Joel 2:31
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The sun will darken and the moon turn blood-red before the great and terrible day of the LORD arrives.
What Does Joel 2:31 Mean?
Joel describes signs in the heavens that herald the day of the LORD: the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood. These cosmic portents announce that the great and terrible day is approaching. The created lights, which God appointed, are pictured giving way, a sign that the Lord of all is about to act in fullness.
The day is called both great and terrible, words held together on purpose. For those who have turned to God it is a day of deliverance; for the unrepentant it is a day of dread. The New Testament takes up these very images when speaking of the Lord's coming, so that Joel's vision reaches all the way to the end of the age. The darkening sun is a summons to readiness. Joel does not leave the people in fear, however, for the very next verse opens the door of salvation wide to all who call on the name of the Lord.