The darkening of stars is a significant motif in biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature, symbolizing divine judgment and cosmic upheaval. This phenomenon is often associated with the end times and the Day of the Lord, serving as a harbinger of God's intervention in human history.

Old Testament References

The imagery of stars darkening is first encountered in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. In Isaiah 13:10, the prophet speaks of a time of divine judgment against Babylon: "For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened as it rises, and the moon will not shed its light." This passage underscores the cosmic scale of God's judgment, where even the celestial bodies are affected.

Similarly, the prophet Ezekiel describes a day of darkness in Ezekiel 32:7-8, concerning the downfall of Egypt: "When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land, declares the Lord GOD."

Joel 2:10 and 3:15 also echo this theme, depicting the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars as part of the great and terrible Day of the Lord: "Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness."

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the darkening of stars is prominently featured in the eschatological teachings of Jesus and the apocalyptic visions of John. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus foretells cosmic disturbances as signs of His coming and the end of the age: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken’" (Matthew 24:29).

The Book of Revelation expands on this imagery, portraying the darkening of celestial bodies as part of the unfolding of God's final judgment. Revelation 6:12-13 describes the opening of the sixth seal: "And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind."

Symbolic Interpretation

The darkening of stars, along with other celestial phenomena, is often interpreted symbolically within the biblical narrative. It signifies the disruption of the established order and the onset of divine intervention. The imagery conveys the message that God's power transcends the natural world, and His judgment will bring about a transformation of both the heavens and the earth.

Throughout Scripture, the darkening of stars serves as a powerful reminder of the sovereignty of God over creation and history. It calls believers to recognize the seriousness of divine judgment and the hope of redemption that follows.Job 9:7
Which commands the sun, and it rises not; and seals up the stars.
Nave's Topical Index

Ecclesiastes 12:2
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Nave's Topical Index

Joel 2:10
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:
Nave's Topical Index

Joel 3:15
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 8:11,12
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Nave's Topical Index

Christianity a Light.
... This darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars we will
clearly explain in part second of this work. The church ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter i christianity a light.htm

The Sixth Seal.
... The darkening of the sun and moon, would represent a change in the character of ... they
should exert a deleterious one; and the fall of the stars, their ejection ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the sixth seal.htm

Whether Towards the Time of the Judgment the Sun and Moon Will be ...
... 24:29 "nothing hinders us from gathering that the sun moon, and stars will then ... But
this darkening of the sun and moon is stated to be simultaneous, when the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether towards the time of.htm

The General Service to Two or Many Martyrs.
... As resplendent stars, ye, O most famous martyrs, illumine the ends of the universe
with the divine brightness, delivering them from the darkening of the demons ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter xv the general service.htm

From Dawn to Noon
... heavens into a great blaze, that brings them up to the brightness of stars of the ...
sun sets, and there is left a sad and fading glow in the darkening pensive sky ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/from dawn to noon.htm

Heralds of the Morning.
... darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven ... years later
appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy,"the darkening of the ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /17 heralds of the morning.htm

Heralds of the Morning
... be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven ... years
later appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy"the darkening of the ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 17 heralds of the.htm

A Christmas Sermon
... The sun, Closing his benediction, Sinks, and the darkening air Thrills with a sense
of the triumphing night" Night, with her train of stars And her great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stevenson/a christmas sermon/iv.htm

The Shadows of the Evening Hours
... The shadows of the evening hours. Fall from the darkening sky; Upon the fragrance
of the flowers. ... That one by one depart. Slowly the bright stars, one by one,. ...
/.../daily prayer evening 22 the.htm

Whether it was Fitting that Christ Should Work Miracles in the ...
... of this having been perceived by astronomers, "who gaze at the stars and observe ...
For, according to some, this gloom or darkening of the sun, which occurred at ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it was fitting that 9.htm

What do the seven stars represent in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

How can the light of stars billions of light years away from the earth have reached us if the earth is only thousands of years old? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about astrology and the zodiac? Is astrology something a Christian should study? | GotQuestions.org

Stars: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus