Revelation 6:12: the Blood Moon & the Atmosphere

Many interested in Bible prophecy have paid close attention to lunar eclipses in recent years. A big reason for this focus is that the Bible warns that the moon’s appearance will become as blood prior to the coming of Christ. Revelation 6:12 states:

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”

A lunar eclipse is one way for the moon’s appearance to resemble blood. However, it is not the only way. In this article, I will describe another way that the moon can appear as blood.

Will a Lunar Eclipse Cause the Blood Moon in Revelation?

Before I begin with the main part of this article, I want to explain why I am skeptical that the blood moon in Revelation 6:12 will be a result of a lunar eclipse.

  1. Lunar eclipses appear for a short amount of time. The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century only appeared for 1 hour and 42 minutes. We don’t know how long the blood moon of Revelation will appear. But, if the blood moon of Revelation will last for a long time it will not be the result of a lunar eclipse.
  2. Lunar eclipses are not visible to the whole world. For instance, the blood moons from the much-hyped tetrad in 2014-2015 were not seen by large parts of the world.
  3. Scriptural evidence indicates that the blood moon in Revelation may be the result of a different event. We’ll see that soon.

Now to the main part of the article…

Before the Blood Moon & Day of the Lord

Revelation 6:12 mentions that a great earthquake will occur before the sun turns black as sackcloth and the moon becomes as blood:

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;”

Revelation 6:17 adds that these signs will arise just before the start of the Day of the Lord:

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Keep these details in mind….

Pillars of Smoke

Joel 2:30-31 and Acts 2:19-20 tell us that a lot of smoke-“pillars of smoke”-will be present as the start of the Day of the Lord nears:

“(30) And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:30-31)

“(19) And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: (20) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:” (Acts 2:19-20)

Given that a lot of smoke will be present in the atmosphere, we have to consider the possibility that the smoke could influence how the moon appears to those on Earth at that time.

Smoke & the Blood Moon

Universe Today, a popular astronomy website, has an article focused on answering why the moon sometimes turns red.

  • The article mentions that the moon can turn red during a lunar eclipse.
  • The article also mentions that the moon can turn red after a volcanic eruption. An eruption emits a lot of particulate matter (ash, smoke, etc) into the atmosphere. The particulate matter in the air scatters blue and green colors away and enables the color red to pass through easier.

The great earthquake (Revelation 6:12), fire, and the pillars of smoke (Joel 2:30 & Acts 2:19) indicates that there’ll be huge geological instability across the planet near the start of the Day of the Lord. We can deduce from this that it is likely that:

  • Many volcanoes will erupt and send lots of particulate matter into the atmosphere.
  • The entire planet could be covered by particulate matter from these eruptions.
  • The blood moon caused by these eruptions could be seen by everyone since it takes time for smoke to clear from the atmosphere.

Blood Moon Video

Conclusion

It’s unlikely that the blood moon in Revelation will be the result of a lunar eclipse. It’s much likelier that the blood moon will come from the geological instability that will arise as the Day of the Lord nears.

I urge you to not get caught up in the hype of date setters who claim that a big event will happen because a lunar eclipse is coming up. I have run across many people who have made failed predictions in recent years because they used a lunar eclipse as the basis for their date setting.

Do You Want to Study Bible Prophecy? Get My Free eBook!

Join my mailing list, and as a special welcome gift, I’ll send you my eBook guide to studying Bible prophecy. You’ll also get my latest articles and updates delivered to your inbox.

End of Post Newsletter Form Signup

Your privacy is valued. For more information, please read the Privacy Policy.

Prophecy Proof Insights Guide to Studying Bible Prophecy
Share This Post
Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.