iran dominates the headlines conflicts threats secret alliances nuclear ambitions what few realize is that its story is already written in the Bible its beginning and its end yes Iran appears in the Bible from Genesis to the prophecies of the end times but under its ancient name Persia because the Bible doesn't just tell us about Iran's beginning it also foretell its ultimate destiny in one of the darkest and most feared passages in Revelation the war of Gog and Magog a coalition that will rise up against Israel in the last days but before becoming a prophetic enemy Persia was God's chosen empire to free his people rebuild the temple and fulfill Daniel's prophecies stay with me until the end because today you're about to discover what very few dare to reveal iran's true role in God's greater plan from the beginning until the end let's dive in it all starts in the book of Genesis after the flood God gives humanity a fresh start and reveals how the nation of Persia was born noah and his family were the only survivors left on earth and his three sons Shem Ham and Japheth became the forefathers of new nations in chapter 10 we find the very first map of the world's nations where we read "This is the account of Shem Ham and Japheth Noah's sons who themselves had sons after the flood from these the coastlands were populated each according to their own languages families and nations this genealogy forms a map showing the lineage of Noah's sons here we discover two patriarchs who would later give rise to the Persian Empire madai and Alam madai was Japheth's son and from him arose the Mes a people who settled in the northern mountains a region now part of modern-day Iran from these northern mountains of Iran Madai's descendants gradually expanded establishing villages clans and tribes they were independent rugged mountaineers known for their toughness and strong tribal organization madai is the direct ancestor of the ancient northern heartland of Iran the second name is Ilam son of Shem his descendants the Elummites settled in southwestern Iran in fertile lands near the Persian Gulf but Genesis 14 tells of the Bible's first great international war four eastern kings including Chedoma king of the Elommites joined forces and invaded Canaan they plundered cities enslaved peoples and took Lot Abraham's nephew captive elam wasn't some small insignificant tribe it was a powerful nation and according to scripture the first nation to attack God's people of faith but Abraham didn't just stand by and watch with only 318 trained servants he pursued the invaders attacked them by night and defeated them he rescued Lot freed the captives and humiliated the eastern kings it was an impossible victory a triumph that defied human logic and delivered a powerful message no eastern power can prevail against those who have the favor of God but the people of Elam didn't disappear centuries passed generations were born and died and those tribes once defeated by Abraham grew in number the Elommites and the Mes shared the same land the ancient terrain of eastern Mesopotamia one dwelled southwest in the fertile plains of Elum the other inhabited the mountainous north where the harshness of the region forged the character of the Mes as empires rose and fell quietly another power was taking form first clans emerged then kingdoms and finally an empire the Persian Empire though they were pagan nations they were never outside God's plan through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah two great prophecies concerning them were declared the first prophecy spoken through Isaiah revealed that God would use Elum and Media as instruments to punish Babylon babylon who had destroyed Jerusalem and burned down its temple would not escape judgment god had already decided who would bring about its downfall the United peoples of Iran yet the second prophecy was even more astounding god would not only use Persia to bring punishment he would also wield Persia as an instrument of liberation god announced through the prophet Isaiah that a pagan Persian king yet unborn would serve as his chosen agent to free Israel from exile and decree the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem isaiah called him by name more than 150 years before he was even born this is what the Lord says to his anointed to Cyrus and both prophecies came true with terrifying precision in the 8th century BC Deosis king of the Mes united the tribes of Alam and Madai founding the first imperial capital on Iranian soil Ekbatana his grandson Saxs took the next great step reforming the army and turning it into a war machine strong enough to destroy Nineveh capital of the Assyrian Empire one of Israel's most brutal enemies the prophecy began to be fulfilled god was raising up Persia from within as his instrument of judgment and redemption yet even as Persia grew in power God had already revealed its destiny through prophetic dreams and the first to see it clearly was a young Hebrew prisoner living in Babylon Daniel it all started when the Babylonian army led by King Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem the city walls fell the temple was ransacked and thousands were carried away into slavery in distant lands daniel was among them he was just a teenager when he was torn from his home and brought to the court of Babylon the most powerful empire in the world at that moment but there in the darkness God chose him surrounded by the corrupt splendor of the royal palace Daniel kept himself untainted and because of his faithfulness God gave him something granted to no other captive a gift of visions visions that spoke not only about his own time but about the course of all human history at the very heart of the empire responsible for Jerusalem's destruction Daniel began to see how God would raise another kingdom one destined to replace Babylon and play a crucial role in the fate of his own people the Persian Empire and it all began with dreams while Daniel served in Nebuchadnezzar's court the king was deeply troubled by a disturbing dream a giant statue crafted from different metals towered before him radiating an indescribable glory and menace terrified the king demanded not only someone who could interpret this dream but who could reveal it without first hearing it none of Babylon's wise men could accomplish this task but God's prophet was ready and they brought Daniel before the king with the authority of heaven itself Daniel stood before the most powerful ruler on earth and revealed what no Babylonian wise man could unravel he described the dream exactly and proclaimed a revelation that would forever change the world's destiny you oh king are the head of gold but after you another kingdom will rise one inferior to yours depicted by the chest and arms of silver that figure of silver wasn't just one nation but two arms two mighty forces bound together in one body the Mes and the Persians united yet unequal because the Persian arm would rise stronger and take control the prophecy was clear babylon would fall and the throne would pass on to a new empire chosen by God himself young Daniel living far from his homeland watched God's visions come true soon his vision would become reality because the king God had foretold long ago through Isaiah was about to arise from the highlands of Persia his name was Cyrus cyrus the young Persian king conquered Media united the kingdoms into the Meadow Persian Empire and steadily grew to become the greatest power of his time finally turning his gaze upon Babylon the prophesied day came yet it wasn't a battle like any other one night King Belshazar grandson of Nebuchadnezzar hosted a banquet with a thousand nobles and amidst the frenzy committed an unforgivable act he ordered the sacred vessels his grandfather had looted from the temple in Jerusalem brought out and they toasted with them in honor of false gods suddenly an invisible hand appeared writing four words onto the palace wall menet men teel upin the king turned pale no one understood the meaning of these words until they summoned Daniel who revealed their terrifying message god has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end your kingdom is divided and given to the Mes and Persians even as these words were uttered the prophecy began to unfold the armies of Cyrus the Great King of Persia had diverted the Euphrates River and were quietly entering the city along the dry riverbed the gates of Babylon stood unlocked god himself had thrown them open that very night King Belshazar was slain and the prophecy was fulfilled babylon fell into Persian hands the Jews who for 70 years had wept by the rivers of Babylon now witnessed an impossible dream come true a foreign pagan king decreed that they could return home to Jerusalem but Cyrus did more than permit their return he financed the rebuilding of the temple and sent the Jewish leaders back with royal support zerubbabel descendant of David's royal line and Joshua the high priest these men would lay down the first foundations finally restoring the place where God's name dwelled thus Persia became the one nation not to destroy Israel but to rebuild it but to Daniel God unveiled another even more frightening vision about Persia in this vision from the chaotic waters arose four monstrous beasts the second beast looked like a massive bear raised up on one side with three ribs clutched between its teeth and a voice thundered from heaven "Get up and eat your fill of flesh." The bear symbolized the empire destined to follow Babylon Media and Persia yet the beast leaned to one side because Persia would ultimately dominate Media and the three ribs represented its greatest conquests lydia Babylon and Egypt each devoured one after another in Persia's relentless march of expansion this vision was fulfilled with chilling accuracy for after conquering the kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor and Babylon itself Persia did not slow down it set its sights on Egypt under Cambises 2 son of Cyrus Persian armies marched across the Sinai desert and smashed Pharaoh Samic 3 in the battle of Palucium Egypt israel's ancient oppressor fell before the Persian Empire and thus the third rib was torn from its place but these visions weren't finished yet years later standing on the banks of the Ooli River Daniel was seized once again by a vision one far more precise clearer and even more terrifying before his eyes appeared a ram with two horns but one horn stood taller than the other and the taller horn had grown up later the ram charged fiercely toward the west toward the north and toward the south and none could oppose him then a voice explained the meaning the two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia again Persia takes center stage in the divine plan though this time not as an ally but as a mighty empire conquering without resistance and charging forth like an unleashed beast and one chilling detail stands out clearly one horn stood taller an unmistakable hint at Persia's dominance over media two peoples one empire but only one dominant throne as the vision continued suddenly from the west a goat appeared swift as the wind with a single prominent horn right between his eyes in a flash he charged the ram knocking him down and trampling him underfoot it was the prophecy of the next empire Greece under Alexander the Great would overthrow Persia with supernatural speed at that moment Daniel didn't yet know who the goat represented but he understood clearly that Persia the greatest most glorious empire the world had yet seen would one day fall but that ending had not yet come for in its days of splendor Persia was not only invincible it was the center of the world its reign stretched from India to Ethiopia and in the days of King Aasuas the throne of the greatest empire on earth was established in the majestic city of Susa in the heart of Elam what we now call southwestern Iran and it was precisely in Susa that one of the Bible's most unexpected miracles happened the great empire would be conquered by a single woman king Aasueras held a magnificent banquet that lasted for 6 months then invited all the people of Susa to a final grand celebration lasting 7 days in a moment of pride and excess he ordered Queen Vashi his wife to be brought before them to display her beauty but Vashi refused humiliated before his entire empire the king banished her then his advisers suggested a radical solution searching throughout the kingdom for a new queen from among the young virgins the most beautiful would be taken to the palace where they would undergo a full year of preparation before being presented to the king one of those young women was Hadassa though no one knew her by that name an orphan born among the exiled Jews she had been secretly raised by her cousin Morai and in the palace she was given a new name Esther esther captured the king's favor and without knowing she was a Jew Aasueras crowned her queen of Persia meanwhile hidden in the shadows of the palace a deadly enemy emerged hmon a descendant of the Amalachites ancient enemies of Israel hmon had risen to the highest position next to the king and when everyone was ordered to kneel before him Mordei Esther's cousin refused proud and vindictive Hmon was not satisfied with punishing just Morai instead he plotted to annihilate an entire people what began as personal revenge quickly turned into genocide hmon approached the king and warned him of a strange nation scattered throughout his kingdom a people with peculiar laws who did not obey the empire's decrees and persuaded the king that they should be destroyed with lies he convinced the king and sealed the deadly decree with the royal ring in less than a year every Jew in Persia was destined for death men women and children chaos spread throughout the Jewish community and Morai quickly sent word urging Esther to act when Esther heard about the decree she felt trapped to save her people she would have to approach the king uninvited a practice that carried an instant death penalty unless the king chose to show mercy by extending his scepter finally Esther decided to put her life on the line and went before the king without being summoned yet God granted her favor in his sight the king raised his scepter toward her but Esther wasn't hasty she knew timing was everything she invited the king and Hmon to a banquet and then to a second feast it was there at that second banquet where she unleashed the truth like a sharpened blade if we had only been sold into slavery she said I would have remained silent but a decree has gone out ordering the extermination of my people and myself the king leapt to his feet who would dare do this esther replied our enemy is this wicked man Hmon the king's face burned with fury hmon fell to his knees begging desperately for his life but it was already too late on the very gallows he had built for Morai hmon himself was hanged yet the danger had not passed the edict remained intact because Persian law could never be overturned so Esther and Mori brought forward an even bolder plan a new decree the king signed it and throughout the provinces the Jews were granted the right to defend themselves the day once marked for their annihilation instead became a day of triumph without realizing it the Persian Empire had become a fortress a throne and a shield for God's people after Esther's miracle in Soua Persia seemed to fade into the background of biblical narrative centuries rolled by empires rose and fell and Rome took center stage yet Persia's silence did not mean its absence centuries later as the world quietly awaited the coming of the Messiah Persia would once again emerge in the Gospel of Matthew we read a passage that has been repeated millions of times yet rarely understood in its full depth maji came from the east into Jerusalem asking "Where is the newborn king of the Jews we have seen his star rise in the east and have come to worship him who were these magi and why would they travel so far guided only by a sign the original word Maji from the Greek Magoy was used to describe learned astronomers and priests from the east although their nationality isn't explicitly mentioned in scripture evidence strongly suggests they came from the ancient lands of the Maido Persian Empire the area known today as Iran these magi belong to a highly influential religious cast in Persia renowned for their knowledge of the stars ancient writings and prophetic traditions passed down for generations while they were not kings they were men of science authority and spiritual insight it's quite probable that among the scrolls they studied were the writings of the prophet Daniel who had served centuries earlier at the courts of Babylon and Persia daniel not only interpreted dreams in King Nebuchadnezzar's court but he also prophesied the coming of the Messiah with mathematical precision in Daniel 9 from the issuing of the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem until the coming of Messiah the Prince there shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks if these wise men knew Daniel's visions it's very likely they understood the Messiah's arrival was imminent when they saw the star they realized immediately the promised son had been born but the most powerful part was their response they left everything behind to follow that star journeyed across deserts and arrived in Bethlehem carrying three special gifts each rich with prophetic meaning gold declaring his kingship frankincense recognizing his divinity and myrr foreshadowing his sacrifice and death without realizing it these wise men revealed the greatest mystery in the universe this child would be king he would be God and he would be a lamb while Jerusalem scholars remained silent and Herod plotted to kill him the wise men from the east became the first to recognize prophecy fulfilled bowing before the Messiah this moment was no mere coincidence it was prophetic fulfillment persia the nation which centuries before had freed Israel and rebuilt its temple now became the first to honor its savior once again Persia served as an instrument of divine revelation from the very beginning until the manger of Christ Iran ancient Persia was always intricately woven into the unfolding plan of God but the story of Iran in the Bible doesn't end in Bethlehem though Persia had once been an instrument of redemption in the past it would also play a role in one of the darkest episodes of prophetic future god not only revealed the beginning of Persia he also declared its destiny through the words of the prophet Ezekiel in one of the most chilling visions of the Old Testament the war of Gog and Magog in chapter 38 Ezekiel describes a coalition of nations rising up in the final days against Israel god's restored people son of man set your face against Gog of the land of Magog prince of Meek and Tubal and prophesy against him say this is what the sovereign Lord says behold I am against you O Gog persia Kush and Put will be with them persia modern-day Iran is among the very first named the same nation that once helped rebuild the temple will now find itself part of an alliance standing against the people of God but who else makes up this alliance gog prince of Mog widely understood by biblical scholars as a powerful leader emerging from northern regions often linked to Russia or a Eurasian coalition kush ancient Nubia likely refers to areas within modern-day Sudan put linked to North Africa possibly Libya gma and Togama regions near Turkey and the Caucuses together they form an international army that Ezekiel describes as surging like a storm against Israel scripture says "You will advance like a storm you will be like a cloud covering the land you and all your troops and many peoples with you but they will not succeed for this attack will provoke God's direct intervention triggering severe judgment earthquakes fire confusion among the armies and God's glory will shine forth amid the chaos as it is written "And so I will show my greatness and my holiness and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations." Then they will know that I am the Lord." So Persia once a deliverer will now face judgment not because God has abandoned her but because once again she rises against his will and his people persia like few other nations in the Bible has traveled the entire arc of sacred history from its creation in Genesis to its redemptive role during exile and even its prophetic alliance in the final war but what does the Bible reveal about Persia's ultimate fate will it be completely destroyed or perhaps receive a chance at redemption the answer lies hidden between the lines and it's far more intricate and powerful than many realize after describing the judgment of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and39 scripture paints a devastating scene an army rising against Israel is consumed by fire from heaven bodies scattered across open fields weapons burning for seven years and Gog's name forever synonymous with divine judgment persia as part of this coalition will not escape punishment yet here lies a surprising twist one Jeremiah had announced centuries earlier in a passage almost forgotten the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning Elum i will shatter the bow of Elam the backbone of its strength yet nevertheless in the last days I will restore the captives of Elam declares the Lord it's a prophecy with two sides first comes judgment but then we read an unexpected promise in the last days I will restore Elum this changes everything because even though Iran will rise against Israel in the last days even though it will take part in the final assault that provokes God's wroth its story doesn't end among the ruins even in judgment God still leaves the door open for redemption the Iran we see making headlines today aggressive defiant embroiled in dark alliances will someday also play a role in a restored world persia's biblical history mirrors humanity itself redeemed fallen judged and restored by grace that's why Iran's ultimate destiny in the Bible serves as both a warning to empires that defy God and a promise to those who choose repentance because it is written that in the final days the nations will journey to Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and it shall come to pass that everyone who remains of the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King and to celebrate the feast of tabernacles perhaps among those nations stands Elam perhaps Iran once a redeemer foe and judged nation will itself witness the restored glory for even now in God's heart there remains room for those who return from the earliest pages of Genesis to the sweeping visions of Revelation Persia has always been there as humanity rose again from the floodwaters God named Elam and Madai quietly planting seeds for an empire not yet born by the time Abraham rose up to rescue Lot Elilum had already become a threat and when Babylon eventually fell Persia became an instrument of redemption when the temple was rebuilt it was a Persian king who provided the resources and when the Messiah was born wise men from the east men from Persia were among the first to acknowledge him yet as the end of days approaches and the nations rise up like shadows against Israel Persia will again take center stage but this time on prophecies darker side for it is written Persia Kush and Put will be with them forming a coalition against God's restored people yet even then the book remains open scripture does not close the door and one day the nations will ascend to Jerusalem to celebrate the king if Persia turns its face toward God its story will not end in ashes but in glory and now after everything you've heard I ask you do you believe Iran is fulfilling its prophetic role today we are living in times when prophecies unfold quietly and what once seemed ancient is now more alive than ever so where do you think we stand in this story do you see signs of these prophecies in today's headlines leave your thoughts in the comment box below and if you'd like us to keep exploring how current events connect with biblical prophecy give this video a thumbs up and share it this lets us know we should continue uncovering more prophecies unfolding right before our eyes and if you're ready to dive even deeper click right now on the video you see on your screen daniel's seven keys for identifying the antichrist daniel left us the signs we've revealed in this video in these times understanding is more essential than ever blessings