Responding to End-Times Critics

Skepticism, sensationalism, and finding balance with Bible prophecy

Many of you read Greg Laurie’s post in late March about some of the national media pushback he got because he connected Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to biblical prophecy. God’s Word predicts things will be this way: scoffers or mockers would arrive in the last days.

I recorded this video to follow up on Greg’s thoughts, which were excellent. In the video, I mention an article in the Washington Post. Here’s how it begins:

The war in Ukraine has reignited beliefs among some conservative evangelicals that Russia could help fulfill biblical prophecies about the end of the world.

These evangelicals, particularly charismatic Christians who focus on end-times theories, have long believed that Russia has a special role to play in the end times and are sharing new theories about why the invasion of Ukraine might be part of God’s plan.

It can be discouraging to read skeptical articles like this one, or to face end-times scoffers like Greg Laurie did. They don’t seem to understand why we take the words of the Bible so literally.

But remember, all the prophecies about the first coming of Jesus—that He would be born of a virgin, or that He would be born in Bethlehem—were fulfilled literally. Being criticized for taking the Bible seriously is just not something that worries me too much.

At the same time, though, I do think it’s important that we not be too sensationalistic about current events. If we view everything as a sign of the end times, then eventually nothing is a sign of the end times. Signs become meaningless.

Biblically, we want to have a more moderate, reasonable view, which I explain in this short video.