Retired televangelist Pat Robertson has declared the Russian President Vladimir Putin as following God’s wishes by violently invading Ukraine, insisting this is a step towards a global “End Times” battle in Israel.
The 91-year-old evangelical, who stepped down as host of The 700 Club last fall, returned to discuss the Ukraine crisis as only he can: “People say that Putin’s 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.” Claiming that Ukraine is merely a “staging area” for one of the great biblical armies that will gather for Armageddon in Israel, he later told viewers to “read your Bible” because “it’s coming to pass.”
This isn’t the first time Robertson has predicted signs on the world’s end. In 1976, he predicted the world would end in 1982. And in his 1990 book, The New Millennium, Robertson said the world would be destroyed on April 29, 2007, according to USA Today. None of those predictions were ever fulfilled.
Robertson has been criticized in the past for calling “critical race theory” “a monstrous evil.” He also waged what he saw as a religious war against the LGBTQ community, which sparked backlash.
Robertson urged The 700 Club viewers to read their Bibles, saying God will make firm on his promise and that prophesies will be fulfilled.
“And God is getting ready to do something amazing and that will be fulfilled.”
Newsweek reached out to the Christian Broadcasting Network for comment.