In mid-January, I saw a sunrise that was phenomenal! The colors were absolutely brilliant. Before the sun was visible over the horizon, it was preceded with the brightest, deepest red I’ve ever seen. Above the red were varying shades of pink, orange, and purple outlining the cloud formations. The eastern sky was breath taking.
An old adage immediately came to mind as I remembered that rain or snow was forecasted. Pink sky at night, sailors delight; pink sky in the morning, sailors take warning! There are variations to this saying, but they are essentially the same. Many years ago, my wife introduced me to the saying.
Back in the days prior to atmospheric science, simple observation detected weather patterns in relation to the color of the sky. However, I couldn’t escape wanting to know why. Why is this saying true? Joe Sienkiewicz, chief of the Ocean Applications Branch and a science and operations officer with the NOAA/NWS Ocean Prediction Center, explains.
“Two factors contribute to the cogency of this saying. The first is that weather systems generally travel from west to east in the mid latitudes. Because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, a rising sun in advance of an approaching weather system would illuminate the approaching mid- and high-level clouds to create a red sky in the morning. Alternatively, if the sun is setting as a weather system exits and high pressure is building, then the departing clouds would be illuminated. This would create a red sky at night with fair weather to follow.
“The reddish color results from scattering of sunlight by suspended particles and aerosols in the atmosphere. The sun’s rays pass through a greater length of atmosphere at sunrise and sunset than at any other time of day. In addition, aerosol, dirt, and dust concentrations are maximized in the lowest layers of the atmosphere when the atmosphere is dominated by sinking air (high pressure). Therefore, when under high pressure we can see vivid red sunsets and sunrises.”1
The scientific explanation isn’t nearly as illuminating and exciting as understanding that God is the one who created the science – the laws by which our universe is governed, including the array of colors that accompany a sunrise or sunset.
In his article and to his credit, Sienkiewicz acknowledged the source of the saying by quoting Matthew 16:1-3. “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. (2) He answered and said
unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. (3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
Either with simplistic adages or with grand scientific explanations, man can discern the weather. We hover near radios, televisions, or weather apps that report upcoming storms. We watch the radar. We gauge the forecast by percentages and weigh our options of how to precede for the day. Though meteorologists frequently get it wrong, we still cling to their words and give them a trust that wouldn’t be afforded to anyone else getting it wrong that many times.
So, as Jesus asked, why can’t people discern the signs of the times?
Jesus was addressing religious leaders. These are the people that should have recognized, acknowledged, and bowed their knees to Jesus immediately. Wise men from pagan, foreign lands recognized the signs, but the religious didn’t, even though they had access to the scrolls of the prophets that foretold Jesus’ arrival.
We live in a blessed time where the world, especially the United States, is saturated with the Word of God. However, a new report from Open Doors in December 2025 states that out of 198 countries, the Bible is banded or greatly restricted in 88 countries.2 Still, it seems that the countries most blessed with an abundance of Scripture seem to have the least ability to discern the times in which we live.
Desperately, we need men like those of Issachar described in 1 Chronicles 12:32. “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.”
As Christians, may we be found today as Romans 13:11 desires of us. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
1https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-scientific-valid/
2https://spzh.eu/en/news/89363-almost-half-of-worlds-countries-restrict-access-to-the-bible-report-says
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