It seems that these days we're seeing more extreme weather events around the world. More earthquakes, many more. Is God trying to get mankind's attention? I think so. Will natural catastrophes continue to grow in frequency as we near the end of this era? I think so. The Bible describes 5 complete blackouts of all light during the end time period. Following is commentary with supporting Scripture for those events.
The Five End Times Blackouts
From Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum
Blackout I Before Tribulation
Pg 129-130: The Scriptures predict five blackouts that will occur during the end time period, including the last days of the church age and the tribulation. When the Bible speaks of a blackout, it means that the light of the sun, moon, and stars is suddenly blocked so that the earth is in total darkness.
The blackouts in the end times will be similar to what happened during the ninth plague in Egypt, described in Exodus 10:21-23:
21 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; 23 they saw not one another, neither rose any one from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Another example of such a blackout is Matthew 27:45: Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. During the last three hours of Yeshua’s sacrificial death on the cross, darkness struck the land.
The first of the five end-time blackouts is prophesied by Joel 2:31 to occur before the tribulation: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Again, the term “the day of Jehovah” is used as a name for the tribulation. Joel clearly puts the first blackout before the tribulation, saying that it will strike the whole world.
Blackout 2 At the End of Seal Judgments
Pg 218: Each series of judgments ends with convulsions of nature, and the sixth seal concludes the first series of judgments with such convulsions. The convulsions begin with an earthquake (v. 12a), followed by a blackout of the sun and moon and a meteor shower (vv. 12b-14). As has been stated in Chapter 5, the Bible speaks of five blackouts during the end times, and this is the second blackout. Anarchy ensues as men begin to flee from the wrath of God rather than turn to Him in faith (vv. 15-17). This passage shows that with the fifth seal, even unbelievers recognize that they are experiencing the wrath of God. They may have been able to explain away the previous judgments as natural catastrophes, but with the nature of the sixth seal, that will no longer be possible. It should be noted that the passage does not say that the wrath of God begins only with the sixth seal, but that only with the sixth seal do unbelievers recognize that it is the wrath of God.
Blackout 3 5th Trumpet Judgment
Pg 226: When the abyss is opened by the fallen angel, the third blackout occurs (v. 2), and for the third time all light from the sun will temporarily cease reaching to the earth. But it is not the blackout that makes the fifth trumpet judgment the first woe judgment. Out of the abyss, a great number of demons are released for the first of two demonic invasions (v. 3). These demons are commissioned to carry out the fifth trumpet judgment (vv. 4-5). They are commanded to refrain from destroying any vegetation and told to torment only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. So, the 144,000 Jews (and probably all believers at the time) are excluded from any harm in this first demonic invasion (7:3-4). Furthermore, the demons are commanded to kill no one, but only to torment men for five months, or 150 days. Generally, John does not reveal the duration of time for each of the judgments, but in this case, the timing is given. There will be a limit as to how much destruction these demons will be allowed to render. Unsaved mankind will be open to torment, but not death.
Blackout 4 5th Bowl Judgment
Pg 276: Among the various results of the fifth trumpet judgment was the third blackout. The fifth bowl judgment will result in the fourth blackout of the end times. The entire kingdom of the beast will be darkened. At this stage, the kingdom will include the whole world with the exception of the three Transjordanian nations where light will still exist. This will be a thick darkness that can be felt. Along with the darkness comes a gnawing pain that will cause mankind to blaspheme all the more. The circumstances are not unlike what befell Egypt in Exodus 10:21-23. The sixth (Rev. 16:12-16) and seventh (Rev. 16:17-21) bowl judgments are both concerned with the Campaign of Armageddon, which will be discussed in Chapter 14 of this study.
Blackout 5 7th Bowl Judgment
With the seventh bowl, a voice cries out, “It is done,” because this judgment brings the tribulation to an end (v. 17). The declaration is followed by convulsions of nature, including the greatest earthquake ever to occur in the history of the earth (v. 18). This will cause the city of Jerusalem to split into three divisions, while the city of Babylon will suffer the full wrath of God (v. 19). Many geographical changes will take place (v. 20), and hail weighing 120 pounds will fall (v. 21).
The earthquake that will shake Jerusalem is further described in Zechariah 14:4b-5:
4b And the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with you.
Not only will Jerusalem be split into three divisions, but the Mount of Olives will be split into two parts, creating a valley running east and west. This newly-formed valley will provide a way of escape for the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem from the earthquake that will destroy the city. Their rescue follows the deliverance of the other Jews in Bozrah.
Another cataclysmic event that will take place at this time is the fifth worldwide blackout, described in Matthew 24:29: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
The earthquake and the blackout of this time are also described in Joel 3:14-17:
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. 17 So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
With the multitudes defeated in the closing of the day of Jehovah in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (v. 14), a blackout will occur (v. 15) as well as a great earthquake (v. 16a). But a refuge will be provided for the Jews (vv. 16b-17) by means of the valley cutting through the Mount of Olives spoken of by Zechariah. The cataclysmic events will end the great tribulation and the Campaign of Armageddon.
______________________________________
The link provided here provides a diagram of the 5 Worldwide Blackouts:
www.scribd.com
The Five End Times Blackouts
From Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum
Blackout I Before Tribulation
Pg 129-130: The Scriptures predict five blackouts that will occur during the end time period, including the last days of the church age and the tribulation. When the Bible speaks of a blackout, it means that the light of the sun, moon, and stars is suddenly blocked so that the earth is in total darkness.
The blackouts in the end times will be similar to what happened during the ninth plague in Egypt, described in Exodus 10:21-23:
21 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; 23 they saw not one another, neither rose any one from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Another example of such a blackout is Matthew 27:45: Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. During the last three hours of Yeshua’s sacrificial death on the cross, darkness struck the land.
The first of the five end-time blackouts is prophesied by Joel 2:31 to occur before the tribulation: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Again, the term “the day of Jehovah” is used as a name for the tribulation. Joel clearly puts the first blackout before the tribulation, saying that it will strike the whole world.
Blackout 2 At the End of Seal Judgments
Pg 218: Each series of judgments ends with convulsions of nature, and the sixth seal concludes the first series of judgments with such convulsions. The convulsions begin with an earthquake (v. 12a), followed by a blackout of the sun and moon and a meteor shower (vv. 12b-14). As has been stated in Chapter 5, the Bible speaks of five blackouts during the end times, and this is the second blackout. Anarchy ensues as men begin to flee from the wrath of God rather than turn to Him in faith (vv. 15-17). This passage shows that with the fifth seal, even unbelievers recognize that they are experiencing the wrath of God. They may have been able to explain away the previous judgments as natural catastrophes, but with the nature of the sixth seal, that will no longer be possible. It should be noted that the passage does not say that the wrath of God begins only with the sixth seal, but that only with the sixth seal do unbelievers recognize that it is the wrath of God.
Blackout 3 5th Trumpet Judgment
Pg 226: When the abyss is opened by the fallen angel, the third blackout occurs (v. 2), and for the third time all light from the sun will temporarily cease reaching to the earth. But it is not the blackout that makes the fifth trumpet judgment the first woe judgment. Out of the abyss, a great number of demons are released for the first of two demonic invasions (v. 3). These demons are commissioned to carry out the fifth trumpet judgment (vv. 4-5). They are commanded to refrain from destroying any vegetation and told to torment only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. So, the 144,000 Jews (and probably all believers at the time) are excluded from any harm in this first demonic invasion (7:3-4). Furthermore, the demons are commanded to kill no one, but only to torment men for five months, or 150 days. Generally, John does not reveal the duration of time for each of the judgments, but in this case, the timing is given. There will be a limit as to how much destruction these demons will be allowed to render. Unsaved mankind will be open to torment, but not death.
Blackout 4 5th Bowl Judgment
Pg 276: Among the various results of the fifth trumpet judgment was the third blackout. The fifth bowl judgment will result in the fourth blackout of the end times. The entire kingdom of the beast will be darkened. At this stage, the kingdom will include the whole world with the exception of the three Transjordanian nations where light will still exist. This will be a thick darkness that can be felt. Along with the darkness comes a gnawing pain that will cause mankind to blaspheme all the more. The circumstances are not unlike what befell Egypt in Exodus 10:21-23. The sixth (Rev. 16:12-16) and seventh (Rev. 16:17-21) bowl judgments are both concerned with the Campaign of Armageddon, which will be discussed in Chapter 14 of this study.
Blackout 5 7th Bowl Judgment
With the seventh bowl, a voice cries out, “It is done,” because this judgment brings the tribulation to an end (v. 17). The declaration is followed by convulsions of nature, including the greatest earthquake ever to occur in the history of the earth (v. 18). This will cause the city of Jerusalem to split into three divisions, while the city of Babylon will suffer the full wrath of God (v. 19). Many geographical changes will take place (v. 20), and hail weighing 120 pounds will fall (v. 21).
The earthquake that will shake Jerusalem is further described in Zechariah 14:4b-5:
4b And the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with you.
Not only will Jerusalem be split into three divisions, but the Mount of Olives will be split into two parts, creating a valley running east and west. This newly-formed valley will provide a way of escape for the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem from the earthquake that will destroy the city. Their rescue follows the deliverance of the other Jews in Bozrah.
Another cataclysmic event that will take place at this time is the fifth worldwide blackout, described in Matthew 24:29: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
The earthquake and the blackout of this time are also described in Joel 3:14-17:
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. 17 So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
With the multitudes defeated in the closing of the day of Jehovah in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (v. 14), a blackout will occur (v. 15) as well as a great earthquake (v. 16a). But a refuge will be provided for the Jews (vv. 16b-17) by means of the valley cutting through the Mount of Olives spoken of by Zechariah. The cataclysmic events will end the great tribulation and the Campaign of Armageddon.
______________________________________
The link provided here provides a diagram of the 5 Worldwide Blackouts:
DIAGRAM - 5 Worldwide Blackouts | PDF | Great Tribulation | Jesus
The document outlines five worldwide blackouts mentioned in the Bible during the end-times, occurring before and during the Great Tribulation. These blackouts are described in various biblical passages, with the first blackout occurring before the Great Tribulation and the subsequent ones during...
