Yangtze River runs blood red

We've seen a small rash of rivers or lakes turning red lately. Earlier this year the Beirut River turned red. No one knew why at first, but later they thought it was due to a factory that had illegally dumped red dye. Despite the fact that this is prophesied to happen, as per Revelation 16:4, it is not a prophetic fulfillment yet, because we are not in the prophesied time of Revelation. The Tribulation has not begun. But as precursors go, it's pretty eye-popping. As mysteries go, it is pretty interesting.

Two weeks ago a lake in France turned blood red.

"At first glance, it might look like a sign of the apocalypse - but scientists say the blood red lakes in southern France are actually a natural phenomenon. Camargue, France is a river delta where the Rhône meets the sea. The picturesque area is home to numerous salt flats, and it is this concentration of salt that will occasionally stain red the regions normally blue water."

So that time the culprit was salt.

A few days ago Lake Erie hadn't turned red but there was a massive fish die-off.

‘Something really wrong’ with fish die-off along Lake Erie: officials
"A strong sewage smell preceded scenes of dead fish littering the shores of Lake Erie this weekend and has residents wondering what caused the massive die-off, the president of the Rondeau Cottagers Association said Tuesday.  “This is a very substantial fish kill and there’s something really wrong to have a fish die off like this,” said Dr. David Colby, a cottager who is also the Chatham-Kent medical officer of health."

Officials aren't positive, as usual they say the "likely" cause was the fish were killed by "killed by a lack of oxygen caused when lake sediment was stirred up, the province reported Friday."

Oh. Ok.

"Water samples "do not show evidence of a manure spill or anything unusual in terms of contaminants," Ministry of Environment spokeswoman Kate Jordan told NBC News. Jordan said it wasn't known if the die-off was unprecedented, but that "it was a significant number -- tens of thousands. The fish were found along 25 miles of beach, with locals first coming across them on Monday.'"

Like that happens every day, sediment killing 25 miles worth of fish.

Here is the today's "river turning red" news--

Yangtze River Turns Red and Turns Up a Mystery
"For a river known as the "golden watercourse," red is a strange color to see. Yet that's the shade turning up in the Yangtze River and officials have no idea why. The red began appearing in the Yangtze, the longest and largest river in China and the third longest river in the world, yesterday near the city of Chongquing, where the Yangtze connects to the Jialin River."

Remember, it is NOT a fulfillment of Revelation 16:4, not only because we have not been in the Tribulation for ten chapters, but also because when it does happen, a third of all the earth's rivers will turn to blood. And the verse says what it says, the waters will become blood. Not salt making it look like blood, not illegally dumped dye, but actual blood.

I'll be interested to see if the officials come up with a "likely" cause for why section of of Asia's longest river and the third longest river in the world turned blood red. It is freaking everyone out, and as well it should. I am glad it makes people think of the apocalypse, which should make them think of Jesus, which should make them think of judgment and sin. And then of repentance. I pray it makes them think on those things.

It may be a large environmental disaster, a huge detriment to the food chain, and a terrible accident or other natural disastrous event. But it is not Revelation. Yet.