Prominent Christian leaders suggest recent events in Iran, including the death of its Supreme Leader and coordinated strikes, may signify the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the End Times and the rapture.



Two prominent Christian leaders say the unfolding events in Iran may signal the fulfillment of biblical prophecy foretold in Scripture.

Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., raised that possibility in a Sunday sermon and in a social media video, saying that “many are wondering if what is happening right now in Iran is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy” while outlining a dispensational, pretribulational view of the End Times.

The comments came after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes targeting key Iranian military and nuclear facilities and killing dozens of Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been in power since 1989.

The death of the Ayatollah has sent shockwaves through the Middle East. Many Iranians are rejoicing around the world, hoping this marks the end of decades of oppression.

“We know that there's a large force to the north of Israel, identified in the Bible as Magog, that will march against her in the End Times,” Laurie said, summarizing his view of biblical prophecy.

Many scholars, he said, believe Magog is Russia – and “one of the allies of Magog is Persia, now known as Iran.”

“When will that happen? We can't really be sure. But any turmoil in this part of the world should cause us to pay attention and give extra heed to the words of Jesus, who said, ‘When you see these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption is drawing near.’”

Biblical prophecy, Laurie said, is not given to alarm believers but to ready God’s people for what lies ahead.

“And the main thing we need to take away from this is as Christians – we need to be ready to meet the Lord,” Laurie said. “As far as I can see, the next event on the prophetic calendar would be the rapture of the church. That's that moment where the Lord descends from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel and the dead in Christ rise first, and we – which are alive and remaining – are caught up to meet Him in the air.”

Hormoz Shariat, founder and president of Iran Alive Ministries and the author of Iran's Great Awakening, went a step further, saying the killing of the Ayatollah and the other leaders was a direct fulfillment of prophecy – specifically Jeremiah 49:34-39.

“Look at the prophecies being fulfilled,” he told Crosswalk Headlines in an interview two days after the joint attack. “... When you look at Jeremiah 49, things are happening, and exactly what's written there – to the point that the removal of the king and the heads – it just happened. It just happened two days ago. That was fulfilled two days ago, the head was gone, and all the leaders were gone.”

Both men urged Christians around the world to pray for a gospel harvest in Iran.

“Let's pray that the Gospel goes out in those nations like never before,” Laurie said. “Yes, we want to see a revolution. But more than a political revolution, we want to see a spiritual revolution, a Jesus revolution.”

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