0:00
Do you know that the country dominating
0:02
headlines today, Iran, was mentioned in
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the Bible not once, not twice, but 29
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times? That's no small detail. Think
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about that for a moment. In a world
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obsessed with global superpowers, the
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United States, a nation often linked
0:20
with modern Christianity, is not
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directly mentioned in scripture, not by
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name, not even once. [music]
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And yet Persia, which is modern-day
0:31
Iran, is not only named, but given a
0:33
pivotal role in God's word. This is not
0:36
just a footnote in biblical history.
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This is a divine thread woven through
0:42
prophecy, [music] deliverance, judgment,
0:44
and the return of the king. What if
0:47
everything happening today, every
0:49
alliance, every threat, every movement
0:52
was already seen and spoken of by God
0:54
thousands of years ago? This is not
0:57
about news headlines. It's not about
1:00
partisan opinions or political
1:02
alignments. This is about biblical
1:04
clarity. God's word gives us a lens
1:07
through which to understand the present
1:09
[music] and more importantly the future.
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When we hear about biblical nations, we
1:15
often think of Israel, Egypt, Babylon,
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or Rome. But Persia, Persia is often
1:21
overlooked. Yet it stands at the
1:24
crossroads of prophecy and destiny. It
1:26
was a nation named by God. A people used
1:30
to free his chosen, fund their worship,
1:33
protect them from annihilation, and in
1:35
the last days, according to scripture,
1:37
stand against them. It's a story with
1:40
layers of grace, of judgment, of
1:43
sovereignty.
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Isaiah 46:10, I make known the end from
1:48
the beginning, from ancient times, what
1:51
is still to come. I say, my purpose will
1:54
stand, and I will do all that I please.
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Ecclesiastes 1:9. What has been will be
2:01
again. What has been done will be done
2:03
again. There is nothing new under the
2:06
sun. Persia is a key that unlocks
2:09
prophetic understanding. To ignore it is
2:12
to ignore a crucial part of God's
2:14
endtime revelation. The stage is being
2:17
set. The pieces are in motion. And the
2:20
script, it was written long ago in the
2:23
unchanging word of God.
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Let's dive in. To understand Persia's
2:29
origin, we must go back to the beginning
2:32
after the flood.
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Genesis 10 presents a divine genealogy.
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It's not random. It's prophetic. The
2:42
sons of Noah repopulated the earth and
2:45
each of their lineages shaped future
2:47
empires. Genesis 10:2. The sons of
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Japheth, Gome, Magog, Madai, Javan,
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Tubal, Meek, and Tas. Madai, the third
2:58
son of Japheth, is the father of the
3:00
Mes. This group migrated to the region
3:03
that we now call Iran. History and
3:06
archaeology confirm this movement.
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Madai's descendants settled in the
3:10
mountainous regions north of Ilam and
3:13
west of the Zagros range. These were the
3:17
early Mes who later joined with another
3:19
Indo-Iranian group, the Persians, to
3:22
form a dual kingdom that shook the
3:25
ancient world, the Meadow Persian
3:28
Empire. Why does this matter? Because
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Genesis 10 isn't a list of random
3:33
people. It's God mapping out the nations
3:36
of prophecy. Every name, every line has
3:40
meaning. Acts 17:26.
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From one man he made all the nations,
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and he marked out their appointed times
3:50
in history and the boundaries of their
3:52
lands.
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Madai's bloodline would grow into a
3:56
nation that not only ruled over Israel,
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but also protected and preserved God's
4:01
covenant people. Persia's beginning was
4:04
divinely guided. From the line of
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Japheth, traditionally seen as the
4:09
father of the gentile nations, God
4:12
raised up a people to serve his
4:15
purposes.
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This alliance between the Mes and the
4:19
Persians, officially formalized around
4:21
the 6th century BC, became one of the
4:24
most powerful empires the world had ever
4:27
seen. But unlike other empires, the Meo
4:30
Persian Empire is remembered in
4:33
scripture not merely for conquest but
4:35
for being used by God.
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Proverbs 16:4, "The Lord has made
4:41
everything for its own purpose, even the
4:43
wicked for the day of evil. From the
4:46
beginning, Persia was destined to play a
4:49
role in God's redemptive plan. Not
4:52
because they sought him, but because he
4:54
appointed them." Imagine a prophecy so
4:58
specific that it names a king over a
5:01
century before he is born. That's
5:03
exactly what we find in the writings of
5:05
the prophet Isaiah. During a time when
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the Babylonian Empire still thrived and
5:10
Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed,
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Isaiah wrote about a Persian king named
5:15
Cyrus who would rise up and play a key
5:18
role in Israel's future restoration.
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Isaiah 44:28, "Who says of Cyrus, he is
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my shepherd, and shall perform all my
5:28
pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, you shall
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be built, and to the temple, your
5:34
foundation shall be laid." Isaiah
5:38
45:1-4,
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"Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to
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Cyrus. For the sake of Jacob, my
5:44
servant, and Israel, my chosen, I summon
5:47
you by name, and bestow on you a title
5:50
of honor, though you do not acknowledge
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me."
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Isaiah calls Cyrus my shepherd and even
5:57
my anointed, a title usually reserved
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for God's chosen ones. Cyrus didn't know
6:03
God. He didn't serve the God of Israel.
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Yet, God chose him to fulfill his
6:08
purpose. And history tells us it
6:11
happened exactly as Isaiah prophesied.
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In 539 BC, Cyrus conquered Babylon. One
6:19
year later, he issued a decree allowing
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the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem
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and rebuild the temple. Ezra 1:2. In the
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first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the
6:33
Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. The
6:36
Lord God of heaven has given me all the
6:39
kingdoms of the earth and he has
6:42
appointed me to build a house for him at
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Jerusalem.
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This wasn't just a random act of
6:49
tolerance. It was the fulfillment of a
6:51
prophecy spoken over a century prior.
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Cyrus even returned the sacred temple
6:57
vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken.
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God moved the heart of a pagan king to
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fulfill his covenant with his people.
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This demonstrates a critical truth. God
7:09
is sovereign over kings, over empires,
7:12
over history.
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Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is a
7:18
stream of water in the hand of the Lord.
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He turns it wherever he will."
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Persia's rise wasn't just geopolitical.
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It was prophetic. Cyrus was the first of
7:30
many Persian kings to be used by God for
7:32
the preservation and restoration of
7:35
Israel. Under his successors such as
7:37
Darius and Artic Xerxes, the Jewish
7:40
people would continue their rebuilding
7:43
efforts. Persia wasn't just tolerated in
7:46
scripture. It was divinely appointed to
7:49
play a role in restoring the Jewish
7:51
people to their land, funding the temple
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reconstruction and securing their safety
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after captivity.
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While Babylon represents judgment,
8:02
Persia represents mercy, a nation used
8:06
by God to bless his covenant people. The
8:10
lesson here, God can use anyone,
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regardless of their background or
8:15
beliefs, to fulfill his purposes. Kings
8:19
may not acknowledge him, but they still
8:22
serve his plan. Persia stands as a
8:25
testimony that God writes history before
8:28
it happens. Isaiah 14:24,
8:32
"The Lord of Hosts has sworn, surely as
8:35
I have thought, so it shall come to
8:37
pass. And as I have purposed, so it
8:41
shall stand. Roughly 60 years after
8:44
Cyrus issued his decree, many Jews still
8:47
lived throughout the Persian Empire. It
8:50
was during the reign of King Xerxes I,
8:53
also known as Aasweras, that one of the
8:55
most dramatic stories of deliverance
8:58
unfolded. The story of Esther.
9:03
The book of Esther is not just a tale of
9:05
palace intrigue. It's a divine
9:08
orchestration of events within a foreign
9:10
empire. God's name isn't mentioned once
9:13
in the entire book, but his fingerprints
9:16
are on every page. Esther, a young
9:18
Jewish woman, becomes Queen of Persia, a
9:21
kingdom that stretched from India to
9:23
Ethiopia, covering 127 provinces. Esther
9:28
1. At the same time, a high-ranking
9:31
official named Hmon plots to annihilate
9:34
the Jews after being offended by Morai,
9:37
Esther's cousin. Hmon's plan was not
9:40
just personal revenge. It was genocidal.
9:44
He convinced the king to sign a decree
9:47
authorizing the extermination of every
9:49
Jew in the empire. The entire messianic
9:52
line, the promise of a savior, was at
9:55
risk. But God had already placed his
9:58
deliverer in position.
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When Esther hesitated to speak up,
10:04
Mordei reminded her, "Esther 4:14, who
10:08
knows whether you have come to the
10:10
kingdom for such a time as this?"
10:13
Esther chose courage. She risked her
10:15
life by approaching the king uninvited,
10:18
a crime punishable by death. Through a
10:22
divinely orchestrated series of
10:24
banquetss, Esther exposed Hmon's plan.
10:27
The king reversed the decree. Hmon was
10:30
executed and the Jews were saved.
10:35
This deliverance became the foundation
10:37
for the Jewish festival of Purim, still
10:40
celebrated to this day. God used the
10:43
courts of Persia not only to return his
10:45
people to the land, but also to preserve
10:48
them from extinction. Persia once again
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became an instrument of divine mercy.
10:54
Even though the empire was pagan, God
10:57
had placed his people in places of
10:59
influence, ready to act when the time
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came. Psalm 33:10-11.
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The Lord foils the plans of the nations.
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He thwarts the purposes of the peoples,
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but the plans of the Lord stand firm
11:15
forever.
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The prophet Daniel received visions so
11:19
specific and detailed that they have
11:21
silenced critics and amazed scholars for
11:24
centuries. Though he lived in Babylonian
11:26
exile, Daniel's prophecies would reveal
11:29
the rise and fall of empires long before
11:32
they happened, including the Mido
11:35
Persian Empire. In Daniel 2, the
11:38
Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar dreams of
11:41
a statue made of various materials.
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Daniel under divine revelation
11:47
interprets the image Daniel 232-33
11:52
the head was of fine gold Babylon its
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chest and arms of silver meadow Persia
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its belly and thighs of bronze Greece
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its legs of iron Rome and its feet
12:06
partly of iron and partly of clay
12:09
divided future kingdom
12:12
this vision portrays successive world
12:14
empire empires that would rule the known
12:16
world. The silver chest and arms
12:19
represent the meadow Persian Empire. Two
12:23
arms symbolizing the dual nature of the
12:26
alliance with Persia ultimately becoming
12:28
dominant. Then in Daniel 7, the prophet
12:32
receives another vision, this time of
12:34
four beasts rising from the sea. These
12:38
represent the same empires seen in the
12:40
statue, but from a heavenly perspective.
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The second beast described as a bear
12:47
raised up on one side with three ribs in
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its mouth represents Meadow Persia.
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Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast a
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second like a bear. It was raised up on
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one side and it had three ribs in its
13:03
mouth and it was told
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devour much flesh. The bear raised on
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one side reflects Persia's dominance
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over Media. The three ribs likely
13:14
represent Persia's major conquests,
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Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. Then comes
13:20
Daniel 8. This is perhaps the clearest
13:23
reference to Persia in prophecy. Daniel
13:26
sees a ram with two horns charging
13:28
westward, northward, and southward. No
13:32
beast could stand before it. But
13:34
suddenly, a goat with a large horn,
13:37
grease Alexander the Great, strikes the
13:41
ram and destroys it. Daniel 8:20. The
13:46
ram that you saw with the two horns are
13:49
the kings of Media and Persia. Daniel
13:53
8:21. The goat is the king of Greece,
13:56
and the great horn between its eyes is
13:59
the first king. This vision was
14:02
fulfilled in staggering detail.
14:04
Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia
14:06
was swift, unexpected, and
14:09
worldchanging. The fact that Daniel saw
14:11
all of this two centuries before it
14:13
happened is proof of divine authorship.
14:17
Isaiah 42:9. Behold, the former things
14:20
have come to pass, and new things I now
14:23
declare. Before they spring forth, I
14:27
tell you of them. What's the takeaway?
14:30
Persia's role in biblical prophecy
14:32
wasn't only historical. It was foretold
14:35
by name. Its conquest described and its
14:38
fall predicted. God gave Daniel and us a
14:42
blueprint for world history to remind us
14:45
that he alone writes the future. When
14:48
Jesus was born, Gentiles were among the
14:51
first to recognize and honor him. Not
14:53
Roman senators, not Jewish rulers, but
14:55
wise men from the east. These men known
14:58
as the magi came bearing gifts and
15:00
worship. But who were they really?
15:02
Matthew 2:1-2. Now after Jesus was born
15:05
in Bethlehem, magi from the east came to
15:08
Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has
15:11
been born king of the Jews? For we saw
15:13
his star when it rose and have come to
15:16
worship him."
15:19
The magi were not random travelers.
15:21
Historically, the magi were part of the
15:24
priestly cast of the Mes and Persians,
15:27
highly respected scholars, astronomers,
15:30
and religious authorities. Many scholars
15:32
believe they originated from the region
15:35
of Persia. Now, consider this. Daniel
15:39
centuries earlier had been made chief of
15:42
the Magi in Babylon. Daniel 2:48. Then
15:46
the king made Daniel ruler over the
15:48
whole province of Babylon and chief over
15:50
all its wise men. It's possible that
15:53
Daniel's prophecies, including the 70
15:56
weeks of Daniel 9, which predicted the
15:59
timing of Messiah's arrival, were
16:01
preserved and passed down through
16:03
generations of magi. By the time of
16:06
Jesus' birth, these Persian scholars
16:08
could have been anticipating a heavenly
16:10
sign based on Daniel's writings. And
16:14
when they saw the star, they acted. They
16:16
traveled a great distance to bring
16:18
prophetic gifts. Gold for royalty,
16:21
frankincense for divinity, and myrr for
16:24
suffering and burial. Isaiah 66. The
16:29
wealth of the nations shall come to you.
16:32
They shall bring gold and frankincense
16:34
and shall bring good news, the praises
16:37
of the Lord. These Persian magi became
16:40
the first recorded Gentiles to worship
16:43
Jesus. They honored the newborn king
16:45
with gifts and humility. While others in
16:48
Israel remained unaware or indifferent.
16:51
What a powerful irony that the same
16:53
region now so hostile to the gospel was
16:56
once home to men who sought the Messiah.
17:00
Romans 9:25.
17:02
Those who were not my people, I will
17:04
call my people. And her who was not
17:07
beloved, I will call beloved.
17:11
God used Persian Gentiles to confirm the
17:14
arrival of the Savior. The testimony of
17:17
the Magi reminds us that no nation is
17:20
outside of God's plan. He calls all
17:23
people to himself. The prophetic role of
17:26
Persia doesn't end with the Old
17:28
Testament historical accounts. In fact,
17:31
some of the most dramatic end times
17:33
prophecies in scripture name Persia
17:35
directly as a central figure in the
17:38
final rebellion against Israel and
17:40
against God himself.
17:43
This prophecy is found in Ezekiel 38-39,
17:47
a pair of chapters known for their
17:49
apocalyptic imagery and clear outline of
17:52
a coming war in the latter years.
17:54
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Kush, and Put will
17:58
be with them, all with shield and
18:00
helmet. Here, Persia is listed among a
18:04
coalition of nations led by Gog from the
18:06
land of Mog, often associated by
18:09
scholars with the territory of
18:11
modern-day Russia. This coalition also
18:14
includes Meshek and Tubul often linked
18:17
to regions in modern Turkey, Gomer,
18:19
Bethtogama, Kush, modern Sudan,
18:22
Ethiopia, and Put Libya. Together, this
18:26
alliance marches against a reborn and
18:29
secure Israel, a condition not fulfilled
18:32
until the modern state of Israel was
18:34
established in 1948.
18:37
Ezekiel 38. After many days, you will be
18:41
called to arms. In future years, you
18:44
will invade a land that has recovered
18:47
from war, whose people were gathered
18:49
from many nations to the mountains of
18:51
Israel.
18:53
This clearly points to a reathered
18:55
Israel, something that never existed
18:58
until our modern era. We are the first
19:02
generation since ancient times to see
19:05
this prophecy potentially fulfilled.
19:08
What's more staggering is how this
19:10
invasion is stopped. Not by Israel's
19:13
military strength. Not by global
19:15
diplomacy, but by the direct
19:17
supernatural intervention of God.
19:21
Ezekiel 38:19-22.
19:24
In my zeal and fiery wrath, there shall
19:28
be a great earthquake. I will summon a
19:31
sword against Gog. I will execute
19:34
judgment on him with plague and
19:35
bloodshed. I will pour down torrents of
19:39
rain, hailstones, and burning sulfur.
19:43
God destroys this vast coalition, not
19:46
merely to defend Israel, but to reveal
19:49
his glory. Ezekiel 38:23.
19:53
So I will show my greatness and my
19:55
holiness, and I will make myself known
19:58
in the sight of many nations. Then they
20:01
will know that I am the Lord. In chapter
20:05
39, the aftermath is described in
20:08
graphic detail. It takes 7 months to
20:10
bury the dead. The devastation is so
20:13
massive that it reshapes global
20:16
politics. But again, this is not merely
20:18
about earthly war. It is about divine
20:22
justice and prophecy fulfilled.
20:25
Persia, once used by God to deliver his
20:28
people, is now part of an alliance
20:31
destined for judgment. This isn't a
20:34
contradiction. It's a divine pattern.
20:37
Nations can shift from being instruments
20:40
of mercy to instruments of rebellion.
20:43
But through it all, God's purposes
20:45
remain unchanged.
20:49
Revelation 19:11, "With justice he
20:51
judges and wages war." This prophecy
20:54
reminds us that Iran, Persia, is not
20:58
just a historical footnote. It is a
21:00
prophetic actor. And the drama of
21:02
Ezekiel 38 is not past, it is future.
21:06
While Iran's government aligns with the
21:09
prophecy of Ezekiel 38, something
21:12
extraordinary is happening beneath the
21:14
surface, something the news rarely
21:17
reports, a spiritual awakening. Despite
21:20
being one of the most repressive regimes
21:22
toward Christianity, Iran is home to one
21:25
of the fastest growing underground
21:27
churches in the world. This revival
21:30
isn't fueled by western missionaries or
21:33
church buildings. It's driven by dreams,
21:36
visions, and direct encounters with
21:39
Jesus Christ. Joel 2:28. And it shall
21:43
come to pass afterward that I will pour
21:46
out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons
21:48
and your daughters shall prophesy.
21:51
Numerous testimonies from former Muslims
21:53
tell of men and women, especially young
21:56
people and women, who are receiving
21:58
visions of Christ. Some report dreams
22:02
where Jesus appears to them in white
22:04
robes, calling them to follow him. These
22:07
believers often gather in secret house
22:09
churches, hiding from authorities,
22:12
risking imprisonment, torture, or death.
22:15
Yet the church continues to grow.
22:17
Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church,
22:21
and the gates of hell shall not prevail
22:24
against it." This dual reality is
22:26
sobering. The government of Iran stands
22:30
poised to fulfill endtime prophecy as an
22:33
enemy of Israel. While the people of
22:35
Iran are encountering Jesus in
22:37
increasing numbers, this reflects a
22:40
biblical pattern. While God judges
22:42
nations, he also rescues individuals
22:46
from within them. Seer 3:9. The Lord is
22:51
not slow in keeping his promise. He is
22:54
patient with you, not wanting anyone to
22:56
perish, but everyone to come to
22:59
repentance. As Iran's regime aligns with
23:02
nations like Russia and Turkey, exactly
23:05
as Ezekiel described, the spirit of God
23:08
is moving behind the scenes,
23:11
transforming hearts. Our response should
23:14
be one of urgency, compassion, and
23:17
prayer, not fear. These believers are
23:20
part of God's remnant, just as he always
23:23
preserves for himself a people, even in
23:25
the darkest places. Romans 11:5. So too
23:30
at the present time there is a remnant
23:32
chosen by grace.
23:35
The story of Persia is not just about a
23:38
nation. It's about a God who rules over
23:40
nations. From Genesis to Revelation,
23:44
Persia, modern Iran, is a prophetic
23:47
thread reminding us that God alone
23:49
directs the course of human history.
23:52
Proverbs 21:1,
23:54
"The king's heart is in the hand of the
23:56
Lord like rivers of water. He turns it
23:59
wherever he wishes. God raised up Persia
24:03
to deliver his people through Cyrus. He
24:05
preserved Israel through Esther in the
24:07
Persian court. He revealed world history
24:10
through visions given to Daniel during
24:12
the Persian era. He brought gentile magi
24:15
from Persia to worship the newborn
24:18
Christ. And in the end, he reveals that
24:21
Persia will join a rebellion that will
24:24
ultimately end in divine judgment. This
24:28
shows us something vital. No nation is
24:30
fixed in its role forever. Persia has
24:33
been used by God for mercy and will be
24:36
judged for rebellion. The same could be
24:39
said for any nation.
24:42
Daniel 4:35.
24:44
All the peoples of the earth are
24:46
regarded as nothing. He does as he
24:48
pleases. No one can hold back his hand
24:51
or say to him, "What have you done?"
24:54
This is not about national pride or
24:57
geopolitical forecasting. It's about
24:59
recognizing God's hand in world events.
25:02
It's about reading the signs of the
25:04
times with open Bibles and open hearts.
25:08
Matthew 24:6. You will hear of wars and
25:11
rumors of wars, but the end is not yet.
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We must not be deceived or distracted.
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The role of Persia is a warning, a
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signpost, and a call. A call to watch. A
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call to pray. A call to preach the
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gospel to every nation, especially those
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that seem most resistant. Matthew 24:14.
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And this gospel of the kingdom will be
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preached in the whole world. And then
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the end will come.
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Persia's story proves that God is always
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in control. And when the final chapter
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is written, every knee will bow. Not to
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kings, not to empires, but to Jesus
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Christ, the King of Kings. Philippians
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2:10-11, that at the name of Jesus,
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every knee should bow and every tongue
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acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord
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to the glory of God the Father. This is
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not just the story of Persia. This is
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the story of prophecy, the story of
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redemption, the story of the kingdom
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that is coming and it's unfolding in our