Evangelicals See End Times, Greek Monk Prophesied Israel's Attack

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Some Christian leaders believe that Israel's attack on Iran, notably their June 13, 2025, strike, and America's involvement in the on-going war, has set the stage for the "end days."

The end days have long been a widely accepted Christian belief of a final global conflict involving Israel that will preclude the return of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

"We're getting into the last of the last days," evangelist and television host Sid Roth tells Newsmax.

Roth's syndicated show "That's Supernatural" is watched by Christians around the globe and talks often of end time prophesy.

Biblical scholars and Christian commentators, such as Pastor James Kaddis and Greg Laurie, suggest that the conflict between Israel and Iran aligns with Ezekiel 38–39, which describes a coalition led by "Magog" — often interpreted as Russia — and including "Persia" (Iran) attacking Israel in the "last days."

While not seen as the full fulfillment of this prophecy, the current Israel-Iran tensions are viewed as a "foreshadowing" or "prophetic alignment."

Televangelist John Hagee has long argued that Iran's nuclear program was a trigger point in Biblical revelation.

Hagee's 2005 bestseller "Jerusalem Countdown: Prelude to War" claimed the "coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty."

Two decades ago Hagee warned: "The battle for Jersalem has already begun. That war will affect every nation on Earth, including America, and will affect every person on Planet Earth."

Hagee's "Jerusalem Countdown" sold over one million copies.

Another verse citied by Christians is  Zechariah 12:2–3, which describes Jerusalem becoming a "cup of reeling" for surrounding nations, with all nations turning against Israel in the end times.

In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, war, Israel found itself with few allies as it responded with force against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran's proxies in Syria.

For Christians who study end times revelation, the idea of global opposition to Israel is sometimes framed as a prelude to a massive conflict, as seen in discussions of Ezekiel's prophecy.

One such thinker is Joel Rosenberg, a bestselling Christian author and commentator who lives in Israel.

Rosenberg sees the current war triggering the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 with two possible scenarios of Iran uniting with Russia or an alliance of nations to attack Israel.

Others had predicted a great conflict arising between Israel and Iran.

Brazilian seer Athos Salome, dubbed the "Living Nostradamus," predicted in 2024 that the Israel-Iran conflict could escalate into a full-blown world war, potentially triggered by electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology or cyberattacks. He warned of a "Three-Day Darkness" involving global tech disruptions.

Salome explicitly links the Israel-Iran conflict to World War III, suggesting that advanced technology and cyberattacks could draw in major powers like the U.S., China, and Russia.

His predictions gained some attention after reportedly accurate forecasts, such as the Microsoft outage and COVID-19.

But some eerily accurate prophecies come from the Greek Orthodox Church.

Figures like Elder Theodoros Agiofarangitis and Saint Paisios have been cited as predicting Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear program as a catalyst for major global events.

Elder Agiofarangitis had prophecied, "One day you will be sipping coffee and then hear the news that the Israelis have hit the nuclear program of Persia (Iran). That is when you will know the Third World War has begun."

The Elder's prophecy, shared during a spiritual dialogue in Cyprus on May 22, 2019, by Metropolitan Neophytos, described a sudden announcement of Israel's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, catching people in their daily routines.

The Elder also prophesied that Turkey's leader Recep Erdogan would fall from power around the time of the Israeli strike on Iran.

Following Israel's Operation Rising Lion on June 13, 2025, which targeted Iran's nuclear infrastructure and military leadership, many Orthodox Christians and commentators on platforms like X cited this prophecy as fulfilled.

Elder Agiofarangitis, who passed in 2016, was an Eastern Orthodox monk from Crete, Greece, known for his spiritual teachings and ascetic life in the Agiofarago region.

A respected figure within the Greek Orthodox Church, he is often referred to as "Theodore the Cave-Dweller" due to his time spent in solitude in the wilderness of Crete.

Evangelist Roth is practical about the implications of the attacks and Biblical revelation.

"I don't know what is going to happen, but I do know that if they didn't get rid of the cancer, we would see it spread."

Roth predicts that we're going to see much more turmoil in the U.S. in the near future, but that Israel will remain safe.

"The prophet Amos prophesied that when the Jews returned to the land of Isael they would never leave, no matter what happens they'll be safe," he said.

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