Acclaimed Southern California evangelist Greg Laurie has warned that North Korea’s nuclear threat on the United States could play into End Times prophesy – not indicating that the rogue nations is mentioned in the Bible, but that America is nowhere to be found in the Last Days.
The leader of the Harvest Crusade global outreach has expressed a dire concern over the escalating tensions between North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.
“As you know, the conflict with this rogue nation has escalated dramatically in recent days and even hours,” Laurie expressed on a Facebook video he posted on Monday, noting the aggressive and militant threats coming from Kim, who has made a display of his ability to go nuclear against the U.S. and his enemies through multiple missile launches of late.
A conflict of biblical proportions?
The senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, then put the conflict into a biblical contest.
“How does this fit into the prophetic puzzle? Well, in the last days there is no mention of any nation that would resemble North Korea,” Laurie mentioned next, noting that one explanation could be that North Korea sells its nuclear weapons to Iran, which is a key player in the Bible’s account of the End Times. “Here is what concerns me – we do not find the reigning superpower on the face of the Earth anywhere in the Last Days scenario, [but] other nations emerge. So where is America?”
Even though many have discounted Kim’s antagonistic rhetoric as mere words, it is warned that the oppressive leader has not just been blowing off steam.
“Laurie argued that Kim’s threat to strike the U.S. with nuclear weapons ‘can’t be dismissed or taken lightly,’” The Christian Post (CP) reported. “He urged Americans to pray for Trump, whether they voted for him or not.”
And with today’s National Day of Prayer, it is argued that Americans must send their petitions to God for his mercy and protection in these tumultuous times now – before it is too late.
“Laurie noted that he will be involved in several White House initiatives surrounding the National Day of Prayer … and said that Christians in America should be proclaiming Christ’s message,” CP’s Stoyan Zaimov informed. “He called on believers to be praying for the nation so that God can give wisdom to its leaders and protect its military.”
Laurie used New Testament Scripture to encourage Americans onto their knees.
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – Timothy 2:1–4 (NIV)
The Christian leader appealed to God’s mercy and guidance to steer America out of a catastrophic end.
“I pray we are not out of the picture — because we have been in some kind of nuclear conflict – that God helps us to make the right decisions in the days and the hour ahead,” Laurie prayed in the video.
A concern over North Korea’s nuclear tendencies was also recently voiced by Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
“It’s piecemeal, but the pieces are getting larger and are concentrated in places which were already hot,” Francis expressed to reporters last weekend, according to CP. “Today, a wider war would destroy – I won’t say half of humanity – but a large part of humanity and culture. It would be terrible. I don’t think humanity today could bear it.”
It’s all in the Bible
Laurie warned believers a couple years back during a sermon that an End Times scenario is emerging across the globe – a scenario devoid of America.
“[As] the forces of antichrist emerge, I believe that America will fade from the scene,” he preached at Harvest Christian Fellowship (HCF) in December 2014, as reported by OneNewsNow. “We are not found in the End Times scenario.”
The Southern California preacher went on to tell his congregation that the Second Coming of Christ could very well be in the not-too-distant future.
“No one can say with certainty, but it would appear that we’re going to fade as a world power [because] maybe we fall in line as one of the confederated nations under the antichrist – but the version I prefer the most is we would have the Rapture and so many Americans would be taken to heaven that that would be the explanation for our demise as a nation,” Laurie explained.
He noted that political maneuverings across the globe that align the world for the End Times are unfolding, and will continue to unravel – fast.
“The last day’s events can be likened as I’ve said before to a lot of dominos stacked together,” the global evangelist shared with his congregation. “There’s a chain of events that are going to unfold in rapid succession, beginning with the emergence of the antichrist and ending with the battle of Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ … and once that first domino falls, these things are going to happen like this.”
Laurie notifies believers on his church’s website to be on the lookout for current events and manifestations positioning the world for the scenario portrayed through the book of Revelation.
“We are living at a time when Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes,” Laurie reveals in a warning he posted about the End Times on the HCF website. “We watched the dramatic changes that have taken place in Eastern Europe with the collapse of communism. We have seen the emergence of the European Community as a major economic power, while the United States has faded in its prominence. We see the increasing isolation of the nation of Israel and the rising hostility of the nations around her. There have been wars in the Middle East and popular uprisings in many countries. All of these are signs that Jesus said would tell us that His coming is near.”
He then quoted from one of the Gospels.
“When you see these things happening, know that it is near – at the doors!” – Mark 13:29
Laurie stressed that the proliferated sinful behavior of this day and age has played a role in rapidly ushering in God’s imminent judgment.
“The Bible also predicts the behavior and mood of the people just prior to His return,” he continued. “Jesus told us that the days preceding His return would be like the days of Noah and Lot (Luke 17:26–29).”
Specifically, the ministry leader pointed to the promotion of perversion and sexual promiscuity – as well as an increase in violence and crime – as being one of the ways in which man has wandered away from God’s Word and pursued his own sinful desires above God’s will.
“Nowhere is this better seen than in the two angelic visitors to Lot in the city of Sodom (see Genesis 19:1–17),” Laurie emphasized. “There the visitors found all manner of sexual perversion, with the homosexual activists of the day coming to Lot’s door. Likewise, today’s popular culture celebrates promiscuity and perversion while it mocks the God-given principles of purity and marriage.”
Read more at Greg Laurie: Could NK threat spell Last Days for U.S.?
