Who is Iran?
Israel has a long history of being attacked and persecuted by the area today called Iran! Iran is mentioned way back in Genesis, known then as Shinar. Noach had three sons-Shem, Ham, and Yefet. Ham fathered Kush, Kush fathered Nimrod;
Genesis 10:8-10. Kush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful ruler on earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before ADONAI- this is why people say, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before ADONAI." 10 His kingdom began with Bavel, Erekh, Akkad and Kalneh, in the land of Shin'ar.
Tradition identifies Nimrod as the ruler who commissioned the construction of the Tower of Babel which led to his reputation as a rebellious king who was against God. Shin’ar or Bavel had a lengthy history of various rulers which soon encompassed the entire land of Shin’ar. Like the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the nation divided who had numerous names used for them such as Shomron, Ephraim, Israel, Northern Kingdom etc. The same holds true for Shin’ar. Bavel’s most notorious ruler was N'vukhadnetzar.
Daniel 1:1-2. In the third year of the reign of Y'hoyakim king of Y'hudah, N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel came to Yerushalayim and laid siege to it; 2 and Adonai handed Y'hoyakim king of Y'hudah over to him, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He took them to the land of Shin'ar, to the house of his god and placed the articles in the storehouse of his god.
This passage marks the fall of Judah as a result of our idolatry and rebellion against Adonai. This resulted in Jerusalem and the Temple being sacked and our people exiled to Babylon which would last 70 years as Jeremiah prophesied! During our captivity the Babylonian empire fell. The Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, marking the total defeat of the Babylonian Empire. The Persian king Cyrus the Great captured Babylon in October 539 BCE. With the success of Cyrus' campaign, Babylonia was incorporated into the Persian realm as a province. The capital of Persia is Shushan! A critical place regarding Israel’s history that is in current day Iran. Here is where we find profound revelation, a mystery revealed regarding this region!
Daniel 10:11-13. He said to me, "Dani'el, you are a greatly loved man. Now pay attention to the words I am saying to you, and stand upright; for it is to you that I have been sent now." After he had said this to me, I stood up, trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Don't be afraid, Dani'el; because since the first day that you determined to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard; and I have come because of what you said. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia.
The prince of Persia is only mentioned here in Daniel chapter ten, which is a highly apocalyptic section of Daniel. The prince of Persia is a demonic spiritual entity, a fallen angel, that is a principality, an authority over this geographical area that is today Iran. These principalities and powers are demonic strongholds of demonic activity. These beings are real, and their primary goal is to kill, injure, worry, destroy, vex, harass, irritate, confuse, and frustrate humans. We truly don’t understand the complexity and breadth of the ongoing spiritual warfare! As we stream towards the end of time it will get worse!
The goal of these principalities is to cause as much damage to humans as Adonai will allow. These beings are a part of the kingdom of darkness, fallen angels that were kicked out of heaven with HaSatan. Remember Peter’s warning in I Peter 5:8: “Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. Their demonic purpose is to hinder or thwart the purposes of Adonai on earth and to take as many people as possible with them to hell in the process. Clearly their number one target is Israel which is why this principality boarders Israel.
These principalities cover geographical territories. Their presence is felt in cities. Some cities may have a principality of murder hovering over it, many have a hindrance principality operating in their region. Other cities have antisemitic, racist, or sexual perversion principalities. Unfortunately, there are too many demonic spirits of principalities to name them all here.
We read of Yeshua casting out a demon in Luke 8. He cast legions (numerous demons) out of a possessed man who had been oppressed and harassed for a long time! The demons pleaded with Yeshua on where their destination would be after they were cast out of their host. They wanted to remain in the area and begged Him to cast them into the swine.
Luke 8:31-32. They begged Yeshua not to order them to go off into the Bottomless Pit. 32 Now there was a herd of many pigs, feeding on the hill; and the demons begged him to let them go into these. So he gave them permission.
It’s imperative to understand that in the name of Yeshua, HaSatan and his demons must obey, they must flee. This also means over a principality. HaSatan is not like Adonai, he isn’t omniscient, all-knowing, or omnipotent, all powerful. Yet we need assistance to overcome them, like the prophet Daniel who had received a troubling vision concerning a great war in Daniel 10:1. He went into a three-week period of fasting and prayer. In response to Daniel’s prayer, Adonai sends a heavenly messenger to explain the vision. However, the messenger was delayed for those same 21 days, as he explained to Daniel 10:13: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me”.
Daniel, a prophet and man of God, had been sent a messenger by Adonai because he needed assistance to break through this principality, this demonic stronghold over the region. Later, the messenger speaking to Daniel predicts further fighting:
Daniel 10:20-21. Then he said, "Do you know why I came to you? Although now I must return to fight the prince of Persia; and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come; 21 nevertheless, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. There is no one standing with me against them except Mikha'el your prince;
These principalities, Persia and, Greece, are fallen angels who have authority, stronghold, and influence over this geographical area. Daniel is fasting and praying about the future of his people and their exile in Persia. The demonic disruption makes sense, as the divine answer involves the overthrow of the Persian Empire. The angelic messenger is assisted by the archangel Michael, who is the prince (or one of the princes) of Israel in the angelic realm.
Then the angelic messenger says he will face even more spiritual warfare, returning to fight against the prince of Persia. After that, he will face another spiritual enemy, the prince of Greece. We know from history and as prophesied in Daniel that Greece would be the next world power after Persia, and that Greece (Alexander the Great) would conquer Persia and dominate Israel for a season. This sets the stage for the Hanukkah story where Antiochus Epiphanes tried to destroy all Jewish culture and identity! In this passage, three spiritual entities are mentioned in relation to three earthly nations: the prince of Persia, the prince of Greece, and the prince of Israel; Michael. Sha’ul understood this spiritual structure and told us in:
Ephesians 6:12. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.
This spiritual battle against these principalities is real. We have another profound example: Purim! The story of Esther, Hadasa takes place in the Persian capitol of Shushan! Haman is introduced as an enemy of Mordecai and the Jewish people:
Esther 3:5–6. “Haman was furious when he saw that Mordekhai was not kneeling and bowing down to him. 6 However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed to him a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather, he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh's kingdom.”
Haman’s goal was the genocide of the Jewish people, becoming the opponent of Esther and her people in the book of Esther. Haman was an Agagite, the son of Hammedatha. Haman was a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites, a long-time enemy of the Jewish people. God had told King Saul to destroy the Amalekites centuries earlier:
I Samuel 15:3. Now go and attack 'Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"
King Saul failed to obey God’s specific command. His disobedience led to the loss of his throne and, in Esther’s case, the possible threat of total annihilation for all the Jewish people. Hamas’s tactics are exactly like those of the Amalekites. The Amalekites loath Israel, a people whose pagan way of life, values, and military tactics are in direct opposition to Adonai’s commands, purpose, love, and sanctity for human life.
Deuteronomy 25:17-18. (NIV) Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.
Amalekite raiders attacked Ziklag (in the Negev Region of Southern Israel-the same areas of Hamas attack on Oct 7th) when David and his mighty men were marching with the Philistines to fight Saul, when only women and children were present (I Sam. 30:2–3). Unlike David who had everyone and everything restored, Hamas murders, tortured, raped, and destroyed!
Haman in Persia conspired to enlist the power of Achashverosh’s empire to exterminate the exiled Jews who were powerless to defend themselves. Amalekites specifically targeted women, children, and the weak.
Some note that Hamas’s stated goal in its 1988 charter is to “destroy the Jews” and that it has carried out mass attacks on Jewish communities, such as the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. This has led some to see Hamas as a modern-day “Haman” in the sense of being a violent, antisemitic adversary to the Jewish people.
These demonic spiritual principalities are still in existence and are present in the prophetic future! Babylon, Persia, Shin’ar….all the same:
Zechariah 5. Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me a flying scroll. 2 He said to me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. 3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land; for [according to what is written] on one side, everyone who steals will be swept away; and [according to what is written] on the other side, everyone who swears will be swept away. 4 'I will release it,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, 'and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; it will stay there inside the house and consume it completely, even its timbers and stones.'" 5 Then the angel speaking with me went forward and said to me, "Now raise your eyes, and see what this thing is, passing by." 6 I asked, "What is it?" He said, "This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by." Then he added, "This is their eye in all the land." 7 Next I saw a lead disc lifted up to reveal a woman sitting in the eifah. 8 He said, "This is Evil." He threw her down into the eifah and pressed the lead weight over its opening. 9 I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky. 10 I asked the angel speaking with me, "Where are they taking the eifah?" 11 He answered me, "To build it a shrine in the land of Shin'ar. When it's ready, [the eifah] will be set down there on its base."
Zechariah sees a scroll with roughly the same measurements as the tabernacle flying through the land. It has writing on both sides. The purpose of the scroll was to curse the land of those who swear and steal. Swearing and stealing are probably summary terms for the two halves of the law. The first half, swearing, refers to sins against God and second half, stealing, refers to sins against man. You don’t get away with sin. God sees it and will purge the land. To me personally this thing that looks like a flying scroll could be describing a modern Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (I.C.B.M.) missile!
Zechariah sees an ephah or commercial measuring device which further confirms the sinfulness of the nations and the need for judgment. The description of the woman - she is the personification of evil, so he slams the lid back down on the basket. Lead lined, a nuclear warhead? Two women with wings come and fly away (aircraft or a cruise missile) with the basket and put it in Shinar on a pedestal. The pedestal may refer to being set up high for the purpose of worship or a launching pad, or both.
The grand Mullah of Iran (Sponsor of Hezbollah and the trainers of the last Hamas attack, as well as Hezbollah and the Houthis) himself, said there is no peaceful Islam or radical Islam, there is just Islam and it’s been this was since Muhammad created it 1,200 years ago. It is an evil, demonic religion based upon terror, oppression, brutality, hatred, and deception. It’s the result of the principality over the region. Iranian aggression is a threat to Israel from Hezbollah with its destabilization of Lebanon, its role in the Syrian war, the civil war in Yemen, the attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea , the Straits of Hormuz, sand trikes against US airbases in Iraq, and more. Iran is a threat to the entire Middle East, Europe, and the United States! The motive is to make Iran (The Prince of Persia Spirit) the dominant regional power, capable of imposing its demonic will on others, and its aggression is a response to both the strength and weakness of its enemies and rivals.
Her is the root understanding, the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. Sunnis Muslims are Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and most of Iraq. Shiites are mostly in Iran. The primary distinction between Sunni and Shia Muslims lies in their views on leadership. Sunnis accept a broader interpretation of leadership, allowing for leaders from various backgrounds, while Shia Muslims believe that only descendants of Muhammad through his cousin Ali should lead the community.
In Shi'a Islam, the 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to be in a state of "occultation" or hiding, and will eventually return as the Mahdi (is a messianic figure in Islamic belief) to establish justice on earth. This belief is central to Twelver Shi'a doctrine, with the 12th Imam considered alive and hidden until his reappearance. They believe the al-Mahdi returns when the world is in chaos which is why Iran is shooting missiles at all their neighbors and why they seek nuclear weapons! They seek world war and chaos to herald the Mahdi’s return.
As divine, prophetic events play out on earth, there is also corresponding activity in the spiritual realm. The Prince of Persia’s is hostile to the people of God. His job was to keep the Persian Empire in a place of dominance over the nation of Israel, he’s still trying but failing. It is interesting to note that Iran is modern Persia, and the leaders of Iran still want to dominate or obliterate the nation of Israel.
The demonic spirit of Persia, Babylon (the names change but the spirit is the same!) was in Sodom and Gomorrah, in Nazi Germany, is in North Korea, and Iran! It runs drug cartels and human trafficking, in Islam it runs and trains Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis through school curriculum for students from kindergarten through graduate school, is architecting political platforms and cultural narratives in everything from movies to television shows, the internet, and causing social media trends. No one, nothing, and no place is immune from the demonic influence of the spirit of this principality.
Throughout our history since the days of Moses, we as the Jewish people have endured numerous, similar persecutions. The name of the oppressor has varied. It's been called “Purim”, "Inquisition," "Pogroms," "Holocaust" and "Jihad." The Haman spirit has had numerous names as well such as Pharaoh, Amalekites, Antiochus Epiphanies, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Abbas, and Yehya Sinwar. The good news is there has always been someone willing to swim upstream and stand in the gap against aggression, hate, and persecution! Every generation has its Mordecai!
The enemy, HaSatan knows this! That’s why from Pharaoh murdering the Israeli male newborns in Egypt to Haman in Purim, from the Inquisition to the Pogroms, and then Yom HaShoa, the Holocaust, and now the modern-day insidious Jihad Attack on October 7th, 2023. HaSatan’s plan has remained unchanged which is to eradicate our Jewish people, break Adonai’s covenant promises with us, thereby rendering His word and promise null and void which would mean HaSatan wins! We know biblically this shall never happen, yet HaSatan is unable, incapable of devising any other plan! Let me add another aspect to this. Yeshua Himself made a prophetic covenant promise in:
Matthew 23:37-39. Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 38 Look! God is abandoning your house to you, leaving it desolate 39 For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI.'"
This is a critical understanding of the “End times”! We know from various scriptures that Yeshua will return a second time to judge all humanity then establish His kingdom upon this earth (Matthew 24:36-42, Luke 21:25, John 14:2-3, I Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15). The enemy knows this very well, even better than most believers! Every demonic principality will do everything in their range of possibility to thwart Yeshua’s return! This is what it’s all really about, the chosen people and the promise land but Adonai knows:
Deuteronomy 11:12. It is a land ADONAI your God cares for. The eyes of ADONAI your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
It is important to note that behind Babylon and Persia is the demonic spirit of Babylon. Adonai created a Kingdom that is called His bride. HaSatan created a counterfeit kingdom that is called Persia, Babylon, the “mother of prostitutes” (Revelation 17:5). The spirit of Babylon is at work in every nation and generation. For this reason, the book of Revelation is intertwined with the book of Daniel as they both have prophecies regarding the end of human history and establishment of the Messianic Reign with the Second Coming of Yeshua. Long after the nation of Babylon and Persia had ceased to exist, Revelation reveals that the demonic principality spirit remains at work:
Revelation 18:2-4. He cried out in a strong voice, "She has fallen! She has fallen! Bavel the Great! She has become a home for demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, a prison for every unclean, hated bird. 3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of God's fury caused by her whoring - yes, the kings of the earth went whoring with her, and from her unrestrained love of luxury the world's businessmen have grown rich." 4 Then I heard another voice out of heaven say: "My people, come out of her! so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not be infected by her plagues,
Bavel in the Greek is Babylon: The original capital of Babylon, means confusion, the city that Persian king Cyrus conquered which then became Persia, also an allegory to Rome, a corrupt seat of idolatry, or the enemy of God. A symbolic name for those which took the place of ancient Babylon as a persecuting power.
So, who is Iran? It’s a demonic principality “The Prince of Persia”, it’s N'vukhadnetzar, It’s Haman, it’s the Amalekites, Its Antiochus Epiphanes, it’s Hamas, it’s a spirit of confusion, a persecuting power that seeks Israel and our people’s destruction and genocide, possibly even a prophetic nuclear bomb as referenced in Zechariah 5! The destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17! Western powers and their decision-makers continue to espouse Peaceful Islam while tackling Islamophobia, the reality is quite different, they seek our annihilation.
The driving ideology behind Hamas's murderous intent is exemplified by the "Doomsday Clock" located in Palestine Square, Tehran, Iran. Inaugurated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2017, the clock counts down the time towards Israel's anticipated destruction in 2040. They are not engaged in a sprint, they are in a marathon to destroy Israel! Iran's barrage of missiles and drones that are still being launched at Israel, and upon Iran’s surrounding Arab neighbors is presumably another step toward fulfilling that destructive intent. The attacks won’t stop!
Iran, as well as its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and terror proxies of Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others -- are actors in the frontline of the intended annihilation of the Jewish people first, then all other unbelievers. This is why both the United States of America and Israel must continue the fight until the threat is eliminated!
Blessings and Shalom,
Rabbi Eric S Carlson
Genesis 10:8-10. Kush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful ruler on earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before ADONAI- this is why people say, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before ADONAI." 10 His kingdom began with Bavel, Erekh, Akkad and Kalneh, in the land of Shin'ar.
Tradition identifies Nimrod as the ruler who commissioned the construction of the Tower of Babel which led to his reputation as a rebellious king who was against God. Shin’ar or Bavel had a lengthy history of various rulers which soon encompassed the entire land of Shin’ar. Like the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the nation divided who had numerous names used for them such as Shomron, Ephraim, Israel, Northern Kingdom etc. The same holds true for Shin’ar. Bavel’s most notorious ruler was N'vukhadnetzar.
Daniel 1:1-2. In the third year of the reign of Y'hoyakim king of Y'hudah, N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel came to Yerushalayim and laid siege to it; 2 and Adonai handed Y'hoyakim king of Y'hudah over to him, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He took them to the land of Shin'ar, to the house of his god and placed the articles in the storehouse of his god.
This passage marks the fall of Judah as a result of our idolatry and rebellion against Adonai. This resulted in Jerusalem and the Temple being sacked and our people exiled to Babylon which would last 70 years as Jeremiah prophesied! During our captivity the Babylonian empire fell. The Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, marking the total defeat of the Babylonian Empire. The Persian king Cyrus the Great captured Babylon in October 539 BCE. With the success of Cyrus' campaign, Babylonia was incorporated into the Persian realm as a province. The capital of Persia is Shushan! A critical place regarding Israel’s history that is in current day Iran. Here is where we find profound revelation, a mystery revealed regarding this region!
Daniel 10:11-13. He said to me, "Dani'el, you are a greatly loved man. Now pay attention to the words I am saying to you, and stand upright; for it is to you that I have been sent now." After he had said this to me, I stood up, trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Don't be afraid, Dani'el; because since the first day that you determined to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard; and I have come because of what you said. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia.
The prince of Persia is only mentioned here in Daniel chapter ten, which is a highly apocalyptic section of Daniel. The prince of Persia is a demonic spiritual entity, a fallen angel, that is a principality, an authority over this geographical area that is today Iran. These principalities and powers are demonic strongholds of demonic activity. These beings are real, and their primary goal is to kill, injure, worry, destroy, vex, harass, irritate, confuse, and frustrate humans. We truly don’t understand the complexity and breadth of the ongoing spiritual warfare! As we stream towards the end of time it will get worse!
The goal of these principalities is to cause as much damage to humans as Adonai will allow. These beings are a part of the kingdom of darkness, fallen angels that were kicked out of heaven with HaSatan. Remember Peter’s warning in I Peter 5:8: “Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. Their demonic purpose is to hinder or thwart the purposes of Adonai on earth and to take as many people as possible with them to hell in the process. Clearly their number one target is Israel which is why this principality boarders Israel.
These principalities cover geographical territories. Their presence is felt in cities. Some cities may have a principality of murder hovering over it, many have a hindrance principality operating in their region. Other cities have antisemitic, racist, or sexual perversion principalities. Unfortunately, there are too many demonic spirits of principalities to name them all here.
We read of Yeshua casting out a demon in Luke 8. He cast legions (numerous demons) out of a possessed man who had been oppressed and harassed for a long time! The demons pleaded with Yeshua on where their destination would be after they were cast out of their host. They wanted to remain in the area and begged Him to cast them into the swine.
Luke 8:31-32. They begged Yeshua not to order them to go off into the Bottomless Pit. 32 Now there was a herd of many pigs, feeding on the hill; and the demons begged him to let them go into these. So he gave them permission.
It’s imperative to understand that in the name of Yeshua, HaSatan and his demons must obey, they must flee. This also means over a principality. HaSatan is not like Adonai, he isn’t omniscient, all-knowing, or omnipotent, all powerful. Yet we need assistance to overcome them, like the prophet Daniel who had received a troubling vision concerning a great war in Daniel 10:1. He went into a three-week period of fasting and prayer. In response to Daniel’s prayer, Adonai sends a heavenly messenger to explain the vision. However, the messenger was delayed for those same 21 days, as he explained to Daniel 10:13: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me”.
Daniel, a prophet and man of God, had been sent a messenger by Adonai because he needed assistance to break through this principality, this demonic stronghold over the region. Later, the messenger speaking to Daniel predicts further fighting:
Daniel 10:20-21. Then he said, "Do you know why I came to you? Although now I must return to fight the prince of Persia; and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come; 21 nevertheless, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. There is no one standing with me against them except Mikha'el your prince;
These principalities, Persia and, Greece, are fallen angels who have authority, stronghold, and influence over this geographical area. Daniel is fasting and praying about the future of his people and their exile in Persia. The demonic disruption makes sense, as the divine answer involves the overthrow of the Persian Empire. The angelic messenger is assisted by the archangel Michael, who is the prince (or one of the princes) of Israel in the angelic realm.
Then the angelic messenger says he will face even more spiritual warfare, returning to fight against the prince of Persia. After that, he will face another spiritual enemy, the prince of Greece. We know from history and as prophesied in Daniel that Greece would be the next world power after Persia, and that Greece (Alexander the Great) would conquer Persia and dominate Israel for a season. This sets the stage for the Hanukkah story where Antiochus Epiphanes tried to destroy all Jewish culture and identity! In this passage, three spiritual entities are mentioned in relation to three earthly nations: the prince of Persia, the prince of Greece, and the prince of Israel; Michael. Sha’ul understood this spiritual structure and told us in:
Ephesians 6:12. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.
This spiritual battle against these principalities is real. We have another profound example: Purim! The story of Esther, Hadasa takes place in the Persian capitol of Shushan! Haman is introduced as an enemy of Mordecai and the Jewish people:
Esther 3:5–6. “Haman was furious when he saw that Mordekhai was not kneeling and bowing down to him. 6 However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed to him a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather, he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh's kingdom.”
Haman’s goal was the genocide of the Jewish people, becoming the opponent of Esther and her people in the book of Esther. Haman was an Agagite, the son of Hammedatha. Haman was a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites, a long-time enemy of the Jewish people. God had told King Saul to destroy the Amalekites centuries earlier:
I Samuel 15:3. Now go and attack 'Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"
King Saul failed to obey God’s specific command. His disobedience led to the loss of his throne and, in Esther’s case, the possible threat of total annihilation for all the Jewish people. Hamas’s tactics are exactly like those of the Amalekites. The Amalekites loath Israel, a people whose pagan way of life, values, and military tactics are in direct opposition to Adonai’s commands, purpose, love, and sanctity for human life.
Deuteronomy 25:17-18. (NIV) Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.
Amalekite raiders attacked Ziklag (in the Negev Region of Southern Israel-the same areas of Hamas attack on Oct 7th) when David and his mighty men were marching with the Philistines to fight Saul, when only women and children were present (I Sam. 30:2–3). Unlike David who had everyone and everything restored, Hamas murders, tortured, raped, and destroyed!
Haman in Persia conspired to enlist the power of Achashverosh’s empire to exterminate the exiled Jews who were powerless to defend themselves. Amalekites specifically targeted women, children, and the weak.
Some note that Hamas’s stated goal in its 1988 charter is to “destroy the Jews” and that it has carried out mass attacks on Jewish communities, such as the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. This has led some to see Hamas as a modern-day “Haman” in the sense of being a violent, antisemitic adversary to the Jewish people.
These demonic spiritual principalities are still in existence and are present in the prophetic future! Babylon, Persia, Shin’ar….all the same:
Zechariah 5. Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me a flying scroll. 2 He said to me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. 3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land; for [according to what is written] on one side, everyone who steals will be swept away; and [according to what is written] on the other side, everyone who swears will be swept away. 4 'I will release it,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, 'and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; it will stay there inside the house and consume it completely, even its timbers and stones.'" 5 Then the angel speaking with me went forward and said to me, "Now raise your eyes, and see what this thing is, passing by." 6 I asked, "What is it?" He said, "This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by." Then he added, "This is their eye in all the land." 7 Next I saw a lead disc lifted up to reveal a woman sitting in the eifah. 8 He said, "This is Evil." He threw her down into the eifah and pressed the lead weight over its opening. 9 I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky. 10 I asked the angel speaking with me, "Where are they taking the eifah?" 11 He answered me, "To build it a shrine in the land of Shin'ar. When it's ready, [the eifah] will be set down there on its base."
Zechariah sees a scroll with roughly the same measurements as the tabernacle flying through the land. It has writing on both sides. The purpose of the scroll was to curse the land of those who swear and steal. Swearing and stealing are probably summary terms for the two halves of the law. The first half, swearing, refers to sins against God and second half, stealing, refers to sins against man. You don’t get away with sin. God sees it and will purge the land. To me personally this thing that looks like a flying scroll could be describing a modern Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (I.C.B.M.) missile!
Zechariah sees an ephah or commercial measuring device which further confirms the sinfulness of the nations and the need for judgment. The description of the woman - she is the personification of evil, so he slams the lid back down on the basket. Lead lined, a nuclear warhead? Two women with wings come and fly away (aircraft or a cruise missile) with the basket and put it in Shinar on a pedestal. The pedestal may refer to being set up high for the purpose of worship or a launching pad, or both.
The grand Mullah of Iran (Sponsor of Hezbollah and the trainers of the last Hamas attack, as well as Hezbollah and the Houthis) himself, said there is no peaceful Islam or radical Islam, there is just Islam and it’s been this was since Muhammad created it 1,200 years ago. It is an evil, demonic religion based upon terror, oppression, brutality, hatred, and deception. It’s the result of the principality over the region. Iranian aggression is a threat to Israel from Hezbollah with its destabilization of Lebanon, its role in the Syrian war, the civil war in Yemen, the attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea , the Straits of Hormuz, sand trikes against US airbases in Iraq, and more. Iran is a threat to the entire Middle East, Europe, and the United States! The motive is to make Iran (The Prince of Persia Spirit) the dominant regional power, capable of imposing its demonic will on others, and its aggression is a response to both the strength and weakness of its enemies and rivals.
Her is the root understanding, the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. Sunnis Muslims are Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and most of Iraq. Shiites are mostly in Iran. The primary distinction between Sunni and Shia Muslims lies in their views on leadership. Sunnis accept a broader interpretation of leadership, allowing for leaders from various backgrounds, while Shia Muslims believe that only descendants of Muhammad through his cousin Ali should lead the community.
In Shi'a Islam, the 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to be in a state of "occultation" or hiding, and will eventually return as the Mahdi (is a messianic figure in Islamic belief) to establish justice on earth. This belief is central to Twelver Shi'a doctrine, with the 12th Imam considered alive and hidden until his reappearance. They believe the al-Mahdi returns when the world is in chaos which is why Iran is shooting missiles at all their neighbors and why they seek nuclear weapons! They seek world war and chaos to herald the Mahdi’s return.
As divine, prophetic events play out on earth, there is also corresponding activity in the spiritual realm. The Prince of Persia’s is hostile to the people of God. His job was to keep the Persian Empire in a place of dominance over the nation of Israel, he’s still trying but failing. It is interesting to note that Iran is modern Persia, and the leaders of Iran still want to dominate or obliterate the nation of Israel.
The demonic spirit of Persia, Babylon (the names change but the spirit is the same!) was in Sodom and Gomorrah, in Nazi Germany, is in North Korea, and Iran! It runs drug cartels and human trafficking, in Islam it runs and trains Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis through school curriculum for students from kindergarten through graduate school, is architecting political platforms and cultural narratives in everything from movies to television shows, the internet, and causing social media trends. No one, nothing, and no place is immune from the demonic influence of the spirit of this principality.
Throughout our history since the days of Moses, we as the Jewish people have endured numerous, similar persecutions. The name of the oppressor has varied. It's been called “Purim”, "Inquisition," "Pogroms," "Holocaust" and "Jihad." The Haman spirit has had numerous names as well such as Pharaoh, Amalekites, Antiochus Epiphanies, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Abbas, and Yehya Sinwar. The good news is there has always been someone willing to swim upstream and stand in the gap against aggression, hate, and persecution! Every generation has its Mordecai!
The enemy, HaSatan knows this! That’s why from Pharaoh murdering the Israeli male newborns in Egypt to Haman in Purim, from the Inquisition to the Pogroms, and then Yom HaShoa, the Holocaust, and now the modern-day insidious Jihad Attack on October 7th, 2023. HaSatan’s plan has remained unchanged which is to eradicate our Jewish people, break Adonai’s covenant promises with us, thereby rendering His word and promise null and void which would mean HaSatan wins! We know biblically this shall never happen, yet HaSatan is unable, incapable of devising any other plan! Let me add another aspect to this. Yeshua Himself made a prophetic covenant promise in:
Matthew 23:37-39. Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 38 Look! God is abandoning your house to you, leaving it desolate 39 For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI.'"
This is a critical understanding of the “End times”! We know from various scriptures that Yeshua will return a second time to judge all humanity then establish His kingdom upon this earth (Matthew 24:36-42, Luke 21:25, John 14:2-3, I Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15). The enemy knows this very well, even better than most believers! Every demonic principality will do everything in their range of possibility to thwart Yeshua’s return! This is what it’s all really about, the chosen people and the promise land but Adonai knows:
Deuteronomy 11:12. It is a land ADONAI your God cares for. The eyes of ADONAI your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
It is important to note that behind Babylon and Persia is the demonic spirit of Babylon. Adonai created a Kingdom that is called His bride. HaSatan created a counterfeit kingdom that is called Persia, Babylon, the “mother of prostitutes” (Revelation 17:5). The spirit of Babylon is at work in every nation and generation. For this reason, the book of Revelation is intertwined with the book of Daniel as they both have prophecies regarding the end of human history and establishment of the Messianic Reign with the Second Coming of Yeshua. Long after the nation of Babylon and Persia had ceased to exist, Revelation reveals that the demonic principality spirit remains at work:
Revelation 18:2-4. He cried out in a strong voice, "She has fallen! She has fallen! Bavel the Great! She has become a home for demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, a prison for every unclean, hated bird. 3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of God's fury caused by her whoring - yes, the kings of the earth went whoring with her, and from her unrestrained love of luxury the world's businessmen have grown rich." 4 Then I heard another voice out of heaven say: "My people, come out of her! so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not be infected by her plagues,
Bavel in the Greek is Babylon: The original capital of Babylon, means confusion, the city that Persian king Cyrus conquered which then became Persia, also an allegory to Rome, a corrupt seat of idolatry, or the enemy of God. A symbolic name for those which took the place of ancient Babylon as a persecuting power.
So, who is Iran? It’s a demonic principality “The Prince of Persia”, it’s N'vukhadnetzar, It’s Haman, it’s the Amalekites, Its Antiochus Epiphanes, it’s Hamas, it’s a spirit of confusion, a persecuting power that seeks Israel and our people’s destruction and genocide, possibly even a prophetic nuclear bomb as referenced in Zechariah 5! The destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17! Western powers and their decision-makers continue to espouse Peaceful Islam while tackling Islamophobia, the reality is quite different, they seek our annihilation.
The driving ideology behind Hamas's murderous intent is exemplified by the "Doomsday Clock" located in Palestine Square, Tehran, Iran. Inaugurated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2017, the clock counts down the time towards Israel's anticipated destruction in 2040. They are not engaged in a sprint, they are in a marathon to destroy Israel! Iran's barrage of missiles and drones that are still being launched at Israel, and upon Iran’s surrounding Arab neighbors is presumably another step toward fulfilling that destructive intent. The attacks won’t stop!
Iran, as well as its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and terror proxies of Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others -- are actors in the frontline of the intended annihilation of the Jewish people first, then all other unbelievers. This is why both the United States of America and Israel must continue the fight until the threat is eliminated!
Blessings and Shalom,
Rabbi Eric S Carlson
Posted in May 2026
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