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Iran
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PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE:
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has been the champion of the Shi'ite branch of Islam. Now their
leadership harbors a deep hatred for the United States, whom they call "The Great Satan," and Israel, "The Little Satan."
Even though they have immense supplies of oil, they have claimed to need nuclear power as well. It is now admitted by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation's nuclear watchdog, that their goal is the development of nuclear weapons. At the
beginning of 2012 experts believe that it will take only a year or less for them to become a deadly threat to Israel, the Middle East,
and United States.
Iran figures prominently in Bible prophecy because they are the direct descendants of the Persians, who are mentioned in
Ezekiel 38 as key allies of Magog, a powerful nation in the North that many prophecy scholars have tentatively identified as
Russia. Together with other nations, these allies will engage Israel in a future war against Israel. See
The War of Gog and Magog.
Key Scriptures
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Current Events
Notice: Sources often remove their news links after a period of time. Some of them move older stories to a
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Names translated from other languages may have different spelling, depending on the source.
See more recent articles: After December 31, 2016
Iran Calls for P5+1 Meeting over US Sanctions Extension
Dec. 17, 2016 -
Iran's Foreign Minister in a letter to the European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has called for a joint commission
meeting on the nuclear deal over the extension of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
- Source: NewsMax
Iran sanctions renewal becomes law even without Obama signature
Dec. 15, 2016 - Congress has passed a bill renewing sanctions against Iran for another ten years. President Obama did not veto it, but neither
did he sign it. This allowed the sanctions to become law while showing his personal opposition to the renewal.
The Obama administration stressed that Iran would be unaffected by the renewal, as long as it continues honoring the nuclear deal.
- Source: Fox
Iran vows not to let Trump destroy nuclear deal
Dec. 6, 2016 - Speaking at the University of Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tried o calm Iranian fears that President-elect
Donald Trump will rip up its nuclear agreement that was signed with world powers.
Trump has vowed to renegotiate the deal, possibly imperiling an agreement that has put off the immediate threat of Tehran developing atomic weapons.
According to Iranian's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, each of the seven world powers that approved the agreement (the United States, China,
Britain, France, Germany and Russia.) are obliged to honor the it.
- Source: Fox
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Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss 'bad' Iran nuclear deal with Donald Trump - The Guardian - UK
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China warns Trump: Iran nuclear deal must stand - Times of Israel
Senate Passes Iran Sanctions 99-0
Dec. 2, 2016 -
The Senate overwhelmingly voted to extend economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran for 10 years, 99-0...
[the decision] sets up a confrontation with President Barack Obama.
- Source: Breitbart
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Iran says it will 'firmly respond' if Obama doesn't stop extension of sanctions - The Hill
CNN: ISIS Attacks US, Iraqi Forces With Chemical Weapon
Sept. 22, 2016 -
An air base in Iraq used by Iraqi and American military forces was attacked with a chemical weapon that likely came from the
Islamic State (ISIS) this week...[The projectile] hit the Qayarrah air base, located south of Mosul.
It apparently contained some type of mustard gas. None of the Americans seem to be injured.
- Source: NewsMax
Iran's Nuclear Timetable ... Right Now!
Sept. 6, 2016 - Clare Lopez, who was a CIA career operations officer, now serves as the vice president for research and
analysis at the Washington-based Center for Security Policy. She believes that Iran already has nuclear weapons cability, and could
also obtain anything they might lack from North Korea.
“We have documented evidence Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials have attended North Korean ballistic missile and
nuclear tests,” she stressed. “Further, North Korea has offered for sale virtually any technology the country has ever developed.”
- Source: WND
Turkey, Russia Hold Talks, Ease Tensions Over Syria
Aug. 13, 2016 -
At a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin:
Putin announced that Russia would begin easing sanctions designed to punish Turkey. The move would include restarting work on energy projects,
such as work on Turkey’s first nuclear power center and a pipeline from southern Russia to the Black Sea.
- Source: Voice of America
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What the Restored Turkey-Russia Relationship Means for the Middle East - Iran, too, is trying to get in on the action. - Stratfor
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Iran welcomes thaw between Turkey, Russia - "Iran has always had a positive dialogue with Turkey on Syria and has very good ties with Russia." - Hurriyet Daily News
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Russian warplanes take off from Iran to target Islamic State in Syria - Fox
Despite plane full of cash to Iran, White House denies ransom deal
Aug. 3, 2016 -
Revelations that a plane carrying $400 million in cash arrived in Iran as the Islamic regime released U.S. hostages prove
that President Obama engaged in a cash-for-hostages deal, congressional Republicans charged Wednesday.
- Source: USA Today
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Lawmakers: 'Ransom' to Iran puts Americans at risk - “The logistics of this payment -- literally delivering a plane full of cash to
evade U.S. law -- shows yet again the extraordinary lengths the Obama administration will go to accommodate Iran. -House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman Ed Royce - Fox
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GOP Lawmakers Furious Over Iran 'Ransom' by Obama Administration - NewsMax
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Justice Department officials reportedly objected to timing of Iran cash payment - Fox
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Iran Bent on Destabilizing the Middle East - NewsMax
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Krauthammer: Iran Payment Wasn't Just Ransom, It Was Money Laundering - Fox
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Iran hostages forced to wait for money transfer? - Pastor Abedini describes waiting 'hours and hours' for another plane to arrive - WND
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The president hoped to camouflage what he knew to be against the law. - Andrew McCarthy - National Review
Our Quickly Unraveling Nuclear Deal
Apr. 4, 2016 -
Why is Iran enjoying increased privacy and freedom to conduct missile tests after signing the nuclear agreement?
- Source: U.S. Newsw and World Report
Iran releases 4 dual-nationality prisoners
Jan. 16, 2016 - Iran is apparently releasing Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and three other prisoners.
Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that American pastor Saeed Abedini is among those Tehran is releasing. And Marine Amir Hekmati is
reportedly one of the others being released, in exchange for seven Iranians being held in U.S. prisons.
The release comes while the International Atomic Energy Agency certifies that Iran has curbed its development of nuclear weapons and world
powers return some $100 billion in frozen assets.
- Source: Fox
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Iran Frees Pastor Saeed Abedini after Three Years in Prison -Christianity Today
- Jason Rezaian and three other US prisoners freed in Iran - BBC
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Obama signs executive order revoking Iran nuclear sanctions - USA Today
Iran releases 10 US Navy sailors after U.S. apology
Jan. 13, 2016 - The 10 U.S. Navy sailors captured by Iran's Revolutionary Guard yesterday have been released, along with their two small Riverine boats.
It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. and Iran had made a specific arrangement to secure the sailors’ release. The Iran Revolutionary
Guard’s naval chief said earlier Wednesday that Iran’s foreign minister had demanded an apology from the U.S.
- Source: Fox
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Iran Releases Humiliating Images of U.S. Sailors in Captivity - Free Beacon
Iran detains 10 US sailors after vessels stopped in the Gulf
Jan. 12, 2016 - Iranian Revolutionary Guards detained 10 US sailors - nine men and a woman - in the Persian Gulf when their patrol boats
apparently developed mechanical problems. The Iranian government says that the crew and the boats will be returned promptly.
In December, Iran's navy conducted rocket tests near US warships and other commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The tests were "highly provocative", a US military commander said at the time.
- Source: BBC
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Iran holding 10 U.S. sailors - Joel Rosenberg
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Obama vows to veto bill to restrict Iran sanctions relief - Times of Israel
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Gog and Magog Links
- The Magog Invasion - Chuck Missler
- Magog Revisited - Missler
- Ezekiel 38 - Bill Konig
- The Center For Security Policy
- Iranium - The movie - 2011 - Order or watch online free
Excerpts from
Pages 141-142
- The Aggressors of the War of Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38:1-4
According to Ezekiel, an alliance of enemies will attack Israel in the End Times. The leader will be Gog of the
land of Magog, who is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. He is assisted by Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Beth T
ogarmah, and other nations. Most of these names are listed in the genealogies of Genesis 10. Gog is not listed in
Genesis 10, but he is evidently the head of the land of Magog, who is mentioned as a son of Japheth, one of Noah's
sons. It is known that Japheth traveled north from Mt. Ararat after the flood.
Hesoid, a Greek writer of the 7th century BC, and contemporary of Ezekiel, identified Magog with the Scythians and
southern Russia. Flavius Josephus, a 1st century Jewish historian said that Magogians were called "Scythians" by
the Greeks. Philo, a 1st century Greek identified Magog with southern Russia.Commentators from the turn of this
century and before have generally identified Gog and Magog with Russia even though, at the time, they could not
explain why Russia would turn against God's people. They conjectured that perhaps the time would come when there
would be animosity between Russia and Israel. Rosh ("head", "chief") sounds like Russia. Meshech sounds like
Moscow or Mushkovi, the old name for Russia. Tubal sounds like Tobolsk.
- The Target: Israel - Ezekiel 38:2-12
This is the only time in history that this could be said of Israel, that they were brought back from many nations.
It is true that they were brought back from Babylon and Persia in the Old Testament, but it is only since the
Zionist movement, which began in the late 1800's, that Jewish people have returned from nations all over the world.
They had been scattered abroad even in New Testament times. On the Day of Pentecost, for example, the various
languages spoken by the Apostles, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, represented the many lands where they had
settled. But they had not returned to stay. This really never happened until the amazing events that led to the
rebirth of Israel in 1948. What thoughts would come into Russia's mind to make them want to attack Israel? A
consideration of Russia's instability and the plans of some of their leaders for expansion throughout the
Mediterranean area is given below. Israel has always been a key land bridge between Russia's allies and is
presently an enemy of some of those allies. Any number of scenarios in the always-volatile Middle East politics
could lead to a Russian attack in the future.
- Russia's Allies - Ezekiel 38:5-6
Persia is now known as Iran, and there is an amazingly close relationship now between Russia and Iran. Cush is
Ethiopia, Put is Libya, Gomer and Beth Togarmah may well be Turkey and/or other Islamic nations like those once
part of the Soviet Union.
It is interesting that Mizraim, the forefather of Egypt is apparently missing from this lineup. This, of course,
fits the current world scene, with Egypt being the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel.
- Israel's Allies - Ezekiel 38:13
Israel's allies appear to be few and feeble. Some of Saudi Arabia was populated by Sheba and Dedan. The merchants
of Tarshish could be England and English colonies. In that case, The United States could even be included since we
were once an English colony. These allies ask why Russia and its allies are coming, but do not appear to deter them.
- The Outcome - Ezekiel 38:22
The quick end of this future war will be with God's judgment. It could be God's personal power, raining literal
fire and brimstone, as in the days of Sodom, or it could be God using nation against nation, as he often did in
the Old Testament, to precipitate a nuclear exchange.
- And with pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and on his
troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
- Ezekiel 38:22 (NIV)
The next chapter of Ezekiel continues to give details of this great conflict. Again, it is a scene of utter
destruction.
- "And I shall strike your bow from your left hand, and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 4 "You shall
fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I shall give you as
food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5 "You will fall on the open field; for it is I who
have spoken," declares the Lord GOD. 6 "And I shall send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in
safety; and they will know that I am the LORD." - Ezekiel 39:3-6 (NIV)
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