My short answer is no. What is coming is a scientifically predicted eclipse, just like a host of eclipses that have happened in the past. I remember the "prophetic" world was ready for the end in 2017 when that eclipse was in the forecast.
But what about the signs in the heavens that Jesus mentions? Isn't this that?
Let's look at the passages found throughout the Bible that mention these cosmic signs that will precede the day of the Lord.
Surprisingly these events are mentioned quite often. By comparing these passages we can determine what signs we should be looking for, and when we should expect to see them.
Isaiah has this to say about the coming day of the LORD,
Behold the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Isaiah 13:9-10, 13 KJV
And the prophet Joel says this concerning the day of the LORD,
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it.
Joel 2:10-11 KJV
And I will shew 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 great and terrible day of the LORD come.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Joel 2:30-32 KJV
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Joel 3:14-16 KJV
I have just quoted several Old Testament passages that all refer to this same event. We have the cosmic signs, the sun is darkened, the moon turning to blood, and the stars not shining. All of this is happening before the Lord's coming in wrath to destroy the wicked, and to deliver His people.
You may still be thinking that this sounds a lot like a major eclipse. One could make this assumption I suppose, but as I previously stated, eclipses have occurred in the past, and they have had no real significance spiritually speaking.
The New Testament also contains references to these same verses we have just looked at. In these passages we begin to see a timeline that will show us what kind of heavenly signs we should be looking for.
In the gospels, Jesus references these same apocalyptic signs that we have seen in Isaiah and Joel. But He gives us time markers that should eliminate our speculation. In Matthew 24:29-31 we read,
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Notice that these signs in the heavens that precede the second coming of Jesus follow a time of tribulation. Go back a few verses and see the timeline that Jesus sets forth. The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet kicks off the great tribulation. This will be a time unlike anything the world has ever seen up until this point. (Matt 24:15-21, Daniel 8:9-12, 9:27, 11:31, 12:1).
A man who the Bible refers to as the Antichrist will invade Jerusalem, pollute the temple, and attempt to annihilate the Jews. Yes, Christians will be persecuted mercilessly at this time as well. This time of trouble preceeds the darkening of the sun and moon according to Jesus. He will not return until the end of this period of time.
Just think for a moment and walk this back a bit. In order for the abomination of desolation to be placed, and the sacrifices ended, a temple must exist in Jerusalem, and sacrifices have to be started. We don't see this today, so any eclipse or "harvest" moon cannot be a sign of the imminent return of Christ at this point in time.
One individual made a video where he quoted Luke 21:25-26. He mentioned the signs in the heavens and made a point to show that the nations today are indeed in distress. But look at the previous verse, (Luke 21:24), the time of the great tribulation, also referred to here as the time of the Gentiles. This is why the nations are in distress. All of the events of the final 42 months of this present world's existence are happening.These things must come first. On April 8, we might see an eclipse, but no second coming will occur yet.
In Revelation we see these signs mentioned again.
And I beheld when he 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;
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 6:12-17 KJV
Just as we saw in Matthew 24, the events of the sixth seal are late into the final seven years of this present world. Five seals have already been opened. By this point we have experienced the false peace initiated by the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27), followed by believe it or not, wars and rumors of war (Rev 6:3-4, Matt 24:6-7, Isaiah 28:1-4, Daniel 11:23-30), famine (Rev 6:5-6, Matt 24:7), and the breaking of this seven year covenant paving the way for the great tribulation. The Antichrist has taken his seat in the temple and made himself out to be god (Daniel 11:36, 2 Thess 2:3-4), Christians have been martyred in unheard of numbers for almost three and one half years by this point (Rev 6:9-11), and Jerusalem has been utterly ravaged (Zech 14:1-2). None of these things have occured as of yet.
The final seven year period before the return of Christ is described in the book of Revelation through the opening of seven seals, the blowing of seven trumpets, and the emptying of seven bowls of wrath. These events are happening concurrently, and terminate at the same point, the return of Christ on the day of the LORD. Here are a few more things that the world will see and experience before the return of Christ takes place.
When the first trumpet is blown hail and fire mixed with blood is cast to the earth, causing a third of the trees and all the green grass to be burned up (Rev 8:7).
At the second trumpet something like a great burning mountain is cast into the sea, turning a third of the sea into blood (Rev 8:9). This is similar to what we read in Revelation 16:3-6, where the second bowl of judgement is poured out upon the sea, and the third bowl is emptied upon the rivers, turning them into blood.
At the blowing of the fourth trumpet a third part of the sun is struck, a third part of the moon, and a third of the stars. This causes a dimness of these heavenly bodies, shortening the days to an eight hour period of light during the daytime, and likewise at night. It is my belief, although I am not dogmatic, that this occurs somewhere near the middle of the final seven year period, perhaps coinciding with the revealing of the Antichrist as he places the abomination of desolation. Imagine living in a time when the sun is dimmed that much, especially if it stays that way for any length of time.
At some point near the end, another bowl of wrath, the fourth one is poured out upon the sun. The resulting heat scorches men, who blaspheme God in their misery ( Rev 16:9). This is followed by the fifth bowl which, when emptied, plunges the kingdom of the beast into darkness (Rev 16:10).
The sixth bowl is a lead up to the battle of Armageddon, as the nations are being deceived, and gathered unto the great day of God Almighty (Rev 16:12-14). This is extremely late in time, the seals, trumpets and bowls are progressing swiftly to the end. It is at this point that Jesus interjects and says,
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Revelation 16:15 KJV
Now the nations are gathered together at Armageddon and the seventh bowl is poured out into the air, a voice cries out it is finished. There is a great earthquake, the islands flee away and the mountains disappear, and the biggest hailstorm in history falls on mankind (Rev 16:16-21).
Likewise, in Revelation 11:13-19 we read of the same events at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Hail, a great earthquake, and the kingdoms of the world becoming the kingdoms of Christ. This is the day of the LORD, the thief like coming of Jesus Christ (1 Thess 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10). It does not happen secretly at some earlier point in time, no, it is a highly visible cataclysmic event preceeded by major events that will be obvious to all.
I mention a lot in this short post to try to show that we must be diligent to try everything by the word of God. Not every "blood moon," is a sign of the times, and likewise not every solar eclipse is forewarning of Christ's return. Much has to happen, and will happen before that day comes. If you are alert you can't miss it. Paul tells us that we as Christians don't belong to the night, we can and should be aware of what is coming so that we are not taken by surprise. The world at large will be deceived and caught unaware when these things begin to happen (1 Thess 5:1-8, Luke 21:34-36).
If talk of next week's eclipse has caused anyone concern about the last days, I urge you to examine yourself and be sure you are right with God. While events like this come and go with no major repercussions, the time will come when the real thing begins to unfold. Make sure you are ready.
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