Iran

Biblical history

After the confusion of languages, people left off building ‘the tower’ and dispersed from Babel (Babylon) into all the world. The 3^rd grandson of Noah (via his son Japheth) was Madai (Ge 10:2). From whom we get Medes, Aryans and Indians of India. Note: Madai’s descendants became the people who lived to the north and west of Israel and, after Babel, spoke what today are classified as Indo-European languages.

Jeremiah prophesied that Elam, a nation east of Babylon, west of Persia, and south of Media, would be conquered and then rise to power again (Jer 49:34-39). True to that prophecy, Babylon conquered Elam in 596 BC. But then Persia, under Cyrus the Great, took control of that area, and the Elamites and Medes became part of the Persian Empire. The Medo-Persian Empire ascended to power and conquered Babylon in 539 BC, fulfilling the prophecy of Isa 21:2. This happened during the time of Daniel (Daniel 5); in fact, Daniel later resided “in the province of Elam” in Persia (Da 8:2). Persia is the setting for the book of Esther and the first part of Nehemiah.

Alexander the Great’s conquests put an end to Persia as a world power, fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 8. In the following centuries, Persia was ruled by the Seleucids, the Parthians, the Sassanians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and finally, in AD 636, the Muslims. In 1501, the state of Iran was founded by the Safavid dynasty, which set Shia Islam as the empire’s official religion. Iran had been a monarchy ruled by an emperor almost without interruption from 1501 until the 1979 Iranian Revolution ending the reign of the last monarch Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Iran officially became an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979.

In the NT, men from Iran are mentioned indirectly as “Parthians, and Medes and Elamites” were present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). All three of these people groups were Jews who lived in the area of ancient Persia, modern-day Iran, and they were present in Jerusalem to witness the birth of the church.

Overview

The Islamic Revolution of 1979, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, created the world’s only Shiite Islamic theocracy and profoundly changed every aspect of life in Iran. Today, many of those who committed their lives to Islam and Islamic rule are filled with despair. This disillusionment has opened new doors for the gospel, which is sweeping across the nation via Christian media and bold evangelists in Iran’s growing house church movements. However, the government continues its attempts to thwart this move of God. Christian leaders and pastors are often arrested, tortured and imprisoned, and their families are harassed. Some, left with no other options, choose to flee the country.

Major Religion

More than 97% of Iranians are identified by the government as Muslims, but a significant segment of the population has abandoned Islam, and many have come to faith in Christ.

Persecution

Christians are persecuted by government authorities, who have networks of informants in each city. Family, friends and community members also persecute Christians, especially when news of a conversion becomes public.

What it means to follow Jesus

The Iranian government is among the most oppressive regimes in the world. It is illegal to leave Islam, and Christians face the constant threat of imprisonment and being falsely charged with “acting against national security” for owning Bibles or even talking about Christ. Christians are routinely fired from their jobs, and it is difficult for a known believer to find a job or rent a home. Many Christians gather in covert fellowships and receive teaching through Christian media smuggled into the country and through broadcast media. Several Christians are currently imprisoned, and many others are under house arrest awaiting sentencing.

Access to Bibles

It is illegal to own, print, import or distribute Bibles. Since they are so difficult to obtain, Bibles are treasured by Iranian believers. Few have their own copy of God’s Word.

Prayers

Massive numbers of Iranians have come to Jesus in recent years! From only 500 Muslim-background believers in 1979, many estimates suggest the number is even greater than 1 million just in Iran alone. Large numbers of Persian people have also encountered the risen Christ outside of Iran. The Church in Persia has not grown this fast since the 7th century. In Iran, a person can receive a death sentence for apostasy (abandoning religious faith). Despite this, 50,000 mosques have closed in recent years as Iranians are disillusioned with both the regime and with Islam. This growth is a remarkable move of the Holy Spirit, with many signs and wonders, dreams and visions.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution promised peace and prosperity, but more than 40 years later, greater and greater numbers are throwing off their shackles. Widespread protests in 2022 demonstrated that the younger generation is fed up with the legacy of oppression, bloodshed, cruel ‘justice’, corruption, economic hardship, and cultural isolation from most of the world. Despite external religiosity, drug addiction, and prostitution are widespread. Iran is an ancient, noble, and proud civilization. But in the modern era, these struggles have made many people very open to the gospel. Pray that Iranians’ desires for greatness, prosperity, freedom, and even for righteousness might ultimately be met through worship of Jesus.
Iran contains some of the largest unreached, unengaged peoples in the world. Missions are not free to minister in Iran, but some tent-making opportunities exist. Pray for the door to Iran to open in God’s perfect timing.
- The Zoroastrians (Parsees) follow an ancient Persian religion founded 1,000, BC.
- The Baha’i religion started in Iran, but the government seeks to drive its followers out. Very little Christian love and witness to them exists among either the 300,000 in Iran, or the 5-7 million worldwide.
- The nomadic and semi-nomadic Luri, Bakhtiari, and Qashqai live in the Zagros Mountains. Only a few dozen known believers exist from these groups. Persian Christians have begun to reach out to them.
- The Turkic Azeri and Turkmen in the north have had almost no positive contact with Christianity. Azeris form the largest minority group within Iran.
- The Gypsy communities have no Christian workers committed to outreach among them.
- The Persian-speaking Jews descend from those exiled to Babylon 2,700 years ago. Their numbers decline as more and more move away to escape harassment, but a number have become active, witnessing Christians!
Pray that Supreme Leader Ali Ḥusaynī Khaminayī (Ali Khamenei) will come to know Christ.
Pray that new Farsi resources will reach children.
Pray for the safety of underground printers involved in the production of Farsi Bibles.
Pray that house church leaders in Iran will reach the country’s youth who have lived their entire lives under Islamist oppression.
Pray that Christians imprisoned for their faith will be witnesses in prison.
Pray that Iranians who have dreams and visions will come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Pray for protection for the people smuggling printed and digital Bibles to believers.
Pray for Christian prisoners who feel discouraged and need emotional support.