Blood moons: Adding up the evidence

Pastor Mark Biltz, discoverer of the blood moons phenomenon and the author of "Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs," says Christians are being given signs from the heavens.

In Biltz's opinion, the current sequence of four blood moons -- a tetrad -- "is a sign for today's Christians as judgment always begins in the house of God."

"I believe the current blood moons also signal the end of an era," he said.

And Biltz notes there's something else unique about this tetrad: it's convergence with biblical holy days.

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The April 15 event in 2014, for example, happened during Passover. On Oct. 8, 2014, the blood moon occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. Another of the blood moon's occurred during Passover on April 4, 2015. The last will happen on Sept. 28, 2015, another Feast of the Tabernacles.

Historically, a tetrad also occurred in 1493, while the Jews were being expelled from Spain. Another tetrad occurred in 1949, soon after the state of Israel was founded. The last tetrad happened in 1967, during the Six-Day War between Arabs and Israelis.

Biltz discovered what has become the "blood moon phenomenon" back in 2007, researching the correlation between when blood moons fell on feast days and key historical world events. He found the divine link between prophecy, heavenly signs, historical events and when they intersect.

The following chapter excerpted from Biltz's "Blood Moons" details the stunning science behind the signs.

"Blood Moons" chapter 6: The Science of the Signs
By Mark Biltz

The Jewish calendar is more complicated than our Gregorian calendar, but God has a reason for everything He does. There are three heavenly events on which the Jewish calendar is based: the rotation of the earth makes a day, the rotation of the moon around the earth makes a month, and the rotation of the earth around the sun makes a year. (The Gregorian calendar follows the first and third events.) It takes about 29 1⁄2 days for the moon to revolve around the earth and 365 1⁄4 days for the earth to revolve around the sun. The Jewish calendar handles the fractions by using either 29- or 30-day months and either 12- or 13-month years.

Scientifically, you can only have a solar eclipse at a new moon or the first day of a biblical month, and you can only have a total lunar eclipse at a full moon on the fifteenth day of a biblical month. This is why God scheduled some of His divine appointments or feast days at those times. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the seventh month. And both Passover (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) and the Feast of Tabernacles are on the fifteenth of the biblical month. Solar and lunar eclipses are common occurrences for the most part and have no great prophetic significance. However, when they fall on feast days, we should pay close attention, because God is trying to tell us something.

According to NASA, there are three types of lunar eclipses:

1. Penumbral: the moon traverses Earth’s penumbral shadow (it misses Earth’s umbral shadow)

2. Partial: the moon traverses Earth’s penumbral and umbral shadows (it does not pass completely into Earth’s umbra)

3. Total: the moon traverses Earth’s penumbral and umbral shadows (it passes completely into Earth’s umbra)

During the five-millennium period from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 3000, we will experience 12,064 of one of the three types of lunar eclipses, averaging about 2.4 a year. Over a period of five thousand years, from 1999 B.C. to A.D. 3000, there will be a total of 3,479 total lunar eclipses. As you may recall from the introduction, four consecutive total lunar eclipses in a row, without any partial or penumbral eclipses in between, are known as a tetrad.

It is not uncommon for eclipses to fall on feast days since God designed those holidays to fall on days when lunar eclipses would take place. But four total lunar eclipses in a row are not as common as one would believe. Among the 3,479 eclipses over five thousand years, there will only be 142 tetrads. There were 62 tetrads over the last two thousand years. Of these, only eight fell on feast days, with the ninth coming in 2014–2015.

"So, what’s the big deal?" you might ask. Let's look at the significance of the number 9 in Scripture. In his book "Number in Scripture" (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1967, 1980), author E. W. Bullinger explained:

The number nine . . . is the last of the [single] digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

It is akin to the number six, six being the sum of its factors (3 x 3 = 9, and 3 + 3 = 6), and is thus significant of the end of man, and the summation of all man's works.

Nine is, therefore,

The Number of Finality or Judgment . . .

It marks the completeness, the end and issue of all things as to man—the judgment of man and all his works.

It is a factor of 666, which is 9 times 74. . . .

The sum of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet is 4995 (5 x 999). It is stamped, therefore, with the numbers of grace and finality. (p. 235)

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let's look at some of the extremely important eclipses that occurred on biblical holidays in the first century. While there were not four total lunar eclipses in a row, some of the eclipses did happen during very significant feast days in very auspicious years. We know the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. Around eight months before that event, on our October 18 in A.D. 69, there was a partial lunar eclipse on the Feast of Sukkot. A total solar eclipse followed this on Nisan 1, or March 30, in A.D. 70, the beginning of the religious year. Two weeks later, there was a penumbral lunar eclipse on Passover, which fell on April 4. An annular solar eclipse followed this on Rosh Hashanah, our September 23, then another penumbral lunar eclipse on Sukkot, October 8. This is totally verifiable by NASA. But that's not all! Another partial lunar eclipse appeared on Purim the following year, on our March 4 in A.D. 71. A hybrid solar eclipse was seen on Nisan 1, or March 20, followed by another hybrid solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanah, on our September 12! Talk about signs of astronomical proportions happening on the feast days around the destruction of the Temple!

The following chart lays out the time frame around the destruction of the Temple:

Now here is another mindblower. I don't know for sure if anyone can pinpoint the exact year when Yeshua died, but most would put it between A.D. 30 and 33. Astonishingly, in A.D. 32, there was a solar eclipse on Nisan 1, followed by a total lunar eclipse on Passover. Then there was another solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanah, followed by a total lunar eclipse on Sukkot. In A.D. 33, a total solar eclipse again appeared on Nisan 1, followed by a partial lunar eclipse on Passover, an annular solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanah, and another partial lunar eclipse on Sukkot! The odds of the eclipses tied to the feast days in those years are statistically off the charts!

If we are not on the biblical calendar, we lose all the significance of the totally incredible signs God is revealing to us.

Here is a quick synopsis of the sixty-two tetrads that have occurred over the last two thousand years and will occur through A.D. 2100:

There were no tetrads in the first century, but between A.D. 100 and 200 there were three, in the years 162–63, 180–81, and 198–99. Of these three, only the first fell on Passover and Sukkot, respectively.

In the three-hundred-year stretch between A.D. 200 and 500, there was a total of thirteen tetrads, but none of them fell on feast days. There were no tetrads during the next two hundred years.

From A.D. 700 to 800, there were just three tetrads, with one occurring on the Feast of Passover and Sukkot, in A.D. 795–96. The next century, though, showed quite a flurry of tetrads, with a total of eight. Only twice, though, did they occur on feast days: in 842–43 and 860–61.

In 843, the Treaty of Verdun was signed to end the Carolinigian civil war and divide the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms: West Francia, Middle Francia, and East Francia. The Carolingians were tolerant to their Jewish subjects, but the division of the empire adversely affected all the Jews in the realm.

From 900 to 1000, there were six tetrads, but none occurred on the feast days. There were no tetrads for the next three hundred years. Then, from 1300 to 1400, there were six tetrads, but again, none fell on the feast days.

Between 1400 and 1500 there were four tetrads, two of which fell on the feast days: 1428–29 and 1493–94. Interestingly, it was in 1428 that an assembly of Jews in Italy met in Florence to gather funds to give to Pope Martin V in return for his protection. And in 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed an edict to expel all the Jews from Spain. This was a very significant event in Jewish history. As mentioned previously, many believe that Columbus was Jewish, as well as a number of his passengers.

From 1500 to 1600, there were six tetrads, without any appearing on the feast days. Then there were no tetrads for three hundred years. That brings us to modern history.

Between 1900 and 2000 there were five tetrads, but only two occurred on feast days – 1949–50 and 1967–68. These were epic years for the Jewish people, with major prophetic implications. In 1948, Israel became a nation, and then in 1967, the Israelites recaptured Jerusalem. Not only do we have four blood moons in a row, with all four of them falling on feast days, but they also happened at a time when historic prophecies were fulfilled!

In this century, eight tetrads will occur, but the only time they will fall on the feast days is in 2014–15.

The following chart offers a recap of the tetrads since the first century:

Here is a snapshot of some of the columns that I saw when I looked at the NASA website in 2008 for the occurrences of lunar eclipses happening over the next ten years:

The saros cycle is a period of 223 synodic months or a period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours. One synodic month is the time from one new moon to the next new moon. The saros cycle can be used to predict eclipses of the sun and moon. A saros series is made up of three saros cycles. In the following saros cycle chart you will see nine saros cycles, beginning in 1901 on the bottom right and ending in 2045 in the upper left. As you will see, the eclipses visibility moves to the west with each new cycle. When the saros series is complete (after three cycles or about 54 years and 34 days) the eclipses return to approximately the same geographic region.

Much like a giant clock, the saros cycle keeps coming back to its original location. Look at the following chart I made of the saros cycle 137 that includes the total super moon eclipse happening on Sukkot in 2015. Also notice the eighteen-year intervals as mentioned and when they fall on the biblical calendar.

Notice the repeat of the Hebrew months and what month they are on the calendar. You see it looks like a clock ticking by with every generation of around fifty years being a single month. Think of a clock where the months of the year represent each five-minute interval. Using the biblical calendar or God’s time clock, see that we have twelve Hebrew months and twelve divisions on a clock. The month of Tishri was the first month of Creation (Adam was created on the first of Tishri) so it is only appropriate we begin there. The months of Av and Elul are the last two months of the civil calendar.

Everyone asks how close we are to midnight as far as the coming of the LORD. Let’s put it on our Hebrew time clock and see how close we are to Tishri where all the fall feasts that speak of the LORD’s return occur. The Hebrew calendar months are measured from new moon to new moon, which is about 29.53 days or one synodic month. As I mentioned above, 223 synodic months is a saros cycle or 18 years and 11 days. Three saros cycles, or 54 years and a few days over 1 month is a saros series. So let’s also look at our time clock with the sun in the center. It takes twelve months, or one solar year, for the earth to go around the sun. Now, think of the clock where each saros series (three saros cycles, roughly 54 years) represents each five-minute interval.

Now that you see how the cycles of the moon are like a clock ticking down, let’s add the time periods for the saros series. Remember that Creation happened in the month of Tishri. That is why it is the first month on our clock. If you begin counting the generations from the time of creation,

you end up with the generation from 1354 to 1408 falling in the saros series in the month of Tishri (or from midnight to one o’clock). Notice that the generational time period, from 1894 to 1948, falls in the month of Av. As you recall, the month of Av is the month of the destruction of the Temple being destroyed twice even on the same day. Av speaks of judgment. The generation from 1894 to 1948 was a generation of judgment. During that time, we had the two most destructive wars the world had ever seen: World War I and World War II. The next month is the month of Elul. Elul is known as the month of return. Often after judgment we return back to God. What happened during the time period from 1948 to the year 2002? Israel returned back to her land and Jerusalem returned into Jewish hands. This leads us to the next generation. The generation from 2002 to 2056 will be the generation where the month of Tishri will be fulfilled! The fall feasts and the return of the Messiah will happen in this generation!

From Joel 2:31, we understand that the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. This is an exciting correlation between the signs in the heavens that God said He would use and His calendar that He created for us to use as His decoder! This way we know it is not a random occurrence but a godly appointment!

While contemplating these lunar eclipses I realized that the Bible also said there would be a sign in the sun! So back I raced to the NASA website specifically looking at the year 2015. Here is what I found:

As you can see, in 2015 we have a total solar eclipse on March 20 followed by a partial solar eclipse on September 13. But I hope that you are asking yourself right now the same question that I did, "But when do they fall on the Biblical calendar?"

The total solar eclipse—March 20, 2015—is on Nisan 1; the very beginning of the religious year and the very day the fire fell from heaven and lit the altar at the dedication of Moses’ tabernacle! Following that, there will be a partial solar eclipse on September 13, 2015, which is on Rosh Hashanah. After that, just two weeks later, there will be a total lunar eclipse on Sukkot! This just rocks!

In summary, we have had only eight tetrads in the last two thousand years that fell on the feast days. Major prophetic events have occurred on or around the last three tetrads over the past five hundred years. The ninth tetrad starts on Passover in 2014. Have you ever heard of a supermoon? The distance of the moon from the Earth varies throughout the month and year. Since the moon orbits the earth in an elliptical pattern, sometimes it is closer to the earth than others. When it is closest to the earth at the full moon stage, it is referred to as super full moon or supermoon.

The odds of a full moon are about 1 in 29. The odds of a lunar eclipse are about 1 in 110. The odds of a supermoon occurrence are about 1 in 6,570. The odds of a supermoon during a lunar eclipse are, well, astronomical. Now think about this. What are the odds of having this super blood moon also falling on the Feast of Tabernacles! This is beyond coincidence. Now think about having this super blood moon, the largest of the year, falling on the Feast of Tabernacles, and being seen in Jerusalem while everyone is outside in their sukkahs looking up to the heavens. This is what is going to happen on the Feast of Tabernacles in 2015. Can you imagine what it will be like for the Jewish people in Israel sitting in their sukkahs on the first night of the Feast of Tabernacles and there is this super blood moon overhead? Don’t you think God is trying to speak to us? This is equivalent to a prophetic grand slam homerun. The heavens are shouting, “Hello! Is anybody paying attention?”

Coincidence? Maybe. But before you make that your "final answer," read on.