Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joel 2:30
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
30 31. The signs of approaching judgement which will then appear.
shew ] lit. give, as Exo 7:9; Deu 6:22.
wonders ] better (for the word used has no connexion with those commonly rendered wonderful, wondrous) portents, extraordinary phenomena natural, or supernatural, as the case might be arresting attention: see e.g. Exo 4:21; Exo 7:9; Isa 8:18; Eze 12:11.
blood and fire ] i.e. either, as some suppose, wars on an unprecedented scale (‘portents in the earth ’), or more probably (as wars are not suggested by the context), abnormal atmospherical phenomena (cf. Joe 2:31).
pillars of smoke ] Son 3:6, of the smoke of incense, heralding a procession (the word rendered pillars occurs only in these two passages). Possibly of the columns of smoke rising up from burnt cities (Jdg 20:38; Jdg 20:40; cf. Isa 9:18); more probably (Thomson, The Land and the Book, Southern Pal., p. 142) with allusion to columns of sand and dust raised high in the air by local whirlwinds accompanying a sirocco, which sometimes “march with great rapidity over the open plain, and closely resemble ‘pillars of smoke’.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And I will shew wonders – Each revelation of God prepares the way for another, until that last revelation of His love and of His wrath in the Great Day. In delivering His people from Egypt, the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt Deu 6:22. Here, in allusion to it, He says, in the same words, of the new revelation, I will shew, or give, wonders, or wondrous signs, (as the word includes both) wonders beyond the course and order of nature, and portending other dispensations of God, of joy to His faithful, terror to His enemies. As when Israel came out of Egypt, the pillar of the cloud was a cloud and darkness to the camp of the Egyptians, but gave light by night to the camp of Israel Exo 14:19-20, so all Gods workings are light and darkness at once, according as people are, who see them or to whom they come. These wonders in heaven and earth began in the First Coming and Passion of Christ, grew in the destruction of Jerusalem, but shall be perfectly fulfilled toward the end of the world, before the final Judgment, and the destruction of the Universe. At the birth of Christ, there was the star which appeared unto the wise men, and the multitude of the heavenly host, whom the shepherds saw. At His Atoning Death, the sun was darkened, there was the three hours darkness over the whole land; and on earth the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened Luk 23:44-45; Mat 27:45, Mat 27:51-52 : and the Blood and water issued from the Saviours side. After His Resurrection, there was the vision of Angels, terrible to the soldiers who watched the sepulchre, comforting to the women who sought to honor Jesus. His Resurrection was a sign on earth, His Ascension in earth and heaven. But our Lord speaks of signs both in earth and heaven, as well before the destruction of Jerusalem, as before His second Coming.
With regard to the details, it seems probable that this is an instance of what we may call an inverted parallelism, that having mentioned generally that God would give signs in (1) heaven and (2) earth, the prophet first instances the signs in earth, and then those in heaven. A very intellectual Jewish expositor has suggested this, and certainly it is frequent enough to be, in conciser forms, one of the idioms of the sacred language. In such case, the blood and fire and pillars of smoke, will be signs in earth; the turning of the sun into darkness and the moon into blood will be signs in heaven. When fortelling the destruction of Jerusalem, the Day of vengeance, which fell with such accumulated horror on the devoted city, and has for these 1800 years dispersed the people of Israel to the four winds, our Lord mentions first the signs on earth, then those in heaven. Nation shall arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Luk 21:10-11. Before the Day of Judgment our Lord also speaks of both Luk 21:25-26;
(1) there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars;
(2) and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; peoples hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The Jewish historian relates signs both in heaven and in earth, before the destruction of Jerusalem. : A star stood like a sword over Jerusalem; a light which, when the people were assembled at the Passover at 9 at night, shone so brightly around the altar and the temple, that it seemed like bright day, and this for half an hour; the eastern door of the temple, which 20 men scarcely shut at eventide, stayed with iron-bound bars and very deep bolts let down into the threshhold of one solid stone, was seen at 6 oclock at night to open of its own accord; chariots and armed troops were seen along the whole country, coursing through the clouds, encircling the cities; at the feast of Pentecost, the priests entering the temple by night, as their wont was for worship, first perceived a great movement and sound, and then a multitudinous voice, Let us depart hence. These signs were authenticated by the multitude or character of those who witnessed them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joe 2:30-31
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sirocco suggesting prophetic figures
We have two kinds of sirocco–one accompanied with violent wind, which fills the air with dust and fine sand; and one of a quieter kind, which yet is often mere overpowering. I have often seen the whole heavens veiled in gloom with this sort of sand cloud, through which the sun, shorn of its beams, looked like a globe of dull, smouldering fire. It may have been this phenomenon which suggested the strong prophetic figure of Joel, quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost:–Wonders in the heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. The pillars of smoke are probably those columns of sand and dust raised high in the air by local whirlwinds, which often accompany the sirocco. On the great desert of the Hauran, I have seen a score of them, marching with great rapidity over the plain, and they closely resembled pillars of smoke. (W. M. Thomson, Land and Book. )
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 30. Wonders in the heavens and in the earth] This refers to those dreadful sights, dreadful portents, and destructive commotion, by which the Jewish polity was finally overthrown, and the Christian religion established in the Roman empire. See how our Lord applies this prophecy, Mt 24:29, and the parallel texts.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And I will show wonders; as he promiseth such grace to believers, so he warneth them that they should not be surprised with those alarming prodigies which in those days God would show, which would usher in the hard times that should be chastisement to the best, and destruction to the worst: whoso will read and observe what historians and naturalists report of those times will see this fulfilled in the very letter, and Mat 24:7,29; Mr 13:24; Luk 21:11,25.
In the heavens and in the earth; above men, and under their feet; all which signs are particularly named, and first the signs on the earth.
Blood; possibly eruption of blood, as some fountains have been reported to have run with blood, and these prefiguring the great effusion of blood by the sword and wars following, or by antichristian persecutions.
Fire; either breaking out of the earth, or else unusual lightnings, and unparalleled flashes of lightnings in the lower region of the air, setting many things on fire.
Pillars of smoke; from those burning things fired by lightnings, or by extraordinary flashes, a smoke shall go up like a pillar. Particular instances of these may not here be gathered together, but Hottinger, that learned and painful historian, hath gathered many together of the first age, and so of the following ages of the church, in his Ecclesiastical History, which who desireth may consult.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
30, 31. As Messiah’smanifestation is full of joy to believers, so it has an aspect ofwrath to unbelievers, which is represented here. Thus when the Jewsreceived Him not in His coming of grace, He came in judgment onJerusalem. Physical prodigies, massacres, and conflagrations precededits destruction [JOSEPHUS,Wars of the Jews]. To these the language here may allude; butthe figures chiefly symbolize political revolutions and changes inthe ruling powers of the world, prognosticated by previous disasters(Amo 8:9; Mat 24:29;Luk 21:25-27), andconvulsions such as preceded the overthrow of the Jewish polity. Suchshall probably occur in a more appalling degree before the finaldestruction of the ungodly world (“the great and terrible day ofJehovah,” compare Mal 4:5),of which Jerusalem’s overthrow is the type and earnest.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth,…. This, and what follow, refer to the prodigies seen in the air, and done in the earth, a little before the destruction of Jerusalem r; when in the air were seen comets and blazing stars, particularly one in the form of a sword, hanging over Jerusalem, and appearances of armies engaged in battle; and, on the earth, a flame was seen in the temple, and a voice heard in it, saying, let us go hence; the doors of it opened of themselves; an idiot went about, crying woe to the people, woe to the city, c.
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke “blood” may design the great slaughter of then by the Roman army in the land of Judea, and by murders committed among themselves in the city of Jerusalem, which were very horrible, and of great numbers; “fire”, the burning of towns and cities; though Kimchi interprets it of lightnings in the heavens; and “pillars of smoke”, rising up in straightness and height like palm trees, as the word s signifies, vast quantities of it arising from cities and towns burnt. Gussetius t interprets this of the burning of the martyrs in the first ages of Christianity, and of their spiritual affections, which ascended upwards to God, and were grateful to him; see So 3:6.
r Vid. Joseph. De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 3. s “palmas fumi”, Piscator, Cocceius. t Ebr. Comment. p. 947.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Signs Immediately Preceding The Second Coming Of Christ And
The Day Of The Lord
Verses 30-32:
Verse 30 describes dark, devastating signs, heralding the Day of the Lord, the time of Jacob’s trouble, (70th week) of God’s judgment, final earthly judgment on Israel, regathered in her own land; Convulsions of nature shall erupt from the heavens and upon the earth, resulting in bloodshed, fire and smoke in a revulsive manner. To those prepared to meet the Lord, it will mean full and final redemption; but to the unbelieving, it will mean earthly horrors for all, and painful physical death for most of earth’s remaining people, Isa 13:9-11; Isa 24:21-22.
Verse 31 further describes the tragic earthly and heavenly changes that shall occur approaching that terrible final day, of the fall of all heathen nations, Isa 24:23; Eze 32:10; Mat 24:29-30; Act 2:19-20. That day, yet to come, shall end the Gentile dispensation and the church age.
Verse 32 offers final hope and assurance of physical and spiritual deliverance for all who “call on the name of the Lord,” Jehovah, even to the end. For all who truly call, in penitent trust, shall be saved, ransomed, liberated, or rescued from all danger then and thereafter, pending against them, body and soul, Act 2:21; Act 4:12; Rom 10:13. Of this Psa 145:18-19 pledges “the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him—He also will hear (heed) their cry, and will save them.”
In Israel, those who are delivered in the end, shall be only a remnant, called also an hundred and forty and four thousand (144,000) Jewish saints. These have received the Messiah, during the first 42 months of the 70th week of Jacob’s trouble, while the evening and morning oblations or sacrifices have been restored, before the man of Sin, the antichrist, causes the restored ancient worship to cease, Dan 9:25-27; 2Th 2:4-12; Rev 7:1-8; Rev 12:6-17. After this, this remnant of Israel shall be shadowed and shielded by the Lord for a time, times, and half-time, or 42 months, 31/2 years, in the wilderness of the mountains south of the Dead Sea, thought to be the city of Petra today, Rev 12:14. This full redemption for every believer, and the remnant of national Israel, is to be recognized, only when Jesus returns to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, Isa 1:9; Amo 5:15; Rom 11:5; Act 1:10-11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The Prophet seems here to contradict himself; for he had hitherto promised that God would deal kindly and bountifully with his people; and every thing he has said tended to elevate the spirits of the people and fill them with joy: but now he seems again to threaten them with God’s wrath and to strike miserable men with fear; who had not as yet a breathing time; for at the time the Prophet spoke, the Jews, we know, were in the greatest sorrow. What then is his purpose in adding a new cause of grief, as though they had not sorrow and lamentation enough? But it is rather an admonition than a threatening. The Prophet warns them of what would be, lest the faithful should promise themselves some happy condition in this world, and an exemption from all cares and troubles; for we know how prone men are to self-indulgence. When God promises any thing, they flatter themselves and harbor vain thoughts, as though they were beyond the reach of harm, and free from every grief and every evil. Such indulgence the flesh contrives for itself. Hence the Prophet reminds us, that though God would bountifully feed his Church, supply his people with food, and testify by external tokens his paternal love, and though also he would pour out his Spirit, (a token far more remarkable,) yet the faithful would continue to be distressed with many troubles; for God designs not to deal too delicately with his Church on earth; but when he gives tokens of his kindness he at the same time mingles some exercises for patience, lest the faithful should become self-indulgent or sleep on earthly blessings, but that they may ever seek higher things.
We now then understand the Prophet’s design: he intends not to threaten the faithful, but rather to warn them, lest they should deceive themselves with empty dreams, or expect what is never to be, that is, to enjoy a happy rest in this world. Besides, the Prophet regards also another thing: we know indeed that men are hardly led to seek the grace of God, except when they are, as it were, forcibly drawn; hence spiritual life is neglected, and whatever belongs to the celestial kingdom, when we have all kinds of supplies on earth. The Prophet then commends here the spiritual grace of which he speaks, for this reason, — that the condition of men would be miserable, were not the Lord to exhilarate their minds and refresh them with the comfort which we have already noticed. — How so? There will be prodigies in heaven and on earth, the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, and all things shall be in disorder and in horrible darkness. What then would become of men, were not God to shine on them by the grace of his Spirit, to support them under such a confusion in heaven and on earth, and to show himself to be their Father?
We then see that this was added for the fuller commendation of God’s grace, that men might know, that they would be much more miserable if God called them not to himself by the shining light of his Spirit. And that this was the Prophet’s design, we may learn from the discourse of Christ, which he made to his disciples a short time before his death. They asked what would be the sign of his coming, when he reminded them of the destruction of the temple, (Mat 24:3). They thought that he would immediately accomplish that triumph of which they had heard, that they would be made participators of that eternal beatitude of which Christ had so often spoken to them. Christ then warned them not to be deluded with so gross a notion. He spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem, and then declared that all these things would be only the presages of evils — “These,” he says, “shall be only the preludes; for tumults will arise, wars shall be, and all places will be full of calamities; in a word, there will be an immense mass of all evils.” As Christ then corrected the mistake, with which the minds of the disciples were imbued, so the Prophet here checks vain imaginations, lest the faithful should think that Christ’s kingdom would be earthly, and fix their minds on corn and wine, on pleasures and quietness, on the conveniences of the present life: I will give you, he says, prodigies in heaven and on earth blood, fire, and dark clouds; the sun all be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before it shall come — the day of Jehovah, great and terrible
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(30, 31) The sun . . . and the moon.These words, recalling some of the portents in the ancient history of the Jews (especially as instanced in some of the plagues of Egypt) are taken up by our Lord Himself, as ushering in the great day of judgment; and they are echoed again by St. John in the vision of the opening of the sixth seal: For the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? (Comp. Joe. 2:11 of this chapter.) The sun and moon, &c., may include the luminaries in heaven and the potentates on earth.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30, 31. Wonderful indications of the approach of the judgment.
Show Literally, give.
Wonders Hebrews mophethim. “Any object of significance which surpasses expectation or the ordinary course of nature, and excites wonder in consequence”; here extraordinary phenomena on earth and in the sky.
Blood fire pillars of smoke If the phenomena mentioned in this verse are such as take place upon earth, these words point to the terrors of war, bloodshed, violence, and the columns of smoke rising from burned cities. Wars will be on an unprecedented scale, and thus may well be regarded as portents of the day of Jehovah (Isa 13:6; Zep 1:7). Some commentators, however, prefer to connect this verse more closely with Joe 2:31, and to interpret the phenomena mentioned in 30 in the light of those in 31. They see in the fire, blood, and pillars of smoke “abnormal atmospherical phenomena”: blood the blood-red color of the moon; smoke the smoke clouds filling the air as a result of volcanic eruptions; fire lightning, since “thunderstorms often accompany earthquakes.” The former interpretation is to be preferred. In 31 the phenomena in the sky are mentioned. “The darkening and extinction of the lights of heaven are frequently mentioned as harbingers of approaching judgment, or as signs of the breaking of the day of judgment” (Joe 2:2; Joe 2:10; Joe 3:15; Isa 13:10; Isa 34:4; Jer 4:23, etc.; compare, in the New Testament, Mat 24:29; Mar 13:24; Luk 21:25; Rev 6:12).
Sun darkness, moon blood The figures may have been suggested by eclipses of the sun and moon (Amo 8:9), or by strange obscurations caused by other disturbances (Joe 2:2; Joe 2:10), or as described in the following account: “A dreadful whirlwind occurred here (in Allahabad) on June 2, 1838. The whole sky was blood-red, not with clouds, for there was not a cloud to be seen. Overhead moved immense masses of dust, but below there was not a breath of wind. Shortly after the wind arose, carrying with it sand and dust. It soon became extremely dark, although the sun was still up. The darkness was not only visible but tangible” (Driver, quoted from Asiatic Journal, Nov., 1838). These phenomena, according to the declaration of the prophet, will announce the approach of the great day, just as previously the locust plague pointed to its coming.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joe 2:30. And I will shew wonders, &c. Whoever will be at the pains to compare our Saviour’s prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem, Matthew 24 with the present passage, will have no doubt concerning the application of this part of Joel’s prophesy.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
Ver. 30. And I will show wonders in the heavens ] Prodigia beneficia credentibus, malefica et horrifica incredulis, saith Cornelius a Lapide, who interpreteth the text of those signs and wonders that shall precede the day of judgment: and for confirmation hereof allegeth Joe 3:2 , together with Mat 24:29 Luk 21:25 . And had he looked a little higher into those chapters, and taken in all the troubles that befell the Church from our Saviour’s ascension to his second coming, together with those horrible calamities and confusions that shall befall the wicked, for contempt of the gospel, and persecution of the professors thereof, he had done right, in mine opinion. It is ordinary with the prophets to set forth horrible commotions by such figurative expressions: see Jer 4:23 , &c.; Isa 13:10 Rev 6:12 . Those that have received the spirit of adoption, must not dream of a delicacy, but expect persecution. Christ came to send fire on the earth, Luk 12:49 . Neither may persecutors hope to escape unpunished, but look to be pursued by Divine justice. See Trapp on “ Rev 6:15 “ How heavy was the hand of God upon Jerusalem, that slaughter house of the saints; and afterwards upon the ten persecutors of Rome! 1. Nero (whom Tertullian rightly calleth Dedicatorero damnationis Christianorum, quippe qui orientem fidem primus Romae cruentavit, the first bloody persecutor of the Christian religion) lost 80,000 of his subjects by the pestilence, had his army utterly routed and cut off in Brittany, both the Armenias revolted from him, the senators rose up against him, and compelled him to be his own executioner; 2. Domitian was butchered by his soldiers; 3. Trajan died of a dropsy; 4. Severus died miserably here at York; 5. Maximinus, with his son, was cut in pieces; 6. Decius died in a far country; 7. Valerian was flayed by Sapores, King of Persia, who took him prisoner. 8. Aurelian was slain by his own men; 9. Dioclesian poisoned himself; 10. Maximian hanged himself. What should I speak of Julian, Anastasius, Heraclius, &c.; the French persecutors, Francis II, Charles IX, Henry III, the Guises, &c.; Philip II of Spain, who returning out of the Low Countries, met a storm, and suffered shipwreck, to the great danger of his life? He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranism, which he presently began to do with all his might. He afterwards died miserably of the lousy disease. Queen Mary died of a tumour, or else of grief of heart for King Philip’s unkind departure, severe losses, Calais surrendered, harm done by thunders from heaven and by fire in the royal navy, extreme dearths raging, her conceptions failing. What heavy judgments befell various particular persecutors of those times, Poole, Gardiner, Bonner, Morgan, Story, Burton, see Acts and Mon. 1902, 1904, &c., 1915. George Eagles (alias Trudge-over-the-world) having hid himself in a grain field, was for money descried by one Ralph Lurdain, and burnt at Chelmsford: where afterwards the same Lurdain was hanged for stealing a horse (Mr Leigh’s Saints’ Encouragement, Epistle to Reader.)
Blood and fire
– “ Superique minaces
Prodigiis terras implerant, aethera, pontum
Ignota obscure viderunt sidera noctes,
Ardentemque polum flammis, coeloquevolantes
Obliquas per inane faces –
Fulgura fallaci micuerunt crebra sereno,
Et varias ignis dense dedit aere ferrous. ”
Before Caesar’s death not only drops of blood fell from heaven, but also pits and pools flowed with blood. Puteique cruore mutati
“ Non ignota cano, Caesar monstravit: et ipsi
Vidimus: innumeros prompsit Germania testes. ”
It is not many years since a shower of blood fell about Gloucester, if our intelligence deceived us not. Such prodigies are usually sad presages, nec inania terriculamenta haec esse, res ipsa testatur,
And pillars of smoke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I will shew. Compare Mat 24:29. Mar 13:24.
blood, and fire. These are symbols of Divine, judgment; not of salvation by grace.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will: Mat 24:29, Mar 13:24, Luk 21:11, Luk 21:25, Luk 21:26, Act 2:19, Act 2:20, Rev 6:12-17
pillars: Gen 19:28, Jos 8:20, Jdg 20:38, Jdg 20:40, Son 3:6, Rev 18:9, Rev 18:18
Reciprocal: Gen 1:14 – and let Psa 148:8 – Fire Isa 34:4 – all the Jer 4:23 – the heavens Jer 4:28 – the heavens Amo 7:4 – called Hag 2:6 – and I Mat 24:7 – famines Luk 12:49 – come 1Th 2:16 – for Heb 10:27 – fiery Rev 9:2 – there Rev 14:11 – smoke
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joe 2:30. Blood, fire, etc., is figurative and refers to the disturbances that were to occur in close connection (as to time) with the outpouring of the Spirit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joe 2:30. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, &c. Whoever will be at the pains to compare this prediction with the prophecy of Christ, Matthew 24., and Luke 21., will have no doubt concerning the application of it. It principally and evidently refers to the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the desolation of Judea by the Romans; a judgment justly inflicted upon the Jewish nation for their rejecting and crucifying their Messiah, resisting the Holy Spirit, contemning the gospel and the means of grace connected therewith, and persecuting the apostles and Gods other messengers. Thus Malachi, after he had foretold the coming of the Messiah, preceded by that of his forerunner John the Baptist, (chap. Joe 3:1,) immediately adds, that his coming should be attended with terrible judgments upon the disobedient, Joe 3:2-5, and chap. 4:1. The prophet in the next clause predicts also the extraordinary signs which were to be forerunners of that destruction, by blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke, meaning probably the great slaughter which should be made of men, and the burning of the towns and cities of Judea, events which preceded that last and finishing stroke of the divine vengeance, the destruction of Jerusalem. He may also refer, perhaps, in the last expression, to the comet which hung over their city, and the fearful sights seen in the air some time before, which are mentioned by Josephus, and were foretold by Christ, Luk 21:11; and of which the reader may see an account in the note on Isa 66:6.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:30 And I will shew {s} wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
(s) He warns the faithful what terrible things would come, with the intent that they should not look for continual quietness in this world: and yet in all these troubles he would preserve them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord also promised awesome displays of celestial phenomena before this great and terrible day of the Lord arrived. Awe-inspiring miracles would occur in the sky as well as on the earth. The appearance of blood, fire, and columns of smoke suggests warfare, with God’s hand at work behind the scenes (cf. Exo 19:9; Exo 19:16-18; Rev 6:12-17). The sun would become dark and the moon would turn red. These are probably descriptions of how these heavenly bodies will look (language of appearance), not what will become of them, in view of other similar descriptions (e.g., Joe 2:2; Joe 2:10; Joe 3:15; Jer 4:23-24; Eze 32:6-8; Amo 5:18-20; Amo 8:9; Zep 1:15; Rev 6:12-13). These signs will precede the great and awesome day of the Lord still future (cf. Mat 24:29-31; Mar 13:24-27; Luk 21:25-28).