The confluence of Election Day and a "blood moon" lunar eclipse has several right-wing religious leaders claiming that the occasion is prophetic.
A blood moon is defined as a total lunar eclipse that occurs during a full moon, meaning that the entirety of the moon is covered by the Earth's shadow. The next blood moon is set to take place in the early hours of Tuesday morning and will be visible across North America as well as in parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This is the first time in U.S. history that such an eclipse has coincided with an election, and it will not happen again until the 24th century.
Due to its occurrence in the hours before election polls open and the superficially ominous nature of the blood moon, several right-wing or right-leaning Christian religious leaders have claimed that the eclipse is prophetic in nature.
Steve Cioccolanti, a senior pastor for Australia's Discover Church who has written several pro-Trump books, spoke in vague terms about the eclipse, claiming that it indicated a significant event for the U.S. and other countries, and called on followers to pray for conservative election victories. He also condemned President Joe Biden's political accomplishments as "anti-Christ" and blamed the White House for deaths caused by fentanyl and "open borders."
Speaking on his "end times"-themed YouTube series, The Coming Apocalypse, Pastor Paul Begley said that the eclipse will almost certainly be a sign and linked it to apocalyptic biblical verses, while also erroneously stating that the eclipse is set to occur the night of the election instead of the night before.
"Of course, it's gotta be a sign," Begley said. "We know that the lunar eclipses are always a sign of the Lord. The Bible says in the last days, there will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars; the stress of nations with perplexity, the seas [and] the waves will be roaring. Well, the seas and the waves are roaring."
Begley added that after such a sign, the Bible says that "your redemption is drawing nigh," to which he expressed excitement.
Pastor Bunjee Garrett, in a video posted to right-wing hosting site Rumble, said that while he has no idea for certain what the eclipse could mean, he claimed that blood moons "were once associated with war" and linked it to the Biden administration "putting boots on the ground in Ukraine." A Reuters fact-check found confirmation from the Pentagon that these troops are only in Ukraine to inspect weapons deliveries, not to engage in any sort of combat.
Pastor John Graves, speaking on a faith-based current events program called FlashPoint, was more explicit and political with his interpretation of the blood moon, claiming that it indicated a "red wave" of Republican success in the midterm elections. Pastor Lance Wallnau on the same program also expressed great interest in the meaning of the eclipse, though did not go into his thoughts any further. Newsweek reached out to Wallnau for comment.
Despite the ominous appearance of a blood moon, Space.com explained that its red hue is merely a trick of light, as the moon is being hit with light that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere, causing it to appear red. Such eclipses can appear darker if there is more pollution or debris in the air, such as when a volcano erupts.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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