Cradle of civilization river ‘dying’ sparks fears of Bible end times | World | News
People online worry that the drying up of the Euphrates River could signal the end of time (Image: Esri)
The water levels of the Euphrates River, located in the region called the “cradle of civilization”, are falling at an alarming rate, increasing fears that the end times prophecy in the Bible will come true.
The Euphrates, the longest river in Western Asia and flowing through Türkiye, Syria and Iraq, flows through the Fertile Crescent, one of the most important regions in the Bible. The river features prominently in the Book of Revelation; This prophecy is one that has caused serious concern on the internet because it predicts the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 16:12 says, “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and the water dried up to prepare the way for the kings in the east.” Many interpret this as a warning that when the Euphrates dries up, a large army from the East will march along the river basin towards the Battle of Armageddon.
This passage points to the second biblical prediction that the Euphrates will dry up; the first appears in Jeremiah 50:38; Here God declares: “There will be a drought in its waters! They will dry up. For this is the land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.”
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What is the ‘second prophecy’ in the Bible
The second prophecy in the book of Revelation forms part of the seven bowl judgments, symbolizing the end of the seven-year tribulation that is so disastrous that “no flesh will be saved.” Believers in the end times are becoming increasingly uneasy about the decline of the river; many believe that ancient prophecy is coming true before our eyes.
According to a 2013 NASA report, both the Tigris and Euphrates river basins — the waters of Babylon — shed a staggering 117 million acre-feet (34 cubic miles) of freshwater between 2003 and 2009. This volume of water loss is roughly comparable to that of the Dead Sea, with the majority (60%) attributed to groundwater pumped from underground reservoirs.
In ancient times, these two mighty rivers enabled farming communities to thrive, but today they are increasingly drying up due to a deepening crisis. For those firmly committed to biblical end-time prophecy, such a development could indicate the fulfillment of the prophecy within the coming decades.
The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources has warned that without urgent intervention, the Euphrates River may dry up completely by 2040 and declining water levels due to drought caused by climate change may worsen.
The report predicts that the Euphrates River will dry out by 2040 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
What dangers does the Euphrates River pose to humans?
Falling water levels and deteriorating water quality also trigger a host of additional problems, including famine and disease.
“Diarrhea, chickenpox, measles, typhoid and cholera are currently spreading in Iraq due to the water crisis, and the government is no longer providing vaccines to its citizens,” Naseer Baqar, climate activist and field coordinator for the Tigris River Protectors Association in Iraq, told BJM.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), water levels in the Euphrates River have dropped to one of the lowest points ever recorded.
As the river continues to dry up, people online are questioning whether this is a signal of the end of time or further evidence that climate change is harming the planet.
