What is the Blood Moon Prophecy?

The blood moon prophecy refers to a series of beliefs promoted by two Christian pastors, John Hagee and Mark Biltz. According to the ministers, a series of four lunar eclipses (scientifically referred to as a tetrad) which began with the April 2014 eclipse are signs of end times....
The lunar eclipses coincide with Jewish holidays, making the prophecy seem more relevant to Christians. Of the tetrads, the first took place on April 15, 2014. The second total lunar eclipse took place on October 8, 2014. The following year on April 4, 2015 the third lunar eclipse took place. The fourth lunar eclipse took place on September 27, 2015.

Origin of the Blood Moon Prophecy

The Blood Moon Prophecy originates from the writing of Joel in the Holy Bible. Joel, 2:31 states that the Sun will become dark and the Moon will be red, resembling blood on the coming of the Lord. Saint Peter repeated the same phrase on the day of the Pentecost as recorded in the book of Acts. However, according to Peter, the day of the Pentecost was the fulfillment of the prophecy made in the book of Joel. Peter did not refer to a future date when the prophecy would happen. Also in the Bible, the book of Revelation chapter six talks about the prophecy. Great earthquakes occurred upon the opening of the sixth seal and the Sun became dark and the Moon red.

Biltz’s Prediction

Christian pastor Mark Biltz predicted the second coming of Jesus in the year 2008. According to him, the seven years of great tribulation would begin in the fall of 2008. The tribulation period would extend until the fall of the year 2015 when Jesus would come. Biltz outlined that he had received a revelation that the next tetrad would mark the end times. However, the prediction did not come true. This did not deter Biltz from talking about the prophecy. He simply pulled down the article explaining the prophecy from his website but continued to advocate on the spiritual significance of the tetrad.

Hagee’s Prediction

Christian pastor John Hagee further expounded Biltz’s blood moon prediction. He even wrote a book titled Four Blood Moons. The book received immense popularity and became one of the best sellers in 2014. By March 30, 2014, Publishers Weekly rated the book as ninth bestselling paperback. In mid-April 2014, New York Times rated the book as the bestseller in the advice category. Unlike Biltz, Hagee did not identify any specific end times. Instead, he argued that tetrads often coincided with events in Israel’s and Jewish history. Such events were mainly tragic but ended with victory.

Blood Moon Prophecy Critics

The prophecy by Biltz and Hagee stirred immense media attention and criticism. Media fraternities such as USA Today, Earth&Sky, and Washington Post sought answers regarding the prophecies. In response to the critics, Samantha Blake of Christian Today noted that only a handful of Christians considered the eclipse relevant. General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel, Mike Moore, wrote a detailed post rejecting the prophecy by Biltz and Hagee. According to Moore, no relevance lies in the tetrads.