Blood moon triggers Protestant apocalyptic debates

April 15, 2014 Blood Moon (Fedaro)

The blood moon stirred some debates amongst Protestants:

‘Blood moon’ sets off apocalyptic debate among some Christians

April 15, 2014

Could a series of “blood moon” events be connected to Jesus’ return? Some Christians think so. In the wee hours of Tuesday (April 15) morning, the moon slid into Earth’s shadow, casting a reddish hue on the moon. There are about two lunar eclipses per year, according to NASA, but what’s unusual this time around is that there will be four blood moons within 18 months — astronomers call that a tetrad — and all of them occur during Jewish holidays…

Recent books capitalizing on the event include “Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs” by Washington state author Mark Biltz; “Blood Moons Rising: Bible Prophecy, Israel, and the Four Blood Moons” by Oklahoma pastor Mark Hitchcock; and “Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change” by Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee.

Hagee’s book is drawing the most attention…

In his book, Hagee says something will happen to the nation of Israel due to the tetrad. The four eclipses occur on April 15 and Oct. 8, 2014, and April 4 and Sept. 28 next year. The ones in April occur during Passover, and the ones in October occur during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles…

This time, Hagee suggests that a Rapture will occur where Christians will be taken to heaven, Israel will go to war in a great battle called Armageddon, and Jesus will return to earth…

“When you see these signs, the Bible says, lift up your head and rejoice, your redemption draweth nigh,” Hagee said in a sermon, according to the San Antonio Express-News. “I believe that the Heavens are God’s billboard, that He has been sending signals to Planet Earth but we just have not been picking them up.”

Greg Boyd, a pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., called the predictions a waste of time, maybe even bordering on astrology.

“You have an entire population buying into this stuff so no congregation is immune to this,” Boyd said. “It can strike fear into people, which is so unnecessary and wrong.”

The Continuing Church of God, which is not Protestant, has gone on record and stated that Jesus cannot possibly come on one of the blood moons in 2014 or 2015.

While it is true that Jesus will return after the blood moon that the Bible refers to in Joel 2 and Revelation 6, the return of Jesus Christ is not until after the Great Tribulation. Notice the account from the Matthew’s Gospel:

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you…

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be…

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:3,4,15-21,29-31)

Many have been deceived in the past and others are deceived now. Jesus will return with the sound of a great trumpet and Christians will be gathered with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). And although this should be comforting to Christians, Jesus will not be returning in 2014 or 2015. Any rapturists who believe Jesus will return in 2014 or 2015 are bound to be disappointed as that will not happen. And of course, it did not happen on April 15, 2014 with the appearance of the blood moon.

(Related to the pre-tribulation rapture hypothesis, Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?)

Although there will be events of prophetic interest that will occur in those years, Jesus will not return in 2014 or 2015. The Great Tribulation will not start in 2014 or 2015. The final “Day of the Lord” will not begin in 2014 or 2015. Jesus is NOT coming on April 15, 2014 or the other blood moons in 2014 or 2015–biblically this is not possible.

Those who believe otherwise are misled. Jesus will, however, return some day. Those of us who believe the “more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) realize this. But some who are looking at some Protestant teachings and traditions are overlooking various facts and what the Bible really teaches.

It remains my view that false predictions, by Protestants and others, will turn people off on prophecy (cf. 2 Peter 2:1-2). But the Bible is still true, despite wrong misunderstandings about it.

Here is a link to our video: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.