Listen:  132.1

The current “blood moons” are a series of four total lunar eclipses which began on April 15, 2014. Astronomers refer to them as a “lunar tetrad,” but a Christian teacher named John Hagee coined the phrase “blood moons” because he believes they represent a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Because these lunar eclipses have happened periodically throughout time and were natural in their origin, I would NOT relate them at all to the super-natural occurrences spoken of in the portions of scripture alluded to by the inquirer.

Let’s look at Joel 2:30-31 which reads, “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” Now let’s read Revelation 6:12 which says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.” Finally, turn to Matthew 24:29 where the Lord Jesus spoke these prophetic words, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

When one compares these three passages, we see that shortly before the Day of the Lord comes, there will be super-natural signs in the heavens for all men to see, signs that herald the coming of the Son of man with power and great glory. The “Day of the Lord” is the day when Christ will rule over the earth for 1,000 years as the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” But shortly before He appears to set up His kingdom there will be a time of tribulation lasting seven years, as predicted by Daniel the prophet in Daniel 9:27 and 12:1. This same period was referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:3-22 and by the Apostle John in Revelation, chapters 6-18. During this time of trouble, many signs will occur, including the disturbances in the heavens with the sun turning dark and the moon into blood. What are we to understand by this?  Will the sun burn out and become black and will the moon literally turn to blood?  I think not.  Rather, the sun will appear dark and the moon will look like blood to those observing the heavens from earth.  This begs the question, “What will cause these heavenly bodies to turn dark and to look like blood?  We saw in the reference in Revelation 6:12 that they are the result of a “great earthquake.” Earthquakes have often resulted in volcanic eruptions which then spew large quantities of dust, steam, and gases into the upper atmosphere.  Mr. James Allen, in his commentary on Revelation 6:12, states the following, “The blackened sun and the blood-like moon are the results of matter of some kind coming between these heavenly bodies and the earth…volcanic action is the normal cause of such darkening of the sun and discoloration of the moon. In these circumstances the prophecy of Joel 2:31 will be literally fulfilled.”

It is quite natural to hear men speak of a catastrophic earthquake as “an act of God,” for so it is. This earthquake, and two others that occur during the tribulation period, will be on a much grander scale than any previous earthquakes and will strike terror in the hearts of men. They will know that God’s wrath is upon them and will try to hide from Him. This is born out in Revelation 6:15-17 which reads, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

How solemn is this scene and how frightening for those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior!  Luke 21:25-26 speaks of this same time and the fear that will grip men’s hearts. That says, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for the fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

Our prayer is that you will not be among those who have spurned God’s grace and who will be overcome with fear as the coming of the Son of man approaches with frightful signs in the heavens. We would plead with you to turn at once to the Savior of sinners and receive Him by faith, as the Apostle John encourages us to do in John 1:12, which says, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name.”  (132.1)  (DO)