For the past 12 years, Dr. Hormoz Shariat has had a front-row seat to the powerful revival happening in Iran as hundreds of thousands of souls have come to Christ. Now, as tensions in the Middle East seem to be near a breaking point, the founder of Iran Alive Ministries and author of “Iran’s Great Awakening,” says we are seeing Biblical prophecy regarding this key end times nation unfold before our very eyes as more and more Iranians see Islam as the problem — not the answer — to their decades of suffering.
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“Even now with all the bad things, all the wars and rumors of wars that we hear in the Middle East we have to remember God is at work,” Dr. Shariat told the Washington Times Higher Ground. “There are two movements in Iran. The government wants to destroy Israel and fulfill Ezekiel 38. The people of Iran are fulfilling Jeremiah 49:38, which mean they’re coming to Christ by millions. And sooner or later, the Lord will be the King of Iran. He will set his throne in Iran and we’re moving in that direction really fast.”
Iran Alive uses satellite television broadcasts to spread the Gospel to 6 million daily viewers in the Middle East — and it’s working. According to Dr. Shariat, the ministry has documented more than 100,000 salvations since 2001, including Iranian government officials who have secretly watched and converted to Christianity.
“[God has used 40 years of] suffering to bring the people of Iran to a point that they say we do not want Islam. Islam is not our answer. Islam is our problem and we need to get rid of it,” Dr. Shariat said. “The people of Iran have come so open to the message of the Gospel because they have been set free from the spirit of Islam, from the bondage of Islam.”
But without people like Dr. Shariat and the work of ministries like Iran Alive, most Americans wouldn’t have a clue about the transformation occurring behind Iran’s borders or in the hearts of its people. It’s the same transformation that Dr. Shariat experienced as a devout Muslim who came to America for school after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and found Jesus after reading the Bible and attending church for the first time.
“God is working beyond what we know,” Dr. Shariat explained. “Only a small fraction of what’s happening is reported to even us and then we report to you in the West. Not many people know there is a revival going on in Iran.”
That’s why Dr. Shariat hopes more Christians will support Iran Alive for continued spiritual awakening in the region. One of the greatest needs is for prayer — especially considering the war raging between Israel and Hamas supporters, including Iran. Because in the end, it’s not just lives at stake — it’s souls and eternity in the balance.
“As a Christian, we need to have the Lord’s eyes, His heart, and His will,” Dr. Shariat noted. “We know He loves the world, so as a Christians, we cannot hate either side. We love Jews and we love Arabs because God loves them. We want them to be saved — both sides — because God wants them.”
Watch the full interview.
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Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.
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