What should we make of all the talk about blood moons?
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
There’s been a lot if chatter lately about “blood moons.” If you’re not familiar with the
term, it’s a lunar eclipse during a full moon. As the earth casts a shadow on the moon, the earth’s atmosphere filters out the high frequency colors, allowing the reds to pass through, making the moon appear blood red. The Bible speaks of spectacular displays in the sky which some interpret to be very special solar and lunar eclipses just before the Day of the Lord:
“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” (Joel 2:30-31).
Those who promote the “blood moon theory” describe a phenomenon called a tetrad, when four blood moons (with no partial eclipses) occur over the period of a year or a little longer. These tetrads have special significance for Israel because God has used past tetrads as a warning of coming judgment (just as He used to do through the prophets).
The “theory” claims support from Genesis 1:14 where God created the sun and the moon for light and heat, for signs (signals) and for seasons. The Hebrew word for “seasons” comes from the same Hebrew word for “feasts” as used in Lev. 23 where God outlined the seven Feasts of the Lord. God was telling us that He would use these heavenly bodies as signals that would somehow be connected to the Feasts of the Lord. Since the Jewish religious calendar was based on the sun and the moon, and the Feasts were to be celebrated on specific dates, the timing of God’s celestial displays is very important. In fact God has an exact time for all things to happen:
You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come (Ps 102:13)
The “theory” claims that the connections between the sun, moon and the feasts have been seen in remarkable tetrads over the past six centuries. (Thanks to NASA, we now can pinpoint just when these tetrads occurred going back thousands of years.) Three tetrads were especially significant for Israel:
1. The tetrad of 1493-94 corresponded to the Edict of Expulsion when the Jews were kicked out of Spain in a horrific outpouring of hatred that served as a model for Hitler.
2. The tetrad of 1949-50 corresponded to the war Israel fought after declaring statehood.
3. The tetrad of 1967-68 corresponded to Israel’s Six-Day War (during which Jerusalem was recaptured by Israel).
These tetrads were especially significant because each lunar eclipse occurred on the first day of Passover or Tabernacles and within the tetrad was a solar eclipse as well. (Those who have studied this subject explain that lunar eclipses have been associated with judgment of Israel while solar eclipses speak of judgment of the nations.)
AS I SEE IT
While all this is interesting, it takes on a much greater significance when we understand that the next tetrad has already begun and its uniqueness has many people very concerned about what worldwide catastrophes may lay just around the bend. Here’s why they are concerned:
• The occurrence of a lunar eclipse is common.
• The occurrence of a total lunar eclipse is less common.
• The occurrence of a tetrad (4 consecutive Blood Moons) (total lunar eclipse) is rare.
• The occurrence of a tetrad with a total solar eclipse within its series is very rare.
• A tetrad with a total solar eclipse that is significant to Israel’s history and the Jewish feasts is very, very rare.
• The occurrence of a tetrad with a total solar eclipse historically significant to Israel and Jewish Feasts that includes a Shemittah year (every 7th year according to the Jewish calendar) within its series is very, very, very rare.
• But a tetrad with a total solar eclipse, historically significant to Israel and falling on the Jewish Feasts with a Shemittah year that corresponds to the Feast of Trumpets (Jewish New Year) within its series is astronomically rare.
Yet, this is exactly what is already in the process of happening. Here’s the sequence:
1st Blood Moon- Passover April 15, 2014 occurred on the Christian celebration of Easter
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana) Sept 25, 2014
2nd Blood Moon- Feast of Tabernacles Oct 8, 2014
Total solar eclipse- Mar 20, 2015 (corresponding to Nisan 1- the beginning of the Jewish religious new year)
3rd Blood Moon – Passover April 4, 2015 occurring on the Christian celebration of Easter
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana) Sept 13, 2015 (a partial solar eclipse)
4th Blood Moon – Feast of Tabernacles Sept 28, 2015
Of course this doesn’t conclusively prove that some catastrophe is imminent. Critics have come forth debunking the theory and presenting evidence that, in their minds, the dates and the reasoning are flawed. I have simply attempted to let you know what all the chatter is about. We must base our responses on facts and not conjecture. That being said, we should agree that our world cannot continue much longer on its present course. Each one of us must decide what we will do with what I have presented here. The bottom line is that we must be ready for whatever is next on God’s prophetic timetable. Maybe nothing earth shattering will happen over the next year, but personally, I think we’re in for something major. Oh, how I hope I’m wrong, but the Bible warns us to be alert at all times, paying close attention to the words and the signs from God.
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