Atheists is this not enough of a sign from God?

Question

We as Christians believe that the God of the Old and New Testament is the Creator of everything. As such we believe he wields amazing power, even over the planetary bodies. Please don't criticize, that's what we believe.
Please read this excerpt below about a Pastor named Mark Blitz and tell me whether you believe this is a sign from God or an astronomical coincidence.


"One morning, as I was praying, a thought popped into my head: Why don’t I compare the dates of the eclipses on the NASA website to the dates on the biblical calendar? When I did, I was shocked to find that all four eclipses – over both years – fell on the biblical holidays of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. I just about jumped out of my skin.

Immediately I ran to my computer and pulled up NASA’s website to look up other times when there have been four consecutive blood moons, which are total lunar eclipses, where the moon appears blood red. NASA calls four total blood moons in a row a tetrad, and they list their occurrences. I noticed there weren’t any in the 1600s, 1700s, or even the 1800s. The last time there was a tetrad was back in the 1900s, and to my amazement, they also fell on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles.

When I noticed the years these phenomena occurred, my mind began reeling. The last two times there were four blood moons in a row, they happened, first, right after Israel became a nation in 1948, and then again when Israel retook Jerusalem in 1967. I started doing a hallelujah dance. It was as if I had just found treasure buried in the sand. My heart was racing a hundred miles an hour as all those key Scriptures about the signs in the heavens, God’s feast days, and the timing on the biblical calendar flooded my mind."


Read more at http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/02/un-eclipsed-nasa-acts-on-blood-moons-site/#ec7uyYj8KYikXmVG.99

Answer 1

Put yourself in the shoes of an Atheist. Lunar eclipses are a regular, almost yearly occurrence. Four in a row is common enough that astronomers call it a tetrad.



So why should someone who does not believe in God interpret a *natural occurrence* like this as a sign from God?



Especially when many of them can see the logical biases and fallacies weaved into Mark Biltz's arguments that this natural occurrence is really a "sign from God" or "God trying to tell us something." I'm talking about the Texas sharpshooter fallacy and, above all, confirmation bias.



If you want to know what a real sign from God is like, read the Bible. Elijah brought fire down from heaven on command. When Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a sign of his promised healing, Isaiah on command made the shadow of the sundial move backwards 10 steps. Real signs from God are distinct from natural phenomenon (especially with the established prophet predicting its occurrence right before), unlike series of four blood moons which happen continually on their own throughout history.



If Mark Biltz was trained in critical thinking, cognitive biases, logical fallacies, etc. I don't think he would have claimed "God is trying to tell us something" by the 2014-2015 tetrad.

Answer 2

It's not a "sign" of anything other than the ignorance and dishonesty of the person making the claim -- and yours, too, apparently.



The Jewish calendar is a *lunar* calendar. Based on the cycles of the moon. "Passover" and the "Feast of Tabernacles" both occur exactly mid-month on those calendars, which is when new moon occurs. Lunar eclipses can *only* occur at new moon. Their calendar is *based* on when eclipses can occur, because they based their calendar on the lunar cycles. It's not magical or miraculous or a sign, it's just the lunar cycle.



"I noticed there weren’t any in the 1600s, 1700s, or even the 1800s. The last time there was a tetrad was back in the 1900s, and to my amazement, they also fell on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles. "



Yes, but there WERE "tetrads" in the 1500s, 1300s, 1100s, 700s, 600s, 500s, 400s, 300s, 100s, 100s BCE, 300s BCE, etc. etc. etc. I guess nothing magical happened then, huh? And if this idiot knew anything about the Jewish calendar, he wouldn't be "amazed" that eclipses fell on days based on a new moon in a lunar calendar.



Thanks, once again, for demonstrating that your "belief" is based on ignorance, fallacies, and superstition.

And that you're so desperate to justify your beliefs that you have no problem being dishonest and ridiculous.



edit: I just checked NASA's tables:

There *weren't* four lunar eclipses in the 1st century CE. There were three, and only one of them was total (year 14). So not only is this guys argument from incredulity fallacious, it's flat-out dishonest.

Here, look for yourself:



http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEhistory/LEhistory.html

Answer 3

The Jewish calendar is "lunisolar" and events like Passover and Tabernacles are tied to the phases of the Moon. Since Easter is tied to Passover, it moves backward and forward in the solar calendar as used by Europe and America since who knows when. The calculations for Easter are clearly set out in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and by the Roman Catholic Church.



The date of Easter is the Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox."

The vernal "spring" equinox is always March 21 in the northern hemisphere, because that is how our calendar is set up. We have leap years to stop this date from drifting away from the equinox. .



Now here's something else. Full eclipses of the Moon only happen when the Earth is directly between the Moon and Sun. That only happens when the Moon would otherwise be full. It does not happen every time the Moon is full, because the Moon orbits over the Equator of the Earth but the Equator is about 23.5 degrees tilted from the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the plane of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. This has been more or less understood for thousands of years, long before Jesus was born.

Answer 4

Ok....so you've quoted this guy saying all this stuff.....where is the link showing that what he says is true? The entire thing could be a pack of lies and most of us aren't interested enough to do the research for ourselves. If there is no link to verify this, then it's just more hot air.



Yeah...google "tetrad". It has nothing to do with moons.....unless you are willing to read sites like WND or freerepublic.



Man you people are gullible. And ridiculously dishonest.



Edit: "@Nickname-So what you're telling me is if truth required some research you wouldn't do it? That's why America is failing. Lazy Americans"



This from someone who just posted a pack of lies without researching it first? Laughable.



If I took the time to research every freaking LIE that theists told each other (so much so that I automatically assume it's a lie if it comes from a theist, until proven otherwise) I'd have no time left in the day.



If YOU make a claim, then YOU provide the evidence for it. It's not up to everyone else to do the research to prove you wrong, although that's what you're accustomed to since theists NEVER provide ANY proof of what they claim. Same rules apply to your god claim as it does to all the other lies that theists tell on a regular basis.

Answer 5

I don’t usually answer these types of questions but since you directed this nonsense to atheists I'll tell you no, this is not enough of a "sign." Provide evidence not some convoluted interpretation of signs and astronomical events. You sound more like an astrologer then a scientist.



By the way, this is not a new theory, it has been proposed before and debunked. Why would Mark Blitz lie? Well, let’s see, did you buy his book? I see it listed for about $15. If Jesus is returning what does Blitz need with his money? Doesn’t he expect to be part of the rapture? Or do you think he is just getting rich by taking advantage of gullible religious nut jobs like yourself?

Answer 6

A problem that has existed for a while. Many believers want everything to be a sign while they forget about logic and truth. Logic being that everything is not a sign and truth being that if God gave a sign, everyone would know. Non- believers see everything as coincidence, and would only believe if God stared them in the face. Which may not be so pleasant. When we see an obvious sign such as earthquakes happening around the same time in practically every place in the world, that will shake things up quite a bit!

Answer 7

Since those holidays always happen on full moons, by definition, some of those moons will be lunar eclipses. So no, this isn't anything fabulous. It's just a matter of astronomical coincidences. Your "article" doesn't even say which year it's talking about.



Correlation does not equal causation.

Answer 8

Total lunar eclipses, often called "blood moons" are quite common with one or two most years.



In this century there have been so far

2001 - 1

2003 - 2

2004 - 2

2007 - 2

2008 - 1

2010 - 1

2011 - 2

then

2014 - 2

2015 - 2

2018 - 2

2019 - 1



There have been many more partial and penumbral eclipses. As you can see, the last time we had four blood moons in two consecutive years was 2003/2004 and eleven years later we are having another set. If you check previous total eclipses of the moon you will see four totalities in a row coming up regularly every dozen years or so. There is nothing remarkable about it.



"@Tento- Maybe you should email NASA and tell them their chart is wrong and yours is right "



Perhaps you should look at NASA's chart and you will find that it is in total agreement with the above figures.



http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html



It seems to me that it is Pastor Mark Blitz telling lies round here and you believed him without checking.

Answer 9

Sorry to tell you, you may be a true believer but you're lack of logic reasoning :

according to your logic if in a science fiction book there is a giant green alien zombie monster and if in the same book someone tells about the comet Haley pass on 1986. It will mean that the monster exist.



very logic indeed ....

Answer 10

This researcher cherry picks data that he finds convenient to support his beliefs. Red moons do not only show up in America and sometimes can only be seen half way on the other side of the world.



The moon appears red because of the angle of the sun reflection on the moon.



this is just another far reaching christian who wishes he found the holy grail.



if there was anything significant to his findings, how come he doesnt produce his findings to an adademic journal?

Answer 11

There will NEVER be evidence to prove God.



God is interpreted through your faith. What you see and what you believe will strengthen your resolve, or it will impede upon it. There will always be a "scientific explanation" for what you see. Does God offer an answer? Yes. Is this answer as tangible as solid statistics? No.



Faith in God is how you find God. Not by testing him. Believe, or don't, it's perception.

Answer 12

Jesus himself answered this for us when he said in Matthew 16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." It is good to understand that "THE" sign of the prophet Jonah illustrate the person of Jesus who was in the belly of a fish as dead for 3 days and Jesus was in the grave for 3 days to be resurrected for all who believe in him follows HIM and not "signs and wonders".



When Peter was trying to put Jesus, Moses and Elijah in the same category, the voice of God from heaven made it very clear that we are to listen to Jesus ONLY. As great as Moses and Elijah were in the eyes of God, God sent his Son who was/is GOD in heaven to provide for a SALVATION that no human being could provide because we were all fallen creatures unable to provide salvation for us or for others.



The signs in the Old Testament were given because the people were fallen [disobedient] and they needed to see things of the flesh for the prophets to be able to gain their attention, yet, the Bible tells us clearly that all we need in this times is the Word of God and his Holy Spirit to learn everything we need to understand and love God.



Lastly, there is a warning we must heed and is that the lawlessness ["fallen away" or apostasy mentioned in 2 Thess. chapter 2, Matthew 24 and others] will come with "signs and wonders" to deceive "if possible" the elects=true believers], so if we start looking at these things that Jesus said not to look for we are in great danger...

Answer 13

I'm sure those weren't the only eclipses, just ones that happened to fall on those days, a coincidence. Coincidences are not proof of god. We want real proof that he exists, not a "sign" that there could possibly be something that for some reason feels compelled to schedule eclipses on feast days.

Answer 14

The moon orbits the earth 12 times a year, with 12 opportunities for eclipses per year.



Every year.



Wait long enough and coinicidence will line up the eclipse dates with just about anything you like.

Answer 15

No. This is not a convincing sign to me. It is the kind of thing that numerologists do. Those New Age crystal magic sort of people.



If God intended to send the world a sign, one that would convince great numbers of people, including atheists, He would not hide it, and would not make its meaning so obscure and ambiguous.

Answer 16

So, Astrology then?



http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/871/what-is-the-bible-and-christian-view-on-astrology

Answer 17

There are dozens of eclipses per year. Cherry picking the ones that fall on convenient dates isn't evidence.



Addendum: No, it's cherry picking. You're assuming a correlation without evidence.

Answer 18

The ancients were very good astronomers and could predict events almost as accurately as us.

Why not have the passover during one of these?

Answer 19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VK8NKXDinlE



Watch this youtube sermon by John Hagee. Ask GOD to give you a blessing of understanding.

Answer 20

The eclipse BS has already been DEBUNKED ..On here many times....



and even by NASA on it's site...





You are stating complete BULLCHIT...and even YOU KNOW THAT!





you are a TROLL..and NOT even a Good one...LOL



""I know God is real. ""



Please STOP LYING..the BEST you can do is BELIEVE!

But you have proved you are a Liar,,Thanks...

Answer 21

All I want is proof, I want to SEE him. Then I'll BELIEVE in him.

I don't care about natural phenomenon.



Although, it is pretty.

Answer 22

What you are basically saying, if this is true (I don't feel like getting into research right now), is that you and your ancestors are worshiping natural phenomenons.



Are you serious?

Answer 23

Not looking for signs. Evidence. Reasons, even.

-

That's irrelevant. 'Signs' or coincidences are not proof. If you tell me you can provide irrefutable evidence to his existence, or at least offer a logical reason as to why you believe in him, then i'll humor you by reading what you give me.

Answer 24

considering that those holidays last 3 weeks, all together, and fall in spring and autumn, while the lunar cycle at present also has eclipses bi-annually in spring and autumn, its not that surprising they overlap

Answer 25

Wow, this is *earth-shattering* news!



I wonder why no one is picking up on it and no one I know is talking about it?



I guess it's a conspiracy or something, right?



*sigh*

Answer 26

If you think ANYONE believes NASA refers to "blood moons" you are the dumbest person to ever successfully operate a keyboard.

Answer 27

We are not obligated to help you feel more secure in your fragile faith by adopting your superstitious, wishful thinking.

Answer 28

Those are probably just coincidences. Sorry

Answer 29

You are reading into things too much. You are almost as bad as a conspiracy theorist

Answer 30

the bible says only a sinful generation seeks a sighn

Answer 31

Like i said atheist are just atheist lol.

Answer 32

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More choice please?

Answer 33

no coincidences do not make proof

Answer 34

No.