I noticed my Blood Moon Rapture theory critique recently became the top article listed on Google relating to the search terms “Blood Moon Rapture”. This development has led to a big a boost in new visitors to the blog. For newer readers who haven’t heard about the theory, here is a quick summary of what the Blood Moon Rapture theory is:
The Blood Moon Rapture theory (or Red Moon Rapture theory) posits that the Second Coming of Christ is likely going to occur in 2014 or 2015 when there will be four consecutive, total lunar eclipses or a tetrad. These total lunar eclipses will coincide with two major holidays on the Jewish calendar in 2014 and 2015: Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth). Here are the major dates below:
The Next Set of Total Lunar Eclipses that Coincide With Jewish Holiday Periods
- April 15, 2014: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- October 8, 2014: Tishri 14
- April 4, 2015: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- September 28, 2015: Tishri 15: (Sukkoth)
Supporters of this theory believe the Rapture is likely going to take place on one of the days which will have a total lunar eclipse.
There are a few verses in the Bible that describe the moon turning red or into blood just prior to the Rapture.
- Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
- Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
- Rev 6:12 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;
- Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
The Blood Moon theory attracts a lot of proponents because these total lunar eclipses are capable of turning the moon into the color of blood (hence the term “blood moon”). In addition, the fact that these total lunar eclipses will occur on important Jewish holidays makes people wonder if something really important is going on.
In my previous critique I cited my Rapture viewpoint and my viewpoint on our proximity to the End Times as my reason why I did not believe in the theory. Today I want to critique the theory again, but in a far more analytical way using historical and scientific data for those who do not agree with my Rapture position and my viewpoint our proximity to the End Times.
Recent Total Lunar Eclipses that Coincided With Jewish Holiday Periods
- April 24, 1967: Nisan 14
- October 18, 1967: Tishri 14
- April 13, 1968: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- October 6, 1968: Tishri 14
- April 24, 1986: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- October 17, 1986 Tishri 14
- April 4, 1996: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- September 27, 1996: Tishri 14
The dates above suggest we are not guaranteed the Rapture when a total lunar eclipse occurs during a Jewish holiday period. This type of event has taken place several times in the past without anything Earth-shattering taking place.
- Some people might point out that some important events regarding Israel did take place in 1967, but those events did not take place when there was total lunar eclipse.
- Some people might point out that it’s going to be a long time before we have another total lunar eclipse coincide with a Jewish holiday after 2015. The rebuttal I have for that point is: “Where in the Bible does it specifically say that the Rapture must take place at a time of a total lunar eclipse?” Sure the moon’s appearance changes, but a total lunar eclipse isn’t the only thing that can make the moon’s appearance change like that…
Another issue that I have with the Blood Moon Rapture theory is that the upcoming total lunar eclipses are going to have limited visibility across the world. NASA’s maps of who will see these upcoming total lunar eclipse and who will not reveal that large segments of the world’s population will not see each of the upcoming total lunar eclipses during Jewish holiday periods. Here is a brief overview of who will not see the upcoming total lunar eclipses (when you click the links over the day a map should popup in another tab/window on your browser):
April 15, 2014: Nisan 15 (Passover)
- The Middle East, most of Asia, eastern parts of Africa, and most of Europe will be unable to see the total lunar eclipse.
- The Middle East, Europe, and Africa will be unable to see the total lunar eclipse.
- Europe, Africa, and nearly the entire Middle East will be unable to see the total lunar eclipse.
- Most of Asia and all of Australia will be unable to see the total lunar eclipse
NASA’s maps demonstrate that many people won’t see the moon turn “blood red” as a result of a total lunar eclipse. This means that if you believe that the Rapture will take place at a time of a total lunar eclipse you must also accept the idea that there will be people who will be unable to see the moon turn into “blood” at the time of the Rapture. This is a difficult idea for me to accept because Revelation 6:12-17 suggests that everyone on Earth at that time will see the events following the opening of the sixth seal take place:
- Rev 6:12 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;
- Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
- Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
- Rev 6:15 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;
- Rev 6:16 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:
- Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Consequently, I do not believe the change in the moon’s appearance is due to a total lunar eclipse. A total lunar eclipse is unlikely going to be the event that turns the moon’s appearance into “blood” at the time of the sixth seal as billions of people won’t even notice that a total lunar eclipse is taking place…
- Three out of Four of the upcoming total lunar eclipses during Jewish holiday periods won't even be visible to the Middle East. You'd think that people in the Middle East would see the moon turn into "blood" during the sixth seal since that's where much of the action is taking place...
This is probably not my last critique of the Blood Moon Rapture theory because I have a theory of my own about what causes the moon’s appearance to change. I’ll save that topic for another day…
17 comments: (+add yours?)
When revelation says that the sun turns black as sackcloth and the moon red as blood , and the stars fall from the heaven to the earth, it does not sound like a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse only effects the moon, whatever it is that is going to happen is going to effect alot more than just the moon.
Yes, good observation. What I think is going to happen at that time is interconnected.
If one reads Revelation as a chronological book, which I do, the next event after the blood moon is the trumpet judgments. The first four are all about the earth colliding with some heavenly bodies - meteors, asteroid, possibly a comet. This is what no doubt causes the blood moon. One must realize the the information Christ gave in Matt. 24 was incomplete and fill in the gaps between verses using Revelation. Just as the O.T. did not indicate the 2,000 years between the first and second coming, Christ does not tell everything to the disciples that happens between verses 29 and 30 in Matt. 24. They weren't ready to hear it. He saved that for John later on. The trumpet judgments come between those two verses. Christ raptures the harvest in Rev. 14,(notice how it sounds just like in Matt. 24) just before the bowl judgments, which are classified by the host in heaven in chapter 11 as God's wrath, or the time of the dead to be judged and rewarded, and the world to be punished. The mention of God's wrath at the sixth seal is by people on earth out of conjecture, not a pronouncement by the host of heaven as a fact. In chapter 11 we are told the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of the Lord, God's wrath is come, the saints are rewarded, etc. right after the 1260 days of the witnesses, which coincides with the end of the second woe (6th trumpet). That is when God's wrath begins and when Satan's reign ends. Antichrist reigns 42 months - 1260 days, or right up until the bowl judgments, so Christ's reign as supreme King does not begin until Satan's ends. Everything up through then has been Satan's doing with God's permission and cooperation. Christ has redeemed the mortgage on planet earth with the opening of the seventh seal, but His reign does not start until the agreed upon conditions of that last seal have been completely met, which occurs at the last trump (remember this term is used in conjunction with the rapture)or seventh trumpet. Notice that Satan starts with wars, famines, pestilence and martyrdom to try to destroy people, then escalates to trying to literally destroy the planet as well as the people to keep God from fulfilling His promises. God's wrath is 30 days in length, quick and decisive, not long and drawn out. Yes, I know we are not to know the day or the hour of the rapture(he does not say the season - we are to know that). I also did not say that the rapture occurs at the 1260th day, it occurs somewhere around there probably either Rosh haShanah or Yom Kippur, but nobody will know when those days occur at that point, given the change in the heavens and the change in the orbit of the earth (which is prophesied in the O.T.) While the bowl judgments do not go beyond 30 days after the 1260, nowhere are we told on what day they commence after the 1260, which means that there may be a few days gap which keeps us from pinpointing the day of the rapture. That's why Christ keeps telling us to ENDURE TO THE END. It literally is almost the very end. As to the group on the sea of glass that came out of the tribulation - yes, they come out of the tribulation, but notice that it never says that Christ left the scene to go rapture them. They are the rest of the ones that the 5th seal martyrs are told have to be killed as they were. Sorry folks, a LOT of us will be killed.
Revelation is chronological for the most part. The blood moon occurs before the earth is hit with meteors, an asteroid, and possibly a comet in the trumpet judgments. Their approach no doubt causes the blood moon. The rapture is in Rev. 14. It matches Matt. 24. It is right before the bowls which are, according to Rev. 11, God's wrath. This post doesn't allow for much discussion, so I can't explain further.
Sorry for the second post, it said it had refused the first.
Thanks for the comment Connie. You imply that the trumpet judgments are the cause of the Blood Moon, but the Blood Moon is connected with the sixth seal. With a chronological reading of the Book of Revelation it could not be the trumpet judgments that cause it since they occur after the opening of the sixth seal and seventh seal. How do you reconcile that?
I tend to read the Book of Revelation chapters 6 to 11 in mostly chronological order with most of the chapters after Revelation 11 filling in the details given in chapters 6 through 11 (I need to write an article about why I read it this way sometime soon...)
So sorry. Living in a male dominated household if there is one thing I have learned it is that testosterone NEVER understands estrogen no matter how crystal clear estrogen thinks she is being. I should have had one of my sons read that before I posted it to ensure that it was male oriented. Okay. I'll try again. I wrote in the first post that the next event on earth AFTER the blood moon is the trumpet judgments. I think you agree. In the next post I wrote that the blood moon occurs BEFORE the events in the trumpet judgments. Are we still agreed? I think so. Now I will try to elucidate what escaped me before. In a way you are right that I am implying that the trumpet judgments are the cause of the sixth seal, but you misunderstood how that occurs. The OBJECTS CAUSING the trumpet judgments have to approach the earth before they can hit it, correct? A lunar eclipse is caused by an object getting between the sun and the moon. Correct? Normally this is the earth, but as you so correctly pointed out, this is not seen around the entire earth, so therefore a regular blood moon does not fit the bill. I am saying that the objects that will eventually hit the earth will, before they get that close, come between the moon and the sun at some point where the earth as it rotates will see an eclipse of the moon. It will be viewable from everywhere on earth, because it will not be the earth causing it. These same objects may also have the ability to blot out the sun as they get closer, which would make the sun turn dark, as they get in the way of our view of the sun as they approach us. Then, after the blood moon and the sun turning dark as said in the sixth seal, they will hit us in the trumpet judgments. Is that a little more clear? My son just left the house so I couldn't have him proof it. Hope I am a little more clear this time. If not I'll try again.
I understand what you're saying now. You're crystal clear! :) I read your post earlier while I was still half asleep so I'm sorry that you had to write more than you had to! I try my best to understand females. A vast majority of my friends are female... Your theory is very interesting! It's a lot more viable than the Blood Moon/Red Moon theory.
I submit to you that, while we can't be 100% sure, there still may be something to this unusual event yet. See http://learnbibleprophecy.blogspot.com/2011/01/blood-red-moons-and-solar-eclipses-in.html
- Jeffrey R. Camino
Learn Bible Prophecy Ministries
http://www.LearnBibleProphecy.com
Something unusual could happen during that time, but something unusual could happen at any time. However, since there apparently is some precedent for the tetrad to occur near the time of important events there is the potential for something unusual to happen again at that time. It won't be the Rapture though in my opinion.
In my humble opinion it will be the initiation of the events leading to the rebuilding of the temple. This will set in motion the events for the tribulation period and the rapture.
Can you please elaborate what you mean when you say "the initiation of the events leading to the rebuilding of the temple"? Are you thinking about birth pangs when you say "these events"?
Revelation 6:12
“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”…
It’s strange that the supermoon was white in almost everywhere else except the one in Washintong D C ..
It was the supermoon occurence on Saturday. The shade is highly unusual. Plus Japan just had one of the worst earthquakes in history...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Perigee_Moon_19_March_2011_Lincoln_Memorial.jpg
I saw the photo of the reddish moon at the Lincoln Memorial last night and saved it. Plus I saw a photo of it in England http://bit.ly/gXsVP8
I suspect the reddish moon in these pictures is from clouds or smoke in the air.
Wow.... Connie i could not sad it better, have 3 sons and a constant battle on my hand.
Maybe this is the present for me in the last days. :)
We just do not see eye to eye and the female is the small minded stupid person all the time usually no matter what is the subject. My sons are 43, 33 and 19 the youngest. They are all smarter then I, and know more then me, so i was told. Oldest not a believer,and I am a small minded idiot to believe that there is a God! The other 2 is saved but DO NOT CARE which made me realize this is the I don't care generation and keep them in prayer constantly.
God bless
Gabriella
PS. Sorry i speak and write with an accent :)
Thank you for the chuckle. Wow, you have quite a spread of ages there. Between the eldest who isn't saved, and the youngest who is a teenager I can only imagine what you must endure. My one son seems to understand me part of the time, so there are moments when I don't question whether I am speaking English or not. Love the accent. My prayers are with you. Connie
http://www.betemunah.org/4eclipses.html
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