On Friday night, the full moon will blush red in the longest “blood moon” eclipse of the century. There is a strong biblical tradition of moon mysteries and omens. In Joel 2:31 we read, ‘The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Jewish Publication Society translation).
Many faith leaders and scholars have tried to interpret the significance of this Friday’s blood moon and whether it will be good or bad for the state of Israel. But the reality is that the ability to interpret the moon has been hidden, and we should not look for answers in the sky. Rather, the answer to the future of the state of Israel should be found in the Bible.
We learn in the Jeremiah 10:2b, “Do not be dismayed by portents in the sky; Let the nations be dismayed by them,” meaning that if the people of Israel are following the way of God, then they have nothing to fear from an eclipse.
Isaiah takes this a step further: “The smallest shall become a clan; The least, a mighty nation. I Hashem will speed it in due time” (Isa. 60:22).
While Israel has its share of challenges, whenever we have clung to the Bible and to God, we—a tiny nation surrounded by rogue states—have survived and thrived. {eoa}
Rabbi Tuly Weisz is the editor of The Israel Bible, the first study Bible edited by Jews for Christians and dedicated to highlighting the land and the people of Israel, a #1 New Release in both Jewish and Christian Bible categories on Amazon.
