Signs of His Coming in the Heavens
From the day of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, there has been a hope in the heart of man that some time this earth will be restored to its first condition of sinlessness. In the curse pronounced upon the serpent, man heard the promise of victory through the “seed of the woman.” Down through the ages that promise becomes more and more definite, until it centers in the second coming of Christ, who will bring in the restored condition, and establish the lost dominion on earth. In His goodness God has given definite signs which precede His coming; among these none are more definite or more often repeated than those which are to be displayed in the heavens. Prophets and apostles and our Lord Himself name these signs specifically. 1. How did Joel describe these signs eight hundred years before Christ? “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth. . . . The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh.” Joel 2:30, 31. 2. Sixty-five years after the crucifixion of Christ, John was shown these same signs. “I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as sackcloth of hair, and the whole [full] moon became as blood; and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth as a fig-tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.” Rev. 6:12, 13. 3. Jesus Himself, in answer to the question of His disciples, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” declared: “There shall be signs in the sun and moon and stars.” Luke 21:25. 4. Does the Bible tell us when these signs will be? By comparing the discourse of our Saviour as recorded in Matthew 24 with the vision of the book with the seven seals, recorded by John in Revelation 6, we find that a time of great “tribulation” was to come on the earth, affecting especially the church of Christ. This period can be none other than the papal supremacy, from 538 to 1798, a period in which millions sealed their faith with their blood, until the very host of martyrs came up before God crying for justice and vengeance, “and except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved.” While the period extended to 1798, the persecutions ceased 1776. 5. Just here the Saviour located the first of these signs. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days [“in those days, after that tribulation,” Mark 13:24] the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” It is a matter of history, well established and never successfully disputed, that the “dark day” occurred May 19, 1780, which is “in those days, after that tribulation.” On the night following the dark day, “the moon became as blood.” Such a night of absolute darkness was probably never known since the days when Egypt at the word of God through Moses lay in darkness that could be felt. Without question, these events answer to the prophetic word. 6. “And the stars shall fall from heaven.” This event is in the memory of many now living. These tell us that the Scriptural wording is an accurate description of the falling stars, “even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” This occurred Nov. 13, 1833. 7. With every mention of these signs what event is associated? “Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh:” “for the day of Jehovah is near;” “then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and great glory.” See Isa. 13:9; Joel 2:31; 3:14; Mark 13:26.