A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON BY M. C. WILCOX
One of the precursors of the great day of God, as given by the prophet Joel, is “wonders in the heavens.” The passage in which it is found reads as follows:—LDT 140.3
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” LDT 140.4
The darkening of the sun and moon occurred May 19, 1780. The “blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke” are common, graphic appearances of various electric and light phenomena, manifest especially in the aurora borealis, the marvelous forms of which have excited alarm, wonder, admiration, and curiosity in earth’s children during the last century or so, for it is only in later times that these wonders have become so manifest. They are evidences of decay, disintegration, and disturbance in the earth and its atmosphere. The Bible, more than twenty-five centuries ago, foretold their appearance. God is now confirming that word by hanging these predicted signs in the heavens.LDT 140.5
A remarkable wonder, worthy of note, occurred last August. A correspondent, Mr. W. H. Holden, of Choteau, Mont., under date of August 24, 1903, writes us that this remarkable phenomenon was seen by him August 21, 10:15 P. M. It consisted in a clearly defined band or belt of light, extending athwart the heavens, from the northwestern to the southwestern horizon, “passing directly overhead, and cutting the heavens into two equal parts. At the zenith it seemed a little wider than the disc of a full moon when half an hour high, and tapered toward either end.” The edges were clear-cut and regular. There was no moon at the time. As the time passed (illustration No. 1 is from a rough drawing furnished by Mr. Holden), the north end swung slowly to the west, as if moved by a gentle breeze, but did not break. “After maintaining its appearance for nearly an hour, it suddenly began to fade equally throughout its length, and in about ten minutes it had entirely disappeared.”LDT 141.1
A similar phenomenon was witnessed at York Harbor, Me., on the same night, at 9:30 P. M., precededLDT 142.1
PICTURE-A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON-NO. 1
by an ordinary display of aurora borealis, which gradually faded. The one who records this is Dr. A. F. A. King, a scientific observer, in the Popular Science Monthly for October. He thus describes it:—
“At 9:30 P. M. there appeared a magnificent arch spanning the heavens from east to west, the top of the arch being a little north of the zenith, and almost overhead. As shown in the diagram, at least three fourths of the eastern half of the arch consisted of a pale, only half-luminous column of visible streaks, the band being perhaps as wide asLDT 142.2
PICTURE-A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON-NO. 2
the diameter of a full moon appears to be. The western segment of the arch presented a most extraordinarily magnificent spectacle. [See cut No. 2.]
“Beginning a little east of the zenith and continuing almost to the western horizon, there appeared what might easily be likened to a string of tremendous comets. These pendants of light, however, unlike comets, were more brilliant at their bases, less so at their apices. Their bases were directed upwards, their points down. They were constantly changing, appearing and disappearing, but not very rapidly.... At the western end of the arch, one long, half-luminous streak shot up obliquely (as shown in the figure), and remained some minutes after the arch had disappeared. The arch lasted from 9:30 to nearly 10 P. M....LDT 143.1
“No visible connection existed between the arch and the nebulous masses and streaks of light near the northern horizon.LDT 144.1
“In looking at the diagram, the reader may well conceive it to be too toy-like and artificial to come within the range of truth or possibility, but so was the arch itself. No one could have conceived such a display to be either natural or possible. To some it suggested a festive arch, adorned with luminous cornucopias, like a Christmas decoration. Those of us who, for a few weeks before, had obtained telescopic views of Biela’s comet with some difficulty, seemed now to be rewarded by nature exhibiting a whole string of far more brilliant comets for our special delectation. The kind and degree of luminosity appeared to be almost exactly like that of the comet when seen through a good glass.LDT 144.2
“The splendor and magnificence of the display were beyond description, startlingly beautiful. The spectacle seemed almost to overstep the modesty of nature, but its coming unheralded during the majestic silence of night served to banish so unjust a thought. Surprise, delight, admiration, and awe,-these were the feelings which thrilled with pleasure those of us who witnessed the sublime, mysterious scene.LDT 144.3
“The writer remembers witnessing a similar phenomenon just before the Civil War, probably in 1861. This was in Theresa, N. Y. Many looked upon it and the remarkable display of aurora borealis that winter as precursors of coming war. The belt of light was uniform throughout, in width about the face of the full moon, extending from the eastern to the western horizon, athwart the heaven. It must have lasted over an hour.”LDT 145.1
These are among the many tokens of the soon-coming day of God, when before His face the very heavens shall seem to be rolled up as a scroll, and all nature marred by sin shall crumble in His presence. M. C. WILCOX.LDT 145.2
Oakland, Cal., Dec. 30, 1903.LDT 145.3