Blood Moon Rising 2015
Pastor Dale Morgan
Blood Moon Rising 2015*
Yet Another ''Sure Thing?''
In Defense of the Faith
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Jack Kinsella
My email boxes have been filling up with messages about the Blood Moon
of 2015 and questions about a theory it signals the 2nd Coming of
Christ. The 'Blood Moon' story has also made the rounds of our forums,
some of whom must be getting some of the same emails that I am.
The premise is irresistible; a series of lunar and solar eclipses will
occur during Passover and Succot (Feast of Tabernacles) seven years from
now suggest a date for the Second Coming of Christ.
Mark Blitz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Washington,
notes that the only string of four consecutive blood moons that coincide
with Passover in the spring and the Feast of Tabernacles will take place
between 2014 and 2015 on the standard Gregorian calendar.
It then follows that the Second Coming of Christ will take place at the
end of the Feast of Trumpets -- at the last trump, as it were. Blitz has
put together a very compelling argument:
"The fact that it doesn't happen again in this century I think is very
significant," Biltz explains. "So then I looked at last century, and,
believe it or not, the last time that four blood red moons occurred
together was in 1967 and 1968 tied to Jerusalem recaptured by Israel."
Moreover, according to a WND report, Blitz noted a pattern of blood moon
events that took place in 1948, two others in 1949 and 1950 took place
on Passover and Succot.
According to Blitz (I haven't done the research myself) the last time
that the astronomical phenomenon known as 'tetrads' had taken place
prior to 1948 was back in the 14th century, but "none of those fell on
Passover or Succot," he said.
Pastor Blitz' research makes a compelling case, as I noted earlier:
"You have the religious year beginning with the total solar eclipse, two
weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover, and then the civil year
beginning with the solar eclipse followed two weeks later by another
total blood red moon on the Feast of Succoth all in 2015."
It was so compelling that J.R. Church of 'Prophecy in the News' is
convinced:
"If you think that this is a coincidence, I want you to know that it's
time! There are no more of these for the rest of the century."
I'm somewhat less convinced. Call me a hopeful skeptic.
WND interviewed Jim Bramlett, a former VP at CBN and author of a regular
email newsletter and Hal Lindsey for the column.
Bramlett was very excited about it. After watching a video of Blitz'
interview, Bramlett enthused:
"I have just watched the program two times and do not think I have ever
been more encouraged or excited about the soon return of the Lord!"
Hal, not so much. WND quoted Hal's comments as follows:
"In my 50-something years of studying prophecy, to me the greatest
indication of the time of Christ's return is based around the general
things of prophecies coming together in the same time frame . . . I see
the whole sweep and panorama spinning together in a precise scenario."
What Hal is referring to is the Big Picture -- the one Bible prophecy
actually paints.
I talked with Hal about it the day after he spoke with WND. Hal was
blindsided by the interview; unlike Bramlett, he hadn't heard of Mark
Blitz or his research.
But he and I had discussed the whole theory tying the return of Christ
to the Feast of Tabernacles many times over the years. On the surface,
this does sound a lot like just another 'sure-thing' -- like Edgar
Whisenant's "88 Reasons Why Christ Must Come in 1988" and Harold
Camping's "1994".
The Apostle Peter wrote: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in
the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where
is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2nd
Peter 3:3-4)
I've even had that verse thrown at me in debates with date-setters who
knew for sure they'd calculated the date of the Rapture as the last day
of this year's Succot or the start of Yom Kippur.
But disagreeing is not 'scoffing' and I admit I disagree entirely on
principle -- this is one of the most convincing arguments I've yet run
across -- assuming the research is accurate.
If Blitz' calculations are correct and the 2nd Coming will be during the
Blood Moon Succot of 2015, then that would mean a Pre-Trib Rapture would
have to occur at least seven years earlier.
Assuming the theory that the Rapture and 2nd Coming are symbolically
linked to the Last Trump (Succot) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is
correct, the Rapture MUST take place no later than the conclusion of
this year's Feast of Tabernacles.
(The Second Coming of Christ takes place at the conclusion of the
Tribulation during a blood moon -- "The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day
of the LORD come." [Joel 2:31])
I confess I haven't much of an argument to rebut it, and frankly, I'm
tempted to think that maybe this time, somebody has finally figured it out.
But no matter how hard I try, I cannot make it past the Scripture that
says: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but My Father only."
I've tried to parse that verse and find a way to justify some argument
that will nullify its meaning. Maybe no man knew then -- but what about
now? I can't get there from here.
After all, these aren't the words of an Apostle under Divine Inspiration
concerning the 2nd Coming of the Lord. These are the Words of Jesus
Christ concerning His own coming -- if He isn't THE final Authoritative
Word on the subject, then there isn't one.
I admit that I don't know if Blitz is right. I didn't know if Whisenant
was right until the last trump of 1988, or if Camping was right until
the last trump signaled the conclusion of the 1994 Succot celebration.
Every year, somebody sends me their calculations proving that this
year's Succot is The Last Trump and I don't know if they are right until
after it's sounded and I am still here.
So I don't know if Blitz is right, but what I DO know keeps me from
going off the deep end with them.
I know that when it comes to setting dates, Jesus has been right every
time.