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THE BIBLICAL DESTINY OF IRAN_ – The Truth Is Written in the Bible · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: What if I told you that Iran's nuclear threats, its
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Speaker 1: hatred for Israel, and even its final destiny were written
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Speaker 1: in the Bible thousands of years ago. Right now, as
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Speaker 1: tensions escalate in the Middle East, ancient prophecies are unfolding
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Speaker 1: before our eyes. The same nation that God once used
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Speaker 1: to rebuild Jerusalem is now marching toward a prophetic collision
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Speaker 1: that will shake the world. From Zyrus the Great to
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Speaker 1: the Kings of the East, from Esther's deliverance to Ezekiel's
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Speaker 1: final war, Iran's story was predetermined by the Almighty himself.
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Speaker 1: Today we're witnessing the set up for the greatest prophetic
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Speaker 1: fulfillment in human history. The truth about Iran's destiny isn't
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Speaker 1: found in news headlines. It's written in the pages of scripture,
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Speaker 1: and what you're about to discover will leave you speechless.
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Speaker 1: This is the biblical destiny of Iran, and the countdown
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Speaker 1: has already begun. Picture this incredible moment in history. Hundred
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Speaker 1: fifty years before a man named Cyrus was even born,
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Speaker 1: God spoke his name through the prophet Isaiah. Think about
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Speaker 1: that for a second. God knew this man's name, his mission,
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Speaker 1: and his destiny before he ever took his first breath.
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Speaker 1: This wasn't just divine knowledge, this was divine appointment. While
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Speaker 1: Cyrus was still just a possibility in the future, God
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Speaker 1: was already planning exactly how he would use this pagan
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Speaker 1: king to accomplish his perfect will. In Isaiah chapter forty four,
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Speaker 1: verse twenty eight, God made this stunning declaration that Saith
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Speaker 1: of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all
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Speaker 1: my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built,
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Speaker 1: and to the temple thy foundation shall be laid. But
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Speaker 1: God wasn't finished. In the very next chapter Isaiah forty
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Speaker 1: five one, something absolutely mind blowing happens. God calls this
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Speaker 1: pagan Persian king his anointed, saying, thus, say the Lord
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Speaker 1: to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have
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Speaker 1: holden to subdue nations before him, and I will loose
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Speaker 1: the loins of kings to open before him the two
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Speaker 1: leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut. The
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Speaker 1: word anointed here is the Hebrew word mashiach, the same
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Speaker 1: word we translate as Messiah. God was giving a foreign
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Speaker 1: king who didn't even worship him the same sacred title
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Speaker 1: used for Israel's greatest leaders, like King David. This wasn't
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Speaker 1: just any ordinary ruler. This was God's chosen instrument for
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Speaker 1: a specific purpose. Cyrus would rise to become the most
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Speaker 1: powerful man on earth, conquering nation after nation, building the
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Speaker 1: largest empire the world had ever seen. Yet he was
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Speaker 1: simply fulfilling what God had written in his book Generations
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Speaker 1: before Cyrus ever existed. What makes this prophecy even more
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Speaker 1: remarkable is that Isiah lived during a time when Assyria
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Speaker 1: was the dominant world power. Babylon hadn't even conquered Assyria yet,
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Speaker 1: let alone been conquered by Persia. Yet God was looking
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Speaker 1: centuries into the future, past empires that hadn't yet risen,
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Speaker 1: to name the specific man who would accomplish his will.
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Speaker 1: This demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over the affairs of nations
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Speaker 1: and his perfect knowledge of future events. The prophecy continued
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Speaker 1: in Isaiah forty five to two three. I will go
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Speaker 1: before THEE and make the crooked places straight. I will
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Speaker 1: break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in
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Speaker 1: under the bars of iron. And I will give THEE
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Speaker 1: the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places.
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Speaker 1: That thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call
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Speaker 1: thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. God
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Speaker 1: promised to personally go before Cyrus, opening doors that no
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Speaker 1: man could shut, giving him victory. After every conquest, every treasure,
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Speaker 1: every triumph would serve one ultimate purpose, that Cyrus might
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Speaker 1: know that God of Israel was the true God. The
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Speaker 1: Jewish people had been living as captives in Babylon for decades.
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Speaker 1: Their beautiful temple lay in ruins, their beloved city walls
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Speaker 1: were broken down like scattered stones, and hope seemed like
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Speaker 1: a distant memory. Children had grown up never seeing their homeland.
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Speaker 1: Old men wept when they remembered Zion. The harps hung
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Speaker 1: silent on the willow trees by the rivers of Babylon.
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Speaker 1: It was a picture of complete desolation and despair. The
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Speaker 1: captivity had lasted so long that many Jews had begun
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Speaker 1: to wonder if God had forgotten his promises. Some had
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Speaker 1: started families in Babylon, learned the language, adapted to the culture.
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Speaker 1: The younger generation barely remembered the stories of Jerusalem's glory.
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Speaker 1: It seemed like the exile might last forever. But God
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Speaker 1: had made a promise through his prophet Jeremiah, that would
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Speaker 1: change everything. In Jeremiah chapter twenty nine, Verse ten, he
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Speaker 1: declared with absolute certainty, for thus saith the Lord, that
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Speaker 1: after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit
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Speaker 1: you and perform my good word toward you in causing
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Speaker 1: you to return to this place. Exactly seventy years after
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Speaker 1: the first captives were taken to Babylon, Cyrus issued a
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Speaker 1: decree that sent shockwaves throughout the Persian Empire. This wasn't
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Speaker 1: some small administrative decision. This was history being rewritten by
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Speaker 1: the hand of God. In the first chapter of Ezra,
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Speaker 1: verses two and three, we read Cyrus's own words, words
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Speaker 1: that must have sounded like music to Jewish ears. Thus
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Speaker 1: saith Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord God of Heaven
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Speaker 1: hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and
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Speaker 1: he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: which is in Judah. Who is there among you of
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Speaker 1: all his people? His God be with him, and let
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Speaker 1: him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and
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Speaker 1: build the house of the Lord God of Israel. He
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Speaker 1: is the God which is in Jerusalem. Notice something remarkable here,
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Speaker 1: Cyrus acknowledges that the God of Israel is the god.
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Speaker 1: This pagan king had somehow come to understand that his
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Speaker 1: vast empire was given to him by the God of
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Speaker 1: a captive people. The decree continued in verse four. And
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Speaker 1: whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the
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Speaker 1: men of his place help him with silver, and with gold,
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Speaker 1: and with goods, and with beasts beside the free will
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Speaker 1: offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem.
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Speaker 1: This wasn't just permission to go home. This was royal
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Speaker 1: funding for the journey and the rebuilding project. Persian treasury
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Speaker 1: would pay for Jewish restoration. The same empire that had
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Speaker 1: inherited Jewish captives from Babylon was now setting them free
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Speaker 1: and sending them home with gifts. God had turned their
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Speaker 1: captivity into their liberation through the very king he had
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Speaker 1: named one hundred fifty years earlier. The scale of this
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Speaker 1: liberation was unprecedented in ancient history. Never before had a
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Speaker 1: conquering empire voluntarily released captive peoples and funded their return
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Speaker 1: to their homelands. Most conquerors scattered defeated populations to prevent
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Speaker 1: rebellion and insure control, but Cyrus was operating under divine direction,
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Speaker 1: following a script written by the God of Israel long
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Speaker 1: before he was born. The Persian Empire became the instrument
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Speaker 1: of Jewish restoration, proving that God can use any nation,
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Speaker 1: any ruler, any circumstance to accomplish his perfect will. Years
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Speaker 1: passed and a new Persian king named Xerxes sat on
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Speaker 1: the throne. Many Jews had returned to Jerusalem, but thousands
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Speaker 1: still lived throughout the Persian Empire. They had built new lives,
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Speaker 1: established businesses, and found prosperity in foreign lands. These Jewish
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Speaker 1: communities stretched from India to Ethiopia, scattered across one hundred
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Speaker 1: and twenty seven provinces of the vast Persian Empire. But
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Speaker 1: danger was coming in a way none of them could
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Speaker 1: have imagined. The threat would come from within the very
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Speaker 1: government that had protected them. It would be personal, vindictive,
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Speaker 1: and aimed at nothing less than the complete extinction of
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Speaker 1: the Jewish race. A man named Harman had risen to
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Speaker 1: power as the king's right hand man. His hatred for
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Speaker 1: the Jews burned like fire, especially toward a Jewish man
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Speaker 1: named Mordecai, who refused to bow down to him. Haman's
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Speaker 1: rage led him to plot something unspeakable, the complete destruction
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Speaker 1: of every Jewish person in the empire. In est chapter three,
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Speaker 1: verse thirteen, we see the horrifying decree, and the letters
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Speaker 1: were sent by posts into all the King's provinces to destroy,
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Speaker 1: to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews, both
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Speaker 1: young and old, little children and women, in one day,
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Speaker 1: even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which
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Speaker 1: is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of
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Speaker 1: them for a prey. The date was set, the orders
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Speaker 1: were sent to every corner of the empire, and death
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Speaker 1: seemed certain. But unknown to Hayman, God had already placed
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Speaker 1: his secret weapon in the palace, a young Jewish woman
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Speaker 1: named Esther, who had become queen. When Mordecai learned of
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Speaker 1: the plot, he sent word to Esther, begging her to intervene.
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Speaker 1: Esther's response revealed her fear approaching the king uninvited meant
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Speaker 1: risking death. But Mordecai's reply in Esther chapter four, verse
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Speaker 1: fourteen contains some of the most powerful words in all
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Speaker 1: of scripture. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at
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Speaker 1: this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to
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Speaker 1: the Jews from another place. But thou and thy father's
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Speaker 1: house shall be destroyed, and who knoweth whether thou art
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Speaker 1: come to the kingdom For such a time as this,
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Speaker 1: Esther made her choice. She risked everything, approach the king
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Speaker 1: and invited him and Haman to a private banquet. At
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Speaker 1: the second banquet, she revealed the truth in Esther seven
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Speaker 1: three to a four. She pleaded. Then Esther the Queen
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Speaker 1: answered and said, if I have found favor in thy sight,
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Speaker 1: O King, and if it please the King, let my
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Speaker 1: life be given me at my petition, and my people
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Speaker 1: at my request. For we are sold I and my
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Speaker 1: people to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish.
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Speaker 1: The King's rage against Hayman was swift and terrible. Haman
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Speaker 1: was executed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai.
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Speaker 1: The Jews were given permission to defend themselves, and they
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Speaker 1: were saved. They established the festival of Purim to remember
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Speaker 1: this incredible deliverance. Once again, Persia became the place where
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Speaker 1: God preserved his chosen people through impossible circumstances. What seemed
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Speaker 1: like the end of the Jewish people became instead a
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Speaker 1: demonstration of God's faithfulness to his covenant. The very empire
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Speaker 1: that could have been used to destroy them became their protection.
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Speaker 1: The festival of Purim, still celebrated by Jews today, commemorates
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Speaker 1: not just their physical survival, but God's supernatural intervention through
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Speaker 1: unlikely circumstances. Esther's courage, Mordecai's wisdom, and even the kings
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Speaker 1: insomnia all worked together in God's perfect timing to save
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Speaker 1: his people. The Persian Empire once again served as God's
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Speaker 1: instrument of preservation. While serving in the Persian government, the
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Speaker 1: elderly prophet Daniel received visions that would reveal the future
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Speaker 1: of empires and kingdoms. Daniel had survived the transition from
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Speaker 1: Babylonian to Persian rule, and now God was showing him
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Speaker 1: things that were yet to come. He was probably in
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Speaker 1: his eighties by this time, a man who had seen
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Speaker 1: kingdoms rise and fall, who had interpreted dreams for kings
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Speaker 1: and survived Lion's dens. These weren't just dreams or wishful thinking.
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Speaker 1: These were direct revelations from the throne room of Heaven
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Speaker 1: about the destiny of nations. The first vision came through
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Speaker 1: interpreting King Nebiconessa's dream about a massive statue in Daniel
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Speaker 1: Chapter two, verses thirty two and thirty nine, Daniel explained
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Speaker 1: this image's head was of fine gold, his breast and
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Speaker 1: his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
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Speaker 1: his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and
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Speaker 1: part of clay. And after thee shall arise another kingdom
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Speaker 1: inferior to THEE, and another third kingdom of brass, which
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Speaker 1: shall bear rule over all the earth. The chest and
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Speaker 1: arms of silver represented the kingdom that would follow Babylon Persia.
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Speaker 1: This empire would be inferior to Babylon in some ways,
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Speaker 1: perhaps in the absolute power of its rulers, but it
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Speaker 1: would be vast and enduring. Years later, in Daniel Chapter seven,
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Speaker 1: Daniel saw the same kingdoms in a different form. In
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Speaker 1: verse five, he described, and behold another beast, a second
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Speaker 1: like to a bear. And it raised up itself on
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Speaker 1: one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth
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Speaker 1: of it, between the teeth of it. And they said,
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Speaker 1: thus unto it arise, devour much flesh. This bear represented Persia,
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Speaker 1: raised up on one side. Because Persia became stronger than
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Speaker 1: its partner Media. The three ribs in its mouth likely
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Speaker 1: re presented the three major kingdoms it would devour, Babylon, Lydia,
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Speaker 1: and Egypt. The command to devour much flesh showed Persia's
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Speaker 1: destiny to conquer vast territories and many peoples. But the
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Speaker 1: most detailed vision about Persia came in Daniel Chapter eight.
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Speaker 1: Beginning in verse three, Daniel saw something remarkable. Then I
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Speaker 1: lifted up mine eyes and soar, and behold. There stood
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Speaker 1: before the river a ram which had two horns. And
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Speaker 1: the two horns were high, but one was higher than
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Speaker 1: the other, and the higher came up last. Daniel watched
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Speaker 1: as this ram charged west, north and south, conquering everything
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Speaker 1: in its path. Verse four says I saw the ram
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Speaker 1: pushing westward and northward and southward, so that no beasts
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Speaker 1: might stand before him. Neither was there any that could
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Speaker 1: deliver out of his hand. But he did according to
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Speaker 1: his will and became great. Later, the angel Gabriel explained
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Speaker 1: the vision in verse twenty. The ram which thou sawest
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Speaker 1: having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia.
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Speaker 1: Daniel was seeing the future of the very empire. He
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Speaker 1: served its rise to greatness and ultimately its defeat by Greece,
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Speaker 1: represented in the vision by a swift goat. These visions
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Speaker 1: weren't just historical curiosities. They were God's way of showing
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Speaker 1: Daniel that he knew the end from the beginning. Every empire,
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Speaker 1: every conquest, every rise and fall, was part of his
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Speaker 1: sovereign plan. Daniel could serve the Persian government with confidence,
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Speaker 1: knowing that God was in complete control of world events.
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Speaker 1: The same God who had delivered him from lions and
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Speaker 1: furnaces was directing the course of nations according to his
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Speaker 1: eternal purposes. Decades after the Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: the Holy city still had a problem that broke the
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Speaker 1: hearts of faithful Jews. Everywhere, Jerusalem's walls lay in ruins,
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Speaker 1: her gates were burned with fire, and the city remained
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Speaker 1: defenseless and vulnerable. This wasn't just an architectural problem. It
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Speaker 1: was a security crisis and a source of shame. A
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Speaker 1: city without walls was a city without dignity, without protection,
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Speaker 1: without proper identity. In the ancient world, this news reached
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Speaker 1: a Jewish man named Nehemiah, who served in the Persian
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Speaker 1: court as cup bearer to King Artaxerxes, the irony was striking.
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Speaker 1: Here was a Jew living in luxury in the Persian
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Speaker 1: Palace while his ancestral city lay in disgrace. The position
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Speaker 1: of cup bearer was one of the most trusted roles
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Speaker 1: in the Persian government. Niemiah literally held the king's life
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Speaker 1: in his hands, every day, tasting his wine to ensure
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Speaker 1: it wasn't poisoned. When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem's shameful condition,
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Speaker 1: his heart was crushed. In Neemiah Chapter one, verses three
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Speaker 1: and four, we read about his response, and they said,
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Speaker 1: unto me, the remnant that are left of the captivity
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Speaker 1: there in the province are in great affliction and reproach.
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Speaker 1: The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the
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Speaker 1: gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass when I heard these words, that I sat down
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Speaker 1: and wept and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed
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Speaker 1: before the God of heaven. For months. Neamiyah prayed and
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Speaker 1: mourned in secret, but one day his sadness showed on
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Speaker 1: his face in the king's presence. In ancient Persia, appearing
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Speaker 1: sad before the king could be seen as disrespectful or
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Speaker 1: even treasonous. In Neemiah chapter two, verse two, the king noticed.
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Speaker 1: Wherefore the king said, unto me, why is thy countenance sad?
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Speaker 1: Seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but
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Speaker 1: sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, But
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Speaker 1: Neaemiah took courage and explained his burden. In verse three,
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Speaker 1: he replied, let the king live forever. Why should not
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Speaker 1: my countenance be sad? When the city, the place of
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Speaker 1: my father's sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are
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Speaker 1: consumed with fire. What happened next was miraculous. Not only
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Speaker 1: did the king give near Mayah permission to go to Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: but he also provided everything needed for the journey and
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Speaker 1: the rebuilding project. In Nearmiah two seven to eight we
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Speaker 1: see the incredible generosity. Moreover, I said, unto the king,
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Speaker 1: if it pleased the King, let letters be given me
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Speaker 1: to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey
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Speaker 1: me over till I come into Judah. And a letter
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Speaker 1: unto Aesaph, the keeper of the King's forest, that he
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Speaker 1: may give me timber to make beams for the gates
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Speaker 1: of the palace, which appertained to the house and for
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Speaker 1: the wall of the city, and for the house that
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Speaker 1: I shall enter into. And the King granted me according
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Speaker 1: to the good hand of my God upon me. This
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Speaker 1: decree was far more significant than it might appear. According
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Speaker 1: to Daniel's prophecy in Chapter nine, verse twenty five, this
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Speaker 1: command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem would start the countdown
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Speaker 1: do the coming of Messiah. Know therefore and understand that
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Speaker 1: from the going forth of the commandment to restore and
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Speaker 1: to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah, the prince shall be
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Speaker 1: seven weeks and threescore and two weeks the street shall
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Speaker 1: be built again, and the wall. Even in troublous times,
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Speaker 1: Persian authority and Persian resources made possible the rebuilding that
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Speaker 1: would count down to the coming of Christ. Once again,
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Speaker 1: God was using this mighty empire to fulfill his promises
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Speaker 1: to his people. When Jesus was born in bethel Lehem,
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Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened that connected Persia to the greatest moment
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Speaker 1: in human history. According to Matthew Chapter two, verses one
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Speaker 1: and two. Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
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Speaker 1: Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there
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Speaker 1: came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying where
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Speaker 1: is he that is born King of the Jews? For
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Speaker 1: we have seen his star in the east and are
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Speaker 1: come to worship him. These weren't just any wise men.
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Speaker 1: They were magi, most likely from Persia, the land where
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Speaker 1: Daniel had served as a high official centuries before. These
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Speaker 1: men had traveled hundreds of dangerous miles following a supernatural star,
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Speaker 1: carrying precious gifts, all because they knew that the King
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Speaker 1: of the Jews had been born. Their journey would have
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Speaker 1: taken months across deserts and mountains, facing bandits and harsh weather,
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Speaker 1: all to worship a baby they had never seen. Think
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Speaker 1: about the dedication this required, leaving their comfortable lives, their
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Speaker 1: positions of influence, their wealth and safety, all to follow
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Speaker 1: a star to an unknown destination. How did Persian wise
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Speaker 1: men know about Jewish prophecies. The answer goes back to
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Speaker 1: Daniel and the Jewish community that had remained in Persia
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Speaker 1: after the exile. Daniel had served in high positions under
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Speaker 1: both Babylonian and Persian rulers. He had access to the
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Speaker 1: royal libraries and the wisdom schools of the Empire. The
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Speaker 1: knowledge of Jewish Messianic expectations had been preserved and passed
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Speaker 1: down through generations of Persian magi. These wise men weren't
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Speaker 1: just curious scholars. They were worshipers who had come to
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Speaker 1: honor the new born King. Matthew two eleven gives us
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Speaker 1: this beautiful scene. And when they were come into the house,
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Speaker 1: they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and
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Speaker 1: fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened
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Speaker 1: their treasures, they presented unto him gifts gold and frankincense
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Speaker 1: and murh. Each gift carried deep meaning. Gold recognized Jesus
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Speaker 1: as king. Frankincense acknowledged his deity as it was used
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Speaker 1: in temple worship. Muh used for burial, prophetically pointed to
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Speaker 1: his sacrificial death. Persian wisdom and Persian wealth were laid
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Speaker 1: at the feet of the Christ Child. But God used
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Speaker 1: these foreign visitors for another crucial purpose. In Matthew two twelve,
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Speaker 1: we read and being warned of God in a dream
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Speaker 1: that they should not return to Herod, they departed into
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Speaker 1: their own country another way. Their visit alerted King Herod
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Speaker 1: to the birth of a rival king, leading to the
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Speaker 1: Holy Family's escape to Egypt. Even this fulfilled prophecy, as
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Speaker 1: Matthew two fifteen notes that it might be fulfilled which
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Speaker 1: was spoken of the Lord by the prophet's saying, out
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Speaker 1: of Egypt, have I called my son. The story of
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Speaker 1: Persia in God's plan reaches back to the very beginning
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Speaker 1: of human history, to the time right after the Great
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Speaker 1: Flood when Noah's family began to repopulate the earth. In
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Speaker 1: Genesis chapter ten, verse twenty two, we find the genealogical
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Speaker 1: record the children of Shem, Elam and Ashur, and Alfaxad
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Speaker 1: and lud and Aram. Elam was one of the sons
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Speaker 1: of Shem, and his descendants became the foundation of what
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Speaker 1: we know as the Persian people. They settled in the
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Speaker 1: land that would later become the heart of the mighty
23:38
Speaker 1: Persian Empire. This wasn't random or accidental. It was part
23:43
Speaker 1: of God's divine plan for organizing the nations of the Earth.
23:47
Speaker 1: Every family line had a purpose, Every migration and meaning,
23:52
Speaker 1: every settlement was part of a greater design. The ancient
23:56
Speaker 1: world understood genealogies differently than we do today. These weren't
24:01
Speaker 1: just family trees, they were prophetic road maps showing how
24:05
Speaker 1: God would work through different peoples and nations throughout history.
24:09
Speaker 1: Genesis ten thirty two makes this clear. These are the
24:13
Speaker 1: families of the sons of Noah after their generations, in
24:17
Speaker 1: their nations, and by these were the nations divided in
24:21
Speaker 1: the earth after the flood. Every tribe, every people group,
24:27
Speaker 1: every nation had its place in God's design. The Elamites,
24:31
Speaker 1: who would eventually become the Persians, were part of this
24:35
Speaker 1: original blueprint for human civilization. The prophet Jeremiah later spoke
24:40
Speaker 1: about Elam's significance in God's plans. In Jeremiah twenty five
24:45
Speaker 1: twenty five, Elam is listed among the nations that would
24:48
Speaker 1: participate in God's judgment, and all the kings of Zimri,
24:52
Speaker 1: and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings
24:55
Speaker 1: of the Meads. Even in judgment, Elam had a role
24:59
Speaker 1: to play in God's unfolding purposes. This ancient connection shows
25:04
Speaker 1: us something profound. God's plan for using Persia wasn't a
25:09
Speaker 1: last minute decision. From the very beginning, when he divided
25:14
Speaker 1: the nations after the flood, he knew exactly how the
25:17
Speaker 1: descendants of Elam would fit into his grand story of redemption.
25:22
Speaker 1: The same God who scattered the nations at Babel would
25:25
Speaker 1: one day use the Persian empire to gather his people
25:29
Speaker 1: back to Jerusalem. The Table of Nations in Genesis ten
25:34
Speaker 1: is like a prophetic road map, showing us that every
25:37
Speaker 1: people group has a purpose in God's plan. The Persians
25:41
Speaker 1: weren't just another empire that happened to rise and fall.
25:45
Speaker 1: They were descendants of Elam, with a destiny written in
25:48
Speaker 1: the stars before their empire ever existed. When God decided
25:53
Speaker 1: to judge the mighty Babylon for its cruelty and pride,
25:57
Speaker 1: he raised up Persia as his instrument of justice. This
26:00
Speaker 1: wasn't just politics or military strategy. This was divine judgment
26:05
Speaker 1: executed through human armies. In Isaiah chapter thirteen, verse seventeen,
26:11
Speaker 1: God declared his intention clearly. Behold, I will stir up
26:16
Speaker 1: the Meds against them, which shall not regard silver, and
26:20
Speaker 1: as for gold, they shall not delight in it. The
26:23
Speaker 1: Meds had joined forces with the Persians to create an
26:27
Speaker 1: unstoppable empire. Unlike other conquerors who fought primarily for wealth,
26:32
Speaker 1: these warriors would be motivated by something deeper. They would
26:35
Speaker 1: execute God's judgment regardless of Babylon's riches. This was warfare
26:40
Speaker 1: with a divine purpose, conquest with a heavenly mandate. Babylon
26:45
Speaker 1: had seemed invincible with its massive walls, its hanging gardens,
26:50
Speaker 1: its vast wealth, and its powerful armies. But no earthly
26:55
Speaker 1: power can stand against the judgments of the Almighty when
26:58
Speaker 1: the time for justice arrives. Jeremiah chapter fifty one, verse
27:03
Speaker 1: eleven shows God's direct involvement in raising up this Persian
27:07
Speaker 1: Median alliance. Make bright the arrows, gather the shields. The
27:13
Speaker 1: Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of
27:15
Speaker 1: the Medes for his devices against Babylon, to destroy it,
27:19
Speaker 1: because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance
27:22
Speaker 1: of his temple. This was personal for God. Babylon had
27:27
Speaker 1: destroyed his temple, carried away his people, and mocked his name.
27:31
Speaker 1: Now the time for vengeance had come, and Persia would
27:34
Speaker 1: be his hammer of justice. The prophecy continued in Jeremiah
27:38
Speaker 1: fifty one twenty eight. Prepare against her the nations, with
27:42
Speaker 1: the kings of the Meads, the captains thereof, and all
27:46
Speaker 1: the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.
27:51
Speaker 1: God was mobilizing not just an army, but entire nations
27:55
Speaker 1: under Persian leadership to bring down the empire that had
27:58
Speaker 1: seemed invincible. When Babylon finally fell to Cyrus and his armies,
28:03
Speaker 1: it fulfilled prophecies that had been written decades earlier. The
28:07
Speaker 1: same empire that had destroyed Jerusalem and enslaved God's people
28:12
Speaker 1: was now being destroyed by the very nation God had
28:15
Speaker 1: chosen to restore his people. It was perfect justice. Babylon
28:21
Speaker 1: would fall and Persia would rise to become the key
28:24
Speaker 1: to Israel's restoration. But Persia's role as God's tool didn't
28:29
Speaker 1: end with Babylon's destruction. The empire would go on to
28:33
Speaker 1: fund the rebuilding of Jerusalem, protect the returning exiles, and
28:37
Speaker 1: provide the governmental structure that allowed God's people to re
28:41
Speaker 1: establish themselves as a nation. Through Persian kings like Cyrus,
28:47
Speaker 1: Darius and art Exerxes, God demonstrated a principle that would
28:51
Speaker 1: echo throughout history. He raises up nations and brings them
28:55
Speaker 1: down according to his sovereign will and perfect timing. The
29:00
Speaker 1: rise and roll of Persia proves that no empire, no
29:04
Speaker 1: matter how powerful, operates outside of God's control. Every kingdom
29:09
Speaker 1: serves his purposes, whether they know it or not. Persia
29:13
Speaker 1: became great because God made them great, and they accomplished
29:17
Speaker 1: his will because He guided their steps. From the naming
29:21
Speaker 1: of Cyrus one hundred fifty years before his birth to
29:24
Speaker 1: the financing of Jerusalem's walls, every Persian action was part
29:29
Speaker 1: of God's master plan for his people and his glory.
29:34
Speaker 1: More than twenty five hundred years ago, the prophet Jeremiah
29:38
Speaker 1: received a vision that would speak directly to our modern world.
29:42
Speaker 1: In Jeremiah chapter forty nine, starting at verse thirty four,
29:46
Speaker 1: God gave him a prophecy specifically about Elam, the ancient
29:51
Speaker 1: name for what we now call Iran. This prophecy came
29:55
Speaker 1: during the first year of King Zedekiah's reign, and it
29:58
Speaker 1: contained both judgments and hope for the distant future. The
30:02
Speaker 1: timing of this prophecy is significant because it came just
30:06
Speaker 1: before the final destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, linking Iran's
30:11
Speaker 1: destiny to Israel's own journey through judgment and restoration. Jeremiah
30:16
Speaker 1: forty nine, thirty five to thirty six declares, thus, Saith,
30:20
Speaker 1: the Lord of Hosts, behold, I will break the bow
30:25
Speaker 1: of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam
30:28
Speaker 1: will I bring the four winds from the four quarters
30:31
Speaker 1: of Heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds,
30:34
Speaker 1: and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of
30:38
Speaker 1: Elam shall not come. The Bow of Elam represented their
30:42
Speaker 1: military strength, their ability to defend themselves and project power.
30:47
Speaker 1: In ancient times, Elam was famous for its skilled archers
30:52
Speaker 1: and military prowess. But God was promising to break this
30:55
Speaker 1: strength and scatter the Elamite people to the four winds.
31:00
Speaker 1: They would be dispersed among all nations, with no corner
31:03
Speaker 1: of the earth untouched by their presence. This scattering has
31:07
Speaker 1: a chilling relevance to today's world. Iran's current nuclear programme
31:12
Speaker 1: has created global tension, with nations worried about weapons that
31:16
Speaker 1: could be launched from Iranian soil. The technology and knowledge
31:20
Speaker 1: of nuclear weapons could indeed scatter Iranian influence to the
31:25
Speaker 1: four winds. If conflict were to arise, The Bow of
31:29
Speaker 1: Elam might represent not just conventional military might, but the
31:34
Speaker 1: modern weapons that Iran seeks to develop. Verse thirty seven
31:38
Speaker 1: continues the sobering prophecy, for I will cause Elam to
31:42
Speaker 1: be dismayed before their enemies and before them that seek
31:47
Speaker 1: their life, And I will bring evil upon them, even
31:50
Speaker 1: my fierce anger, Saith the Lord, and I will send
31:53
Speaker 1: the sword after them till I have consumed them. Iran
31:58
Speaker 1: today faces enemies on multiple fronts, tensions with Israel, sanctions
32:03
Speaker 1: from Western nations, and internal pressure from its own people.
32:08
Speaker 1: The country that once was used by God to liberate
32:11
Speaker 1: his people now finds itself isolated and under pressure from
32:16
Speaker 1: the international community. The Islamic Republic's aggressive foreign policy has
32:20
Speaker 1: alienated former allies and created a web of conflicts that
32:25
Speaker 1: stretch across the Middle East. Yet this isn't the end
32:28
Speaker 1: of the story. The prophecy takes a remarkable turn in
32:33
Speaker 1: verses thirty eight to thirty nine. And I will set
32:37
Speaker 1: my throne in Elam and will destroy from thence the
32:40
Speaker 1: king and the princes, Saith the Lord. But it shall
32:43
Speaker 1: come to pass in the latter days that I will
32:46
Speaker 1: bring again the captivity of Elam, Saith the Lord. God
32:49
Speaker 1: promises that he will set his throne in Elam. He
32:52
Speaker 1: will establish his authority there. The current rulers will be removed.
32:57
Speaker 1: But then comes the hope in the latter days the
33:00
Speaker 1: captives of Elam will return. This suggests that after a
33:05
Speaker 1: time of judgment, and scattering, Iran will experience restoration. The
33:11
Speaker 1: same nation that faces judgment will also receive mercy. In
33:15
Speaker 1: God's perfect timing, the prophet Ezekiel received one of the
33:19
Speaker 1: most detailed prophecies about en time's warfare, and Iran plays
33:24
Speaker 1: a central role in this coming conflict. In Ezekiel chapter
33:28
Speaker 1: thirty eight, verse five, God specifically names Persia among the
33:33
Speaker 1: nations that will join a massive coalition against Israel. Persia, Ethiopia,
33:39
Speaker 1: and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet.
33:44
Speaker 1: This isn't just any battle. This is the war of
33:47
Speaker 1: Gog and Magog, led by a ruler called Gog from
33:51
Speaker 1: the land of Magog. Most Bible scholars identify this leader
33:55
Speaker 1: as coming from the north, likely from modern day Russia.
33:59
Speaker 1: Ezekiel thirty eight fifteen describes this northern invasion, and thou
34:04
Speaker 1: shalt come from thy place out of the north parts
34:08
Speaker 1: thou and many people with thee all of them riding
34:11
Speaker 1: upon horses, a great company and a mighty army. Iran's
34:16
Speaker 1: inclusion in this coalition is particularly significant because it represents
34:21
Speaker 1: a complete reversal from ancient times, where Persia once protected
34:25
Speaker 1: and restored Israel. Modern Iran has become one of Israel's
34:30
Speaker 1: most vocal enemies. The Islamic Republic regularly calls for Israel's
34:34
Speaker 1: destruction and funds terrorist organizations dedicated to attacking Israeli civilians.
34:41
Speaker 1: Today's headlines confirm this prophetic alignment. Iran has formed strong
34:46
Speaker 1: military partnerships with Russia, sharing weapons, technology and coordinating military
34:51
Speaker 1: actions in Syria and other regions. Iranian leaders have repeatedly
34:57
Speaker 1: threatened to wipe Israel off the map, and they proxy
35:00
Speaker 1: armies like Hesbelah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Ezekiel
35:07
Speaker 1: thirty eight sixteen shows God's purpose in allowing this invasion,
35:12
Speaker 1: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel
35:15
Speaker 1: as a cloud to cover the land. It shall be
35:18
Speaker 1: in the latter days, and I will bring thee against
35:20
Speaker 1: my land, that the heathen may know me when I
35:24
Speaker 1: shall be sanctified in thee o Gog before their eyes.
35:29
Speaker 1: God will allow this coalition to form and attack Israel,
35:32
Speaker 1: but not for Israel's destruction. Instead, it will become the
35:37
Speaker 1: stage for God to demonstrate his power and holiness to
35:40
Speaker 1: the watching world. The attack will backfire spectacularly, becoming a
35:45
Speaker 1: trap for Iran and its allies. The destruction of this
35:50
Speaker 1: coalition is described in Ezekiel thirty nine three four. And
35:55
Speaker 1: I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand,
35:58
Speaker 1: and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy
36:00
Speaker 1: right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel,
36:03
Speaker 1: Thou and all thy bands, and the people that is
36:07
Speaker 1: with thee. I will give thee unto the ravenous birds
36:10
Speaker 1: of every sort, and to the beasts of the field
36:13
Speaker 1: to be devoured. Iran's modern military alliance with Russia and
36:18
Speaker 1: its commitment to Israel's destruction seemed to be setting the
36:21
Speaker 1: stage for this prophetic fulfillment. The nation that once sent
36:26
Speaker 1: wise men to worship the new born King of the
36:28
Speaker 1: Jews will march with armies to destroy his people, only
36:33
Speaker 1: to face divine judgment. Instead. The Book of Revelation speaks
36:38
Speaker 1: of a massive army that will march from the east
36:41
Speaker 1: during the final days of human history. In Revelation Chapter sixteen,
36:46
Speaker 1: verse twelve, John saw this incredible vision, and the sixth
36:50
Speaker 1: Angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates,
36:54
Speaker 1: and the water thereof was dried up, that the way
36:58
Speaker 1: of the kings of the East might be prepared the
37:01
Speaker 1: Euphrates River has always been a natural barrier between the
37:05
Speaker 1: East and the West. For an Eastern army to cross
37:08
Speaker 1: into the Middle East and march toward Israel, this river
37:12
Speaker 1: would need to become passable. God will supernaturally dry up
37:16
Speaker 1: this ancient waterway to make room for the largest military
37:20
Speaker 1: force in human history. Revelation nine sixteen gives us the
37:27
Speaker 1: staggering number of this Eastern army, and the number of
37:30
Speaker 1: the army. Of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand,
37:34
Speaker 1: and I heard the number of them. That's two hundred
37:37
Speaker 1: million soldiers, a number that would have been impossible in
37:40
Speaker 1: John's day, but is conceivable today with modern populations. Iran
37:46
Speaker 1: sits perfectly positioned to be part of this Eastern coalition.
37:51
Speaker 1: The country lies east of the Euphrates River, has a
37:54
Speaker 1: large population and maintains military partnerships with other Eastern powers
37:59
Speaker 1: like China and Russia. Iran's current hostility toward Israel and
38:04
Speaker 1: its alliance with nations that oppose Western influence make it
38:08
Speaker 1: a natural participant in this end Time's invasion. The destination
38:14
Speaker 1: of this massive army is clear from Revelations sixteen sixteen.
38:20
Speaker 1: And he gathered them together into a place called in
38:24
Speaker 1: the Hebrew tongue armageddon. This Eastern force will converge with
38:29
Speaker 1: other armies at the Valley of Megido in northern Israel
38:33
Speaker 1: for the final battle of human history. Iran's strategic location
38:38
Speaker 1: between the ancient Euphrates and modern Israel places it in
38:42
Speaker 1: the direct path of this prophetic march. The nation's current
38:47
Speaker 1: military cooperation with Eastern powers like China and Russia could
38:51
Speaker 1: easily develop into the kind of alliance that would participate
38:54
Speaker 1: in such a massive invasion, but this army will not
38:58
Speaker 1: achieve its goal of destroying Israel. Revelation nineteen nineteen to
39:03
Speaker 1: twenty one describes their fate. And I saw the Beast
39:07
Speaker 1: and the kings of the Earth, and their armies gathered
39:09
Speaker 1: together to make war against him that sat upon the horse,
39:12
Speaker 1: and against his army. And the beast was taken, and
39:16
Speaker 1: with him the false prophet. These both were cast alive
39:20
Speaker 1: into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the
39:23
Speaker 1: remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat
39:27
Speaker 1: upon the horse. Iran's participation in this Eastern army will
39:31
Speaker 1: bring the nation face to face with the returning King
39:35
Speaker 1: of Kings, the same Jesus whom Persian wise men once
39:40
Speaker 1: worshiped as a baby, will return as a conquering king
39:43
Speaker 1: to judge those who sought to destroy his people. The
39:47
Speaker 1: transformation of Iran from Israel's ancient protector to its modern
39:52
Speaker 1: enemy represents one of the most dramatic reversals in biblical prophecy.
39:56
Speaker 1: To Day's headlines read like pages torn from his Ezekiel's visions,
40:01
Speaker 1: with Iran openly calling for Israel's destruction while building the
40:05
Speaker 1: military capability to carry out such threats. Iran's nuclear program
40:10
Speaker 1: has become the centerpiece of this modern conflict. The Islamic
40:14
Speaker 1: Republic has enriched uranium far beyond what's needed for peaceful purposes,
40:20
Speaker 1: defying international sanctions and inspections. Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned
40:27
Speaker 1: that they will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons,
40:31
Speaker 1: setting upper potential military confrontation that could reshape the Middle East.
40:37
Speaker 1: The proxy war between Iran and Israel plays out across
40:41
Speaker 1: multiple fronts. Iran funds and arms Hesbela in Lebanon, which
40:46
Speaker 1: has amassed over one hundred thousand rockets pointed at Israeli
40:50
Speaker 1: cities In Gaza, Iran provides weapons and training to Hamas
40:55
Speaker 1: and other terrorist groups that regularly attack Israeli civilians. Syria
41:01
Speaker 1: has become a battle field where Iranian forces and Israeli
41:05
Speaker 1: military forces clash regularly. Iranian leaders make no secret of
41:10
Speaker 1: their intentions. They regularly participate in rallies where crowds chant
41:15
Speaker 1: death to Israel and death to America. The Islamic Republic
41:19
Speaker 1: has made the destruction of Israel a central pillar of
41:23
Speaker 1: its foreign policy, spending billions of dollars annually to fund
41:28
Speaker 1: terrorist organizations and build weapons systems aimed at the Jewish state.
41:34
Speaker 1: This modern hostility fulfills ancient prophecies about the nations gathering
41:39
Speaker 1: against Israel in the last days. Psalm eighty three four
41:43
Speaker 1: describes this exact scenario. They have said, come and let
41:47
Speaker 1: us cut them off from being a nation, that the
41:50
Speaker 1: name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. Iran's
41:54
Speaker 1: stated goal of wiping Israel off the map matches this
41:57
Speaker 1: ancient prediction perfectly. Yet Israel's survival and prosperity despite these
42:03
Speaker 1: threats also fulfilled prophecy. Jeremiah thirty one thirty five thirty
42:07
Speaker 1: six promises, Thus saith the Lord which giveth the sun
42:11
Speaker 1: for a light by day and the ordinances of the
42:14
Speaker 1: moon and of the stars for a light by night.
42:17
Speaker 1: If those ordinances depart from before Me, Saith the Lord,
42:21
Speaker 1: then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being
42:25
Speaker 1: a nation before Me. Forever, as long as the sun
42:28
Speaker 1: rises and the moon shines, Israel will remain a nation.
42:34
Speaker 1: Iran's threats, no matter how severe, cannot override God's covenant
42:38
Speaker 1: promises to his people. The current tensions are setting the
42:42
Speaker 1: stage for the final confrontation described in biblical prophecy, where
42:47
Speaker 1: God will defend Israel and judge the nations that seek
42:51
Speaker 1: her destruction. The Abraham Accords, which have brought peace between
42:56
Speaker 1: Israel and several Arab nations, have only in hensified Iran's
43:01
Speaker 1: isolation and anger. As more Middle Eastern countries recognize Israel's
43:06
Speaker 1: right to exist, Iran finds itself increasingly alone in its
43:11
Speaker 1: commitment to Israel's destruction. This isolation may drive Iran to
43:16
Speaker 1: more desperate measures, potentially fulfilling the prophetic scenarios described in
43:21
Speaker 1: Ezekiel and Revelation. Even in the midst of prophecies about
43:25
Speaker 1: judgment and war, the Bible contains remarkable promises about Iran's
43:31
Speaker 1: spiritual future. The prophet Isaiah received visions that look beyond
43:36
Speaker 1: the coming conflicts, to a time when the nations, including Persia,
43:41
Speaker 1: will turn to worship the God of Israel. Isaiah Chapter two,
43:45
Speaker 1: verses two to three paints this beautiful picture. And it
43:50
Speaker 1: shall come to pass in the last days that the
43:53
Speaker 1: mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the
43:56
Speaker 1: top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hill,
44:00
Speaker 1: and all nations shall flow unto it, and many people
44:04
Speaker 1: shall go and say, come, ye, and let us go
44:06
Speaker 1: up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house
44:08
Speaker 1: of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us
44:11
Speaker 1: of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.
44:15
Speaker 1: This prophecy speaks of a time when all nations, not
44:19
Speaker 1: just Israel, will stream to Jerusalem to worship the true God. Iran,
44:24
Speaker 1: despite its current hostility, is included in this all nations
44:29
Speaker 1: that will one day acknowledge the God of Israel as
44:32
Speaker 1: the only true God. Isiah sixty three reinforces this promise.
44:37
Speaker 1: And the gentiles shall come to thy light and kings
44:41
Speaker 1: to the brightness of Thy rising. The light of God's
44:44
Speaker 1: glory will attract people from every nation, including the rulers
44:48
Speaker 1: of Persia to come and worship in Jerusalem. Remarkably, this
44:53
Speaker 1: spiritual transformation may already be beginning. Despite severe persecution from
44:58
Speaker 1: the Islamic government, underground churches in Iran are experiencing explosive growth.
45:05
Speaker 1: Millions of Iranians are secretly converting to Christianity, creating what
45:09
Speaker 1: many missionary experts call the fastest growing church in the world.
45:14
Speaker 1: Iranian Christians risk imprisonment, torture, and death for their faith,
45:20
Speaker 1: yet they continue to multiply. House churches meet in secret,
45:24
Speaker 1: Believers share their faith despite the danger, and Christian satellite
45:28
Speaker 1: television broadcasts reach millions of Iranian homes. The very nation
45:32
Speaker 1: whose government calls for Israel's destruction is simultaneously experiencing a
45:38
Speaker 1: spiritual awakening toward Israel's Messiah. This underground revival fulfills another
45:45
Speaker 1: prophecy from Isaiah forty two to sixteen. And I will
45:49
Speaker 1: bring the blind by a way that they knew not
45:52
Speaker 1: I will lead them in paths that they have not known.
45:56
Speaker 1: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.
46:00
Speaker 1: These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
46:04
Speaker 1: God is leading Iranian people out of the spiritual darkness
46:08
Speaker 1: of Islam into the light of the Gospel. Many Iranian
46:13
Speaker 1: Christians report having dreams and visions of Jesus before they
46:17
Speaker 1: ever heard the Gospel from human missionaries. God is supernaturally
46:21
Speaker 1: reaching into this closed nation to call out a people
46:25
Speaker 1: for his name. The spiritual hunger among Iranians has become
46:29
Speaker 1: so intense that many are willing to risk everything to
46:33
Speaker 1: follow Christ. The conversion of Iranians to Christianity also represents
46:39
Speaker 1: a fulfillment of the promise to Abraham in Genesis twelve three.
46:43
Speaker 1: And I will bless them that bless THEE and curse
46:46
Speaker 1: him that curseth THEE. And in THEE shall all families
46:50
Speaker 1: of the earth be blessed through faith in Jesus. Iranian
46:54
Speaker 1: families are receiving the blessing promise to Abraham's seed, even
46:58
Speaker 1: as their government curses Israel. Individual Iranians are finding blessing
47:02
Speaker 1: through Israel's Messiah. God is leading Iranian people out of
47:07
Speaker 1: the spiritual darkness of Islam into the light of the Gospel.
47:11
Speaker 1: Many Iranian Christians report having dreams and visions of Jesus
47:15
Speaker 1: before they ever heard the Gospel from human missionaries. God
47:19
Speaker 1: is supernaturally reaching into this closed nation to call out
47:23
Speaker 1: a people for his name. The conversion of Iranians to
47:28
Speaker 1: Christianity also represents a fulfillment of the promise to Abraham
47:33
Speaker 1: in Genesis twelve three. And I will bless them that
47:36
Speaker 1: bless THEE and curse him that curseth THEE. And in
47:40
Speaker 1: THEE shall all families of the earth be blessed through
47:44
Speaker 1: faith in Jesus. Iranian families are receiving the blessing promised
47:49
Speaker 1: to Abraham's seed. Iran's location on the world map gives
47:53
Speaker 1: it incredible strategic importance for end time's events. The country
47:58
Speaker 1: sits at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, controlling
48:03
Speaker 1: key waterways and land routes that will be crucial during
48:07
Speaker 1: the final conflicts of human history. This positioning isn't accidental.
48:12
Speaker 1: God has placed Iran exactly where it needs to be
48:15
Speaker 1: to fulfill its role in biblical prophecy. The Strait of Hormuz,
48:20
Speaker 1: controlled by Iran, is one of the world's most important
48:24
Speaker 1: shipping lanes. Nearly forty percent of all seaborne oil passes
48:29
Speaker 1: through this narrow waterway, making it a choke point for
48:32
Speaker 1: global energy supplies. Iran regularly threatens to close this strait
48:37
Speaker 1: during international tensions, demonstrating how one nation can hold the
48:41
Speaker 1: world economy hostage. This control gives Iran leverage far beyond
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Speaker 1: what its military might alone would suggest. This control over
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Speaker 1: oil shipping fits perfectly with biblical prophecies about economic chaos
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Speaker 1: in the End Times. Revelations six horsix speaks of extreme
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Speaker 1: inflation during the Tribulation. And I heard a voice in
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Speaker 1: the midst of the four beasts, say a measure of
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Speaker 1: wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for
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Speaker 1: a penny, and sea, thou hurt, not the oil and
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Speaker 1: the wine. Oil becomes a precious commodity that must be
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Speaker 1: protected during these difficult times. Iran's position also makes it
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Speaker 1: a natural bridge between the Eastern armies described in Revelation
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Speaker 1: and the Middle Eastern battlefields where End Times conflicts will occur.
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Speaker 1: Any massive force moving from China, India, or other Eastern
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Speaker 1: nations toward Israel would likely pass through or coordinate with Iran.
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Speaker 1: The ancient Persian Empire stretched from India to Ethiopia, giving
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Speaker 1: Iran historical claims and cultural connections across this vast region.
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Speaker 1: Modern Iran maintains relationships with Shea populations in Iraq, leben On, Yemen,
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Speaker 1: and other countries, creating a network of influence that could
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Speaker 1: be crucial during End Times events. Iran's development of missile
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Speaker 1: technology allows it to project power across the entire Middle East.
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Speaker 1: Iranian missiles can reach Israel, Saudi Arabia, and American military
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Speaker 1: bases throughout the region. This capability makes Iran a key
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Speaker 1: player in any regional conflict and positions it to fulfill
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Speaker 1: its role in biblical prophecies about En Times warfare. The
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Speaker 1: country's oil reserves, estimated to be among the world's largest,
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Speaker 1: give Iran economic leverage that extends far beyond its military capabilities.
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Speaker 1: Nations dependent on Iranian oil find themselves constrained in how
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Speaker 1: aggressively they can oppose Iranian policies, creating the kind of
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Speaker 1: complex international relationships that characterize the End Times political landscape.
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Speaker 1: Iran UN's geographic position between the Caspian Sea and the
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Speaker 1: Persian Gulf also gives it control over important trade routes
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Speaker 1: connecting Europe with Asia. As global commerce becomes increasingly important
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Speaker 1: in the End Times, Iran's ability to disrupt these trade
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Speaker 1: flows gives it influence far beyond what its military might
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Speaker 1: alone would suggest the story of Iran in Biblical prophecy
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Speaker 1: doesn't end with judgment and warfare. Some of the most
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Speaker 1: hopeful promises in scripture speak about the restoration that awaits
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Speaker 1: this ancient land after the tribulation period ends. God's pattern
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Speaker 1: throughout history has been judgment followed by mercy, and Iran
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Speaker 1: will experience this divine cycle in its fullness. The same
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Speaker 1: God who scattered will also gather. The same God who
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Speaker 1: judged will also restore. Jeremiah's prophecy about Elam concludes with
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Speaker 1: a stunning promise in Jeremiah forty nine thirty nine. But
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Speaker 1: it shall come to pass in the latter days that
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Speaker 1: I will bring again the captivity of Elam Saith the Lord.
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Speaker 1: The same God who promised judgment also promises restoration. Iran's
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Speaker 1: scattered people will be regathered, and the nation will experience
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Speaker 1: God's blessing once again. This promise stands as one of
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Speaker 1: the most hopeful prophecies about Iran's future in all of scripture.
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Speaker 1: This promise of restoration fits the pattern established throughout biblical prophecy.
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Speaker 1: Israel itself experienced centuries of exile before being regathered as
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Speaker 1: a nation in nineteen forty eight. The same God who
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Speaker 1: restored Israel after nearly two thousand years of dispersion will
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Speaker 1: also restore Iran after its time of judgment. The Hebrew
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Speaker 1: word translated bring again the captivity literally means to revert
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Speaker 1: us the fortunes or restore the prosperity. This suggests that
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Speaker 1: Iran will not merely survive the end times, but will
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Speaker 1: actually prosper under God's blessing. During the Millennial Kingdom, the
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Speaker 1: nation that was scattered and judged will be gathered and blessed.
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Speaker 1: Joel two twenty five establishes this principle of divine restoration.
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Speaker 1: And I will restore to you the years that the
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Speaker 1: locust hath eaten, the canker worm, and the caterpillar and
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Speaker 1: the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you.
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Speaker 1: God promises to restore what was lost during the years
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Speaker 1: of judgment, making up for the devastation with abundant blessing.
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Speaker 1: Iran's restoration will likely include both physical and spiritual elements.
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Speaker 1: The Persian people will return to their homeland, the land
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Speaker 1: will be rebuilt and prosper and most importantly, the people
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Speaker 1: will acknowledge the God of Israel as their lord and king.
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Speaker 1: This restoration also suggests that Iran will play a positive
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Speaker 1: role in the Millennial Kingdom, rather than being excluded from
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Speaker 1: God's future plans. The nation will be transformed from an
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Speaker 1: enemy into a worshiper, from a source of conflict into
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Speaker 1: a center of blessing. The timing of this restoration in
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Speaker 1: the latter days connects it directly to the establishment of
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Speaker 1: Christ's Millennial Kingdom. When Jesus returns to reign from Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: Iran will be among the nations that experience the full
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Speaker 1: blessing of his righteous rule. When Jesus Christ returns to
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Speaker 1: establish his thousand year reign on Earth, Iran will have
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Speaker 1: a place among the nations that serve the King of kings.
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Speaker 1: The Bible makes it clear that not all nations will
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Speaker 1: be destroyed during the tribulation period. Some will survive and
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Speaker 1: participate in the Millennial Kingdom under Christ's rule. Iran, despite
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Speaker 1: its current rebellion, will be transformed into a worshiping nation
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Speaker 1: under the righteous rule of the Prince of Peace. Zechariah
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Speaker 1: chapter fourteen, verse sixteen describes this incredible scene. And it
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Speaker 1: shall come to pass that every one that is left
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Speaker 1: of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even
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Speaker 1: go up from year to year to worship the King,
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Speaker 1: the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
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Speaker 1: Even nations that fought against Israel will have survivors who
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Speaker 1: will worship Christ in Jerusalem. The transformation will be complete
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Speaker 1: and miraculous. This means that despite Iran's participation in end
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Speaker 1: Time's warfare against Israel, a remnant of Persian people will
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Speaker 1: survive the judgments and be transformed into worshippers. The same
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Speaker 1: hearts that once harbored hatred for Israel will be changed
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Speaker 1: to love and serve the Jewish Messiah. Isaiah chapter sixty six,
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Speaker 1: verses eighteen nineteen provides more details about this gathering of nations.
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Speaker 1: For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall
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Speaker 1: come to pass that I will gather all nations and tongues,
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Speaker 1: and they shall come and see my glory. And I
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Speaker 1: will set a sign among them. And I will send
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Speaker 1: those that escape of them unto the nations, and they
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Speaker 1: shall declare my glory among the gentiles. Iran will be
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Speaker 1: among these nations that see God's glory and declare it
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Speaker 1: to others. Persian people will become missionaries, spreading the knowledge
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Speaker 1: of the True God to other nations. During the Millennial Kingdom,
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Speaker 1: the nation that once opposed God's people will become evangelists
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Speaker 1: for God's glory. The transformation will be complete and supernatural.
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Speaker 1: Ezekiel thirty six twenty six describes the heart change that
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Speaker 1: makes this possible. A new heart also will I give you,
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Speaker 1: and a new spirit will I put within you. And
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Speaker 1: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
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Speaker 1: and I will give you an heart of flesh. Iranian
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Speaker 1: people who survive the tribulation will receive new hearts that
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Speaker 1: love what God loves and hate what God hates. Their
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Speaker 1: natural hostility toward Israel will be replaced with supernatural love
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Speaker 1: for God's chosen people. This Persian remnant will participate in
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Speaker 1: the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem described in Zechariah fourteen sixteen
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Speaker 1: to nineteen. Every year during the Feast of Tabernacles, representatives
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Speaker 1: from Iran will travel to Jerusalem to worship King Jesus
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Speaker 1: and celebrate his goodness. The city that Iran once threatened
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Speaker 1: to destroy will become their destination for worship and blessing.
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Speaker 1: The wealth and resources of Iran will also be dedicated
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Speaker 1: to God's service during the millennium. Isaiah sixty eleven promises Therefore,
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Speaker 1: thy gates shall be open continually. They shall not be
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Speaker 1: shut day or night, that men may bring unto thee
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Speaker 1: the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may
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Speaker 1: be brought. Persian oil, Iranian technology, and the wealth of
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Speaker 1: the ancient land will flow into Jerusalem to support Christ's kingdom.
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Speaker 1: The nation's strategic location will serve God's purposes rather than
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Speaker 1: Satan's schemes. Iran's influence will be used to spread righteousness
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Speaker 1: instead of rebellion. The complete transformation of Iran from enemy
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Speaker 1: to worshiper demonstrates the power of Christ's reign and the
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Speaker 1: fulfillment of God's promise to bless all nations through Abraham's seed.
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Speaker 1: What seems impossible today Iran, loving and serving Israel will
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Speaker 1: become reality when the Prince of Peace rules the earth
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Speaker 1: from David's throne. The Persian empire that once protected God's
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Speaker 1: peace will be restored to serve them again, but this
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Speaker 1: time under the perfect rule of their messiah king. If
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Speaker 1: this video opened your eyes to God's incredible sovereignty over
59:11
Speaker 1: world events, don't keep this truth to yourself. Hit that
59:15
Speaker 1: subscribe button right now and ring the notification bell so
59:19
Speaker 1: you never miss these prophetic revelations. Share this video with
59:24
Speaker 1: everyone you know. Your family, friends, and social media followers
59:28
Speaker 1: need to see how current events align perfectly with biblical prophecy.
59:33
Speaker 1: The world is watching Iran with fear and confusion, but
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Speaker 1: you now understand God's ultimate plan. Help others discover the
59:41
Speaker 1: hope and certainty that comes from knowing our God controls
59:45
Speaker 1: every detail of history. Subscribe, share, and stay tuned for
59:50
Speaker 1: more biblical revelations that will blow your mind and strengthen
59:55
Speaker 1: your faith. The countdown to Christ's return has begun, and
1:00:00
Speaker 1: Iran's destiny is just the beginning.