Another blood moon rose over the weekend, fascinating astronomers and sky-gazers worldwide while also charming Christians who see a connection to biblical prophecy.
A blood moon occurs when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting a reddish shadow on the lunar surface during a complete lunar eclipse.
Blood moons — which are simply total lunar eclipses that give the moon a reddish tint — often happen about once every two to a few years at any given location on Earth. Globally, though, they’re a bit more frequent. There are typically around one to a few total lunar eclipses somewhere on this planet every year, but whether you possibly can see one depends upon where you reside.
Sunday’s total lunar eclipse didn’t omit the United States, but as a substitute over parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. (The most up-to-date total lunar eclipse within the U.S. took place in March.)
Many Christians see a tie between blood moons and biblical prophecy, pointing to multiple passages in Scripture in regards to the astronomical event.
Joel 2:31 says of the last days, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the approaching of the good and dreadful day of the LORD.”
Revelation 6:12 says of that point, “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was an ideal earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth product of goat hair, the entire moon turned blood red.”
Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 24:29 of the End Times, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon won’t give its light, and the celebrities will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
The Apostle Peter cited Joel when he said in his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:20), “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the good and sumptuous day.”
Some Christian leaders have found symbolism within the frequency of blood moons.
John Hagee, in his book Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change, argued that a rare sequence of 4 total lunar eclipses in two consecutive years in 2014-15 (a “tetrad”), all occurring around Jewish holy days, was a divine signal of prophetic significance.
“Historically, blood moon tetrads have occurred during some truly world-changing events directly related to Israel,” CBN reported. “Three tetrads stand out over the past millennium, coinciding with major events for the Jewish people. They occurred from 1493-1494, 1949-1950, and 1967-1968. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain after severe persecution, and Christopher Columbus also discovered America, which might eventually grow to be a secure haven for the Jewish people. In 1948, the fashionable state of Israel was reborn as a nation in its original homeland. … Finally, in 1967, Israel recaptured their capital of Jerusalem in the course of the Six-Day War.”
The tetrad, Hagee said, was not coincidental but a part of God’s plan to announce major events concerning Israel and the world.
“The evidence is very clear Scripturally that God controls the sun, moon, and stars – that God is sending us a signal through the sun, the moon, and the celebrities,” Hagee recently told CBN. “The query is, are we listening?”
CBN noted that this month’s blood moon was the second of 4 consecutive heavenly events that might hold prophecy significance, starting with the March 2025 lunar eclipse, continuing with one other one in March 2026, and capping with a complete solar eclipse (not visible within the U.S.) in September 2026.
Other Christian leaders, though, say blood moons are natural phenomena without prophetic meaning.
Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, noted in a 2014 podcast that there have been “a whole lot” of blood moons since the time of Christ.
“They took place so over and over that there are more occasions during which blood moons took place and nothing happened than blood moons took place and something happened,” Mohler said.
Mohler also pushed back against the concept of tetrads playing a job in biblical prophecy.
“There shall be heavenly signs when the Lord returns,” Mohler said. “As a matter of fact, we’re told that the sun and the moon will actually disappear because in the brand new heaven and the brand new Earth, the Father and the Son shall be our lights. …But we will not be told that as Christians we’re alleged to be being attentive to the celebrities or being attentive to the planets or being attentive to the moon. As a matter of fact, we’re alleged to be being attentive to the Word, and we’re alleged to understand that God has revealed all things in His Word. We don’t need the heavens as a billboard during which God is speaking to us because God has told us that He speaks to us in His Word, and the sufficiency of Scripture is undermined by this type of Christian speculation.”
When the skies light up with rare events, it often stirs each awe and speculation—but how can we know when God is really speaking? Are we tuned into His voice, or chasing signs to feel more certain in regards to the unknown? Join the conversation on Crosswalk Forums!
Photo Credit: ©Nick Owuor/Astro Nic Visuals/Unsplash
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of religion and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael’s Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover one of the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so that you never miss an interview that can make sure to encourage your faith.
