Soon to Come – The Real Blood Moon
by Jim Josephsen
The Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 have come and gone and the world has not come to an end. Still, life goes on. All the big hoopla, all the publicity, all the news and internet chatter, all the intense urgency to get Israel saved, all the dire predictions and the announcement of the Day of the Lord and the return of Jesus Christ are now behind us. Perhaps a collective sigh of relief can be heard throughout some Christian congregations. Perhaps a snicker and chortle among others, if any response at all.
The first of these blood moons occurring on April 14/15, 2014; the second on October 8/9, 2014; the third on April 4, 2015. Three fabulous total lunar eclipses, three blood red moons. The fourth, finally on September 27/28, 2015. This fourth, not just a total lunar eclipse blood moon, but a super moon, as if to add to the suspense. However, given all the hype, not one of these four total lunar eclipse blood moons was visible to all the inhabitants of the earth at the time of their appearing, rather each one was only visible to those living within selected footprints across the earth’s surface. Nevertheless, for those who saw any one or all of these beautiful blood moons – what a remarkable sight to behold!
Four total lunar eclipses, an astronomical tetrad. Each eclipse occurring when it was calculated and predicted to occur. Four Jewish Holy Days, each day on which a total lunar eclipse blood moon occurred, occurred on the dates they were commanded to occur. (To set the record straight – not just to be called Jewish Holy Days, these days are God’s Holy Days, His Feast Days (cf. Leviticus 23:2, 4, 44). These days were sanctioned by God to be observed and kept holy. These days are the same Holy Days, which were observed by Jesus Christ and by God’s elect in the Church of God during the First Century, just as they are still observed by God’s elect today.
As written in a February 2014 Word From commentary entitled, “Four Blood Moons – Are They Prophetically Significant,” the same is reiterated today. The Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 will not (and did not) result in catastrophe or the Day of the Lord or the return of Christ. The Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 Prophecy (so called, but really nothing more than speculation, just a theory), the stimulus behind several books and a movie, made for intriguing reading, instilling a certain degree of apprehension and trepidation to those less knowledgeable of Biblical prophecy. However, as said before (and reiterated now in October 2015), the evidence will be clear (and it is clear); the Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 will result in another prophetic flop.
Prophecies recorded in the books of Joel, Isaiah, Acts, Luke and Revelation, among other Biblical books, have led many an evangelist and minister, mainly of the Christian persuasion, to postulate that blood moons and in particular the tetrad blood moons of 2014/2015, as they fell on God’s Holy Days, would be a harbinger of catastrophic events and the ultimate return of Jesus Christ.
When the Bible states: “the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Joel 2:3), or “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” (Revelation 6:12), who can’t but take notice?
However, notice what? Beautiful blood moons common to astronomy, predictable and calculated, or a singular momentous, catastrophic celestial anomaly as described in the prophetic verses above?
Those within Christians circles, although it is unclear exactly how many and from which denominations; those within Messianic organizations and those within associations that emphasize the preservation of the nation of Israel seemed most infatuated by the Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015. Christianity Today reported that only a “small group of Christians” considered these eclipses as significant. No doubt, there are some within that small group who now have considerably less faith in the credibility and prognostications of the chief architects of the 2014/2015 Blood Moons theory.
Interestingly, just prior to the fourth blood moon, the Mormon Church seemed obligated to intercede, having cautioned its membership to not get all caught up in the hype and speculation that catastrophe and world-ending calamities were soon to occur because of the super moon, blood moon of September 27.
The Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 and current high profile news events, specifically those related to the Middle East certainly seemed fitting of end time prophecy. In truth, they are not. The Blood Moons of 2014/2015 have no connection to Biblical end times or Messianic prophecy – pure and simple, straight up!
The earth still rotates around its axis, as it makes its annual trek around the sun. The moon still rises and sets, orbiting the earth in its predictable, sustained and maintained pattern. As to the news events of the day, certainly life on planet earth is getting worse for all nations, in all regions, for all peoples. Peace and prosperity are ever more elusive even for wealthy, established, super powers.
One leading proponent of the Blood Moons 2014/2015 theory indicated that something dramatic would happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and will impact the world. Emphasizing the rise of ISIS, the Iran nuclear deal, the persistent hostility between Israel and Hamas, the rise of terrorist activity, the rise of anti-Semitism within Europe; all these events it is believed have something to do with the Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015.
Such observations, such comments are simplistic, general and obvious, after the fact, evident to anyone who watches the news. No surprise! What events in the Middle East, especially at the hands of Arab Muslim nations or terrorist groups, have not affected the nation of Israel over the past 67 years?
The future can only reveal the outcome to these latest new events. Will these current events be a harbinger of the return of Christ and the Day of the Lord? Will these events be the impetus behind the demise and then salvation of the nation of Israel? Or are they just simply more evidence of what Jesus Christ said in general, will happen across the world as His second coming draws near? “And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you be not troubled: for all these must come to pass and the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom … all these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:6-8).
As part of these beginning of sorrows events, economic global collapse will produce famines and epidemic diseases so great that modern medical intervention will not be able to quell the mass deaths to follow. Jesus Christ revealed the events that must happen prior to the time when all the inhabitants of the earth will witness the real blood moon; a singular, momentous celestial event, a one-time only blood moon as described in the Bible.
Notice what must happen before the real blood moon. “For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved … Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light …” (Matthew 24:21, 22, 29).
This tribulation, of which Christ speaks, is a significant event, a global game changer! A situation, an event that is unique, to happen only once. The book of Jeremiah speaks of this one time only, unique event. Jeremiah 30:6-7 declares, “… I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail (labor pains while giving birth) and all faces are turned into paleness. Alas, for the day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Why will Jacob be saved out of it (having to have to go through it)? Because, as Christ revealed, for the elect’s sake, the days will be shortened (cf. Matthew 24:22). The Hebrew word, from which the English word trouble is translated, is tsarah. The meaning of tsarah is: affliction, distress, anguish, trouble, tribulation.
“Jacob’s trouble,” which Jesus Christ called, “great tribulation,” will directly affect the end time, modern day, 21st century descendants of Jacob. The countries today, in which are the living descendants of Jacob, to whom God has given national blessings and material promises, the nations today that will directly experience Jacob’s trouble and great tribulation are the nations of Great Britain and the United States of America. Brother nations such as Canada, Australia and Scandinavian countries will be encumbered by this tribulation, as well. The world will be shocked to see these two once powerful, world-class, prosperous nations fall to their knees in abject ignominy prior to the occurrence of the real blood moon.
Because of the great national and personal sins of these nations, these modern day descendants of Jacob (sins far too many to list in this article); because of the malicious, immoral and contemptible behaviors all too evident, all too pervasive within these nations today, Jacob’s trouble will fall hard on and affect these nations with cruelty. Because of their sins and complete disrespect for God, these nations will suffer tribulation, Jacob’s trouble – all before the real blood moon.
Jesus Christ promised that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness to all the nations before the end comes (cf. Matthew 24:14), before the real blood moon. The gospel Jesus Christ preached and promises will be preached prior to His return is more than the story of Sunday-go-to-meetin’ Jesus and the goodness of the little Lord Jesus in the manger. The gospel Jesus Christ promised would be preached is more than the contempt and blasphemous disregard for God as preached by Christian churches today. The gospel message that Jesus Christ promises will be a witness to the world is one of repentance and one that promotes the True God. It is a message of a witness and a warning. It is the good news of Jesus Christ returning to this earth to become the world’s King, establishing the Kingdom of God on planet earth. It is a gospel message that will go out to the descendants of Jacob, giving them one last opportunity to repent before “great tribulation” falls upon them. It fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 58:1, “cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins.”
If national repentance does not follow, then after being brought to their knees economically, militarily and politically, the United States of America and Great Britain specifically, will come under nuclear attack in wars and terrorist assaults that will devastate them, destroying one third of their populations and sending millions to gentile nations as indentured servants. Most of the land within these countries will become uninhabitable, drinking waters polluted; food supplies eradicated.
It is after “Jacob’s trouble,” this “great tribulation” that the inhabitants of the earth will then witness the real blood moon of the Bible. Following the tribulation and the moon turning to blood, the remaining prophecies, specifically found in Revelation 16 and 19 will be fulfilled.
Once the fulfillment of these prophecies (and all things which are written may be fulfilled (Luke 21:22)) have been completed then Jesus Christ will step foot on the Mount of Olives (cf. Zechariah 14:4-9). Once Christ has returned, then the modern day nation of Israel, in the Middle East (called in the Bible, the House or Children of Judah) and the descendants of Jacob (called in the Bible the House or Children of Israel- as the names Jacob and Israel are synonymous (cf. Genesis 35:10-11; 49:2)) will be saved physically. The descendants of Jacob will finally know the only true God. Then the prophecy of Luke 1:33 will come to fruition, “and He (Jesus Christ) shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” Then Jesus Christ will save all nations of the earth and will remove the evil, corruption and sin from this world, setting up His government as king over the entire earth, establishing the Laws of God, for all nations to obey (cf. Micah 4:1-4, Zechariah 14:9). Then finally, the world will have peace, as there will be one religion, one God and true knowledge for all nations to live by.
The Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 made for some wonderful pictures and videos. The internet is arrayed with such splendor. However, as for a fulfillment of prophecy, the Four Blood Moons of 2014/2015 did not even come close.
Within the Bible, Jesus Christ reveals what is in store in the near future for all nations, for Europe, and specifically, for the descendants of Jacob. Now you can know with certainty what to look for in the years ahead and you can now understand what was simply obvious folly.
Soon to come will be the real blood moon. The moon will become as blood, a singular momentous event, before Jesus Christ returns. The real blood moon will announce to the world the return of Jesus Christ is near and the calamities, miseries, destruction and evils of this world are soon to end.
God will not allow His people, the descendants of Jacob, the Children of Israel, to enter into their great tribulation without first being warned. Before the soon to come, real blood moon, your responsibility is to watch and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). Your responsibility is to heed God’s warning and repent.
The original of this article can be seen with included links at:
http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/Mark_Wordfroms/manews0172.shtml
