Recently a controversy has developed concerning the “Blood Moons.”  By way of explanation, Blood Moon refers to the orange-reddish color of the Moon during a full lunar eclipse.  At such times it is illuminated only by light passing around the perimeter of the Earth.  The fraction of the Sun’s rays which survives the long path through the atmosphere are in the red spectrum.

Since the lunar orbit around the Earth is tilted a few degrees relative to the Sun, lunar eclipses can occur only twice a year.  The phrase “Tetrad” refers to a two year period in which all of the four lunar eclipses occur, and in which all are full eclipses (although they may not be visible from the same location on Earth).

Since the orbits of the Sun, Earth and Moon have been studied for thousands of years, exact mathematical formulas exist for dates and times of eclipses.  These take hundreds of factors into account including gravitational pull of the other planets in the Solar System.   However, these refinements were not necessary for the ancient people to understand that lunar and solar eclipses repeat on schedule.  Over centuries, they noticed repetition in the occurrences of eclipses, and came to understood that these were unchanging, and thus that eclipses were predictable.

The ability of religious leaders to predict eclipses formed part of their power base in ancient times.  The ability of religious leaders to predict the summer and winter solstice was an important part of survival.  Eclipses were just icing on the cake of astronomical knowledge and skill.

Certainly the Chinese record of eclipses extends back 4,000 years, and it appears likely that stone tablets found in Ireland record an eclipse on November 30, 3340BC.   The Greeks understood all three of the lunar primary motions – synodic, anomalistic, and draconitic – to a high accuracy.

The Antithyrea mechanism, found in a Greek shipwreck along with much other treasure, is a complex clockwork mechanism known to be the oldest mechanical analogue computer found.  It dates from about 100-200BC.  This machine computes the 18 year or 235 month cycle.  It predicts 38 solar and 27 lunar eclipses, and many of the cycles of eclipses.

Thus, while Hagee in his book “Blood Moons” and in his sermons invokes NASA as authority for the prediction of eclipses, they were actually predicted millennia ago with complete understanding to the hour of occurrence.  Prediction of eclipses and the underlying knowledge of orbital patterns forms the very basis of understanding of not just astronomy, but many aspects of physics.

Anyone today can use simple online calculators to figure the dates and times of eclipses, and the parts of the world that they will be visible within.  However, since tables of the dates and times of these events were made up millennia ago, there is no reason to do fresh calculations.

There is nothing unusual or sensational about the phrase  “Blood Moon” except it’s use of emotion laden words in the phrase.  It is simply a Full Lunar Eclipse.

What Hagee and others promoting the Blood Moon Prophecy appear to be doing is simply a repetition of the use of eclipses in prophecy as was done in ancient times.  In other words, influence the masses with wonder and awe at amazing celestial events.

REFERENCE IN MAKERS OF THE MOON

Eli, the primary bad guy, is very influenced by signs in the heavens.  OF course, his religion is that of Gaia.  He sees such things as eclipses directly being signals as to what he should do and how.