Cosmic Signs

     Continuing on in the Olivet discourse Jesus states,

     "But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Matt 24:29NASB). 

     Jesus refers here to several old testament passage that portray the same events set to occur at the "day of the LORD".  Isaiah 13 contains a prophecy against Babylon, the nation that was to carry the people of Judah into exile. Although this exile was due to Judah's apostasy, yet God would judge Babylon for its cruelty. This prophecy, although fulfilled in part when the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon, telescopes out to the future, and the day of the LORD.

     Wail for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them; they will writhe like a woman in labor, they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame. Behold the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light.  Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger (Isaiah 13:6-13 NASB).

     I have underlined the sections that Jesus refers to in Matthew 24. Again, the context of this portion of Isaiah 13 is the day of the LORD, and Jesus links this with His return.

     Isaiah 34 also foretells the time of God's wrath and indignation upon the nations and their armies (Isaiah 34:2). At this time All the hosts of heaven will wear away, and the sky will be rolled up as a scroll; all their hosts will also wither away as a leaf withers away from the vine, or as one withers from the fig tree (Isaiah 34:4 NASB). 

     Now let's look at the breaking of the sixth seal in Revelation chapter six. This event is set to occur after the martyrdom unleashed by the breaking of the fifth seal. This agrees with the statement of Jesus we read above (Matt 24:9). I grew up with the teaching of a pre-trib rapture. Part of my understanding was that the moon was to turn dark red before this event occurred. Yet we see here that this idea is actually wrong, it does not agree with Jesus' teaching, or the words of this chapter either. We actually find that the bible teaches the opposite here.

     I looked when he broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (Rev 6:12-14 NASB).

     This passage of scripture also draws from the old testament. Notice the quotation of Isaiah 34:4 here. The book of Joel is also quoted,

     "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes" (Joel 2:30-31 NASB). 

     This verse is found in a passage foretelling the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter quotes from this passage on the day of Pentecost, explaining to the people what it was they were seeing and hearing (Acts 2:14-21). Peter's focus was on the signs that accompanied the filling of the Holy Spirit, but this prophecy, like so many others, looks also to the distant future and finds its final fulfillment at the end of this age. 

     Scripture interprets scripture. You will find a continuity between the books of the bible, both old testament and new. It is fascinating to see the number of old testament quotes found in the new testament. The book of Revelation relies heavily upon old testament imagery. I would recommend to everyone who seeks to study scripture, and in this case, prophecy, that you use those cross references that many bible's contain. You will find these things spoken of throughout the word of God.