Join me (Tim) for a hypothetical interview based on a real conversation I had with a former missionary couple (whom I will call Ben & Sherry) to Iran
Tim: Thank you, Ben and Sherry, for joining me today. Why don’t you tell our readers a little about yourselves as we get started?
Ben & Sherry: We are currently 82 years of age but still very active in traveling and meeting with Iranians wherever they are in the world. After spending thirteen years as missionaries in Iran, we were forced out of the country in 1978 due to the Iranian Revolution.
Tim: What was the state of the Christian Church in Iran when you left, and what has happened to the Church in Iran since?
Ben & Sherry: When we left Iran in 1978, there were an estimated 3,000 believers in the entire country. Today, there are an estimated 1,000 underground house churches in Tehran alone. Some estimates would say there are two to five million Christians in Iran today.
Tim: Wow! Even though the Iranian Revolution brought in a strict Islamic government, Christianity has grown?
Ben & Sherry: Not only has Christianity grown, but dedication to Islam has decreased. A contact I have inside Iran says that about 80% of mosques are not being used—some estimate the number at 50,000 unused mosques. The brutal, repressive measures of the Ayatollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp have shown Iranians the “bad face” of Islam, and many have walked away disillusioned. Some have become atheists, denouncing all religion. Others have returned to the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. But many thousands, hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions have become Christians.
Tim: You used the word Persian earlier. What relationship does Iran have to Persia? Isn’t Iran historically Muslim like the Arab nations to its west?
Ben & Sherry: Iranians are Persian. They speak Farsi which, since the letters P and F are phonetically similar, is linguistically related to the word Persian. Iranians are not Arabs. In fact, if you ask them about their Arabic background, they will tell you emphatically that they are not Arab. They are Persian. Muslim invaders conquered Iran (Persia) in the seventh century AD and, of course, brought the religion of Islam with them.
Tim: The Bible refers in various places to the country of Elam or to Elamites. How does Elam relate to Persia or modern-day Iran?
Ben & Sherry: Cyrus the Great conquered Elam in the sixth century BC and annexed it to his expanding empire; his son made Susa, an Elamite city, its capital. Susa still exists today under the name of Shush; it is located in Iran’s Khuzestan Province. Cyrus was, of course, Persian. Iranians today view themselves as Persian and, therefore, as the modern-day successors of Elam.
Tim: So, what do you make of the little-known oracle addressing Elam at the end of Jeremiah 49?
Ben & Sherry: I am glad you asked about that. That oracle speaks of God’s future plans to bless Elam. After a time of calamity, God will set His throne in Elam and restore the fortunes of that country. Many Iranian Christians are aware of these verses and believe that these verses may come to pass today for them.
Tim: What do you mean?
Ben & Sherry: We would tend to view these verses as eschatological. But there are many Iranian Christians around the world who view themselves as exiles from their homeland—part of the Iranian diaspora. They are waiting for the current regime to fall, and if it does, they plan to return home. They hope that Iran will become a Christian nation—a hope partially based on the Jeremiah 49 passage. Think of what this could mean for the Middle East. Imagine a persecution-purified church—such as what the church has undergone inside Iran under the current regime. Now, imagine that church is free to spread the Gospel to countries around it in the 10/40 window. There are reports that even now, Iranians are being used by God to reach into Afghanistan to their east.
Tim: You would say, then, that God is at work among Iranian people?
Ben: Absolutely. When you talk to Iranian Muslims, you will find that many of them have had religious dreams. I don’t know exactly how to explain this, since it does not fit my theology, but it is reality. I would say that one explanation is that Jesus is bearing witness in their consciences to Himself. After all, Jesus is the Light that lights every man that comes into the world. My estimate, from my personal experience in reaching Iranians, is that about 70% of those who come to Christ have had a religious dream of some sort. I’ll give an example: A man showed up at my door in Tehran years ago asking me to baptize him. He was from a Muslim family. He evidently had a vision or dream of some kind that prompted him to acquire a copy of what Muslims call the Injeel (the Gospels). He read it, believed that Jesus died for his sins, and saw that Jesus expected those who believe in Him to be baptized. That’s why he knocked on my door.
Tim: What advice would you give to our readers if they were to meet an Iranian?
Ben & Sherry: Be friendly to them! Patiently share Jesus with them. In fact, focus on Jesus as you witness to them and emphasize the forgiveness of sins that He offers. You could even ask them if they have had a religious dream lately and use that as a basis for further conversation. Show them that the Bible speaks of Iran (Elam!) and of God’s plans to bless their country in the future. Tell them that the Bible has been translated into Farsi and offer to help them find a Farsi Bible.
Tim: Thank you so much for joining me today. It truly has been a pleasure to speak with you.