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On Tuesday, Nov. 8, as Americans across the country begin their day and prepare for another voting cycle to come and go, a rare occurrence will be happening in the sky to start the day.
A total lunar eclipse will be taking place between the timeframe of 5:16 a.m. EST and will end at 6:41 a.m. EST.
For the first time in the history of the United States, Election Day will fall on the same day as a blood moon.
Here is the definition of a blood moon according to NASA:
“Lunar eclipses occur at the full moon phase. When Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun, Earth’s shadow falls upon the surface of the Moon, dimming it and sometimes turning the lunar surface a striking red over the course of a few hours. Each lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth.”
While a beautiful, natural occurrence to behold, speculation runs rampant when a blood moon appears about what spiritual implications could be coming with it.
Lunar eclipses are mentioned in both the Talmud and the Bible and hold particular significance to End Times speculation.
According to Rabbi Mordechai Genuth, these eclipses are bad omens for the nation of Israel.
In a statement to Israel365 News he explains:
“In the time of the Talmud, only Israel set the calendar according to the moon. Setting the calendar according to the sun was the practice of the idolaters, like Rome which named the solar months and days after pagan gods. Today, the Muslims set their calendar according to the moon, even more than the Jews, in a manner that leads their calendar to be imbalanced. So, a lunar eclipse is closely connected to the Muslims and, in this case, is a warning for the Arabs.”
“The eclipse will pass over the United States. The President [of America] is connecting his fate with that of the Arabs, choosing them over Israel. He is choosing war, the wars that originate in Ishmael, the wars that are presaged by the upcoming blood moon.”
“This is also a warning to the incoming Israeli government,” Rabbi Genuth explained. “They need to be strong when it comes to Jerusalem.”
The Christian Bible makes mention of blood moons as well, in both Old and New Testament writing.
The cause for rampant interest among Christians in regards to a blood moon is that most of the references have to do with the return of Jesus and a signal of the End Times.
In the book of Joel chapter 2, the prophet writes in several verses about the moon turning to blood, the sun and moon darken and that the Lord will show wonders within the heavens.
This prophecy is echoed hundreds of years later within the New Testament. In the book of Matthew, Jesus Himself says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'”
For many Christians who believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture, this is a reassuring verse prophesying they will not be on the earth for the Great Tribulation.
And what would a lunar eclipse be without the penultimate book on End Times, Revelation?
While it is markedly clear that the seals of God’s scroll have not been opened by the Lamb yet, when it does occur in Revelation chapter 6, once the Lamb opens the sixth scroll, there will be great disturbances on the Earth, as well as another blood moon.
Does the appearance of a blood moon on Election Day mean that the “red wave” many on the political right believe will occur? Maybe, but not necessarily. It certainly plays into a great social media strategy for many of the Republicans running for office to implement.
The next lunar eclipse does provide a great opportunity for Jews and Christians alike to ponder and meditate on God’s Word and pray for the U.S. and Israeli elections that are taking place within a week of each other. That God’s will be done in each place and around the world, and that He be glorified by those voted into positions of authority in both nations. {eoa}
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James Lasher is a Copy Editor for Charisma Media.
