Israel’s Imminent Demise?
Yesterday in the online edition of Israel Today a headline read; “Iran to Host Festival Celebrating Israel’s Imminent Demise.” The article went on to say; “Iran already plays host to an international conference denying the facts of the Nazi Holocaust against the Jewish people. Now, the Islamic Republic is gearing up for the first ever International Hourglass Festival, a gala event celebrating the imminent demise of the State of Israel. Iran Front Page reported that the event’s marketing information features an hourglass and a disintegrating Star of David above the words “25 Years,” a reference to predictions by Iran’s top leadership that Israel would cease to exist within the next quarter century. The festival organizer is Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, an aide to the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament. He told the publication that the event is being put on to celebrate the fact that “the Islamic Republic won’t allow the Zionists to play with the security of the sensitive region of Middle East. Iran and its allies in the region, who defeated terrorists, will never allow the Zionists to endanger the region’s security. “Anti-Israel organizations around the world have reportedly jumped at the opportunity to promote the festival.”
Iran
Elam in the Bible is Persia or Iran today. Historically and Biblically the Persians were always friends of Israel especially when you consider Esther and how she defended Israel and risked her life for the welfare of her people bringing about the favour of the Persian King. Then we have King Cyrus, God’s servant we are told, who made it possible for the Israelites to return to Israel. The Shah of Iran traced his roots back to Cyrus. The Aryans gave Persia its historical name: Airyana, The land of the Aryans from which the name Iran or Aryan comes. Arian Tribes who emigrated to the west became the ancestors of Greeks and people who chose east as their destination came to be known as Indo-Iranians. Aryan (Arian) means noble or honourable. As for their religion it was Zoroastrianism not Islamic. It was only in 1979 when the Ayatollah Khomeini and his wicked satanic regime took control of the country that Iran became a nation that hated Israel, yet not primarily the people, but the regime that lorded it over them. Today there is a ‘prince’ or ‘principality’ (demonic spirit) over Persia. Iran is destined to start a war with Israel which Iran will lose. (Daniel 10:12-14,20) Iran is undoubtedly preparing for ‘a face off’ with Israel. But what does God’s Word say will happen to Iran in the last days?
Jeremiah 49:35-39 (KJV) Ezekiel 32:24 (KJV)
1. Iran’s military power will be broken: (Vs.35)
“Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.”
Iran’s ‘arrows’ today are missiles that are launched from armoured vehicles and there is no doubt that they are aimed at Israel. However, the LORD is going to cause the missiles to fail and be deflected. The LORD will shield Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31:5) Even though Israel is to pass through the Time of Jacob’s Trouble at the end of this age, the faithful remnant will be saved out of it to co-reign with the Messiah in His Messianic Kingdom. (Jeremiah 30:1-7) (Zechariah 13:8-9) When the Messiah comes back Israel will fight alongside Him at Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:7-9; 14:14)
2. Iran’s fundamentalist Islamic regime will be scattered: (Vs.36)
“And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.”
Those in the regime who survive, if any, will be scattered and go into exile in the nations.
3. Iran’s armies will be destroyed (Vs.37)
“For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, says the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.”
Iran will attack Israel and be defeated but Iran will not be completely destroyed but will come again against Jerusalem with the invasion force led by Turkey in Ezekiel Chapter 38. The Iranian army will fall on the mountains of Israel along with the armies of Turkey and all of the nations accompanying them into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, “the Valley of Decision.” (Joel Chapter 3)
4. Iran’s salvation will come but the regime will be destroyed: (Vs.38)
“And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from there the king and the princes, says the LORD.”
In the future the power of the gospel of the Kingdom will prevail among the Iranian people once the LORD has removed the evil regime that has been suppressing the Iranian people. Once the despotic regime of the Ayatollahs has gone the people will gladly respond to the freedom there is in the Lord Jesus and rejoice in the salvation He will bring to them.
5. Iran’s fortunes will be restored: (Vs.39)
“But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam (restore the fortunes of Elam,) says the LORD.”
Those who survive in Iran and come to faith in the Lord Jesus will share in the blessings of the millennial kingdom. Iran will freely worship the LORD in Jerusalem and join with those nations that come up to Jerusalem year after year to worship the LORD on Mt Zion. (Zechariah 14:16-19) God will have installed His King, the Messiah, upon His holy Hill in Jerusalem. As the psalmist said; “Then He (God) will speak to them (the surviving nations) in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:6)
6. Iran’s regime will descend into Hades: (Ezekiel 32:24)
“There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.”
Those who were part of the evil regime, who were never circumcised in heart by the Spirit of God will descend into the pit of Hades once they have been killed. They will join whole nations that have also rebelled against the LORD in this age.
Into the pit they will go!
All of the despotic anti-God, anti-Israel regimes and all who follow them will also go down into the pit of Hades to join the Antichrist and the false prophet and the previous ungodly kings of the nations. (Isaiah 14:9-12) (Ezekiel Chapters 31-32) (Revelation 19:20-21) People will survive from these nations but the antichrist regimes and their armies will not survive. (Zechariah 14:12-13) (Ezekiel 38:21-23;39:3-6) The stage is being set for a future war between Israel and Iran, a war that Iran cannot ultimately win. The Ayatollah and his cronies may be grinning now like pampered Cheshire cats and celebrating at the thought of Israel’s demise and having a ‘jolly time’ but little do they realise that in the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be for these antichrists that have dared to defy the living God and put out their hands to destroy Israel, the apple of God’s eye.
God will be silent
As for those who anti-Israel organizations around the world that have reportedly jumped at the opportunity to promote this festival celebrating Israel’s imminent demise, they will also be consigned by God to the pit. Let then even deny the holocaust but in Hades when faced with their crimes they will cry out in anguish for relief but God will be silent.
