by John Hagee
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
(PSALM 133 NIV1984)
One of the blessings Christians United for Israel has afforded me is the many new friendships with a vast number of pastors who have come together under one banner in support of Israel. As one pastor stated, “Pastor Hagee, this is more than Christians United for Israel; this is Israel uniting Christians!”
ON THE ROAD TO EL SHADDAI
Six years after CUFI was born Diana and I got in the waiting black Suburban for the short trip to the church pastored by Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries, where the Night to Honor Israel would be conducted. Spiritual leaders from across the city and state would attend our first event in the state of Washington. The air was charged with excitement and expectation.
As we drove to the church, I could not get over the breathtaking beauty of Puyallup, Washington, and how cool it was in the summer. In Texas, the month of August is so unbearably hot that lizards climb on steam pipes trying to cool off in the one-hundred-plus-degree temperature.
We arrived at the church where Pastor Mark Biltz and his gracious staff met us at the front doors. It was my first time to meet Pastor Biltz, and it’s a moment I shall never forget.
Within minutes we were discussing the seven feasts of Israel and their connections to the Lord’s first and second coming. I recognized that Pastor Biltz was a Bible scholar par excellence who understood the Jewish roots of Christianity like few people I’ve ever met.
During our conversation, he asked me if I had ever studied the sun, moon, and stars as a source of prophetic revelation. My answer was quick and truthful.
“No.”
Pastor Biltz immediately responded, “You should! I believe God is trying to speak to us, and we’re not listening!”
We walked into the church, and I didn’t give our conversation about the sun, moon, and stars a second thought. I was more concerned about speaking to the thousands of people waiting in the church’s auditorium.
That night, as I walked onstage with Pastor Biltz and Rabbi Daniel Lapin, one of America’s celebrated Torah scholars, to celebrate the Night to Honor Israel, I listened to the sound of the shofar, blown with power and clarity. The long blast . . . the short blast . . . the sweet, thunderous sound reverberated through the auditorium, bringing tears to my eyes—and I am not the weepy type.
As I listened to the divine sound echoing through the packed building, I was reminded of the words of the apostle Paul:
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [shofar]. For the trumpet [shofar] will sound, and the dead will be raised.
(1 CORINTHIANS 15:51–52)
Following the beautiful music of the evening, Rabbi Lapin gave an inspiring speech. He was followed by Pastor Biltz, whose scriptural knowledge concerning the seven feasts and their message to the church today was simply off the charts. Then I presented the biblical reasons for supporting Israel. The wonderful evening came to a joyous conclusion without protestors, security concerns, or a single audio blemish. It was, by every standard of measurement, a magnificent night!
The next morning our entourage climbed aboard the plane bound for the land of the blazing sun—San Antonio, Texas. I had been in four states in three days where I made four speeches, stood for hundreds of photos, and signed enough books to break the back axles in a two-ton truck; we were all fighting jetlag and fatigue.
The plane took off with a roar of the engine, and within minutes Diana was sleeping like she was stretched out on a Posturepedic mattress. I have a confession to make: in the best of situations I have a hard time sleeping . . . period.
For me to sleep six hours, my maximum, I need a room that’s absolutely dark, totally quiet, and completely still. Bouncing through the air on an airplane in turbulence at a speed of five hundred miles per hour is like riding a wild Brahman bull at the National Championship Rodeo in Las Vegas.
I glanced at Diana in deep sleep and felt the spirit of resentment creeping in. If deep and prolonged sleep is a guarantee of long life, Diana will live to be one hundred twenty years old . . . minimum!
As we climbed to forty thousand feet, and the pilots searched for clear air at an altitude high enough to escape the turbulence, I cinched my seat belt tighter and thought of Jesus’ words to His disciples: He said, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).
In the midst of the storm, my mind went back to Pastor Mark’s question: “Have you ever considered the sun, moon, and stars in the study of prophecy?” Having studied the Bible for fifty-four years and authored numerous books on the subject of prophecy, my mind is a database of prophetic Scripture. Genesis 1:14 came to my mind, which declares that God created the sun, moon, and stars (signals) in the heavens.
ASTRONOMY VERSUS ASTROLOGY
Since we will be discussing the sun, moon, and stars as they relate to the Bible and the people of Israel, I want to avoid any possible confusion by clarifying the difference between astronomy and astrology.
Astronomy is the science of studying the movements and positions of planets and stars. For example, the North Star never moves. Knowing where the North Star is has helped captains of ships sail the seven seas of earth for centuries. God Almighty created the stars, and He “calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4).
Astrology is the worship of stars, which is occultic and pagan. People who make choices based on the stars are seeking guidance for their lives from things created rather than from the Creator. This is a violation of the law of Almighty God (Romans 1:20–21; Exodus 20:4).
In this book, our discussion of the stars and moon in biblical prophecy is based on the Word of God, history, and the science of astronomy—and never refers to astrology.
GOD’S HIGH-DEFINITION BILLBOARD
As I thought about the sun, moon, and stars as sources of prophetic direction, I considered the words of Joel 2:30–31:
I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
I remembered that the apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, made nearly the exact same remarks, as recorded in Acts 2:19–20:
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
What does “moon into blood” refer to in these two verses? I learned later in my research that this astronomical event is actually called a Blood Moon. A Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse; the moon does not actually turn to blood, but it does appear blood-red.
If we are going to see these wonders in the heavens before the coming of the Lord, how long before His coming will we see them? The Bible gives no answer other than the words of Jesus to His disciples:
Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
(MATTHEW 24:36)
Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. . . . When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:25, 28).
In the prophetic words Jesus spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, He stated:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened [solar eclipse], and the moon will not give its light [lunar eclipse]; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heave
ns will be shaken [nuclear warfare?]. Then [after the signs in the heavens] the Son of Man will appear in heaven.
(MATTHEW 24:29–30)
What do all these prophecies have in common? They all involve specific signs in the heavens preceding coming global events! Does God use the sun, moon, and stars to communicate with us? Does He use the heavens as His own personal, high-definition billboard to announce things to come?
The answer is yes, according to Genesis 1:14, which states:
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons.”
The Hebrew word for “sign” is owth, which also translates as “signals.” Therefore, based on the Bible, God uses the sun, moon, and stars as signals to mankind. He uses the heavens as His divine billboard announcing coming events.
What is God trying to say to us?
SIGNS OVER RUSSIA
In late February 2013, the world was astounded when a blazing meteor exploded over Russia. NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) reported that the fifty-five-foot-wide rock, which weighed an estimated ten thousand tons, entered the earth’s atmosphere traveling forty-four thousand miles per hour.
NASA estimated that the energy released as the meteors disintegrated in the atmosphere was 500 kilotons, around 30 times the size of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.1
The ten-thousand-ton meteor lit up the Russian skies before crashing into the earth, causing shockwaves that injured twelve hundred people and damaged thousands of homes in an event unprecedented in modern times.
A priest near the explosion site called it “an act of God.”2 A fireball traveling at forty-four thousand miles per hour with a long, blazing white tail visible one hundred twenty-five miles away has to be considered a sign from heaven.
John the Revelator pulls back the curtain of the future and clearly reveals that God will use signs in the heavens during the Great Tribulation to communicate His wrath and judgment to the world. John writes:
Then the second angel sounded [the trumpet]: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. . . . Then the third angel sounded [the trumpet]: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
(REVELATION 8:8, 10–11)
God is going to shake the world with “signs in the heavens” when He personally destroys the Iranian and Russian armies that invade Israel in the Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38. This won’t be the first time; God Himself stoned the five armies that attacked Israel in Joshua 10:
And it happened, as they [the five armies] fled before Israel . . . that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven . . . and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. (v. 11)
The meteor that crashed into Russia—the nation that swore there was no God—was sent a supernatural FedEx message that basically said: I am God, and there is none like Me, not in the heavens above nor the world beneath. From everlasting to everlasting I am God. (This truth is based on Isaiah 46:9 and Psalm 41:13.)
The fact that God hurled stones from the heavens to defend Israel in Joshua 10 is living proof that God will use stones as a weapon of war to crush the invading Iranian and Russian forces coming against Israel. This will happen as recorded by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 38:
And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him . . . great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. . . . Then they shall know that I am the LORD. (vv. 22–23)
Signs in the heavens are coming to the enemies of Israel!
SIGNS IN THE SUN
In recent dissertations scientists analyzed the uncommon signs of giant solar eruptions.
Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, reports:
The sun unleashed a monster eruption of super-hot plasma Friday [November 16, 2012] in back-to-back solar storms captured on camera by a NASA spacecraft. The giant eruption, called a solar prominence, occurred at 1:00 A.M. EST (0600 GMT), with another event flaring up four hours later.3
In an interview with George Norry on Coast to Coast radio, physicist Michio Kaku stated that he is becoming very concerned about the recent solar flares, indicating that “the sun is having a temper tantrum, and it’s getting worse and worse.” He continued by saying, “My greatest fear is the earth getting hit by a large solar flare, and all hell could break loose!”4
In an earlier video lecture, Professor Kaku indicated, “We are sitting ducks for solar flares.” If a catastrophic solar flare “were to happen today . . . it would wipe out most of our satellites . . . black out our weather satellites, GPS systems, telecommunications, the Internet. Power stations would be vulnerable, not just in one city . . . but in cities simultaneously across the entire planet earth. Refrigeration would be knocked out for perhaps weeks at a time. . . . Society as we know it would be thrown back perhaps a hundred years into the past.”5
Professor Kaku confirms that the world is watching signs in the sun, which are going to increase in frequency and will eventually hit the earth—it’s just a matter of time.
THE CHALLENGE
Diana arose from her deep and untroubled sleep as the wheels of the jet touched down on the runway. My mind raced with the anticipation of finding the answers to Pastor Mark’s challenging question: “Have you ever considered the sun, moon, and stars in the study of prophecy?” I asked myself, “Was God using the signs in the heavens to show us the world tomorrow?”
I disembarked from the plane to be met by the heat of the blazing Texas sun, thinking, A total solar eclipse might be a good thing right about now!
I was on my way home to begin a search of the sun, moon, and stars and how they relate to Israel in the past, present, and future. I thought of what King David declared in the Psalms:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
(19:1–4 )
The history of the world is about to change forever, and God is sending us messages on His high-definition billboard by speaking to us in the heavens—using the Four Blood Moons; the question is . . . are we listening?
CHAPTER 2
The Star in the East
We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship him.
—MATTHEW 2:2
I always enjoy coming home!
In years past I was greeted by the cheering mob of my five children, who were always glad to see Dad. Now they are all married, and God has blessed us with thirteen of the most beautiful grandchildren on the face of the earth. We are very fortunate to have all five children and their families live in town, so when we return from a trip several of the grandchildren will come by to hug Nana and Papa. I do love coming home! I threw my bags onto the bed, took a quick shower to wake up, and made a fresh pot of hot coffee to stimulate my tired mind and stiff body.
As the coffee brewed, I sat at the desk in my office, which had been masterfully designed by Diana. She converted an exercise room that I didn’t use enough into an office that I now use too much! I like to read much more than I like to run on a treadmill. I have more than five thousand books in my personal library, with all contents coded so I can resource an ocean of information with a click of a computer key; my journey was about to begin!
I sat behind my desk and reached for a legal tablet to organize the swarm of thoughts buzzing through my brain into logica
l and scriptural order. All fresh revelation from God must be biblically sound—rock solid! If the basic premise in any new concept has the smallest amount of leaven, the final conclusion will be puffed up and filled with hot air. All who preach or teach the Bible have a mandate from Paul to “Preach the word!” (2 Timothy 4:2).
I began my study of the signs in the heavens with one of the most controversial verses in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
IN THE BEGINNING . . .
“In the beginning” could have taken place millions of years ago in man’s way of measuring time. If your child is taught that scientists have found carbon-dated rocks millions of years old, this finding in no way counters God’s creation timeline.
God’s time clock, which is measured by the Seven Ages and Dispensations, does not start ticking until Genesis 1:3. The Scriptures divide the period from the creation of Adam to the “new heaven and a new earth” of Revelation 21:1 into seven unequal periods, called dispensations (Ephesians 3:2), or ages (Ephesians 2:7).
These periods are marked off in Scripture by God’s method of dealing with mankind. The Seven Ages and Dispensation are: Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and the Millennial Reign of Christ.
“Created” in Hebrew is bara, which means “to make from nothing.”1 God did not come to an established earth and rearrange what was here; He made something beautifully magnificent and awesomely wondrous out of nothing!
“God created the heavens . . .” The word heavens is plural because there are three heavens in Scripture. There is the first heaven, which we see with our naked eye, consisting of the sun, moon, and stars.
