Along with the recent solar eclipse, a "sign" in the sky that will occur on September 23, 2017 is getting a lot of attention in social media. What is all the hype about and what does the Bible really say about it?
First, the Bible does say that God can use the sun, moon, and stars for signs. In fact, he appointed the lights to "serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years," in Genesis 1:14. But do they do more than signal changes in seasons and times? In Joel 2:31 God says, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." The moon turning to blood is a phrase that has historically referred to a lunar eclipse (the earth's shadow covering the moon). Perhaps the "sun will be turned to darkness" description refers to a solar eclipse.
Does the recent solar eclipse contain a special warning related to end time events? No, for several reasons. The most important one is that the prophecy in Joel has already been fulfilled! As much as people speak about this being an "end time" prophecy, Peter quite clearly proclaimed that it occurred on the day of Jesus' crucifixion during his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2. He told a crowd gathered outside of the temple 50 days after the crucifixion that they all knew about the signs God performed to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 2:22). This came right after announcing that the prophecy in Joel about the sun and moon had been fulfilled (Acts 2:15-20).
The Bible tells us that the sun did turn to darkness on that day. This and other signs led even the Roman centurion to proclaim that Jesus was "the Son of God!" (Mark 15:33-39) We also know from computer software that there was a lunar eclipse visible from Jerusalem on the night of April 3rd, 33 AD, the most likely date of Christ's crucifixion. The moon turned to blood that very day! The darkness that occurred during the afternoon hours was not a solar eclipse, for they only bring darkness for a few minutes, not hours as the Bible records. Also, we know that there was no solar eclipse that day. No, this was either a direct act of God or an indirect miracle through the use of volcanic ash associated with the earthquake that the Bible also tells us about. Joel even spoke of "blood and fire and billows of smoke" associated with the darkening of the sun (Joel 2:30).
So the prophecy of the sun turning to darkness was a specific sign that proclaimed Jesus as God's appointed savior. It occurred long ago and wasn't even a solar eclipse. In addition, solar eclipses occur frequently somewhere in the world and so far have not signaled the return of Christ or the apocalypse, nor can they.
What about the recent solar eclipse or the one that will occur in America in 2024? Maybe it is not a sign of the end of the world, but judgment on America. Again, no. Eclipses occur frequently, and there is no evidence that they are accompanied by terrible events. There is also no biblical basis for interpreting them this way, it is pure imagination.
But what about the "Revelation 12 sign" that will occur on September 23rd? I believe it is possible for God to make such a sign. The God who can place the moon in just the right place to be eclipsed the same day as the crucifixion may have "programmed" other special events in the sky on important dates. What is arguably happening on September 23rd is the fulfillment of the imagery written about in Revelation 12. This passage describes a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet. There are also twelve stars crowning her head. The Revelation 12 sign is about the constellation Virgo, the "virgin" (a woman), with the moon at her feet, the sun just to her side, and a special formation of twelve stars above her. The 12 stars are made from nine stars from the constellation Leo (the lion) above her, and three additional planets that rarely come so close to Leo. The arrangement is particularly unique because the "king planet," Jupiter, will be "inside," and then pass "outside" of Virgo, representing the birth of a king on this date.
While I do not reject the possibility of a sign like this occurring that has prophetic significance, I do not think this one does for several reasons. The first problem is identifying its prophetic significance. If this is a sign, what is it a sign of? The apocalypse, the rapture, the revealing of the Antichrist, something else? There is no clear answer because the text itself points to a different kind of event altogether- the birth of Jesus. The text specifically tells us it is about the birth of the Messiah (Revelation 12:1-2). In addition, everything about the sign is about a birth.
This event happened more than 2,000 years ago. In fact, computer software reveals that this sign actually occurred around the time of the birth of Jesus. I say "actually occurred" because I don't think what is happening on September 23rd is really a fulfillment of the sign. There is no reason to assume that nine stars in Leo combining with three planets is the only possible or even best way to get a crown of twelve stars above Virgo. There are many other stars closer to the constellation that make better candidates. If anyone is looking for a "sign" in the sky to make a big deal about, they can often find something. But this particular sign seems like another active imagination at work rather than the fulfillment of a particular Bible prophecy.
Although this particular event may not indicate that Jesus' coming is near, that does not rule out many other noteworthy events that do. We should simply remain ready and watchful!
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