This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Over the weekend, the terrorists of Hamas sent troops to attack Israel, massacring hundreds at a music festival and hundreds more in settlements along the border with Gaza.
It's understood from many factors that Iran was behind the operation, probably funding and possibly giving the go-ahead sign to the brutal onslaught that now has triggered what obviously will be a war in the Middle East.
And famed Christian evangelist Greg Laurie is warning that the violent events now developing were predicted in the Bible, and people should be paying attention – close attention.
"You're seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled in your lifetime, in real-time, before your very eyes," he wrote in a column at Harbingers Daily.
Laurie noted the last time Israel "officially" was at war was in 1973 when Egypt, Syria, and others attacked and lost.
"But this was a different kind of war. Thousands of rockets rained on Israel from multiple directions. Hamas gunmen were invaded by land, sea, and sky, and hundreds of people were murdered and kidnapped. They were using what we might describe as ISIS-like methods," he described.
As terrorists, the attackers sought out "young women and young children," he noted.
"They launched massive, indiscriminate rocket fire toward civilian population centers, as well as terrorist infiltration of cities and settlements close to the Gaza border. They went home to home, door to door, looking for the young and the elderly. Some of the women they took as hostages were survivors of the Holocaust."
Laurie is senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship with campuses in California and Hawaii, a group that now numbers some 15,000.
He also, since 1990, has held large-scale public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades, during which more than 9.8 million people have participated.
And he's the impetus behind Harvest America, a nationwide event using the internet to simulcast live HD video to thousands of locations across the country.
On the new war, in which Israel just now is assembling a response, he warned the toll, already more than 700 dead and 2,000 wounded, only will grow.
He explained Hamas, in fact, is "a terrorist organization funded by Iran."
And he pointed out that Iran publicly has stated the desire to "wipe Israel off the face of the map," specifically targeting the government in Jerusalem.
He explained, "It’s interesting how it always comes back to Jerusalem. The Bible predicted 1000s of years ago that the end-times events would revolve around Jerusalem. Not Irvine. Not Los Angeles. Not Moscow. Not Paris. Jerusalem, this tiny little city, this tiny sliver of land, will play a key role in the events of the last days. It’s a focal point of end-times events."
Further, he cited America's role, in that Joe Biden just gave $6 billion to Iran.
President Trump, in fact, recently cited that move by Biden and charged, "That money [will] be used for terrorism all over the Middle East, and, indeed, the world."
Laurie then linked the Bible's document of coming conflicts.
"The Bible tells us in the end times that Israel would be scattered and re-gathered. This has happened. You want to talk about signs of the times; the super sign of the last days, the sign that sets the prophetic clock ticking is the regathering of the nation of Israel into its homeland. It happened on the heels of the Holocaust. Who would have ever thought that these Jewish people, who lost 6 million of their people to the Nazis, would somehow regather in their homeland, but it happened against all odds. On May 14th, 1948, Israel became a nation. The United States was the first nation to acknowledge the State of Israel."
And in end times prophecies, the Bible describes a large force attacking Israel, from the north.
"Many, many Bible students and prophecy teachers believe it’s modern-day Russia. I think you can make a very good case for that. On a map of the Middle East, look to the north of Israel, and you will find Russia. Why would Russia ever want to invade Israel? Well, there’s another thing that the Bible says about Magog: one of the allies that will march with her is Persia, the ancient name for modern Iran," he noted.
"The Bible predicted this thousands of years ago. It’s only recently that the Iranians and the Russians have developed a special connection. Not once in the past 2,500 years has Russia formed a military alliance with Iran, but they have now signed a billion-dollar accord for the sale of missiles, and the Iranians have helped the Russians by providing them with weaponized drones to use in the Ukraine war."
He noted that things continue to develop, but "If you get up in the morning and read this headline, 'Russia attacks Israel,' fasten your seat belt."
And he offered an assurance to those of the Christian faith.
"Did Jesus say, When you see these things begin to happen, freak out because you’re dead in the water? He didn’t say that. Jesus said, 'When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.'"
