On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched
military strikes against Iran.
Over 100 aircraft dropped bombs on strategic targets
throughout the country, and more than 850 Tomahawk missiles
were launched from U.S.
Navy destroyers and submarines in the
opening attacks.
About 40 top Iranian military commanders were
killed in the opening attack, along with Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran's response was immediate.
Hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones
were launched in retaliation.
The Strait of Hormuz was effectively
closed, causing a shipping bottleneck that sent
shockwaves around the world.
What's behind the current conflict between Iran and
the United States and Israel?
Where does Iran fit in Bible prophecy?
And how will it affect you and me?
We'll address these questions today on Tomorrow's World.
But before we do, be sure to get a pen and paper to order your
free copy of the study guide, The Middle East in Prophecy .
I'll give you the information for ordering
later in the program.
So what does the Bible say about Iran in prophecy?
I'll be right back with the answer.
♪
Welcome to Tomorrow's World, where we help you make
sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.
On Friday, February 28, 2026, the world was shocked to learn
that the United States, Israel, and Iran were at war.
In a complex coordinated attack that included cyber and
missile attacks and airstrikes, America and Israel struck
at the very heart of Iran.
In the opening salvos, around 40 key military
leaders were killed.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Kamenei,
was killed in the attack as well.
As of this recording, negotiations and peace talks
have not ended the conflict, although a tenuous
ceasefire is in effect.
It's easy to lose perspective when nations go to war.
We can forget all that went before to bring
us to this point.
Back in 2025, following two years of war between Israel
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in
Lebanon, Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
American B-2s dropped bunker-buster bombs on nuclear
sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Those limited strikes were aimed at endng Iran's not-so-secret
nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
For years, Iran was suspected of working secretly to
build nuclear weapons.
Consider this report from CBS News back in 2013.
But when did these uranium enrichment programs begin?
The answer was relayed by a former high ranking
Israeli military officer, Major General Yaakov Amidroor.
His comments were recorded in a
round table discussion in 2008.
He said this.
You see, this is not a new issue.
This conflict has been building up for
a whole generation, but it actually goes back even
further to the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Many older Americans will remember the
events of November 4th, 1979 when radical Iranian
students stormed the American Embassy in Tehran.
They took more than 50 American citizens hostage
who were staff members at the embassy.
They held them for 444 days.
1979 was also a year of dramatic change for Iran in
its relationship with the state of Israel.
You see, Israel had for years enjoyed a friendly
relationship with Iran.
During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the Shah of Iran, the
ruling monarchy of that country, sought to build and
strengthen ties with Israel and the United States.
As the Encyclopedia Iranica Online website notes:
In an address to the United Nations General Assembly
in 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu also explained the close relationship
between Iran and Israel and how it dramatically
changed after the 1979 revolution.
But perhaps it's worth our time to investigate
a little bit into that history of friendship between Iran,
formerly known as Persia, and the Jews.
We'll dive into that when we return.
But first let me offer you our free study guide,
The Middle East in Prophecy .
Written by the the late Evangelist
Richard Ames, he gives hope and comfort
about this volatile region in seemingly constant turmoil.
In it, he talks about Jerusalem, holy city for three religions,
discusses the Middle East as the hotbed of terror
and asks, "What lies ahead?"
If you wanna know why events are happening
as they are in this tumultuous region,
request your free booklet today.
Call, write, or order online.
Order now.
This clear and straightforward resource will help you
understand this vital truth straight from the pages
of the Bible.
Call now or go to TWTV.org/East.
In the previous segment of our program, we saw that the armed
conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran
took decades in the making.
And frankly, the Jewish people in Iran have a long history
of friendship and cooperation.
To get a little history on that, we've got to go back
even further, about 2,500 years further.
As mentioned before, Iran's former name was Persia.
The government of this country only changed its
name to Iran in 1935.
Before that, it was known as Persia, for millennia.
And the Jews and the Persians have generally had good
relations through the years.
Again, speaking in 2013 at the General Assembly
of the United Nations, Prime Minister Netanyahu
said this.
In spite of the religious toleration of the
Persians, the Jews were not without their enemies.
During the reign of Ahazuerus, most likely Xerxes, one of his
high-ranking ministers tricked the king into signing a decree,
authorizing the destruction of the Jewish people.
That high-ranking minister's name was Haman.
But God saved the Jews from annihilation,
and he worked through a courageous young Jewish woman,
Queen Esther, to accomplish that.
The yearly celebration of Purim by the Jews
commemorates their victory over their enemies.
There are some fascinating parallels
between the story of Haman and the 2026 war in Iran.
More than a few Jews have noted the timing of the attacks
and the similarity of circumstances.
Among them is Prime Minister Netanyahu himself.
Note this article from the Jewish Standard
Times of Israel website.
Haman exercised great influence on the king
in setting policy.
He almost succeeded in having the Jews annihilated.
Today, modern Persia, Iran, is ruled by leaders
who also have the aim of the destruction of Israel as well.
But what about Bible prophecy?
What does it say about Persia in the end time?
Will modern day Persia invade Israel?
Some students of the Bible have noted that Ezekiel 38
Prophesies of an attack on Israel by a group of nations,
including Persia.
They assume that Persia, Russia
and other Asian nations, will invade the Holy Land as
a part of the Great tribulation leading up to
Christ's return.
But that's simply not what the Bible says.
Ezekiel 38 does speak of a massive army swooping down
into the land of Israel, but it's during the millennium
after Jesus Christ has returned to earth.
Let's notice that in Ezekiel 38 and verse 1.
These countries are identified
as Asian nations led by Russia, but notice that
Persia is included among them, and Ezekiel
prophesies of a massive military operation by these nations.
Reading on in Ezekiel 38.
It speaks of Israel being a land where people dwell safely.
And a little later in the chapter,
it says Israel is a "land of unwalled villages."
Could this possibly be speaking of the modern state
of Israel today?
Absolutely not.
The state of Israel is one of the most heavily
defended countries on earth, and by necessity.
It's surrounded by enemies dedicated to its destruction.
So the only possible answer is this prophecy in Ezekiel 38
is speaking of the future during the millennium
after Christ has returned.
And that's an important distinction.
And Ezekiel finishes by explaining how the
reigning Jesus Christ will supernaturally defend the
nation of Israel at that time.
In the end, this rebellion by Gog, including the nation of
Persia, will fail, and those countries will learn a valuable
lesson, and that is that God rules supreme.
Ultimately, all nations of the earth will
learn and submit and obey his voice, and reap the
benefits of living God's way of life in peace
and prosperity.
And those nations, including
Persia, will enjoy the fruits of Christ's rule on
Earth for a thousand years.
But will Persia have any role in the Holy Land
before Christ's return?
Yes, it will.
And we'll discuss that when I come back.
But before that, let me take a moment to
again offer you our free study guide,
The Middle East in Prophecy .
In it, Richard Ames asked the
question, "Will Russia control the Middle East?"
Many people assume so, but it's based on a
misunderstanding of Ezekiel 38.
He goes into much more detail than we can possibly
do in this short program.
You need to understand what the future holds for the
Middle East and the entire world.
So call, click, or write today.
Order now.
For today's free offer, call...
Or go to TWTV.org/East.
This clear and straightforward resource
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from the pages of the Bible.
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Call now or go to TWTV.org/East.
Welcome back.
In the previous segments of our program,
we saw that Ezekiel 38 speaks of an attack on Israel by a group
of nations including Persia.
At that time, Israel will be described as a land
of unwalled villages.
This will happen during the millennium, when Christ
is reigning on earth, not during the end times.
But what about in our time now?
Will Persia have any role in the Holy Land
before Christ's return?
Yes, it will.
And we'll explain that in a moment.
When the United States and Israel launched attacks on
Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran didn't just fire back
at the nation of Israel and at American ships.
Over the next few weeks, they also aimed missiles
and drones at Arab nations all over the Middle East.
Through the first 41 days of the conflict,
at least 6413 missiles and drones were launched
against Iran's neighbors.
The UAE recorded the highest number of tax on its territory,
followed by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar,
and Jordan, while Oman recorded the lowest.
Interestingly, most of those nations have majority
populations subscribing to a different branch of
Islam than Iran.
Iran is predominantly Shiite,
whereas the Gulf states and most other Arab nations
are predominantly Sunni Muslims.
The Shia-Sunni split occurred back in 632 AD after the death
of Muhammad.
And that deep rift has separated Shia's and
Sunnis for centuries.
The other thing to recognize is Iran is
a Muslim nation but not an Arab nation.
It's Persian.
And that makes it very different
from the Arab nations of the Middle East ethnically.
Interestingly, Psalm 83 identifies many Arab nations
and their conflict with Israel during the time of the end.
Notice Psalm 83 and verse 1.
And there are nations that will
attempt to destroy Israel before the end of the age, they are
even named.
Notice who they are, going on in
Psalm 83 and verse 5.
So who are these people?
Notice what Evangelist Richard Ames says about this verse.
So watch the Arab nations, not Persia,
to turn on Israel as the end of the age draws near.
And as he mentioned, watch for Germany, the modern
descendants of Assyria, to get involved as well.
Let's turn to Daniel 11 to get a clearer
picture of what happens, Daniel 11 and verse 40.
The "him" is the king of the North.
The king of the North originally was identified as the
the Seleucid Empire in Syria, north of Israel.
But Rome inherited that role when it conquered
Syria in 64 BC.
So the king of the North in the end-times
is the revived Roman Empire.
It's a European power that rises to prominence with breathtaking
speed in the last days.
The king of the South is a confederation of Arab nations
So the king of the North will be attacked by
the king of the South.
Watch for world events to cause Arab nations to join together.
Perhaps even the conflict with Iran could cause predominantly
Sunni Arab nations to coalesce, taking one step
closer to a confederated union.
And watch, ultimately, for a conflict
between the Muslim-Arab world and the European beast power.
Reading on in Daniel 11 and verse 40.
So watch for Europe to take a strong hand
in the Middle East, centering in Jerusalem.
Watch for a conflict between a German-led beast power
and an Arab confederation.
Let's read on in Daniel chapter 11 in verse 44:
What nations are located east and north of Jerusalem?
Here's where Persia and other countries east
and north enter the picture.
Look at a map of the Middle East and Asia.
East and north of Jerusalem
is the same group of nations we read about
in Ezekial 38.
But in this case, not attacking Israel,
but rather confronting the European beast power.
This is also known as the sixth trumpet plague.
Notice in Revelation 9, verse 13.
This corresponds to Daniel 11:44, which we just read.
This massive 200 million man army will be
representing the lands north and east of Jerusalem.
This powerful army will converge on the beast power
and cross the Euphrates River, which will by then be dried up.
And this will lead to the sixth bowl of the
seven last plagues.
Notice in Revelation 16 and verse 12:
This leads to the so-called Battle of
Armageddon, or in Hebrew, Har Megiddo,
or the hill of Megiddo.
This is located north of Jerusalem.
So these armies of the east, most
likely including Persia, will converge on the beast,
and unless Christ would return, this battle would
lead to all life being wiped off
the face of the earth.
The events of the Middle East will affect
everyone living on this planet.
And that's why you need this free study
guide, the Middle East in Prophecy .
In it, Evangelist Richard Ames explains
the bitter family rivalry that is behind so much
conflict in the Middle East.
He also explains Daniel's famous
prophecy and asks the question, "Who will control Jerusalem?"
This booklet is packed with vital information
about prophecies affecting our modern world today.
So don't delay, write, call, or order online.
Order now.
This clear and straightforward resource
will help you understand this vital truth
straight from the pages of the Bible.
Call now or go to TWTV.org/East.
In today's program, we've discussed the conflict between
the United States and Israel against Iran.
But what's been left out of our discussion?
Who's not been mentioned?
Well, we've seen where Persia, modern Iran, will play a part
in the final battle between the kings of the east and the
beast power.
But notice, by then, there is no mention of
end-time Israel.
And if you are a regular viewer
of Tomorrow's World, you know that the modern tribes
of Israel today include the United States, the
British-descended nations, and other countries of
northwest Europe.
The sobering truth is, by the
time these confrontations take place that we've
discussed, the Israel-descended nations will have already
been vanquished, defeated, and even taken into slavery.
If you live in one of these modern nations of Israel, don't
think these conflicts won't ever come to your shores.
These were not just nice sounding words, he was
giving them a warning.
The missile attacks and aircraft strikes we watch today on
television or on our smartphones
will someday be turned on our nations.
And that will usher in the Great Tribulation.
God help all of us to seek Him now, to repent of our individual
and national sins, and cry out to Him for mercy
and forgiveness and help.
As Christ said in Luke 21 verse 34:
Watch and pray always, to be ready for
Christ's return, and pray for the day when all nations
will worship and submit to His reign as a loving Savior, when
He will set up His throne in Jerusalem, and when eventually
people all over the earth, including the people of Persia,
will learn to really know God.
God made them in His image, and Jesus Christ died for them,
and He will give all mankind a wonderful new way of life,
full of happiness, hope, and prosperity for a thousand years.
God speed that day.
Thank you for watching, and be sure to request
your free study guide, The Middle East in Prophecy .
And be sure to join us next time as Gerald Weston,
Wallace Smith and I explain the good news of tomorrow's
world and the truth, comfort and hope
it can bring to you and your family.
For today's free offer, call...
The Proceeding Program is produced by the
Living Church of God.
♪
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning
to tomorrow's world for truth, prophecy, and hope in
these confusing times.
♪
The preceding program is produced by the
Living Church of God.
♪