Is the Apocalypse Upon Us?

On April 8th, 2024, a solar eclipse could be seen in the skies above the United States. Many states, including Colorado, were able to see what’s called a “partial eclipse,” and over ten states between Texas and Maine were in a path of “total eclipse.” This total eclipse means that the moon entirely blocks out the sun, leaving the sky dark for a few hours. Although solar eclipses aren’t as rare as many people may believe, this one had a lot of Christians more scared than in years past. Although it’s very unlikely, here’s why many believe a Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled in the coming months.

First, a background of the recent Christian belief is needed in order to understand which prophecy will be fulfilled. Some people believe that the solar eclipse foreshadows the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the coming months, stemming from a verse found in the Book of Joel. The verse reads, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord to come” (Joel 2:31). In light of this verse, it’s key to remember that there will be a lunar eclipse sometime in September this year, where the moon will turn a blood-red color. Although I can appreciate the connections being made, I do think that all of the lunar events happening this year are a mere coincidence.

Secondly, fears of the apocalypse are also found in the path that this eclipse takes, specifically what cities are able to at least partially see the event. For some background, we again look to the Bible. In the Old Testament, there is a wealthy and powerful Assyrian city called Nineveh, known for its widespread sin and enmity with God. The prophet Jonah traveled to the city, and he arrived during a total solar eclipse. He traveled to the city in order to preach the word of God, and for forty days he encouraged the people to repent. In the end, the Assyrians didn’t listen to Jonah’s prophecies, and Nineveh was sacked shortly later in 612 BC by the Babylonians and Persians. They never returned to their former glory, and the Assyrian civilization was almost entirely extinct in the following decades.

Believe it or not, there’s a connection between this story and the solar eclipse that happened yesterday. In the eclipse’s path of totality are the cities of Nineveh, Ohio and Nineveh, Indiana, and there are cities of the same name that are able to see a partial eclipse in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Kentucky. Listed here are seven cities, and any biblical scholar knows that the number seven is extremely symbolic in Sacred Scripture. Christian thinkers have theorized that this year’s eclipse is the end of a seven-year Period of Grace, whose beginning was of course marked by the solar eclipse that occurred in 2017. Because of the symbolism found in the number seven and the warning signs found in the story of Jonah and Nineveh, Christian intellectuals hypothesize that this eclipse heeds as a warning for the destruction of another great civilization, specifically Western civilization.

Although nobody can be 100% sure what will happen in the coming months and years, it’s certainly interesting to see the Biblical connections with celestial events. Even if all of this is extremely unlikely, repent while you’re able.