Christ’s Gospel Truth in the Sun and Moon
11/10 Reading Portions: 2 Kings 23; Hebrews 5; Joel 2; Psalm 142
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11/10 Reading Portions: 2 Kings 23; Hebrews 5; Joel 2; Psalm 142
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
BEFORE
When Simon Peter preached on that Pentecostal Day, the first passage he quoted was Joel 2:28-32 (Acts 2:17-21) to explain the phenomenon accompanying the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to His disciples (Acts 1:4-5, 8). Gathered at the temple, the “house” of the LORD (Acts 2:1-2), and more than likely in the outer court, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit; and they glorified God supernaturally with languages understood by Jews from “every nation under heaven,” by Parthians and Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, etc. (Acts 2:4-11). Peter’s quoting of the passage in Joel to the Jews yet to be saved marked the beginning of the “last days” because God poured out His Spirit upon them (Acts 2:17; Heb 1:2; 1 Jn 2:18; 1 Pet 1:20; 2 Pet 3:3; et al).
When the Spirit is doing His unhindered work, He awakens the soul to the gospel of Jesus Christ— the very best and very brightest of fallen man’s world will be absent of light (the sun shall be turned to darkness) when compared to the glory of Christ’s gospel truth. As the new moon established all dates on the Jewish calendar for the holy worship of God, by the truth-revealing work of the Holy Spirit every righteous deed of fallen man and every sacrificial offering must be cast aside as unholy until the sacrifice of Christ and His shed blood fills one’s life with the need of forgiveness of sins (the moon to blood). Unless fallen man is utterly reproved by the Holy Spirit of the overwhelming darkness of his sins and his need for Christ’s cleansing blood, such a soul cannot be saved (before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes).
The sun and moon were created in the beginning on the fourth day (Gen 1:14-19) to display, in the last days, the gospel truth of Christ crucified— until the Lord Jesus returns. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
The sun and moon and stars were made
To explain gospel praise;
That’s why “It’s good!” as God had said:
Christ’s truth for the last days.