Dr. Bill Salus vs. Amir Tsarfati on Jeremiah 49:34-39, The Prophecy of Elam
on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 by Bill SalusRecently, I received an email from someone who will be identified as Miss Anonymous. She requested me to respond to Amir Tsarfati’s interpretation of the Prophecy of Elam in Jeremiah 49:34-39. The email and my reply are included below.
(Miss Anonymous) –“Hi Bill, How are you? I have a question for you.I watch you on YouTube and have been very interested in your teaching on the Jeremiah prophecy in light of the current war. I ran across this by Amir Tsarfati today, (March 1, 2026), on his Telegram channel and would be interested to know how you would respond to his comments.”
(Amir) –
“I am fully aware of the prophecy in Jeremiah 49 concerning Elam. However, there is a fundamental problem with applying it to modern Iran. The Elamites no longer exist as a distinct people, and Elam itself was only a limited region within the territory of today’s Iran.”
(Bill) –
1. “If the Elamites no longer exist how can God fulfill this promise.‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam(ites),’ says the Lord. (Jeremiah 49:39)”
2. “It must be pointed out that in Ezekiel 38 we read about the ancient lands of Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-Togarmah, Sheba, Dedan, Tarshish, etc. Do these historic people groups and nations in Ezekiel 38 exist today somewhere on earth? Or have they also been lost like supposedly the Elamites? How can the prophecies in Ezekiel 38 be talking about future events if these distinct people groups and nations do not exist anymore?”
“Ezekiel, like the other prophets, used ancient territorial names that the people of the time were acquainted with. However in Ezekiel’s case, none of these names can be found on modern-day maps. Although the names of these terrestrial locations have changed at various points in history, the geographical territory remains unchanged. It is the geographical territory that is the subject of our focus.”
(Amir) –
“Moreover, if one claims that Elam represents Iran and that it has already been “broken,” how then does Persia appear later as a key member of the coalition in Ezekiel 38? Scripture must interpret Scripture consistently.”
(Bill) –
“Why can’t Persia appear later to become a member of the Ezekiel 38 coalition? Persia is not the subject of Jermiah’s prophecy of Elam. Persia will still exist, but likely as a weaker population after the fulfillment of Jer. 49:34-38. Presently, as a result of the USA and Israel “Operation Epic Fury,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has already become severely weakened.
Notice that Iran is identified down the list of the Ezekiel 38 coalition with Ethiopia and not alongside the top with Russia and Turkey. This may support the theory that Iran is a weaker member in the coalition.”
“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. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.” (Ezekiel 38:1-6)
(Amir) –
“The logical conclusion is that Jeremiah’s prophecy regarding Elam was fulfilled long ago in its historical context. What exists today is not Elam but Persia—and Persia remains a distinct entity in biblical terms. According to Ezekiel 38, Persia will stand against Israel until the Lord Himself intervenes and defeats that coalition.”
(Bill) –
“I challenge Amir Tsarfati to prove that “Jeremiah’s prophecy regarding Elam was fulfilled long ago.” He won’t likely be able to, as there exists no historical proof to support his claim. Dr. Mark Hitchcock claimed Jeremiah 49:34-39 was fulfilled by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, but we proved him wrong in the article below. Mark ultimately admitted, “I agree that it never specifically says Elam was destroyed by Neb,…””
Has the Prophecy of Elam in Jeremiah 49:34-39 Been Historically Fulfilled?
(Amir) –
“Iran is not Elam. Iran is Persia.”
(Bill) –
“The map illustrates that modern-day Iran encompasses both of these historical territories and remember Elam is identified in Jeremiah 49:39 as part of latter days prophecy.”
