A question about the solar eclipse
the brightness of the day was temporarily dimmed and the crickets and tree frogs became all kinds of confused. However, in Andrews, N. C. at the height of the event, there was a darkness that fell on them, that revered what usually takes place around 2 or 3 a.m. Why? Because our friends in Andrews and Murphy N.C. were in a path of totality that started when the shadow of the event hit landfall all the way over in Oregon. It was truly a remarkable sight for them. I saw a friend’s picture and it looked almost as impressive as NASA’s pictures. Just kidding about that, but it really was an awesome photo that he took.
So a question was posed to me by a student about whether or not this particular event was in the Bible. My reply was, “I don’t think so, but it does remind me about an event recorded in the Bible.” The event I mentioned was the crucifixion of Christ. Mark 15: 25 tells us that Jesus was placed on the cross at 9 a. m. Then according to Matthew 27: 45, “from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land.”
In the Old Testament, darkness is frequently a sign of judgment. Amos 5: 18 reads, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! To what end is it for you? The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.” According to Exodus 10: 21- 22, the ninth plague of the exodus event was darkness over the land of Egypt for a period of three days. After the plague of darkness came the death of the firstborn sons, illustrated where darkness preceded death.
In the same way, on the cross, darkness preceded the death of God’s Son. On the cross, our sins were placed on the sinless Savior, and God poured out His judgment on Christ, our Substitute. Darkness was a sign of divine judgment. On the cross, Jesus endured the judgment of God due to our sin.
There are couple of other things that I feel I must mention. Notice that the darkness of the eclipse was only a shadow, which covered a narrow path of totality. The darkness preceding the death of Christ wasn’t just a shadow. It was a darkness that covered all the land. The judgment for sin falls on everyone who does not put his, or her, faith in the finished work of Christ. Secondly, if the Lord tarries His coming, some of us will have the chance to travel westward to experience the dark shadow of the moon on April 8, 2024. But the darkness that fell on the Earth prior to Jesus’ death on the cross will never be experienced again. His death, burial and resurrection was enough for all time. Be Blessed.