The darkening of the moon is a significant eschatological symbol found in various passages of the Bible, often associated with divine judgment and the end times. This phenomenon is typically mentioned alongside other cosmic disturbances, such as the darkening of the sun and the falling of stars, serving as a harbinger of God's impending intervention in human history.

Old Testament References

The imagery of the moon darkening is rooted in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of a time of divine wrath: "The stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light" (Isaiah 13:10). This passage is part of a larger oracle against Babylon, symbolizing the comprehensive nature of God's judgment.

Similarly, the prophet Joel describes a day of the Lord characterized by cosmic upheaval: "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD" (Joel 2:31). This apocalyptic vision underscores the severity and universality of the divine judgment that precedes the restoration of God's people.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the darkening of the moon is prominently featured in the eschatological discourse of Jesus. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus warns of the signs that will precede His second coming: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken’" (Matthew 24:29). This description aligns with the apocalyptic imagery found in the Old Testament, emphasizing the cosmic scale of the events surrounding the end times.

The book of Revelation also contains references to the darkening of the moon as part of the apocalyptic vision given to John. In the opening of the sixth seal, John records: "I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red" (Revelation 6:12). This imagery is part of a series of judgments that unfold during the tribulation period, highlighting the dramatic and terrifying nature of God's wrath.

Theological Significance

The darkening of the moon, along with other celestial signs, serves as a powerful symbol of God's sovereignty over creation and His ability to disrupt the natural order as a means of executing judgment. It is a reminder of the transient nature of the world and the ultimate authority of God over all things. For believers, these signs are both a warning and a promise, urging repentance and faithfulness while assuring them of God's ultimate victory and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.

Throughout Scripture, the darkening of the moon is a vivid reminder of the seriousness of sin and the certainty of divine justice. It calls believers to live in anticipation of Christ's return, maintaining a posture of readiness and hope in the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.Job 25:5
Behold even to the moon, and it shines not; yes, the stars are not pure in his sight.
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Isaiah 13:10
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.
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Isaiah 24:23
Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
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Ezekiel 32:7
And when I shall put you out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
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Joel 2:10,31
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:
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Joel 3:15
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
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Matthew 24:29
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:
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Mark 13:24
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
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Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
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Acts 2:20
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
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Revelation 6:12
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, see, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
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Revelation 8:12
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
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Whether Towards the Time of the Judgment the Sun and Moon Will be ...
... same time. But this darkening of the sun and moon is stated to be simultaneous,
when the Lord shall come to judgment. Therefore the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether towards the time of.htm

Christianity a Light.
... This darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars we will
clearly explain in part second of this work. The church ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter i christianity a light.htm

Whether it was Fitting that Christ Should Work Miracles in the ...
... For, according to some, this gloom or darkening of the sun, which occurred at the ...
who is an eyewitness as to this having occurred by the moon eclipsing the sun ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it was fitting that 9.htm

Heralds of the Morning.
... Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the
prophecy,"the darkening of the sun and moon. What rendered this ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /17 heralds of the morning.htm

Heralds of the Morning
... Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the
prophecy"the darkening of the sun and moon. What rendered this ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 17 heralds of the.htm

The Noonday.
... The darkening of the sun and moon was the fading away of the gospel light. About
the year 96 AD the writings of the New Testament were closed. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /part ii the noonday.htm

The Sixth Seal.
... The darkening of the sun and moon, would represent a change in the character of
the rulers and legislators of the world, so that instead of extending a genial ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the sixth seal.htm

General Index.
... Monks, 82-85. see also Friars; Monasteries. Moon, darkening of, 305-308. see also
Signs. ... darkening of sun and moon, 306-308. condition of churches, 309, 310. ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /general index.htm

Prophecies Fulfilled
... namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the church under
the pagan and papal persecutions, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 22 prophecies fulfilled.htm

Prophecies Fulfilled.
... namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the church under
the pagan and papal persecutions, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /22 prophecies fulfilled.htm

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