It’s misquoted to Sigmund Freud for obvious reasons, but “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” would be attributed to him for obvious reasons, the second being that it’s true in so many ways.
And sometimes, natural phenomena that looks biblical does have a perfectly natural explanation — even if the people experiencing it certainly deserve a message from Above.
That’s what made blood-red rains from Hormuz Island in Iran from this June — posted as the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran was underway — has gone viral. It’s being phrased as something out of the end of days as described in the Bible.
The problem isn’t just that there’s a natural explanation for it. Rather, it would also be biblically incorrect.
Here’s what looked like “bloody rain” and “blood-red seas” appeared to be:
Heavy rain at the Red Beach in Hormoz island, Iran pic.twitter.com/d9EQ8OFobL
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) June 13, 2025
Naturally, this had a lot of people insinuating that this was God telling Iran something about its conflict with Israel.
This is indeed true. From Revelation 16:3-7:
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
you who are and who were;
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
And I heard the altar respond:“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.”
Order James Lasher’s Book, “The Revelation of Jesus” on Amazon.com!
However, here comes the first problem: Revelation 16 also makes it clear in what order the “bowls of wrath” will be poured out. From verses 1-2:
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”
The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
Not only have these seas of blood confined to one area off the coast of Iran, it would also be out of biblical order unless you believe this has happened somewhere, somehow already. (I must have missed it.)
And then there’s the second problem: the natural explanation.
That’s right, it’s all iron oxide — i.e., rust.
“The phenomenon regularly attracts tourists, photographers and social media attention. Beyond its visual appeal, the red soil – known locally as gelak – is exported in limited quantities and used in the production of cosmetics, pigments and some traditional products,” the U.K. Guardian reported.
In fact, this phenomenon has been described for centuries — long before the nation-state of Israel existed, or before Iran was in a state of conflict with it.
Now, granted, it’s nice to see a little sign, symbolically, that God is on Israel’s side. But sometimes, natural phenomena is indeed natural phenomena.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal and is reposted with permission.
