By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
The Bible warns that when a river flowing through the ‘cradle of civilization’ dries up, it could mark the start of events long tied to end-times prophecy.
The Euphrates River, the longest river in Western Asia, is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as destined to run dry to make way for the final battle, often called the Battle of Armageddon.
A recent report has warned that the river could disappear by 2040 due to declining water levels and droughts driven by climate change.
Satellite data have shown that the Euphrates basin has lost more than 34 cubic miles of freshwater since 2003, roughly 13 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, highlighting the scale of the decline.
Revelation 16:12 reads: ‘The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.’
The verse describes one moment in a series of symbolic judgments known as the ‘seven bowls.’
In the passage, an angel pours out a bowl on the Euphrates River, causing its water to dry up. In the ancient world, the Euphrates was one of the largest and most important rivers, acting as a natural barrier that protected regions to the west from invading forces.
By saying the river dries up, the verse is describing the removal of that barrier.
The Euphrates River, the longest river in Western Asia , is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as destined to run dry to make way for the final battle, often called the Battle of Armageddon