Book of Joel Chapter 3 Vs. 15

 The Lord Judges the Nations

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. Joel 3:15

The sun and... This will be a literal happening at the second coming of Christ (Joel 2:30-32; Mat. 24:29-31).

שֶׁמֶשׁ

šemeš

A common noun meaning sun, daylight. It refers to the heavenly body, the sun: it sets, bô’ (Gen. 15:12, 15:17; 28:11); rises, yāṣa’ (Gen. 19:23). The sun becomes hot ḥam during the day (Exo. 16:21). The place of the going down or setting of the sun, sunset, indicates direction or west (Deut. 11:30); the place of its rising or shining forth indicates east (Jdg. 11:18). The phrase before neg̱eḏ the sun means in public, in the open (2Sam. 12:12). In a glorified Zion, the sun will not set (Isa. 60:20). Isa. 38:8 refers to a sundial made up of steps. The Israelites time and again fell into sun worship (2Kgs. 23:5; Jer. 8:2; Eze. 8:16), believing the sun to be a god. The phrase under the sun Ecc. 1:3, etc. means on the earth in this present secular life. It refers to some shining ornamental pinnacle (Isa. 54:12). It is used metaphorically of the Lord being our Sun and Shield (Psm. 84:11, 12).

the moon...

יָרֵחַ

yārēaḥ

A masculine noun meaning moon, the lesser light created by God (Gen. 1:16). It helped mark out the signs, seasons, festivals, days, and months of the year as well as giving light on the earth (Gen. 1:16; 37:9; Psm. 136:9; Isa. 3:10; Joel 2:10, 2:31; 3:4). It was often worshiped in error as a god (Job 31:26).

shall be darkened...

קָדַר

qāḏar

A verb meaning to be dark. This word can also mean to mourn in the sense of being dark with sadness or gloom (Job 5:11; Psm. 35:14; Jer. 8:21). Sometimes the sky grew dark due to an actual storm (1Kgs. 18:45). Other times, it was not a literal darkness, as when the prophet Ezekiel prophesied against Pharaoh, saying that the heavens would be darkened when God acted against him (Eze. 32:7-8). Another example of symbolism was when Micah warned the false prophets that dark days were coming for them due to a lack of revelation (Mic. 3:6).

and the stars... Anti-Christian princes and nobles in the civil state, and the clergy of all ranks in the church state, shall lose their glory.

כּוֹכָב

kôḵāḇ

A masculine noun meaning star. Its primary referents are a star and/or the stars of heaven (Gen. 1:16) which God created. These shining heavenly bodies have several functions: to rule over the night (Gen. 1:16; Psm. 136:9); to give light; to praise God (Psm. 148:3). They were used in idioms and metaphors often: to symbolize rulership and a coming ruler (Num. 24:17). Pagans and apostate Israelites worshiped them as gods (Deut. 4:19); they were used in pagan astrology or augury to know the future (Isa. 47:13); yet the Lord of Israel communicates with them and commands them (Job 9:7); they were used to represent Joseph's brothers (Gen. 37:9): their number is used figuratively to represent the many descendants of Abraham and the patriarchs (Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4; Exo. 32:13); prideful and haughty nations are represented as stars (Oba. 1:4), especially the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:13); the Lord can use stars in battle to fight for His people (Jdg. 5:20); they shout for joy in personification (Job 38:7). The Lord has numbered them (Psm. 147:4); but even these shining bodies are not pure or clean in His sight (Job 25:5).

Mat. 24:29 "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:"

shall withdraw...

אָסַף

’ās̱ap̱

A verb meaning to gather, to take away, to harvest. The meaning of the word varies depending on the context. The word can mean to gather people for different purposes (Gen. 29:22; 42:17; Exo. 3:16; 4:29). It is used of a nation collecting armies for fighting (Num. 21:23; Jdg. 11:20; 1Sam. 17:1; 2Sam. 10:17); and the Lord taking away Rachel's disgrace of childlessness (Gen. 30:23). Oftentimes it refers to gathering or harvesting food or gathering other objects, such as animals (Jer. 12:9); quail (Num. 11:32); eggs (Isa. 10:14); money (2Kgs. 22:4; 2Chr. 24:11). The word also refers to death or burial, literally meaning to be gathered to one's people (Gen. 25:8, 25:17; 35:29; 49:29, 49:33); to be gathered to one's fathers (Jdg. 2:10); or to be gathered to one's grave (2Kgs. 22:20; 2Chr. 34:28).

their shining...

נֹגַהּ

nōg̱ah

A feminine noun referring to radiance, brightness. It indicates the blazing and bright illumination of some light source: God's brightness (2Sam. 22:13; Psm. 18:12, 13; Isa. 60:3; Hab. 3:4, 3:11); the light at dawn from the sun and from the moon at night (2Sam. 23:4; Prov. 4:18; in a simile, Isa. 60:19); light from a great blazing fire (Isa. 4:5); moral and ethical understanding in the Lord's ways (Isa. 50:10); the light and brightness of righteousness (Isa. 62:1); light from God's glory (Eze. 1:4, 1:13, 1:27-28; 10:4).

As in earlier passages (cf. Joel 2:10, 2:31) the darkening of the heavenly bodies (Joel 3:15) serves as an ominous sign of the approaching day of the Lord (Joel 3:14). Both the politic and ecclesiastic state of antichrist shall be ruined and destroyed.

Here the divine Judge’s verdict will be executed on the nations. As in earlier passages (cf. Joel 2:10, 2:31) the darkening of the heavenly bodies (Joel 3:15) serves as an ominous sign of the approaching day of the Lord (Joel 3:14).