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Hasten The Day!
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. [See Table of Contents for all End-Time Prophecies covered here, best viewed on a big screen]
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Future Prophesies - the Stage is Set (Can Happen Any Day)
NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN IN IRAN
Prophecy of Elam (Jeremiah 49)
Jeremiah 49:34-39 - Judgment on Elam
Jer 49:34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might.
36 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 where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
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.
38 I will set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.
39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days:
I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord.”
The Prophecy of Elam - A Prophecy About Modern-Day Iran?
Nuclear Showdown in Iran - The Ancient Prophecy of Elam
Prophecy Watchers w/ Bill Salus
In this prophecy, Jeremiah predicts that Iran will suffer the fate of a broken bow, which might imply that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be unable to launch scores of its missiles at its enemies.
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Additionally, he declares that Iran will be struck at the foremost place of its might, which today could infer an attack upon its nuclear program. One of Iran's most strategic and vulnerable nuclear targets is the Bushehr Nuclear Reactor located in the heart of ancient Elam.
In verses 36-37, Jeremiah informs that the attack upon the ancient territory of Elam will produce numerous refugees, perhaps even turning into a humanitarian crisis. Exiles will be dispersed worldwide, as if being blown about by overpowering winds.
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In addition to the Lord, Iran has enemies in this prophecy. Israel seeks to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear nation. Additionally, Jeremiah says Iran has fiercely angered the Lord and that provokes the Lord to cause a severe disaster inside of Iran - perhaps this alludes to a nuclear disaster caused from a strike upon Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Reactor.
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Jeremiah's last two verses present the exiles with great news - Iranians who accept Christ in advance of his Second Coming will be returned from global exile into the restored fortunes of their historic homeland in Elam. Jerusalem and Elam are the only two earthly locations identified in Scripture for the future establishment of the Lord's throne.
The Prophecy of Elam - A Prophecy About Modern-Day Iran? By Dr. David R. Reagan
https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-prophecy-of-elam/
I first ran across Bill Salus in 2008 when he published his first book, Isralestine: The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East. He seemed to spring onto the Bible prophecy stage out of nowhere. I learned later that he had spent most of his life as a mortgage broker until his Christian conversion in 1990, at which point he became a music minister and an ardent student of Bible prophecy. In 2010 he went into full time ministry with the establishment of Prophecy Depot Ministries which is located in La Quinta, California.
His first book focused on the prophetic meaning of Psalm 83. It was not easy reading. I found the writing to be mechanical, repetitious and tedious. It was also unfocused, as he spent much of his time chasing irrelevant rabbits. But the book was very insightful, and I quickly concluded that Bill had been anointed by the Lord to see the end time significance of prophecies that had been either ignored or overlooked by other prophecy scholars.
I therefore endorsed his first book because I felt that he had discovered a significant end time prophecy that would help us to better understand the well-known prophecy of Gog & Magog contained in Ezekiel 38-39.
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Criticism
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Many of the established Bible prophecy experts reacted very negatively to Bill’s interpretation of Psalm 83. After all, who was this upstart from nowhere who was suddenly proclaiming that he had found an end time prophecy that had been overlooked?
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Actually, I was not surprised at all that Bill had made such a discovery. That’s because we are told in Daniel 12:8-9 that not all end time prophecies will be understood until the time comes for them to be fulfilled. Furthermore, my study of First Coming prophecies had convinced me long ago that there were most likely Second Coming prophecies that had not been recognized as such.
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Take, for example, the First Coming prophecy in Hosea 11:1 which reads as follows: “When Israel was a youth, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” How could anyone recognize this as a prophecy related to the First Coming of the Messiah until after something happened in the life of Jesus that related to it? It doesn’t even read like a prophecy. It reads like nothing more than a simple historical statement referring to the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity.
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But when King Herod commanded the killing of the male children of Bethlehem, Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, fled with Him to Egypt. Later, Joseph had a dream in which an angel told him to return to Israel. So, Jesus, the Son of God, was “called out of Egypt.” Even so, the statement in Hosea might never have been recognized as a prophecy about the Messiah if it had not been for the fact that the Holy Spirit revealed this truth to Matthew when he was writing his Gospel (Matthew 2:14-15).
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In like manner, Psalm 22 reads like a description of agonies experienced by King David. Yet, in retrospect, after the torture and death by crucifixion that Jesus experienced, it is obvious that David was speaking prophetically in detail about the death of the Messiah, probably without realizing it himself.
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I’m sure that as we get closer to the Rapture, the Tribulation and the Second Coming, the Spirit will reveal to students of Bible prophecy the relevance of additional overlooked prophecies concerning the end times. And I believe that has happened again with Bill Salus, for once again Bill has put his finger on a passage that few have paid attention to, and he has revealed its end-time significance in his new book, Nuclear Showdown in Iran: Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam.
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Jeremiah’s Prophecy About Elam
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The book is exceptionally well written. It flows. It is easy to understand. And it is focused. The passage it so beautifully illuminates is Jeremiah 49:34-39 which describes the fate of the ancient nations of Elam. It reads as follows:
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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 kings 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.​
This rather obscure passage says that “in the last days” Elam’s military might will be broken and that the nation’s population will be widely scattered. The passage further states that this disaster will happen because of the Lord’s “fierce anger” against them. But the passage ends with good news. It says that one day the Lord will bring back the captives of Elam and reestablish them in their land. It also promises that at that time, the Lord will set His throne in Elam.
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Interpreting the Prophecy
The first thing Bill does is to clearly delineate the geographical area of Elam. He identifies it as one-tenth of modern day Iran, being located between the Persian Gulf and the Zagros Mountains, as indicated in the adjacent map. He then points out that the Iranian nuclear reactor is located today in the southern portion of this precise area at Bushehr, on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
Bill spends considerable time proving rather conclusively that no part of Jeremiah’s prophecy about Elam has been fulfilled at anytime in past history. He then postulates that its most likely fulfillment will occur when the nuclear reactor is destroyed, either by the Israelis or by an earthquake, releasing radiation that will force the evacuation of the whole area.
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Bill then speculates that at the end of the Tribulation when the Lord returns to conduct His Millennial Reign, He will regather the Elamites to their land and establish His throne among them.
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This latter point about the throne is the most mysterious part of the entire prophecy. That’s because the Bible makes it clear in many places that Jesus will reign from Jerusalem (see, for example, Isaiah 2:1-4 and Zechariah 8:1-3). So, what does it mean when the passage says, “I will set my throne in Elam”?
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Bill says it could refer to the establishment of a government that will be yielded to God. Or, it could be referring to a secondary capital where Jesus might go from time to time to relax.
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Bill says the Lord’s “fierce anger” will be focused on the area of Elam because Iran is using that area to develop a nuclear weapon which it has declared that it will use to destroy the Jewish state. Bill concludes that the destruction of Elam is imminent and is most likely to occur before the war described in Psalm 83. One scenario he considers is the possibility that Israel might militarily strike the Bushehr reactor, which, in turn, would trigger the Psalm 83 war in which all the nations with a common border with Israel will unite and attack Israel with the purpose of annihilating the Jewish state.
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A Needless Error
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One mistake that Bill makes in his book, for which he will be heavily criticized, is that he presents a chronological listing of end time events as follows:
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Jeremiah 49:34-39: The destruction of Elam
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Psalm 83: The War of annihilation against Israel
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The Rapture
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Ezekiel 38 & 39: The War of Gog & Magog
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The Pre-Tribulation Period
Such a list destroys the imminence of the Rapture. Bill tries to cover himself by stating that the list is only an “estimation,” and that “the Rapture could occur before any of these events.” But I suspect that his critics will ignore this caveat.
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Eschatologists
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When Bill refers to me in his writings, he always calls me an “Eschatologist.” I hate that term. It sounds so academic and stuffy. To me, such a term is appropriate only for a person devoted to the academic study of prophecy. I am a prophecy teacher and preacher, not a prophecy academician.
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Bill is a true Eschatologist — together with such people as Tommy Ice and Arnold Fruchtenbaum. And, as such, I expect Bill to continue to supply us with insightful discoveries he is likely to make from his ardent study of God’s Prophetic Word.
What Would Happen If Israel and Iran Went to War? :: By Matt Ward
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/01/21/happen-israel-iran-went-war-matt-ward/
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The world, it would seem, has stepped back from the brink. Waking up on the morning of Wednesday, 8th January to the news that Iran had fired 22 missiles at two large Iraqi military bases housing United States troops, I was convinced that war was the only outcome.
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It now appears that a direct military confrontation between the United States of America and Iran, as close as both sides have come to open war for a generation, has entered a de-escalatory phase.
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Yet, on that Wednesday morning, as I considered the likelihood of a direct, full-scale military exchange between the United States and Iran, there was one thing that dominated my thoughts: Israel.
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Wednesday’s exchange brought into sharp focus a question I have been considering for a number of years now: “exactly what would be the likely outcome of a war between Israel and Iran?”
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It is a war that has been on the horizon for a long time, discussed often in diplomatic circles, usually in hushed tones because of the chaos many believe it would cause. But what might such a confrontation look like? One thing about such an unpredictable conflict is certain; most people outside military, intelligence or academic circles have absolutely no understanding of how volatile such a war would likely be.
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Such a war would not merely be something we “tuned in and tuned out” of on CNN, then go about our normal lives completely untouched. It is likely that each of us would be impacted by such a war.
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Considering such a potential future Israel-Iran war is no hypothetical exercise either. Immediately after the Iranian missile attack of Wednesday the 8th, Iran made clear their intentions should the United States decide to respond and retaliate. Iran threatened that their response to a United States retaliation to their missile strike would be to attack Dubai, and then to move directly against Israel.
An Israel-Iran war would not be a limited conflict. The chances are that many other countries would be quickly drawn into such a war.
And this war is becoming increasingly likely. It is indeed sobering to note that the immediate actions of Iran, even in this so-called de-escalatory stage, further guarantee that war will one day soon happen.
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One of Iran’s almost instant responses post Wednesday the 8th‘s missile retaliation, has been to fully withdrawn from the already deeply flawed JCPOA, the so-called Iranian nuclear deal. Iran has publicly declared their unwillingness to abide by any of the terms contained within this agreement. This means two things: first, that Iran will now enrich uranium to a point where it can only be used for one thing, in a nuclear weapon; and second, Iran will continue this process now with abandon, at a pace not restricted by international inspections or oversight.
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The consequences of this are that Western intelligence agencies now believe that Iran will have enough material for a nuclear bomb in about twelve months from now. So by mid-2021 at the latest. (1)
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This one factor alone guarantees war in the near future, short of some astoundingly successful secret sabotage. Israel, and the United States under this President, will simply not allow Iran to become a nuclear weapons state. War is coming, and soon.
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So, what would an Iran-Israel war look like? Unfortunately, there is no definitive, publicly available study on just such a war, but what does exist is a plethora of information about the nature and scope of the threats facing Israel currently, in 2020, and how Iran influences and controls these said threats.
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In the near future, somebody will have to act. Whether it be Israel directly or the United States. When that happens, the Iranians will respond. They will simply not allow their territory to be attacked without a significant response.
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When this happens, all sides will quickly become locked into a cycle of mutual escalation, with one side attacking the other, triggering a counter-attack, triggering a much greater counter-response.
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If, or when, a war breaks out between Israel and Iran, the probability of this war becoming a major regional-wide confrontation within just two days is currently rated as extremely high, as much as 90% by some leading Israeli think tanks.
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Iran is certain to activate their proxy assets throughout the Middle East, especially those groups neighboring Israel, such as Hezbollah. Over the past two decades and more, Iran has equipped and paid for a huge force in Lebanon, directly opposing Israel. The 2006 Israeli-Lebanon War, known also as the Second Lebanon War, was an effort by Israel to diminish this Iranian proxy threat. It failed utterly.
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In the second Lebanon war of 2006, Israel concluded that if it was going to wipe out and nullify this vast threat, entailing hundreds of thousands of rockets, it would result in the loss of a huge amount of Israeli lives and equipment. Therefore, the Israeli Defense Force concluded that the only way to affectively deal with this threat, without such a catastrophic loss of Israeli lives, was to use a low-yield neutron bomb. They concluded this because a neutron bomb has a higher short-term radiological output, but less blast output than normal nuclear weapons, therefore limiting the widespread damage that would be caused.
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The world reaction to such an action would be vitriolic. The Muslim world’s reaction to such an act would be equally vitriolic.
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Today, in 2020, fourteen years after the Second Lebanon War, the threat from this same force is now even more significant and malign. A conservative estimate is that the total number of missiles and rockets in Lebanon, currently aimed at Israel, stands at between 40,000 and 110,000 in number. This is a conservative estimate. Many of these rockets are unguided Katyusha rockets; however, many are now longer-ranged, quite sophisticated guided missiles. All of Israel will become the front line in the next war.
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Manning and protecting this arsenal is believed to be a Brigade-sized group of Hezbollah Special Forces. These men have been trained and equipped directly by Iran. Additionally, these men answer only to Iran, not the Lebanese government. This means that the trigger, so to speak, for this vast arsenal is in Tehran, not in Beirut. In any strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, or war with the United States and/or Israel, Iran would certainly pull this trigger.
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Israel faces a huge throw-weight of missiles and rockets. In any Iran war, they would also be contesting against the extensive forces aligned against them in Syria, which has much longer range and larger missiles available to them, not discounting the combination of small rockets and missiles in both the West Bank and Gaza.
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The Jewish State would be attacked from all sides at the same time, impacting the border areas of the country and, this time, the heartland too. Israel would clearly be completely overwhelmed against such a bombardment. They face a truly massive number of rockets and missiles aimed at them.
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Unfortunately, their situation can and does get even worse. It is now the belief of Israel, and many in the West, that some of these rockets and missiles have radiological, chemical or biological agents attached to them. Especially so concerning the Syrian threat. In fact, it is now quite well-known that the biggest arsenal of non-nuclear WMD currently on Earth resides underneath one city, in large but distributed underground storage facilities: Damascus.
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In any future war with Iran, if any of these weapons do have radiological, chemical, or biological agents in them, and are used against the Jewish State, the Israeli response would be unequivocal: the nuclear annihilation of Syria, Iran and parts of Lebanon. Many, many people would lose their lives in such a scenario.
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But the matter would not end there, with unprecedented destruction and death in the Middle East. Iran is and has been the greatest sponsor of state-level terrorism in the world for almost a generation. Such an exchange would no doubt entail the activation of any Iranian sleeper cells in the West, in America and Western Europe. Their objectives would be simple and clear – to wreak havoc on domestic western populations, either through direct attacks, or through any number of malicious manufactured killer viruses potentially being released into general population centers.
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When one looks at Bible prophecy and reads the words of Ezekiel, amongst others, and then looks at the events of today, one cannot help but think that these words of yesterday were written about our today. We will live through these events. They are events for our time, for our world, for our generation, now.
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In light of such events, how should we live and prepare? We should fix our eyes on Jesus and trust in Him only. He is the author of our salvation, the bringer of hope and our only deliverer.
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“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him” (John 3:36).
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Approach every day with the unique hope that only those regenerated though faith in Jesus Christ can have, and then be about your business bringing salvation to the lost.
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“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).
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Then, when all is done, lift up your heads and rejoice, for your salvation does indeed draw nigh.
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“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).
Iran’s Fait Accompli :: By Matt Ward
https://www.raptureready.com/2021/04/01/irans-fait-accompli-by-matt-ward/
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While the world has been distracted by Coronavirus, Iran has been busy making its moves. What a mere twelve months ago would have been big front-page news all across the world now barely even registers in the mainstream news media at all. Yet, despite the lack of coverage, Iran seems to be rapidly approaching the point of acquiring a viable nuclear weapon. Shockingly, nobody in the mainstream media even seems to care.
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At this writing, it is widely assumed that Iran is now mere weeks away from nuclear breakout status. If true, this is a crisis that is very soon going to come to a head.
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Jake Sullivan, White House national security advisor, referred to Iran’s forthcoming nuclear breakout status as a “critical early priority” for the Biden administration. Sullivan went on to state that this issue could well become an “escalating nuclear crisis as they move closer to having enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.”
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As a show of force and possibly intention, US B-52 nuclear bombers have been flying sorties over the Gulf and right up to the border of the Islamic Republic, clearly signposting Western intent should the revived nuclear deal negotiations fail.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has described how the international community has but a “very short time” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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But there is a problem with all this hard talk. Iran, it would seem, is not buying this show of strength, and they are not afraid. The uncomfortable reality is that they simply do not seem to fear President Joe Biden, as they once feared President Donald Trump. The inauguration of a new president, rather than put them on notice and high alert, seems to have emboldened them.
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In the face of all the tacit threats from America and Europe, Iran remains belligerent. The Islamic Republic has thus far refused point-blank to come back to the negotiation table for talks, something Joe Biden put so much faith in during Obama’s final term.
Tehran has flatly ruled out any amendments to the nuclear accord, describing the document the Biden administration believes can bring Iran back in line as “non-negotiable.” Before they have even begun, the negotiations are dead in the water.
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So entrenched and emboldened is Iran that even before any conversation is had, before they even sit down at the table, Tehran wants the harsh sanctions the United States has imposed on them previously for violating the original terms of the nuclear deal, completely removed.
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To do so would essentially reward the Iranians for breaking the terms of the original nuclear accord and is something the West is understandably very reluctant to do. But time is against the West, just as time is against little Israel. On this present course, if nobody does something soon, the issue will become a fait accompli – Iran will have a viable nuclear weapon.
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Even the United Nations nuclear watchdog has conceded that the Iranian nuclear weapons program is back in full swing, revealing that a second cascade of advanced IR-2m centrifuges for enriching uranium has once again begun working at Iran’s underground Natanz facility. They also believe there is a third cluster just waiting to go.
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The Iranians have openly admitted that they have enriched Uranium to the critical 20% level at their Fordow plant, still a large level below the 90% enrichment required for a nuclear weapon, but a significant step in that direction nonetheless. The reason for this is that the time and processes involved in enriching uranium to 20% are much longer and more difficult than that of taking it from 20% enrichment up to 90%. This can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.
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Most surprisingly, Iran has been really quite frank and open about these violations. Perhaps this is because Iran no longer fears the reaction of the United States under its current presidential leadership, as it clearly did under its previous incumbent.
At this point, Israel is grappling with a huge number of uncertainties regarding Iran and its nuclear program and the wider geopolitical environment. It is at best unclear to even the most informed Iran pundit just how advanced Iran’s nuclear program now is, or exactly how close they may be to a feasible weapon. It’s all about best estimates, and all the best estimates seem to conclude that Iran is getting very, very close.
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Iran is clearly making rapid progress towards nuclear breakout status. It is also widely agreed that Iran would not go for nuclear breakout status unless they had enough material to produce 3-5 viable weapons. They just won’t take the risk for one weapon, as the US or Israel would simply destroy it, and all their efforts would be in vain.
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Israel or the United States would think twice before attacking Iran if they knew there were five weapons, not just one. So, this rush to breakout status is likely not for just one weapon but multiple warheads.
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As we speak, the IDF is actively preparing to take on Iran’s nuclear weapons program – even if it has to do it alone. The United States, however, would be mistaken to think that this was an issue critical to Israel only. The world is watching new United States President Joe Biden, and just like Iran has done, rulers like Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China, and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un are weighing Joe Biden and measuring him.
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Whether Biden will be found wanting will be directly determined by the outcome of this issue, not by his response to Coronavirus, and may well determine the Biden administration’s international standing during the rest of his term.
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Time is not on Israel’s side. Israeli Defense Force chief of staff Lt. General Aviv Kochavi issued his own blunt assessment of the state of play: “I have instructed the Israeli Defense Forces to prepare a number of operational plans, in addition to those already in place.”
So significant is Lt Gen. Kochavi’s concerns over Iran’s imminent nuclear breakout status that these comments were entirely unsanctioned and from his own initiative, something he himself was sanctioned for.
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Israel’s hand is being forced, and it is increasingly likely that if they are forced to act, they will do so alone. Iran knows this. Last week Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami issued an ominous threat to raze Tel Aviv and Haifa “to the ground” should Israel launch any pre-emptive action against Iran or its nuclear program.
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It seems evident from President Biden’s first few months in power that he would likely not be willing to overtly engage the Iranians in direct military intervention, especially if side by side with Israel. To do so would be to enrage a great portion of his base at home, to whom he is so beholden.
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On February 2nd, Senior Israeli Minister Tzachi Hanegdi commented that in his opinion, he cannot see the Americans agreeing to take on such a military initiative, leaving Israel to face this growing threat alone.
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Time is clearly running out. Whether Israel’s hand will be forced or not remains to be seen. If Israel and the West are not careful, though, we will all wake up one morning and an Iranian nuclear weapon will have become a fait accompli.
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The drumbeats of war are getting louder and louder.
Are Jeremiah 49 and Ezekiel 38 the Same Prophecy? – Part 1:: by Bill Salus
According to a long forgotten prophecy that is recently being rediscovered, Iran appears to be the subject of two differing end time’s prophecies. That’s right; Iran appears to have double trouble in the end times. One prophecy is described in Jeremiah 49:34-39 concerning ancient Elam and the other is in Ezekiel 38 regarding Persia. This article denotes the differences between Jeremiah 49:34-39 and Ezekiel 38 and 39. Several of these dissimilarities are substantial, which suggests that Jeremiah and Ezekiel are not describing the same prophetic event.
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Jeremiah issued his prophecies concerning Elam about 596 BC. Jeremiah wrote about Elam about a decade before his contemporary Ezekiel prophesied about Persia in Ezekiel 38:5. Ezekiel’s ministry spanned between 593-571 BC. Modern day Iran is comprised of ancient Elam and Persia. Ezekiel was familiar with Elam according to Ezekiel 32:24-25, but he did not include Elam in the lineup of invaders in Ezekiel 38. As the remainder of this article points out, Elam was probably intentionally omitted, because it is the subject of its own distinctly different prophecy, outlined by Jeremiah.
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Different Battle Zones
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The events described in Jeremiah 49:34-39 take place inside of the borders of Iran. Jeremiah 49:35 informs that Iran is struck at the foremost of its might and this causes Iranian refugees to seek exile outside of their homeland.
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Jeremiah 49:36 predicts that “the four winds from the four quarters of heaven” will be brought “against Elam.” Jer. 49:37 declares that the “disaster” comes “upon” the Iranians. Jeremiah 49:38 informs that the Lord will “set” His “throne in Elam.” These prophecies are geographically specific. They must occur within the borders of Elam, which is the Central Western region of modern day Iran.
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Conversely, the Ezekiel 38 and 39 invasion, from start to finish, takes place in Israel according to Ezekiel 38:8, 16, 18, and 19 and Ezekiel 39:2, 4, 9, 11, and 17. At the time of the Ezekiel invasion, Israel may have enlarged their borders as a result of an IDF victory over the Psalm 83 countries, but there is no biblical basis to believe that any part of modern day Iran will be part of a future greater Israel.
There is one possible exception to the argument that Ezekiel 38 happens entirely within Israel, and it is found in Ezekiel 39:6 which says, “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands.” However, the “coastlands,” already mentioned several times by Ezekiel (cf. Ezek. 26:15, 18; 27:3, 6-7, 15, 35), imply the farthest reaches of the known world.”
Ezekiel 38 Conspicuously Omits Elam and the Psalm 83 Populations
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The fact that Ezekiel 38 omits Elam from the very specific list of populations that coalesce with Russia against Israel could be telling. Neither Elam nor any of the Psalm 83 countries are included in the Ezekiel 38 coalition. I think this is a conspicuous omission on Ezekiel’s part.
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Ezekiel 38 and 39 provides an enormous amount of meticulous details about the entirety of the Ezekiel invasion. It includes the participants, the spectators, the battle zone, the motive, the destruction involved, and the important details surrounding the aftermath events, i.e. the mop-up of the war. Why would Ezekiel overlook Elam and Israel’s prime enemies today that are listed in Psalm 83? After all, the Ezekiel invaders have to travel over the lands of the Psalm 83 countries to even get into Israel.
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What about Psalm 83?
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The first question to address is, was Ezekiel aware of Elam and the Psalm 83 populations of Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, and seven other populations? The answer is yes! Ezekiel listed the various Psalm 83 populations by one or more names about eighty-nine times in his forty-eight chapters.
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Ezekiel mentions Edom, Edomite, or Edomites six times. Ammon, Ammonite, or Ammonites are written about six times also. Moab, Moabite, or Moabites are identified by Ezekiel three times. Egypt, Assyria, Tyre, Philistia and most telling even Gebal are also included in Ezekiel’s forty-eight chapters. In fact, Gebal, which is located in modern day Lebanon, is only listed in Ezekiel 27:9 and Psalm 83:7. Why does Ezekiel 27:9 include Gebal, but Ezekiel 38 omit Gebal from the list of invaders? It is safe to presume that if Gebal was a participant in Ezekiel 38, that Ezekiel would have included Gebal.
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I believe the answer is quite obvious. The Psalm 83 populations are not involved in Ezekiel 38 and 39, because they are complicit in their own war prophecy. The Psalm 83 confederacy is probably soundly defeated prior by the IDF. The Psalm 83 prophecy is the subject of my book entitled,“Psalm 83: The Missing Prophecy Revealed, How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower,” and accompanying DVD titled “America and the Coming Mideast Wars.”
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What About Elam; Did Ezekiel Know About Elam?
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The second question is, what about Elam? Did Ezekiel know about Elam? If Elam didn’t exist at the time, or if the prophet was ignorant of its existence, then that could logically explain the omission of Elam from Ezekiel 38. The truth is that Elam existed when Ezekiel 38 was penned, and the prophet was fully aware of its location at the time. Ezekiel actually issued a prophecy concerning Elam in chapter thirty-two.
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Ezekiel authored his forty-eight chapters between 593-571 BC. By the time Ezekiel 38 was written, Elam had already been identified in Genesis 10:22, 14:1, 14:9, Isaiah 11:11, 21:2 22:6, and Jeremiah 49:25:25 49:34-39. In fact, apart from Daniel 8:2 and Ezra 4:9, Ezekiel 32:24-25 represents the last biblical inscriptions of Elam in the Old Testament.
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As you read the pertinent Ezekiel verses below, note that they were probably written around 585 BC. This means that Ezekiel prophesied about Elam approximately eleven years after Jeremiah 49:34-39 was written.
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“There is Elam and all her multitude, All around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, Who caused their terror in the land of the living; Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit. They have set her bed in the midst of the slain, With all her multitude, With her graves all around it, All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; Though their terror was caused In the land of the living, Yet they bear their shame With those who go down to the Pit; It was put in the midst of the slain.” (Ezekiel 32:24-25)
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Since these verses were penned after Jeremiah prophesied about Elam, Ezekiel appears to be providing supplemental information regarding the events of Jeremiah 49:34-39. Ezekiel prophesies that many unsaved (uncircumcised) Elamites will be slain by the sword. The prophet mentions the sword two times in this passage. This seems to correlate with Jeremiah 49:37, which says, “And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.”
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Ezekiel connects more prophetic dots by acknowledging that Elam is guilty of causing “terror in the land of the living.” The prophet also mentions this fact two times in these verses. Interestingly, Iran is notably the world’s foremost sponsor of international terror. Below is a quote from the Council on Foreign Relations website.
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“The U.S. State Department considers Iran the world’s “most active state sponsor of terrorism.” U.S. officials say Iran provides funding, weapons, training, and sanctuary to numerous terrorist groups–most notably in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon–posing a security concern to the international community.”
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In conclusion, part one points out that Iran is the subject of a double jeopardy in the end times. Jeremiah’s ancient prophecies concerning Elam and Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning Persia clearly take place in completely different battle zones. Additionally, Ezekiel seems to have intentionally excluded Elam from his very specific lineup of coalition members in the Gog of Magog invasion. These are two solid arguments against Jeremiah 49:34-39 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 being the same prophetic event.
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In part two, several more reasons for separating these prophecies will be explored. Thus, we appear to have differing prophecies predicting the future of Iran in the Bible. In my new timely book entitled, Nuclear Showdown in Iran, Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam, I explain why Jeremiah 49:34-39 probably precedes Ezekiel 38. The book is available atwww.prophecydepot.com. The book also comes with a companion DVD of the same name.
Are Jeremiah 49 and Ezekiel 38 the Same Prophecy? – Part 2:: by Bill Salus
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Part one of this article pointed out that Iran is the subject of dual unfulfilled foretelling’s. About 2600 years ago, the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel issued parallel end time prophecies concerning the rogue Islamic nation. Jeremiah wrote about Elam, and Ezekiel penned predictions for Persia. Ezekiel knew about Elam, but seemingly opted to omit Elam from his prophecy regarding Persia. These prophecies clearly find fulfillment in different geographies, but there are other distinguishing differences that separate these two forthcoming events.
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The Meshech and Tubal Clue
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This next section continues to answer the question presented in part one, as to whether Ezekiel intentionally omitted Elam from Ezekiel 38 and 39. It has already been shown that Ezekiel was familiar with Elam, but there is more to consider concerning his omission of Elam. The conclusive clue for me is contained in Ezekiel’s multiple references of Meshech and Tubal. Ezekiel writes about this dynamic duo in Ezekiel 32:26-28, 38:2-3, 39:1.
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Ezekiel 32: Meshech, Tubal and Elam (no Persia)
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Ezekiel 32:1-32 identifies seven significant populations among the slain. These peoples are listed in the order of Egypt, Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, and Sidon. It is important to notice that Persia is not listed anywhere in Ezekiel 32. Iran was primarily identified by the western world as Persia until 1935. Modern day Iran is included in Ezekiel 32, but only under the banner of Elam!
Ezekiel 38: Meshech, Tubal and Persia (no Elam)
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With the exceptions of Meshech and Tubal, Ezekiel 38 and 39 provides a lengthy list of entirely different populations than Ezekiel 32. These two peoples from Meshech and Tubal are alluded to in both Ezekiel 32 and Ezekiel 38. Ezekiel 38 and 39 includes Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer and Togarmah. These nine comprise the Ezekiel invaders. Notice that Elam is not listed anywhere in Ezekiel 38!
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Ezekiel 32:26-28 May be Part of Ezekiel 38 and 39
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Meshech and Tubal were the sons of Japeth, who was Noah’s youngest son, according to Genesis 9:18. Both Meshech and Tubal settled in what is today modern day Turkey. In tandem, they show up together seven times in the Holy Scriptures, but only in Ezekiel 32 and 38 and 39 are they depicted in Bible prophecies.
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“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.” (Ezekiel 38:1-3; emphasis added)
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“And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. (Ezek. 39:1-2; emphasis added)
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These above verses from Ezekiel 38 and 39 include three out of the four prophetic biblical references to Meshech and Tubal. They are clearly identified as members of the Gog of Magog invaders that come to take a spoil from Israel in the latter years according to Ezekiel 38:1-13.
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Ezekiel 32 taken in correlation appears to add some concluding details surrounding the destruction of Meshech and Tubal.
“There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes, With all their graves around it, All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, Though they caused their terror in the land of the living. They do not lie with the mighty Who are fallen of the uncircumcised, Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war; They have laid their swords under their heads, But their iniquities will be on their bones, Because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. Yes, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, And lie with those slain by the sword.” (Ezekiel 32:26-28)
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In my book titled, Nuclear Showdown in Iran, Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam, I explain in greater detail the potential connections between Meshech’s and Tubal’s involvement in Ezekiel 32:26-28 and Ezekiel 38 and 39.
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Iran’s Double Jeopardy: Persia is in Ezekiel 38, but Elam is in Ezekiel 32
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At this point, it’s important to discuss Iran’s double jeopardy in the latter days. Iran is the subject of dual judgment prophecies, one in Jeremiah 49:34-39, and the other in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This means that the rogue nation will experience double trouble in the end times.
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One of the strongest arguments for believing that Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Elam is not part of Ezekiel 38 is found in the observable omission of Elam in Ezekiel 38. Elam’s exclusion from Ezekiel 38 appears to be intentional.
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The prior section pointed out that Ezekiel was extremely familiar with Elam, Meshech and Tubal, because he predicted their final fates in Ezekiel 32. The prophet includes Elam in Ezekiel 32:24-25 and Meshech and Tubal in Ezekiel 32:26-28. These verses neatly blend into one another on the pages of the Bible. This congruency possibly suggests that Elam’s judgment closely precedes that of Meshech and Tubal.
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The astute Bible prophecy buff would be remiss not ask the following questions;
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Why would Ezekiel lump Elam and Meshech and Tubal together in Ezekiel 32, but extract Elam from Ezekiel 38, which also incorporates Meshech and Tubal?
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Why would Ezekiel substitute Persia in place of Elam in Ezekiel 38 alongside Meshech and Tubal?
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Does this imply that Elam is the subject of its own prophecy, written by Ezekiel’s contemporary Jeremiah, and is not involved in Ezekiel 38?
As Ezekiel is not physically with us today, I will go out on a limb and take advantage of author liberties by answering these questions as I believe he might. These answers will be presented in the language of our modern day vernacular. Treat the segment below as fiction that may not be too far-fetched.
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1.) The answer to question #1 is as follows:
“Elam is the subject of its own independent prophecy. Elam was not included in Ezekiel 38 because it is not part of this prophecy. Elam experiences the disaster revealed by Jeremiah 49:34-39 before Ezekiel 38 even occurs. Elam is listed in correlation with Meshech and Tubal in Ezekiel 32 because Jeremiah 49:34-39 is quickly followed by Ezekiel 38.”
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2.) The answer to question #2 is as follows:
“Persia was identified in Ezekiel 38, because the Iranian Muslims that survive the disaster of Jeremiah 49:34-39, will coalesce with Russia for revenge against Israel. Iranian leaders will be dwelling in a weakened condition and extremely vulnerable after the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Russian promises of restoration to religious, economic and military prominence will allure the Iranian leadership, hook, line, and sinker into the Magog Coalition. Iran will be allured by Russia’s evil plan to capture Israel’s inherent wealth of gas and other natural resources, along with the spoils of war captured by the IDF in the aftermath of Psalm 83. Iran will be among the first to enlist as an Ezekiel invader along with Turkey, (Meshech and Tubal).”
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3.) The answer to question #3 is as follows:
“The majority of surviving Elamites (Iranians) will be exiled globally and seek no part in the Gog of Magog invasion. Very few will return to fight alongside Russia, but many will come to a saving faith in the Messiah. They will have learned an invaluable lesson about the fatal flaws of the rogue Islamic regime and will flee to Christ for their peace and restitution. Many of the Iranians in their Diaspora will preach the gospel throughout the world.”
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Other Reasons Jeremiah 49:34-39 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 Differ
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There are several other reasons why Jeremiah 49 and Ezekiel 38 may not be referring to the same prophecy. They are summarized below.
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Good is in Elam’s future, but not Persia’s.
Good is in store for Elam according to Jeremiah 49:38-39, but nothing good is in store for Persia.
“I will set My throne in Elam, And will destroy from there the king 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.” (Jer. 49:38-39, NKJV).
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There is no mention anywhere within the Bible of the Lord establishing His throne in Persia, or restoring the Persians back to Iran in the latter days. This is why it is important for Iranians today to receive Christ now, and fortunately many are.
Iran is presently the fastest growing evangelical population in the world. Iran’s Christian population is burgeoning at a 19.6% annual growth rate. Conversely, the evangelical population of the USA is slumping along at about a sluggish 0.8% pace.[i] American Christians can learn a valuable lesson from the evangelical harvest taking place in Iran.
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Elam and Persia are Different Geographical Locations.
Not only do the battlefields differ in the prophecies involving Elam and Persia, but they both occupied different geographical locations. When Ezekiel and Jeremiah authored their prophecies, Elam was located in the West Central region of modern day Iran, extending somewhat into Southwest Iran, while Persia covered most of the rest of modern day Iran. They were separated by the Zagros mountains. It wasn’t until several decades after these prophets wrote, during the time of Cyrus the Great of Persia, that the territorial lines became somewhat blurred.
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It is clumsy and potentially careless to lump Jeremiah 49:34-39 concerning Elam, with Ezekiel 38 and 39 that deals with Persia. Even though Iran today encompasses both ancient regions, this does not insulate the country from territorial judgments predicted millenniums ago in the Bible.
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Elam Has Enemies, But Persia Has an Enemy.
Jeremiah 49:37 points out that Elam has a plurality of enemies. On the contrary, Persia appears to have only one, and that is Israel. Although Ezekiel 38:13 identifies some sideline spectators, they do not appear to become involved in the defeat of the Ezekiel invaders. Ezekiel 38:18-39:6 informs us that the God of Israel defeats Russia and its coalition.
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Elam is Defeated by the Sword, but Persia by Fire, Hail, and Brimstone
Jeremiah 49:37 predicts Elam’s destruction occurs via the sword, which probably alludes to a military victory. Whereas, Ezekiel 38:18-39:6 declares that an earthquake, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone are the weapons of warfare that the Lord uses to defeat the Ezekiel invaders.
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This two part article was taken from my book entitled, Nuclear Showdown in Iran, Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam. The book is a non-fiction thriller taking the reader on a journey of discovery through the eyes of the prophets and the minds of today’s key national players. The ancient prophecy of Elam will reveal what God has ordained, what the prophets saw and what you need to know and do now.