Jeremiah’s Elam War: A Past or Present Prophecy?

Over 2,600 years ago, a Hebrew prophet foretold of a future time whereby the Lord would become fiercely angry with a rogue regime ruling over the nation of Iran. In his fury, the Lord would cause an epic disaster in a large swath of territory within the country. The prophet was Jeremiah. The territory is ancient Elam, which hugs the Persian Gulf today. And the evil regime, well, it just might be the mullahs ruling Iran today. Are we witnessing the fulfillment of this prophecy? Stay tuned to find out. It's been over seven decades since the world witnessed the fulfillment of a Bible prophecy, and that is when the state of Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Many prophets foretold that time would come when the Jews would be regathered into their ancient homeland of Israel. That's when the world hourglass made its final turn and the end times clock started ticking. Are we about to see another prophecy find fulfillment at our time in Jeremiah chapter 49 verses 34 through 39 called the prophecy of Elam? The fulfillment of a Bible prophecy is God's certificate of authenticity. We find this out in Isaiah 46 verses 9 through 10, which reads, Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Is God about to authenticate himself again? Are we about to see another ancient prophecy roll off its parchments and pound down powerfully in the Middle East? Could we see the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy of Elam through the campaign of Israel and America called Operation Epic Fury and the war against Iran? Is it a present prophecy or is it a past prophecy that's already been historically fulfilled? We're going to look at both sides of that coin as we go through this program. But let's start by reading the prophecy itself, six verses in Jeremiah chapter 49. So let's begin with Jeremiah 49 verses 34. It says, The word of the Lord, the king of Jeremiah, the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Now that we talked about that was around 596 BC. He's saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might. Against Elam I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven and scatter them toward all those winds. There shall be no nations, plural, but the outcasts of Elam will not go. Verses 37 through 39, For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, plural, and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, says the Lord. And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them, and I will set my throne in Elam. And I will destroy from there the kings and the princes, says the Lord. But it shall come to pass, in the latter days I will bring back the captives of Elam, says the Lord. In some translations it's, I will restore the fortunes of Elam. So we discover that Iran has double trouble in the latter years. It is a subject of dual end-time prophecies, one regarding Persia and the other regarding Elam. We take a look at a modern-day map of Iran, we can find out these two geographical locations. Elam, as you see, shaded in the peach color of their hugs, the Persian Gulf. The prophecy we read in Jeremiah 49 was written around 596 BC, dealing with this territory. About 20 years later, Jeremiah's contemporary Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 38 verse 5, wrote about Persia and that Gog and Magog war. Now Iran got its name in 1935, but historically modern-day Iran was known as Elam on the southwestern side, and Persia the remainder. It's important to note that Elam is the territory where the four of Iran's nuclear-related sites and facilities are. Shiraz, the Bashar nuclear power plant, Isfahan and Natanz. Isfahan is Iran's largest nuclear research facility. Natanz is Iran's primary enrichment facility. Bashar is one of Iran's nuclear reactors, and Shiran is Iran's special weapons and missile development facility. Now this territory is also where the preponderance of Elam's portable rocket launchers and underground missile launchers are stationed. Now this video is shot primarily in the Elam territory. So let's take a look at some of the details of the prophecy of Elam, and we're going to discover that some of these details are manifesting presently during Operation Epic Fury. We'll reread Jeremiah 49 verses 35. This is what the Lord of Armies says, Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, the finest of their might. In other words, he's going to incapacitate Iran's ability to launch lethal missiles at Israel and elsewhere. So we take a look at this map here that shows strikes across Iran that have been conducted during Campaign Epic Fury. The first thing to note is that on the east side of Iran, that Persia territory, there's been little to no strikes over there because that is not where the missile launching sites are or the nuclear facilities of any concern. Now to Iran, you'll notice the capital of Iran has had quite a few strikes because that's where the king and the officials reside. They govern over the entire country of Iran, and they're part of the prophecy also. We're going to look at that shortly. What's glaring to notice is that the strikes have primarily been in the southwestern coast and up the western side of Iran, which is that ancient territory of Elam. You see Natanz and Isfahan. So this is where they're being bombarded. This is where the missile launchers are. This could possibly be stage setting for the fulfillment of this aspect of the prophecy that breaking the bow of Elam is the finest part of their might. Because then we juxtapose that with where US and Israel have pounded Iran over the last 24 hours. And is it with the intention to try and open up the Strait of Hormuz? So let's look at where the strikes have been over the last 24 hours. Largely, if we want to see, there is activity here. So Bandar Abbas and the region along with north and central Tehran, there is also now significant military activity from US and Israel towards the Strait of Hormuz. Let's take a look at another important detail in Jeremiah's prophecy that appears to be manifesting also at this time during Operation Epic Fury. So read Jeremiah 49-38, which says, I will set my throne in Elam, says the Lord, and I will destroy its king and officials. So we notice that since Operation Epic Fury has started that over 49 senior leaders have been assassinated in the bombing campaign. You see Ayatollah Khamenei at the top of this chart and some of his other key leaders have also been killed. So it looks like another aspect of the prophecy finding fulfillment at this present time. Now when it says, I will set my throne in Elam, it can also mean established authority over the area or more than likely it can also mean performance judgment within the area. So if we are seeing the fulfillment of Jeremiah's Elam prophecy, there are a couple of things to still be on the lookout for. One of them we find in Jeremiah 49-36, which reads, I will bring enemies from all directions and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world. A worldwide dispersion would be forthcoming. Now some believe that this worldwide dispersion actually happened already in 1979 with the deposing of the Shah when the Islamic revolution took place and indeed many Iranians fled into many nations within the world. But I have two difficulties with thinking that was a fulfillment of this aspect of the prophecy. The first one is that that was the result of persecution by the Islamic regime taking over, not because of enemies coming in from all directions, driving them out to the nations of the world. And second, that dispersion occurred within the entirety of Iran, which is inclusive of both Persia and Elam, so not just exclusively from Elam. So the worldwide dispersion is a very important detail within the prophecy and at this point I don't want to speculate how that might be forthcoming. But unless it was fulfilled in 1979, which I doubt, it has to happen or we can't say that this prophecy is on final fulfillment. We can't say that until it does happen. Let's move on to the next important aspect to be on the lookout for in verse 37 of Jeremiah chapter 49. Let's read. I myself will go with Elam's enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam, says the Lord. Their enemies will chase them off with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. So we have important things to look at here. The Lord's fierce anger, I'll be discussing the reasons for that at the conclusion of this video. What about this great disaster, an epic biblical disaster? Could it potentially be nuclear? We'll have to wait and see. But then again it talks now about the enemies. I'll chase them off with the sword until I have completely destroyed them. Sounds like a bloody war with boots on the ground in man-to-man combat. So is that where this is headed? Does it have to be boots on the ground hand-to-hand combat? Will the devastating air campaign of epic fury fall short of accomplishing Israel and America's ultimate goals? It's a foregone conclusion that forces have to be inserted into Iran to confirm that the missile launchers have been incapacitated and the nuclear program has been destroyed. It's interesting to note that we had some headlines recently appearing Israeli ambassador to U.S. declines to rule out putting boots on the ground in Iran. That's unpolitical. And then we have Reuters said U.S. lawmakers worry Trump may put boots on the ground in Iran. Remember it says that enemies are coming in from all sides. Could that also involve the Gulf Cooperative Council states across the Gulf who have been bombed by Iran also? Let's now tell our viewers more about the Gulf Council countries versus Iran when it comes to the military capabilities. We get you this story because Iran has been attacking a slew of Gulf countries after both Israel and U.S. launched that attack on Iran. So first up let's tell you about the military might. Now when we talk about the active military personnel the Gulf countries have approximately 350,000 to 400,000 active military personnel and that's compared to Iran which is at 610,000. Remember the prophecy talks about Iran will be dismayed before their enemies. Enemies plural. We know Israel and America are enemies and apparently the Gulf Cooperative Council is concerned because remember most of those Arab states across the Gulf are Sunnis and Iran is Shiite and they've been concerned for a long time about Iran wanting to establish a Shiite caliphate. Additionally they're concerned as is the international community about the shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz which Iran has been doing at this point in time choking off oil and from the Arab states into the world. So we've discussed some important reasons as to why the prophecy of Elam could be happening at the present time perhaps even through the campaign of epic fury. But there are some who believe it was a prophecy of the past historically fulfilled. So let's address that possibility next. I've written an article about that entitled has the prophecy of Elam in Jeremiah 49 34 through 39 been historically fulfilled and you can read that online at our website at prophecydepot.com. So almost everyone who advocates that the prophecy has been historically fulfilled points to the time of 597 BC when the Babylonians confronted Elam and it was spearheaded by King Nebuchadnezzar II. So I address that argument exhaustively with well researched information a plethora of reasons why it's I don't believe it has been historically fulfilled at that time. I'm going to read you just a few of the excerpts from the article. I'll start with Wikipedia and it says here Wikipedia you can find the following information in 597 BC the Babylonian army departed for the Levant again but appears to not have engaged in any military activities as he turned back immediately after reaching the Euphrates. The following year Nebuchadnezzar marched his army along the Tigris river to do battle with the Elamites but no actual battle happened as the Elamites retreated out of fear once Nebuchadnezzar was a day's march away. The next article commentary comes out from Colin Delish who states even if Nebuchadnezzar were then occupied in the eastern portion of his kingdom yet there's nothing at all to prove that he was involved in a war with Media or Elam. History says nothing of a war waged by Nebuchadnezzar on Elam nor does this prophecy furnish any support for such an assumption. So as far as Colin Delish are concerned there's no proof at all that there was actually a war between Nebuchadnezzar 2 and Elam. Let's read another commentary here from J. A. Thompson in his book of Jeremiah on page 33. He says that a broken text in the Babylonian chronicle may indicate a clash between Nebuchadnezzar and Elam in 596 BC. A clash not necessarily a bloody war like the biblical text requires. The Babylonian chronicles are very important historical records of the history of King Nebuchadnezzar 2. Let's see a few excerpts from the Babylonian chronicle. Number 15 says in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar 604 to 603 in the month of Semenunot he mustered his army. Number 16 says in the ninth year 596 595 the king of Akkad and his troops marched along the bank of the Tigris heading toward the east there. Number 20 tells us the king of Elam got afraid and panicked falling upon him he returned to his own land. So that's the account he was heading in that direction with the king of Elam retreated. So this historical account in the Babylonian chronicle seemed to give credence to the idea that there may not have been an actual battle. In the historical account in the Babylonian chronicles there was no mention of a destruction of Elam and Nebuchadnezzar's armies did not kill the king of Elam as the biblical text requires in So I go on to state in the article with that in mind that Jeremiah 49 36 says that the population will scatter out of Elam into the nations of the world and Jeremiah 49 38 specifically predicts the king and the officials of Elam will be destroyed. The king not only survived but rather than scatter away from Elam he returned back to Elam. These two facts mitigate against the possibility that the Elam prophecy found fulfillment through Nebuchadnezzar 2. So unless those who advocate for a past fulfillment of this prophecy at the time of Nebuchadnezzar 2 or any other time unless they can come up with better arguments than the ones I just provided I'm going to block that past out of this potential for the prophecy and call it a present prophecy. Don't let the past arguments distract you from what might actually be taking place right now. You might actually be witnessing the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. So if this prophecy has not been fulfilled in the past and if it's unfolding before our very eyes and it's important to realize that God wants this generation to know through these fourfold events that are taking place in the Middle East he must authenticate his sovereignty and let them know he's the one true God who declares the end from the beginning there's no other God besides him. Moreover if we are experiencing the fulfillment of this prophecy we can safely conclude that the Lord is fiercely angry presently with the leadership in Iran and I'm going to give you a three strikes you're out baseball analogy as to why the Lord would be fiercely angry presently. The leaders are inhumane they're killing their own citizens they're spreading global terrorism but more importantly of the following two strike two they're persecuting and killing the Christians over there there are many Christians converts from Islam to Christianity and I share more on that story as I conclude and strike three they want to wipe Israel off the map and that just cannot happen because God's going to uphold his holy name through his people Israel we're told that in Ezekiel 39 7 which says so I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel and I will not let them profane my holy name anymore and the nation shall know that I'm the Lord the Holy One in Israel that's going to happen in Ezekiel 38 and 39 of that Gog and Magog invasion so he's upset with Iran right now he wants to wipe Israel off of the map he's fiercely angry so the good news for the Iranians is contained in the final verse of Jeremiah 39 verse 39 which says but it shall come to pass in the latter days I will bring back the captives of Elam says the Lord some translations say restore the fortunes this verse in addition to the prior verse that talked about the throne in Elam have got many Iranian Christians excited about the Elam prophecy now the way I interpret this verse here is that for those exiles who disperse into the world who survive throughout the travails of the end time they will return back to a restored Elam the war-torn area war-torn area will be restored during the messianic kingdom the thousand-year reign of messiah now this verse alludes to in the latter days which is one of the reasons we classify this prophecy as an end times prophecy I told you that there's a spiritual showdown going on inside of Iran presently amidst the backdrop of this war campaign that's taking place that many Muslims converting to Christianity it's an amazing phenomena there's a picture of me with Dr. Hormuz Shariat on his tv set of Iran Alive Ministries I want to play a clip from Hormuz it kind of tells you what's taking place in Iran right now with a spiritual showdown but there's a even bigger story it's a spiritual showdown in Iran between Islam and Christianity Iran is being transformed into a Christian nation in this generation Iran has the fastest growing evangelical population in the world Iranians are experiencing miracles healings visions and dreams and with the help of satellite television millions of them are coming to Christ two years ago Iranian government began cracking down on Christianity but it's not working Christianity is growing in Iran Iran is in the Bible prophecy and many Iranian Christians are excited about what the Bible says about the future of Iran please pray for your brothers and sisters in Iran so if you want to avail yourself with a richer study of a Bible prophecy that might be finding fulfillment before our very eyes go to our website at prophecydepot.com and click on the products tab this will then take you to our products page where you can get the book and see the tab up top there if you want to just get the book the dvd you can get the dvd under that tab if you want to bundle both together you can get the book and dvd together at a discount