Michael Fortner predicting start of WWIII near the Euphrates and USA nuclear response

Euphrates River in Syria (photo by Bertramz)

A self-described “Christian” claims that world war three will begin near the Euphrates river:

February 12, 2016

Michael D Fortner… describes himself as a journalist, historian, bible prophecy expert, and Christian book publisher Mr Fortner read from Revelations Chapter nine in the Bible.Mr Fortner, who has lived in Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, and California, in the states, then said: “Did you hear what it said?

“Four angles bound at the Euphrates River will be released to kill one third of mankind.

“This tells us World War Three will begin in the region of the Euphrates River.

“The river starts in Turkey and flows through Syria and then through Iraq.

“Half the cities that ISIS has taken are literally on the Euphrates River, and they have formed a caliphate, which is the first step to reviving their Islamic empire.

“What is happening in Syria and Iraq is not just another war it will grow to become World War Three.

“If you look at a map of the cities ISIS has taken you will see something very significant, the significance is in Revelations chapter nine.” http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/643656/Bible-predicted-rise-of-ISIS-would-spark-war-and-global-devastation

Many Protestant prophecy watchers are intrigued about seeing Iran get money to buy arms, Russia being in the Middle East, and various problems in Syria (watch also Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code)).

But does the ninth chapter of Revelation teach that world war three begins near the Euphrates?

Let’s look at what the Bible actually teaches:

1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed — by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.(Revelation 9:1-21)

Well, Revelation 9 does mention the Euphrates river, but it does NOT mention what could be called world war III (WWIII).

Actually, the battle that could be called WWIII will not be between the USA and Asia, but will be a war led by Europe cf. Daniel 11:39; see also World War III: Steps in Progress).

Michael Fortner also teaches the following according to a report last June:

June 3, 2015

Michael D. Fortner’s latest book is, “The Fall of Babylon the Great America.” … But he says that Babylon the Great (BTG) is not all of America, it is only wicked America. “God will save a righteous remnant from those who do not go in the rapture, to will rebuild the nation.”

He provides a mountain of evidence and explains in detail how the U.S. federal government is political Babylon; how cultural Babylon is the polluted culture of America that is formed by movies, TV, and music. And economic Babylon is global capitalism which is headquartered in America, especially New York City.

Fortner presents evidence to show that the nuclear war takes place near the very end of the Great Tribulation, just weeks before the return of Christ, while all the other books have America destroyed before the start of the tribulation.

He says the nuclear war will not be only upon America, because America will retaliate and send nukes upon the beast and its allies, which will be the Revived Ottoman Empire, Russia, China, North Korea, and other nations. Because of the global nuclear war, a Nuclear Winter will threaten to engulf the world. Then Christ returns and destroys the evil that is trying take over the world, with asteroid impacts and huge earthquakes. These events will also end the Nuclear Winter.

The author says that God will save America from total destruction because America is not only a nation founded by Christians for the purpose of the gospel, but because America is one of the nations that God promised to Abraham. “Yes, God promised Abraham more than one nation,” Fortner says.

He also discusses the Old Testament references to end-time Babylon, Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38, the Battle of Armageddon, and more. (http://www.charismanews.com/world/49933-bible-prophecy-expert-reveals-disturbing-revelation-about-future-of-america)

While the USA is a cesspool of pornography and pollutes cultures (watch the sermon: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion), the USA is NOT “Mystery Babylon the Great.” The Bible says that is related to the city of seven hills (Revelation 17:5,9), which is Rome (Revelation 17:18).

The concept of a pre-tribulation rapture is not biblical (see Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected?).

Also, the USA will not make a successful nuclear attack to regain itself after WWIII starts (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). The USA will be no more.

For specifics on WWIII as well as on the countries Michael Fortner mentioned, check out the following:

World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Korea in Prophecy, Any Witness? Where did the Korean people come from? Does God have a plan for the Koreans? Is Korea mentioned in any prophecies? Will Koreans be among the first in the Kingdom of God? Here is a machine-translated link to that article in Korean: 한국의 언어로 : 한국 예언, 모든 증인에?; here is a link to that article in Mandarin Chinese: 在预言中的韩国：有任何证人吗？

The USA was NOT founded by Christians for the purposes of proclaiming the gospel. The founders of the USA did not even understand the true gospel of the kingdom (to learn more about the true gospel, check out the article The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church).

The reason that not all in the USA will be killed is because of promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. according to the Bible (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

As far as Ezekiel 38 goes, that does not get fulfilled until well after Jesus returns, it will not be in Michael Fortner’s lifetime (see also Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day?).

Since Michael Fortner is wrong about so many points, why bother to bring him up?

Because others have similar wrong twists on prophecy. And they are misleading many. Jesus warned that many false prophets will arise and deceive many (Matthew 24:11).

Jesus also taught His church to teach all He commanded, and since He taught against false prophets, we in the Continuing Church of God do that now.

Many events are going on now that have prophetic ramifications. Others will arise and mislead people by misapplying prophetic scriptures.

What we are seeing in the Middle East, with Russia, with the USA, with Europe, with China, and with many other places around the world do have prophetic ramifications.

Sadly, those who are wrong about biblical prophecy tend to get more coverage by press sources than those that are right.

Another reason to point out errors for people like Michael Fortner is because each time some prediction is proven wrong (or simply is biblically wrong) this gets people to pay less attention to biblical prophecies.

The Apostle Peter warned about something would happen in our day:

3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-9)

The multitude of incorrect predictions allegedly based on the Bible has turned many off to prophecy. This has resulted in more and more scoffers. The ‘fruits’ of improper teachings on prophetic matters is not good.

As far as prophetic teachings go, we in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”

Why?

Because we really do rely on what the Bible teaches.

Russia is not about to engage in a massive war against Turkey. But, relatively soon, Jesus will return and the millennial Kingdom of God will be established on the earth.

As far as timing goes, check out the video Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2023 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Two related sermons are available Millennial Utopia and The Millennium.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors What are some errors that various Protestants hold to that will tend to prevent them from knowing when the Great Tribulation will begin? A related video is titled Ten Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors.