Are God's Holy Days Relevant Today?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Holy Days of God. This follows this post about  Russia attempting to undermine U.S. policy. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

Are God's Holy Days Relevant Today?


Should Christians today keep the Holy Days?



When God begins something in this present age of mankind, He nearly always starts small. In Matthew 13:33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.



See All... Jesus Christ compared God's Kingdom to both a mustard seed and leaven. Both analogies start with something small that expands into something much larger. Similarly, in Old Testament times God called only a relatively few people who were willing to follow His ways.



The biblical record shows that in early human history only a small number of people decided to obey God. A faithful few such as Abel, Enoch and Noah responded to the revelation of God's plan of salvation (Matthew 23:35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.



See All...). After the great Flood of Noah's time, God called and worked with Abraham and his wife Sarah. Of God's obedient people of those times, Hebrews 11:13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.



See All... says they "all died in faith" with the sure knowledge that they would gain eternal life (Hebrews 11:40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.



See All...).



We should note that the plan for providing eternal life was already at work in the lives of these early people of God. The plan did not start with a covenant God made with ancient Israel; nor did it start with Jesus' earthly ministry.



God loved the world so much "that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.



See All...). God's love in giving His Son continued His plan of salvation in effect from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:



See All...; 1 Peter 1:20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,



See All...). The blueprint of the Holy Days would reveal in due time the plan God had designed from the very beginning. These festival observances were not just a cosmic afterthought.



With Abraham's family we see God beginning to reveal the good news about His plan of salvation (Galatians 3:8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.



See All...). Genesis 26:3-4 [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

[4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;





See All... identifies specific blessings God promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Creator pledged to bestow these blessings "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.



See All...). Abraham's faith and obedience is why the Bible calls him "the friend of God" and "the father of all those who believe" (James 2:23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.



See All...; Romans 4:11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:



See All...; Genesis 18:17-19 [17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

[18] Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

[19] For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.





See All...).



A nation singled out

Abraham's descendants would grow into a mighty nation (Genesis 18:18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?



See All...). The promised line of blessed descendants would come through and be named after his grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.



See All...). After settling in Egypt they eventually became slaves (Exodus 1). The story of God's deliverance of ancient Israel from their bondage and His deliverance of people today is part of the intricately woven fabric of His festivals.



In due time the Creator set in motion a series of events involving festival observances that, illustrating His great plan, led to the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt. When Moses and his brother Aaron appeared before Pharaoh, they told the Egyptian ruler that the God of Israel commanded, "Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness" (Exodus 5:1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.



See All...).



Moses and Aaron had earlier called for the elders of Israel to assemble and had explained to them God's plan to deliver them (Exodus 3:16-18 [16] Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

[17] And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

[18] And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.





See All...). God then performed miracles through these two men in the sight of the people (Exodus 4:29-30 [29] And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

[30] And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.





See All...). As a result, the Israelites (although they later faltered) believed God would deliver them and fulfill His covenant with Abraham, as He had promised (Exodus 4:31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.



See All...; Exodus 6:4-8 [4] And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

[5] And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

[6] Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

[7] And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

[8] And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.





See All...).



What followed was the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread for the Israelites who had been enslaved. Much later the New Testament Church kept these same days as a reminder of Christians' deliverance through Jesus Christ. For instance, Paul told members of the Church at Corinth—both Jews and gentiles (non-Israelites)—that they should put out leaven, symbolic of sin, because "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:



See All...). In the next verse Paul said to this mixed group of Jews and gentiles, "Therefore let us keep the feast," referring to the same festival God had instituted in ancient Israel many centuries before.



The festivals in the New Testament

From His earliest childhood years, Jesus observed the feast days with His parents. "His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover," Luke 2:41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.



See All... tells us. The following verses describe Jesus, at age 12, engaging the theologians of His day in a spirited discussion during this festival season (Luke 2:42-48 [42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

[43] And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

[44] But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

[45] And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

[46] And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

[47] And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

[48] And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.





See All...). Clearly, He astonished these religious leaders with His understanding and insight. John writes of Jesus continuing to observe God's annual feasts as an adult during His ministry (John 2:23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.



See All...; 4:45).



In one of the most instructive examples, we find that Jesus risked His personal safety to attend the annual Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-2 [1] After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

[2] Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.





See All..., John 7:7-10 [7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

[8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

[9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

[10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.





See All..., John 7:14Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.



See All...). We're told that "on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, [which] those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39 [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)





See All...).



Many churches believe that the apostle Paul later fundamentally changed the way Christians are to worship. This notion assumes he taught gentiles that observance of the festivals and Holy Days was unnecessary. Although some of his writings were difficult to understand, even by his contemporaries (2 Peter 3:15-16 [15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

[16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.





See All...), Paul's explicit statements and actions contradict any notion that he annulled or abolished observance of these Holy Days.



In 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 [1] Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

[2] Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.





See All..., for example, Paul told his followers, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ," and, "Keep the traditions as I delivered them to you." A few verses later he explained, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me'" (1 Corinthians 11:23-24 [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

[24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.





See All...).



If Paul's practice had not been to observe the feast days God had instituted, his comments to the Jews and gentiles in Corinth would have been meaningless. Clearly, evidence is lacking that Paul ever discouraged anyone from keeping the annual festivals. Such a notion would have been unthinkable for him (see Acts 24:12-14 [12] And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

[13] Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

[14] But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:





See All...; Actis 25:7-8; Acts 28:17And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.



See All...).



On the contrary, the biblical record of Paul's ministry repeatedly depicts the Holy Days as important observances and milestones in his life. For example, he told the Christians in Ephesus, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem" (Acts 18:21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.



See All...). In Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.



See All... and 1 Corinthians 16:8But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.



See All... we find Paul arranging his travel schedule to accommodate the Feast of Pentecost. In Acts 27:9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,



See All... Luke, Paul's companion in his travels, referred to a particular time of year as being after "the Fast," a reference to the Day of Atonement (on which, as we will discuss later, one was to fast).



The Expositor's Bible Commentary, in a reference to Acts 20:6And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.



See All..., notes that Paul, unable to arrive at Jerusalem for the Passover, "remained at Philippi to celebrate it and the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread" (Richard Longenecker, 1981, Vol. 9, p. 507). Regarding Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.



See All..., the same commentary notes that Paul "wanted, if at all possible, to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost on the fiftieth day after Passover" (p. 510).



Paul's ministry included observing the Holy Days with the Church. In defending the gospel he preached, Paul said he brought the same message the other apostles taught: "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed" (1 Corinthians 15:11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.



See All...).



Paul and all the apostles taught a consistent message of the Christian's obligation to follow the example of Jesus Christ in all matters. The apostle John, who wrote near the close of the first century, summed up this message: "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.



See All...).



Jewish Christians continued to uphold the Holy Days, as did gentile believers (see "Colossians 2:16 Shows Gentile Christians Observed the Biblical Holy Days "). From these references (as well as many others), we can conclude only that the practice of the early Church was to continue the observance of the annual festivals God gave, the first of which is the Passover.

The Missing Dimension in American Education

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Amerian educational crisis. This follows this post about the "Age of Aquarius." For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Missing Dimension in American Education


A commentary by Cecil Maranville


If America wants to understand this present world, succeed in globalized business and navigate the explosive configuration of 21st-century geopolitics, this is the wrong time to exclude God from the classroom.



The cost of education represents one of the largest budget outlays of every level of U.S. government, as politicians of every stripe claim a firm commitment to providing American children with the best education possible.



Curiously, America is simultaneously expunging from formal education any dogmatic reference to the Creator or His laws. If America wants to understand this present world, succeed in globalized business and navigate the explosive configuration of 21st-century geopolitics, this is the wrong time to exclude God from the classroom.



Pilgrims and Lincoln can't be separated from the Bible

America just celebrated one of its most accepted national customs, Thanksgiving Day. It stems from Pilgrims recreating an English harvest festival in acknowledgement and thanks to God for bringing the Plymouth colony through their first year.



Americans still champion the courage of these pioneers from whose tiny start would sprout the most powerful nation the world had ever known. Books were scarce among the first immigrants and education a challenge, but one book that all possessed was the Bible. It was guaranteed to be read—more than that, studied and learned by every child.



In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day in the soberest of times, the height of the bloody Civil War. In spite of tragedy, the president saw national benefits that could be explained only by supernatural intervention. In part, the proclamation reads:



"Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.



"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."



A biblical compass in a complex world

Although Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims and Abraham Lincoln remain popular in American culture, strangely, the Bible does not. Formal education is painstakingly vacuumed of any reference to the Bible.



Yet those who control the curriculum fail to realize that this handicaps our children from success in navigating globalized business, as well as governing in a complex world.



This was graphically illustrated in a piece written by political scientist George Friedman, founder and chief intelligence officer of Stratfor, a private intelligence corporation. The internationally respected Friedman is currently traveling through critical areas of the world to refresh his perspective in a way you can only do face to face. This small anecdote is just the tip of the iceberg of how religion and knowledge of the Bible are still vitally important in today's world.



In his Nov. 23 update from Turkey, he wrote:



"We arrived in Istanbul during the festival of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael on God's command and praises the God who stayed his hand. It is a jarring holiday for me; I was taught that it was Isaac whom God saved. The distinction between Ishmael and Isaac is the difference between Hagar and Sarah, between Abraham and the Jews and Abraham and the Muslims. It ties Muslims, Jews and Christians together. It also tears them apart." (See full text here . You may be asked to sign in to read it, but it is free.)



Clearly, Friedman was educated in the Bible—and it aids him in understanding the world, as well as in advising presidents, prime ministers, business leaders—and anyone else with ears to hear.



Americans have lost sight of the value of a biblical education , without which they are hopelessly without a compass in a complex world.



Friedman continues:



"Muslims celebrate Eid with the sacrifice of animals (sheep and cattle). Istanbul is a modern commercial city, stunningly large. On this day, as we drove in from the airport, there were vacant lots with cattle lined up for those wishing to carry out the ritual. There were many cattle and people. The ritual sacrifice is widely practiced, even among the less religious . I was told that Turkey had to import cattle for the first time, bringing them in from Uruguay. Consider the juxtaposition of ancient ritual sacrifice so widely practiced that it requires global trade to sustain it" (emphasis added).



Religion defines, motivates, divides and—unless God steps in to stop it—will destroy the world. Don't spurn your roots, America! Learn, love and live the Bible!

.

Tariq Ramadan: "Eid Mubarak -- respect the sheep!"

A very interesting post from www.jihadwatch.org   about the sacrifice of Eid Mubarak. This follows this post about terrorists in Mali.  This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran . For more about what is happening in the nation now click here and you can read a very interesting book HERE.

Tariq Ramadan: "Eid Mubarak -- respect the sheep!"



On Eid al-Adha, Muslims sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son (Ishmael, in their view) in obedience to the deity. It is a three-day festival that begins today, and so deceptive Muslim pseudo-reformer Tariq Ramadan tweeted: "Eid Mubarak-Happy Feast.Beyond sadness and wounds,a day to feel good,to smile,to give,to love and to respect...even the sheep.Eid of dignity"



Respect the sheep while you're slitting its throat? Of course, Ramadan means that the person performing the sacrifice should do his work cleanly and without causing the sheep undue pain, but his use of "respect" in this way calls to mind how Islamic law oppresses women and non-Muslims and calls it "justice." Justice in Islamic law is not only compatible with but absolutely synonymous with beating disobedient women, forbidding non-Muslims to build new houses of worship or repair old ones, etc.



And of course Ramadan is an old hand at this manipulation of language. French journalist Caroline Fourest in Brother Tariq notes that Ramadan is "remaining scrupulously faithful to the strategy mapped out by his grandfather, a strategy of advance stage by stage" toward the imposition of Islamic law in the West. She explains that he invests words like "law" and "democracy" with subtle and carefully crafted new definitions, permitting him to engage in "an apparently inoffensive discourse while remaining faithful to an eminently Islamist message and without having to lie overtly -- at least not in his eyes."



And so remember: as you're slitting the sheep's throat, do it with respect! And extend the same respect to the Infidel as you're working to ensure his submission and humiliation!

Posted by Robert

The Rising Threat from Nigeria's Boko Haram Militant Group

A very interesting post from the very interesting website http://www.stratfor.com/ about the militant jihadist group terrorizing Nigeria. This follows this post about Muslim officeholders in the U.S. This follows this post about a French newspaper getting bombed for printing a picture of Muhammad. This follows this article about the recent news about the former ban on offshore drilling which would encourage American energy independence and prevent money from going to hostile countries such as Iran  and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!


The Rising Threat from Nigeria's Boko Haram Militant Group


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By Scott Stewart



The U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, issued a warning Nov. 5 indicating it had received intelligence that the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram may have been planning to bomb several targets in the Nigerian capital during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, also known as Eid al-Kabir, celebrated Nov. 6-8. The warning specifically mentioned the Hilton, Nicon Luxury and Sheraton hotels as potential targets.



The warning came in the wake of a string of bombings and armed attacks Nov. 4 in the cities of Maiduguri, Damaturu and Potiskum, all of which are located in Nigeria’s northeast. An attack also occurred in the north-central Nigerian city of Kaduna. The sites targeted in the wave of attacks included a military base in Maiduguri and the anti-terrorism court building in Damaturu. Militants reportedly attacked these two sites with suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). The Nigerian Red Cross reported that more than 100 people were killed in the attacks, while some media reports claimed the death toll was at least 150.



According to AFP, a spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks Nov. 5 and threatened more attacks targeting the Nigerian government until “security forces stop persecuting our members and vulnerable civilians.” On Nov. 7, a Boko Haram spokesman claimed that his group employed only two suicide operatives in the attacks and not 12 as reported by some media outlets.



Though Eid al-Kabir passed without attacks on Western hotels in Abuja, a deeper examination of Boko Haram is called for, with a specific focus on its rapidly evolving tactical capabilities.





Boko Haram



Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful” in Hausa, was established in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno state. It has since spread to several other northern and central Nigerian states. The group officially is known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, Arabic for “group committed to propagating the Prophet’s teachings and jihad.” Some in the country have referred to Boko Haram as the Nigerian Taliban in reference to the group’s call for Shariah throughout Nigeria. (At present, only the northern part of the country adheres to Shariah.) In June, a spokesman claiming to represent Boko Haram amended this demand, instead calling for what the group defines as a stricter form of Shariah in the northern Nigerian states where Shariah already is the law.







(click here to enlarge image)

With approximately 150 million people, Nigeria is the most populous African country and one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has some 250 distinct ethnic groups, with the dominant groups being the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa-Fulani, along with a smaller but critical fourth group, the Ijaw. These groups are in constant tension as they attempt to dominate the nation’s politics and the allocation of its natural resources. Approximately half the country is Muslim and half is Christian (though many Nigerians follow traditional religions). As reflected by the adjacent map, which depicts the sites of the Nov. 4 attacks as well as the Nigerian states governed by Shariah, the Muslim population predominates in the north while Christians predominate in the south. The Muslim north is parched and devoid of significant resources (agriculture is the north’s economic mainstay). This contrasts sharply with the economic environment in southern Nigeria, an area that includes Lagos, the country’s vibrant commercial capital and the business hub for much of West Africa, and the Niger Delta region, home to about 90 percent of the country’s large crude oil and natural gas sector.



In addition to ethnic tensions, Nigeria has experienced frequent and intense bursts of sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims, especially in the areas where the two religions overlap, like Jos in the northern tip of Plateau state. This struggle pits the powerful Hausa-Fulani from the north, which tends to be Muslim, against a number of smaller local ethnic groups that tend to be Christian. Indeed, Boko Haram has been involved since its inception in several outbursts of inter-communal violence, including the November 2008 violence that saw some 800 people killed in Jos, the July 2009 violence that saw more than 700 people killed in Jos, and the January 2010 violence in Jos that claimed 450 lives.



Following the July 2009 violence, which brought Boko Haram to the world’s attention, Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf and his deputy, Abubakar Shekau, were both killed. Yusuf died in police custody, allegedly during an escape attempt, though his followers have called his death an extrajudicial execution.



Since the destruction of Boko Haram’s leadership, the exact structure and makeup of the group has been unclear. Boko Haram now seems to lack organizational structure or strong leadership. If the group has any central leadership, it has maintained a very low profile since Yusuf’s killing. It may even be in hiding, possibly in a neighboring country. Mixed messages have emerged from various individuals claiming to speak for Boko Haram. Some figures have come across as more moderate and willing to negotiate, while others have been more strident, rejecting talks. This difference makes it appear that Boko Haram comprises a loose confederation of militants operating relatively independently from one another, rather than a cohesive, hierarchical organization pursuing a unified set of objectives.





Ramping Up



Boko Haram initially was involved mostly in fomenting sectarian violence. Its adherents participated in fairly rudimentary attacks involving clubs, machetes and small arms. By late 2010, the group had added Molotov cocktails and simple improvised explosive devices to its tactical repertoire, as reflected by the series of small IED bombing attacks against Christian targets in Jos on Christmas Eve in 2010.







(click here to enlarge image)

Boko Haram also conducted a number of armed assaults and small IED attacks in 2011. The IEDs involved in these attacks were small devices either thrown from motorcycles or left at the attack location.



On June 16, Boko Haram made a huge operational leap with the detonation of its first suicide VBIED. The attack was directed against the police headquarters in Abuja. While it proved largely ineffective — security kept the vehicle in a parking lot away from the targeted building — the attack nonetheless represented a significant tactical development in that it demonstrated that Boko Haram had mastered a completely new aspect of terrorist tradecraft. Employing a suicide VBIED is a far cry from throwing a few sticks of dynamite with a piece of time fuse at a police station or leaving a small IED with a crude timer outside a church. The VBIED was also quite sizable; it destroyed some 40 vehicles in the parking lot.



Significantly, the attack occurred outside Boko Haram’s traditional area of activity, proving the group can now project power at least as far as Abuja. Reports emerged in September indicating that Boko Haram was threatening to conduct attacks in the Niger Delta, though these threats have yet to materialize. The Niger Delta is significantly farther from Boko Haram’s base in the north than Abuja, which is in central Nigeria. Distance aside, ethnic and linguistic differences would make it difficult for Boko Haram members to operate in the Delta without being detected.



Recruiting and training a suicide operative who can conduct successful missions when an organization has no history of such operations is no small feat. Frequently, poorly prepared suicide operatives back out of missions. By being able to recruit, indoctrinate and then send out a suicide operative who can complete his mission, Boko Haram enjoys a great deal of operational latitude.



Taken together, these facts illustrate the large operational leap Boko Haram accomplished in 2011. It is very unusual for a militant group to achieve such a significant operational leap absent outside training or assistance. In many past cases, that outside assistance came from state sponsors. For example, the Soviet Union and its allies assisted various Marxist revolutionary groups, Iran and Syria have assisted Hezbollah, and the United States and Pakistan aided the Afghan mujahideen. Non-state actors also have been involved in such training, however, with Hezbollah having taught al Qaeda how to construct large VBIEDs and al Qaeda trainers having taught others how to construct IEDs in their training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.



On June 14, 2010, Abu Musab Abd al-Wadoud, the leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), told Al Jazeera that his group would provide Boko Haram with support and weapons to build strategic depth in Africa. We initially viewed the claim with some skepticism, as al-Wadoud had made previous unfounded claims that his group was going to expand. Following that announcement, however, we continued to receive reports that Nigerians associated with Boko Haram had been seen at AQIM training camps in the Sahel and that some of them even had received training from the jihadist group al Shabaab in Somalia.



While we have not received hard confirmation of these reports, we believe that the rapid uptick in Boko Haram’s bombmaking capability provides strong circumstantial evidence that such an interchange did indeed happen between Boko Haram and one, or perhaps both, of those African jihadist groups.



On Aug. 26, Boko Haram conducted a second suicide VBIED attack in Abuja, this time attacking a U.N. compound. This attack proved far more successful than the June attack against the police headquarters. The VBIED driver managed to enter the compound by ramming an exit gate, then maneuvering his vehicle into a parking garage before detonating it. The attack also stands out in that the U.N. compound was located in the diplomatic district of Abuja, where numerous high-profile facilities are located, demonstrating that Boko Haram possessed the ability to spot a soft target amid harder targets like foreign embassies and government buildings. The group’s preoperational surveillance efforts also permitted it to accurately identify a security weakness — the exit gate — which it then successfully exploited. This attack was Boko Haram’s first attack against a transnational target rather than against a government or sectarian target. Boko Haram sees the many U.N. development programs in Nigeria as an affront, as have the various jihadist groups in places like Algeria, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan that also have attacked the United Nations because of its programs.





The Hotel Threat



All of this, then, helps us place the recent hotel threat into perspective. While Boko Haram’s attacks against hardened targets largely have proved unsuccessful, the group has clearly displayed the ability to conduct attacks against soft targets in Abuja. It also has demonstrated a desire to hit transnational targets.



As we have previously discussed, measures taken to harden diplomatic facilities have caused militant groups to come to regard hotels as attractive targets. Striking an international hotel in a major city like Abuja would allow militants to make the same kind of statement against the West as they could by striking an embassy. Hotels often are full of Western business travelers, diplomats and intelligence officers. This makes them target-rich environments for militants seeking to kill Westerners and gain international media attention without having to penetrate the extreme security of a hard target like a modern embassy.



While it is possible that the intelligence report referenced by the U.S. Embassy was inaccurate, or a ruse by Boko Haram, someone in Boko Haram quite plausibly was planning such an attack. Jihadist groups have launched multiple attacks against hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July 2009, in the Jordanian capital of Amman in November 2005, and in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in July 2005. Even the November 2008 armed assaults in Mumbai targeted multiple hotels. With Boko Haram’s U.N. attack mirroring jihadist attacks against the United Nations elsewhere, the group similarly could be planning to mirror attacks by jihadists against hotels elsewhere.



In the wake of the Nov. 5 U.S. Embassy warning, security has been ramped up around hotels in Abuja and especially around those hotels mentioned as specific targets. Given the long history of violence in Nigeria, Nigerian authorities have gained much experience in dealing with militancy. Their tactics often have been quite brutal. Therefore, we are doubtful that Boko Haram successfully could strike these specific hotels in the immediate future. If, however, the group has prepared VBIEDs for such an operation, they would likely employ them against other, softer targets in the near future. Once a VBIED is prepared, it is vulnerable to detection. Militant groups do not like to leave such devices assembled for very long given the risk of losing such a valuable asset. Instead, VBIEDS tend to be employed shortly after being constructed.



It is quite possible, however, that these hotels will remain on Boko Haram’s target list. The attack plan could be revisited once security around the hotels is reduced or once Boko Haram’s operational leadership evolves to the point that it possesses the sophistication to plan and execute attacks against harder targets.



On Nov. 2, Nigerian authorities claimed to have thwarted a bomb plot planned for the Eid holiday. A man they arrested in connection with the plot allegedly possessed explosives that he planned to use to create package bombs. Whether the man was in any way linked to the string of attacks that occurred Nov. 4 or if he was planning an independent operation remains unknown. At the very least, the arrest did not allow authorities to foil the many attacks executed Nov. 4. The arrest probably resulted from the house-to-house searches in Maiduguri that resumed after an arms amnesty for militants ended Oct. 31. These security operations in Maiduguri have reportedly caused some Boko Haram members to move elsewhere, such as neighboring Yobe state.



While the Nigerian government did uncover a warehouse on the outskirts of Abuja used to construct VBIEDs while investigating the U.N. bombing, Nigerian authorities do not appear to have identified the operational planners and bombmakers responsible for the high-level VBIED attacks, much less arrested them. The longer these individuals are allowed to operate, the more experience they will gain — and the deadlier they will get. It will be important to watch the tactical details of the next Boko Haram attacks for signs that its leadership is maturing as terrorist planners.







Read more: The Rising Threat from Nigeria's Boko Haram Militant Group
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