Iran in the Bible
Iran in the Bible: A Rich Biblical Heritage
Iran has rich Biblical heritage. Iran, or Persia, is mentioned many times in the Bible, and features as a key component of God’s plans for His people.
Persia in the Old Testament: Stories of Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel
In the Old Testament, the stories of Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel came from the Persian Empire. Their physical evidence can be seen with the tombs of Esther, Daniel, Habakkuk and Cyrus the Great. (The image above is the tomb of Cyrus the Great, found in Pasargadae, near Shiraz in Iran).
Ezra 1:1–4 tells us that it was God Himself who stirred the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to fulfill prophecy and allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
In 2 Chronicles 36:23 King Cyrus announces, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.” The proclamation fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 25, fulfilled exactly 70 years after the exile began.
We first hear of Persia in the Bible in 2 Chornicles 26 (King Cyrus) and then in Esther 1 (King Xerxes). There are mentions throughout the books of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai and Zecheriah – as well as references through the New Testament.
Jeremiah’s Prophecy: The Restoration of Elam
One of the most profound promises for modern-day Iran appears in Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Elam, a region within ancient Persia.
Jeremiah 49:39: “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord.
Elam was located in what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Provinces in southwestern Iran. This verse continues to inspire hope that God’s redemptive plans for Iran are still unfolding today.
Biblical Kings of Persia: Cyrus the Great and His Legacy
Iran was also home to the Biblical Kings of Persia who succeeded the Babylonian Empire (including the exiled Jewish people) – Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes (Ahasuerus), Artaxerxes.
Cyrus the Great, who established the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC, is named more than 20 times in the Bible and is uniquely referred to as God’s anointed, a term usually reserved for Israelite leaders.
Isaiah 45:1: “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him …”
King Cyrus obeyed God’s command to return the Jewish people to their homes in Judah 70 years after their exile under the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. His Edict of Restoration in 538 BC (Ezra 1:1–4) enabled and helped them to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. This moment marks one of the clearest cases of God using a Gentile leader to fulfill His prophetic promises.
Daniel 6 also occurs under Persian rule, where Daniel serves under King Darius and survives the lions’ den. These stories showcase God’s sovereignty even under foreign empires.
The Persian Empire was destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.
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The Magi: Persian Astronomers at the Birth of Jesus
In the New Testament, the Wise Men who came with their gifts to worship the baby Jesus were likely to have been Magi, Persian astronomers from Yazd, Southern Iran
These Magi would have been familiar with Old Testament prophecies and were known for studying the heavens to identify changes that would indicate significant events, such as a star! Their recognition of the Messiah’s star fulfilled the prophecy in Numbers 24:17: “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
The Day of Pentecost: Iran’s Influence on Early Christianity
In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave utterance in the languages of ‘… devout men from every nation under heaven … Parthians, Medes, Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia…’ These groups were all from regions in modern-day Iran.
This moment underscores the early inclusion of Iranians in the Gospel story and highlights Iran’s foundational role in the spread of Christianity.
The Early Church and Iran: The Apostle Thomas and the Parthians
As the early Church grew, Iran continued to be part of Biblical history. Iran was part of the church expansion led by the Apostle Thomas, who was identified as the ‘apostle to the Parthians’, as he was assigned to minister in Parthia, a region of northeast Iran.
Church historian Origen wrote that “Thomas’ allotted field of labor was Parthia”, where he worked alongside Bartholomew, planting seeds of faith in Persian territories before continuing his mission to India.
Praying for Iran: A Call for God’s Anointed Leaders
Pray with us for Iran. Just as God raised up Cyrus to accomplish His will, pray that He would raise up modern-day leaders anointed to bring His will, justice, freedom, and righteousness to Iran.
May the biblical legacy of Persia be fulfilled again in our time, with a Church strengthened, the Gospel proclaimed, and God’s purposes for Iran revealed.
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