And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
This verse comes from a long teaching Jesus gave near the end of his earthly ministry, just days before his crucifixion. His disciples had been admiring the grandeur of the Jerusalem temple, and Jesus redirected their gaze: the building would fall, and history would move toward a decisive climax. In verse 25, he describes disruptions in the sun, moon, and stars, and chaos in the oceans, as signals that something momentous is approaching. This type of vivid, cosmic language was common in Jewish apocalyptic writing, where creation groaning was a way of describing a world being shaken before it is remade. Jesus isn't providing a scientific forecast — he's describing a world coming undone before it is finally set right.
Lord, the world can feel like roaring water right now — the headlines, the crises, the perplexity that never quite resolves. Thank you that none of it surprises you. Help me hold the tension without despair, and to stay alert without losing hope. You are not finished. Amen.
There's a particular kind of anxiety that lives in the scrolling — the feeling that everything is accelerating, that the news has become something you can barely process before the next thing lands. Jesus doesn't offer a rebuttal to that feeling. He essentially confirms it: yes, there will be perplexity. Nations will not know which way to turn. The sea — that ancient symbol of chaos — will roar. What's striking is that he says this not to frighten his disciples but to prepare them. Knowing the forecast isn't the same as welcoming the storm. But it changes how you stand in it. The verses that follow this one show Jesus telling his disciples to 'stand up and lift your heads' when these signs appear — because redemption is drawing near. That changes the posture entirely. You're not meant to white-knuckle your way through history, or numb yourself to it, or doom-scroll until 2 AM searching for someone to explain it all. You're invited to watch, to stay awake, to hold terror and hope together without pretending either one isn't real. Whatever anguish you're watching in the world right now — Jesus saw it coming. He still said: don't lose heart.
Jesus uses cosmic and natural imagery — the sun, moon, stars, and roaring seas — to describe the end times rather than stating plainly what will happen. Why do you think he speaks this way, and what does that kind of language do that plain description wouldn't?
Do you find apocalyptic passages like this one comforting, unsettling, or confusing — and what shapes your reaction to them?
Some Christians become preoccupied with reading 'signs of the times' into current events; others avoid these passages entirely. What do you think a healthy, grounded engagement with them actually looks like?
How honestly does the way you consume news and process world events reflect your actual level of trust in God's sovereignty? What does your emotional response to headlines reveal?
What would it look like for you to 'stay awake' spiritually in the coming week — not in an anxious, white-knuckled way, but in a genuinely attentive one?
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Revelation 6:14
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Revelation 6:12
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Daniel 12:1
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Revelation 12:1
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:10
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.
Isaiah 13:10
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
Joel 2:30
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 2:31
"There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,
AMP
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,
ESV
'There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
NASB
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
NIV
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
NKJV
“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.
NLT
"It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea,
MSG