Iran in Prophecy

by Phillip Goodman

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RAN—A Prophetic Time Bomb!

Iran, known in the Bible and also in history prior to 1940 as Persia, looms large on the prophetic radar screen. In the prophecies of Daniel Persia was to succeed Babylon as one of four gigantic empires to rule in the “times of the gentiles.” (Luke 21:24) Persia, along with the other 3 powers (Babylon, Greece & Rome) would rule the world in succession right up until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. All four gentile kingdoms will coexist in a monstrous union (The Revived Roman Empire, seen in embryonic form in today’s European Union) as the time of the end approached. So far, to date, these prophecies have materialized precisely as Daniel foretold.

Ezekiel tells of a time when Persia (Iran) will join other Islamic nations in a joint invasion of Israel under the leadership of “Magog” (Russia). (Ezekiel 38, 39) These nations will be devastated by the direct judgment of God on behalf of His covenant people. Every indication from the Bible is that the Antichrist rises to fill the void left by the fall of these nations. Persia (the Bear) then becomes part of the Beast Empire of Rev. 13:1-3.

According To The Bible... Iran in Prophecy (note the bold words)

"And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.... "The first was like a lion ... "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. ...and behold, another one, like a leopard...and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong...” Daniel 7:3-5

(The “four beast” are gentile empires, the “lion” Babylon, the bear “Iran,” the “fourth beast” Revived Rome at the End Time)

"Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal... Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them..."After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come ... to the mountains of Israel...And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you." Ezekiel 38:3-9

(“Gog” is the prince of Russia, “Persia” Iran, the “latter years” our time, “Israel” the modern nation of Israel)

“...And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads .... And the beast which I saw... his feet were like those of a bear... And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.” Revelation 13:1-3

(The “beast” is the Antichrist & his kingdom, the “bear” Iran, & the “dragon” Satan)

PERSIA...

The End Time Version

Daniel 2 tells of a statue that represents 4 great gentile empires that will dominate the world until the Return of Christ.

The head was Babylon. The arms & torso was Persia. The waist & thighs the Greek-Asia Minor-Assyria-Egypt realm, and the legs-feet Rome.

Note that verse 35 says that these kingdoms will be destroyed at the 2nd Coming of Christ “all at the same time.” This means that in the Last Days each of these nations will be prominent players.

The modern place-names of these nations are—GET THIS!— Iraq, Iran, Greece-Turkey-Syria-Egypt, & The European Union. Remarkable!

Most of these are the very nations dominating the terror-state headlines and the anti-Israel headlines today. For example, the arms & torso—Iran—is foretold to be a militant anti-Israel power at the End Time We saw this in an earlier Prophecy Alert.

Let’s look, once again, at Iran.

According To The Bible...

The “Feet of the Bear will Trample”

Read the 2 passages below. Commentary is in brackets. First, the Daniel 7:2-7 passage...

"And four great beasts were coming up from the sea...And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear [Persia-Iran] ..."After this ... behold, a fourth beast [Rome & the Antichrist Kingdom], dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth [a 1st Destructive Force]. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet [a 2nd Destructive Force];

Now, to the Revelation 13:1-2 passage...

And I saw a beast [the Antichrist Kingdom] coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads... And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet [a Destructive Force] were like those of a bear [Iran] ...

Notice that, at the End Time, “the feet of the Bear/Iran” will be a Destructive Force used by the Beast—the Antichrist.

The Stage is being set for Iran’s role as a major political player at the End Time—as you read this! Read the headlines to the right. Note the terms in boldface type. The “Bear” has arisen!

The Iranian Bear Will Arise At The End Time

Regarding Persia as a member of the Russian-Islamic coalition of nations that attacks Israel in the Last Days (Ezekiel 38:5), the late Bible scholar John F. Walvoord wrote: “Persia has been easily identified as related to modern Iran which could easily supply an army, attacking Israel from the north, even though located to the east.” (The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, p.192)

John MacArthur writes about the “bear” nation in Daniel 7:5 & 12, “This is Medo-Persia, with the greater “side” being Persia...As the second advent [Coming of Christ] draws near, all 3 empires [including Persia] in their descendants [Persia’s descendants are the Iranians] will be a part of the Roman phase [the Antichrist Kingdom] in its final form (Rev. 13:2). (The MacArthur Study Bible)

Iran is clearly shown in Bible prophecy to be an evil power in the Last Days. How remarkable that Iran is dominating today’s news, along with Israel, Jerusalem, and Iraq (Babylon).

A Question for the Bible Experts

(John Walvoord, Major Bible Prophecies, p. 147-148.)

Is there anything positive in the history of the Persians (Iran) toward God & His people Israel? Amazingly, the president of Iran has called for the extermination of Israel, but God put a different thought into the hearts of the early Persian kings. Dr. Walvoord explains...

The events of the Medo-Persian Empire are important for their relationship to the restoration of Israel [in the 5th-6th century BC]. In the very first year of Cyrus the captives of Israel were given permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-4).

Generally speaking, the Medo-Persian Empire was kinder to the Jewish faith than the Babylonians had been...It was Darius [the Great] who approved the final building of the temple. The fourth king, mentioned in Daniel 11:3, was probably Xerxes (486-465 B.C.), the one who appointed Esther [the Jewish woman of the Book Of Esther] as his queen.

[Editor’s Note: Amazingly, because the Persians (Iranians) released the Jews to return to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem and their Temple, Jesus was born, as prophesied by Micah, in Bethlehem, rather than in Babylon]

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