Pastor Rick Warren recently clarified that he was not making a prediction of Jesus’ return when he posted a photo Tuesday of last week’s blood moon.
“I just took this photo of a blood-red moon from my backyard at 1 am (Pacific Standard Time) after the total eclipse we had tonight on the first night of Passover,” the lead pastor at Saddleback Church wrote in the post in question. “One day, ‘The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. Acts 2:20.”
On Wednesday he wrote on his Facebook page: “Friends, when I recently posted a Bible verse with a picture of Monday night’s blood I was NOT making a prediction about the timing of Jesus’ return. It would be foolish to do that. The color of the moon just reminded me of Acts 2:20.”
Warren spoke out against those using the phenomenon of the four lunar blood moons in the coming year to predict Jesus’ return.
“The Bible clearly says that NO ONE can figure out the timing of Jesus’ return,” Warren wrote. “It’s a waste of time. If fact, if anyone claims to know the date, you can be certain it WON’T occur on THAT date – because Jesus said ‘NO ONE knows the day nor hour it will happen!’ In fact, Jesus admitted that even HE did not know the date of his return! (Only the Father knows.) It WILL happen someday, regardless of scoffers, but it is a waste of time trying to figure out the date. To attempt to figure out something that even Jesus admitted he didn’t know – is pure arrogance.”
He then pointed to Matthew 24:36-37 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 to support his claims.
“If you are looking for a specific sign to happen before Jesus returns,” Warren added, “here it is from Jesus himself: ‘This Gospel of my Kingdom (Good News) MUST FIRST be preached throughout the ENTIRE WORLD, as a testimony to EVERY NATION so EVERYONE hears it, and THEN FINALLY, the end will come.’ Matthew 24:14.”
He continued by quoting Acts 1:6-8, Matthew 24:14 and Acts 1:5-6.
NASA predicts that the blood moon will be visible in North America again on Oct. 8, April 4 and Sept. 28, 2015.
