Iran = Persia = Elam
It is well accepted within secular circles that the ancient Persians are today’s Iranians. Though less known, it is also understood that the Elamites were what they were known as even before they became Persia.
Ancient Elam was situated in the area from SW Iran (just east of the Persian Gulf) up to western Iran. As they grew and spread out, they moved eastward, even as far as India (see the Parsee of India, a derivation of the word Persia).
Daniel 8:2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.
Daniel puts Shushan in Elam. Shush (Susa exists in western Iran today) is a town with ancient ruins dating back some 5000 years or more.
Esther 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia),
Esther 1:2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,
Esther 1:3 that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him—
This now equates the Medo-Persia empire with Shushan and Elam.
Elam, son of Shem
Genesis 10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
Elam is a Semite (derivation of Shem)…so the Iranians and Jews are of the same blood
Persian King Xerxes was married to Esther a Jewess who is credited with a big part in saving the Jews from the evil Haman who meant to wipe out the people
Iran up until recently got along with the Jews
Shah of Iran
Ayotollah Khomeini
Cyrus (Koresh)
This is one of the more amazing prophecies concerned a Persian that God prophesied would save the Jews from the Babylonians.
In fact it is so unbelievable to many that they want to change the dating of the book of Isaiah
Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 44:25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness;
Isaiah 44:26 Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places;
Isaiah 44:27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’;
Isaiah 44:28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem,
“You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ‘
Backstory
According to an historian at the time one of the future kings of the Medes had a daughter that he had given in marriage to a Persian aristocrat. Later he had a dream that her son would take over his kingdom and expand it into Asia.
So he sent a servant to kill the boy…but he could not, so the servant tasked some cattleman to do it. This guy having just found out that his own child was stillborn, decided to raise the child as his own.
The story gets out 10 years later who the child really is and now it’s too late for the grandfather to kill this royal child. He does take it out on the original servant that was supposed to kill the child by killing his son. So some years later this same servant encourages the child, Cyrus, to overthrow his grandfather, which he does and the rest is history.
Interesting that had the grandfather did what he did to divert the plan of God and yet God still was able to orchestrate the future back then in the same way that He is doing it now.
How Babylon would Fall
Isaiah 45:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. [Cyrus worshiped pagan gods]
Babylon was impregnable (some say the walls were 80-100 feet thick at the base and at least that tall; 2 of them with a moat in between) and could withstand a siege for years, because it was literally a thriving city…even with it’s own water source – the Euphrates river.
What did Cyrus do? He diverted the flow of the Euphrates river into low lying areas, paid a spy to leave the gate unlocked and he and his men walked down through the Euphrates river into the city in the early morning hours and Babylon fell before sunrise.
Isaiah 45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city And let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward,” Says the LORD of hosts.
It was prophesied well ahead of time.
2 Chronicles 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
2 Chronicles 36:23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!
Now fast forward to the end time
Iran Helps Beast power in attack on Jerusalem
In this chapter about great Tyre we read that this Babylonian system – the Beast Power – will be aided by Iran
Ezekiel 27:10 “Those from Persia, Lydia, and Libya Were in your army as men of war; They hung shield and helmet in you; They gave splendor to you.
Isaiah 22:1 The burden against the Valley of Vision [Seems to be saying of Jerusalem that you do not see things clearly]. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops,
Isaiah 22:2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle.
Isaiah 22:3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar.
Isaiah 22:4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”
Isaiah 22:5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord GOD of hosts In the Valley of Vision— Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. [times like these will come upon you] [next verse is what will happen during that time] [Jacob’s trouble: Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.].
Isaiah 22:6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. [Could be referring to Iran helping someone else out; ie the beast power]
(LITV) And Persia lifted the quiver
Isaiah 22:7 It shall come to pass [still yet in the future] that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
Isaiah 22:8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; [God has been protecting; time setting; reliance on own power might and ability]
Isaiah 22:11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.
Isaiah 22:12 And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
Iran Holds Some of the Slaves Captive
Isaiah 11:11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.
After the second exodus
Iran Enslaved
Don’t exactly know who, when or where but it seems that it will more than likely be the Beast power.
Judgment on Elam
Jeremiah 49:34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
Jeremiah 49:35 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might.
Jeremiah 49:36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
Jeremiah 49:37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD; ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.
A day of great wrath [Revelation 6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”]
Jeremiah 49:38 I will set My throne in Elam, And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the LORD.
This has not ever happened
Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Jeremiah 49:39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.”
It would not be unprecedented for Babylon to turn on the Persians after receiving help from them. In ancient times the Medo-Persians helped Babylon to conquer Assyria. After their help was no longer needed ancient Babylon turned on the Medes and Persians that were not yet a world class power.
Russia and Iran attack Beast Power
Somehow it appears that the relationship between modern Babylon and Iran will go south AND look who steps in….
Isaiah 21:1 The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea [Babylon]. As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
Isaiah 21:2 A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.
Medes and Persians get together again. It then appears that Russia will free the enslaved Iranians
Isaiah 21:9 And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”
The prophecy is dual!
Revelation 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
We know that Babylon fell back in 539BC but here we have a prophecy from ~100AD showing that Babylon will fall again. So what we have is Russia and Iran and:
Trumpets
5. (first woe) Beast attacks (Revelation 9:1-12)
6. (second woe) depicts retaliating Asian powers (Revelation 9:16)
After the Return of Christ
The Cup of Wrath: God’s judgment on the nations
Jeremiah 25:15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
Jeremiah 25:16 And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
Jeremiah 25:17 Then I took the cup from the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:
Jeremiah 25:18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;
Jeremiah 25:19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people;
Jeremiah 25:20 all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod);
Jeremiah 25:21 Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon;
Jeremiah 25:22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea;
Jeremiah 25:23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners;
Jeremiah 25:24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert;
Jeremiah 25:25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;
Jeremiah 25:26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
Jeremiah 25:27 “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.” ‘
Jeremiah 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall certainly drink!
Jeremiah 25:29 For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’
Timing
Ezekiel 38:21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
Shortly after Christ’s return, when Christ will have set His throne in Jerusalem, Iran will once again be a part of going against the state of Israel
Ezekiel 38:1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ezekiel 38:2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Ezekiel 38:3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:4 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 bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Ezekiel 38:8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
Ezekiel 38:16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
Iran and Russia in the News
Iran’s global banking problems deepen with rise of Trump, Brexit
So they look to Russia for help
Iran displays new Russian S-300 defence missile parts
Six world powers led by the US agreed in July to lift the sanctions which had locked down much of Iran’s economy for years, in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Khamenei: US ‘can’t do a damn thing’ about our missile program
Iran in March tested ballistic missiles, including two with the words “Israel must be wiped off the earth”