An Italian exorcist is reportedly claiming that current events, including natural disasters and North Korean leader Kim Jung-Un’s antics, are signs that the apocalypse could be nearing.
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“All natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, demonstrate that the end of the world is coming,” Don Antonio Mattatelli said, according to the U.K.’s Express. “It will not be the end of the world in general, but of this world yes.”
Mattatelli, whom the Express called “one of the most famous exorcists in Italy,” wasn’t done there either, going on to affirm that he believes the Earth is coming close to its end.
“Natural phenomena so sudden and powerful shows that, there is no confidence in the future and we have come to an end of modernity,” he said.
As for the crisis surrounding North Korea, Mattatelli said Satan is “behind” Jong-Un and decried the fact that the restrictive country has replaced God with the erratic leader.
Mattatelli’s comments come as Italy experienced flooding and an earthquake in recent days — events that have followed hurricanes and intense flooding in the U.S. and Southeast Asia as well.
While some will certainly dismiss Mattatelli’s claims, they are certain to get plenty of attention, considering the Sept. 23 “prophecy” that has percolated in recent weeks in some religious circles.
As Faithwire previously reported, that coming date is one that some believe will be prophetic in nature, with theories ranging from the claim that the skies will point to a coming “rapture” to the fear that something cataclysmic could unfold that day.
Last month, Gary Ray, a writer for Unsealed, a Christian publication, told The Washington Post his take on the matter, noting that he sees the alignment of the stars, sun and moon on Sept. 23 as one of the signs that the rapture — the belief that Jesus will take Christians up into the skies before the terrors of the end times kick into high gear — is coming.
“We think it’s God signaling to us that he’s about to make his next move,” Ray said.
So, what exactly will be happening on that day? While much of the speculation can’t be substantiated, there are some facts that can be plainly detailed and discussed, scientifically speaking.
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“On this date, the sun will be in the constellation Virgo (the virgin), along with the moon near Virgo’s feet. Additionally, Jupiter will be in Virgo, while the planets Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be above and to the right of Virgo in the constellation Leo,” Christian ministry Answers in Genesis explained in a recent blog post. “Some people claim that this is a very rare event (allegedly only once in 7,000 years) and that it supposedly is a fulfillment of a sign in Revelation 12.”
You can read more about all of this here — and learn why some critics are less than convinced that this celestial alignment points to anything noteworthy or prophetic.