Many Christians who support Israel are interested in Bible prophecy because we believe that the rebirth of Israel and the regathering of the Jewish people back to their God-given homeland is a living example of Bible prophecy being played out before our eyes. As such, we are always looking at Watchmen on the Walls, both in prayer and in discerning the times we are living.
End-time prophecies are fascinating, and there are many different perspectives. We thought we would share with you some thoughts on Jeremiah 49:34-39, and share some insights into what we think is a very interesting Scripture for our time. Especially as this Scripture speaks of a nation in the region of modern-day Iran that is yet to be fulfilled.
First off, let’s read Jeremiah 49:34-39 in full before we break it down verse by verse. This version is NASB 1995.
Prophecy against Elam
34 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:
35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts,
‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam,
The finest of their might.
36 ‘I will bring upon Elam the four winds
From the four ends of heaven,
And will scatter them to all these winds;
And there will be no nation
To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 ‘So I will shatter Elam before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will bring calamity upon them,
Even My fierce anger,’ declares the Lord,
‘And I will send out the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 ‘Then I will set My throne in Elam
And destroy out of it king and princes,’
Declares the Lord.
39 ‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord.
So, let’s talk about each part of this prophecy and see how it may relate to Iran today.
First of all, Elam was a nation and a people group (Elamites) which occupied what today is the western part of Iran, which later became part of the Persian Empire.
The capital city of Elam was Susa, which is where Queen Esther lived and where the story of the Book of Esther and Purim play out in the Bible. There are a lot of connections between Purim and the antisemitic hatred of Haman, as well as the modern day conflict between Iran and Israel. However, we won’t cover them in this article.
35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts,
‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam,
The finest of their might.”
In ancient times, the Elamites were known for their archery. Likewise, in Iranian mythology, Arash the Archer (his statue in Tehran is pictured above) is highly regarded.
Legend has it that Arash was the best archer in the land and he was chosen to define the border between Iran and Turan. Arash was to fire a shot and wherever it landed, that would be the border. Arash is said to have put his life force into an arrow, causing it to fly for days. The story goes that he died immediately upon firing the shot, thus giving his life for Iran. We know this story isn’t true, but it’s interesting how the folklore matches with the regimes admiration for martyrdom.
Interestingly, today, Iran is not feared because of its navy, its vast armies, or its tanks (chariots); instead, Iran is feared because of its missiles and its nuclear ambitions, including attempts to develop nuclear missiles. The main targets that Israel is going after are the missile launchers, the rocket stockpiles, and, of course, the leadership (more on that later).
36 ‘I will bring upon Elam the four winds
From the four ends of heaven,
And will scatter them to all these winds;
And there will be no nation
To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
This is an interesting one. There are around 90 million Iranians living in Iran, and on top of this around 4 or 5 million Iranians are living outside of Iran. We see in all parts of the world there dwells the Iranian diaspora, largely in Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, the USA, where around 1.5 million Iranians live.
When Ayatollah Khamanei was assassinated, we saw Iranians who oppose the regime celebrating in Paris, London, New York, Athens, and other places, thanking America and Israel for standing against the Islamic regime.
37 ‘So I will shatter Elam before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will bring calamity upon them,
Even My fierce anger,’ declares the Lord,
‘And I will send out the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
Iran has many enemies. It has long sought the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people, whom it calls “The Little Satan”. It wants to see an end to America, “The Great Satan”. And the Iranian regime wants to spread its radical form of Islamist fundamentalism to all other nations. The Ayatollahs even want control of Mecca and have threatened Saudi Arabia on many occasions.
Since the war began, we have seen Iran strike civilian targets throughout the Middle East, likely as a way to spread fear and to damage their economies.
Iran is not just a threat to Israel and the West; it has long been the most destabilising force in the region, with its terror proxies, such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Now, the Christian nation of America and the Jewish state of Israel are going to war against the Islamic regime.
38 ‘Then I will set My throne in Elam
And destroy out of it king and princes,’
Declares the Lord.
One of the first acts of this war was for Israel to strike the “king” of Iran, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei was a dictator who ruled his country with an iron fist. Even though Iran claimed to be a democracy, the candidates for President were always hand-selected by Khamenei, and most Iranians refused to vote in elections to protest against the corruption of the regime.
There are around 10 Ayatollah’s in Iran, each one is a cleric who is specially selected for a future role as the leader of the country. Israel has said that it will target each Ayatollah who takes the throne. That sounds remarkably like the “king and princes” being dealt with there.
39 ‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord.
This prophecy will be fulfilled in the “last days” or the “Latter Days” as other interpretations read.
This is a promise here that God’s intention is not to destroy Elam entirely, but to restore it. Another interpretation for verse 39 is that God will “bring back the captives of Elam”. There are many Iranians who have been oppressed by the Iranian regime. Many of the Iranians living abroad fled persecution under the regime. And most Iranians living in Iran right now are opposed to the regime.
Could it be that God setting up His “throne” or authority in Elam, will result in Iran’s turn to Him?
In Acts 2:9, Elamites are mentioned as a people group who heard the gospel message in their own tongue and who turned to Jesus on the Day of Pentecost. And there are ancient Christian communities in Iran, with the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus dating back to roughly 66AD.
Interestingly, the Iranian underground Church is one of the fastest-growing in the world. Even though there is great persecution of Christians in that land, including Christians being publicly executed by the regime for converting. Despite this, God is clearly at work.
Final thoughts:
At CUFI, we believe we are living in the Latter Days. We believe that we need to be watchful and prayerful about the events of our world, particularly those relating to Israel and the Jewish people.
Many of us who love Israel are also standing with the Iranian people against their regime. We long to see the day that Iranians are free from this evil regime, and that the Iranian diaspora will be free to return home and live in freedom.
The prophecy of Jeremiah 49:34-39 may be being fulfilled before our eyes. It could be over quickly, or it could take many years. Or, it could be that it’s not yet time for it to be fulfilled.
One thing we know for sure. God’s Word is truth. God never breaks His promises. God promised that one day Elam’s bow would be broken, that those who are oppressed would be restored, and that He would set up His authority there.
We can be assured that this prophecy will one day be fulfilled.
