We’ve heard a lot about the series of “blood moons” that will be happening over the next year and a half. But what exactly is a blood moon?
Scientifically speaking, a blood moon is a total eclipse of the moon. This happens when the moon passes into the shadow of the earth so the sun’s rays are not directly hitting it. Because of the earth’s atmosphere, there is some light that still strikes the moon, giving it a red color.
Total lunar eclipses are not as rare as you might think. The moon is completely in the shadow of the earth about once every couple years or so. The last total lunar eclipse was on December 10, 2011. Scientists would say that this is a natural phenomenon that happens quite often (in scientific time). The moon is at least partially eclipsed from 2 to 5 times each year, so there are a lot more partial eclipses worked in there also.
However, a series of four straight total lunar eclipses is very rare indeed. The four blood moons we will witness over the next 18 months (if the Lord tarries) is extremely rare and directly ties in with some important historical events, especially relating to Israel.
First of all, the reason we are posting this article is because Brother Branham plainly recognized signs in the heavens as significant events and signs of the times. Fifty years ago, just before the pope traveled to Jerusalem for the first time to meet with heads of the Orthodox Church, there was a total eclipse of the moon. The prophet recognized the lunar eclipse as a sign of the blacking out of the church. Brother Branham said,
Which, that was the church, the moon is the church, represents the church. And before the church, the shadow of the world crosses the moon. And the shadow of worldlyism, the shadow of worldliness, worldly church, has swept across to blackout the entire Light of the Bible.
Here are a few facts about blood moons and how they relate to current events:
The pope is scheduled to go to Jerusalem next month. His agenda is the same as it was 50 years ago: promote unity among the churches by meeting with the head of the Orthodox Church.
There will be a “tetrad” of lunar eclipses over the next 18 months, starting tonight. A tetrad means that there will be four blood moons in a row. There have been only 12 tetrads in the past 500 years.
The four blood moons over the next 18 months will all fall on Jewish feast days. This has happened only seven times since Christ. The upcoming tetrad will be the eighth.
162-163 A.D.
795-796 A.D.
842-843 A.D.
860-861 A.D.
1493-1494 A.D.
1949-1950 A.D.
1967-1968 A.D.
2014-2015 A.D.
The blood moons fall on these two feast days:
Passover: The Hebrew feast day commemorating the lamb sacrifice in Exodus, where the angel of death passed over Israel while the firstborn in Egypt were slain. It also is the same day that Jesus was crucified. The Passover starts after dusk on the 14th day of the Hebrew month, Nisan, and lasts for seven days. (Nisan is the first month of the Jewish year. Passover usually falls in March or April.)
Passover is the first annual feast.
Sukkot: The Feast of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) begins on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (seventh month of the Jewish calendar, varies from late September to late October). Feast starts on the fifth day of Yom Kippur. The Hebrew word sukkah means “booth or tabernacle,” which is a temporary housing structure covered with a roof of palm leaves or other types of leaves. The feast is intended as a reminder of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and some people sleep there as well.
Sukkot is the seventh, and last, annual feast.
Here is one of the things Brother Branham said about the Feast of Tabernacles:
The feast of tabernacles was the last feast, the seventh feast. We are worshiping now under the feast of the tabernacles, the seventh church age.
Over the past 520 years, each tetrad has occurred at the same time as a significant Jewish event.
1493-1494: 1492 marked the end of the Spanish Inquisition, and all Jews who would not convert to Catholicism were expelled from Spain. Tens of thousands died trying to reach safety. In the same month that Spain issued its edict to expel the Jews, Christopher Columbus receives his orders from the Spanish Crown to explore a rout through the Indies. He discovered the Americas, which became a safe haven of the Jews and has supported the State of Israel until this day. In his diary, Columbus wrote the following:
In the same month in which their Majesties (Ferdinand and Isabella) issued the edict that all Jews should be driven out of the kingdom and its territories, in the same month they gave me the order to undertake with sufficient men my expedition of discovery to the Indies.
Blood moons fell on the following days: Passover (4/2/1493), Sukkot (9/25/1493), Passover (3/22/1494), Sukkot (9/15/1494)
1949-1950: May 11, 1949, the United Nations voted to accept Israel as its 59th member, officially recognizing Israel as a sovereign country. Jews worldwide begin to come back to Israel after being displaced for nearly 2,000 years.
Blood moons fell on the following days: Passover (4/13/1949), Sukkot (10/7/1949), Passover (4/2/1950), Sukkot (9/26/1950)
1967-1968: June 5-10, 1967 Israel defeats three attacking Arab countries in a total of six days, capturing strategic locations along the borders and takes full control of Jerusalem for the first time since the Romans invaded in 63AD.
Blood moons fell on the following days Passover: (4/24/1967), Sukkot (10/18/1967), Passover (4/13/1968), Sukkot (10/6/1968)
2014-2015:
Blood moons will fall on the following days: Passover (4/14/2014), Sukkot (10/8/2014), Passover (4/4/2015), Sukkot (9/28/2015)
We don’t know for sure what these signs in the heavens represent, but we take them as a solemn warning that the Lord Jesus will soon turn His eyes towards Israel and the Bride will be raptured into Glory.
Heavenly Father, take Thy Word, place It in human heart, that they... all the people together, tonight, this little bunch of people out here. We realize, Lord, that we are--we are living in the shadows of His Coming, and the shadows are becoming more positive, year by year. We see the signs appearing, fearful sights. We see in the newspapers and in the magazines. The moon is turning to blood. We hear of earthquakes all around the world, blasting the whole world.
And, now, one day it shook the whole world, when the Son of God was officially turned down and crucified. And now we find out that a great group, called the World Council of Churches, they are officially turned Him out, like they said in the (this) Laodicean Age, "He was on the outside of the church, knocking at the door, trying to get back in." And now we find there was another earthquake who struck this, not the other nations, this nation, shook the whole world; Jesus officially turned out. And He stands begging, tonight, thoroughly identified, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
May the believers see it. May those who are sick see it, Lord. May those here tonight be able to touch His garment, like they did in the days gone by. Heal the sick, and save the lost, we ask in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
64-0617 The Identified Christ Of All Ages