Collapsing Universe Terminology

Click photo for the big moon.

Imagine the sun going dark, the moon turning blood, the stars falling from heaven. In the prophecy of Joel quoted in Acts 2:17-21, these are the kinds of things prophesied. Read verses 19-20.

"I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD."

This kind of catastrophic language is not meant to be literal. We wouldn't really believe the moon was turning into actual blood would we? Probably not. We sometimes use similar literary idioms. I remember playing basketball in high school and we'd say things like; "let's turn out their lights," or "let's knock their lights out." You can probably think of others.

This kind of language is used repeatedly in the Bible, especially by the prophets to foretell the judgment and downfall of a nation or empire. For example;

A proclamation of judgment against Babylon in Isaiah 13, note verses 9-10;

"Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine."

There are many others. This collapsing universe language of judgment is related to the collapse of authority or governing bodies, centers, capitols, the powers that be are being replaced, displaced, overthrown, and cast down. Why the language about sun, moon, and stars?

Briefly, because in Genesis 1, regarding the 4th day, it says God made the sun, moon, and stars to be for signs and seasons. In other words they act as symbols and time keepers. Symbols of what?

Since it says the sun governs the day and the moon governs the night, they are symbols of governing authority. The United States flag has 50 stars each representing a separate governing authority. The capitol cities on maps are often represented by stars.

DR