A pair of well-known pastors say Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and that they’re urging Christians around the world to pray for the Jewish state.
Iran fired more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel, although an estimated 99 percent of them were intercepted thanks to Israel’s air defense and a military coalition led by Israel, American and British fighters.
“We are on the verge of the Gog-Magog war that Ezekiel described in chapters 38 and 39,” pastor John Hagee said over the weekend.
Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship said in a video that he believes the attack was prophetically significant.
The nation Israel being attacked by Iran is unprecedented and is a real game-changer. What happens next? I look at these events unfolding before us in the light of Bible prophecy (PS- A correction- I state that Iran changed their name from Persia in 1930. it actually was 1935) pic.twitter.com/BbWyTKPX1f
— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) April 15, 2024
“I do believe the attack of Iran on Israel was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy,” Laurie said in a video posted on social media.
Laurie then explained his view.
“A sign of the End Times according to Scripture is the Jewish people will be re-gathered together in their homeland. That has happened. On May 14, 1948, Israel officially became a nation.
“... Not only will the Jews be re-gathered together in their homeland, but they will be increasingly isolated. That's happening. The Bible also predicted the rise of anti-semitism in the End Times. That is happening. The Bible also predicts a large nation to the north of Israel identified in Ezekiel as Magog will attack her. That has not yet happened. Many scholars believe that Magog is a reference to modern-day Russia.”
Ezekiel 37-38 references a “Magog” teaming up with Persia to oppose Israel.
“Persia was the name of Iran. They changed their name in 1930,” Laurie said. “Therefore, Persia or Iran attacking Israel is predicted in the Bible. And guess what? That just happened now. Now, am I suggesting that what just took place is going to lead to the scenario of Ezekiel 38? I don't think that's necessarily the case. But it certainly is a cause for us to sit up and pay attention.”
Laurie urged Christians: “Let's pray for our friends in Israel. Let's pray for the Jewish people.”
“It is in the best interest of the United States of America to stand with our loyal ally, the nation Israel,” Laurie said. “God made a promise to Abraham years ago, He said, ‘I will bless those that bless you. I will curse those that curse you.’ One of the reasons God has blessed the United States is because we have stood by our friend Israel, and I hope we continue to do so.”
Hagee said he is flying to D.C. this week on behalf of Christians United for Israel to tell members of the House of Representatives “to stop shuffling papers and actually do something to help Israel.”
“It should have been done a long time ago,” Hagee said of additional U.S. aid for Israel.
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.