Israel-Iran War: Prophecy or Interpretation?
Understanding Ezekiel 38 and the Modern-Day Conflict Through a Biblical Lens
Israel-Iran War
After 1948, Israel was involved in six major wars and over twenty skirmishes or military operations. The country has been in continuous conflict for the last 77 years.
I remember the Palestinian uprising in the late ’80s (First Intifada), and at that time, we only had print media in India. It generally took one or two weeks for the news to reach us. Though I was just a high school student, the church tried to educate us about the conflict. Almost every Christian print publication carried headlines like “The world is going to end,” or “Jesus is coming soon.”
I didn’t personally believe that Jesus was going to return in the year 2000, but the church and Christian media strongly insisted on it. I know many young Christians from my town who didn’t take their education seriously because of this propaganda. Some even criticized students like us who stayed in school, saying, “There’s no need to study because Jesus is coming in 2000.” Later, the Y2K (computer program) issue only added to the atmosphere of fear and end-times expectation.
I still see several of them today—struggling financially and unable to provide for their families. They let the devil deceive them. Nothing new! Even the devil tried to deceive Jesus Christ.
I'm OK with gospel messages like “Jesus is coming soon.” I believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ, and I believe He will come soon.
But over time, I began to notice a pattern: every time a conflict happened in Israel, the doomsday preachers would proclaim, “It was prophesied in the Bible!” I started to disagree with them, even though I was still too young to understand the Bible deeply.
The Bible is about the Trinity, historical events, and how to receive salvation.
Approximately 400 prophecies from the Old Testament have already been fulfilled, and 100+ remain unfulfilled. A few of them are:
Second coming of the Messiah (Zechariah 14:4)
Final battle – Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38–39)
Restoration of peace under the Messianic Kingdom (Isaiah 2:2–4, Isaiah 11)
New Temple and millennial reign (Ezekiel 40–48)
Final judgment and new heavens/earth (Isaiah 65:17, Daniel 12:2)
Universal worship of God (Zechariah 14:9)
Therefore, the Bible is also a prophetic book, but Christians must be careful when listening to end-times preaching.
We should not treat the Bible like the books of Nostradamus or Baba Vanga.
We must know the difference between Bible Prophecy and Prophetic Interpretation.
Biblical Prophecy
Bible prophecy refers to direct messages from God revealed to prophets and recorded in Scripture. These are divine revelations—predictive or declarative—that foretell future events, call for repentance, or reveal God's plans.
Example: Isaiah prophesied the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14).
Prophetic Interpretation
Prophetic interpretation is the human attempt to understand, explain, or apply Bible prophecy—especially about future events. It involves theology, tradition, news, and sometimes speculation.
Example: Interpretations of the Mark of the Beast (666) vary widely—some say it's technology, others a literal mark, or a symbol of rebellion.
Interpretations can be wrong—especially when mixed with politics, emotions, pride, fearmongering, financial motives, or social media likes (the most dangerous influence in our times).
What we often see in social media videos, blogs, and even some churches is not prophecy—it's interpretation and speculation.
Christians must be cautious and not be deceived by the devil.
We shouldn’t fall for colorful slides, fonts, music, or hype—whether on social media or in church—but must depend only on Scripture.
Let’s Look at the Current Israel–Iran Conflict from a Biblical Perspective
Iran in the Bible? Yes—As Persia
The modern nation of Iran is not named directly in the Bible, but its ancient name Persia is clearly mentioned, especially in Ezekiel 38:
“Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets.”
— Ezekiel 38:5 (NIV)
This passage speaks of a time when a group of nations will rise together against Israel in the "last days."
The Bible mentions Persia in seven books:
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Isaiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
I mention Ezekiel 38 because it’s the only book that explicitly associates Persia with a future war involving Israel.
Gog and Magog: Ancient Names, Modern Nations
Gog (Leader)
↓
Magog (Russia)
Persia (Iran)
Cush (Sudan/Ethiopia)
Put (Libya)
Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Togarmah (Turkey or surrounding region)
→ Attack Israel from the North
Mapping Table
+------------------+----------------------+
| BIBLICAL NAME | MODERN NATION |
+------------------+----------------------+
| Persia | Iran |
| Magog | Russia / Central Asia|
| Meshech, Tubal | Turkey or Russia |
| Gomer, Togarmah | Turkey |
| Cush | Sudan / Ethiopia |
| Put | Libya |
+------------------+----------------------+Many well-meaning evangelicals see the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict as part of the Ezekiel 38 prophecy, but this is not a guaranteed fulfillment—only a possible foreshadowing.
Why It Matters
Mislabeling current events as prophecy can:
Mislead believers
Create unnecessary fear
Shift focus from Christ’s return to political speculation
Instead, we should:
Stay informed
Remain hopeful
Keep our eyes on Jesus, not headlines
“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things…”
— Luke 21:36 (NIV)
How Will the Current War Turn Out?
It’s hard for Iran to avoid attacking U.S. bases if the war continues. Accidents might happen. There are no rules in this war.
This may be an opportunity for the U.S. to test its GBU-57 bunker buster bomb—a 30,000-pound weapon designed to destroy deep underground nuclear facilities. As of 2025, the U.S. has never used this bomb in combat.
Let’s be honest: every war is a business—weapons sales, weapon testing, refugee management, and more.
In a week or two, a ceasefire might be announced. An extended war would spike oil prices, which in turn raises inflation. The U.S. administration worries more about oil prices than anything else.
Or a massive attack (even nuclear) may be launched on Iran to end the war quickly.
The world cannot afford another prolonged Middle Eastern war.
⚠️ These are my personal speculations. There is no divine revelation behind these statements.
What Should Christians Do?
Pray and plead with our Lord to end the war.
Increase our dependence on Scripture instead of speculative preaching.
Avoid being emotional or argumentative about the war.
Focus on repentance and faith for salvation.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is true. Not believing in it is like denying the virgin birth.
But we do not know when He will come.
Maybe today.
Maybe 100 or 1000 years from now.
I’m 49 years old. My intuition tells me I won’t live past 80. Will Jesus return before I die? I don’t know. But I know I am elected for salvation, and I'm going through the sanctification process now.
We’re all living short lives. Our focus must be on eternal salvation.
Jesus Said It Clearly:
Matthew 24:6–8 (NIV)
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
"Birth pains" symbolize the distress before Christ’s Kingdom arrives—just like contractions before birth.
“When you hear scary news—don’t panic. I already told you this will happen. Trust Me.” — Jesus Christ.
Nothing to Worry!
Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
“No weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.
Conclusion
Bible prophecy is a powerful tool to strengthen our faith—but it must be handled with care.
Yes, the Bible mentions Persia (Iran).
Yes, it speaks of a future war.
But the 2025 Israel-Iran war is not necessarily its fulfillment.
Let’s be watchers of the times, but also students of the Word—guided by truth, not fear.
Prayer
Lord God,
You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
Give us wisdom as we read Your Word and watch the world.
Let us be discerning—not deceived, hopeful—not fearful.
May we live prepared, not panicked, trusting not in politics,
but in the Prince of Peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Lawrence Manickam is a servant of the Lord, a Canadian Indian with Mexican permanent residency, living an international life. In July 2024, he completed his Master of Arts (Pastoral Counseling) graduate program at Liberty University, Virginia. Contact him if you need Biblical counseling or prayers.