Skywatchers will witness something stunning on the night of 27-28 September with the moon expected to look reddish in some parts of the world due to a phenomenon called "blood moon" following a total lunar eclipse.
"Blood moon" happens when a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse take place at the same time. NASA says that tetrad (4 consecutive blood moons each separated by 6 months) is a rare celestial event witnessed only five times since 1900. It last happened in 1982 and will now happen on 27-28 September this year. The next one will happen only in 2033.
However, some Christian preachers have been creating a fear psychosis among their followers by claiming that something disastrous will happen at the "blood moon" event and have even linked it to the Bible. They claimed that prophecy of the apocalypse has been fulfilled by the final total lunar eclipse in a tetrad happening later this month.
The first eclipse of the tetrad took place on 15 April, 2014, then on 8 October the same year, 4 April, 2015, and the latest one will take place on 27-28 September, each separated by six lunar months.
Christian minister John Hagee said while promoting his book "Four Blood Moons", which is also being turned into a movie with the same title, that the tetrad is a sign of devastation sent by God.
"The coming four blood moons points to a world-shaking event that will happen between April 2014 and October 2015," CNN quoted Hagee as saying.
According to a report by Express, Pastor Mark Blitz of El Shaddai Ministries, who wrote the book "Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs", found historical events taking place for Israelis and Jewish during past tetrad, including Jewish state formation in 1948 and Jewis expulsion from Spain in 1492.
He has now linked the latest tetrad with Biblical feasts - Passover starting on April 3 and 29 September coinciding the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
"The last time there was a tetrad was back in the 1900s, and to my amazement, they also fell on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles," Express quoted Blitz as saying.
"When I noticed the years these phenomena occurred, my mind began reeling. The last two times there were four blood moons in a row, they happened, first, right after Israel became a nation in 1948, and then again when Israel retook Jerusalem in 1967."
He went on to claim that earthquakes will hit the world more often, which is a sign of second coming of Jesus Christ.
"The number has more than doubled over the last 10 years," he said. "It was prophesied that there would be earthquakes at increased levels before the return of the Messiah and they were to be likened to birth pangs."
"With the increase in activity and the increase in magnitude I definitely see it as being but another sign along with the signs in the heavens that we are at the door," he added.
Interestingly, a couple of references in the Bible have linked changes in the appearance of the moon with a possible disaster.
Joel 2:30-31: "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."
Revelation 6:12: "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."
Acts 2:20: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come."
However, it may be mentioned that there is no mention of time, date and year in the Bible even if one is to consider it. The fact is lots of "blood moon" events have taken place in the past and lot more will happen in the future as it is a natural cycle. And many have accused John Hagee and Mark Blitz of sending out false warning with hidden agenda of selling more copies of their respective books.
