“Guys, you will be drinking your coffee and you will hear that the Jews attacked the nuclear program of Persia (Iran). That’s when events of greater magnitude will begin.”
An Ancient Orthodox Saint’s vision has come true as biblical end times appear to be accelerating.
This prophecy from Elder Theodoros Agiofarangitis of Crete, who died in 2016, has captured the attention of Orthodox Christians worldwide following Israel’s June 13, 2025, massive assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The prophecy, shared through Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, a disciple of several contemporary Orthodox saints including Saint Paisios and Saint Porphyrios, described with startling precision how people would casually hear the news of Israel’s strike while going about their daily routines.
The prophecy continued: “And at the same time, or a little earlier, Erdogan will fall,” pointing to additional geopolitical upheavals that Orthodox believers say signal the beginning of prophetic end times events.
Orthodox eschatology, particularly through the writings and visions of modern saints such as Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, has long foretold of major conflicts involving Israel, Turkey, and other regional powers.
Father Peter Heers, an Orthodox theologian, notes that “the prophecies of the saints, not only Greek saints but also Russian, Romanian, and Serbian saints, state that countries will use nuclear weapons” following the Israeli strike.
According to these teachings, the attack on Iran may serve as a trigger for broader geopolitical crises, including the fall of Turkey’s leadership and the onset of large-scale regional conflict.
The Orthodox prophecy isn’t the only religious interpretation gaining attention. Israel’s large-scale June 13, 2025 military operation, Operation Rising Lion, has prompted biblical scholars and prophecy teachers across Christian denominations to reexamine whether recent events align with ancient scriptural predictions, particularly in light of Iran’s direct attack on Israel in April 2024.
The coordinated strike targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership, including key sites such as the Natanz and Parchin facilities, missile bases, air defenses, and residences of senior commanders.
High-profile casualties included Major General Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, and at least six nuclear scientists, including Fereydoon Abbasi. The operation involved approximately 200 Israeli Air Force jets, drone swarms, and covert Mossad sabotage teams.
The mission’s Hebrew codename, Am KeLavi—“A People Rises Like a Lioness,” drawn from Numbers 23:24—has been interpreted by some as symbolizing divine protection and prophetic fulfillment.
For many prophecy scholars, this combination of air superiority, weakened Iranian proxies, and the elimination of Iran’s nuclear leadership mirrors the conditions described in Ezekiel’s end-times vision.
Evangelical Christian leaders have been especially vocal in linking recent events to biblical prophecy.
Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a prominent Bible prophecy teacher, said he believes Iran’s attack on Israel fulfills Scripture and signals the end times.
He pointed to the regathering of the Jewish people in their homeland, specifically Israel’s founding on May 14, 1948, as the moment when “the prophetic time clock began to tick.”
Iran’s first direct military attack on Israel occurred in April 2024, when Tehran launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israeli territory.
Although 99% of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome and allied defense systems, biblical prophecy teachers emphasize that the significance lies not in the damage inflicted, but in the event’s alignment with ancient end-times predictions.
The primary reference comes from Ezekiel 38, written approximately 2,600 years ago, which describes a future coalition led by “Magog” (widely interpreted as Russia) and including “Persia” (modern-day Iran) in a coordinated attack against Israel.
This interpretation has gained renewed attention amid recent geopolitical shifts. Russia and Iran have expanded their military cooperation, what many see as the prophesied Magog, Persia alliance, while Iranian proxy forces such as Hamas and Hezbollah have been weakened by Israeli operations.
At the same time, the collapse of Syria’s Assad regime has granted Israel near-total air superiority in Syrian airspace.
Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel and prominent Bible prophecy teacher, went further, declaring: “We are on the verge of the Gog-Magog war that Ezekiel described in chapters 38 and 39.”
While Ezekiel 38-39 remains the primary prophetic focus for end times Bible prophecy scholars, religious observers across denominations are examining several biblical prophecies in light of recent events.
Jeremiah 49:35-39 speaks of God “breaking the bow of Elam,” scattering its people, and destroying its “king and officials.” Elam was an ancient region overlapping modern-day western Iran.
Some interpreters suggest that the “bow” symbolizes Iran’s missile capabilities, and that the death of senior military and nuclear personnel, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, could correspond to the judgment against Elam’s leadership described in the text.
A lesser-known biblical passage receiving renewed attention is Psalm 83, which describes a ten-member coalition conspiring to “wipe out Israel as a nation.”
The nations listed include Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Assyria, names many commentators associate with modern-day Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians, and others.
Prophecy author Bill Salus argues that the Psalm 83 war precedes the Ezekiel 38 conflict and more closely resembles current threats from Israel’s immediate neighbors and non-state actors.
