432“Have you heard of the Four Blood Moons?” I was asked this question by a business friend of mine as we were meeting in a coffee shop in Excelsior. Well, I hadn’t. So he shared some information about an upcoming occurrence in the heavenlies. Not long after that, two members in my church told me about the ‘Four Blood Moons’ and lent me a book to read. I sensed that is was something I should investigate.

I discovered that a number of people were writing and speaking about it. The book I primarily read was ‘The Four Blood Moons’ by John Hagee, nationally known author and pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonia. Let me share some of his findings and give references from his book. If you want to study this further, his book is well worth reading. But before I do that, let us note two important biblical passages.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

The Bible has some key passages on this subject, including the words of Jesus. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars . . . then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25, 27-28

There is another reference in Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. “I will show wonders in the heavens above. And signs in the earth beneath. Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood. Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” Acts 2:19-20 (This is a quote from Joel 2:30-31)

THE SEARCH

Hagee went to the NASA website in his search for lunar signals. There he found that ‘four blood red’ total lunar eclipses will fall on Passover and Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles) in 2014 and 2015. The same back to back occurrences that appeared in 1492, 1949 and 1967. (p 172)

He then observed “there has been several Tetrads (four consecutive blood moons) since NASA first recorded their occurrences but Tetrads linked to significant Jewish history have only happened three times in more than five hundred years.” (p 173) So Hagee investigated these three Tetrads and their relationship to Jewish history.

The ‘Four Blood Moons’ of 1492 corresponded with the “Edict of Expulsion which banished all Jewish people from Spain who refused to convert to Catholicism.” (p 187) 1492 was also the year Christopher Columbus sailed west to discover the new world.

The ‘Four Blood Moons’ of 1949 – 50 occured during the rebirth of the State of Israel which began in 1948. The first permanent Israeli government took office on January 25, 1949 and ‘blood moons’ occurred on the Jewish holidays of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.

The ‘Four Blood Moons’ of 1967 – 1968 occurred at the time of the Six Day War when Israel regained control of the City of Jerusalem and it became their capital again after 2,000 years.

The ‘Four Blood Moons’ 2014 – 2015. “There will be a fourth series of ‘Four Blood Moons’ in the near future. NASA has stated that this will be the last appearance of a Tetrad in this century.” (p 221)

This will begin in April, 2014, just a short time away and the dates are Passover – April 14, 2014, Feast of Tabernacles – October 8, 2014, Passover – April 4, 2015, and Feast of Tabernacles – September 28, 2015. In between all of these will be a total solar eclipse on March 20, 2015.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FOUR BLOOD MOONS?

John Hagee points out “it is very rare that scripture, science and historical events align with one another.” (p 224) They are extremely rare, even by scientific standards. God is shouting to us “something big is about to happen” . . . God is getting ready to change the course of human history once again. (pg 244)

WHAT DO I MAKE OF ALL THIS?

Firstly, we can note the following –
There are scriptural references to occurences in the heavenlies and specifically to ‘blood moons.’
It is either a remarkable co-incidence or a divine sign that previous ‘blood moons’ have occurred during Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, at times of events of great significance for the Jewish people and the Israeli nation.
It is recognized that these ‘blood moons’ are very rare and have only occurred three times in the last 500 years. As John Hagee notes, “A Tetrad with a total solar eclipse, historically significant to Israel, and falling on the Jewish Feasts with a Shemittah year (sabbatical year occurring every 7 years) that corresponds with the Feast of Trumpets (The Jewish New Year) within its series is astronomically rare.” (p 236)
Secondly, if God is saying something and getting us ready for changes to come, then we need to be ready. We need to heed the words of Jesus, “when these signs begin to happen, look up and lift up your hands, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:18

Thirdly, don’t try to figure it out ahead of time. Much prophecy fulfillment is what I call ‘Rearview Mirror’ Prophecy. In other words, you understand it and you see what it means at the time that it happens not necessarily before. That was the case with Peter on the Day of Pentecost when he was able to say, “This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel.” Acts 2:16 So wait and see, but be ready!

John Hagee finishes his book with a reference to Charles H Surgeon, the great preacher of the nineteenth century. Surgeon “didn’t speak extensively concerning the end times. But what he did say showed a remarkable understanding concerning the interrelationship of the things to come and the return of Christ as recorded in the book of Luke. The following are excerpts from his sermon entitled ‘Joyful Anticipation of the Second Advent.’: I must leave this first point, concerning the terrible time (a time of fearful national trouble) when this precept is to be carried out, by just reminding you that, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come the heavens shall tell us: ‘There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon, and in the stars.’ Now I come to THE REMARKABLE PRECEPT itself: ‘Then I look up, lift up your heads’.” (p 245-246)