My article from this week's edition of the Rockford Squire:
As I write this piece, seemingly
everyone is counting down to the solar eclipse which will pass in its totality
very near to our state, and which we will see to a substantial extent here in
West Michigan. During the anticipation
of this event, there have been any number of predictions and interpretations
that go beyond merely the geometric relation of the sun, moon, and earth. These predictions frequently stray into the
spiritual—from generic anticipation of disturbance in generically spiritual
forces to attempts to relate this event to Biblical prophecy.
By the time this piece is
published, it will be known how those predictions turned out, but I am
confident I already know.
On one hand, we are right to pay
attention to what is happening with the sun, moon, and stars. Genesis does speak of the time-marking value
of the sun, moon, and stars, and Jesus does speak of signs in sun and moon and
stars related to His return. On the
other hand, neither of the above passages describe anything like the
predictions that are being proposed might accompany this eclipse.
The Genesis description describes
the ordinary function of the sun, moon, and stars in marking time, which is far
from any of the extraordinary expectations of the popular predictions, and
Jesus’ words in Luke describe the final moments of the creation as we know it
as He returns on the Last Day. But a
solar eclipse is quite an ordinary thing if you think of how often they happen
worldwide, usually over an ocean. This
one just happens to be nearby. In
addition, Jesus says elsewhere that no one knows when He is returning, and that
He is returning at a time no one expects him.
That almost makes it reasonable to make a “no second coming guarantee”
for the day of the eclipse!
We do well to pay attention to
what happens in the sky and in space, though.
Like the Psalms say, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky
proclaims the work of His hands.” Seeing
the greatness of creation, and how far beyond our control it is ought to remind
us humans of the greatness of God who does control them. Such rare, but comparatively ordinary, events
ought to remind us to repent of sin and trust in Jesus to forgive our sins, so
that we can look with hope and without fear to the day we do see the
extraordinary celestial events accompanying His return, trusting that He also
guides our lives’ events and protects us from evil to accomplish His will of
graciously giving eternal life.
