Despite numerous warnings, the U.S. military was unprepared for what was to occur on a Sunday morning 65 years ago. The result was a resounding defeat at the hands of the enemy. None-the-less, the U.S. military forces subsequently rose from the ashes of defeat and decisively overcame the enemy, changing the face of the world forever.

 

During a recent teleconference in preparation for the MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM) Northwest roundtable, my wife stated that there are lessons for the Church that could be learned from the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The round table was convened the following week in Pacific, Washington. The name "Pacific" is derived from the Latin word pacificus meaning "to make peace". However, the ocean that bears that name is often a raging torrent. In the same way, a false sense of peace existed in the U.S. military forces in the Pacific in 1941 and exists over much of the Church today. The enemy exploited that delusion at Pearl Harbor, and demonic forces seek to do the same within the Church now. As those attending the roundtable began to share what they were receiving, much was revealed about the readiness of the pre-war U.S. military that is applicable to the present day Church. As is often the case, the Lord will give prophetic revelation from an historical or current event that is applicable today. This truth is stated in the following scripture passages:

"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)

"However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual." (1 Corinthians 15:46)

The date of the attack that launched the United States into World War II, December 7, 1941 (12/7/41), speaks of what is coming. Twelve is the number of government and seven is the number of perfection. The government of God, His perfect government (12/7) is going to be established on the earth through the remnant in His Church, and it "will rest on His shoulders" (Isaiah 9:6). The date also led us to chapters 12, 7, and 41 in the book of Isaiah. While Isaiah chapter 40 ends with instruction to wait upon the Lord to renew our strength, Isaiah 41 begins with a transition to a place where our strength will come from His righteous judgments.

"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31)

"Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment." (Isaiah 41:1, italics added)

We won't be dragged down and made weary when we are delivered from what hinders us by the judgment of the Lord. Instead we will volunteer freely in the day of His power (see Psalm 110:3). In Isaiah chapter 12, we see that the judgments of the Lord gave way to the comforting of His remnant (see Isaiah 11:16).

"Then you will say on that day, 'I will give thanks to Thee, O LORD; For although Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, And Thou dost comfort me.'" (Isaiah 12:1)

As we also see in Psalm 30:5,

"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Isaiah chapter 7 accurately prophesied of a judgment in the household of Israel saying, "now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people" (see Isaiah 7:8). So too it seems that the events of Pearl Harbor are prophesying of a judgment within the household of God today (see 1 Peter 4:17). It is reasonable for us to expect that the Lord is using the events that took place in the natural in 1941, to speak to us about supernatural events in 2006 (see 1 Corinthians 15:46). In these last days, the judgments of the Lord will expose the darkness and the Lord will shine on us if we are expectant, as we see in Ephesians 5:13-16:

"But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.' Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

In 1940, there were signs that war between the United States and Japan was a real possibility. The U.S. was opposed to Japanese aggression in the western Pacific, and employed diplomatic efforts, trade sanctions, and an embargo against Japan to try to influence its behavior. Additionally, U.S. military intelligence had begun to decipher encrypted Japanese messages. Just as the Lord builds our faith in His prophetic revelation each time He fulfills His word, the validity of the deciphering tool was confirmed through a process of decoding the messages, and then observing the subsequent actions of the Japanese military that were directed by those messages. Late in 1941, analysis of those messages strongly indicated an impending attack at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and other American bases in the Pacific. The decoded information was only made known to a dozen government and military leaders. Those leaders, who included the President, the Secretaries of State and War, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Army Chief of Staff, were referred to as the "Twelve Apostles" by the military cryptographers who were providing them the information. Inexplicably, those leaders did not act on the forecasts, nor make adequate preparations for the defense of those threatened bases, nor promulgate the warnings to the commanders of the endangered Pacific bases. The enemy exploited the complacency and unpreparedness of the U.S. military, taking maximum advantage of the principle of surprise. The author of the definitive work on the principles of war entitled On War, Prussian Army officer Carl von Clauswitz once wrote "There seldom arises a long suspension of activities, which lulls one side into security and thus gives the other an opportunity to attack unexpectedly." This statement seems to describe not only the condition of readiness of the American forces at Pearl Harbor in 1941, but could also apply to the Church today.

What symptoms of complacency that existed within the American military in 1941, are common to the American Church today and would make it susceptible to a surprise attack and defeat?

• Pride. The U.S. forces trusted in their natural strength, in their identity, and in the security of their surroundings. This shortcoming is the foundation of all of the other symptoms listed below. (see Proverbs 16:18)

• Lethargy. Stupor, drowsiness, and lukewarmness seemed to hang over the forces in Pearl Harbor, and they were paralyzed by dependence on their leaders to initiate action. Due to a system of centralized command based on mistrust of subordinates and fear of making a mistake, decision making was deferred to the highest levels of command. The resulting indecision and lack of decisiveness spelled defeat for the U.S. forces.

• No sense of danger. The U.S. government ignored ample warning and failed to discern the danger, giving the enemy the element of surprise.

• Overconfidence. An unfounded sense of invincibility coupled with a lack of respect for the capabilities of the enemy, is a recipe for defeat in warfare.

• Unprepardedness. A lack of preparation was a natural result of overconfidence. Both the Admiral in command of the U.S. Naval forces and the General in command of the U.S. Army forces on Oahu were relieved of command following the surprise attack. The board of inquiry faulted them for failing to adopt adequate defense measures prior to the attack.

• Outdated tactics and reliance on obsolete equipment. Although the aircraft carrier was poised to become the dominating force in naval warfare, the leadership of the U.S. Navy could not perceive the change that was coming. The battleships were considered to be the strength of the fleet, although the newest of those ships was 18 years old. The harbor that was considered to be a safe haven for the fleet became a death trap for the immobile battleships.

• Thought they were in paradise. The enemy chose to attack on a Sunday morning, as they considered it to be the time of least vigilance for American service personnel. Many of the military personnel were at social events until late the previous evening, as an enemy attack was completely unexpected.

• Competition. The two major military services, the Navy and the Army, shared responsibility for protecting the Nation's interests in the Pacific. In order to accomplish that objective, they would have had to cooperate. Instead, they competed and suffered defeat together. The same fate could fall to the Church's denominations and movements if we don't cooperate to advance the Kingdom of God.

In addition to not heeding the warnings of its intelligence community and an inability to interpret the signs of the times, senior military leaders failed to listen to their subordinates at Pearl Harbor who detected early signs of the enemy attack. An hour and ten minutes prior to the arrival of the first wave of bombers, a U.S. Navy destroyer sank a Japanese submarine outside of the mouth of the harbor. Yet the U.S. forces were not put on alert because a senior officer was waiting for verification of the sinking. Fifty five minutes before the attack, a radar station detected the enemy airplanes 165 miles north of Pearl Harbor. Radar was an emerging technology in 1941, and its capabilities were lightly regarded by those who didn't understand it. Although the radar operators, who were junior enlisted men, correctly interpreted the target as a large flight of aircraft (actually 183 enemy airplanes) north of the island, the duty officer who received the report discounted it. He assumed that the radar sighting was that of a flight of 13 new American bombers being ferried from the mainland, approaching Oahu from the northeast. Likewise, without walking in the humility of the Lord, leaders may discount authentic prophetic revelation for a variety of reasons. Revelation is sometimes rejected because it comes in an unaccustomed manner or from someone who doesn't have status in the church, or from a person who otherwise isn't credentialed to the standards of the hearer.

Also of significance is the navigational guidance that the enemy aircraft used to direct them to their objective. When the first wave of Japanese planes was inbound to Oahu, the flight leader was able to tune a commercial radio station in Honolulu. They then used that radio signal to lead them to Pearl Harbor. Without that signal, the only suitable means of navigation over the open ocean would have been dead reckoning, which involved flying a constant heading and airspeed for a given time, hoping that the wind would not blow the flight significantly off course. However, once they were receiving the broadcast they simply used their direction finder to follow the radio waves to the target. In much the same way, the enemy of our souls can use our weaknesses to the ways of the world, to penetrate our armor and find inroads to our hearts. To be prepared for the coming battle, we must not walk in the futility of a mind compromised to the things of the world but rather be renewed in the spirit of our minds (see Ephesians 4:17-5:17).

The U.S. military forces were operating under a false sense of invincibility, having placed their trust in the security of their surroundings and the overwhelming strength of their fleet of ships, aircraft, and ground forces.

Pearl Harbor was thought to be a place of security for the U.S. fleet in 1941. The word "harbor" is derived form the Middle English word herebeorg meaning "army (here-) shelter (beorg)". Pearl Harbor can be considered a type of the Church, in which the army of the Lord has sheltered itself. Like much of the Church today, the majority of the U.S. fleet was anchored securely in the harbor on that Sunday morning. Although not totally pervasive, many congregations are inward focused, isolationist, and only minister to those who come through the door. Like the slave who hid his master's talent in the ground, the Church often hides the talents that the Lord has entrusted to us in the buildings where we meet (see Matthew 25:14-30).

Battleships represent man's confidence in his own natural strength, and in religious activity. The battleship was called the "King of the Fleet" and "Dreadnaught" as it was considered impervious to any weapon other than another battleship. They also represent leadership in the Church. A battleship, the U.S.S. California, was the flagship of the commander of the Pacific fleet. The battleship had to be in visual contact to engage the enemy with its guns, which speaks of attempting to engage the enemy in our own strength. But our struggle is not against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:12). The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but are divinely powerful (see 2 Corinthians 10:4). The U.S. Navy's battleships were secured at six moorings in Pearl Harbor (a total of eight battleships were in the harbor: four moored in pairs, three at individual quays, and one in dry dock) on December 7, 1941. Six is the number of man, the grace of God (5) made of no effect by man's addition to it (1) according to E.W. Bullinger, in his book entitled Number In Scripture.

Battleship Row After the Attack

In 1941, many U.S. Navy tacticians considered the battleship to be the center piece of the fleet, and the key to victory. Five battleships were sunk, capsized, or beached during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The other three were damaged. However, of the five battleships that were lost that day, three were raised and repaired and were instrumental in the ultimate defeat of the enemy almost four years later. Likewise, those in leadership who are targeted by the enemy and appear to be utterly disqualified for further ministry due to their failures can be restored by the Lord and used in these last days to decisively defeat the enemy. It is the Lord who "is also able to save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV) and "will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7), and he can restore what was lost (see Psalm 51:12). One of the sunken battleships, the U.S.S. Arizona still rests on the bottom of Pearl Harbor today, and oil still flows from its hull. One of the MFM members at the roundtable said that the Lord spoke to him over five years ago about that continuous flow of oil. He stated that "the oil continues to rise from the wreckage of Pearl Harbor as a sign to the Church that their is a present tense anointed message that still needs to be learned from it. The oil will continue to rise until the Church has learned and applied the lessons".

Conversely, the fleet's three aircraft carriers were at sea on the morning of the surprise attack. Three is the number associated with the Godhead, according to Bullinger. The carriers represent the activity of the Spirit of God, and man's dependence on His power (see Isaiah 41:10). As the harbor is analogous to the Church, the ocean is a type of the world. Whereas the battleships were safely moored in the harbor, the carriers were away from the security of the harbor, taking reinforcements to outlying bases. Although not appreciated by many Navy tacticians prior to December 7, 1941, the aircraft carrier could engage an enemy that it couldn't see. The aircraft carrier was lightly armed and was incapable of engaging an enemy in a surface battle, but it could destroy an enemy from a great distance by attacking with its complement of airplanes (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-4). The three Pearl Harbor based aircraft carriers escaped damage during the attack on December 7, 1941, and all figured prominently in subsequent U.S. victories. Likewise, those who are doing the work that they have been called to do in advancing the Kingdom, will overcome the enemy (see Revelation 12:11).

The Church will be susceptible to the fate suffered by the U.S. military in 1941, unless we pay attention to the prophetic warnings (2 Peter 1:19) that God gives us in this strategic time. Like the sons of Issachar, "men who understood the signs of the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32), we must discern the significance of the time that we are living in and be vigilant, "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12). It is the Lord's intention that we not be ignorant of the enemy's schemes (see 2 Corinthians 2:11).

Although World War II was already underway in Europe and other parts of the world prior December 7, 1941, much of the American citizenry hoped to remain distant from the conflict. The United States did not confront the evil directly but chose to use more passive measures such as diplomacy. The attack on Pearl Harbor mobilized the United States, ended the isolationist sentiment in the country, and ultimately resulted in the defeat of the enemy. Likewise, the Church must realize that it cannot chose to remain isolated from the events that are coming, but must confront the enemy directly. The Japanese Navy Commander-in-Chief, realizing that the surprise attack on the U.S. was the catalyst for the final defeat of his nation, stated "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." The Church too, is a sleeping giant that will do great exploits when aroused, and will be instrumental in the salvation of many in these perilous times. As we are told in Daniel 11:32, "but the people who know their God will display strength and take action."

There are many lessons that we can learn from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Some of those are:

• " Heed the prophetic warnings. The code word that the Japanese flight leader radioed back to the carrier task force, signifying that surprise had been achieved was Tora, Tora, Tora. Tora is Japanese for Tiger. Torah, the Hebrew title for the first five books of the Bible, can be literally translated "light of God". If we walk in the light of His revelation, the enemy will not achieve surprise over us.
  
  "And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)
  
  

• Discern the signs of the times. We are living in the end times, and the most strategic time in human history. Know that God has great exploits planned for His Church and that the enemy is always seeking an advantage and looking for opportunities to interdict those plans. If we discern the times, and seek the Lord's instruction for what to do, we will be in a position to provide much needed prophetic leadership to the Church (our kinsmen).
  
  "And the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command." (1 Chronicles 12:32).
  
  

• Be vigilant. It's not a matter of "if we will be attacked", but "when". The war is already ongoing.
  
  "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
  
  

• Go out into the world. The harbor is not as safe as you think.
  
  "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they might see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
  
  

• " Restore those who fall to the attacks of the enemy. Christians who fall to attacks of the enemy can be restored to service and can be mightily used of God in the subsequent battle against the forces of evil. God is in the business of restoration, as He tells us in Isaiah 55:6-7:
  
  "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

We too should be about the Lord's work of restoration in these end times.

 

We are experiencing a transition that will require us to be both vigilant and holy, to be in position for the ushering in of God's government. We must heed His warnings and walk in His righteousness, as the Lord is quoted in Matthew 10:16.

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves."

We must not be counted among those who sleep through the warnings, but should heed the words uttered by the captain of Jonah's ship;

"So the captain approached him and said, 'How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish." (Jonah 1:6)

Judgment has already begun with the Church. We should welcome the righteous judgments of God, which will prepare us for participation in establishing His perfect government on earth.

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)

Note: (1) All scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible
(2) All photos from the National Archives