יואל, פרק ג׳, פסוק ג׳

Toward the end of days, following a time when prophecy and divine inspiration will spread, the natural world will undergo a profound shift. God will bring about extraordinary signs and wonders that defy the laws of nature, setting the stage for His great and final day [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These wondrous signs will manifest across both heaven and earth [מצודת ציון]. The earthly signs will be characterized by blood, while the heavenly signs will appear as fire and towering columns of smoke [אבן עזרא].

The primary approach among commentators is that these elements represent physical, tangible events tied to the climactic war of Gog and Magog. The blood on earth symbolizes the massive bloodshed and destruction of the armies that will gather against Jerusalem. Simultaneously, the fire in the heavens refers to lightning, flames, and brimstone that God will rain down upon the enemy forces, resulting in massive blazes and thick smoke [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

In contrast to this literal understanding, an alternative view suggests these visions are entirely metaphorical. Rather than physical fire and blood, they serve as a profound illustration of the severe troubles, global upheavals, and devastating wars that will afflict the nations [רמב״ם המובא ברד״ק]. Another perspective bridges the natural and the ominous, explaining these wonders as severe abnormal natural phenomena, such as major eclipses, which act as dark signs warning of the wars to come [אבן עזרא המובא ברד״ק].

The imagery of the smoke rising from these events is highly specific, drawing a direct comparison to the date palm tree. Just as a date palm grows tall, straight, and unbroken, the smoke from these future fires will rise upward in perfectly straight, towering pillars. This striking visual mirrors the exact way the smoke from the holy incense used to rise vertically within the Temple [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].