There has been a lot of talk about the “Four Blood Moons” which recently took place over the last two years. Most of the talk was in response to a book by John Hagee which was based on the writings of another preacher named Mark Biltz.
(Quote from the FBM book website)
Every heavenly body is controlled by the unseen hand of God, which signals coming events to humanity. There are no solar or lunar accidents.
Many people were stirred up over this. Imagine what the people of Berea would have done if confronted with such claims in the first century. I know what they would have done! They would have examined the Scriptures to see if these things were so!
Acts 17:10-77 LEB
“Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. They went into the synagogue of the Jews when they arrived.
“Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so.”
So, let’s be Berean followers of Jesus, The Nazarene, today and put this to the test of Scripture!
The Holy Spirit has been poured out onto the 120 disciples of Jesus in the upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost only 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven and 50 days after His resurrection.
A great crowd gathers to what is causing this sound of a mighty rushing wind why all these are proclaiming the glory of God! So, the 12 disciples, including the newly minted Matthias all stand up together and Peter starts preaching and quotes from the prophet Joel.
Acts 2:14-21 ESV
“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
“For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
“Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
“The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
OK. So, right there in the phrase “the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood” you have exactly one half of the prophecies in the Bible regarding any type of blood moon. This one being found in Joel and quoted by Peter.
The only other one is found in Revelation 3:12 where it says about the moon.
“I looked, and behold … the full moon became like blood.”
OK. So we see the only references to a blood moon of any kind are found in two prophecies; one saying that the moon shall be turned to blood and the other saying the moon became like blood.
There is no mention of any Four Blood Moons at all.
So, let’s take a look at these prophecies compared to Scripture using the Wesley Quadrilateral. Scripture, tradition, reason and experience.
(Set up a board with a tripod sitting on top of it. Label each of the legs one of the three parts of the quadrilateral.)
Scripture says “the moon shall be turned to blood” and “the moon became like blood.” That’s our foundation!
So ... Tradition.
Does tradition support the Four Blood Moons theology. There does not seem to be any awareness of Four Blood Moon prophecy theology anytime before the present. As much as I searched there did not seem to be any thoughts of Christian writers concerning such a theology from the time of Jesus until now.
So, tradition does not seem to support the Four Blood Moon theology but we know that as we see the Scriptures unfold in our times sometime they seem to become more focused. So, let’s give it the benefit of the doubt and say that tradition is clinging dangerously close to the edge of falling off the foundation of Scripture.
What about Reason?
Biltz and Hagee try to tie the FBM tetrads to major events in history and based on that logic they predicted another major event would take place.
The press release says …
"Only three times in the past 500 years have four blood moons (or tetrads) occurred back to back and on major Jewish holy days. The fourth tetrad began April 15, 2014, on Passover. In October last year, the second blood moon appeared on the Feast of Tabernacles. Blood moons in 2015 land on the same holy days."
This is not as random as it seems at first glance. Most of the major Jewish holy days fall on a full moon and so called blood moons are always on full moons because of what must physically happen in order for a blood moon to appear.
OK. So what were the timing of these events that happened in the past 500 years?
Now, remember, these Four Blood Moon Tetrads are supposed to FORETELL a coming cataclysmic event. Let’s look at them from the perspective of reason.
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain occurred in 1492, while the tetrads occurred in 1493-94, AFTER the event.
The independence of Israel came in 1948, while the tetrads occurred in 1949-50, AFTER the event
The Israeli-Arab Six Day War was supposed to fulfill the series of Four Blood Moons that occurred in the 1960’s. The last two moons of the tetrad occur the NEXT year, and one of the moons of 1967 comes after the 6-day war.
Four other tetrads occurred in 162-163 A.D., 795-796 A.D., 842-843 A.D., and 860-861 A.D. and they have no significant events attached to them whatsoever.
Since the Four Blood Moon Tetrads are supposed to predict coming gigantic events they seem to fail the test of Reason.
What about Experience?
Let’s take this last Blood Moon as an example. Who saw the blood moon?
(Look for maps online where the "blood moons" were visible across the globe)
The full “blood moon” eclipse was seen from western Europe and Africa, all across South America and the eastern half of North America. As you moved away from those areas the effect became less and less until there was no eclipse at all. In much of the world there was no blood moon at all.
The April 14, 2014 blood moon was visible in most of North America and the western part of South America. Other areas with partial eclipse visibility were eastern South America, the most western parts of Europe and Africa, Australia and eastern Asia. As you moved away from those areas the effect became less and less until there was no eclipse at all. In much of the world there was no blood moon at all.
Could they possibly be the real blood moon spoken of in the Bible?
Those eclipses seem to completely fail the test of both Reason AND Experience.
The Bible doesn’t indicate in either of the two passages that mention blood moons that only some people would be able to see them and then that they would go back to being regular moons.
OK. So, let’s take Reason and Experience even further!
The prophecy in Joel which is repeated in Acts says this.
Joel 2:30-31 ESV
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
Was the sun turned to darkness? Of course it was dark here because it was night but how about in China? Was it unusually dark there? Of course not!
What about blood moon prophecy in Revelation?
Revelation 6:12-17 LEB
“And I watched when He opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black like sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood,
“And the stars of heaven fell to the earth like a fig tree throws down its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved from their place.
“And the kings of the earth, and the most important people, and the military leaders, and the rich, and the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,
“And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
No earthquake
The sun did not become black like sackcloth
The stars of heaven did not fall to earth
The sky was not split like a scroll
The mountains and islands were not moved from their places
People did not hide in caves
People did not call out for the mountains to fall on them
OK. So, remember our ancient Berean brothers?
Acts 17:11b LEB
“[The Bereans] accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so.”
We know God’s word is true! So, based on the authority of God’s Holy Word we must answer this question. Is the prophecy of the Four Blood Moons in agreement with the Word of God or not?
If it is not what shall we do with it?
We will endeavor with God’s help to know the Holy Word of God so that we can distinguish what is right from what is not.
2 Timothy 2:15 AMPC
“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”
We shall do with it what we always should do! When we hear a preacher on the TV or radio or over the internet we will compare what he says with the Holy Word of God.
Write down the passages he is using. Check them out in their context. Check them against other Bible passages.
Whenever we read a book such as The Four Blood Moons read it along side the Bible. Never assume that it will stand on its own.
Cling to the Word of God as if your life depends on it because it does!
Wait with eager anticipation for the return of Jesus the Messiah!
In the meantime live a holy life and do the work of the Kingdom of God on earth!
We serve a great God. We have a Great Savior. He has sent a Great Holy Spirit to indwell and give us eternal life.
We are the most privileged people on the planet and only by His amazing Grace!
Ancient words, ever true. Changing me and changing you.
We have come with open hearts. Oh let the ancient words impart!
Concluding remarks …
Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
