BLOOD MOON TETRAD

Transcription

1 BLOOD MOON TETRAD What is it? Does it mean anything? What is a blood moon? A blood moon is a name for a complete lunar eclipse when the sun s shadow completely blocks the moon s light. A total lunar eclipse can only occur on a full moon. The earth's atmosphere traps the dark blues leaving the red light from the sun to bend and strike the total lunar eclipsed moon. The blood red effect will last for about three hours during a total eclipse. Is this rare? Blood moons are not rare, but what is rare is when they occur in tetrads (groups of four) that fall on the same days as Hebrew Feast days, and also include at least one total solar eclipse. These lunar eclipses coincide with the first of the seven feasts, Passover (Pesach) and the last of the feasts, Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This makes then VERY rare. How rare? The alignment of a blood moon tetrad with the feast days has only happened eight times since the Messiah came. So what? Alignment of significant signs in the heavens on God s ordained feast days should get our attention. The fact that the alignment occurs on the FIRST and the LAST feast days is also significant. The Alpha and Omega - The Aleph and Tau - The First and the Last Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17) Let the Holy Spirit guide your thinking on this and every subject! Why is this important? What do lunar and solar eclipses have to do with God s plan? From the very beginning... Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth ; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Genesis 1:14-16 And let them be for signs... אוה owth Hebrew (in the sense of appearing to come); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: mark, miracle, sign, token And let them be for seasons... מּוד mo ed Hebrew an appointment, a fixed time or season. This word does NOT mean season as we know it, nor does it mean feast as we know it. The word literally means APPOINTED TIME(S). It is the same word used in Leviticus 23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. [ these are my appointed times ]...and days and years,... Both the literal and symbolic passage/process of time. The sun and moon enable us to have a counting system to determine the passage of time. This also assumes God s plan which progresses with the passing of time. (NOTE: The Hebrew day begins and God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on ends at dusk, because of these the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to evening and morning ) divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:17-19 RockofAges.org 1 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

2 So far we know... God created the sun and moon and stars and put them in the heavens for: 1. Signs a way to communicate with His people, to get our attention. We are to be watching. 2. Seasons a way to mark and determine proper feast days, which are more correctly interpreted as appointed times. They are appointed because God has special plans for those days. We are to observe them, and watch for His work on these days. The feast cycle is God s prophetic calendar. 3. Days and years a way to mark passage of time, and God s plan He told us WHY He put them there, and told us WHAT He would do with them...and what to look for. 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 coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Joel 2:30-31 [Peter also quoted this OT passage in his sermon on Pentecost] Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Isaiah 13:9-10 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; Mark 13:24 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12 When the sun is darkened, or is black as sackcloth, we can assume a total SOLAR eclipse. When the moon will not give its light, or becomes like blood, we can assume a total LUNAR eclipse. Chances are high that God would include both of these in His signs. And a tetrad of blood moons, as far as those that pertain to the ordained feast days, will have both signs darkened sun and blood moon. And so, they do... even more rare. Are these signs just a random set of events? There is absolutely NO such thing as randomness in our universe. Science has been searching for any sign of randomness, but they have not found it. EVERYTHING has a pattern or logic. Nothing can be considered random. Are they merely coincidental? Coincidence implies randomness. It does not exist. There is nothing coincidental in our universe. If this is true, then what is the alternative? As the Jewish rabbis say... Coincidence is NOT a Kosher word! There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only special design, a special plan, a pattern of things that is intricately engineered (science has actually proven this). If you have a design and a plan, you have a designer and a planner. GOD is in control of everything! Including the signs in the heavens. He is the ultimate time piece designer, planner and keeper. Our universe is incredibly mathematical and consistent. It keeps perfect time. HE keeps perfect time. Because of this, we can now predict signs in the heavens with great accuracy. Here s what s coming... Back to the feasts... RockofAges.org 2 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

3 What we call Feast Days are not feasts as we understand them. They are divinely appointed times (mo ed, Hebrew). God has plans for these days. That is why they were (and are) to be observed. They are intricately tied to Biblical prophecy. First, we need to understand the Hebrew calendar... The Hebrew Calendar (Basics) Day begins at dusk ( evening and morning... ) Lunar/solar calendar 1st of month always new moon Full moon always 15 th of month Originally twelve 30-day months We now add an intercalalary month about 3 times every 19 years to maintain solar seasons (like our leap year days) Some today believe that because God first intended twelve 30-day months that a prophetic year is still 360 days, not our 365 day years. Opinions vary. God is precise. His word is precise. His promises have been fulfilled throughout history precisely. When we consider prophecy, we must also be precise. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, they should have been waiting with the red carpet. If the Hebrew sages had been watching and calculating God s prophecies through Daniel, they would have known the precise day He would come to Jerusalem and allow Himself to be proclaimed King (it was the ONLY day He allowed that title to be spoken of Him). He came on the 10 th day of Nissan, the day they were to select the Passover lambs, in the precise year prophesied by Daniel. RockofAges.org 3 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

4 These are the seven ordained appointed times (feasts) of God found in Leviticus 23 and Exodus 12 and 13: Notice that there is a full moon on both the FIRST appointed time (Passover) and the LAST appointed time (Tabernacles) in the Feast Cycle. Below is the same diagram showing only the full moons (Passover and Tabernacles) and the NEW moons, Nissan 1 (first of the sacred year) and Tishri 1 (first of the civil year, also Feast of Trumpets) A blood moon (total lunar eclipse) can only happen on a day with a full moon. (if on a feast day, could only be Passover or Tabernacles) A solar eclipse (partial or total) can only happen on a new moon day. (if on a feast day, could only be Trumpets, 1 st of Tishri. Can also occur on any first day of the month, including the new year 1 st of Nissan, or 1 st of Tishri.) Hmmm...do you suppose this is a coincidence? Of course not! God has engineered it precisely this way. Two Calendars? The original Hebrew calendar began in the month of Tishri (Fall, our September or October). Tishri 1 was the first day of the year, and is still thought to be the first day of creation. However, when God gave Moses instructions for the first Passover and preparation to leave Egypt, He gave them this command: Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Exodus 12:1-2 This month when God spoke this command, was the month of Nissan (Spring, March or April). Therefore, God essentially turned the calendar upside down and made the 7 th month (Nissan) the first month, and the former 1 st month (Tishri) the 7 th month (Fall, September of October). He ordained that all the feasts would cycle through the months of Nissan through Tishri. RockofAges.org 4 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

5 Just to make it a little more confusing... The Hebrew people have adopted essentially TWO calendars. They kept the first one with the month of Tishri beginning the year (can be called the old calendar), but also adapted to the second one, with the month of Nissan as the beginning of the year ( new calendar). This is true even today. The calendar beginning in Tishri (the original calendar) is still followed by Jews everywhere, and is called the civil calendar. It is the one that still marks their new year (Rosh HaShanah, literally head of the year ) on Tishri 1. Tishri 1 is also the appointed time (feast) of Trumpets. The other calendar, the one ordained by God to Moses, beginning with the month of Nissan in the spring, is called the sacred or religious calendar. It is observed by orthodox, practicing Jews. So, when does the New Year begin? Today the Jews celebrate their new year on Tishri 1 (Rosh HaShanah), using the old calendar. Yet God ordained the new calendar beginning in the month of Nissan. Nissan 1 was to be the new year. So which is correct? Which one should mark the beginning of the year? Both calendars are used. The calendar beginning in Nissan is considered the spiritual calendar and the beginning of the feast cycle. Nissan 1 is the new year for the appointed times (feasts). But the year beginning in Tishri is still considered the one that is used to mark off the years and still dictates the 7 th (Sabbath) year for the land, and the year of Jubilee. More on this later... So, what do we know about the feasts (appointed times) so far in history (Remember HIS-story = God s plan!) We know His precision is quite extraordinary... There are 7 appointed times... 1 Passover (Pesach) 2 Unleavened Bread (Matzah) 3 Firstfruits (Bikkurim) 4 Weeks (Shavuot) 5 Trumpets (Yom Teruah, literally day of blowing ) 6 Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) 7 Tabernacles (Sukkot) (and the 8 th, Shemini Atzeret, the 8 th day of the feast of Tabernacles, or the last great day... ) PASSOVER (Pesach) The Lamb of God, also called the Passover Lamb, died on a cross on Passover day, at precisely 3 pm in the afternoon the moment of the afternoon sacrifice, when all the lambs were slaughtered in the Temple. As the shofar was blown from the Temple, just outside the city gates the true sacrificial Lamb died, once and for all. Coincidence? Or precise plan? UNLEAVENED BREAD (Matzah) Leaven is a symbol for sin in scripture. Jesus body was first striped then pierced (just like Matzah), and then placed in the tomb before sunset, which marks the next feast Unleavened Bread. It would remain there until He rose again. He is the sinless one who paid the price for our sins the only one who could....unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:24) Coincidence? Or precise plan? RockofAges.org 5 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

6 FIRSTFRUITS (Bikkurim) Firstfruits commemorates the first of the harvest in the spring. It implies there will be more to the harvest. Jesus rose, alive again, on the feast (appointed time) of Firstfruits. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor 15:20) Coincidence? Or precise plan? WEEKS (Shavuot, Pentecost Greek) The feast of weeks ends the counting of the omer a period of 7 weeks plus one day, or 50 days, after Firstfruits. On this day, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in all believers. He manifested Himself with tongues of fire, a mighty wind and powerful preaching by a clumsy fisherman, newly empowered by God. This appointed time marks the beginning of the Church age. Coincidence? Or precise plan? The first four of 7 appointed times have been precisely fulfilled. 1. The Messiah died on Passover 2. He was buried, in the tomb, on Unleavened Bread 3. He arose on Firstfruits 4. The Holy Spirit came on Weeks and the Church was born Coincidence? Or precise plan? Is that enough precision to make us pay attention? What about the rest of the appointed times? The first 4 have been precisely fulfilled with the 1 st coming of our Messiah, and the beginning of the Church Age. 3 feasts are left. If the first 3 foretold and were fulfilled by His 1 st coming, it is likely the last 3 foretell, and will be fulfilled, by His 2 nd coming. Let s get back to our appointed times, and signs... In 2014, we can expect two full lunar eclipses (where the moon will appear as blood ) on the first appointed time in the sacred calendar, Passover, April 15, 2014, and the last feast Tabernacles, October 8, In 2015, we can expect the same appointed times to have the same full lunar eclipses on Passover and Tabernacles, as well as two solar eclipses. The first solar event will be a total eclipse and will occur on the first of the sacred year, Nissan 1. The second solar eclipse will be partial, and will occur on the Feast of Trumpets, which is the first of the civil year (Tishri 1). RockofAges.org 6 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

7 How rare is this? Eight times in 21 centuries, a tetrad has or will occur on Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles C.E. (Common Era, or A.D.) The focus lately is on the history of the last three tetrads and how they relate to Israel but what about the first four tetrads? Understand and remember... God s plan and His Word, and most especially prophecy, are considered JERUSALEM CENTRIC That is, it all revolves around the people and city of God. We can make all sorts of speculations about prophecy, but unless we understand this, it will be meaningless. (It is also important to note that major events of significance to Israel and God s people did not happen ON the appointed dates, but near them. The feast days tend to bracket these events. In many cases, the tetrads seem to follow major events, and do not precede them.) 1: C.E. (Common Era, or A.D.) The Roman Emperor at this time, Marcus Aurelius, was one of the worst emperors for persecution of the Jews. Under his reign, Jews and Christians were martyred in the arenas around the empire. Famine, plague and persecution occurred during and after these eclipses. The Tiber River which flows through the city of Rome flooded in the Spring of 162 AD, killing most animals in Rome and destroying much of the city. Severe famine resulted. In 165 AD a plague broke out, responsible for killing 1/3 of the Roman Empire. 2: Islam is on the rise. Jerusalem was under control of the Islamic Caliphate. From there were Islamic tribal wars in Palestine. Although considered to be within the Jewish Golden Age ( AD) because they were pretty much allowed to exist freely and practice their religion, God s city of Jerusalem was a mess due to Islamic in-fighting. From Charlemagne waged war against Islam, was appointed Emperor of Rome in 800, and re-established some order and peace in Jerusalem. 3: Infighting and wars continued in the so-called Holy Roman Empire. Islam is still on the rise, still attacking cities and attempting to expand their empire. Both of these forces continued persecution of God s people. Some believe this blood moon tetrad was a warning to Rome, which was sacked by the Muslims in 846. Both of these groups, the Roman Catholic Church and the Muslims, have continued to persecute Israel since their appearances in history. It continues today. 4: Christian martyrdom is common in this era, especially in places that are under Muslim control (e.g., Spain, etc.). In 860 what were thought to be early Russians invaded Constantinople (Istanbul) but were repelled. 861 began a period of extreme violence and unrest among the rising Islamic caliphates. This is also early in the period known as the Viking Age, another group of people seeking dominance in the world (including the Middle East), known for their violence. All of these people persecuted Jews and Christians. Interesting note... In some cases, the years of the blood moon tetrads may prove challenging to find specific events tied to these tetrads. Recorded history during these times is scant and incomplete. In every case, however, there is rampant persecution of the Jews and Christians (in some areas), the rise of Islamic power and kingdoms, and the brutalities of the Roman Catholic Church. These tetrads are deliberately spaced, even if they do not immediately seem to point to any major historical events. There is a dramatic and intentional pattern to the number of years between each event. RockofAges.org 7 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

8 For the next 3 tetrads however, the timing is glaringly obvious always brings a certain event to mind, but we don t always fully understand what really happened... 5: In 1492 Columbus sailed for the new world, financed by Queen Isabella of Spain. The same year, following the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, both the Jews and the Muslims were expelled forcefully from Spain. Few know that Columbus carried many fleeing Jews. In 1493 he returned for his second voyage. A temporary homeland for God s people began. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas essentially split the world in half, with eastern lands going to Portugal, and the western lands to Spain. All of the new world (except Brazil) went to Spain. With this tetrad, God marked the calendar and pointed toward the coming nation of the United States, which would soon become a haven for Jews. They did not have their own homeland yet, but God raised up another place of safety for them. In so doing He also raised up a fierce defender of the new nation of Israel...at least until now. This nation is currently on a very dangerous path away from Israel s support. The Abrahamic Covenant is still in effect. It is unconditional, and eternal... I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. Genesis 12:3 Emerging patterns... Throughout history, we see some interesting patterns emerge. The historical events show first difficult times for Israel and God s people and also for God s city Jerusalem. These difficult times are usually then followed by some sort of deliverance, judgment on the enemies of God, or a good time, for God s people. This becomes even more evident in the next tetrads... 6: On May 14 th, Israel proclaimed itself an independent nation. Less than 24 hours later, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the country. Israel's War of Independence began. This war lasted 15 months and took over 6,000 Israeli lives. Israel was attacked on all sides and fronts, and logically should have lost this war quickly. But she didn t. By the grace and will of God, Israel emerged the victor, but lost portions of the land to Arab control. Armistice agreements left the Coastal Plain, Galilee and the Negev as part of the newly re-established Israel. Judea and Samaria (West Bank) came under Jordanian rule, the Gaza Strip under Egypt s administration and the city of Jerusalem was divided. Jordan controlled the eastern part (including the Old City), and Israel controlled the western sector. The first permanent government of Israel took office on January 25, Israel began building her nation and her people, back in their homeland and a sovereign nation again, for the first time in over 2500 years. On May 11, 1949 Israel took its seat as the 59 th member of the United Nations. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. (Ezekiel 36:24) The rebirth of the nation of Israel is perhaps the biggest and brightest sign of God s faithfulness and His eternal plan for Israel, and the entire world. This prophetic marker reminds us that God always does what He says He will do. 7: Since becoming a nation again in 1948, Israel was under constant attack and attempts by Arab neighbors to destroy her. It was no secret that the Muslim mandate was, and is, to destroy Israel completely and wipe her off the map to push her into the sea. Tension and confrontation led to a full-fledged attempt to destroy Israel by Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq (supported by almost every other Arab nation) in June RockofAges.org 8 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

9 However, Israel developed one the best intelligence agencies in the world, and had advance information of the coming attack. Israel ordered a pre-emptive strike, almost completely wiping out Egypt s air force. The entire war lasted only 6 days, which is why it is also called the Six Day War. Once again, by all human odds, Israel should have been destroyed. The world fails to understand that God is sovereign in the affairs of men. Miraculously, not only did Israel win the war, but she also won critical portions of land, including all of Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. The Arabs were enraged by Israel s victory, and today this is referred to as The Setback. So, what about the upcoming eighth set of blood moon tetrads? Do we know what will happen during this cycle? The simple answer... NO! However, there is a lot of speculation out there. Some of it is just plain weird, but some of it is solidly based on scripture and past history. It is worth looking at... However, hang on just a little longer...before we look at some of the things that might/could happen during this blood moon cycle, there are a few other big points we need to think about. There are some more important pieces of the puzzle... 1) Significance of the 8 th 2) The Shemittah Year 3) Yobel (Jubilee) What is special about 8? The upcoming blood moon tetrad is expected to begin on April 15±, It will be the 8 th such tetrad to fall on God s appointed times since the Messiah. So...? In scripture, the meaning of the number 8 is New Beginnings The eighth day was new after God rested. There are 7 days in a week and the 8th day is a new beginning. When the earth was covered with the flood, Noah the eighth person (2 Peter 2:5) stepped out to a new earth and a new order of things. Eight souls (1 Peter 3:20) passed through judgment to the new re-generated world. The first-born was to be given/dedicated to Yahweh on the eighth day (Exodus 22: 29, 30). Circumcision was to be performed on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12), because it was the foreshadowing of the true circumcision of the heart, that which was to be made without hands, even the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. (Colossians 2:11). This is connected with the new creation. Immediately after the yearly 7-feast cycle, after the 7-day period of the final feast (Trumpets) God added another day...shemini ATZERET literally means celebration of the 8 th day. It signals a new beginning. This 8 th day celebration is also called the last great day. The Resurrection of Yeshua is ultimately signified when He rose from the dead on the first day of the week, (Mark 16:9), which is the eighth day. This was a new day, a new beginning, for the entire world. When the Day of the LORD (Yahweh) comes, the old order will be over. The reign of man will be done and the reign of God will begin. This is the ultimate new beginning. It is interesting that the next tetrad is the 8 th. Is this perhaps signaling a new beginning? RockofAges.org 9 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

10 What is the Shemittah (or Shmita)? The Shemittah is the Sabbatical (Sabbath) year for the land, (shmita Hebrew: literally "release"). Agricultural crops were planted and harvested for six years, then the land was given a rest for the 7 th year. Israel did not observe this law for 490 years. This sin actually determined the number of years they would spend exiled in Babylon, out of the land of Israel. God said He would give the land a rest, and counted all the Shemittah years (490 7 = 70 years) and exiled Israel for exactly that amount of time. This Sabbath for the land, however, was more extensive than this. The literal meaning of Shemittah is release. The entire concept of this Sabbath for the land was about release. Release from debt, from work, from sin. It was also called a remission year. When God s remission year came around (the 7 th year), all creditors were to remit any debt owed to them (by fellow Israelites, not by aliens ). All debts were to be relinquished. Also, any indentured servants or slaves were to be freed in this 7 th year. The counting of years for the land begins in the fall, on the old calendar, the first day of the month of Tishri. That day is also the fall feast (appointed time) of Trumpets. The Hebrew word for this day is Yom Teruah, which is literally, the day of blowing. On Tishri 1 this year (September 15 ±, 2014) a new Shemittah Year begins. This fall, a Sabbath year is proclaimed, a year for cancelling debt, a year of rest for the land, a year of freedom from bondage. The alignment of a Shemittah year during this 8 th blood moon tetrad... Coincidence? Remember this, it will have bearing on the speculation of possible events of this tetrad. What is the Yobel (or Yovel)? Yovel (or yobel) (Hebrew (יובל is the year following the end of seven cycles of Shemittah (shmita), or the 50 th year after the 49 year cycle. This is what we call the Jubilee Year, or Year of Jubilee. Basically, this Jubilee year was about the land of Israel returning back to its original apportionment to the tribes (original ownership) as God ordained it. There is still a great deal of debate about whether the Jubilee Year is the 49 th or the 50 th year. The 50 th year was also to be treated as a Sabbath for the land. You are to count seven Shabbats of years, seven times seven years, that is, forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom-Kippur, you are to sound a blast on the shofar; you are to sound the shofar all through your land; and you are to consecrate the fiftieth year, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will be a yovel for you; you will return everyone to the land he owns, and everyone is to return to his family. That fiftieth year will be a yovel for you; in that year you are not to sow, harvest what grows by itself or gather the grapes of untended vines; because it is a yovel. It will be holy for you; whatever the fields produce will be food for all of you. In this year of yovel, every one of you is to return to the land he owns. (Leviticus 25:8-13) The 49-year Shemittah Cycle and the 50-year Yobel Cycle One 7-year cycle, 7 th year is the Shemittah year of release multiply this cycle by 7 = 49 years after the 7 th Shemittah year, proclaim the Year of Yobel (Jubilee) in the 50 th year (on the Day of Atonement) RockofAges.org 10 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

11 Interesting from Wikipedia... The Septuagint rendered the Hebrew yovel as "a trumpet-blast of liberty" (afeseos semasia), and the Vulgate by Latin iobeleus.... the English term Jubilee derives from the Hebrew term yobel (via Latin Jubilaeus), which in turn derives from yobhel, meaning ram; the Jubilee year was announced by a blast on a shofar, [ram's horn], during that year's Yom Kippur. The Year of Jubilee According to many scholars, the year beginning on 1 Tishri in 2014 begins the Shemittah year, which they say is the 7 th in a cycle, or the 49 th year. Thus, the end of that year would herald the Year of Jubilee for the following year. According to scripture, the year of Jubilee was to be announced with a trumpet blast on the Day of Atonement, which would be September 23 ±, (Note: the ± is used deliberately, since calendar dates can be wrong due to the many calendar corrections throughout the ages, but the actual appointed time or feast day is determined by the moon, not the date on a corrected calendar. All the dates stated in this booklet are based on our current calendar, and may be off slightly. The best way to determine the dates is through careful observation of the moon s phases.) Again, coincidence? Is the alignment of this blood moon tetrad with the 7 th Shemittah year and the coming of a Yobel (Jubilee year) coincidence? Remember, as the rabbis say, Coincidence is not a kosher word! CAUTION! There is huge controversy and wide ranging opinions as to the actual Hebrew calendar dates. We must remind that extreme caution is needed when relying upon human wisdom for date-setting. Only God truly knows the date, and whether or not any particular year is considered a Shemittah (Release), or a Yovel (Jubilee) year. Those who advance their particular calendars are absolutely certain they are correct, yet wide disparity exists. While most would proclaim this coming year to be a Shemittah year, only God knows for sure. Perhaps this is what Yeshua meant when He said, But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (Matthew 24:36) He was speaking of His return in glory. OK...Finally...What could happen? Notice we use the word could and not will. Only God has perfect foresight. As we said earlier, there is wild speculation about this upcoming tetrad. We do have some guidelines to use for our speculation... We know... All of the tetrads have occurred around events that have to do with the people of God, and the city of God (Israel, Jerusalem, Jews and Christians) God allowed some terrible times, followed by deliverance/judgment, near tetrads God s timetable revolves around the appointed times (feasts). We also know... There are many prophecies regarding Israel that have not as yet been fulfilled. These prophecies may be a source of potential speculation. RockofAges.org 11 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

12 And, we must also consider that there are some days that are more prevalent in history for Israeli national tragedies... What about Tisha b Av? The 9 th day of the month of Av (5 th month of Hebrew calendar) is a day no one looks forward to. It is a national day of mourning because of the many tragedies that have occurred on this day. We ve spoken of coincidence, but it is quite obvious that coincidence is not even a remote possibility here. This is a short list of just some of the events that have occurred on Tisha b Av Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land, causing that generation to die in the wilderness (Numbers 14) 2. Solomon s Temple (1 st Temple) destroyed (587 BC). 3. Ezra s Temple (including Herod s restoration, 2 nd Temple) destroyed (70 AD) 4. Romans crushed a Jewish revolt under Bar Kochba, killing over 100,000 Jews (132). The Romans plowed the city of Jerusalem under the next year. 5. Pope Urban II declared the first Crusade in which thousands of Jews were killed (1096) 6. Edict of Expulsion, Jews expelled from England (1290) following over 200 years of intense persecution 7. Jews expelled from France (1306) 8. Jews expelled from Spain (1492) 9. Germany entered World War 1 (1914) leading to European upheaval and eventual Holocaust 10. Nazi s approve Final Solution to eliminate Jews (1941). It is estimated that a third of world s Jewish population is captured and killed during this period. 11. Massive deportation of Jews from Warsaw ghetto to Treblinka began (extermination camp) (1942) 12. Jews observe Tisha b Av today to mourn for the 6,000,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust 13. AIMA (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) bombing that killed 85 and injured 300 (1994) 14. Israel s unilateral disengagement from Gaza and some areas of West Bank (Gaza Expulsion) began (2005) Tisha b Av is not a good day for Israel and the Hebrew people! Some speculate we may see another tragic incident on this day either 2014 (August 5 ±), or 2015 (July 25 ±). WHAT event that might be, we have no idea. The following events are possibilities for this coming tetrad. And that is ALL they are possibilities. God may have other plans! Psalm 83 Psalm 83 was written years ago. It states the desire of Israel s enemies (and names territories and peoples that are existing Arab terrorist states) to Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. (v 4) It predicts a huge Arab-Israel war that concludes with a decisive Israeli win, bringing Israel closer to her God-mandated borders, increasing her territory and power in the Middle East. This war would probably be preceded by more terror, bombings, and persecution before Israel retaliated. Gog and Magog Ezekiel Gog and Magog depicts a massive war in the Middle East detailed in the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. This prophecy lists the players (enemies of Israel) by their ancient names. Most scholars agree that these names correspond to Russia (as leader of this invasion) and almost all of the current RockofAges.org 12 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

13 Arab/Islamic enemies of Israel (There is controversy over some of their identities). Ezekiel mentions an alliance of these nations, which has recent current fulfillment as Russia has aligned herself with Arab nations against Israel in the past, and today. These two chapters are incredibly detailed, and read just like an NBC manual of warfare (Nuclear, Biologic, Chemical). Unlike other battles and wars, however, God intervenes big time and defeats Israel s enemies with divine power that is seen by the entire world. These chapters detail an Armageddon type of conflagration. Whatever event it depicts will be world changing. There is a great deal of speculation about this war, its players and its timing. Most believe it will happen prior to the final 7 years of hardship this world will experience (commonly called the Tribulation), others believe it happens at some point within this time, and even others correlate it with the Gog and Magog invasion mentioned in Revelation 20. Most likely these events are not the same. Whatever it is, it will definitely shake up the entire world. Obadiah This shortest book in the Bible contains a powerful prophecy about the destruction of Edom. This is the territory established by Jacob s twin brother Esau. These people came to be known as Edomites. Esau and Jacob were estranged (we all know the story of the pot of stew and birthright) throughout most of their lives, but eventually had a reunion and sort of tentative relationship. Because of Edom s continued siding with Israel s enemies, however, God cursed them. Obadiah contains the reasons and the certainty of God s judgment on Edom. Some believe this prophecy was fulfilled shortly after it was given (difficult to date, but most likely in the BC period, after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC). However, others believe it will also have a secondary fulfillment in end times. Essentially it is about the 4,000 year old feud between the descendants of Israel (Hebrews, Jews), and the descendants of Edom (many Arab peoples). Because of today s situation involving these groups, it is likely Obadiah s prophecy will have another final fulfillment. (Note: Many of the Arab peoples today are descendants of Esau, or the Edomites. Many others are descendents of Ishmael - most of these consider themselves Persians. ) The Destruction of Damascus Isaiah 17 Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.the cities of Aroer* are forsaken;... (*current Jordan, formerly Moabites) This ancient prophecy about the destruction of the city of Damascus has never been fulfilled. Many believe it is possible, even likely, that it is on the near horizon. There is a lot of speculation about this event, even aside from the tetrad speculations. RockofAges.org 13 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

14 The World is Ripe for Fulfillment Any of these prophecies could be on the horizon, perhaps during this current blood moon tetrad. Or, it could be something else entirely. Our current geo-political world is quite ripe to fulfill any or all of these prophecies. Psalm 83 Ezekiel 38 and 39 Obadiah Isaiah 17 And...there are those who say this current tetrad will herald the return of the Messiah, either to catch away the Bride, or to return in judgment. We know the appointed times (feasts) of God have meaning as His prophetic calendar. In addition to watching for potentially big events in Israel, we should also be watching for the final fulfillment of the appointed times. We have already seen the fulfillment of the Spring feasts: 1 Passover: Death of Messiah 2 Unleavened Bread: Burial 3 Firstfruits: Resurrection 4 Weeks (Pentecost): Coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers, beginning of the Church If God has precisely fulfilled the spring feasts, then He will just as precisely fulfill the final 3 Fall feasts. But what events might occur on these days? 5 Trumpets:? 6 Day of Atonement:? 7 Tabernacles:? The first three feasts fulfilled the first coming of the Messiah. The 4 th feast fulfilled the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. It is believed, logically, that the last three feasts (Fall) will fulfill the 2 nd Coming of the Messiah. In the first coming, He came as servant and sacrifice. In the next coming, He will come as King and Judge. As we speculate, we need to consider... What events will occur in the end times prior to the return of the Messiah? What big events are on the horizon to fulfill prophecy, that might be considered to be feast-day fulfillments? What is remaining in God s plan for all mankind that is yet to be fulfilled? We have good evidence that the Millennial Kingdom will fulfill the final feast, the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), found in Zechariah 14. So, what about Trumpets (5 th feast) and the Day of Atonement (6 th feast)? TRUMPETS? In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4 (v13-18), Paul writes: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For RockofAges.org 14 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

15 the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. This event is what has come to be called the Rapture of the Church. Rapture is from the Latin rapturo. The original Greek word is harpazo, which literally means to seize, or snatch away. It is the word that our English has translated caught up. This event is Biblical, and not debatable. The actuality of the event is sure... but the timing of this event is what is in question, and the cause of much controversy and even division among believers. For information purposes only, (it is not our goal to debate the timing of the catching away of the true believing Church in this presentation) there are 4 main positions held regarding this timing issue (all surrounding the 7-period called the Tribulation ): 1. Pre-Tribulation: Belief that the Messiah will come for His believing Church BEFORE (PRE) the events we call the Tribulation (a 7-year period of terror and evil on earth, time period from the book of Daniel, chapter 9, the 70 th week which is a week of years). 2. Mid-Tribulation: Belief that the Messiah will come for His believing Church at the MID-POINT (MID) of the 7-year Tribulation, or 3½ years prior to His second coming in judgment. (Jesus referenced this period as the Great Tribulation ) 3. Post-Tribulation: Belief that the Messiah will come for His believing Church at the END (POST) of the 7-year Tribulation, or just prior to His second coming, in judgment. 4. Pre-Wrath: Belief that the Messiah will come for His believing Church at a point near the end of the Tribulation before God pours our His wrath (some say this is after the 6 th seal of Revelation 6). (Others believe the entire 7-year period of the Tribulation is full of God s wrath.) It seems obvious that we are rapidly approaching this period of time. The signs have been given to us, and they are all present in abundance, and increasing frequency and intensity (see Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). For these reasons, and including an understanding of God s appointed times, there are many today who believe that the catching away of the Body of Christ might happen soon perhaps ON or near a scheduled feast day. Because we do not definitively know how God intends to fulfill His feast days, we can only speculate... The Feast of Trumpets falls on the 1 st day of the month of Tishri in the fall. It is the first of the last three feasts (Fall) yet to be fulfilled. Remember this portion of the rapture scripture passage noted above in 1 Thessalonians 4: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Paul writes: Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This passage is associated with the catching away (rapture), and the change from corruption to incorruption. These references to trumpets are what cause many to believe that the catching away (rapture, removal of the Church) may happen on the Feast of Trumpets, the 5 th feast in the cycle. Removing a huge portion of the population of the earth will certainly qualify as a big event in the end times! As far as what YEAR this may happen is still a matter of speculation. RockofAges.org 15 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

16 DAY OF ATONEMENT? The next appointed time, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn of all the feasts. The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (Hebrew), was the one and only day of the year that the Hebrew High Priest would enter the sacred place of God s dwelling, the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle/Temple, with a blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the nation. Now, and then, those who observe this day are to afflict your souls in other words, understand the gravity of our sinful lives before a completely holy God, be sorrowful and repent of our sins and get right with God. Today, the ten days of awe between Trumpets (Tishri 1) and the Day of Atonement (Tishri 10) are to be used as days of repentance and reflection. Because of the nature and solemnity of this day, many believe that the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the final battle (Armageddon) and the return of the Messiah in judgment and glory. The entire world will see Him. By this time, they will have no excuses before Him. As the book of Revelation tells us (chapter 6), they will flee to the mountains and beg the rocks and hills to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. They would rather do this than fall at the feet of the Messiah and beg forgiveness, receiving His free gift of salvation. It is a very sad testimony to the fact that many will harden their hearts against Him, to the point of being lost forever rather than submit to Him. In speculation, then, many believe: The Feast of Trumpets may be fulfilled by removal of the Church The Day of Atonement may be fulfilled by the literal Second Coming of the Messiah in glory, to judge the whole earth. (Some project other ideas, but these are the most popular... remember it is speculation, based on scriptural interpretations) Therefore...Some are postulating that the catching up of the Church may occur on the Feast of Trumpets either October 2014, or September Others are saying that the Messiah may return on the Day of Atonement either year. And there is one more HUGE thought to consider in all this. Before God judged the earth with a flood, He said this And the LORD [Yahweh] said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3) Many interpret this to mean that mankind s individual lifespan will be around 120 physical years. However, many Hebraic scholars believe this means something else They believe that God is referring to 120 JUBILEE years. Remember that a Jubilee year is the 50 th year after 7 seven-year cycles. 120 X 50 = 6,000 years This is then related to what is often called God s 7,000 year plan, the idea that God has ordained a total of 7,000 years for this current earth. (Don t even get us started on the concept, rather the LIE, of evolution. There is much more hard evidence to support a young earth than there is to support the theory of evolution we could write volumes about that, but that is another topic altogether! And we come from scientific backgrounds!) Some thoughts on this include... Six is the number for man in scripture. It means incomplete. God would allow man to rule for only six millennia. We know there will be a 1,000 year reign of Yeshua on earth, called the Millennium (Revelation 20). Seven means perfectly complete. RockofAges.org 16 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

17 Hence, the 6,000 years (of man s rule ) with another 1,000 years added (God s rule) to this yields 7,000 years. We also know that after this time we will enter into what can be called the eternal state or the universe restored. There is no time in eternity! And, further, many people believe that the year 1967 (when Israel regained control of Jerusalem for the first time in thousands of years) marked the end of the 119 th year or Jubilee cycle, and began the 120 th Jubilee cycle. If that is true, then 2017 may mark the end of the 120 th year, the last of the Jubilee cycles ordained by God for man. This theory postulates that we would begin the last 1,000 years of God s 7,000 year plan The Millennium at that time. Remember that the Jubilee Year is signaled by a blast on the shofar (the ram s horn) on the Day of Atonement (6 th feast, in the fall). It is interesting to note that this time frame is exactly 3 ½ years from the beginning of this blood moon tetrad. Daniel and Revelation refer to a period of time of 1,260 days, or 42 months, or a time, times and half a time. (time = 1 year, times = 2 years, half a time = ½ year) God goes out of His way to make sure we understand that this is a literal period of time that amounts to precisely 3½ years. This is the period Yeshua referenced as the Great Tribulation. Is it possible this time period is about to begin? So, what do we think about all this speculation? We are not saying any of these speculations are right, or wrong. More caution... We again urge caution and care about date setting. Our current calendars, both Hebrew and Gregorian, have endured many corrections over the years. This is why we have used the ± symbol in places. It seems unlikely that man can know the precise year. We DO know the dates of the appointed times because they are dictated by the lunar phases, not calendar dates. A few more thoughts... The idea that the Messiah may return (in judgment) this year or next seems unlikely, since there are a number of prophecies that must be fulfilled prior to His return. Also, what we know of events that take place during that period Jesus called the Great Tribulation would most likely not have time to completely occur in this time period. For this reason, some speculate that those Great Tribulation events, including: the revelation of the final world ruler his declaration that he is god the fulfillment of the abomination of desolation the persecution of the saints, and other events prophesied during these years (to include the 1260 days, 42 months, etc.) all of the judgments prophesied in Revelation (such as the mark of the beast, etc.)...may also be potential events in this time frame. One more thing to throw into the pile of information on these tetrads.as far as we can tell, there are no more scheduled (4 blood moons in a row, aligning with Hebrew feast days) for at least another 300 years (that s as far as we checked!) It is also important to note that there are also many other signs in the heavens right now. Many speculate they are similar to what the magi saw at the time of our Savior s birth. We are currently seeing them in great number, which may indicate the time of His return. But that is a whole other study! We could be here for years RockofAges.org 17 BLOOD MOON TETRADS

18 Any or all (or none!) of the events postulated are POSSIBLE. With God, all things are possible, and we do not have the mind of God. Keep in mind we are SPECULATING... And, perhaps most importantly, keep in mind something else... Date-setting is a sign of false prophecy. Jesus said: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (Matthew 24:36) Be very wary of anyone who sets a date for the return of the Messiah. Yet, Jesus also said, Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Watch therefore... We are to be watching the signs, the times and ourselves. It is often exciting to study end times and watch for the signs, while completely ignoring our own lives and behavior. Are WE right with God, in every way? Do we model Him? Knowing about end times is worthless without living a life that pleases Him. We are not to be caught off-guard when He returns, whether for His Church, or for judgment. We are told the world will be surprised, but we are not to be unaware. We are to watch...and that s what we are doing. We watch, and we wait... Even more amazing...(only the tip of the iceberg!) (Source: galu/eschatology_files/tetrads.pdf NOTE: We know you can t read this graphic well. We only post it here as an example of the incredible study and findings others have made regarding these blood moon tetrads. There is so much more to know and discover about them than we can possibly present here.) Overwhelming... We live in an age where those with computers can study more emerging patterns and details. When we investigate the mathematical and engineered precision of the signs and the events that match them it is almost overwhelming. Even with the most sophisticated computers, and a lifetime of study, we cannot reach the fullness or the bottom of all of it. Many people have been studying other astronomical signs that we know occurred in history, many of which occurred on appointed times days and other historically important dates, including three consecutive total solar eclipses one week prior to the 9 th of Av (traditionally a day of mourning in Israel both Temples, in 586 and 70 AD were destroyed that day) in 2008, 2009, and The four blood moon tetrads are just one such sign of many that our mighty God has been sending us for millennia. An ongoing study... Some of the information coming out of these advanced studies is truly amazing. The gaps of time between these events even have meaning, beyond the scope of our study, and beyond the complete understanding of anyone looking at them. They should inspire us, give us hope and turn us toward our all-knowing and all-loving God. Prophecy is being fulfilled... But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. (Daniel 12:4) While many point to this verse as prophetic of an actual increase in man s knowledge (explosion of technology) and our era of global travel, it is more likely about how we will increase our knowledge of God and His plan, by running to and fro across the pages of scripture. RockofAges.org 18 BLOOD MOON TETRADS