red moon

This book of Genesis, or bere’shyt the book of beginnings, is an account of the basics, the ground rules, if you

will. How we arrived here, why we arrived here, why the things are the way they are and, much more. The first

chapters of this book chronicle the creation of all things. Contained within this section we find verse 14 and 15

of chapter one 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the

night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the

firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. We see from these verses the reason for the stars and moon and sun are to count time. The sun provides for us a way to count the course of an entire day, and the moon provides a way for us to count an entire month, and together they provide a way to know the seasons and the years.

Verse 15 tells us that the sun and moon “give light upon the earth” which we can take to mean the light we need to see and do, but also the light that creation needs to grow and thrive. Sun light provides the means for many chemical reactions in all living things, and without the sun, all life would cease to exist in a generation or less. And while this is an interesting and profitable area of study, it will lead each who look into it right back to the glory, power, and majesty of our Lord.

Let’s look at the other part of verse 14. Moses tells us that the first and most important reason the sun and moon and stars are in the heavens are for signs. What does that mean? It is the Hebrew word transliterated from oth, and means a signal or flag or beacon, the GPS of the day if you will. It is a token, or covenant, and is the same word used to describe the “mark” the Lord placed on Cain that he would not be killed. The same word is used to describe to Noah the reason for the rainbow, “a covenant betwixt me (the Lord) and the earth”, circumcision is the oth “betwixt thee and me”. A sign is something the Lord will do or ask, that we may remember Him and his promise.

The Hebrew word translated “seasons” is moade, meaning appointment. This word appointment is also the word used in Scripture to describe the 7 Jewish Feasts. In other words, God is making a covenant to meet us at an appointment, and the software system He is using to remind us of these appointments are the stars and planets ever standing guard above us day and night.

When viewed in those terms we can only imagine that those of His people who desired a close relationship with the Lord would tend to keep an eye on the lights in the heavens. Indeed, we know that His people used the Mazzoroth, (Job 38:32 KJV an awesome study for another time), or the constellations, to tell the story of God from creation to redemption by using the 12 constellations to tell the entire story of the Bible; Satan then corrupted the Mazzoroth and it became known as astrology. And of course we remember “that the heavens declare the glory of God …” Psalm 19:1, not just in the Old Testament, but it is just as true now.

We can remember that the death of Jesus was accompanied by an eclipse, the Star of Bethlehem leading the magi to Jerusalem , the rainbow of Noah, Hezekiah and the reversal of the sun, Joshua and the targeted hail stones, and others who all experienced unusual astronomical events. Luke 21:25 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; All through the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and in many other places in Scripture the stars, moon, and sun are featured prominently and carry deep meanings.

We know from secular world history that events in the heavens were watched very closely and with great wonder and often great terror. Events in the sky were given great authority over the condition and future of man. Often events in the sky were followed by events on the earth and the people of earth, who did not know, or who had rejected the Lord, often worshipped the stars, sun, and the moon. Have you ever considered just how odd that really is? Today, we experience the same phenomena in the skies, but think little if anything about them. It is cool to see a nice eclipse or a shooting star, but few of us will even stay awake to see one. These events certainly don’t guide our lives or choices.

I suppose most of us like to think that man was far more superstitious many years ago, and without question they certainly did not have the equipment we now have to investigate these events. Without telescopes, microscopes, lasers, computers or cameras, we like to believe they were without knowledge of these things. They did not have 600 channels, cell phones, the internet, and iPad’s in their lives. We like to believe, they must have been ruled only by emotions and tradition. We prefer to think of them as an uninformed and an uneducated lot, to be sure. Primitive people who could be terrified of something as explainable and common as an eclipse. We can explain the things we see in the sky and feel no danger from those events. Even children today are not afraid of the sun disappearing or a star falling, but could we be missing something? Perhaps, something very important?

Consider with me for just a moment if you will, a possible different explanation. Almost exactly 6,000 years ago Elohyeem, which is the plural (plural … really, how many God’s are there? yes, another great study, but for another time) of the Hebrew word Eloah for God or deity. This God the Bible records, bara or created out of nothing that existed before, all the heavens and the earth, and all that is in or on them. God created man and already knew that some men would not follow hard after God. God told this man He created that He was going to tell the story and relay instructions, through the stars and the sun and the moon and he and his children should pay attention to these oth, or signs, in the sky. These signs in the sky would serve as tokens or beacons of their relationship.

As time went by man thrived and multiplied, and some did not follow after the Lord. Oh, they probably knew the histories and the teachings, but they stopped having real meaning in their lives, and those signs in the sky soon became as stories or fables to them. As God challenged them to return to fellowship, He would often send, as He promised, signs in the sky. These signs often came to these people, as precursors of terrible events coming, or as reminders of their needed correction. These who had walked away knew that something was different in the Heavens but did not know what it meant and became afraid, for often enough something did happen after a cosmological event of some sort, and they came to regard changes in the heavens with great fear.

They (whoever they are) say that the engineering expertise and ability to build the great pyramids to the tolerances and sizes they are, does not exist today, an example of information lost. Certainly between union contracts, OSHA requirements, government red tape, and environmental sensitivities, they couldn’t be built today - but I digress. In the United States all government ships are the USS …. This of course stands for United States Ship, in Brittan it is HMS… His Majesties Ship, in Japan all ships are called “MARU …” few Japanese know or remember Maru is the ancient Japanese transliteration of Noah. Just as the Chinese pictograph for boat is a flat raft like structure with 8 people on it. Many American Indian tribes, the Aborigines of Australia, and other groups all over the earth have stories about a great flood, being saved by a boat, taking animals along, rainbows, and such. Next to the grave of Mohammad in Mecca is an empty tomb, with the name Jesus on it, they are waiting for Him. This is all what scholars call Information lost and we could do this all day, but the point is, it does not take more than a few generations of not following after the true and living God, for the teachings to remain, but the reasons for them are lost. I think that is why non believers of days gone by were often terrified of changes in the Heavens. Is it possible that Adam had the “cheat sheet” from God and actually knew what these things in the sky might mean, he passed it down to Cain and Seth but all too soon, most had forgotten the information, along with forgetting the Lord.

Man has, in the last 6,000 years, forgotten completely what God said about the signs He would send. Virtually, all man has for almost all time, associated these signs with bad things, and indeed I believe they might be warnings, but less about punishment and more about communicating – something happens in the heavens to confirm that the things happening on earth are a message from God.

We know that when Christ rode into Jerusalem to be proclaimed king, His hour had finally come, and the people missed it, Jesus wept, that they had missed “this thy day” Luke 19:42-44 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Jesus held His people accountable to know that this was the day Daniel had spoken about, and because they had missed it they would be blind to the things of God. They would be blind to the signs or tokens God would give them, and there was a punishment associated with this national forgetfulness.

There are many things that National Israel was, and continues to be, but foremost among them is that many remain blind with regard to the identity of the true and living God, just as Jesus promised at His “triumphal entry”. We know this condition will end, and we have a good idea what will bring this national blindness to that end (yes, another great study for another time) but for now we know many of His people are blind to Him and His signs. I might suggest that this blindness, both before and after Jesus came, is the main reason behind the terror associated with signs in the sky. His people knew these things were from God, but did not know what they meant, and being aware of their own sinfulness, they became terrified (rightly) that judgment was coming. Today, people are no longer aware that God sends signs in the sky and are much less aware even of their sinful condition and need for salvation. Thus they do not fear the signs God sends in the sky, nor associate thing happening on earth with signs in the heavens. This does not mean He stopped sending them, it only means most have stopped receiving them.

On April 15th of 2014 there will be a total eclipse of the moon (also sometimes called a Blood Moon because the moon sometimes appears blood red due to the way the light refracts in the Earth’s atmosphere). That day also happens to be Passover. On October 8th of 2014 there will be another total eclipse of the moon, that day also happens to be the Feast of Tabernacles. On April 4th of 2015 there will be another total eclipse of the moon, that day also happens to be Passover. On September 28th of 2015 there will be another total eclipse of the moon, that day also happens to be the feast of Tabernacles.

When there are four total lunar eclipses in a row that is called a lunar tetrad and is a somewhat unusual occurrence, happening maybe once every few decades, but when this tetrad falls exactly on Jewish feasts that is an extremely uncommon event and might be considered a sign in the heavens per Genesis 1:14. This has happened before however, in fact, it has happened at least five times. One such lunar tetrad to fall exactly on the Jewish feast days was in 33/34 AD. April 6th of 33 AD the day Jesus was crucified, the next feasts of Tabernacles, the next Passover and the next Tabernacles were accompanied by total lunar eclipses.

Another came in 1492/3, what happened in 1493? Christopher Columbus discovered America! He actually left Spain in July of 1492 and thus goes the rhyme but it took several months for the voyage and … well, he never did really get to America, but that is another story. I believe God was telling His people of a great disaster. On March 31st of 1492 the “joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain” issued the Alhambra Decree ordering all Jews (Hebrews, actually) out of Spain by July 31st of 1492, which by the way, on the Hebrew calendar is the 9th of Av a national day of mourning to the Jews, a day when bad things seem to happen to National Israel. The next Passover, Tabernacles, Passover, and Tabernacles happened on total lunar eclipses – Blood Moons. The punishment of not obeying this decree to leave Spain was death. Many thousands of Hebrews were put to death during the span of this tetrad, and some even believe that Columbus was part Hebrew, which is why he had to leave when he did.

Another lunar tetrad to fall exactly on Jewish feast days was in 1948/49, what happened on May 14th 1948? Israel became a nation again fulfilling all sorts of scripture (say it with me ... a great study, but for another time). While that was a great thing, I think God might have been telling His people that once again there would be war with them, and on May 15th 1948, the day after David ben-Gurion announced the new State of Israel was open and accepting immigration from Jews anywhere on Earth, and the children of Edom, that is Ishmael and Esau, (another awesome study) Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia invaded Israel. More than 6,000 Jews died but God won a great victory for His people.

Just 19 years later another lunar tetrad to fall exactly on Jewish feast days happened in 1967/8, what happened in 1967? Yep, war with the Jews. On June 4th of 1967 once again the children of Edom, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and others massed several hundred thousand troops on the borders with Israel and threatened “to push Israel in to the sea”. On June 5th Israel preemptively attacked first the Egyptian air force followed by the air forces of Jordan and Syria and in 6 days the Lord had won another huge battle for His people.

It would seem that each time God’s chosen people (Another great study on who really are God’s chosen) face a major tribulation and the Lord Himself sends a sign in the heavens that He is still on the throne. While these tribulations are certainly motivated by Satan and perpetrated by men, they do not come as a shock to God. As the Scripture says “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Mat 24:6) and Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Mat 18:7). God will always confirm His promises to his people not only through His Word and His Spirit but often through the natural world, as well.

Starting on April 15th of 2014 - Passover - the first total lunar eclipse of the next tetrad to fall exactly on the Jewish feast days, will begin. What can we expect? I don’t know, but I am expecting something big, and if history is any guide it will involve a war with National Israel, more than likely involving the children of Edom. It is important to remember that in the past the war with the Jews did not happen AFTER the tetrad was done but in all cases happened just before or early on during the tetrad. If this is really a sign per Genesis 1:14, and if these previous tetrads during Jewish feasts are guides, we might expect something big in Israel possibly before April 15th of 2014 or certainly at least between then and September 28th of 2015.

As all of the signs Jesus described to the disciples in Matthew 24 have happened, or continue to escalate, like earthquakes, tidal waves, ethnic group fighting ethnic group, and other things, I do not see any prophecy left unfulfilled that would stop the opening of the door to the rapture of the Church; I believe it can happen at any moment. That being said, I think we need to carefully re-consider the events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 (you guessed it another great study, but for another time) as having a possible part in this next tetrad. Those chapters have long been identified as describing what seems to be a tactical nuclear battle in the Valley of Megiddo in Israel. I think it is important that we prayerfully consider God’s word regarding the future and be cautious not to “marry the vein” or become too dogmatic, but temper that caution by remembering that Daniel told us that “knowledge would increase” (12:4) at the latter days, and in context Daniel was talking about knowledge of the prophecies and events pertaining to the end times and the return of the Messiah, not necessarily general knowledge.

With Iran so close to having nuclear weapons, most experts think within 6 to 20 months, the current and almost unbelievable instability in Syria, Egypt, Libya, in the Middle East, with all end time prophecies fulfilled, it would be foolish to dismiss all of this out of hand. At the very least, we should be carefully considering what God has for His people and for His Church in the near future. Remember that in the Book of Ezekiel from about chapters 35 to 40 many times and many ways Ezekiel tells the reader that these things he is describing are happening “so the heathen (gentile {Muslim}) will know I am God” and these things are happening “that My Name will be glorified among the people” and that “My people will know that I am God”. In other words there is a purpose to these coming terrible events.

These things described in Ezekiel and other Scriptures are some of the types of things that may precede Jesus’ second coming, and if you are a pre tribber or a mid tribber, His second coming is preceded by the rapture of the church, and today the time seems just about right. All the conditions set out by Jesus Himself in Matthew 24 have been met, the descriptions in Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and other places are in place and identified, and for the most part are without dispute. Remember that the world is still run by Satan; his desire for each of us is death apart from Christ. He can do nothing to stop Jesus and is fully aware of his own future, but with the time left he is actively trying to separate each of us from Jesus, if we are in Jesus. He desires for us to forget about Jesus and he will put any stumbling block possible in our path to do so.

At the same time Jesus is allowing the separating of the sheep from the goats; he is putting each of us in a place where we must choose. His desire is to strengthen the strong believer, encourage the weak believer, and draw the unbeliever. Remember it is His amazing grace that will allow this small “t” tribulation to occur, it will not be some culmination of man’s follies, mother earth becoming fed up with pollution, a crazy conspiracy theory, or boiling anger of the Muslims, but His grace to bring both His people and His church into a strong and saving relationship with Him. What the world will see as a disaster is actually God’s final call to all mankind to follow hard after Him and be saved. He will be offering, through great cataclysm and destruction caused by sinful man following after Satan, one last clear picture of the need for a Messiah, and offering one last time His love for all mankind who are willing to accept.

I believe events we see currently, and have been witnessing for some time, are the birth pains to the final chapter. In the next few years, most of us will be here to see this great and terrible time. There are so many things now happening, and on such a great scale, and in so many places we are almost unable to comprehend it all. We tend to look at each event separately and come to a conclusion about this or that event, rather than trying to take in the entire view and consider that they may all be connected. As Christians, which literally means “little Christ” or “follower of Christ” it might be productive to examine current events in the light of Biblical prophecy’s about the latter days, and to reevaluate our actions in the face of human tragedy the likes of which have been rarely seen.

God knew each of us from before the foundations of the earth, and He selected each of us to be here today, to be a part of, what I believe, will be the greatest event in the history of all history. I like to believe it is a great honor and opportunity to be selected to be here now. As the world descends ever more quickly, into chaos and sinfulness, as it draws some away from Jesus and closer to Satan. We will each have many opportunities to be steady, or to panic. The world will be watching and will need Godly people standing firm when everything around them is very literally going to hell in a hand basket. I think that many, perhaps most, people on earth will be looking for answers, looking for that person able to stand strong in the maelstrom. A Christian in full panic mode will not provide any benefit to mankind, or bring any glory to God. It is not an issue of salvation but one of faith. Do you believe that God selected you to be alive today to bring Him glory, and give your neighbor hope? Do you believe that the pain, chaos, death and tribulation that is most certainly coming can be used by God? Or are you praying, like Peter did, that “these things not come to pass.”

To be sure, this coming Tribulation will bring with it great human suffering. Look at your gifts, be ready to use them. Believe that Jesus personally selected you for just such a time as this. Do what you can to help God’s children, all of God’s children - saved or not - in any way the Lord provides, but do not see this as a tragedy. See it for what it is, the last time Jesus will be able to reach out to the unsaved and lost, and He is using you and me. Remember that these things are happening so that all mankind will know that Jesus is Lord, so chose be a part of it. Don’t run away from it. Scripture describes the evil person as someone who does not have a saving relationship with Jesus. They may do terrible acts, they may or may not appear as wonderful loving people, but evil is the same as lost or Godless. The one thing we know for certain right now is the soon to be elected president of the USA will be evil. In that, neither Romney nor Obama seem to have a saving relationship with Jesus. We will not be able to trust the decisions these men make particularly in the area of the Spirit, and this battle described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is most certainly Spiritual. Your rock and anchor will be the Words of Christ and the knowledge of Him and trust in His actions.

My encouragement to you is to embrace all that is coming our way, prepare as you can, pray always for strength and guidance and wisdom. Ask God for the faith to be able to stand strong, to be light and salt to a very dark and tasteless world. Just as in a very dark room even the smallest light can safely guide, each of us will have the opportunity, to become a light in the dark for people who have lost their way, but only if we have faith and trust that God is completely in charge and these events did not take Him by surprise.

We are sanctified, that is we are different than the world, and right now with many Christians that doesn’t really mean much. Sure we say we don’t rent those movies, or speak those words, or use that stuff, but generally we act, think, and do, the same things the unsaved do. I think there will be more to being sanctified, or set apart, in the very near future. Different means we will not be shaken, we will trust the Lord is in control and look forward to the hope of eternity at the feet of Jesus; and that will be VERY different from what the world believes. Are you ready? Are you excited?

Peter said in his first book when showing us what it looks like to be a true follower of Christ, particularly in times of tribulation “if (when) any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (4:11) and that we “will love life” and “will see good days”, (3:10) and the times are coming quickly that will allow us to put these words to use, perhaps more than at any other time since Christ walked the earth. Moses told the people when they feared the Egyptians were coming after them to “fear not, (for God is with you) stand still (don’t panic) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will show you today” (ex 14:13). Be encouraged, be strong, be alert, do not be deceived, be of good faith, and look up, for your redemption draws near.