“The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” – Exodus 14:14
On Sunday, President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain, killing him and several other prominent figures in Iran, including the country’s Foreign Minister.
The news sent shockwaves around the world, with speculation as to whether Israel was involved or if this was just a freak accident. There was also speculation that this was an ‘act of God’.
Was Raisi’s death judgement from God for how Iran treats Israel?
“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” – Genesis 12:3a
The Iranian regime prides itself on being the head of the ‘Axis of Resistance,’ made up of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran’s homegrown militants, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). President Ebrahim Raisi, as President of Iran, was in charge of all these organisations that seek the destruction of Israel.
Iran is also heavily involved in the Gaza conflict and was instrumental in training, funding, and arming Hamas terrorists for them to carry out the atrocities of 7 October, known to Islamists as the ‘Al Aqsa Flood’, when thousands of Hamas terrorists flooded the Israel-Gaza border and raped, murdered, burned, and beheaded more than 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children, and kidnapped hundreds and abducted them into Gaza.
In April, Iran launched a direct rocket and drone attack on Israel, the first in history from Iranian soil. Raisi himself cursed Israel and vowed its destruction, as did Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a prominent anti-Israel voice at the United Nations.
One of the most horrific aspects of the 7 October massacres was the number of bodies that could not be identified because they were brutalised and charred beyond recognition. This is problematic for Israel, as the Torah teaches that every aspect of the body must be buried in a Jewish funeral. This is a deep trauma for the victim’s families.
In the case of Raisi, it is interesting that his own death resulted in his body being both burned and ripped up into pieces. Rescuers had trouble locating him, he was totally unrecognisable. The body of Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also charred beyond recognition. Seeing his body evoked memories of the 7 October atrocities when charred bodies of Israelis were found inside cars, buildings and on the streets.
The other victims of the crash were not discovered in the same way, they were at least recognisable. But the Foreign Minister and President Raisi, the two leading figures in Iranian politics opposing Israel, were found in a way that mimicked the Hamas atrocities.
“For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” – Zechariah 2:8
This should be a warning to the enemies of Israel. God Almighty is on His throne. He does not slumber. God is always watching over Israel, and if anyone touches Israel, they touch the apple of God’s eye.
Some may doubt Iran’s involvement. At CUFI, we often claim that Iran is the world’s leader in state-sponsored terrorism. We didn’t make this up, Iran is proud of this fact.
To demonstrate the close ties between Iran and Hamas, just hours after Raisi’s death, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, flew from Qatar to Iran and gave his condolences to Ayatollah Khamenei. In his response, Iran’s Supreme Leader referenced Quranic verses saying: “Now Allah’s first promise about the Palestinian people has been fulfilled, and that is the victory of the people of Gaza, who are a small group, against the big, powerful group [consisting of] the US, NATO, England and a number of other countries. Accordingly, the second promise, which is the elimination of the Zionist regime [Israel], can also be realised. With Allah’s grace, the day will come when Palestine will be established ‘from the river to the sea.’”
As you can see, Iran’s ‘supreme leader’ is doing all this because of a demonic belief. The Iranian regime is hell-bent on destroying Israel without realising they will bring God’s judgement upon themselves.
The Bible is clear that God will bless those who bless Israel and God will curse those who curse Israel.
What can Christians do to thwart the plans of the enemy?
We mentioned above the terrorist groups that form the ‘Axis of Resistance’. The UK has banned every one of these except for the IRGC. It is absurd that the UK only outlaws Iran’s proxies, which are controlled and funded by Iran, but refuses to outlaw the Iranian terror group that controls these other groups. Iran itself calls the IRGC the ‘heart’ of the ‘Axis of Resistance.’
CUFI is continuing to lobby the UK government to ban the IRGC and we encourage you to help us by urging your local MP to support these calls. To support our ongoing ‘UK Ban the IRGC’ campaign, please click the link here.
We need to stay alert as Christian watchmen to keep praying for the protection of Israel against the plans of the Iranian regime and its proxies.
Additionally, we are praying for the people or Iran. They too are victims of the Iranian regime. It has reached the point where Christians in Iran are praying that Israel will attack their country to free them from the totalitarian regime that rules over them.
Israel is clear that its fight is not against Iranians, but against the regime that seeks Israel’s destruction. Iranians have long been friends of Israel, which has been demonstrated when public events in support of Israel have been attended by dozens of Iranian dissidents. CUFI has even interviewed some at a rally in London earlier this year, and they desire freedom for their own people and for peace between Israel and Iran.
