of the young nation surrounded by enemies determined to destroy every man, woman, and child. Some of them were Jewish, many were Believers, and some were simply interested in the cause of freedom for Israel.

The Jewish Underground in European countries and other far-flung places during the war produced a number of volunteers eager to aid the Israelis in their quest for autonomy in their new homeland. World War II veterans joined with the newborn Israel Defense Forces, who linked arms to enable ships loaded with Holocaust survivors to avoid blockades set up by the British navy. The proficiency and experience brought by these men and women made a critical difference in getting as many survivors as possible to the Holy Land.

They also made a huge contribution to the outcome of Israel’s War for Independence. The training provided in every area—infantry, air force, navy, artillery, health, and communication—was a key to Israel’s success against an overwhelming foe. This war was truly of a tiny Jewish David versus the Arab Goliath. In its infancy, Israel was forced to fight for its life against the monolithic machine stationed at its borders, and it needed the help of every able-bodied volunteer. Israeli soldiers referred to the volunteers from outside Israel—Americans and Canadians— as the Machlaniks. The enlistees saw firsthand the devastation to the Jews who had taken the burden of fatalities from the enemy armies of five surrounding countries. Relative to the number of inhabitants, Israel’s losses during the War of Independence were “five times higher than the number of American combat deaths in World War II.”

Some estimate the death toll at 6,000—approximately one-tenth of the Jewish population at that time. By contrast, America lost approximately three-tenths of a percent of her population during World War II. The volunteers arrived with drive and determination and with an undeterred dedication to defend the newly created Jewish homeland. Some fought with the Haganah, the underground army, with Palmach, an elite division of the underground, and ultimately with the Israel Defense Forces, but each put their life on the line to assist the Jewish people.

“The Machal forces were the Diaspora’s most important contribution to the survival of the State of Israel.”

David Ben-Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel

After the battles had been fought and independence won, many of the Machal stayed on to marry, raise families, and become productive and resolute citizens of the State of Israel. Sons and daughters followed in their footsteps as members of the IDF, defending their nation.

American Jews who wanted to serve were discouraged from doing so. At that time, Israel had few friends, including the United States. An embargo was in place to prevent military materiel being shipped to the fledgling nation. Americans traveling abroad had their passports stamped with: “This passport is not valid for travel to or in any foreign state for the purpose of entering or serving in the armed forces of such a state.”

Those Americans who did attempt to fight alongside the Israelis faced an attempt to intimidate with the threat of losing their citizenship. Americans who chose to ignore the warning had their citizenship put on hold while they served. If taken hostage by the Arab enemies, U.S. servicemen could expect no assistance from the United States and could claim no rights as American citizens. Few other countries placed such harsh restrictions on volunteers who aided the Israelis.

These determined volunteers were forced to travel a complex route to get to the Holy Land. The first leg of the journey was made by ship or airplane to either France or Italy. Once in Europe they were forced to spend weeks or months in camps for displaced persons until passage could be arranged to Haifa. The last leg of the journey was often made on an outdated tramp steamer or ship refitted to carry cargo with the most primitive of facilities. The travelers were in constant danger—either because of the rusting hulks or the Arab enemy.

Among the many who gave selfless assistance to the Israeli army and air force were: David Daniel “Mickey” Marcus, a graduate of West Point and later Commissioner of Corrections for New York City, who according to the Jewish Virtual Library: “wrote the first Israeli field manual on tactics and tragically died during the fight to open a new road to Jerusalem when he was accidentally shot by an Israeli sentry.” Marcus was later immortalized by Hollywood in the movie “Cast a Giant Shadow.”

Paul Shulman, an Annapolis alumnus, commanded the Israeli navy. His fleet numbered just three ships. Harry “Freddy” Fredkens was returned to England by David Ben-Gurion to clandestinely purchase aircraft for the newly christened Israeli Air Force. He was able to secure several trainers as well as Norseman light transport planes. Jack Freedman, a British citizen, was an excellent airplane mechanic and flight engineer. He was tapped to use his expertise to prepare the older-model planes for flight. It was Freedman who cobbled together Israel’s first Spitfire. It was assembled from parts of abandoned Royal Air Force planes following the British withdrawal from Palestine. The plane was test flown by Boris Senior of South Africa, a World War II pilot who also volunteered his services to fly airplanes to Israel from their purchase sites.

In America, Al Schwimmer, a TWA flight engineer, left his job to act as purchasing agent to secure much-needed airplanes. He helped to organize the Israeli Air Force’s Air Transport Command (ATC), the group that flew aircraft from Czechoslovakia to Israel, a major accomplishment. It was IAF pilots who were able to halt the Egyptian army’s momentum toward Tel Aviv.

Major General Herzle Bodinger, commander of the IAF from 1992 to 1996, said of the Machal airmen who flew so bravely into the battle during the War of Independence: “The non-Israeli aircrews played a decisive role, both in achieving Air Force objectives and in laying its organizational foundation. The legacy of their special contribution accompanies us to this day.”

During the course of the conflict, at least 119 Machal volunteers died in battle; four were women, and seven were Gentiles from the United States and Canada: George “Buzz” Beurling, Leonard Fitchett, Fred Stevenson, Glenn King, Bill Edmondson, Spencer Boyd, and Oliver G. Holton. All fought bravely for the right of the Jewish people to return to their homeland in Palestine. The outcome might have been terribly different had it not been for an illicit infusion of military supplies, including machine guns, rifles, and ammunition from (what was then the united country of) Czechoslovakia near the end of May 1948. It was a blessing for the under-armed Israelis and a monetary boon for the cash-strapped Czechs.

By the time the long, bitter battle finally ceased in January 1949, Palestinians by the hundreds of thousands fled to surrounding countries upon orders from the Arab leaders, who had visions of a triumphant return after routing the Jews. Following the deadly confrontation, Israeli leaders made the first of many succeeding attempts to forge a lasting peace with their Arab neighbors; no one would respond. There was no partner for peace. Arab inflexibility alone was responsible—then and now—for the continuing wars and unrest.

There is no doubt in the mind of any Jewish national who participated in the War for Independence that it was in large measure the various gifts, skills, experience, and passion of these brave and loyal volunteers from around the globe that brought them victory and sustained the fledgling State of Israel.

Lydia Christensen was a child of privilege. Born in Denmark in 1890 to wealthy parents, she achieved most of her life’s goals by the time she was 38. She became a teacher and pioneer in the field of home economics. She also enjoyed a loving relationship with Soren, another teacher, and was certain they were destined for marriage. Yet something was missing. Lydia later recalled: “There was a finality about it [marriage] that frightened me. Why should I have to fight that private reservation? Was there still something that was needed to make our lives complete? During the past year I had turned this question over in my mind a hundred times, but I had never been able to find any answer. Indeed, I had no idea where to look for one.”

Putting the question to Soren was perhaps the best thing Lydia could have done. He remarked that the emptiness inside her could be filled with religion and suggested she visit the Evangelical Mission nearby. Rather than take Soren’s suggestion, Lydia boarded the train the next morning to join her mother and siblings for the Christmas holidays. Though she had a wonderful visit, the inner turmoil continued to plague her even after she returned to her empty apartment in Korsor.

Sitting in her living room one cold afternoon, she opened her Bible to the book of Matthew. She read through the first six chapters but discovered that: “as I reached chapter 7, it was as though I came to a clearing, where the full, uninterrupted rays of the sun came streaming down upon me…. Somewhere ahead … there was a gate. Inside, there was a way that led to peace and fulfillment.”

During Bible study that fateful day, Lydia met the Prince of Peace and submitted her will and her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. After much prayer and seeking God’s will, Lydia felt that He was directing her to go to Jerusalem during the tumultuous days between the First and Second World Wars. On October 18, 1928, at the age of 38, Lydia landed in Tel Aviv with about $200 in her purse and then traveled eastward to Jerusalem.

There, she learned Arabic and founded a children’s home, becoming a mother to dozens of Jewish and Arab orphans, mainly girls. Lydia quietly ministered to Arab women in Jerusalem. When World War II broke out, she expanded her ministry to include British soldiers stationed in or visiting Jerusalem during the conflict.

One of the soldiers with whom Lydia came in contact was Derek Prince, a scholar of both philosophy and language. Though there was a 25- year age gap between the two (Lydia was the elder), they married and remained in Israel until its declaration of independence in 1948. After their marriage, she and Derek adopted eight of Lydia’s orphan girls. The Princes and their daughters returned to Britain, where they taught, ministered, and shepherded gatherings. Their service to various congregations took them to England, Canada, Africa, and finally to the United States, where they settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Derek Prince became a well-known Bible teacher with a successful radio ministry. His program, “Keys to Successful Living,” was heard in various languages worldwide. He was equally well-known for his service in the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International. Lydia was his helpmate in every way, working diligently in the ministry to help promote the Gospel. She suffered a debilitating stroke in 1975 and died in October of that year. Not only her family grieved her death, but people worldwide mourned the loss of the woman who had touched their lives over a span of 50 years—particularly those in Israel.

Just as the Machal responded to the desperate need of the nation of Israel in 1948, today we are faced with the challenge—and the opportunity— to take a stand for God’s Chosen People. The members of the Jerusalem Prayer Team are fighting a conflict that is just as real, even though by its nature a spiritual battle cannot be seen with our natural eyes.

Our prayers are a vital weapon in the struggle for control of the Holy City and the land of Israel. We must be faithful and diligent as we do our part to defend the Jewish people in our day.

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