Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun 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: (Matthew 24:29)
That is, the sun, moon, and stars. The shaking of the “powers of the heavens” does not refer to the phenomena described in the earlier part of the verse, but to a time yet future when the heavenly bodies “will be moved out of their places ... shaken by the voice of God.” This will take place when His voice shakes “this earth also” (EW 41), at the opening of the seventh plague (see Rev. 16:17-20; GC 636, 637; EW 34, 285; cf. Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14).
The stars.
Fulfilled Nov. 13, 1833, in what was undoubtedly the greatest meteor shower in history. These two phenomena, of 1780 and 1833, exactly fulfilled Jesus’ predictions, for they came at the specified time (see above). They were not the only such events but best met the specifications. See “Dark Day” and “Falling of Stars” in the Source Book (vol. 9 of this commentary series).
The moon.
On the night of May 19, 1780, the moon’s light was veiled, even as the sun’s had been during the daytime hours.
The sun.
The darkening of the sun here foretold took place on May 19, 1780, known as the great dark day. This was the first of the signs in the sun, moon, and stars ordained to herald our Lord’s return.
Or, “in those days, after that tribulation” (Mark 13:24).
Matthew and Mark here refer to the 1260 days (years) of papal persecution terminating in 1798 (see on Matt. 24:21). It was toward the close of this period of time that the sun was darkened. The signs of v. 29 are thus closely related, in point of time, to “the tribulation of those days.” See GC 306; see on Dan. 7:25.