ARMAGEDDON: Will Iran Lead the Way to End Time Trouble?

There is no question that confusion about end time prophecies is rampant. Prophecies of Scripture tell about the destruction of religions as the world moves closer to the next age, and about the rise of a radicalized religion that sweeps nearly all of the world under its control.

On that subject a reader wrote this comment:

“I find it hard to believe that the Persian empire colud[sic] rise from Iran. I believe that empire was delt[sic] a death blow by the Macedonian empire.The only empire that I see rising is the Holy roman empire. Watch as the pope gains more power and respect.” Richard

In this post I will address this issue and provide evidence that the above assumptions have no place in the end time prophecies about Armageddon and the “great tribulation.”

The Medes and Persians were the forerunners of what later became known as the Iranians

It is interesting that the name "Iran" is the same as "Aryan."

Since ancient times, Persians have used the term Aryan as a racial designation in an ethnic sense to describe their lineage and their language, and this tradition has continued into the present day amongst modern Iranians. In fact, the name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and means "Land of the Aryans." However, many of these usages are also intelligible if we understand the word Aryan in its sense of "noble" or "Spiritual".

This Iranian necklace was excavated from Gilan, Iran (1st millennium BCE, National Museum of Iran). Because of evidence of its use in several Indo-European cultures the swastika came to be identified as "the oldest Aryan symbol" by several writers in the late 19th century.

Darius the Great, King of Persia (521–486 BC), in an inscription in Naqsh-e Rustam (near Shiraz in present-day Iran), proclaims: "I am Darius the great King… A Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, having Aryan lineage…", although Herodotus claims that it was the Medes who were the Aryans. He also calls his language the "Aryan language," commonly known today as Old Persian. According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, "the same ethnic concept was held in the later centuries" and was associated with "nobility and lordship." (p. 681)

Considering this information and others, the Persian and Medes did live on to the present day, even thought the Persian empire had suffered a major defeat that essentially did away with the empire for a short time. The people, however, lived on in the same place they lived prior to the demise of the empire.

On March 21, 1935, Iran was officially accepted as the new name of the country

Persian scholars’ protested to this decision on the grounds that it represented a break with their classical past and seemed to be unduly influenced by the "Aryan" propaganda from Nazi Germany. In 1953 Mohammad Reza Shah announced both names "Iran" and "Persia" could be used.

It is important to keep in mind that Alexander had conquered the territory that made up most of the middle east. I will get back to the prophecies relating to him. However, he died young and his empire was divided among four of his generals.

Alexander had conquered the Achaemenid Empire within a short time-frame and died young, leaving an expansive empire of partly Hellenised culture without an adult heir. The empire was put under the authority of a regent in the person of Perdiccas in 323 BC, and the territories were divided between Alexander’s generals, who thereby became satraps, at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC.

One of those four divisions was called the Seleucid Empire:

Alexander’s generals (the Diadochi jostled for supremacy over parts of his empire, and Ptolemy, one of his generals and satrap of Egypt, was the first to challenge the new rule, leading to the demise of Perdiccas. His revolt led to a new partition of the empire with the Partition of Triparadisus in 320 BC. Seleucus, who had been "Commander-in-Chief of the camp" under Perdiccas since 323 BC but helped to assassinate the latter, received Babylonia, and from that point continued to expand his dominions ruthlessly. Seleucus established himself in Babylon in 312 BC, used as the foundation date of the Seleucid Empire. He ruled over not only Babylonia, but also the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander’s empire:

Coin of Seleucus I Nicator.

"Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he [Seleucus] acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, ‘Seleucid’ Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus." — Appian, The Syrian Wars

Seleucus went as far as India, where he reached an agreement with Chandragupta Maurya, in which he exchanged his eastern territories for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, which were to play a decisive role at Ipsus:

"The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants." —Strabo, Geographica

We need to drop back just a little to gain some background on the original Median and Persian Empires:

The Medes are credited with the foundation of the first Iranian empire

It was the largest of its day until Cyrus the Great established a unified Iranian empire of the Medes and Persians referred to as the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

The earliest known record of the Persians comes from an Assyrian inscription from c. 844 BC that calls them the Parsu (Parsuaš, Parsumaš) and mentions them in the region of Lake Urmia alongside another group, the Mādāyu (Medes). For the next two centuries, the Persians and Medes were at times tributary to the Assyrians. The region of Parsuash was annexed by Sargon of Assyria around 719 BC. Eventually the Medes came to rule an independent Median Empire, and the Persians were subject to them.

The Achaemenids were the first to create a centralized state in Persia around 700 BC.

It was this empire that Alexander had conquered. This was after the time of Daniel who knew Cyrus and was given prophecies concerning him. But it didn’t end there. As we saw the Seleucid Empire included this region among with others. However, out of this came another Persian Empire!

The first "Persian Empire" was the Achaemenid Empire that lasted for 230 years from 550 BC to 330 BC

As noted, it was conquered by Alexander and the period entered into a short Hellenistic Period from 330 BC to 250 BC. It was at this time in 323 BC upon the death of Alexander that it became part of the Seleucid Empire. Then the territory was taken over by the Parthians 

The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty (Persian: ساسانیان, pronounced [sɒsɒnijɒn]) is the name used for the fourth imperial Iranian dynasty, and the second Persian Empire (226–651). The Sassanid dynasty was founded by Ardashir I after defeating the last Parthian (Arsacid) king, Artabanus IV (Persian: اردوان Ardavan) and ended when the last Sassanid Shahanshah (King of Kings), Yazdegerd III (632–651), lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the early Islamic Caliphate, the first of the Islamic empires.

The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian, named for Ardashir’s grandfather) was the first dynasty native to the Pars province since the Achaemenids; thus they saw themselves as the successors of Darius and Cyrus. They pursued an agg
ressive expansionist policy. They recovered much of the eastern lands that the Kushans had taken in the Parthian period. The Sassanids continued to make war against Rome; a Persian army even captured the Roman Emperor Valerian in 260.

In 750 the Umayyads were ousted from power by the Abbasid dynasty. By that time, Persians had come to play an important role in the bureaucracy of the empire. The caliph Al-Ma’mun, whose mother was Persian, moved his capital away from Arab lands into Merv in eastern Iran. In 819, Samanids carved out a semi-independent state in eastern Persia to become the first native rulers after the Arabic conquest. Despite having roots in Zoroastrianism theocratic nobility, they embraced Islam and propagated the religion deep into the heart of Central Asia. They made Samarqand, Bukhara and Herat their capitals and revived the Persian language and culture. The Samanid rulers displayed tolerance toward religious minorities as Zoroastrian clerics compiled and authored major religious texts, such as the Denkard, in Pahlav. It was approximately during this age, when the poet Firdawsi finished the Shahnameh, an epic poem retelling the history of the Iranian kings. This epic was completed by AD 1008.

The second Persian Empire lasted 425 years

This was longer than the Hellenistic period of only 80 years. But if you combine this with the first Persian Empire, it existed for a total of 655 years.

The influence of the Persians has persisted during the years that followed and to this day, even though control changed hands often.

I find it hard to believe that there has been any kind of "death" blow to the Persians. In spite of the changes that took place over the years that proceeded to the present day, they maintained influence in the area regardless of who was ruling.

There is no end time prophecy that specifically mentions the "Holy Roman Empire" or even a resurrected "Roman Empire," holy or not

Other than the modern day nation of Israel, there is only one other nation in this part of the middle east that holds a major role in end time prophecy, and that is Iran. There are other nations that are mentioned but not in the same way that Iran/Persia is.

O God, do not keep silent. Do not be quiet. O God, do not be still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people. They plot against those you cherish. "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more."

(Sound familiar?)

With one mind they plot together. They form an alliance against you: the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the descendants of Hagar, Gebal [Byblos], Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot.
From Psalm 83 (NIV)

There are nine groups listed in this prophetic Psalm. But no one of them alone has the power to do anything except make noise. They have no power! This is no Holy Roman Empire. These are a gathering of nations that are around Israel, and one is even in Israel trying to claim some land as their own. Also notice that Iran (Medes/Persians) is not included.

Now we need to look at the prophecies to see if there is a fit with the time in which we live

First from Daniel 8:

And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

He then came near where I stood . And when he came I feared and I fell on my face, but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, for the vision is for the time of the end. … Look, I am making known to you what shall take place in the latter time of wrath, for at the appointed time shall be the end. The ram which you saw, having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia.

["The Iranian empire of the Medes and Persians, often referred to as the Achaemenid Persian Empire."]

"And the male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king [Alexander]. And that it was broken and four stood up in its place: are the four ruler arising out of that nation, but not in its power.

["The territories were divided between Alexander's generals, who thereby became satraps, at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC."]

Now that the nations have been identified the prophecy jumps ahead to "what shall take place in the latter time of wrath."

"And in the later time of their rule, when transgressors have filled up their measure, a king, fierce of face and skilled at intrigues, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power, and he shall destroy incredibly, and shall prosper and thrive, and destroy mighty men, and the set–apart [holy] people. And through his skill he shall make deceit prosper in his hand, and hold himself to be great in his heart, and destroy many who are at ease, and even stand against the Prince of princes — yet without [human] hand he shall be broken."

Daniel chapter 11 goes into more detail concerning the changes of rule and control over this land

Only this time instead of jumping to the latter time it goes into more detail leading up to the "time of the end." This is the detail of the immense history of Persia. Then this …

And the king [of Persia] shall do as he pleases, and exalt himself and show himself to be great above every mighty one, and speak incredible matters against the EL of mighty ones, and shall prosper until the wrath has been accomplished — for what has been decreed shall be done — and have no regard for the mighty ones (armies) of his fathers nor for the desire of women [he is not interest in desiring women], nor have any regard for any mighty one, but shall exalt himself above them all. But in his place he shall give esteem to a mighty one of strongholds (fortresses). And to a mighty one, which his fathers did not know, he shall give esteem with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gems.

And he shall act against the strongest strongholds with a foreign [unearthly?] mighty one, which he shall acknowledge. He shall increase in esteem and cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

At the time of the end the king of the South shall push at him, and the king of the North rush against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall enter the lands, and shall overflow and pass over, and shall enter the Splendid Land, and many shall stumble, but these escape from his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the sons of Ammon. [See above]

And he shall stretch out his hand against the lands, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. And he shall rule over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the riches of Egypt, and Libyans and Kushites (Iraq) shall be at his steps.

Then reports from the east and the north shall disturb him, and he shall go out with great wrath to destroy and put many under the ban, and he shall pitch the tents of his palace between the seas and the splendid set-apart mountain [the Land of Israel], but shall come to his end with none to help him.

Now at the time Michael [arch-messenger] shall stand up, the great head who is standing over the sons of your [Daniel's] people. And there shall be a time of d
istress, such as never was since there was a nation, until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth wake up, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches, everlasting abhorrence. And those who have insight shall shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

But you, Daniel, hide the words, and seal the book until the time of the end.  From Daniel 11-12[TS]

This only discusses the prophecies of Daniel concerning who the end time players will be. In the next part I will tie this in with John’s vision including the gathering at Armageddon recorded in the Book of Revelation. So far there is no mention of a "Holy Roman Empire." The focus has been on the past, present and future Medes and Persians.

See also:
"PROPHECY: Will Iran bring the Persian Empire back to life?"
"END TIME: Shocking Prophecies Foretell the End of Religion"