Man Predicts World War 3 to Start Next Week, Does It Line Up With Other End-Time Prophecies?

May 05, 2017 05:25 PM EDT

In a few days, the world will witness the beginning of World War 3, according to a self-proclaimed "messenger of God," but how does his prediction line up with other end-time prophecies?

Horacio Villegas, a Roman Catholic, said the war will start on May 13, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the apparition of the Lady of Fatima in Portugal. He also foretold when the war will end: October 13.

Villegas said the revelation was given to him in a dream, wherein he saw "balls of fire," or missiles, falling from the sky and causing much devastation.

"I saw balls of fire falling from the sky and hitting the Earth," he told Daily Star. "I believe these were symbolic of the nuclear missiles that will fall on cities and people throughout the world."

He also saw people frantically trying to escape the terror.  

Villegas said World War 3 will happen just as the Lady of Fatima said, that if Russia will not be converted to the Catholic faith, then God will use it to bring great destruction on earth.

Before giving this prophecy, Villegas correctly predicted two recent events. The first is Donald Trump being installed as U.S. president. The second is the bombing of Syria by the U.S., which he foretold would happen between April 13 and May 13 and would involve Syria and North Korea.

However, where does his prediction fit into other end-time prophecies?

In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that in the last days, "you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:6)

Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have recently intensified. On Tuesday, North Korea issued a warning against the U.S. saying its actions are driving the situation closer to war.

"Due to the U.S. military provocations that are becoming more explicit day by day, the situation in the Korean peninsula ... is being driven to a point close to nuclear war," a broadcaster announced over state media.

Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor Greg Laurie said North Korea's threat to the U.S. should not be taken lightly. He said the end-time prophecies in the Bible do not refer to a nation that resembles North Korea, but he believes Iran, which is mentioned in these prophecies, could get its weapons from North Korea.

"Here is what concerns me. We do not find the reigning superpower on the face of the Earth anywhere in the Last Days scenario. Other nations emerge. So where is America? I pray we are not out of the picture, because we have been in some kind of nuclear conflict," Laurie said.

End-time prophecies do not focus only on wars but also on what the condition of some churches will be. The Bible mentions of believers becoming "lukewarm" and desiring to listen only to what they want to hear.

In 1968, a 90-year-old woman from Norway prophesied that before World War 3 begins and Jesus Christ returns, the church would experience "lukewarmness without parallel," a "falling away from true, living Christianity" and a great moral degradation.

Christians, she said, wouldn't want to "hear of sin and grace, law and gospel, repentance and restoration."

"There will come a substitute instead: prosperity (happiness) Christianity. The important thing will be to have success, to be something; to have material things, things that God never promised us in this way," she said, according to Charisma News.

"Churches and prayer houses will be emptier and emptier. Instead of the preaching we have been used to for generations -like, to take your cross up and follow Jesus-entertainment, art and culture will invade the churches where there should have been gatherings for repentance and revival," she said.

She added that these signs will increase as Jesus' return becomes imminent.

Despite all these, the Bible says the end times will be marked with a great harvest.

Christian author and prophet Dutch Sheets recently said God's enemies are becoming "fearful" and evil spirits are manifesting because they know the church has entered into "a season where we can experience great breakthrough."

"In fact, some of the breakthroughs that we have been crying out for and interceding for, for years, maybe decades - we are in a season where we can experience the fullness of that breakthrough," he said.

While Sheets acknowledges the seriousness of the situation with North Korea, he said he is not alarmed by it. He urged believers to "pray for the overthrow of the evil regime" in the rogue nation.

"I believe God wants to save the North Korean people, to reunify the North and the South," he said.

Sheets said this is a time when Christians should diligently pray for government leaders.

"I believe He wants enough stability in the earth that will allow Him to bring forth the harvest that He has intended for this season," he said.