Claudia_T said:
Prophecy about the Sun and Moon and Stars
I meant to get back to this post much earlier. But the interpretation of these events (to say the least) is just plain ludicrous.
The questions were asked of Claudia and other SDA's:
Has anyone actually seen Christ return, except for the imagination of Ellen G. White who insists that he "returned" to heaven when he still was in heaven--not a return at all--just a lie when you think of it.
2. Can anyone verify when in history the sun turned everything into darkness--as in total darkness (in the middle of the day).
3. Can anyone verify when in history the moon was turned into blood (that is a blood red color), except in some of our large smog polluted city where the moon is seldom visible anyway?
4. Can anyone verify if all the other signs mentioned in the prophecy of Joel have already taken place.
The answer to these questions is a resounding NO!
And yet in spite of this, the SDA's come up with a warped theology trying to prove all this to have actually happened. How amazing it is to see what extremes a person will go to in order to prove one's own preconceived ideas.
Joel 2:28-31
Matthew 24:1-30
A. The Destruction of Jerusalem
Prophecy: "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." "Let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." Matthew 24:2, 16.
Fulfillment: Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman warrior Titus.
Indeed this was no doubt part of the fulfillment; but was it all of the fulfillment. Did it include the abomination of desolation which is included in the same passage? Why at that time would it have been necessary for them in Judea to flee into the mountains? It wasn't. The prophecy was only fulfilled in part. Its greater fulfillment still awaits. It is future. It will happen during the Tribulation (which is obviously future) when the Antichrist shall desecrate the Temple offering an unclean animal in the holy of holies. At that time, there will start a series of events that will begin a great tribulation such as never has been seen on this earth. It is referred to in the OT, as Jacob's Trouble. It will last for three and a half years, and the entire tribulation will last for only 7 years.
A Great Persecution, or Tribulation
Prophecy: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world." Matthew 24:21.
Fulfillment: This prophecy points primarily to the long period of tribulation that took place during the Dark Ages and was instigated by the apostate church. It lasted more than 1,000 years. Over 50 million Christians were slain for their faith in this terrible tribulation period. One writer says the apostate church "has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind." W.E.H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (Reprint; New York: Braziller, 1955) Vol. 2, pp. 40-45.
Such speculation has no foundation in Scripture and is pure fanciful imagination. The Great Tribulation is still future. It has not happened. It will begin when the Antichrist is revealed and after the church is raptured. If it has already happened who was the antichrist, and who was the false prophet? The Tribulation is described from Revelation 6 through 19. Can you describe these events for us today--the seals, the trumpets, and the vials. One of the plagues described hail with each stone weighing one hundred pounds. Have you seen that taking place yet? Isn't it odd how you can't account for these events having taken place and yet you say that the tribulation has taken place. Yet over and over the Book of Revelation uses phrases like three and a half years, 42 months, 1260 days, a time, times and half a time: all of which refer to a period of 3 and a half years. The Tribulation is divided into two halves of 3 and a half years each. You have it as already taken place and lasting for a period of over 1000 years. That is plain ridiculous and goes against the clear teaching of the Bible. Study your Bible not Ellen G. White's writings.
C. The Sun Turned into Darkness
Prophecy: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened." Matthew 24:29.
Fulfillment: This was fulfilled by a day of supernatural darkness on May 19, 1780. It was not an eclipse. Timothy Dwight says, "The 19th of May, 1780, was a remarkable dark day. Candles were lighted in many houses; the birds were silent and disappeared, and the fowls retired to roost. ... A very general opinion prevailed, that the day of judgment was at hand." Quoted in Connecticut Historical Collections, compiled by John Warner Barber (2nd ed.; New Haven: Durrie & Peck and J.W. Barber, 1836) p. 403.
There are many dark days recorded in history. The one recorded by Joel (yet to come) will be supernatural in nature so that there will be no mistake about it. You have to give more evidence than this little anecdote. It seems that it would have been a turning point in history if it were actually true. But as it is only you and a few other SDA's have heard of it.
D. The Moon Turned into Blood
Prophecy: "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.
Fulfillment: The moon became as red as blood on the night of the "dark day," May 19, 1780. Milo Bostick in Stone's History of Massachusetts says, "The moon which was at its full, had the appearance of blood."
The moon becomes as blood on various occasions for different reasons. Who recorded it; when; what was going on at that time?
Smog and pollution can cause the sun to turn red.
A forest fire can cause the moon to turn red, as can any local fire of any building nearby in a town or city.
There are many reasonos why the moon can turn red. What was it then? Find out the real reason. When it happens in the time that Joel prophesies it will be supernatural and everyone will know that it is supernatural. There will be no mistake about it. This has not happened yet.
The great star shower took place on November 13, 1833.
E. The Stars Fall from Heaven
Prophecy: "And the stars shall fall from heaven." Matthew 24:29.
Fulfillment: The great star shower took place on the night of November 13, 1833. It was so bright that a newspaper could be read on the street. One writer says, "For nearly four hours the sky was literally ablaze."* Men thought the end of the world had come. Look into this. It is most fascinating, and a sign of Christ's coming.
*Peter A. Millman, "The Falling of the Stars," The Telescope, 7 (May-June, 1940) 57.
Where do you live--Pennsylvania? You poor deprived soul. I live in what might be called "the Great White North" by many. We see meteor showers on a regular basis. Once every few years a bright meteor shower (Leonid's meteor shower takes place in the fashion that you described it.) Almost every year we see other meteor showers. These are very common.
Have you ever seen the aurora borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights? It is a great display of "lights" of varying colors in the sky in the night time caused by the sun sending forth a cloud of elecrically charged particles, otherwise known as a solar wind which in turn interacts with the earths magnetic field. It is a phenomena which we are able to see in the north, but you are unable to see in the south. Surely these are signs in the heavens. We see them all the time. They have been here from time immemorrial. You can be easily hoodwinked. And many are.
I believe the SDA's are one such group that have been.
Suppose Christ did not come for another thousand years? Would you go back and revamp your hisorical account of what is the tribulation. History changes. Did you know that there were more Christians killed as martyrs in the 20th century than at any other time in history. What does that do to your theory. I believe it destroys it. Study your Bible, and find out the truth.