In today's discussion, we will explore how examining Bible prophecies without a preconceived interpretation imposed on the text and considering the Scriptures, historical context, and original audience can significantly impact one’s understanding of the prophecies in the Bible. Specifically, this could influence how one would interpret the Olivet discourse, the prophecies in Daniel, and many aspects of the prophecies found in the book of Revelation.
In our earlier blog post, we explored how the second person plural in the synoptic Gospels implies that the prophecies spoken by Jesus at that time would be fulfilled within their own generation. Specifically, the passage reads:
"Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (Matthew 24:34)
During our last study of the text, we discovered that some extraordinary statements were made about the return of Jesus. These include his arrival on the clouds, the sun’s darkening, the moon’s reddening, and the falling of the stars from the sky. While it is inevitable that Jesus did make these statements, their intended meaning may still need to be clarified. As a result, there remains a question about how these passages should be interpreted.
By approaching the Olivet discourse without preconceived notions, Jesus assured his immediate audience that the events he spoke about would occur during their lifetimes. Even those who reject the accuracy of the Bible and the concept of Christ's sacrifice can see that Jesus addressed his original audience, not a future one 2000 years later. Critics claim that Jesus was a false prophet because the events he described did not occur, but it is important to clarify which events they are referring to. As previously discussed, all of Jesus' prophecies regarding his disciples did in fact, come to pass.
Critics frequently argue that Jesus was a false prophet because they refer to the more dramatic events, such as Jesus coming on the clouds, the sun going dark, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from the sky, as not being fulfilled. These statements can be stumbling blocks for readers who take them too literally and rigidly, as they cannot be historically verified as literally fulfilled.
However, upon closer examination of the Scriptures, it becomes clear that these statements were meant to be taken symbolically, not literally. Therefore, it is consistent with interpreting these demonstrative statements symbolically rather than in a wooden and literal sense, as critics often do.
Jesus - Prophet, Priest, and King
It is widely recognized that Jesus held the titles of prophet, priest, and king, as supported by various passages in both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 110:1-4 in the Old Testament predicts the coming of a king who will rule eternally and serve as a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Many scholars interpret this prophecy as referring to the Messiah, who would fulfill both roles of king and priest. Additionally, the Olivet discourse, which prophesies the destruction of the temple, confirms Jesus' status as not only a king and priest, but also a prophet. When Jesus prophesied, he prophesied in a manner that did not differ in style or language from the Jewish prophets that came before him. Therefore, while these prophecies may not have been fulfilled literally, they were fulfilled symbolically, just as Jesus had intended.
To properly understand prophecies in the New Testament, specifically the book of Revelation, it's essential to understand the Old Testament prophecies and their symbolism. With this foundation, it’s possible to interpret the Book of Revelation with better insight.
The books of Matthew, Hebrews, and Revelation all have a strong Jewish influence in their content and language. The book of Revelation is known for its use of apocalyptic symbolism, a standard literary style in Jewish and Christian texts of the time.
Coming in the Clouds?
The phrase "coming in the clouds" is mentioned multiple times in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. However, it should not be taken literally, like the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs." It may not be fully understood in other languages, but it is considered an English idiom or figure of speech. Likewise, expressions like "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" are hyperboles that English-speaking people commonly use and comprehend.
If one understands that other languages, such as Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, also have idioms and figures of speech, one would be less inclined to interpret these phrases literally. Considering the context of Old Testament prophecies, their interpretations, and the symbolism used throughout the Bible, it is reasonable to consider that Jesus may have used these phrases similarly. And there is evidence to support this.
Coming in the Clouds in the Old Testament
The phrase "coming in the clouds" used in the Old Testament is a metaphor for God's judgment and the establishment of His kingdom. Consider for a moment the text according to Isaiah in Chapter 19:1:
"Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst."
This passage metaphorically describes God's judgment upon Egypt, symbolizing His presence, power, and judgment using clouds. It is not meant to be interpreted literally. In 568 BC, Babylon conquered Egypt, fulfilling this prophecy and destroying Egypt's power and influence. The idols worshiped in Egypt were destroyed, and the nation was thrown into chaos and despair, melting their hearts.
Let’s consider another text in Daniel 7:13-14, which says:
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."
Here, the phrase "coming in the clouds" is used to describe the arrival of the Son of Man before the Ancient of Days to receive dominion and establish an everlasting kingdom. We understand that this is not a literal description of a physical arrival on clouds but rather a symbolic representation of the establishment of God's kingdom.
Similarly, in Psalm 18:9-12, it says:
"He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds."
Here, the psalmist uses the metaphor of God coming on the clouds to describe his powerful and dramatic intervention on behalf of his people. This is not a literal description of a physical arrival on clouds but a symbolic representation of God's power and sovereignty.
Therefore, we would argue that based on these examples and the historical context in which they were written, the phrase "coming in the clouds" should not be taken literally but rather as a metaphorical representation of God's power and sovereignty.
The Sun will be Darkened.
The phrase "sun being darkened" is not a new concept, or a unique saying, limited to the sayings of Jesus. The phrase can be seen in passages in the Old Testament as well. It is reasonable to argue that Jesus, being a prophet, utilized imagery that his audience was familiar with, as he employed the same symbols as the Old Testament prophets. Therefore, it is highly possible that the sun being darkened represents a period of severe judgment or turbulence. Recall for a moment the prophecy of Isaiah:
Isaiah 13:10-11 - "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. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud and lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."
Here, the darkening of the sun is a metaphor for God's judgment on Babylon, which was fulfilled when the Persians captured the city in 539 BC. Similarly, we believe that the prophecy of Joel also applies in this case. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the prophecy of Joel was explicitly aimed at Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish power, as a warning for refusing their redemption.
Joel 2:31 - "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord."
In this text, “The Day of the Lord” denotes a period of judgment and salvation. The dimming of the sun and moon represent a signal of the impending judgment that will fall upon the world, as prophesized to occur in the end times. Nonetheless, a caveat is attached even as the term "end times" is employed. Some might contend that Joel was referring to an era future to us - the modern reader! However, the realization of this prophecy has already transpired for us, and we will delve further into this notion later.
However, returning to the subject of the sun being darkened, we have In the book of Amos, for example, the prophet uses this imagery to describe the impending judgment of Israel:
"In that day," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day." -Amos 8:9-10
We can deduce here that the darkening of the sun is a sign of mourning and impending judgment, and the people are called to repentance.
The same would be valid for the prophecy of Joel; in the book of Joel, the prophet declares:
"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come" (Joel 2:31).
Again, the darkening of the sun is a sign of the coming judgment that the Lord will bring.
In the New Testament, the apostle Peter refers to this prophecy in his sermon on Pentecost. In Acts 2:16-21, Peter quotes the passage from Joel and declares that it has been fulfilled in their midst:
"But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
We first notice Peter claims that the prophecy of Joel has been fulfilled in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The signs in the heavens, including the darkening of the sun, were a prelude to the coming of the Lord and the salvation available to all who call on His name. Once again, this interpretation suggests that the darkening of the sun was not meant to be taken literally but rather as a symbol of the coming judgment and salvation.
Many scholars argue that in terms of its fulfillment, its imagery was used to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD.
In the case of the sun is darkness, we can see this prophecy both literally and metaphorically fulfilled because God did not want this moment to be missed on any account. Follow our logic for a moment as we build this case.
Weird First-Century Stuff
A solar eclipse cannot occur during a full moon because a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun's rays and casting a shadow on the Earth. On the other hand, a full moon occurs when the Earth is between the sun and the moon, with the sun's light illuminating the entire lunar surface facing the Earth. Therefore, a solar eclipse can only occur during a new moon, when the moon is between the sun and Earth.
Thus, in the case of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the darkening of the sun that was observed was not a solar eclipse because it happened during the time of Passover, which takes place during a full moon. The Gospel of Matthew records that darkness was over all the land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (Matthew 27:45), but this darkness was not a solar eclipse. While some of Jesus' other statements about future events may be taken as literal and to be anticipated, other statements may be more symbolic of the catastrophic events that were unfolding and about to unfold before his disciples.
What the Talmud reports
The Talmud, a collection of Jewish texts that includes commentary on the Torah and other writings, also records unusual events before the temple's destruction. In tractate Sukkah 29a, it is written that:
"the sun was in eclipse for three hours, and everyone agreed that it was not because of an astronomical phenomenon since such an eclipse could not take place at the time of the full moon." -Sukkah 29a
This passage suggests that the eclipse was a supernatural occurrence perceived as a warning of the impending disaster.
What Josephus reports Book VI, Chapter 5, Section 3
According to the historian Josephus, strange signs and portents led to the siege of Jerusalem, including a comet and a "vision of armies in the air, engaged in conflict. His work "The Jewish War" recounts several unusual phenomena leading up to the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Besides these [signs], a few days after that feast, on the twenty-first day of the month Artemisius, a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared. I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple], as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence - Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter 3, Section 3:
These accounts of strange signs and portents are significant because they add to the historical context of the siege of Jerusalem, providing insight into the mindset of the people at the time. They also underscore the apocalyptic themes in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels and the book of Revelation.
Making Sense of it all
While many interpret the texts of the Olivet discourse in the book of Revelation as literal and thus assume that the events are yet to be fulfilled, one must also consider the possibility that these passages may have already been fulfilled. It is popular to assume that events such as the sun not giving light, the moon turning black, and stars falling from the sky have not been witnessed and, therefore, must be yet to come. However, as we have explained earlier, these phrases are not necessarily meant to be taken literally but symbolically.
Considering this, it is not unreasonable to interpret these passages as having been fulfilled in the past, specifically during the temple’s destruction in 70 AD. This interpretation aligns with historical records and explains the symbolism used in these passages.
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