They’ve captured the attention of the world, and the last of an intriguing set of four blood moons is happening in just a few days. In the wee hours of September 28 th – that is, if you live near Greenwich Mean Time, now called Universal Time – the moon’s white glow will dim and grow orange as the shadow of the earth passes over it. According to NASA, the blood moon will begin at about 1:00 a.m. Universal Time and peak at 2:45 a.m. UT.*
What is a blood moon?
A blood moon is a total lunar eclipse. It happens when the earth passes between the sun and moon, blocking the sun’s light and making the moon appear orange or red. Blood moons regularly occur at an average of once every 1.5 years.
What makes these blood moons so special?
There are several aspects about this “tetrad,” or series of four blood moons, that are causing so much interest in them. First is the short span of time in which they occur. Rather than one every 1.5 years, 2014 and 2015 are giving us four in that same span of time.
The second notable thing about these blood moons is that they each fall on biblical feast days on the Jewish calendar. The first blood moon of each year fell on the Jewish holy day of Passover in the spring. The second blood moons occur on the Feast of Sukkot in the fall. According to Pastor Mark Biltz, who has studied this phenomenon extensively, this has only happened eight times in 2,000 years, and it won’t happen again for 500 years.
Third, surrounding previous blood moon tetrads occurring in this same pattern (on Passover and Sukkot two years in a row), highly significant events have occurred in the history of Israel. These events include the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, Israel returning to the Land in 1948 and its subsequent wars, and the Six Day War of 1967 through which Israel regained possession of Jerusalem. These events have led many to wonder what might be on the horizon after this current tetrad.
Another point about this particular tetrad is the fact that the final blood moon in just a few days is going to be a “super moon,” meaning that it will be the closest to the earth that it will be all year. This lunar eclipse will be visible in Jerusalem, where on the first day of the Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths, many will be outside in their sukkot. (A sukkah is a temporary shelter, or “booth,” built in remembrance of God’s provision for the Israelites in the wilderness. Sukkot is the plural of sukkah.)
Fifth, with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish civil New Year) we enter into a shemitah year, or Sabbath year, in which the land is supposed to be allowed to rest. It is also a time for business and financial dealings to “reset.” The last two shemitah years have brought dramatic financial downturns with the U.S. stock market losing 7% in both 2001 and 2008. On “Jewish Voice Live with Jonathan Bernis” webcasts, Biltz has said it wouldn’t surprise him if we saw a financial collapse sometime around, or in the months following, Rosh Hashanah 2015 and even extending into 2016.
What do the blood moons mean?
We know that God uses the sun, moon, and stars as signs for us. In Genesis 1:14, God created the lights in the heavens, and He declared that they were to be for signs and seasons, days and years. The book of Joel speaks of a time before the Day of the Lord, God’s appointed day of final judgment on the earth, when the moon will be “turned to blood” (Joel 2:31). And there was an extraordinary star that shone brightly to lead the wise men of the New Testament to Yeshua (Jesus) after He was born (Matthew 2).
Many people are wondering what the blood moons might mean to us in light of End Times’ prophecy and if they indicate the nearness of such events as the Rapture, the Tribulation, and Yeshua’s return. Pastor Biltz notes that while God has given the sun, moon, and stars for signs and feast days, and though we are not able to tell the precise day or hour of these events, we are to be in ready anticipation and aware of the “season.”
At the very least, it’s clear that these dramatic heavenly signs have drawn attention to biblical prophecy, God’s Last Days’ timeline, and to God Himself. Could this be the end of the world?
Blood moon in your time zone
*To check what time the blood moon will occur in your location, visit TimeAndDate.com. It will tell you the current Universal Time so that you can compare it to your current time.
Pastor Mark Biltz is a popular guest on Jewish Voice TV (our now daily “Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis” program), most recently appearing earlier this month. You can see his fascinating interviews on the Jewish Voice website. Click here to see archived broadcasts. Don’t forget to check in with our TV schedule to see what’s coming up on “Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis.”
Pastor Biltz has also been Jonathan’s special guest for three live webcasts. To watch the recordings of these webcasts click here: December 2013, October 2014, and March 2015.
