IRAN IN THE BIBLE

Is the word “Iran” in the Bible? No, it is not. Is the nation of “Iran” in the Bible? Yes, it definitely plays a role in many chapters of the Bible. So, how can that be?

In 1935, influenced by the Persian ambassador to Germany who was influenced by the Nazis, the Persian government requested the nations to which it had diplomatic ties begin calling Persia, Iran.  Persia had been freed from their ties to Britain and Russia and a new name helped signify a new beginning for the nation. 

 

But, why the name Iran?

Sadly, the name “Iran” is a cognate of “Aryan” and derived from it.  The Germans were strengthening their relationships with nations that had Aryan blood.  The corrupt nature of German thinking at that time was what led to the murder of millions of  Jews throughout the next decade.
So, one cannot find  “Iran” in the bible; but, we can find “Persia”, and Persia has a rich and important heritage with G-d and his people.

Between 605 B.C. and 582 B.C. thousands of  Jews living in Judah were exiled to Babylon due to the serious moral and spiritual decay of the people of Judah.  During the period of their exile, the kingdom of Babylon was conquered and became the Medo-Persian Empire.  There is much biblical Jewish history recorded during this time.

The prophet Daniel was exiled as a teenager in 605 BC and spent the rest of his life in ministry in both kingdoms, serving 4 kings!  He witnessed one of the most evil kings, Nebuchadnezzar, humble himself and exalt the Lord.  This is recorded in chapter 4 of the Book of Daniel.

Daniel also lived to serve King Belshazzar, King Darius and King Cyrus!
Many people visit Daniel’s tomb today in Iran.

Another godly leader, Nehemiah, begins his Book in the city of Shushan where the ancient kings of Persia spent the winter. It is located in what today is southwestern Iran.  Nehemiah began writing around 446 B.C.  He was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.  The king actually asked Nehemiah why he looked so sad! When Nehemiah told him he desired to return to Judah and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the king gave him permission and had letters written  on his behalf to all the governors of the region!

Ezra, a priest, was also part of the rebuilding of Judah with Nehemiah. The word spoken by Isaiah the prophet more than 200 years earlier is fulfilled with Ezra!
Isaiah prophesied :
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.”   Isaiah 44:28

In 538 B.C. King Cyrus, King of Persia, had his heart stirred by the Lord (Ezra chapter 1, verse 1) He gave permission for the exiles of Judah to return home. The people of Persia encouraged them and willingly gave them their silver, gold, goods and livestock.  King Cyrus brought out the articles of the Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken and gave them back to Ezra and the Jews.

Now there’s another very famous person in Jewish history that grew up in Persia and did not return with the exiles. Her name was Hadassah, also known as Esther.  Esther was an orphan, a minority, and an alien living in the city of Shushan.  She was raised by her uncle Mordecai and through a series of events, was ushered into a position of royalty with the King. Esther became his queen!

 Just like Daniel, Nehemiah and Ezra, Esther was positioned by God in the land of Persia to have influence that would affect history.   A wicked man named Haman was given great authority buy the King of Persia. Haman wanted to be honored, and when Esther’s uncle would not honor him, he became enraged.

Haman was so full of anger and hate that he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews! Haman went before the King and said that “a certain group of people” was a threat to the King’s kingdom. It would be best to destroy them. The King, Esther’s husband, told Haman to do whatever he thought was good.  So, he built a gallows to hang Mordecai, and he planned the destruction of the Jews living in the Persian Empire.

However, unbeknownst to Haman this plan not only included Mordecai, but Esther as well!  The King sealed his edict with his ring which meant it could not be changed! Things looked pretty dark for Queen Esther and for the Jews in Persia!

 Mordecai finds out about the plan and is able to get the information to Esther with the words:
Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther, Queen of Persia, goes 3 days without food or water. She seeks the G-d of the Jews for wisdom and a plan.  She is willing to give all for the sake of her people. She risks going to the King without an invitation.

The Lord gives Esther a plan during her fast, and she has 2 dinners for the King and Haman.  In between the 2 dinners the King finds out that Mordecai saved his life and asks Haman to honor him! Isn’t G-d awesome!?.....especially since Haman had already built a gallows to hang Mordecai!

 

During the second dinner, Queen Esther reveals her identity as a Jew and reveals Haman’s plot to destroy her people. G-d turns the tables and Haman is hung, the Jews are given permission by the king to destroy those who sought their harm. Many of the people in the land chose to follow the G-d of the Jews, (Esther 8:17) and  Mordecai became second in authority to the King!

So much of the testimony of G-d’s faithfulness takes place in the land of Persia (what is known today as Iran).  Ahmadinejad, Iran’s President, has an identity card which proves he too, is a Jew! You say, “that’s impossible! He sounds like Haman!” Yet, his identity card shows his family name is “Sabourjian” which is a Jewish name that means “cloth weaver”. This is not just any “cloth weaver”, it is the name for the Jewish Tallit shawl in Persia!  Sometime after he was born, his family converted to Islam.So why the rage and hate against the Jews and against Israel?

In Oct. 2005, Ahmadinejad said Israel must be wiped off the map which can be interpreted as Israel must be destroyed.

 

In Feb. 2008, Ahmadinejad said Israel is a black and filthy microbe

In March 2008, Ahmadenijad said, "They have invented a myth that the Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.

In Oct. 2009, Ahmadenijad said the uniform shout of the Iranian nation is forever "Death to Israel".

 

In Sept. 2012, Ahmadinejad said, “We don’t even count them (Israel) as any part of any equation for Iran. During a historical phase, they represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated.”
In support of President Ahmadenijad, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is calling for the death of all Jews and the destruction of Israel.  On the Web site, called Alef, Khamenei says the opportunity must not be lost to remove "this corrupting material. It is a "'jurisprudential justification' to kill all the Jews and annihilate Israel, and in that, the Islamic government of Iran must take the helm."

So are we back in the time of Esther?  Will G-d remember all the Persians who chose to follow him? Will He remember King Cyrus?  Or the King who married Esther and spared her people total destruction?  Will the G-d of Israel once again intervene on behalf of His people and provide supernatural deliverance before the spirit of Haman prevails?

 

King David answers these questions best. He wrote this while fleeing from his son Absalom:
But you are a shield around me O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake up again , because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
Arise  O Lord!  Deliver me O my G-d!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
Break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people!     Psalm 3:3-8