(OPINION) Harvest Christian Fellowship’s senior pastor Greg Laurie took on the question many Christians have been voicing about Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine and whether it relates to the End Times in Revelation “Is there any prophetic significance to what is happening in Ukraine right now and other events that are unfolding around the world?” Laurie asked.
Then: “The answer is…Yes!” In a video that has been viewed over 161,000 times on the pastor’s Facebook page, Laurie shared that he believes we are living in the last days. Laurie opened the short video, saying, “I believe that Christ could come back at any moment.
There are signs of times the Bible tells us to be looking for.” Speaking from Matthew 24 where the disciples ask Jesus what the signs will be of His return and of the end of the age, Laurie said, “Jesus likened it to labor pains in a woman who’s ready to give birth—the idea being the closer they get together the closer you are to the birth.”
The more signs we see happening back-to-back it reminds us that Jesus’ return is nearing, Laurie continued. Jesus said that there “will be wars and rumors of wars,” he said. “War on a scale that we have not seen in a long time.” Laurie pointed out that Matthew records Jesus saying plagues would around us in the last days. “If the coronavirus is not a plague, I don’t know what it is—a global plague.”
“The Bible warns of a world leader that will come and dominate and deceive people but ultimately reveal his true colors and he’s called the antichrist,” Laurie said. “I believe a lot of this government overreach—imposing themselves on their people is a sign of what is going to come later when the antichrist emerges on the scene.”
Citing biblical scholars, Laurie described the Ezekiel 38 prophecy of Magog attacking Israel and relating it to a modern-day Russia. Ezekiel says that the Jewish people will be scattered and regather in their land again, Laurie explained. After the Holocaust, Jewish people began to return to their land, and, “Israel officially became a nation on May 14, 1948. So that part of the prophecy has been fulfilled.”
“Then Scripture says a nation from the extreme north of Israel will march on her, called Gog and Magog,” Laurie said. “If you look on any map you will see that is the geographical area of Russia. Ukraine used to be a part of the Russian empire—they broke off in 1991—are they going to be part of Russia again? Could be, but the one thing that I think of is when I see the aggression of Russia or Magog —if you will—it’s a reminder that’s what we’re going to see when Magog attacks Israel.” READ MORE
