Apparently, the blood moon is supposed to herald the beginning of the End Times according to the book of Joel.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31)
I don't understand the prophecy well enough to know if I should be packing a suitcase...but I do know that the blood moon corresponded with the second night of Passover this year. It may or may not foretell the end of the world, but it is a fitting symbol cast in the night sky as we approach Resurrection Sunday.
On the first Passover, the Jewish people were told to paint the lintels and posts of their front doors with the blood of a sacrificial lamb, and the wrath of the Lord would pass over them. It is a poignant symbol of the sacrificial blood of Jesus, the Messiah and "lamb of God" that would cover our sins, and the wrath of God would pass over us. I was just discussing with my daughter the other day how God uses all creation to show us His message and the truth of His revelation. Seems pretty amazing to me that He sent a blood moon on Passover, don't you think?
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Exodus 12:21-28
Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go
and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the
Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in
the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood
that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house
until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord
will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your
houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you
and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
Matthew 24 (ESV)
ReplyDeleteJesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple
24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The Abomination of Desolation
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.