FOR years self-styled prophets have predicted the Blood Moon lunar eclipse in the early hours of Monday will signal an earthquake or devastating apocalypse before the second coming of Christ.
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| Christian prophets have predicted a Blood Moon rapture for years |
But as yesterday ended without such catastrophe, do they still believe the end is upon us?
Pastor Mark Biltz, of Elshaddai Ministries, in Tacoma, Washington, was the first to hit upon the prediction that the last of four Blood Moon eclipses - which happened on Monday morning - was a sign from God the end was upon us after researching it from 2007.
He published the book 'Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs' in March 2014 and speculated mankind was "at the door" before Rapture.
It explained how a 'tetrad' of blood moons, which began on April 15 last year, followed by another red-coloured lunar eclipse on October 8 last year, and a third on April 4 this year, would end on September 28 this year.
The incredible allignments, which have six full moons in between, has only happened a handful of times in the last 2,000 years, with pastor Biltz claiming they all historically coincided with a globally significant event for Israel.
These include the formation of the Jewish state in 1948, the Six-Day War for Jerusalem and even the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492.
His book also said the current tetrad of blood moons about to end conincided with Biblical feasts, with Passover beginning on April 3 - a day before the last blood moon - and September 28 this year marking the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
He said at the time of the book's release: "When I noticed the years these phenomena occurred, my mind began reeling.
"The last two times there were four blood moons in a row, they happened, first, right after Israel became a nation in 1948, and then again when Israel retook Jerusalem in 1967.”
He claimed to be monitoring the frequency of earthquakes, adding: "The number has more than doubled over the last 10 years.
“It was prophesied that there would be earthquakes at increased levels before the return of the Messiah and they were to be likened to birth pangs.
"With the increase in activity and the increase in magnitude I definitely see it as being but another sign along with the signs in the heavens (the last Blood Moon) that we are at the door.
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| John Hagee tells of his Blood Moon prophecy in October 2012 |
"These series of eclipses are truly astronmical, when it comes to sending messages.
"We know when they fall on the feast days God is trying to tell us something."
Fast forward to 2015 and pastor Biltz still maintains it will be earthquakes that summon the Rapture, but the connection between the imminent Blood Moon event and the timing of "the big one" that kicks it all off, appears to have become a bit looser as the date nears.
According to his recent comments we may not yet even be able to see the door, let alone see it open.
In an article for wnd.com last month, he said: "A lot of folks will read articles by writers who misquote me or assume I am saying things I am not.
“You’re saying that a biblically significant event will happen on the very day the eclipses occur,” other folks complain.
"No, I am not."
He said the Blood Moon eclipses are "signs in themselves, as they occur on the feast days," adding if "nothing noteworthy happens", it "just means these are signs of things to come."
Despite writing his book, which took several years on intense research, Pastor Biltz said: "Too many Christians waste so much time trying to determine when the rapture is going to take place that they get absolutely nothing done for the kingdom.
"There are no extra points for being right. And if you are wrong, it doesn’t mean you won’t be raised from the dead.
"I would rather be wrong and ready than right and unprepared."
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| John Hagee asks if the audience is ready to meet the Lord |
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| Hagee preached to a huge audience at the superchurch |
Pastor John Hagee, who heads the Cornerstone "superchurch" in San Antonio, Texas, was next to join the Blood Moon bandwagon, but he managed to publish his book Four Blood Moons first, before Pastor Biltz, in October 2013.
In a sermon to hundreds in his Church on October 28 2012, he used powerful language about what the Blood Moon meant.
He said: "is a big sign this is a massive demonstration from the heavens
"It can happen in an instant."
He assured those who were ready to meet God it would really be a time for rejoice.
He added: "When you see it don't go out and take a bottle of Tylenol (painkillers).
"The wars will become more intense and more often before the breakthrough stage which is beyond the ability of speech to express what is going to happen."
Pastor Hagee now appears so unconvinced anything immediate will follow Monday's Blood Moon "in an instant", he has released another potential bestseller - Three Heavens - which explains the dark times we will be in for the rest of 2015 and into 2016 following the Blood Moon "signs."
But he did offer another prediction if the nuclear agreement between Iran and the USA goes ahead.
God uses the Sun, Moon and stars as signs. The question is are we listening?"
Not all Christians are convinced by the predictions, and there are a number of debunking videos online.
Chris White, a YouTube video maker, claims to have exposed just how "out of time" the last Blood Moon events actually were with the events they supposedly coincided with.
He said of the 1492/1493 tetrad: "The Spanish Inquisition started in 1478 and ended 350 years later."
He added: "They have tried to give it credibility by saying it coincided with the ohambra decree being issued on March 31 1492, when they expelled the jews, but the first eclipse did not occur until over a year later and the last eclipse was two years later. Unless saying over a year out is God's prediction way, then this is not a match."
He said the next eclipse was actually in 1949/50, and the closest eclipse to any significant event in the creation of Israel was 10 months after the Six-Day War ended.
Mr White added that there were also two tetrads not close to any significant event that the pastors had "conveniently" left out.
Professor Gary Shogren, a former pastor who studied the New Testament at Aberdeen University, said: "You’ll never go broke predicting the apocalypse".
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