Biblical History, Current Events

An intriguing look at Israel and Iran

Welcome. Today’s post is a little different–less devotional, more informational. Although our recent focus has been on God’s attributes (His nearness, His boundlessness, and His uniqueness), we pause today to explore an intriguing look at Israel and Iran. Through the lens of biblical history, current events often find increased relevance, and that is definitely true here. So buckle up! This little space in your inbox that you graciously share holds some big connections! 

Background information

Creation. Fall. Flood. Nations.

These labels typically define the first eleven chapters of Genesis: The creation of the world (Gen. 1-2); the fall of man after his rebellion against God (Gen. 3); the account of the flood and God’s judgment on wickedness (Gen. 6-9); and the beginning of nations after the tower of Babel (Gen. 11). 

Oh, but let’s get a picture of this using the map below. Noah’s ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Gen. 8:4, red arrow). He and his family disembarked, and soon his sons–Shem, Ham, and Japheth–along with their wives, settled and began to have children. 

Now, chapter 10 of Genesis is one that people typically skip because…well, it’s the genealogy of Noah’s sons. (Don’t give in to the temptation to yawn just yet–there’s fascinating information there!) Today, three of those names are very important to our discovery.

• Shem’s oldest son: Elam
• Japheth’s second son: Magog
• Ham’s youngest son: Canaan (who received the curse that he would serve his uncles after his father mocked Noah) 

Eventually the descendants of Noah’s sons settled in the land of Shinar (Gen. 11:2, blue arrow, above). Soon, however, they decided to build the tower to make a name for themselves so they wouldn’t be “dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). 

Oh, but they should have been making God’s name known and filling the earth (Gen. 9:2)! So, as a result of the tower-building efforts, God confused the descendants’ speech and they dispersed. Shem’s descendants settled the lower right part of the map (more or less, Mesopotamia and Assyria). Descendants of Shem’s oldest son, Elam, settled in the area with his name (green arrow, which is now part of Iran). Ham’s descendants (those of the son who received the curse) settled in the lower left portion of the map–in Syria and Canaan (the orange arrow, now Israel), and further into Egypt and other parts of Africa. Japheth’s descendants moved north, settling what is now Europe and Russia. When Scripture refers to Magog, many commentators believe it refers to Russia¹ (above the purple arrows, further north than the map shows).

The first confrontation

Abraham is the next key person in our discovery–although he was Abram initially. From Genesis 11:27-13:18, we follow him and his family as they trek from Ur (red arrow, below) to Haran (blue arrow) to Canaan (orange arrow). After a trip to Egypt due to a famine, the family returned to the Canaan area. However, due to the abundance of livestock, Abraham and his nephew, Lot, separated–with Lot settling near Sodom (green arrow) in the Jordan valley (Gen. 13).

Sometime later, Abraham battled Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam. This king and his allies captured Lot during a war against the allied forces of the king of Sodom, so Abraham led his own men on a rescue mission. They defeated Chedorlaomer’s forces, and brought Lot and his possessions back to Sodom. (Gen. 14)

This marks the first confrontation between what would become Israel (Abraham, the father of the Israelites) and what would become part of Iran (Elam). What a long history of conflict!

More interactions

But there’s more to discover! Throughout Scripture, we see interaction between Israel and Elam, not all of which is confrontational (the emphasis below is mine):

• Jeremiah prophesied, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might’” (Jer. 49:35). This refers to the defeat of Elam by Persia and explains how Elam became part of modern day Iran (formerly Persia). Some of the prophet Daniel’s captivity was spent in Susa, the former capital of Elam, after the Medes and Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire.
• The last king Daniel served under was Cyrus, king of Persia (which included Elam), whom God used to send the people of Israel back to Judah and gave them the materials to rebuild the temple: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ez. 1:2).
• When Ezra met with those who had returned to Judah to offer burnt offerings, pray, and confess their sins, “Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: ‘We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this…Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it’” (Ez. 10:2, 4).
• And in the New Testament, on the Day of Pentecost–a day when God temporarily unconfused speech–we find this reference: “And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites…both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God’” (Acts 2:7-9a, 11). These verses make us aware that Elamites were in Jerusalem at the beginning of the church age!

However, both nations have experienced some critical changes since that time. In AD 138, Israel ceased to exist as a nation, then became a nation again on May 14, 1948. And the region of Persia became known as Iran in 1501, although the nation remained “Persia” until 1935. Conflict between the two has marked the time since the people of Israel, the Jews, returned to the land God originally gave them.

The end times

We could stop here, but we would miss one more connection. Ezekiel 38 offers insight into future relations:

“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog,…Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;’” (Ez. 38:1-2a, 5, emphasis mine)

The land of Magog? Likely Russia. And Persia? That’s Iran. These verses tell us they will join forces in the end times, and they will attack…

“Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day,…you will devise an evil scheme and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely,’…You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land.” (Ez. 38:10-11, 16a, emphasis mine)

The land in these verses is Israel. Although Israel is always “on guard” and watching for potential attacks now, that will not be the case in the future. Israel will feel secure and at rest due to the peace established by the antichrist. 

Why will God allow this?

“In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes…So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ez. 38:16b, 23) [Note: Gog is the leader of Magog.²]

In a world blindly following the antichrist, God will use the battle with Russia and Iran against Israel to make Himself known to the world as LORD! As you read this final passage, hear the passion in God’s words–as if He is yearning for this day. Emphasize the words my and I in your mind as you read.

“And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.” (Ez. 39:7-8)

God will use this attack to rightly restore the holiness of His name. He will make that name known in the midst of His people Israel–not the current political nation, but the people!

Closing

Thank you for staying with me through this longer-than-normal post. Together, we have traced the development of Israel and Iran from Genesis to the end times. Although the battles between these two nations will continue, we know God is in control and all will work according to His plan. What God has said, He will bring to pass. Watch and pray, but do not fear. He is the LORD.

Until next time, may we know Him deeply, and may we revere His holy name!

If you would like to share a thought about this post, please feel free to leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

©2026 Catherine L Hill. All rights reserved.

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¹GotQuestions.com (last updated January 21, 2026). Does the Bible say anything about Russia in relation to the end times?. Retrieved March 5, 2026.

²GotQuestions.com. (last updated January 21, 2026). Gog and Magog. Retrieved March 6, 2026.

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