No Second Coming Guarantee?

 

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.