Mark 13:24

But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples during the Olivet Discourse, speaking after predicting the temple's destruction and before detailing the final cosmic signs. He delivers this instruction in a private teaching moment about future events.

The words — The Greek phrase μετὰ τὴν θλῖψιν (meta tēn thlipsin) literally translates to "after the tribulation." This temporal marker establishes a strict chronological sequence between the period of distress and the subsequent celestial phenomena.

The thread — The description directly parallels Matthew 24:29 and draws from the prophetic language of Isaiah 13:10. These textual links show the passage functioning as a deliberate fulfillment reference rather than isolated imagery.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge a fixed sequence where cosmic disruption follows a defined period of suffering. It demands treating the described astronomical events as concrete chronological markers rather than symbolic metaphors.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Cross-references

Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.
Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
Revelation 6:12 And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
Joel 2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
Joel 3:15 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
Amos 5:20 Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?
2 Peter 3:10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.
Jeremiah 4:23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.
Ezekiel 32:7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.