A day or so ago, Shiveluch, an active volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka region in the far east, erupted, sending a vast cloud of ash some 20 km into the sky (ref. 1). The eruption went on for 15 hours, and there was so much ash that the next day seemed like night. When the ash fell to the ground, villages were covered in 8.5 cms of ash, the deepest ever seen in 60 years (ref. 1). Around 24 hours after the eruption started, a separate 5.8 magnitude earthquake happened off the coast of Kamchatka (ref. 1). Neither the eruption nor the earthquake caused casualties.
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke [volcanic eruptions]. The sun shall be turned into darkness [the day become as night], and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Joel 2:30-32
One thing to be said about this is that in my last post, I brought up Russia’s Kuril islands, and said that the Kuril islands mean Russia is a nation of the far east, one of the kings of the east. Actually, at longitude 159, Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula is further east than the Kuril islands, longitude 153. As for the eastern most point of Russia, that is Chukotka, longitude 169. Moreover, because of the way the planet earth curves and spins, for 134 days of the year, the sun rises first in Russia’s Kamchatka – something I did not know. At other times of the year, it is Kiribati’s Kiritimati. And at other times yet, it is New Zealand’s Chatham Island. So, Russia’s Kamchatka rather than the Kuril islands is what makes Russia a nation of the east, the location of the rising of the sun.
Now to the darkening of the sky as a result of volcanic ash. Towards the end of these last days, volcanoes will erupt across much of the world. The Pacific Ring of Fire, for sure, will explode. The Pacific Ring of Fire includes the supervolcano Yellowstone in California USA, as well as volcanoes in Japan and Indonesia.
The first two trumpets and vials will involve volcanic eruptions on a scale never before seen.
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood [lava], and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Revelation 8:7
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast [hence California’s Yellowstone], and upon them which worshipped his image.
Revelation 16:2
The second trumpet and vial will erupt undersea volcanoes. Bubbles in the sea as a result of these eruptions will affect the buoyancy of ships.
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea [undersea volcano]: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
Revelation 8:8-9
And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Revelation 16:3
The fifth trumpet and vial will erupt a particular volcano somewhere in the Middle East at the seat of the beast, especially darkening the sky there.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit…
Revelation 9:1-11
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues in pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Revelation 16:10-11
The fifth trumpet and vial will also unleash never-before-seen creatures that will sting and torment the people of the beast, thereby affecting their ability to fight.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Revelation 9:5
More about this some other time.
For now, suffice it to say, these creatures and the darkening of the sky will contribute to the sixth trumpet and vial: the wrath that comes from the kings of the east.
Notice the eruption of Shiveluch in Russia’s Kamchatka made the day seem like night.
This is the sort of thing that is meant by Joel 2:1-2 and Zephaniah 1:14-16, except that at the time of the trumpets and vials, the darkness will last longer and might even be worldwide.
… for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains…
Joel 2:1-2
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty men shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet…
Zephaniah 1:14-16
The darkening of the sky by volcanic ash will serve two purposes militarily in this coming final war of mankind. One is that it will provide cover during daytime for the army of horsemen of the kings of the east to advance and manoeuvre. And two is that it will deny enemy aircraft, anything with a jet engine, access to the sky.
References:
1. Reuters (12 April 2023), “Volcano erupts in Russian far east, followed by an earthquake”, reuters.com