Prophecies of end times doom and gloom abound with every natural disaster. Jesus did tell his disciples there would be signs in the heavens as warnings about the end of the age (Luke 21:11).
However, it’s not just the terrifying supernatural signs which direct the attention of humankind toward God – it’s the stunningly beautiful ones as well.
Many of us witnessed the wonder of the aurora borealis over Mother’s Day weekend. I missed most of the display, but I’ve seen the northern lights before—or rather, I’ve experienced them.
Here’s what I wrote twenty years ago:
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The clear evening sky sparkles with a myriad of stars, the Milky Way poured from one end to the other like a wide, white river.
Gradually, an unusual, shimmering brightness appears to the north. Spears of pale light, almost opalescent, appear and disappear. Strangely, though the night is young, dawn seems to break from the north.
From the center of the sky, light rays streak downward across the northern horizon. The scene changes subtly but quickly, growing more intense.
Billows and curtains of white light pulse and undulate upward form the northern horizon across the sky in ripples and waves.
Flickering and dancing like the flames of a cool celestial fire, the light licks east and west, north and south, high and higher into the vast reaches of space. Gauzy patches of haze jump across the heavens like stones across a still pond.
Clouds of light sweep up the very furthest reaches of the midnight sky, yet suddenly roll in so closely I gasp and almost shrink back in fear.
But this ethereal scene isn’t ghostly—it’s angelic. The heavenly host swirls around me in joyful ecstasy. I can almost feel the brush of wingtips, almost hear the notes of the music to which the angels dance.
With its constant swirl of motion, the simultaneous hugeness and nearness of the phenomenon takes my breath away.
God’s royal robes ripple across the heavens, touching the world he created and loves, and I weep from the sheer beauty of encountering his transcendence and immanence all at once.
I listen to a silent symphony, taste an inedible feast, strain at arm’s length to reach another dimension where the glory of God is always a tangible reality.
I’m just outside the portals of heaven watching the preparations for an eternal wedding.
The Bridegroom holds up a shimmering gown of pure light, smooths it, sprinkles its folds with a thousand glittering stars, and whirls in joyful anticipation of His wedding day.
Come, Lord Jesus. We can hardly wait!
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My worshipful response came easily because I know Jesus—but then again, how could anyone witness such wonder and not worship God?
What if, with this recent heavenly event, God put his glory on display just to draw human hearts toward him? What if he reached further than ever before just to awaken more souls to his majesty?
What if he paints the heavens in brilliant hues to signify his royalty (purple) and heaven (blue) and life eternal (green)?
I don’t think it’s an accident the display occurred on Mother’s Day weekend, and pink was a prominent color, too.
Could this be God displaying his mothering heart toward all humanity—his gentle compassion, his nurturing care, his tender closeness (Isaiah 49:15–16 and 66:12-13)?
Scientific understanding of this phenomenon is increasing, yet the human spirit longs for deeper answers than science can offer.
We’re drawn toward the why behind the wonder. We want to know the meaning of this stunning, gigantic, seemingly living display in the night sky.
God created the human soul with a hunger for him. Aurora borealis offers us a hunger-enhancing appetizer.
The northern lights are a sign—not so much a warning, but rather, a lovely invitation to know and worship the God who dwells in pure light.
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You can purchase Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church and the accompanying study guide HERE.
Photo by Daniel J. Maynes
