Surrogate War

Middle Eastern Tinderbox Is
Where The Final Fuse Will Be Lit

he steadily escalating military conflict of war by proxy, or surrogate conflict, that is steadily climbing in intensity in the Middle East, will eventually boil over into a hideous conflagration in which significant loss of lives will occur. The concept of satellite wars, or proxy war, goes back centuries; however, it's most familiar manifestation from the American point of view would be in the Cold War East/West conflict, in which the US jousted with the USSR in Korea, Vietnam, Angola, and a dozen other places.

After the Cold War, we entered into a period where the surrogate was no longer necessarily as a national subordinate, but could be a populist movement without a country -- i.e. the Sandinista government versus the Western financed Contras. Various rebel groups, such as the Maoist Shining Path movement in Peru, had religious overtones, but once big time religion entered into the equation, we moved into a period in which the surrogate went asymmetrical, as is now seen in various strains of militant Islamic movements.

As a case in point, even though the Jewish underground militants which fought against British and Jordanian armies towards the formation of Israel were a people without a country, their violence was focused in one nation -- arguably the area called Palestine. There were German Jews, Russian Jews, and Polish Jews in these movements, so it was no longer a purely ethnic proposition. It's worth noting Jews did not form militias in a dozen nations to take each nation for themselves, as all they really cared about, at least militarily, was getting a toehold in one place. 

Conversely, Islamic movements are practically everywhere, and they have huge variations -- some are Shiite, others are Sunni, and there are varying shades of combinations of both. Whenever a cell group is broken up, authorities find Palestinians in Egypt, Yemenis in Bahrain, or Egyptians in Italy. In short, it's no longer about the race, it's about the religion. However, as Iran has now emerged as the most potent geo-political power in terms of economy, industrial capabilities, and military/technical know how, the Islamic state is broadly funding surrogate actions on multiple fronts, and it's not only about destroying Israel. Under the banner of the Mahdi, they want the whole world, and Israel is in their way.

Along the road to rule, Tehran's surrogates Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and a dozen other lesser known names, have steadily grown in power. Coupled with Syria, and Socialist regimes such as North Korea and Venezuela who have a political agenda in assisting the Islamic cabal, what we end up with is an explosion looking for a place to be detonated. In other words, it's not a matter of if, but it's a matter of when.

Surprising, the Scriptures speak of Surrogate War as well, for they tell us we wrestle not against flesh and blood (or nations, races, or even economic systems) but against "principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). In other words, the "flesh and blood" are the surrogates of the Spiritual evil.

The situation becomes even more convoluted once we realize that just because any entity (whether national, ethnic, religious, or any other affinity driven group) finds themselves in a Surrogate War with another entity, it doesn't necessarily follow that either group is actually the righteous party. For example, unless you're completely biased, an astute observer could look at the Protestant Reformation and find egregious conduct on the part of Catholics and Protestants -- each Spiritually justifying their hideous behaviour -- even as neither was doing the work of the LORD both factions claimed to serve.

In Revelation, we find one faction described in allegorical terms as grotesque, demonic forces with the characteristics of Serpents (Revelation 9:19) in mortal combat with another group, imaged as Locusts that sting like Scorpions (Revelation 9:7,10). With descriptions like this, it would be difficult for anyone to declare either side to be that vanishing breed known as "the good guys."

However, we are all forced to respond to the Surrogates, if not the source. In the final analysis, and in the very near term, there will be a monstrous confrontation, and that will usher in yet another phase of the rapidly accelerating end of the age. By the way, there is only one good guy in this panoramic tale -- and His name is Jesus. This would be a good time to get to know Him.