Islam Resurgent (3) - Iran

George Bush and his cheerleader John Hagee are getting stirred up about Iran. What they do not understand is that God has raised up the nation of Iran for a purpose. God sometimes uses a heathen nation to do his work. He used Babylon to take the Jews into exile. He used Darius the Mede to get the Jews back from exile. Now God is using Iran to fulfil his purposes in this time. If that is the case, Bush and Hagee might find themselves fighting against God.

Daniel had a vision of a Ram beside the river Euphrates. After the vision the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him. When Gabriel drew near, Daniel fell to the ground in fear, but the angel stood him on his feet and encouraged him. Gabriel first explained the timing of the vision’s fulfilment.

Understand that the vision concerns the time of the end…I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. Dan 8:17,19

Gabriel makes it clear that the vision is not to be fulfilled in Daniel’s time. It concerns the time of the end, and will be fulfilled in the later "time of wrath". Daniel 8 has not yet been fulfilled, but we seem to be seeing its fulfilment in our time.

The first part of the vision is described in Daniel 8:3,4.

I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

This is what Daniel saw and the interpretation is given in verse 20. The two horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran, who would rise to power.

Daniel was seeing the 1978 Islamic revolution in Iran culminated in the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini. The smaller horn on the goat is the Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. The larger horn is probably the current regime.

Iran has become a key player in the Middle East. Maybe this is part of God's plan for these times.