What does the Bible say about Iran?

As we watch war escalate between the United States, Israel and Iran we wonder, is this Biblical? Is Iran mentioned in the ancient prophecies and could these prophecies be playing out today, in our day – the BIBLICAL LAST DAYS?

As an answer to that question, whenever a war breaks out in the MIDDLE EAST we need to stand up and take notice. Israel is God’s prophetic timepiece so anything happening in that region of the world, be it the war in Gaza, the Abraham Peace Accords, or now the war in Iran, is very significant.

Who is Elam?

In the Bible, the modern nation of Iran was known as Media and Persia. The south-west corner of Iran was known in the ancient world as Elam.

In Genesis 10:22, Elam is listed as the firstborn son of Shem, which would make him the grandson of Noah.

Elam is a post-flood patriarch from whom a distinct people group descended. This early mention places Elam within the Table of Nations, which is the biblical record of how the nations of the earth spread out after the flood (Genesis 10). Elam’s inclusion suggests he became the founder of a recognizable nation.

The Elamite civilization was one of the oldest in the world, with archaeological evidence dating back to around 3200 BC. Elam’s capital was Susa (Shushan)—a city later mentioned in the books of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Jeremiah 49 speaks of a judgement against Elam, scattering the inhabitants around the globe, but then a later restoration.

Jeremiah 49:34: “This is what the Lord of armies says:
‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam,
The finest of their might.

³⁶ I will bring upon Elam the four winds
From the four ends of heaven,
And will scatter them to all these winds;
And there will be no nation
To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.

‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord.

Judgement against Elam

Historically, Elam was subdued and absorbed into larger empires — first Assyria, later Persia. Its independent power was broken. Its political identity dissolved.

Elam – destroyed by the Assyrians c645BC

In 648 BC, the Elamite city of Susa was razed to the ground; it was to be a terrible portent of events to come. In 639 BC, the Assyrians moved their entire army from the west to destroy their enemies.

“For a distance of a month and twenty-five days’ journey I devastated the provinces of Elam. Salt and sihlu I scattered over them… The dust of Susa, Madaktu, Haltemash and the rest of the cities I gathered together and took to Assyria... The noise of people, the tread of cattle and sheep, the glad shouts of rejoicing, I banished from its fields. Wild asses, gazelles and all kinds of beasts of the plain I caused to lie down among them, as if at home”. — Ashurbanipal (king of Assyria)

Elam never recovered. The Iranians who had been infiltrating the Anshan region since the end of the 2nd millennium had by this time (7th century BC) flooded into the region and assimilated with the remaining Elamites. By 539BC Elam was absorbed into Persia as a Province, losing its independent political status but leaving a lasting cultural legacy.

Jeremiah 49, verses 34–37 were fulfilled in the ancient world. Even though many prominent people are saying that the war in Iran is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 49:34-39, especially since the region houses Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, it does not really fit the Biblical prophecy since Elam has not been a separate, identifiable nation for a very long time. Additionally, in Acts Chapter 2, there were Elamites present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost indicating that the LAST DAYS SPIRITUAL RESTORATION of Elam had already begun (Jeremiah 49 verse 38-39).

Iran is Persia

The kingdom of Persia officially changed its name to IRAN in 1935AD.

Prince of Persia 😈

Daniel Chapter 10 tells us that the Persian empire is not simply a human empire. As with all of the nations on the earth, there is a spiritual entity or principality that governs the nation of Persia. 😈

Daniel 10: In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and it concerned great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.

 ⁵ I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man dressed in linen, whose waist had a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like topaz, his face had the appearance of lightning⚡, his eyes were like flaming torches🔥, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

¹⁰ Then behold, a hand touched me and shook me on my hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “Daniel, you who are treasured, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling 😱

 ¹² Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 

¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia😈 was standing in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

Daniel 10:²⁰ Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 

The kingdom of Iran has been governed by Princes and Principalities for a very long time. The fallen angels and demons that influence political powers and nations today HATE God and they HATE the nation of Israel. They actively OPPOSE the plans and purposes of God.

Over the centuries, Persia has changed governments and even religions — But the SPIRITUAL princes and principalities remain. As referenced in Daniel 10, wars are about more than a political or military conflict between nations. The ROOT of ALL WAR is SPIRITUAL.

Shia “Twelver” Eschatology (end times beliefs)

The radical Shia rulers in Iran are “Twelvers“. Twelvers believe twelve Imams were appointed through Muhammad’s lineage. They think that “The twelfth”, Muhammad al-Mahdi, entered occultation in the ninth century and remains alive but hidden. They believe he will return to establish “global justice” and “rule decisively” over the world.

Twelver hadith literature describes the period before the Mahdi’s return as marked by severe injustice, violent upheaval, and widespread bloodshed. Many narrations speak of large-scale conflict in the Middle East and dramatic confrontation preceding the establishment of “global justice”. The Mahdi’s arrival is portrayed as forceful intervention that overturns existing political orders.

Iran is waging a “holy war” against Israel and the United States. According to their beliefs, destroying Israel is a prerequisite for completing their divine mission.

The Iranian regime considers their nation to be chosen by Allah to prepare the world for the coming of their messiah, the Twelfth Imam (whom they call the Mahdi) who will establish justice in the world. They believe that catastrophic world chaos and the defeat of their enemies, especially Israel, are prerequisites for this event. their foreign policy is guided by the desired impending apocalypse.

Israel is declared to be the “obstacle” to the return of the Mahdi. Iranian officials frequently cite horrific beliefs, like the notion that the Mahdi won’t return until the “last drop of Jewish blood” is spilled. (That belief does not come from the Quran.) The regime has used it to galvanize its proxies to make war against Israel. — The Shia Eschatological Vision

The highly anticipated twelfth Imam sounds A LOT like the Biblical ANTICHRIST. 😈

The persecuted Church in IRAN

Christianity does exist in Iran, but it is highly monitored and persecuted. It is particularly dangerous for Iranian Muslims to convert to Christianity.

Christianity likely spread into Persia (the heartland of what would become Iran) very early, probably by the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, facilitated by the Silk Road and trade routes connecting Mesopotamia with the Roman East.

After Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, the faith became associated with Rome. Because Rome and Iran were often at war, Christians in Iran were sometimes viewed as potential allies of the enemy. During these conflicts, persecution increased and thousands of Christians were killed.

Despite this suffering, the church expanded. By the end of the seventh century, western Iran was largely Christian.

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, most Western institutions and missionaries were forced to leave the country.

Iran’s dramatic surge in anti-Christian persecution

Over the past two years, a surge in arrests and prosecutions has pushed Christian persecution in Iran to unprecedented levels. As Iran is convulsed by a new revolution, CSI looks at the situation for Christians in the country.

Since the start of mass anti-government protests in Iran on December 28, the Iranian regime has killed thousands of protestors and subjected the entire country to a communications blackout.

Even in times of peace, however, Christians in Iran face systematic persecution from the government. And since Iran amended its penal code in 2021, the persecution has escalated.

According to the organization Article 18, which documents the persecution of Christians in Iran, at least 139 Christians were arrested, 80 detained, and 77 formally charged because of their beliefs or activities in 2024.

The same year, 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years in prison – a sixfold increase from 2023, when 22 Christians received a total of 43.5 years. Courts also imposed nearly $800,000 in fines and 37 years of internal exile.

The good news is that despite the intensifying crackdown, the church in Iran continues to grow. As David Yeghnazar of Elam Ministries observed, “Iranians have become the most open people to the gospel.” For the regime, this may be precisely the problem.

Persia is listed as a participant in the future Ezekiel 38 war against Israel.

It is very likely that after this current war in Iran is over, there will be some sort of Middle East Peace AGREEMENT that will set the wheels in motion for last days events. Could this upcoming peace agreement be THE Covenant from Daniel 9:27 that kicks off the final 7 years of mankind’s self-rule on earth? Maybe.

1 Thessalonians 5:3: While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

When the Ezekiel 38 war begins, Israel will be living in SECURLY with no walls or gates. Currently, Israel is not living securely. However, after this war in Iran is over, especially if there is regime change in Iran and a subsequent peace agreement with Israel’s neighbors, we could finally meet the conditions for the Ezekiel 38 war to begin.

Ezekiel 38:10 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 

¹¹ and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, who live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,

Ezekiel 38:  Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, ³ and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 

⁴ So I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great contingent with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords; ⁵ Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet; ⁶ Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you

What about Babylon?

In the days of the prophet Daniel, God used the Medes/Persians to ‘JUDGE’ the ancient nation of Babylon.

As the world’s superpower in Isaiah’s day, Babylon had brutalized and oppressed MANY nations, including the nation of Judah (Israel).

Therefore, God raised up the Medes and Persians c539BC as an instrument of judgment against Babylon. God here gives the Medes and Persians their commission to go up and take Babylon, and thereby to put an end to the sighs and groans of the captive Jews, and of other nations held in bondage, and oppressed by that tyrannical and cruel empire.

Isaiah 21:2: A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one (tfj: Babylon) still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have put an end to all the groaning she (tfj: Babylon) has caused.

Although Satan has princes and principalities that govern nations and kingdoms, God (YHWH/JESUS CHRIST) is still sovereign. In the Bible, God often uses enemy nations as His rod of judgement and justice. God used ancient Babylon to judge His people, Israel and other nations. The Bible tells us that JUDGEMENT BEGINS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. However, Babylon was not held guiltless. Some of the harshest judgements pronounced in the Bible are pronounced against BABYLON.

Habakkuk 1:13: Your eyes are too pure to look at evil,
And You cannot look at harm favorably.
Why do You look favorably
At those who deal treacherously?

Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
¹⁴ Why have You made people like the fish of the sea,
Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?

¹⁵ The Chaldeans (tfj: Babylon) bring all of them up with a hook,
Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.

Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And burn incense to their fishing net,
Because through these things their catch is large,
And their food is plentiful.
¹⁷ Will they therefore empty their net,
And continually slay nations without sparing?

Habakkuk opens his prophecy with the cry, “O Lord, how long shall I cry and Thou wilt not hear?” as he looks around at the iniquity which prevailed in Judah. The Lord’s answer is that He is about to bring a punishment upon this HIS SINFUL PEOPLE (JUDAH) in the form of the terrible Chaldean (BABYLONIAN) invasion.

Then God shows Habakkuk that the Chaldeans (Babylon) will ultimately be destroyed for their iniquity. God was using Babylon as His hammer 🔨to punish the nations, and yet He would break the hammer itself in pieces (Jeremiah 50:23).

Jeremiah 50:23: How the hammer 🔨of the whole earth
Has been cut off and broken!
How Babylon has become
An object of horror among the nations!

God used Babylon to CHASTISE His people, but HE was going judge Babylon. The judgement against Babylon is detailed throughout the Bible. In these prophecies God instructs His people to FLEE from Babylon so they will not be caught up in her punishment.

Jeremiah 51:6
Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And each of you save his life!
Do not be destroyed in her punishment,
For this is the Lord’s time of vengeance;
He is going to render recompense to her.

Jeremiah 51:44: I will punish Bel in Babylon,
And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth;
And the nations will no longer stream toward him.
Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

Rev. 18:4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

⁵ For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Jeremiah 51 illustrates a SEVERE JUDGEMENT coming against Babylon. Isaiah 13 paints a similar picture..

Isaiah 13: “Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them,
    They do not care about silver
    or delight in gold.

¹⁸ Their soldiers will shoot the young men with arrows;
    they will show no mercy on children,
    nor will they feel sorry for little ones.

¹⁹ Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms,
    and the Babylonians are very proud of it.
But God will destroy it
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.

²⁰ No one will ever live there
    or settle there again.
No Arab will put a tent there;
    no shepherd will bring sheep there.

²¹ Only desert animals will live there,
    and their houses will be full of wild dogs.
Owls will live there,
    and wild goats will leap about in the houses.

²² Wolves will howl within the strong walls,
    and wild dogs will bark in the beautiful buildings.
The end of Babylon is near;
    its time is almost over.”

God said He would cause the MEDES (ANCIENT MEDIA/PERSIA) to ATTACK and destroy Babylon. Jeremiah compared Babylon’s destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah, whose destruction was so complete that nothing was left of them. God rained down FIRE and BRIMSTONE on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their GREAT SIN.

Was ancient Babylon VIOLENTLY THROWN DOWN?

Historic accounts of the fall of Babylon matches Daniel Chapter 5 in that the Medes and the Persians conquered Babylon in a single night while they were celebrating a festival; however, these accounts do not seem to match the description of Babylon’s total and utter destruction as foretold by the prophets.

How did the Medes and the Persians conquer ancient Babylon?

Daniel Chapter 5 tells us a little about the conquest of Babylon. Babylon was overthrown in a single night.

Classical sources, including Herodotus and Xenophon, tell the story about how Cyrus conquered Babylon with dramatic detail. They claimed the Persians diverted the Euphrates River, lowering its waters enough for soldiers to enter the city under the gates along the riverbed. The Babylonians, complacent and perhaps celebrating a festival, were caught entirely unprepared.

“Thus was Babylon taken,” wrote Xenophon, “while its inhabitants danced.” Though the precise truth of the river diversion remains debated by modern scholars, archaeological and cuneiform evidence supports the notion that the conquest was swift and largely bloodless.

Cyrus entered Babylon soon afterward to the acclamation of its people. In an act of statesmanship unprecedented for the age, he declared himself chosen by Marduk to restore peace. — October 12, 539 BC: The Fall Of Babylon – This Day of History

God DID use the Medes and the Persians to conquer Babylon, but it was largely a BLOODLESS CONQUEST. It was certainly not overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Why does the Bible (Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 51) describe a VIOLENT overthrow of Babylon when history tells us that Babylon was overthrown in a bloodless conquest?

Could Jeremiah 51 and Isaiah 13 be telling us about a DIFFERENT (END-TIMES) BABYLON that will be VIOLENTLY OVERTHROWN and never inhabited again? Will God use AGAIN use ancient Persia to overthrow MYSTERY BABYLON??

MYSTERY BABYLON

Revelation 18:21: Then a strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again. 

Revelation 18:8: For this reason in one day her plagues will come, plague and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire🔥; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

The book of Revelation tells us that Mystery Babylon will be VIOLENTLY overthrown by the antichrist (beast) and his ten “kingdom” alliance (aka ten horns). Similar to the Old Testament prophecies about “BABYLON”…. MYSTERY BABYLON will NEVER be inhabited again.

Revelation 17:16: And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute (tfj: Mystery Babylon) and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.🔥 

¹⁷ For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. ¹⁸ The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (tfj: Mystery BABYLON)

This leads us to more questions….

1. Will the radical Islamic regime in Iran (Persia) be overthrown?
2. Will there be a false peace with Israel and the world once this war is over? Are the Abraham Accords a part of that false peace? Will the Abraham Accords be “confirmed” by “many nations” (Daniel 9:24-27?) in a covenant that will last 7 years?
3. How does Persia rise up again to join “Gog” in the future Ezekiel 38 war?🥷🏻
4. Who is Gog? Could he be the antichrist (aka Satan)?😈
5. Who or what is Mystery Babylon? Could Mystery Babylon have some of its TENTACLES into America? 🤔
6. Could ancient Persia be part of the ten “kingdom “alliance that is prophesied to VIOLENTLY overthrow Mystery Babylon in the END TIMES?
7. What will happen to Donald Trump 🎺and America?
8. What about the GREAT LAST DAYS revival OF THE CHURCH?? ⛪

We don’t necessarily have the answers to these very intense questions, but even the questions themselves give us ‘food for thought’ – and PRAYER!

LET US PRAY! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

In Jeremiah 49 verses 38-39, God says He will set up HIS THRONE in ELAM in the LAST DAYS and RESTORE THEIR FORTUNES. We come into agreement with the WORD OF GOD that Elam’s SPIRITUAL RESTORATION that began 2000 years ago will come to COMPLETENESS!

Ultimately God will REMOVE ALL the princes and principalities that have opposed CHRIST’S REIGN, and JESUS CHRIST will reign over the MIDDLE EAST and over the WHOLE EARTH!!!

Jesus Christ is coming soon, and HIS KINGDOM will REIGN FOREVER! HALLELUJAH! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Is America under judgement?

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God chastises those whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6). Judgement begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).