Author Greg Laurie, who is also the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California recently spoke out about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a biblical prophecy in one of his new videos posted on his social media accounts. He shared that people have asked him about the Russia-Ukraine conflict and if it has any "significance" to biblical prophecy.
"I believe we're living in the last days. I believe Christ could come back at any moment," Laurie admitted in the video, as reported by the Christian Headlines. "In fact, Jesus likened it to labor pains in a woman who's ready to give birth - the idea being...the closer you are to the birth, and as we see more signs, more things happening, they're reminding us: Christ is coming back again."
Laurie looked to the Bible passage of Matthew 24, in which Jesus outlined the signs for the "end of age." For the author and pastor, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the COVID pandemic all appear to fit Jesus' descriptions of the "end of age."
Laurie said that according to Jesus, there would be "wars and rumors of wars." He added that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is "on a scale we have not seen in a long time." This is especially true after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Sunday to place Russia's nuclear forces on "high alert," citing "aggressive statements" by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO, the Associated Press reported.
Laurie also pointed to the COVID pandemic, saying that Scripture "talks about plagues being...around us, in the last days." The pastor described COVID as "a global plague."
Lauri explained that the Bible warned of the Antichrist, "a world leader that will come in and dominate and deceive people - but ultimately reveal his true colors." This, he said, is evident in the government overreach that people have been experiencing in the last few years, adding that it is "a sign of what is going to come later when Antichrist emerges on the scene."
Laurie believes that Russia is referenced in the Bible passage of Ezekiel 38, which mentions a particular "Gog" and "Magog." Magog attacked Israel once, as said in the Scripture and Laurie believes that Magog is referring to modern-day Russia.
But the pastor remains hopeful because just as it was written in Ezekiel that the Jewish people would be "scattered and re-gathered in their land again," Israel became a nation in 1948, implying that "that part of the prophecy has been fulfilled."
Ukraine & Prophecyhttps://t.co/z5Tj6gva2b pic.twitter.com/qgYvYpbZRE
"” Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) February 25, 2022
Author Jeff Kinley shares similar opinions with Laurie. The author of "The End of America?: Bible Prophecy and a Country in Crisis" and "As It Was in the Days of Noah: Warnings from Bible Prophecy About the Coming Global Storm" told Faithwire that Christians must understand biblical; prophecy properly to make sense of what is happening in the world today.
He urged that by understanding biblical prophecy, Christians can understand "history in advance" and feel hope that God is in control.
This is the same message Laurie is sending, saying, "We should remember that God is in control," especially when towards its conclusion, "the last page of Revelation," shows that "we will win in the end."
