The above title by Author – Mark Biltz
Those with an interest in Bible prophecy have probably heard something about the “blood moons” which are coming up this year and next. This astronomical phenomenon is generating a lot of attention among evangelical Christians with no sign (excuse the pun) that the excitement has reached its peak. Basically the “blood moons” are a series of relatively rare eclipses which fall on the Biblical feast days in the next two years. If the dates come and go without any obvious event there is sure to be mocking and ridicule by the usual suspects. Though a majority of those writing about the subject have not claimed these celestial events are an immediate or specific harbinger of the 2nd Coming it will not stop the naysayers from pointing to those irresponsible few who are trying to name the “day and hour” of Christ’s return.
Personally, I don’t believe the “blood moons” of 2014/2015 will see the rapture of the church, the start of the “great tribulation”, or the 2nd Coming of Yeshua as a few people are claiming. I also do not agree with those who are saying these events have no importance at all. As I will explain shortly the “blood moons” of 2014/2015 come at a very significant point in Bible chronology. So while many are questioning the significance of these events I would like to take a step back and look at them in the context of a panoramic view of Biblical history.
First it should be acknowledged that the current “blood moon” phenomena and its possible significance was first discovered by Messianic/Hebrews Roots pastor Mark Biltz. A quick internet search will return more than enough information to explain the phenomenon discovered by Pastor Biltz. Right now on Amazon there are at least six different books in the top 20 religious/prophecy category in some way related to the subject. I will say that I do not agree with everything taught by Pastor Biltz but his writings on the Biblical feast days as they relate to the Messiah are some of the best explanations of the subject.
Though I do not know Pastor Biltz personally I can tell you he is gracious and humble enough to go out of his way to help a stranger. A couple years ago as I was going through the final editing stages of my novel The 13th Enumeration, I needed someone to check my Hebrew spelling of the names in Yeshua’s lineage. Not knowing anyone who spoke Hebrew I took a chance and email Pastor Biltz’s to see if he would take a look. To my surprise he promptly emailed me back with several corrections. I subsequently learned this was the day before he was to leave on a teaching tour in Europe. Needless to say I was impressed and grateful he had taken the time from his busy schedule to help someone he did not know.
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For regular readers of my b
log you know that I love to dig into the details of Biblical history and chronology. Over the years I have found the chronology of the Bible brings wonderful context as well as rich symbolism to many of the events recorded, especially those events related to the reconciliation of mankind to our Creator through the sacrifice of Yeshua.
In my recent article on the Jubilee Code I explained how the 41 generations from Abraham to Yeshua (Matt. 1) actually equaled 41 Jubilee cycles. Further, if you go back in time you’ll find the span of time from Abraham to Adam also equaled 41 Jubilee cycles. Based upon this and other evidence I became convinced that the lineage of Yeshua in Matthew 1 was written as a type of chronological keystone. Of particular interest to our present generation is that in the fall of 1979 the 123rd Jubilee cycle from Adam began (41+41+41). This means that we a currently living in the 41st Jubilee cycle from Yeshua.
Significantly the 123rd Jubilee also marks the end of another important epic in Biblical history. According to a reasonable (and defensible) rendering of Old Testament chronology, the birth of Isaac took place on the 43rd Jubilee from Adam. This set time or “mow’ed”, as it was called in the Scripture, began a period of time which was typified by atonement sacrifice and YHWH’s dealings with Abraham’s seed. During this 43rd Jubilee YHWH tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. Genesis 22 gives us a beautiful testimony of Abraham’s faith as well as prophetic picture of Yeshua’s future atonement:
Genesis 22:2-8 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning,…Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you,…. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:….
Exactly 40 Jubilee cycles later, in 69 AD, the last atonement sacrifice was offered in the temple at Jerusalem. The following year on the 9th of Av the temple was destroyed, thus beginning the exile of the Jewish people. Jesus, in Luke 21 predicted this destruction of the temple and the scattering of the Jewish people. When asked by his disciples, when the destruction of the temple would take place he gave (in part) this answer:
Luke 21:24-28 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25 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; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
It can be argued, reasonably so I might add, that 70 AD did indeed see the destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jewish people into “all nations” as prophesied by Yeshua. In fact it was only in the first part of the 20th century that a mandate was given which set in motion the return of the Jewish people to their ancient land. Then in 1948 the nation of Israel was reborn. Though Israel recaptured and untied Jerusalem in 1967 the very heart of this ancient city (the temple mount) is still under “gentile” control. This brings me back to the present. Today we are living in the 40th jubilee cycle from the destruction of Jerusalem and that last fateful atonement sacrifice. I believe a reasonable argument can be made that the past 40 Jubilee cycles are what Yeshua described as the “times of the Gentiles”. This epic will soon be drawing to a close.
To me it is fascinating to note that the 39th Jubilee cycle from Isaac saw the birth of Yeshua. The 40th Jubilee saw his death, resurrection, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the sacrificial system and the birth of the “church age”.
39 Jubilee cycles into the “church age” the nation of Israel has once again been reborn and we find YHWH again dealing with the Jewish people, bringing them back to the land He promised to Abraham. As the 40th Jubilee winds down it becomes apparent that we are in another period of transition. Great changes are afoot as YHWH prepares mankind for the return of Yeshua and His millennial reign from Jerusalem.
Before I talk about the “blood moons” and the year 2014/2015 as it relates to the Jubilee and Sabbath cycles I would like to look at a couple of more symbolic themes which I believe add credibility to the Biblical epics I’ve been describing.
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After Israel left Egypt they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before “crossing over” into the Promised Land under the leadership of Yeshua (Joshua son of Nun). For those who may not know the name Jesus/Joshua/Yeshua are all variations on the same name which means Salvation of YA. During those 40 years of wandering, Israel was given manna to eat. In John 6, Yeshua compared the manna in the wilderness with himself as the “Bread of Life” or “Living” bread. Later the apostle Paul connects the symbolism of Yeshua and “bread” with the expectancy of His 2nd Coming.
John 6:47-58 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: ….. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me…… 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
For 40 years the Children of Israel ate manna in the wilderness before they crossed over into the Promised Land. For the past 40 Jubilees mankind has been given the opportunity to eat the “living” bread of heaven.
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The last theme I want to look at is one that is often mentioned when discussing eschatology. In Matthew 24, Yeshua, when describing the events which transpire between the destruction of the temple and His return, explains them in terms of a woman’s birth pangs. I believe a good case can be made that this symbolism may have a near and far fulfillment.
In terms of human biology a full term pregnancy last 40 weeks. Yeshua’s death and resurrection took place in 30 AD and Jerusalem fell 40 years later. A reasonable case can be made that the events of 70 AD were a partial fulfillment of Yeshua’s words in Matthew 24. Clearly Yeshua did not literally return at that time so He must have been speaking of another time as well. A period of 40 Jubilees may well fit the pattern. If this is the case then a little speculative math may give us some insights into this final period time.
If 40 weeks = 40 Jubilees
1 week = 49 years.
Each day of “labor” = 7 years.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Mark 13:4-8 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows (birth pangs).
Matthew 24:4-8 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows (birth pangs).
So what does this have to do with the “blood moons” in 2014/2015? Based upon the Jubilee cycles as described above the autumn of 2013 – 2014 ends the 5th Sabbath cycle of the 40th Jubilee from the destruction of Jerusalem. (Each Jubilee has 7 cycles of 7 years.) The fall of 2014 begins the final two Sabbath cycles of this 40th Jubilee as well as the 123rd Jubilee from Adam. If there is any validity to the symbolism of birth pangs and 40 Jubilees cycles, then the next two Sabbath cycles (14 years) should see some incredible events as they related to Bible prophecy.
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On a related note, for those who are familiar with my articles on the Messiah Factors, it is interesting to see that the “blood moons” fall on the 6013/14 year from Adam. It’s hard for me to believe this is a coincidence. If you have not read my article on the Messiah Factors here is a brief summary:
*Matthew 1 lists Yeshua as the 13th generation. (upon his resurrection becoming the 14th).
*Luke 1 describes the priestly service of Zachariah and the conception of Elisabeth. Six months later Mary conceived, thus placing the birth of Yeshua in the 7th month during the 13th or 14th priestly course.
*The number of “burnt” offering sacrifices during the Feast of Tabernacles (7th month) emphasis 13 & 14. Isaac, who first foreshadowed the Messiah was to be offered as a “burnt” offering. (Gen. 22)
*The Biblical Holy days are regulated by 2 cycles of 13/14 days of increasing and diminishing (visible) light. (Inside a lunar cycle which is 29.53 days)
*The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:13-14 stated that Yeshua broke down the “middle wall of partition” which separated Jews and Gentiles. During the time when Yeshua walked the earth the “middle wall of partition” was access by 14 steps and entry to the temple proper was granted by one of 13 gates.
*It could be argued that the Messiah factors and the lunar cycle are even found in the first seven digits of Pi (reversed). 3.141592 ~ (295/14/13)
*Finally, using lunar cycles of 13/14 (from YHWH’s divine command to “restore and build Jerusalem” in 520 BC) it can be shown that Yeshua fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel 9. (For more on the subject read the my article the Messiah Factors)
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In summary then I do not believe the “blood moons” indicate any specific immediate event but based upon a larger chronological context they may indeed be a herald of momentous events yet to come.
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Related Articles:
Blood Moons: Changing How We View Bible Prophecy
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For those who would like to look at the underlying chronological information that was described above please see the excerpted chart below or download the full free (PDF) chart here: Chronology of the Old Testament. The excerpted chart is best understood in the context of the full PDF. Please do your own due diligence as Bereans.
The image below can be enlarged by clicking on it.
Authors Note: The information developed in this article is based upon over twenty years of research. The chronology involved took two years to complete in charted form. For those who would like to see the Biblical basis for the chronology as described above you will find a PDF chart of chronology here: Chronology of the Old Testament. Please note this chronology is based upon the Old Testament MT text of the Scriptures. Though the chart itself is solely my own effort I often turned to some of the great chronologists of the past and present to try and work out the chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah. I’ve appreciatively walked in the footsteps of the following giants of Biblical chronology: Ussher, Rawlinson, Newton, Rutherford, Davidson, and Jones. Please do your own due diligence as a Berean. Please note that the dates in this article should be understood within the context of the Jubilee & Sabbath cycles given. The dates are not a prediction of the “Rapture” or the 2nd coming of Yeshua.
I find this very fascinating! One suggestion, if I may, in the darker colors it is hard to read the black words – Could you make the font in white so it may easier to read? Sorry I have a hard time reading the font in the purple stripes. Thank you.
Thank you for the comments Renea.
Could you tell me exactly what you are seeing and where? My screen shows an entire white background. My writing is in black font and all Scripture is in blue. If you are seeing something else I’d like to try and solve it.
Warm Regards,
William Struse
“Personally, I don’t believe the “blood moons” of 2014/2015 will see the rapture of the church, the start of the “great tribulation”, or the 2nd Coming of Yeshua as a few people are claiming. I also do not agree with those who are saying these events have no importance at all. ”
I think you got this exactly right. Something else is going to happen. Let me guess at the possibilities. There are:
1. – discussions of war between Israel and Iran.
2. – discussions of war between China, Japan and the US.
3. – and now discussions of war between the US and Russia.
Think about the following scenario: Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran’s allies retaliate against Israel with a massive missile attack including chemical weapons. Israel responds with nuclear weapons.
What would Russia and China do if that happened?
If you have lived your entire life under relative peace and safety, then recognizing and responding to a coming crisis is very difficult. Now a credible crisis stares us in the face: The threat of a great-power nuclear war. Everybody knows a great-power nuclear war is impossible, except the one thing that made it impossible is mostly gone. Now there is a very serious danger. The only thing we need is the catalyst. Welcome to the Middle East.
One final note. If Russia and China were to attack the US preemptively, then it would come without warning, probably in the spring. And it would come in the night while you are sleeping.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for he comments. An interesting scenario. Events do seem to be building. Makes me think of the verse:
Romans 13:11-12 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Warm Regards,
WS
Hi Will. First I wanted to let you know that I’m currently in the middle of your book, 13th Prime, and love the read. Love the characters and how you weave your story around them. To be a little honest, I really wanted Zane to kiss Rachael. I understand your point in the story, but a passionate kiss, even after Zane proposed would have been fine with me. Anyway, your story, not mine. I still love it and hope you write more. Do you have a third book in mind? Second. I also do not feel that the blood moons has any immediate concerns. I don’t think the rapture will happen tonight or anything else like that. I do feel though that this could be a warning to the U.S.hence the viewing window. Israel can’t even see this but all of N. America will. So many things happening right now in the U.S. with earthquakes, volcanoes, wars and rumors of war. As Christians we need to pay attention to these signs in the sky and acknowledge the time of the this blood moon and how it coincides with the crucifixion of Christ. Keep writing and blogging. I love reading your articles. Bob
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the comments. It’s always encouraging to hear from those who are reading the books and articles. My greatest hope is that these efforts bring honor to YHWH and his plan of reconciliation for all of us through Yeshua.
BTW my family felt the same way as you about Rachael and Zane. :)
Warm Regards,
Bill
Hello William, right, the current lunar and solar events aren’t the Scriptural blood-moons, those are during the Tribulation. When this occurs, it’ll be obvious to Christians and in no need of complex speculations and calculations. But those dismissing these events are also wrong. These near-celestial events are lesser signs, precursive to larger pangs.
The connections amongst OT manna, Christ’s body, and nourishment will become clear after the Parousia. As you suggest, the falling-away “wilderness wanderings” of our modern generations parallel the OT hebrew experience, and our Promised Land — Christ’s Kingdom and Millennium — are at hand, far greater than the Israelites crossing Jordan.
In the Millennium, two rivers flow from King Jeshua’s Throne, through the “prince’s districts” and eventually into the eastern and western seas. They nourish the Holy Land, and begin the healing of the planet.
Jerusalem’s East Gate is reversed for the King only, but the “prince” is allowed to sit nearby, and “eat bread before the LORD.” (Ezekiel 44:3) This is a public rite of gratitude and honor towards the King, so that everyone understands the true source of our spiritual and physical nourishings.
Cheers.
Thanks for the comments and insights, Ray.
Warm Regards,
William
Hello, I am glad to have found your post on the jubilee cycle and the blood moons. I have been praying for wisdom in regards to the jubilee cycle and our place in history. If I understand correctly the last jubilee year was 1979? The next one falling on 2928/29. I am aware that we just finished a sabbatical year on September 23, 2015. Have you looked at the passage in Isaiaha 17 concerning Damascus? I believe that a solar eclipse can be a bad omen for the world and a lunar eclipse for Israel. The four blood moons falling on feast days has always spelled trouble on the horizon for Israel.
Hi Chad,
Thank you for saying hello. I have read Isaiah 17. Whether it applies to the events in Syria right now only time will tell. I do believe events are building to return of Yeshua. I say, even so come!
Warm regards,
William