Plenty of hype is spreading about the upcoming solar eclipse happening in 3 days, and it’s for a good reason. The United States will be able to see a total solar eclipse from coast to coast for the first time since the year 1918. This natural phenomenon happening on Monday, August 21st will be a treat for many U.S. citizens to observe using the proper eye safety precautions.
From pinhole crafts to donuts, some are even planning parties that day to celebrate the celestial occasion. Not everyone shares a positive outlook on the solar eclipse, however, and urge us to view it as a sign of the end times. Should we perceive this bleak outlook as a warning of God’s judgment over America’s sins? Or is the solar eclipse simply a wonder of God’s creation for us to marvel and give Him glory for? Wise reading of the Scriptures in the Holy Bible can help us determine what to do during astronomical events like a total solar eclipse.
Omen, Opportunity, or Uneventful Observation?
Space phenomenons viewed from Earth have captivated people for thousands of years, and some of them are quite rare to discover with the naked eye. These types of celestial events such as solar or lunar eclipses have a dramatic effect in the sky and atmosphere that can seem frightful if they are not understood.
Since scientific recordings of the stars have only been fully realized for the last three centuries in some countries of the world, it’s no wonder that many cultures in history viewed total solar eclipses as bad omens. Superstitious societies like the Babylonians thought that the sun, moon, and stars had the power to predict Earth’s future and the course of our lives. As a result, the zodiac system in what we know today as astrology originated from this way of thinking.
Zodiacs appear in the newspaper, published books, and websites these days as a form of entertainment. Careful study of the Scriptures, however, warn us that engaging with astrology is not a good idea. In fact, God tells us that fortune telling with the stars is actually a form of witchcraft (Isaiah 47:13-14). And the second commandment in Exodus 20:4 points out that depending on the stars for our future is the same thing as idolatry.
Witchcraft and idolatry are detestable to God because they harm us in the end and He loves us. God is the one who knows our future and wants to take care of us (Jeremiah 29:11). Instead of looking to created things like the stars for guidance in our future, it is much better to seek wisdom from the One who made the stars through His Word and Holy Spirit. And God’s prophetic word is always accurate every time!
Eclipses and the End Times
This does not necessarily mean, however, that signs of the celestial bodies are to be taken lightly. It is wise to study the Bible when celestial events occur. God has used signs and wonders in the heavens many times throughout Scripture to carry out His plans. A bright star was visible in the east, for example, to guide the wise men and shepherds when Jesus Christ was born. And according to Luke 23:44-46, the sun darkened during Christ’s death on the cross. “Blood Moons,” or total lunar eclipses, have accurately occurred around important historical moments for Israel. All these real events involved remarkable Biblical happenings in space.
Does this mean, then, that the total solar eclipse is a sign of impending judgment for the United States? Hardly. The notion tries to base itself from Jesus’ prophecy of His second coming in Matthew 24:29, which says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened…” A detailed reading of the rest of this verse, however, reveals that the Second Coming involves not just the sun darkening, but the entire fabric of space. “…and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken…” What’s more, Matthew 24:36 reveals that only God the Father knows exactly when Christ returns. Since this is true, we can certainly rule out August 21st as the time when He comes.
Even if the solar eclipse is when Jesus Christ returns, all Christians can look forward to it with excitement rather than fear. That’s when the real party begins! Christ has already taken care of the punishment for our sins when He died and resurrected, and all we have to do is believe in Him to receive righteousness.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
