Looking at today’s news headlines and the non-stop threats levied against the tiny nation of Israel from the surrounding Arab nations, it’s hard to imagine that a time is coming in the very near future when those threats will cease and a period of peaceful coexistence will begin.  It’s even harder to imagine that the nation that will initiate this new relationship with Israel will be the nation of Iran.  In fact, if one were to view the future solely through the prism of current world news, this is impossible to imagine.  After all,  Iran is the most vocal antagonist against Israel and the most determined to wipe them off the face of the earth and “push them into the sea”.  But if you understand prophecy accurately, this upcoming event is not impossible to imagine at all.

Coincidentally, Iran is the focus of a story found in The Jerusalem Post, dated today, June 19, 2017, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to once again express his determination to protect his citizens from any threats, especially those that originate from Iran.  Story here:

The whole word seems to be watching as these events unfold, holding its collective breath, in hopes that a spark doesn’t ignite which sets off an “Archduke Ferdinand” moment that drives us into World War III.  News flash to the world: You Can Breathe Now.  There’s not going to be a spark (at least, not yet).  There’s not going to be a chain-reaction.  To the contrary–Iran is going to initiate a peaceful alliance with Israel and they are going to unite the entire Arab world to do likewise.

I don’t blame you if you find that hard to believe.  Based upon the conditions that currently exist, it is absurd on its face to imagine such a total change of heart from one of the most hostile nations on earth suddenly becoming Israel’s most important ally in the region.  But this is exactly what the  Bible tells us going to happen and it tells us when it will happen.

At the end of World War II, Israel was diplomatically reestablished by U.N. Resolution 181 on Nov. 29, 1947.  Less than seven months later, they issued their Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948 and returned to their homeland, prepared to fight to get it back, which they did successfully.  From that moment on, each day, each week, month and year has been a constant struggle to exist.  The forces throughout the Middle East that despise Israel include virtually every Arab nation.  They would like nothing more than to see Israel’s demise.  However, this period of hostility against Israel is soon coming to its prophetic close.

Zech. 1:12–“Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, O Yahweh of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?“

This prophecy, directed at the nation of Israel, pertains to the 70 years (threescore and ten) since their return to their ancestral homeland and their recognition as a nation once again.  That date, May 14, 1948 is the year 5 Iyyar 5708 on the Jewish calendar.  Prophecy tells us that these years of indignation will finally cease after those 70 years are finished.  If we add 70 years to the Jewish calendar, we arrive at 5 Iyyar 5778, then convert back to the Gregorian calendar, it becomes April 20, 2018.  In less than a year from now, after April 20th, a new dynamic will emerge, as the indignation ceases.

When this moment occurs, what does this have to do with Iran?  Even if a time of peace begins, how in the world will this include the nation that is Israel’s greatest threat today?  It has EVERYTHING to do with Iran if you pay careful attention to its role in prophecy and if you understand WHAT prophecy pertains to.  I’ll start with the latter item.

For most of my life, I had been instructed that all prophecy pertains to “people” and the future destiny of those groups of people.  So, in order to understand it, one must first carefully identify who those people are, where they live and where they might have moved to over the centuries of migratory patterns.  For example, my former church believed that the United States and Great Britain are the descendants of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.  With this belief, attempts were made to juxtapose what prophecy said with those various groups of people to make it “fit”.  This was met with varying degrees of success.  The reason it wasn’t successful 100% of the time is because this is not at all what prophecy pertains to.  Virtually all of prophecy in the Bible is about one thing–land.  Specifically, it is about the lands in the Middle East, especially Israel.

Jer. 12:15–“And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man TO HIS LAND.“

Jer. 30:3–“ For, lo, the days come, saith Yahweh, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith Yahweh: and I will cause them to RETURN TO THE LAND that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”

Eze. 29:14–“ And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to RETURN TO THE LAND of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.“

The examples of prophecy pertaining to the lands in the Middle East are too numerous to cite any more examples at this moment, but with this understanding, anyone can find additional scriptures which reinforce this fact.  Knowing that prophecy pertains to land, not just to people, how  does this involve Iran and what do they have to do with Israel after the 70 years of indignation have ended?

The Temple.

As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, an important ingredient to fully understand what is actually written in scripture is to read in the original language from which it was written.  It requires one to read the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek.  This way, the actual meaning of what the author intended to express is not lost in the translation.  The words, transliterated into the English language, may sound choppy or clumsy, but quite often an entirely new–more accurate–understanding jumps off the page.

But, another important necessity to understand prophecy is to read the  Bible in its original manuscript order.  This is in stark contrast with how our modern Bibles are organized today.  If one were to read the Old Testament in the order in which the sacred scrolls were originally organized, the last book of the Bible would not be Malachi.  It would be the book of 2 Chronicles.  There is a key prophecy that is identified in the last chapter of this last book of the Old Testament which involves both Iran AND the Temple.  And since prophecy pertains to land, we have to understand exactly “who” is spoken of and “what” that person’s future role will be.

2 Chron. 36:22-23–“²² Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,  ²³ Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Yahweh Elohim of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? Yahweh his Elohim be with him, and let him go up.”

These are the final two verses in the Old Testament.  No other scripture would be written for another 500 years until the time of Yahshua on earth.  Verse 22 introduces us to Cyrus king of Persia, spoken of by the “mouth” of Jeremiah.  Who is this and why is it important?  And do we have any record of what Jeremiah “spoke”?

The king of Persia is a reference to today’s Iran.  We obviously know that Cyrus himself would have been long dead, so this prophecy pertains to whomever is the ruler of that nation at the time in which this prophecy is to be fulfilled–that is, OUR generation.    Remember, prophecy is about land, so when we read this prophecy–the very LAST prophecy in the Old Testament–it is telling a future “leader” [a.k.a.: “king”] of Iran [Persia] what he must do.  In v. 23, that task is revealed: He is to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

But, will Iran be the sole Arab nation that is involved with this new construction project?  Far from it!  In v. 23 above, we see that Yahweh has given Iran “all the kingdoms of the earth” to join them.  Not only will Iran unite all of her Arab neighbors in the new relationship with Israel and in rebuilding the Temple, every other nation on earth will support them in some other manner, or financially.

To put it in context today, when the 70 years of indignation are over on April 20, 2018, the stage will now be set for Iran to forge an alliance with Israel.  Iran will insist upon rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.  Why will Iran do this, after so many years of spewing venom toward Israel?  They will do it because “Yahweh stirred up the spirit of [the] king of Persia”.  Once Yahweh places HIS will within the human heart, then that human instrument has no choice but to follow his desire.  The heart of the leader of Iran will change instantly and completely.  And, when it does, Iran will demand that Israel rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

What about this prophecy being “spoken” of by the prophet Jeremiah?  This takes a slightly deeper understanding of scripture than what might first appear.  In the book of Zechariah chapter 7, we read about the restoration of Jerusalem and the many details of Israel returning to this land.  We read about Judah (the Jews) returning home.  And, because this event DID happen on 5/14/48, this portion of Zechariah’s prophecy is no longer prophecy, it’s history.

Zechariah is a book that contains 14 chapters, but not all were written by him.  In fact, he did not even write the majority of this book; he only wrote the first 6 chapters.  The last 8 chapters, beginning in chapter 7, were written by Jeremiah and were later attached to Zechariah.  When we read in 2 Chronicles 36 that the future deeds of the leader of Iran are “spoken of” by Jeremiah, it actually means “written about” BY Jeremiah in the book of Zechariah.

Benjamin Netanyahu is doing what any good leader would do to ensure the survival of his people and his country.  But, he can rest assured, in less than a year from now, the risk of confrontation with Iran will cease to exist.

He and the entire world will be shocked when Iran eventually approaches Israel with their desire to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.  And to demonstrate their sincerity, Iran will begin funding it.  The whole world will soon follow their lead and for a little while, the world will see what it can be like if man lives in peace with one another.

Enjoy it while it lasts, because this respite is only temporary.