Four blood moons -- let's stop the hype

By Michael Bresciani

To this writer, it is the prophecy buff that causes the most trouble for the serious student of prophecy. Prophecy fills about one third of the entire Bible, but it is a very serious matter and is not open to the hobbyist or the wild speculations of every newbie that decides to jump into the eschatological discipline and make predictions, prognostications and a lot of guesswork.

New movements, cults and those who name dates do the most damage because their utterances and their movements come and go which emboldens the scoffers and disappoints the true believers.

Many years ago a prophetic calling was laid upon my life after years of pastoring. I did not immediately know the significance of that calling until today. And yet, even for that I have long understood that no one prophet, pastor or evangelist can be taken seriously if they are introducing something that is contrary to the scripture.

While some things are more subtle than others, the scripture is quite clear. Here are just a few things that address the hype about the blood moon tetrads and those who espouse their importance.

Rather than create an argument for or against them I would call anyone to use the scripture to interpret the scripture. If one part is overemphasized to the exclusion of another, it is you that have succumbed to an error and you may be involved in a false ministry. Here is a short list, but be sure to do your homework as the Bereans did and check scripture against scripture.

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Ac 17: 10, 11)

• You do not need a prayer shawl, or any other piece of clothing to pray. (Mt 6: 5)
  
  
• The church has not replaced the Jews in God's eyes (Replacement Theology) and one day the remnant of Israel will be saved as God promised.
  
  
• Reducing or eliminating the teachings of the Apostle Paul is a serious error and will not garner God's favor for anyone, but especially as we approach the last and final days of history as we know it.
  
  
• Leading Christians back to the Torah and putting them under the law again is contrary to the grace of God and is to be refused completely – it is a serious mistake not just an excursion that is off by a few degrees. Beware!
  
  
• The blood moon tetrads may have some significance for the Jews, but they are not directly tied to scriptural prophecies. They are astronomical events that can be determined by ordinary science and math. To use them to predict anything is an extravagance bordering on the practice of astrology. Astrological prognostications are forbidden to all believers past, present or future. (De 18: 10-14)
  

The hype generated by the blood red moons has been good for booksellers. In a recent video I watched as one well known preacher spent hours talking up his package of books, CDs and study guides on the blood moons and offered it all at an exorbitant price that made me shudder.

The prophecies of God are not for sale. They are readily available to all in the pages of writ and anyone selling the latest new twist on them may be subject to great scrutiny in the last days, to wit:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2Pet 2: 1-3)

Two final points must be made on the blood moons. Firstly, the blood moon spoken of in scripture which is directly connected to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ could not possibly be the upcoming tetrads for the most obvious reasons.

The blood red moon of Christ's return is accompanied by an earthquake, a total shrouding or blockage of the sun, the complete blocking out of the stars (Joel 3: 15) and is followed by the blowing of trumpets and final judgments. They are not astronomical events that any scientist or astronomer can predict, but are strictly interventional acts of God at an unspecified time in the future. They will be complete with the sign of Christ appearing in the sky for the entire world to see – no passing tetrad here.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mt 24: 29-31)

No one could doubt that Ezekiel's war which sees a great confederated alliance of Russia and Arab nations attacking Israel (unsuccessfully) is not near, but that does not qualify the tetrads as legitimate signs of prophecy.

Secondly, I am aware that not everyone ascribes to the idea that God still has prophets in the scheme of things today. I have heard all the arguments and I have seen both true and false prophets struggling to present themselves and their work, suffice it to say that if you believe in prophets in today's world why would you go to the booksellers, the debaters and the prophecy buffs for an answer to anything? Why wouldn't you go directly to a prophet?

God did not ask me to spend my days trying to convince the world of my calling, he only issued a call to proclaim that he was very soon to return to our beleaguered planet and bring it into a complete and full restoration of his original purpose.

I am not gathering proselytes or disciples and I am not selling anything, but I will not cease to proclaim what I have seen and heard. I am compatriot with Paul in this.

"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1Co 9: 16)

My purpose and all scrutiny from others is covered by another of Paul's sayings and it is my standard, my defense and the course set before me until my feeble life is over, to wit:

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (2Co 4: 5)

For further reading I would suggest an article found on the website 'Now the End Begins' entitled "The Coming 4 Blood Moons Will Likely Not Fulfill Bible Prophecy"

© Michael Bresciani