Blood moon prophecy: Difference between revisions
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The '''Blood Moon Prophecy''' is an idea popularized by Christian pastors [[John Hagee]] and Mark Biltz, which states that an ongoing [[wikt:tetrad|tetrad]] (a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the [[April 2014 lunar eclipse]] is a sign of |
The '''Blood Moon Prophecy''' is an idea popularized by Christian pastors [[John Hagee]] and Mark Biltz, which states that an ongoing [[wikt:tetrad|tetrad]] (a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the [[April 2014 lunar eclipse]] is a sign of the [[end times]]. |
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The Blood Moon Prophecy has quickly gained attention on the Internet after Biltz first proposed it in 2008, and gained mainstream media attention as the April 15, 2014 lunar eclipse approached. Despite the attention, few Christians believe the prophecy. It has been criticized by both mainstream Christian sources and secular astronomy blogs. Skeptics point out that tetrads that correspond with Jewish feasts are not as rare as Hagee and Biltz imply, that the eclipses will not be visible in Israel, and that Bible verses such as Matthew 24:36 state that no one knows when the Second Coming will occur and that it will be preceded by [[Great Tribulation|a seven year period]] of intense disaster. |
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==Overview== |
==Overview== |
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[[File:Lunar_eclipse_April_15_2014_Minneapolis_Tomruen2.jpg|thumb|The moon appeared red during the April 2014 eclipse.]] |
[[File:Lunar_eclipse_April_15_2014_Minneapolis_Tomruen2.jpg|thumb|The moon appeared red during the April 2014 eclipse.]] |
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In most eclipses, the moon appears red<ref name=RNS /> due to [[Rayleigh scattering]] of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere, the same effect that causes sunsets to appear red.<ref name=USAToday>{{cite news|title=Blood moon eclipse on April 15 is a special event|date=April 3, 2014|work=USA Today|author=Elizabeth Weise|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/04/03/lunar-eclipse-april-15-blood-moon/7210901/|accessdate=April 3, 2014}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Around 2008, Biltz began predicting that the [[Second Coming]] of Jesus would occur in the fall of 2015. He supposedly had "discovered" an astronomical pattern that predicted the next tetrad would coincide with the end times. When the prediction failed, he pulled the article from his website, but continued to teach on the "significance" of the tetrad. |
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In John Hagee's book, ''Four Blood Moons: Something is about to change'', he argues that the timing of the eclipse and subsequent eclipse in the tetrad (all coinciding with Passover and Sukkot) and the "rarity" of a tetrad is strong evidence a major change of course in history will occur. Both Hagee and Biltz{{efn|''Earth & Sky'' has Biltz' name misspelled as "Blitz".}} note that the last three tetrads to coincide with Passover and Sukkot roughly corresponded with important events in Jewish history: the 1493–94 tetrad roughly aligns with the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain and discovery of the New World; the 1949–50 event roughly corresponds with the re-establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]]; and the 1967–68 tetrad started right before the [[Six Day War]]. The tetrad is thus seen a "sign" of things to come.<ref name=LambLion /><ref name=IBT>{{cite news|title=Blood Moon Prophecy Tell Tale Sign of Iranian Nuclear Threat|work=International Business Times|author= Athena Yenko |date= April 15, 2014|url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/548153/20140415/blood-moon-eclipse-prophecy-april-15.htm#.U03Lm1fpdKR|accessdate=April 15, 2014}}</ref> Overall, there have been 62 tetrads since the first century AD, eight of which have coincided with the feasts of Passover and Sukkot.<ref name=EarthSky /> |
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Biltz goes further than Hagee,{{efn|Several media accounts incorrectly assign Biltz's view of the eclipses/end time prophecies to Hagee.}} equating the eclipse with [[Book of Joel|Joel]] 2:31.<ref name=Answers /> The verse says the moon will turn to blood "before the great and dreadful day of the LORD comes." The probable red appearance of the moon during the April 15 eclipse is thus equated with the verse.<ref name=USAToday /> He argues that the total [[solar eclipse]] of [[Solar eclipse of March 20, 2015|March 20, 2015]], which occurs at the start of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, may fulfill the second part of the verse: "and the sun will be turned into darkness". He also assigns significance to the partial solar eclipse of [[Solar eclipse of September 13, 2015|September 13, 2015]].<ref name=Answers /> Five other verses ([[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 13:10, Joel 2:10, Joel 3:15, [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 24:29, and [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 6:12) are also cited. Biltz predicts that the [[Second Coming]] of Jesus will coincide with final eclipse of the tetrad.<ref name=LambLion /> |
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When asked, Hagee said the tetrad was not a sign of the end times because those began with [[Pentecost]], 2,000 years ago.<ref name=Fox>{{cite news|title=Is the cosmos telling us the end is near?|author= Christopher Snyder|date=October 16, 2013|work=Fox News|url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/16/is-cosmos-telling-us-end-is-near/|accessdate=April 15, 2014}}</ref> Instead he suggested that Iran is close to producing a [[nuclear bomb]] and that either they would succeed or Israel would use military force to stop it, with either scenario altering the course of the nation's and the world's future. Hagee has been preaching against the perceived threat of a nuclear Iran since 2006.<ref name=IBT /> |
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==History== |
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| ⚫ | Around 2008, Biltz began |
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In 2013, Hagee published ''Four Blood Moons'', accelerating the momentum of Biltz's idea.<ref name=LambLion /> In October, he appeared on [[Fox News]] to promote his book and ideas.<ref name=Fox /> In 2014, Biltz published his own book, ''Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs''.<ref name=LambLion>{{cite web|title=The Blood Moon Mania:Legitimate Sign or Hype?|author=David R. Reagan|url=http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_signs15.php|accessdate=April 6, 2014}}</ref> A third book, ''Blood Moons Rising: Bible Prophecy, Israel, and the Four Blood Moons'', was published by pastor Mark Hitchcock, but attracted minimal attention. On April 15, 2014, Hagee hosted a special event on the [[Global Evangelism Television]] channel promoting his ideas.<ref name=RNS>{{cite news|title='Blood moon' sets off apocalyptic debate among some Christians|date=April 15, 2014|work=Washington Post|agency=Religion News Service|author= Sarah Pulliam Bailey|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/blood-moon-sets-off-apocalyptic-debate-among-some-christians/2014/04/15/00b76502-c4be-11e3-9ee7-02c1e10a03f0_story.html|accessdate=April 15, 2014}}</ref> |
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As far as ''[[Earth & Sky]]'' could determine, the use of the term "blood moon" to refer to an eclipse during a tetrad was invented recently, possibly by Hagee.<ref name=EarthSky /> |
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==Response== |
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{| class="wikitable floatright" width=200 |
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|+ Passover/Tabernacles tetrads since the time of Jesus |
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|- |
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| align=center | 162–163 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 795–796 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 842–843 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 860–861 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 1493–1494 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 1949–1950 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 1967–1968 A.D. |
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|- |
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| align=center | 2014–2015 A.D. |
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|} |
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''Four Blood Moons'' became a best seller, spending more than 150 days in [[Amazon.com]]'s top 150 by April 2014.<ref name=RNS /> For the week ending March 30, 2014, it was the ninth best selling paperback, according to [[Publishers Weekly]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bestsellers for week ending March 30|work=Newsday|date=April 3, 2014|url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/books/bestsellers-for-week-ending-march-30-1.7600211|accessdate=April 6, 2014}}</ref> By mid-April, Hagee's book had hit #4 on the ''[[The New York Times]]'' best-seller list in the advice category.<ref name=RNS /> As the eclipse approached, Hagee and Biltz's speculations gained mainstream media attention in publications such as ''[[USA Today]]'' and the ''[[International Business Times]]''.<ref name=USAToday /><ref name=IBT /> ''Earth & Sky'' reported receiving "a number of inquiries about Blood Moon", prompting a response.<ref name=EarthSky /> |
''Four Blood Moons'' became a best seller, spending more than 150 days in [[Amazon.com]]'s top 150 by April 2014.<ref name=RNS /> For the week ending March 30, 2014, it was the ninth best selling paperback, according to [[Publishers Weekly]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bestsellers for week ending March 30|work=Newsday|date=April 3, 2014|url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/books/bestsellers-for-week-ending-march-30-1.7600211|accessdate=April 6, 2014}}</ref> By mid-April, Hagee's book had hit #4 on the ''[[The New York Times]]'' best-seller list in the advice category.<ref name=RNS /> As the eclipse approached, Hagee and Biltz's speculations gained mainstream media attention in publications such as ''[[USA Today]]'' and the ''[[International Business Times]]''.<ref name=USAToday /><ref name=IBT /> ''Earth & Sky'' reported receiving "a number of inquiries about Blood Moon", prompting a response.<ref name=EarthSky /> |
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Writing for ''Earth & Sky'' Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd point out that the referenced verse also says the "sun will be turned into darkness", an apparent reference to a solar eclipse. They note that since the [[Jewish Calendar]] is lunar, one sixth of all eclipses will occur during Passover or Sukkot. Furthermore, there have been 62 tetrads since the first century AD and eight of them have coincided with both the feasts. Thus, the event is not as unusual as Hagee and Biltz imply. Additionally, three of the four eclipses in the tetrad will not even be visible in the biblical homeland of [[Israel]], casting further doubt on Hagee and Biltz's interpretation.<ref name=EarthSky>{{cite web|title=What is a Blood Moon?|date=March 30, 2014|work=Earth & Sky|author=Bruce McClure|author2=Deborah Byrd|url=http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-blood-moon-lunar-eclipses-2014-2015|accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref> Writing for [[Space.com]], Geoff Gaherty said he saddened that "'prophets of doom' ... view these life-enriching events as portents of disaster" and said the eclipse was "hardly something to be concerned about".<ref>{{cite news|title=Four Blood Moons: Total Lunar Eclipse Series Not a Sign of Apocalypse|date=April 9, 2014|publisher=Space.com|url=http://www.space.com/25409-four-blood-moons-tetrad-lunar-eclipse.html|accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref> |
Writing for ''Earth & Sky'' Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd point out that the referenced verse also says the "sun will be turned into darkness", an apparent reference to a solar eclipse. They note that since the [[Jewish Calendar]] is lunar, one sixth of all eclipses will occur during Passover or Sukkot. Furthermore, there have been 62 tetrads since the first century AD and eight of them have coincided with both the feasts. Thus, the event is not as unusual as Hagee and Biltz imply. Additionally, three of the four eclipses in the tetrad will not even be visible in the biblical homeland of [[Israel]], casting further doubt on Hagee and Biltz's interpretation.<ref name=EarthSky>{{cite web|title=What is a Blood Moon?|date=March 30, 2014|work=Earth & Sky|author=Bruce McClure|author2=Deborah Byrd|url=http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-blood-moon-lunar-eclipses-2014-2015|accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref> Writing for [[Space.com]], Geoff Gaherty said he saddened that "'prophets of doom' ... view these life-enriching events as portents of disaster" and said the eclipse was "hardly something to be concerned about".<ref>{{cite news|title=Four Blood Moons: Total Lunar Eclipse Series Not a Sign of Apocalypse|date=April 9, 2014|publisher=Space.com|url=http://www.space.com/25409-four-blood-moons-tetrad-lunar-eclipse.html|accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref> |
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Popular [[Christian apologetics|apologetic]] website ''[[Answers in Genesis]]'' wrote a piece on Biltz's ideas. Author Danny R. Faulkner said it was possible that God would use an eclipse as a sign. However, he concluded there was no reason to believe this eclipse was one. He argues that eclipses and tetrads are not as rare as Blitz implies, and that a "sign" not visible in Jerusalem is very unlikely to be a sign. Like McClure and Byrd, Falkner notes that one sixth of all lunar eclipses occur on Passover or Sukkot and also notes that one twelfth of all solar eclipses coincide with [[Nisan]] 1. He says that the total solar eclipse of 2015 will be seen by virtually no one, as it passes through few inhabited areas, and that the partial solar eclipse will barely be perceptible. He says "just knowing that somewhere some sort of solar eclipses are happening seems to fall far short of being specific and spectacular signs of end times" and concludes "the timing of the eclipses that Biltz draws attention to, while interesting, falls far short" of apocalyptic signs.<ref name=Answers>{{cite web|title=Will Lunar Eclipses Cause Four Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015?|author=Danny R. Faulkner|date=July 12, 2013|work=Answers in Genesis|url=http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2013/07/12/lunar-eclipses-cause-blood-moons|accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref> |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 00:42, 27 April 2014
The Blood Moon Prophecy is an idea popularized by Christian pastors John Hagee and Mark Biltz, which states that an ongoing tetrad (a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the April 2014 lunar eclipse is a sign of the end times.
Overview
In most eclipses, the moon appears red[1] due to Rayleigh scattering of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere, the same effect that causes sunsets to appear red.[2]
Around 2008, Biltz began predicting that the Second Coming of Jesus would occur in the fall of 2015. He supposedly had "discovered" an astronomical pattern that predicted the next tetrad would coincide with the end times. When the prediction failed, he pulled the article from his website, but continued to teach on the "significance" of the tetrad.
Four Blood Moons became a best seller, spending more than 150 days in Amazon.com's top 150 by April 2014.[1] For the week ending March 30, 2014, it was the ninth best selling paperback, according to Publishers Weekly.[3] By mid-April, Hagee's book had hit #4 on the The New York Times best-seller list in the advice category.[1] As the eclipse approached, Hagee and Biltz's speculations gained mainstream media attention in publications such as USA Today and the International Business Times.[2][4] Earth & Sky reported receiving "a number of inquiries about Blood Moon", prompting a response.[5]
Despite the attention, it is not clear if many people actually believe the ideas. According to Christian Today, only a "small group of Christians" saw the eclipse as significant.[6]
Writing for Earth & Sky Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd point out that the referenced verse also says the "sun will be turned into darkness", an apparent reference to a solar eclipse. They note that since the Jewish Calendar is lunar, one sixth of all eclipses will occur during Passover or Sukkot. Furthermore, there have been 62 tetrads since the first century AD and eight of them have coincided with both the feasts. Thus, the event is not as unusual as Hagee and Biltz imply. Additionally, three of the four eclipses in the tetrad will not even be visible in the biblical homeland of Israel, casting further doubt on Hagee and Biltz's interpretation.[5] Writing for Space.com, Geoff Gaherty said he saddened that "'prophets of doom' ... view these life-enriching events as portents of disaster" and said the eclipse was "hardly something to be concerned about".[7]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
RNSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Elizabeth Weise (April 3, 2014). "Blood moon eclipse on April 15 is a special event". USA Today. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "Bestsellers for week ending March 30". Newsday. April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
IBTwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Bruce McClure; Deborah Byrd (March 30, 2014). "What is a Blood Moon?". Earth & Sky. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ Samantha Blake (April 5, 2014). "Lunar Eclipse April 15, 2014: Four Blood Moons a sign of End Times?". Christian Today. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ "Four Blood Moons: Total Lunar Eclipse Series Not a Sign of Apocalypse". Space.com. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
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