Russia's invasion of Ukraine is setting the stage for the entire region to declare war on Israel and thus fulfill biblical prophecy, Pat Robertson said on The 700 Club on Monday.
"God is getting ready to do something amazing," Robertson said on the program, which is broadcast on CBN. "... You read your Bible because it's coming to pass."
Robertson read two passages from Scripture: Ezekiel 38:1-6 and Ezekiel 38:18-22. Ezekiel 38:2 describes a "Gog" attacking "the land of Israel," resulting in God becoming angry. "I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains," God says in Ezekiel 38:21. Some translations identify Gog as the prince of "Rosh."
Ezekiel 38 lists several locations that Robertson interpreted as modern-day countries. He pointed to a map on the screen that identified Russia as Rosh, Turkey as Togarmah and Tubal, Iran as Persia, and Turkistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as Magog.
Russia and Turkey, Robertson said, eventually will unite against Israel.
"Is Putin insane? Well, yes and no, because he is being driven to move against Israel, because God says, 'I'm gonna put hooks in your jaws. I'm gonna bring it down on them,'" Robertson said, referencing Ezekiel 38. ... "What Putin is doing by moving as he is to set up Ukraine as a staging ground for one of the armies."
Russia and Turkey "will be making up this tremendous army in the latter days," Robertson said.
"And I think you can say, 'Well, Putin is out of his mind.' Yes, maybe so. But at the same time, he's being compelled by God. He went into the Ukraine. But that wasn't his goal. His goal was to move against Israel ultimately, and he will link up with Turkey … and they will come together."
Ukraine "is key," Robertson said, because it's a land bridge for Russia to much of the region.
"All of that area is going to be mobilized against Israel in the latter days. And God says, 'I am going to deal with it.' So you can look at your map. You can read your newspapers, you can listen to your news, but know of a fact that God is bringing to pass what He prophesied years ago through his servant Ezekiel."
Related:
Does Russia's War on Ukraine Fit in Biblical Prophecy? Pastor Greg Laurie Says it May
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Win McNamee/Staff
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.
