Immediately after those days of tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
In this saying Jesus describes a symbolic vision of the great tribulation, using cosmic images as signs of spiritual and historical upheavals. “The darkening of the sun” points to a time when light—truth and righteousness—grows dim in the world, “the darkness of the moon” to the fading of faith, and “the falling of the stars” to the downfall of leaders and of the righteous. All this prepares for the glorious coming of Christ, because in the depth of darkness the true Light is revealed. At the same time, this saying also has a literal tone, bearing witness that the order of the world is going to be shaken when the day of judgment draws near. Truly, this saying reminds us that when human lights grow dim, the divine Light begins to shine, which no one and nothing can extinguish.