Hope for Prophecy Fulfilled in Iran

As an Iranian born American, the violent bloody and evil attacks against Iranian civilians, leaving tens of thousands massacred and hundreds of thousands injured, have pained me deeply but give me hope that one day soon, in fulfillment of God’s prophecy, Iran will be free and the Islamic Republic will be no more. I came to the United States after I was sentenced to death by hanging in Iran for the “crime” of converting to Christianity. I endured months of mental and physical hardship and intense interrogation in Evin Prison—one of the most brutal prisons in the world. My journey and testimony are recorded in my book, A Love Journey with God. Without God, I would have no hope.  But even amid the bloodshed, I am hopeful.

When I am asked about the recent uprising against the Islamist regime, I cannot look at it only through a political lens. It is, in my heart, a prophetic moment. To understand what is happening in Iran, I turn to the Book of Jeremiah—especially chapter 49, verses 34–39, where God speaks concerning Elam. It’s important to note that of all the prophecies in the Bible, most are related to Israel and the Jewish people.  That makes the prophecy of Jeremiah 49 all the more noteworthy.

Elam refers to a region in the southwest of Iran, in the Khuzestan Province. I strongly believe that this prophecy about Elam speaks to all of Iran today. When Jeremiah writes that God will break the bow of Elam—the mainstay of their strength—and that He will set His throne there and wipe out king and officials, I see both warning and promise. It is a warning of judgment against evil rulers, and a promise that God’s justice will ultimately prevail.

In 2009, when I was in prison crying out to God and asking Him why He did not destroy the evil rulers of Iran, He answered me in a dream. He told me He was giving them time to repent. But if they refused, He would destroy them. His message to me was deeply aligned with Jeremiah’s prophecy—that He would send the sword after them and consume them, and that He would establish His throne after removing corrupt rulers.

Today we see that God’s justice against the evil rulers of Iran has already begun. He will remove them and restore His kingdom through Jesus. I pray that my adopted country, the United States, will lead the necessary international effort to be God’s hand in eliminating the evil Islamic leaders.

I also reflect on the words of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who proposed a “Cyrus Accords” framework for future cooperation between a democratic Iran and Israel. His words touched something very deep in Iranian identity.

Iranians see Cyrus the Great as our true father. He is the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty and the first king of the Persian Empire. He ended the captivity of the Jewish people in Babylon and authorized their return to Judah. He enabled the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Iranian people respect him not only for his military and political leadership, but for his vision of human rights, symbolized by the Cyrus Cylinder.

When Iranians chant in the streets, “Cyrus is our father; Iran is our homeland,” they are declaring that radical Islamists do not represent them. They are proclaiming that Iran belongs to the Persian people and to a legacy of humanity—not Islamic terrorism. Cyrus honored the Jewish people and respected the God of Israel—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He understood that his power and success came from God, and God blessed him because of his loyalty.

Today’s Islamist regime shouts “Death to Israel and America,” pursues nuclear weapons, and has launched missiles and drones at Israeli cities, and military bases on the Arabian Peninsula. Yet the majority of Iranians do not share this hatred. Most Iranians support Israel. Since the October 7 massacre, many have shown solidarity—both inside and outside Iran.

We have seen powerful examples. In one video, thousands of Iranians in a soccer stadium refused to support the Palestinian flag and instead chanted against the regime’s propaganda. In other videos, school authorities attempted to force children to chant “Death to Israel and America,” but the students refused. At universities, students refused to step on Israeli and American flags placed on the ground for humiliation.

These images show that 47 years of brainwashing have not succeeded. Our rich Persian culture and history are stronger than the regime’s ideology. We see ourselves as heirs of Cyrus—a symbol of humanity, not extremism.

Tragically, the regime has worked hard to erase our biblical connections and twist our history. Many Iranians do not know about Queen Esther, Daniel, or the biblical prophets who lived and served within the Persian Empire. They know the names of Persian kings, but not their spiritual significance.

Few understand the story of Nehemiah and his relationship with King Artaxerxes, who gave him permission from Susa—modern-day Khuzestan—to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Few know how the prophets Haggai and Zechariah appealed to King Darius regarding Cyrus’s decree to rebuild the Temple, and how Darius supported it.

This is why I strongly advocate for freeing Iran of the Islamic perversion and returning Iran to its biblical roots. After the fall of the regime, I believe Iran should and could become a Christian country. Iranians loathe the Islam that has persecuted them for half a century. The Bible can help Iranians rediscover our historical friendship with Israel. It can open our eyes to the truth.

Today, the majority of Iranians have turned their backs on Islam. They are spiritually hungry. I have seen videos of Iranians gathered outside churches at Christmas, crying out to Jesus to “open the door.” This shows how tired people are of oppression in the name of religion.

The prophet Isaiah even refers to Cyrus as God’s anointed. In Ezra 1, Cyrus frees the Jewish captives and restores the Temple treasures, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy. Isaiah 45 describes Cyrus as chosen and empowered by God to accomplish His purposes. These scriptures show that God orchestrates geopolitical events and raises up leaders to deliver His people.

I believe we are living in such a moment again. As jews around the world celebrate Purim, the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people from a Persian tyranny as recounted in the Book of Esther 2500 years ago, we see God is moving in Iran. He is shaking the regime. He is awakening the people. And just as He used Cyrus in the past, He will again use leaders and events to restore truth, justice, and worship in the land once known as Elam.

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Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity.   She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, A Love Journey with God), public speaker, and columnist. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran, www.MarzisJourney.com.

Marzi also is the founder and president of NEW PERSIA whose mission is to be the voice of persecuted Christians and oppressed women under Islam, expose the lies of the Iranian Islamic regime, and restore the relationships between Persians, Jews, and Christians. www.NewPersia.org.