A solar eclipse is set to pass over the United States on August 21.
It’s a big deal because one hasn’t been visible from the continental United States in 37 years, and one hasn’t passed over the country in almost 100 years.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking out a significant chunk of the sun’s rays.
So what does the Bible have to say about this strange natural occurrence?
There are passages scattered throughout Scripture that mention the sun being blacked out or darkness descending on the land.
Sounds kind of like an eclipse, right?
During the plagues of Egypt, God covered the land in a darkness. Exodus 10:21-23 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness which may be felt. So Moses stretched forth his hand toward the heavens, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
And during Jesus’ crucifixion in the New Testament, something similar happens.
“Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him. When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,” (Mark 15:32-33).
There are also biblical prophecies about the sun going dark.
Revelation 6:12 reads, “I watched as He opened the sixth seal. And suddenly there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, like sackcloth made from goat hair, and the moon became like blood.”
And different passages in different books predict what seems to be the same thing.
Matthew 24:29 also foretells a sort of eclipse, or something like one. It says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened.” Mark 13:24 essentially says the same thing.
And both Joel 2:31 and Acts 2:20 say that the sun has to go dark, and the moon must turn “into blood,” before the “day of the Lord” happens.
So while this may be a strange occurrence, it’s no secret to God or the authors of the Bible. In fact, many believe that God uses signs and wonders in the heavens to communicate with His people. {eoa}
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