“Immediately after the tribulations of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken…” Matthew 24: 29, NKJV.
Dear Lord, as we enter the study of Your Word, we feel the need to have Your Holy Spirit stand by us and be our teacher; for Christ’s sake; Amen.
From the very beginning, I would like to assure you, that God’s intentions for His people, is not for us to be fearful, but that we be faith-full (full of faith)! “We have nothing to fear for the future [or the present,] unless we forget the way the Lord has led us… in the past!” (Emphasis provided). The intent of these studies is that we might be revived, and fortified, and encouraged; as we think about Christ’s return to earth. My desire is that any dread we may have entertained concerning the second coming of Christ will vanish. Whatever else you may, or may not, remember: Do not forget that Jesus loves you; and “perfect love, casts out fear” (1 John 4: 18).
When Christ answered the disciples’ question, “When will these things be … and of the end of the world” (Matthew 24: 3)? He was answering on two accounts: the destruction of Jerusalem, and the second coming of Christ. Therefore, the signs of both events are mingled together. The first set of signs that we are going to look at, came right after the great tribulation (“suffering,” NRSV). Revelation 6: 12, 13, also makes reference to these signs with the additional sign of a “great earthquake.”
These “sufferings” seem to be linked to the Dark Ages. This period was to last for 1260 years (538-1798). Nevertheless, Jesus said, “…if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24: 22, NRSV). That time period was being “cut short” by the Protestant Reformation (~1775-76). We are going to look at these “signs in the heavens,” in relationship to the time of the end.
1) “The sun will be darkened.” May 19, 1780, is known in history as the Dark Day. It is reported, that by mid-morning, the New England sky grew dark. Fowls returned to their rest; candles were lit; and the darkness of midnight was felt, in the middle of the day. There are no natural causes to account for this unusual phenomena. The possibility of an eclipse has been discarded. “Concerning the inability of science to assign a satisfactory cause for this manifestation, Herschel the astronomer declares: ‘The dark day in North America was one of those wonderful phenomena of nature which philosophy is at a loss to explain’ ” (Bible Universe – The Ultimate Bible Resource)
2) That night when the moon appeared, according to eye witnesses, it was “as red as blood.”
3) The falling of the stars -the “great meteoric shower.“ On November 13, 1833, the greatest display of falling stars was witnessed. “A writer on astronomy gives this description: ‘On the night of November 12, 13, 1833, a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North America bore the brunt of its pelting. From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs.’ “-Agnes M. Clerke, History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century, p. 328. It is said that you could read the newspaper with the light produced by this phenomenon.
What is truly amazing about these signs is their perfect timing. Each occurred at the precise time in history, as foretold by the Lord! We can be sure, that whatever He says will come to pass, will come to pass!