Persia in Prophecy
As the Middle East conflict has heated up once again, many people are asking whether this is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. For years, those who specialize in prophecy have pointed to Iran (ancient Persia) as one of the nations that will come against Israel in the last days. According to Ezekiel 38, Gog, of the land of Magog (presumably Russia), will invade Israel from the north, accompanied by a number of other nations, including Persia. I know it’s tempting to want to see Bible prophecy fulfilled right before our eyes, but we have to be careful not to read things into the biblical text that aren’t there. What isn’t in the biblical text is a situation in which Persia leads the charge against Israel. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, Persia is part of a coalition of nations led by one called Gog (whose identity is uncertain). Therefore, whatever is happening between Iran, Israel, and the United States at this moment isn’t a fulfillment of any specific Bible prophecy. So, we can set aside the idea that Ezekiel 38–39 is currently being fulfilled. A quick look at the passage itself will make that clear.
“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you O Gog … I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army—horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with armor and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shields and helmets; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah, the far north and all its troops—many people are with you’” Ezekiel 38:1–6.
Whatever is being described here in Ezekiel is clearly not what we see happening in the current situation between Israel and Iran. So, what are we as Christians to think about the things unfolding in the Middle East? To put it simply, I think we should be thinking and praying for a gospel opportunity. I’ll come back to this in a moment, but first, I want to address another Bible passage that some are suggesting is being fulfilled through the events taking place right now.
Elam in Prophecy
The passage is Jeremiah 49:34–39, a prophecy against Elam. Elam, although a small kingdom, had a long history. Chedorlaomer, whom Abraham defeated in battle, was king of Elam (Genesis 14:17). Elam was situated near Media and Persia. It later became a province of the Persian empire and is mentioned again in Daniel 8:2. The Jeremiah passage speaks of a judgment to come on Elam, most likely by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. The prophecy was given at the beginning of Zedekiah’s reign, when the Babylonians were conquering kingdom after kingdom in the region. The LORD said he would scatter them among the nations and sit in judgment over them (I will set my throne in Elam). This, he appears to have done first through the Babylonians, and then the Persians. The only part of the prophecy that seems to be yet future (in my opinion) is verse 39, where the LORD says he will bring back the captives of Elam in the latter days. This is something promised to other people groups as well. According to Isaiah 19:25, the day will come when Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will all be called the people of God. So, although the ancient kingdom of Elam is encompassed within the modern state of Iran (the city of Ahvaz in the province of Khuzestan), it seems to me a stretch to see the current conflict in Iran as a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.
Interpreting Bible Prophecy
It’s when we try to get too specific with prophecy that we often go wrong. I think it’s wiser, safer, and more accurate to say that many of the things we see happening globally are moving in the direction that Scripture says they would go in preparation for the return of Jesus. But to try to connect every event that happens with Israel and the surrounding nations to some specific prophecy being fulfilled is a mistake that Christians need to stop repeating. I’ve been around long enough to see one detailed prophetic scenario after another fall by the wayside. Let’s be content to know that the world is indeed moving in the direction the Lord said it would go, and leave the details with him. There will undoubtedly come a day when prophecy will be so clearly unfolding that there will be no room for speculation. Until then, let’s stay focused on the mission Jesus entrusted to us: making disciples of all nations.
That brings me back to what I think we, as Christians, should be doing at the present time—hoping and praying that these events will lead to greater opportunities for the gospel to go forth and for the kingdom of God to spread throughout the entire region.
Iran and the Islamic Republic
As some of you will know, the Lord has already been doing an amazing work of grace in the lives of many Iranians. Hundreds of thousands have become Christians over the last few decades (some estimates put the figure at one million). Because of the Islamic regime, they have been forced into an “underground” church experience, much like the Christians who have lived under Communist rule, where persecution, imprisonment, and even execution have been the norm. To imagine a day when they would be free to publicly worship Jesus and spread the good news of his reign throughout Iran would be a glorious day indeed. Iran has been and, at the moment, still is under powerful demonic forces that need to be defeated. Bombs and missiles can deal with the flesh and blood aspects of the regime, but only the power of prayer and the gospel can deal with the powers of darkness. The Islamic Republic has been the source of region-wide, even worldwide, disruption and terror. Their demise could bring a kind of peace that would give the gospel great freedom to expand, not just in Iran but across the entire region. Let’s all be praying for that.
The Middle East Today
A few years ago, I was praying and asking the Lord about new places he might want me to invest in for his kingdom. I’d been involved in ministry in many countries for many years, and, although happy to continue what I’d been doing, I didn’t want to miss out if the Lord had somewhere new for me to be involved. The answer I received in prayer somewhat shocked me. The Lord said, “the Middle East.” Wow! I didn’t see that coming. But believing it was from the Lord, I began to think and pray about what that would look like. I’m still thinking and praying, but since that time, it’s been amazing to watch God slowly open doors that seemed permanently locked and sealed shut. In many countries where strict adherence to Islamic law was the way of life, things have begun to loosen up. It’s not only Iranians who are experiencing a move of the Spirit that is opening people up to Jesus and the gospel; this is happening in many parts of the Muslim world. Could it be that all we see happening is a precursor to a time of freedom that will allow the gospel to flow more freely, or at least less restrictively? As some have said, more Muslims have come to faith in Jesus in the last fifty years than in the previous fifteen hundred years. And, according to some in Israel, there’s a similar openness to Jesus among Israelis that hasn’t been seen since the nation’s birth. May that openness grow ever more, and may we be ready to seize the moment when it comes.
An Open Door
Many years ago, I stood in my office, studying the world map mounted on the wall. As I stared at the map, my eyes fixed on an entire region of the world that was closed to the gospel: the region dominated by Soviet Communism. Seeing so many countries with so many people without the gospel grieved me, and I wondered if and how things could ever change. Little did I know at that moment that, in just a few short years, the Soviet Union would collapse, and I would be on the streets of Moscow sharing the gospel and helping start new Jesus-centered churches that would disciple the multitudes who were coming to faith.
In the decades since, I have found myself again looking at the world map and those places dominated by Islam, and asking the same questions. Yet now, with the memory of how God can suddenly flip the script and open doors that we never imagined could be opened, I believe this could be that moment. And I believe that the word of Jesus to us, his people today, is the same one he gave to his disciples long ago, before his ascension into heaven. This word was in response to their question, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” His answer, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Many today are asking the same question the disciples asked, “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” I believe the answer is the same to us as it was to them. God himself will fulfill his prophetic word in his time. In the meantime, we have a harvest to reap and a commission to fulfill. Let’s stay focused, prayerful, and hopeful, for clearly God is at work.
