On the first day of Ramadan, the earth trembled beneath ancient Shushan — modern-day Shush in Iran’s Khuzestan province — the very city where the drama of Esther unfolded 2,500 years ago. A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck the region just ten days before Purim, the feast commemorating the reversal of Haman’s genocidal decree against the Jewish people. Shushan is not a random archaeological footnote; it is the epicenter of the Purim narrative — the city where lots were cast for destruction and where God turned history upside down. That the ground beneath this historic stronghold of Persia shook on the eve of Purim invites reflection for those who understand the patterns of Scripture.

The Book of Esther famously never mentions the name of God. The Sages explain this as hester panim — the hiding of God’s face — where divine providence operates behind what appear to be natural events. Earthquakes, timing, political shifts — all seem coincidental until viewed through the lens of the whole story. Today, Iran (ancient Persia) openly funds and arms Israel’s enemies while pursuing nuclear capabilities and regional dominance. And in Ezekiel 38–39, Persia is explicitly named among the coalition that will rise against Israel in the latter days. When God responds in that prophecy, He does so not merely through armies, but through nature itself: “a great earthquake,” torrential rain, hailstones, and fire (Ezekiel 38:19–22). The God who shook mountains in Ezekiel’s vision is the same sovereign Lord who governs the shaking of the earth today.

SOURCE: Israel365News