A total lunar eclipse or “blood moon” will hang in the sky as ballots are tallied on the night of November 8, and it has sparked some church leaders to believe that the upcoming midterm elections could have prophetic significance.
A lunar eclipse is caused when the sun, moon, and earth align, essentially blocking the sun’s rays from reflecting off the moon. During the eclipse, the moon will be almost entirely obscured only allowing a small amount of the sun’s light to be seen. Those peaking rays will give the moon its orange or “blood red” hue.
This celestial event will be the third of its kind in the last 18 months – the second one in 2022. Then the next lunar eclipse won’t occur until March 14, 2025.
As CBN News has reported, a “blood moon” is foretold by the Bible in the book of Joel 2:31: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.”
Also in 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.”
And, the book of Revelation 6:12 states a similar prophecy surrounding the end of days: “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”
All of the scriptures refer to the moon turning blood red as a heavenly sign the end times are fast approaching. While no one knows for sure which event those scripture references are referring to, the imagery created by solar and lunar eclipses often leads to questions about their potential biblical significance.
Numerous “Blood Moon” events have occurred throughout history since those passages were written, but some believe the Blood Moon prophecy is just as relevant as ever. Some preachers point to the large number of Blood Moon eclipses in recent years as just one of many signs that the end of the world is drawing closer.
And this upcoming blood moon is no different. Some church leaders and pastors are saying the timing of this year’s lunar eclipse has prophetic significance because of its connection to elections in both Israel and the U.S.
John Graves, CEO of the church association called Million Voices, spoke on the Flashpoint program saying, “There’s going to be a much bigger swing than people think. It’s not going to be 10 or 20 in the House. It’s going to be 30, 40, 50. It’s going to be at least 54 in the Senate.”
Graves believes that political trends indicate Latinos and conservative women are the two demographics that are going to dictate the outcome.
“They’re upset about crime, inflation, and politics in the classroom. And the Church is waking up [and] they’re going to show up,” he continued.
While the lunar eclipse phenomenon does happen periodically, Hank Kunneman, pastor of Lord of Hosts Church in Nebraska, says this particular occurrence lines up with “events on God’s calendar.”
“This is the time on God’s calendar [and] He is calling it God’s-term, God’s turning or mid-turning. And I really believe that we are in a place, right now, in our nation (of) Deuteronomy 6:23. ‘God brought the nation out.’ He’s going to bring us out and we are going to see it…to bring us in…to give us, it says, the land that He promised,” he explained.
He continued,”[God] likened it to the Red Sea. When [the Israelites] were in the middle of the Red Sea was when God determined it was His terms and his turning point.”
Kunneman also encouraged believers watching the election to trust God no matter what.
“There will be things that will be disputed, undisputed, and refuted, but I can guarantee you this is the beginning of America’s turning back,” he added.
Over the years, Christian leaders like Pastor John Hagee have pointed out they believe blood moons are particularly significant in connection to events in Israel.
And Kunneman closed by adding that Israel’s latest election, which indicates the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, means that God is moving throughout the world.
“It’s a sign of great things coming for the earth,” he said. “It’s a harvest, it’s reformation, it’s revival. It will be a new era, that will have new faces and people that will rise up and bring hope back to this country and bring about a future for our children.”
He advised believers to speak in faith and not to doubt that God can turn things around.
“Your words have power and you need to use your faith,” Kunneman said. “The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever.”
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