"Apocalyptic" fires on the West Coast

In the Bible, God uses fire to destroy, to judge...and to purify

If you’ve spent any time on social media over the past two weeks, you’ve no doubt seen the photos: Orange and red skies extending from southern California to Washington state. So many wildfires are burning at once in the American West that the skies over where I live near Dallas, Texas, have even been filled with smoke. A layer of smoky haze high in the atmosphere has given the daytime a dull, filtered light.

Smoke from the devastating wildfires has even reached Europe.

Wildfires are common in forested areas, but this wildfire season has been more damaging, and more severe, than usual. Fires broke out in Colorado and California in August, then erupted in Oregon and Washington in September as a result of hot, dry conditions.

Scientists are saying the scale and magnitude of these fires are the worst they’ve seen in almost two decades. Right now, at least 79 wildfires are burning in 11 states in the U.S.

Millions of acres have been torched, including some cities and suburbs. And the worst months for wildfires—October and November—are still to come.

People all over the world, from Instagram influencers to reporters in the media are describing the fires as “apocalyptic.”

This is a secular statement rather than a spiritual one—most are likely referencing sci-fi movies—but the visual impact of the smoke is hard to ignore. So is the connection to Bible prophecies about the last days.

Fire in Bible Prophecy

I think this wildfire season may literally be “apocalyptic,” based on what I read in the Bible.

Multiple prophecies in Scripture describe the moon appearing “like blood.”

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.—Revelation 6:12

Jesus described a darkened sky before He comes in power and glory after the Tribulation:

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 heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.—Matthew 24:29

Ezekiel prophesied of a day when God would “put out [the] light” as punishment:

I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
And the moon shall not give her light.—Ezekiel 32:7

Joel has an especially noteworthy prophecy about the last days.

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains…

3 A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them…

30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
—Joel 2:1-3, 30-31

Purification and Presence

The Bible is filled with mentions of fire. God used fire in the form of a burning bush to speak to Moses. On Mount Carmel, God revealed his power to the prophets of Baal by sending fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice. Paul wrote that Jesus would be revealed “in flaming fire” to take vengeance in the last days. In his vision in Revelation, the Apostle John describes Jesus multiple times as having “eyes like a flame of fire.” These examples describe fire as a form of punishment.

But fire in the Bible may also bring purification. Before John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, he describes fire in more positive terms:

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”—Matthew 3:11-12

And when the Holy Spirit descended on the believers on the Day of Pentecost, God’s presence was represented by “tongues of fire.”

God uses fire to destroy and judge.

God uses fire to purify.

God uses fire to display His glory.

So are the unprecedented wildfires truly apocalyptic?

These fires are definitely tragic. They must be terrifying for people living on the West Coast. They are causing enormous damage to homes, property and the health of residents. I am praying for the safety of those living in the paths of the fires and for the brave men and women who are fighting the fires.

If nothing else, these “apocalyptic” fires should remind us of what is coming. A day of judgment is coming very soon, and on that day, the punishing, purifying fire will not be limited to certain states. It will be worldwide.

Skies will darken all over the world.

The sun and moon will turn red.

God will announce His power and presence in an unmistakable way.

We are almost out of time, and I hope that the current wildfires will serve to remind you of that fact. God has chosen us to be the generation at the end.

When you see photos of orange skies in San Francisco or destroyed property in Oregon, think of the coming “day of the Lord.” Our world will be filled with “blood and fire and pillars of smoke” like the prophet Joel warned thousands of years ago.

That day is coming. Will you be ready?