And the Moon shall be turned into Blood

The prophets Joel and Isaiah along with the disciples Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all foresaw the sun being darkened and the moon being turned into blood.

The moon turns into blood as it passes through the shadow of the earth. Light is fractured through the atmosphere of the earth and the moon appears to be blood red. It is quite a common occurrence. What is uncommon is four consecutive blood moon or something astronomers call a tetrad.

Pastor Mark Biltz discovered that there is still an even more rare event where these tetrads of eclipses fall on biblical feast days of Passover and Tabernacles. Since the time Jesus walked on the earth there have been 7 tetrads that have occurred on the biblical feasts of Passover and Tabernacles two years in a row.

The sixth and seventh of these tetrads occured in the last century. The sixth one was following the establishment of Israel as a nation when a tetrad of blood moons occured (Apr 13, 1949, Oct 7, 1949, Apr 2, 1950, Sept 26, 1950). The seventh tetrad occurred in conjunction with Jerusalem being returned to the hands of the Jews following the six day war of June 1967 (Apr 24, 1967, Oct 18, 1967, Apr 13, 1968, Oct 6, 1968).

Prior to the 1900's no tetrad of eclipses had occured on the biblical feast days in either the 1800's, the 1700's, the 1600's, or the 1500's. You have to go all the way back to 1493 and 1494 the year following the Spainish expultion of the Jews in 1492. This is also the year a Jew named Christopher Columbus discovered America.

So is there another tetrad of blood moons on the horizon that falls on the biblical feast days of Passover and Tabernacle? Just one in the next 500 years! In 2014 and 2015 a tetrad of blood moons will fall on the biblical feasts of Passover and Tabernacles. Then not again until the year 2629 and 2630. What event is on our horizon? Could tribulation be on our horizon, followed by great tribulation?

Jesus pointed to the midpoint of the tribulation as the time when 'antichrist' sets up what Daniel called the "Abomination of Desolation". Jesus tells those in Israel who see this to head for the hills and not to turn back, saying, "Then there shall be 'great tribulation', such as was not since the beginning of the world" (Matthew 24:21). Daniel described the Abomination of Desolation taking place in the middle of the week (or the middle of the seven years). And Jesus refers to the second half of the tribulation after the Abomination of Desolation as 'great tribulation'.

Later in the text Jesus goes back and refers to the first half of the seven years as 'tribulation' while clearly calling the second half of the seven years as 'great tribulation'. This is clearly what He is referencing when He says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days then the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light" (Matthew 24:29).

Could this next tetrad of eclipses on Passover and Tabernacles be pointing to the midpoint of the tribulation? Are we on the at the door of the beginning of Daniel's 70th week where the world will see three and a half years of 'tribulation', then the sun will be darkened and the moon turned to blood, then there shall be 'great tribulation' such as the world has not seen?

Jesus said "Immediately following 'tribulation' the sun would be darkened and the moon not give her light... then all the tribes of the earth mourn (because of 'great tribulation' such as has not been since the beginning of the world)... and then they shall all see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:29-30).

Signs in the Sun Moon and Stars

For the second year in a row on the 1st of Av the earth has experienced a solar eclipse. On July 22, 2009 the most people in the history of the world witnessed this eclipse over the worlds two most populous countries, India and China.

Because the Hebrew calendar begins with a new month and their calendar of months is based on the lunar cycle the dates compared with our calendar do not line up. Last year the first of the three eclipses took place on August 1, 2008, which was the 1st of Av on the Hebrew calendar.

Next year on July 11, 2010 will mark the third year in a row that a solar eclipse will fall on the 1st of Av on the Hebrew calendar. Also notice the paths of each of the eclipses from the far reaches of the northern hemisphere, through the most populous areas near the equator of the earth, and finally through the extreme southern reaches of the southern hemisphere.

It's as if the Lord is calling out to all people from the north to the south. Is the LORD speaking to all the nations of the earth through signs in the heavens? Is great darkness about to come upon the earth in the form of great tribulation, leading to the return of our Lord?

The month of Av is the darkest month on the Hebrew calendar. Especially the date of the 9th of Av. Here is a short list of dark events of the 9th of Av.

Approx 1450 B.C. on the 9th of Av 10 of 12 spies returned with bad report on the promise land and the LORD causes Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

586 B.C. and 70 A.D. both the first and second Jewish Temple are destroyed on the 9th of Av.

1290 A.D. Jews are expelled from England on the 9th of Av.

1492 A.D. Jews are expelled from Spain on the 9th of Av.

1914 A.D. World War I begins on the 9th of Av.

The month of Av is such a time of mourning, the book of Lamentations is read during the month. Is great trouble about to come upon the earth, being foretold in the three eclipses?

These eclipses may be a sign of coming judgment upon Gentile nations. The prophets Isaiah and Joel saw these signs in the heavens prior to the great and terrible day of the LORD, a reference to the seven year tribulation.

Here are just a few passages of warning;

"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:30-31).

Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" (Isaiah 13:9-10).

All four gospel writers reference these same things, Matthew and Mark in their gospels and Luke in Acts, while John records his in the book of Revelation. Are these the signs that are to appear in the Sun, Moon and Stars before the return of the Lord?

The important Dates in the life of Jesus

Over the last few weeks I have laid out the dates for the conception of Jesus through the date when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt and presented himself as King.

Let's review the important dates in the life of Jesus.

Conception 24th of Keslev, Eve of Hanukkah (Festival of Lights), 4 B.C. (See prophesy of Haggai 2:10-18).

Birth 1st of Tishri, Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), Sept. 11, 3 B.C. (See prophesy of Revelation 12:1-2, 5).

Wise men arrive in Bethlehem and present gifts, December 25, 2 B.C. (Confirmed by signs and wonders in the heavens).

Luke reveals that Jesus began His ministry at about 30 years of age, in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar. [Augustus Cesar died in Aug. of 14 A.D.] The 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar would have been from Aug of 28 A.D. through Aug. of 29 A.D. Jesus would have turned 30 in September of 28 A.D. during the beginning of the 15th year of Tiberius Cesar's reign.

Baptism of Jesus, Fall of 28 A.D. most likely three weeks after His birthday as every Jew needed to present himself in Jerusalem for Feast of Tabernacles, Tishri 15-22nd, and after His baptism Jesus was lead to the wilderness for 40 days.

Jesus presented as King, Palm Sunday Nisan 10, 32 A.D. as prophesied by Daniel, the 173,880 day from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (See Daniel 9:24-25, Luke 19:42-44).

Jesus crucified, Nisan 14, 32 A.D. and died at 3:00 p.m. Feast of Passover (Thursday).

Feast of Unleavened Bread, first day of feast is a Sabbath, Friday Nisan 15 (Leviticus 23:6-7).

Nisan 16, Saturday, Jewish Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3).

Nisan 17, Sunday, Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11). Jesus is raised on the third day, becoming the First Fruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). Text of Matthew 28:1 would read in the original Greek; "After the Sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week..." Hence, Jesus is crucified on Thursday, then there are two Sabbaths (Friday and Saturday), then Jesus is raised on the third day, Sunday.

50 days later, when the feast of Pentecost had fully come (Acts 2:1) of 32 A.D. the Holy Spirit is poured out on 120 believers in Jerusalem.

Dec. 4 B.C. - Conception
Sept. 11, 3 B.C. - Birth
Dec. 25, 2 B.C. - Wisemen bring gifts and celebrate 1st Christmas (Jesus is 15 and a half months old)
1 B.C. Jesus turns 2 yrs old and family flees to Egypt
No year ZERO on Calendar
1 A.D. Jesus turns 3 yrs old
10 A.D. Jesus turns 12 yrs old
11 A.D. Passover Jesus is 12 1/2 and Jesus teaches in the temple (Luke 2:41-52)
28 A.D. Jesus turns 30 yrs old is baptized and begins ministry
32 A.D. Jesus would have turned 34 in the Fall but was crucified at 33 1/2 yrs old after a 3 1/2 yr ministry

The Star of Bethlehem Revealed!

The wise men were lead to Jerusalem the capital of Israel by comic signs in the heavens. Three conjunctions between the king star 'Regulus' and the king planet 'Jupiter' where bookended by three conjunctions between the mother planet 'Venus' and the king planet 'Jupiter'.

This first conjunction of Venus and Jupiter took place on August 12, 3 BC, just 33 days prior to the first of three conjunctions between the king planet and the king star on September 14, 3 BC. The distance of separation was just over the width of the moon as it appears in the heavens. This first conjunction appeared in the east in the evening sky.

Ten months later the second conjunction took place in the morning sky appearing in the west from the perspective of the Magi. This conjunction was so close it was impossible for the naked eye to distinguish the two objects. These two planets appeared as one bright star. This close of a conjunction takes place only once every 1.4 million years, not something you see everyday. This second conjunction took place on June 17, 2 BC just 40 days after the third conjunction between the king planet and the king star.

Finally in the east in the evening sky Jupiter came into a third conjunction with Venus in early September of 2 BC. Three conjunctions between the king planet and the king star, bookended by three conjunctions between the mother planet and the king planet and in the middle of all that the closest and brightest conjunction ever! As Jupiter passed Venus in the evening sky in the east, Jupiter began a three and a half month journey across the night sky heading from east to west until it came to a stop over Bethlehem (as seen from Jerusalem) and turned back to the east.

If the Magi had waited until all three conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus plus all the conjunctions between Jupiter and Venus before following the "wandering star", the planet Jupiter from the east to the west, then sometime in the fall of 2 BC they would have headed for Jerusalem in search of the king of the Jews.

The Magi admit that they "saw His star in the east" (Matthew 2:2) and that the star "went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was" (Matthew 2:9). We understand that the signs in the heavens appeared within the last two years of their arrival as Herod ended up killing "all the male children who were in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi" (Matthew 2:16).

This means that signs in the heavens first appeared less than two years earlier. That the star appeared to travel across the heaven from the east then appeared to stop over the city of Bethlehem as viewed from Jerusalem. Jupiter would have ended its 3 1/2 month journey across the heavens in the early morning hours of December 25, 2 BC, standing still in the heavens over Bethlehem.

Jesus would have been 15 and a half months old as He would have been born September 11, 3 BC on the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah of 3 BC as described in Revelation 12:1-2, "A woman clothed with the sun and the moon at her feet and she cried out in pain as to give birth."

Amazingly, although Christmas is incorrectly celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ, on December 25, 2 BC Magi brought gifts to the Child King Jesus making it the first Christmas.

What heavenly signs brought the Magi to Jerusalem?

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him' " (Matthew 2:1-2).

The Magi stated, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." First, question, "Who would come and worship a Jewish King and who are these Magi or wise men? The only people who would come worship a Jewish King are Jews, so these wise men had to be of Jewish decent and I believe they are.

In the second chapter of Daniel, the Jewish prophet who was carried off to Babylon, Daniel is promoted by King Nebuchadnezzar to "chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon" (Daniel 2:48). Daniel who was credited with interpreting dreams and signs in his lifetime was made chief of a group of wise men whose descendants some hundreds of years later would travel the seven hundred miles to herald the Jewish King.

Daniel knew the prophesy from to Torah which says, "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17). But Daniel must have gotten a deeper revelation as to what this star would be, or what to look for, because almost six hundred years passed before wise men headed to Jerusalem, knowing they had seen the star of the birth of a king.

What sign in the heavens brought Magi from the east to Jerusalem? It had to be something that appeared quite normal in the heavens except to these Magi, as Herod asked "them the time the star appeared?" (Matthew 2:7). The star also appeared to transverse the heavens compared to the background stars, then appears to come to a stop, as recorded by Matthew. "And lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was" (Matthew 2:9).

The only star that can wander the heavens and then appear to stop is a planet. In fact the name planet actually means "wandering star". A planet can make such movements through the heavens where it moves through a background of stars then appears to stop and go into another direction. (The is explained by retrograde motion.)

The "king planet" Jupiter circles the circuit of the heavens once every twelve years so a conjunction occurs between the "king planet" Jupiter and the 'king star" Regulus (located in the constellation Leo). Strangely in the fall of 3 BC through the spring of 2 BC this occurred not once but three times. In fact, it appeared as if the "king planet" Jupiter crowned the "king star" Regulus. These three conjunctions must have been the sign or at least part of the sign that the wise men were looking for.

The first of the three conjunctions occurred on September 14, 3BC followed by two more, one on February 18, 2 BC and lastly on May 8, 2 BC. Next time I want to examine the other sign in the heavens between the king planet and the mother planet that also occurred three time and must have sent the wise men on their way for a rendezvous with the toddler king Jesus.

A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, she gave birth to a Son!

The Prophet Haggai gives us a prophesy concerning the date of conception of Messiah Jesus. But it is John the revelator who gives us the description of the signs in the heavens that appeared at the time Jesus was born.

"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth... And she gave birth to a Son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne" (Revelation 12:1-2, 5).

On the fourth day of creation, "God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day (the Sun), and the lesser light to govern the night (the Moon); He made stars also" (Genesis 1:16).

"God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them (the Sun, Moon and stars) be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years" (Genesis 1:14).

The Sun, Moon, and stars are to be for signs and seasons. The Hebrew word here for signs is a sign as to an appearing or a coming. While the Hebrew word for seasons means an appointed time. So the Sun, Moon and stars are for signs of an appearing or coming at an appointed time.

Hence, "When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). The Lord has revealed these signs of His birth hidden in the Book of Revelation. Let walk through the signs described by John and then answer the question of when did this sign take place?

First, it is a sign that appeared in heaven, the second heaven which holds the Sun, Moon, and stars. The sign is a woman clothed with the sun. We know this set of stars as Virgo the virgin. The virgin is holding a branch in one hand and an ear of corn in the other. The LORD put a picture of the virgin Mary in the heavens. The brightest star in the constellation Virgo is Al Zimach or Tsemech in the Hebrew both hold the meaning of the branch.

[As a side note: the Hebrew word Tsemech (Strong's number 6780) appears four different times in the Old Testament each in reference to Messiah the Branch. (Isaiah 4:2 the Branch of the LORD; Jeremiah 23:5 the Branch will reign as King; Zechariah 3:8 My servant the Branch; Zechariah 6:2 A man whose name is Branch) Each of these point to the four gospels; Matthew, Messiah is King; Mark; Messiah the servant; Luke, Messiah the man; John, Messiah is God.]

This great sign of a woman clothed with the sun happens once a year during the Hebrew month of Tishri or on our calendars between latter part of August and the first half of September. We know from Isaiah 40:26 that the Lord knows each of these stars by name and not one of these stars or constellations is out of place.

Secondly, the moon is at the feet of the woman while she is clothed with the Sun. This happen only one day a year. The sign would take place as the sun sets below the horizon and a crescent moon appears. The sighting of the new crescent moon would begin a new month and in this month a new year. The 1st of Tishri is celebrated as the "Feast of Trumpets" or Rosh Hashanah the Head of the Year.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with the blowing of trumpets which were also used to herald a new king. This is also by Jewish tradition the anniversary of the date that the first adam was created. So isn't it fitting that the last adam would be born on the same date.

"So also it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit... The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47).

Although Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the Head of the Year, it is actually the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. Meaning that conception took place, according to Haggai on the ninth month and the twenty-fourth day and birth some 271 days later on the first day of the seventh month.

Amazingly the Hebrew word for pregnancy or conception, Herayown, has a gematria of 271. (Gematria just means the numberical value which each Hebrew letter has added together to a total.) In this case, Herayown (Strongs Number 2032), is spelled in Hebrew, Hey, Resh, Yod, Vav, Nun each having numerical values of 5, 200, 10, 6, and 50 respectively, which add up to 271. The conception of the Hebrew Messiah on the 24th of Kislev until His birth on the 1st of Tishri, 271 days later on the Hebrew calendar which 271 is the Gematria of the Hebrew word for conception or pregnancy (probably not a coincidence),

Next time, I will add the signs described in Matthew to those of Haggai and John to come up with a day and year of this great sign, because, remember these signs in the sun, moon and stars are for signs as to an appearing and for seasons as to an appointed time and for days and years (Genesis 1:14).

The desire of all the nations, His conception foretold!

“And the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:7).

The desire of all the nations is none other than the Messiah. Daniel helps to confirm the desire being Jesus when he describes the ‘antichrist’ as not “regarding the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women” (Daniel 11:37). What is the desire of women? The desire of women is the “seed of the woman” who will “bruise the head of the seed of the serpent” (Genesis 3:15). This cosmic war declared in Genesis 3 finding its conclusion in Revelation 20 is between the Devil and his seed and the LORD and the seed of the woman. Jesus is the desire of women because it would be a woman that would carry this special seed and not a man.

The woman turned out to be Mary who was espoused to Joseph although she had not known him ‘physically’. Mary would carry the Son a man-child who scripture reveals is the stone cut out of a mountain without hands (Daniel 2). Jesus is also called in scripture the stone which the builders rejected (Psalm 118).

This stone is tied to the prophet Haggai’s revelation that the Glory of the second temple would be greater than the first, as the desire of all the nations shall come and the Lord shall fill the house with His glory. Haggai later writes, “In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet saying… And now, I pray you, Consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD… Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid Consider it” (Haggai 2:10, 15, 18).

What are we to consider? The Lord tells us to consider three times over four verses, what does He want us to consider? Consider, even from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. Consider from this day onward. Consider thinking about this all when the foundation of this second temple is laid. The foundation is the foundation of a human body. What is the foundation of a human body? Conception!

“Is the seed yet in the barn?” (Haggai 2:19). What seed? The seed of the woman, the desire of women, the desire of all the nations, is that seed yet in the barn? This 24th day of the ninth month the foundation of the second temple is laid as the seed is implanted into a woman named Mary. The Hebrew word for barn is a feminine word which is a temporary abode for seed. What is the temporary abode for seed? A Womb or A Barn.

“Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth; from this day I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19). The vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, none of these has brought forth fruit. These reference to the kings of Israel, the nation of Israel, the priests of Israel, and the witnesses of Israel prospectively and none of these has brought forth fruit, but from this very day I will bless you.

Consider the first coming of our Lord on the eve of the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, the light of the world was conceived in the virgin womb of Mary as the Holy Spirit of God overshadowed her. Consider it, the desire of all women and of all the nations, the seed of a woman, the chief cornerstone, the foundation was laid on the four and twentieth day of the ninth month.