April 15, 2014
Many Christians believe Tuesday’s rare celestial event known as a “blood moon” is a sign that the End Times are upon us and the return of Christ is near.
The lunar eclipse scheduled to happen after midnight on April 15th will reportedly be the first of four so-called “blood moon eclipses” expected to occur over the next two years.
A “blood moon” occurs when the Earth spins between the sun and the moon. When the Earth aligns with the sun and casts a shadow on the moon, it creates the effect known as a lunar eclipse, where the moon gets darker as the shadow passes; as this happens, the color of the moon changes to a dark rusty red color, hence the name “blood moon.”
Many Christians believe the “blood moon eclipses” are a sign of the “End Times.” CNN notes Christians who draw a divine connection to the celestial event cite the Bible’s Book of Acts, in which God says:
“And I will show wonders in Heaven above and signs in the Earth beneath, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
Raw Story reports John Hagee, pastor of Texas’ Cornerstone Church, has written a book on the phenomenon titled “Blood Moons: Something is About to Change.” He is also airing a live television event on Tuesday to reveal “direct connections between four upcoming blood-moon eclipses and what they portend for Israel and all of humankind.”
During a recent sermon Hagee asked “Is this the end of the age? What is the prophetic significance of the four blood moons?” Hagee went on to explain “I believe that the heavens are God’s billboard, that he has been sending signals to planet Earth. … God is literally screaming at the world, ‘I’m coming soon.”
Michael Stone
Patheos.com