DAY 30 - Dark Sun and Blood Moon – 3
Allowing scripture to interpret scripture clearly reveals that both the “Abomination of Desolation” and the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood will occur before the “Day of the Lord” begins.
Interestingly, the pretribulational view paints an entirely different sequence of events.
First, they must believe that prior to the beginning of the “Day of the Lord”, (and their “The Tribulation”) “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood” (Joel 2:31).
Then, during “The Tribulation”, “… the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;” (Revelation 6:12b) as a result of the sixth “seal judgment.”
Next, at the fourth trumpet, “…the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise” (Revelation 8:12).
Because pretribulationists believe that the “Olivet Discourse” (as recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) has nothing to do with rapture but instead is about the return of Jesus for the “Battle of Armageddon”, then, prior to Jesus splitting the Mount of Olives (since that unrecorded event is what they believe is happening in Matthew 24) “…shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven…” (Matthew 24:29).
I understand that one of the reasons that God made the sun, moon, and stars was for “signs” (Genesis 1:14), but this seems as confusing as a child repeatedly flipping a light switch on and off.
No potential option of the pre-“Day of the Lord” darkening of the sun and bloodying of the moon exists for pretribulationists to choose from in the events recorded in Scripture; just three other similar events that are all “not the right one.”
Since we are repeatedly told that before the “Day of the Lord” begins, the sun will be darkened and the moon will be bloodied, first by Joel and then Peter, we can be confident that such is true.
Since the “Abomination of Desolation” must also occur prior to the “Day of the Lord”, it makes sense that both Matthew 24 & Mark 13 mention the “Abomination of Desolation” and sign in the sun and the moon before they mention the coming of Christ.
In the pretribulational view, though we are told twice that such an event will occur prior to the “Day of the Lord”, and though five options exist for this major event being recorded in Scripture, none of the five options could actually be that particular event.
Point #1: A major sign preceding the “Day of the Lord” is given to us by both Joel and Peter.
Point #2: When we use God’s phrase the “Day of the Lord”, to reason through eschatology, our job as Bible scholars becomes much less confusing.
Point #3: Very similar events of such magnitude would have to occur four separate times in order for the pretribulational view to be correct.
Point #4: Scripture clearly gives us many signposts and indicators of the events that will soon occur, including Christ’s coming and God’s end-time wrath.
2+2=4
Thanks, @narrowminded
In case you missed them,
Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
15 : Hand in Hand
16 : Overtake You as a Thief
17 : Another Thief
18 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 1
19 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 2
20 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 3
21 : Ignorance
22 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -1
23 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -2
24 : For My Name's Sake -1
25 : For My Name's Sake -2
26 : Enduring to the End
27 : The Righteous and the Wicked
28 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 1
29 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 2