This past week in North America a rare solar eclipse was observed. Live coverage on major and minor networks distinguished this year’s phenomena. People traveled far and wide to see the full eclipse. News commentators were crying and interviewing people as to how it impacted their life. I saw the eclipse of course, as did many Christians, but likely with a different mindset.
The Bible speaks of signs in the heavens, particularly through occurrences with the sun and moon and stars. Often there is hysteria and speculation of eschatological predictions that it may indicate. Some talked about alignment of planets and such.
Of course, we have to realize that if you are a Christian in the southern hemisphere (which is the majority of believers today) you did not see any of these things and so the question arises if it is really applicable at all.
But there is a clear biblical historical understanding of astronomical events that we will discuss in today’s post. Most scripture references to these heavenly signs are to be understood figuratively or symbolically. This is how the Old Testament prophets used such language. For example in Isaiah 13 this language is used to speak of the fall of the Babylonian Empire which took place over 500 years before Christ. It had nothing to do with the end of the world.
Similar language in the Gospels likewise did not automatically mean that it is describing the end of history when Jesus returns. Some things Jesus predicted were certainly fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD70. The imagery and language of the Book of Revelation is full of language commonly used in the Old Testament. Modern prophecy experts have their detailed explanations, but how was it understood by many believers in the first century?
It often was symbolic of major national upheaval and shifts of global power in the nations. Perhaps this week’s eclipse could indicate that some political changes are about to occur or already happening. But first, a couple Scripture references to consider:
Mark 13:24-26; “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken…”
Joel 2:31; “The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
Pagan Views
Some ancient pagan religions identified or connected their gods with the heavenly bodies or with climate events and harvests and fertility and other natural phenomena.. Their hysteria would be much worse than just a crying tv celebrity. It might cause a mass murder through human sacrifice of many people in order to appease their gods, or save their sun from being consumed, etc. The God of the Bible was not hesitant to use the pagan religious beliefs to influence them for His purposes, such as when the Exodus story humbled most of the key Egyptian gods. The sun was darkened for days over Egypt and prepared for the Exodus of God’s people from bondage.
Modern “climate change” reports are really just modern day hysteria by modern pagans who fear the power of nature the same as ancient peoples. Their propaganda occurs almost every day when there is a heat wave or a cold wave or a flood or a hurricane, or almost anything. And the belief is that we humans have power to appease (the gods of) nature. Of course, it is not stated that way anymore. Now they say if we just stop using fossil fuels or gas stoves or countless other things to achieve “environmental justice” then the planet will be saved.
(Of course, the under-developed nations hate the climate policies of the global elites because it largely prevents them from achieving economic prosperity. Their tyrannical government officials agree to it because it is free money for their disposal from the global agencies, but it only helps corrupt politicians - not the average person).
Legitimate Care for Creation
Despite the idolatry of nature and hysteria, it is legitimate for believers to care for creation as good stewards. We can be environmentally conscious and be committed to conservation as long as we do not violate the clearly stated hierarchy of values God puts on human life, private property, and individual liberty. But let’s face it, the writings of the the Apostles, the early Church Fathers, the theologians and Biblical thinkers and writers of the middle ages, the Protestant Reformers and Evangelicals up until the last 50 years simply did NOT write much about the environment.
The greatest Christians in history wrote only occasionally on the care of the earth, but it was never even close to treatment of the other Biblical values. It it not because we modern believes are more enlightened. It is because a Biblical worldview holds that the environment is of lesser value than other transcendent rights and concepts of true justice. Modern Christians who have put the climate agenda high in their goals have largely been walking “in the counsel of the ungodly” (Psa 1:1), as ancient paganism and its values have become dominant again in modern times.
But back to signs in the heavens. God will sometimes use events of nature to communicate to people, especially unbelievers. This kind of communication is of less value for God’s people who have the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. It is important to study Scripture extensively in order to develop an understanding of certain words and phrases as Jesus and God’s prophets and apostles have understood them throughout history. And with that solid Biblical worldview we can then ponder current events in politics and in nature and perhaps have some sense of His workings in the present and future. If the eclipse this week sparks such study, it is good.
[For paid subscribers I have added part of an old American sermon from over 200 years ago regarding a solar eclipse at that time. See below.]
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