THE UPCOMING LUNAR TETRAD

By now you have probably heard of the soon-to-come blood red moons that will happen during 2014 and 2015.  Actually, blood-red moon occurrences are common.  They are simply a total eclipse of the moon.  The phenomena will become visible when the earth is positioned between the sun and the moon causing the earth’s shadow to cover the moon’s surface.  When that happens, the moon will appear as being blood-red in color when observed in the night sky.

However, this time will be different.  A rare pattern of total eclipses, known as a lunar tetrad, will occur during 2014 and 2015.  In other words, a lunar tetrad is four consecutive blood-red moon events taking place in a relatively short period of time.  That has only happened seven times in the past 2000 years.  The upcoming tetrad will be the eighth.   Incidentally, the number four is symbolic of God’s Creative Works, seven is the biblical number for Completeness, and the number eight signifies New Birth, New Creation, or New Beginnings.

Many people might yawn and say, “So what?  Why is that a big deal?”

 Well, it is a big deal because all seven of the lunar tetrads during the past 2000 years have either fallen on or very near Jewish Feast Days – specifically, “Passover” and “Tabernacles”.  The Jewish Feast Days were established by God as significant appointed times for Israel and the Jewish people.  Historically, Passover has been a time of deliverance or war for Israel.  The Bible teaches that in the last days God will turn His attention toward Israel and the Jewish people that they might fall on their knees in repentance and look to Jesus as Messiah.  That will surely happen in the last days as foretold in Scripture.
 
You might recall reading Genesis 1:14 (KJV) where God provides details about His creation.

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” (emphasis mine)
   
This is what Luke 21:25 (KJV) has to say concerning signs that warn of the last days.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” (emphasis mine)

Blood moons are also spoken of in several scriptures related to the coming Day of the Lord.  Acts 2:20, Joel 2:30-31, and Revelation 6:12 are three of them.

History has recorded that during each of the seven previous tetrads, an event of major proportions has taken place.  They include God-appointed times of both disaster and victory for Israel.  The following is a brief review of what happened during the three most recent lunar tetrads – all occurring on Passover and Tabernacle Feast Days.

The Passover and Tabernacle tetrads of 1493 and 1494:
Huge numbers of Jewish people who had been exiled in Spain for over 1000 years were expelled from that country, ushering in a dark period of time for the Jewish people.

The Passover and Tabernacle tetrads of 1949 and 1950:
Centuries after the Jewish people had been scattered and driven away from their God-given land, they returned as Scripture foretold hundreds of years before.  On May 14, 1948 there was a re-birth of Israel as a sovereign nation, and was recognized as such world-wide.  It happened in a one-day time period exactly as prophesied almost 2500 years earlier.  Then, immediately following her re-birth, Israel was invaded by seemingly overwhelming forces.  However, against all odds, God granted Israel the victory as He has promised to do.

The Passover and Tabernacle tetrads of 1967 and 1968:
In June of 1967 Israel was suddenly attacked by overwhelming forces in what is known as the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War.  The out-numbered Israeli forces soundly defeated her attackers and re-captured Jerusalem.  That great city, the City of God, has been under Israeli possession and control ever since.

The four upcoming consecutive tetrads will happen in April and October 2014, then again in April and September 2015 on Passover and Tabernacle Feast times of both years.  It is also noteworthy that there will be a full eclipse of the sun (blackened sun) in March 2015 – another sign of the last days as foretold in Scripture.

The odds of four blood moons occurring in sequence on those Jewish feast days, and with an eclipse of the sun happening in the middle of the tetrad, is beyond our ability to calculate.  The only logical answer is that it will be a supernatural alignment controlled by the hand of God.
 
So, what major event or events will happen during the years of 2014 and 2015?  Specifically, what will take place with Israel and the Jewish people?   No one can know, but based on the history of tetrads falling on Jewish Feast Days over the past 2000 years, there should be little doubt that something significant will likely take place during that time.

Never before in history have there been so much wide-spread hatred for the Jewish people.  The nations surrounding her are drunk with the mind-set of destroying Israel.  On-going efforts to establish a land-for-peace agreement among peoples with opposing ideologies and motives have been futile.  That part of the world is a tinder box ready to explode at any moment.

If the flames of major war should erupt in the region, the weapons available to them today could have devastating effects – not only there, but world-wide.  World-power nations would not stand idly by, and would likely enter the conflict.  Such action could easily cause WWIII to begin.

Is the tetrad event of 2014 and 2015 a warning from God that such an event is imminent?  Will that be the appointed time for Jesus’ promised appearing in the clouds to remove His church from this earth prior to the world’s “hour of trial” as He described in Revelation 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, John 14:3, and others?  Again, we can not know...but we must be ready, should that happen.
 
The time remaining to get ready has almost passed by.  To get ready we must stop playing church, and stop acting-out Christianity.  The man-made religious rituals, traditions, and good works used in vain attempts to make ourselves more worthy to God must be abandoned. We must toss aside our excuses, our worldly lifestyles, our unbelief, and our lack of faith.  We must turn our eyes toward the One Who knows the beginning and the end, and Who is in control of all things.  Our being ready means that we must have our hearts right with God.

Is your heart right with God?  Are you ready to meet Him?  That day is surely coming for all, perhaps sooner rather than later.

Are you one who, perhaps through wishful thinking, believes that Jesus will not return in your lifetime, or for a hundred years, or even a thousand years, or maybe you don’t believe He will ever return?  With such beliefs, then, whether you realize it or not, you are fulfilling Bible prophecy.  Carefully consider the words recorded in 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NASB).

"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (emphasis mine)
  
It is time to get serious - not just to know about Him, but to truly know Him.  To know the Lord is to have a personal relationship with Him day-after-day as the scriptures teach.  We will know Him after we realize we are spiritually lost and, then, we must consciously and deliberately reach out by faith alone to humbly receive the gift of salvation He freely offers to all who would choose to believe.
  
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

The Good News of the gospel is so simple a child can understand it.  Please don’t complicate it with a faith in religion and rituals – for they are only the works of man.  I pray that hearts and minds will open, and ears will hear of the love God has shown toward us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to purchase our redemption.  Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, paid the full price for our sin debt – a debt we could never pay.  Just imagine - He did that for you and me!
  
Will you receive Him into your life today?  He desires to have a personal relationship with all, and is patiently waiting to hear from you.
         
As for the approaching lunar tetrad, we don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.  Our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15).  We must trust in Him today and everyday with all that is within us (Proverbs 3:5).

Don