A Great Earthquake
One major sign of the End Times according to Revelation is a catastrophic earthquake. Science has projected these earthquakes, which will happen and also the spread of new diseases. We have noticed an epidemic of new diseases breaking out that we have not been able to control the spread of. Many wonder what all the world’s current devastation is telling us? Christians wonder whether or not this level of devastation is warning for the Rapture. In addition, as we get closer and closer to the End Times, there will be devastation, including hunger and famine. If you look around the world right now, there are millions of people you will see who are going hungry, despite God blessing us with a fertile, abundant planet.
Sun Becoming Black as a Sackloth of Hair
Following the earthquake comes a second major catastrophe – the sun will appear to turn black like sackcloth made of goat hair. This is believe to be the second of five blackouts during the End Times (Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:12, 9:2, 16:10-11; Matthew 24:29-30). As a result of the dust and gasses from the vapors of smoke exploding from the earth’s core, It will screen and reflect light away from the sun, making it appear to John like black sackcloth made of goat hair. Isaiah 50:3 says, “I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.” According to the prophet Joel, the same phenomena will occur with the third disaster. Joel 2:10 says, “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…” This is closely connected with the sun and sky being blacked out by smoke from the Abyss (Joel 9:2).
Moon Becoming as Blood
Many End Time theorists believe a celestial event, known as the Blood Moons or blood moon tetrad, coincide with periods of great change affecting not only Israel, but also the world. The three places in Scripture when the moon turns the color red is in Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20 which specifically quotes Joel and also Revelation 6:12. A lunar eclipse is the obscuring of the moon’s light, a reflection of the sun’s rays hitting it, due to the earth passing between it and the sun. A solar eclipse on the other hand is the obscuring of the sun’s light due to the moon passing between it and the earth. A tetrad is a series of four consecutive total eclipses of the lunar surface. Tetrads are very rare occurrences. While none of these occurred from 1582 to 1908, seventeen are to take place from 1909 to 2156.
Stars of Heaven Falling on Earth
Another heavenly sign, the fourth sign, we are told by John that the stars in the sky fell to the earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind (Revelation 6:13). The Greek word for earthquake means shaking and applies equally to the air, the sea or the land. For those who witness it on earth, it will seem like the sky is shaking the stars themselves as they are shaken loose from the heavens. Some believe a big identifier would be great swarm of asteroids pummeling the Earth. We haven’t seen such an event occur in historic times, but scientists have speculated for a long time about the probability of giant meteorites. This alone could trigger a global earthquake.
Heaven Departing as a Scroll When Rolled Together
This sign from heaven is another calamity that will affect the earth’s atmosphere. This would be a result of the sky receding like a scroll being rolled up. This descriptive picture is similar to Isaiah’s description: “All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll: all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig trees (Isaiah 34:4). The stars of the heavens won’t be dissolved because Scripture says they will be in place forever and ever (Psalm 148:3-6). However, they will seem to dissolve for some reason, the sun will appear to turn black and the moon will appear to turn blood red as previously mentioned.
Every Mountain and Island Moving Out of Their Place
Following the previous sign, there is another sign. John gives an account of the sixth disastrous natural phenomenon, noting that every mountain and island was removed from its place (Revelation 6:14). We see this prophesied in Nahum 1:5, Isaiah 34:4 and in Revelation 20:11. During this period, the entire unstable crust will begin to stir and shift. Ever since the Great Flood, the Earth’s crust has been highly unstable. One sign of the End Times will be the impacting asteroids, volcanic explosions and worldwide earthquakes. Great segments of It will begin to slip and slide over the Earth’s deep plastic mantle. Many believe that the phenomenon of the Earth’s shifting crust is being triggered under the judgment of the sixth seal.
We Will Come Before the Judgment Seat of Christ
In addition to these six heavenly signs, it’s important to know what other things we can expect during the End Times. At the time, Christians will come before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The purpose of this seat is to examine a Christian’s life. The Bible tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The term used here refers to a summing up and estimation of the total pattern of a believer’s life. The overall focus of this should keep us from worrying over every small things we’ve ever done, or thoughtless sin we have committed. It’s a time of reward, not punishment. Though we won’t be condemned for our sins, our present lives do affect what will happen at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
