War. Rumors of war. Chaos. Love of the self. Some might argue the signs of the end of days are all around us, with current events sparking plenty of questions about our proximity to the biblical end times.
Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, is among those who have openly discussed eschatology and current events, carefully explaining what the Bible has to say about what’s to come and how it pertains to what’s unfolding before us.
During a recent interview with CBN News, Laurie — who’s out with a new animated show for kids and families called — “The Adventures of Ben Born Again & YellowDog” — explored some of the eyebrow-raising happenings in the Middle East right now.
“The Bible tells us in the end times that Israel would be isolated and ultimately she would be attacked from her neighbor to her north, identified as Magog,” Laurie said, pointing to prophecies in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. “Many scholars believe Magog is modern-day Russia; I would tend to agree with that.”
Regardless of Magog’s identity, though, Laurie said Magog is a “large force” that will attack Israel — but to no avail. Prophetic verses claim God will intervene on Israel’s behalf. Such prophecies have long been discussed in Christian circles but have received newfound attention after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack.
“I would say the rise of antisemitism is a real sign of the times,” he said. “And I have to admit …. even I have been shocked by the extreme antisemitism we’ve seen recently … when Israel was attacked on Oct. 7 by this horrible terrorist organization, Hamas.”
In addition to the terror attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, Laurie said the anti-Jewish sentiment and protests around the world have been deeply startling.
“What has been as shocking, perhaps, is … some protests around the world, largely among young people, in favor of Hamas,” Laurie said. “Who would have ever thought, in the modern-day, in 2024, we would hear people chant phrases like, ‘Gas the Jews.’ … The Holocaust was not that long ago.”
Laurie said the mentality being seen today on campuses and in other arenas is a “hatred of Jews” akin to what happened before Jewish men, women, and children were sent to concentration camps.
“The Christian needs to speak up for the Jewish people,” he said. “And God has promised a blessing to those who would bless the Jews and a curse for those who would curse the Jews.”
Laurie said the Jews’ placement back in Israel — and the events happening there — are things the “Bible predicted would be happening.”
“I appeal to all my Christian friends — I appeal specifically to pastors out there to speak on this topic,” he said. “Talk to your people about it. And it’s important that we love the Jewish people and that we support the nation Israel.”
Laurie continued, “Obviously, we’ve never been closer than we are right now to the Lord’s return. In my view, the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, which could happen at any moment.”