The total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8, 2024, is attracting a lot of attention. Is the concern of some that the eclipse will be a sign of the end times approaching justified, or is all of the eclipse talk just a lot of blather and bluster for entertainment purposes? Why should we care about a couple of hours of darkness falling on a tiny sliver of the United States?

If you're a follower of Jesus Christ and study the scriptures that describe the end times, such as the book of Revelation or the book of Daniel, you're probably paying careful attention to the events unfolding around the world. You suspect something is up.

If you're not a believer, you should be aware that the Bible describes how the world as we know it will come to a chaotic end – physically and supernaturally – and be replaced by a new earth that will be home to a new heaven with Jesus Christ reigning as King. 

Sound farfetched? Recall recent events such as the lockdown of most of the world during the COVID scare and the ongoing raging conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and you might develop an appreciation for the prophetic accuracy of the Bible. The Bible documents that the end times will be preceded by an increase in plagues, wars, rumors of wars, and other natural disasters such as earthquakes.

With the foregoing in mind, the coming April 8 total solar eclipse could signal the approach of the end times, in the opinion of many. I can think of no other impending event that has garnered so much attention from Christian scholars and teachers, as well as secular influencers.

The coming total solar eclipse is noteworthy for believers for various reasons. To appreciate the significance of the April 8 event, however, we first need to examine the previous total solar eclipse of August 4, 2017. 

What was so unusual about the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse, and why was it called the "Great American Eclipse?" Pundits created the name because it was the first total solar eclipse to touch the United States since a total solar eclipse occurred in 1776. The eclipse that took place during the year of our nation's birth lasted precisely one hour and thirty-three minutes.

Is the number 1:33 of interest? Interestingly, Psalm 133 is a call to unity: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Some would say that God was using the sign of an eclipse at the birth of our nation to urge us to unify as a God-fearing and God-worshipping nation.

The Great American Eclipse of 2017 cast a shadow of darkness over 350 cities. One of the first major cities it passed over was Salem, Oregon. From there, during its southeasterly trek, the eclipse also passed over Salem, Idaho; Salem, Wyoming; Salem, Nebraska; Salem, Missouri; Salem, Kentucky; and Salem, South Carolina.

The solar eclipses exit point in South Carolina was over Fort Sumter, where the American Civil War began.

Was it just a coincidence that it passed over seven cities – all with the same name – Salem? Does the name Salem have any significance?

Salem is the word for peace, and the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 proclaims Jesus Christ's title clearly: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Some might suggest that the total solar eclipse in 2017 was a warning from God to turn to Jesus Christ and make him Lord of one's life.

Does God use natural events such as an eclipse to send us messages and warnings?

In Genesis 1:14, we read, And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,

In Psalm 19:1-3 we read, The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day-to-day pours out speech, and night-to-night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

Through the passages above, God gives us permission to look to the heavens for signs, information, and knowledge. He's telling us that He communicates with us via the stars as well as other methods.

In Luke 21:25 & 28, Jesus Christ is recorded as saying: "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,.. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The sun went dark for three hours when Jesus Christ was on the cross on Golgotha. The darkness wasn't the result of an eclipse; God performed a miracle. God made a statement using the sun. Jewish scholars at the time recognized the darkness as the sign of Jonah the prophet – the meaning of which is detailed below. 

As a side note, civilizations throughout history, including Native Americans, the Chinese, Hindus, and ancient Jewish cultures, all saw solar eclipses as evil and apocalyptic.

With that said, why is the April 8 solar eclipse significant? First, solar eclipses are directional and finite - similar to the beam of a flashlight. The discrete area of total darkness is called the umbra shadow. The full eclipse will be seen in a relatively narrow path – approximately 115 - 130 miles wide – through parts of Mexico, 15 U.S. states, and Canada, although it will be partially observable in areas adjacent to the eclipse's path, which will be for the entire Americas. Most will observe a sudden drop in sunlight, while the umbra shadow will bring complete darkness in the areas it touches.

As described by the Prophecy Watchers, Alexis Katz, author of The Great American Writing on the Wall, tells us, "While eclipses are not that uncommon, total solar eclipses often occur over the ocean rather than on land. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking the 2017 eclipse was nothing out of the ordinary. While people were watching, day was turned to night all across the United States… and having another total solar eclipse cross the entire United States again in 2024, just seven years later, is unprecedented.

Lunar eclipses (blood moons) are of prophetic significance for Israel, whereas solar eclipses are of prophetic significance for Gentiles. It's well known that the United States has been the wealthiest, most powerful, and most influential Gentile nation. It is also a giant ethnic melting pot and hosts a proto-world government in the form of the United Nations.

Two total solar eclipses spaced seven years apart, crossing the entirety of the United States that form an X over the largest and main Gentile nation on earth should not be ignored...

No one can manipulate an eclipse or its narrow path of totality. Nobody can change the orbital mechanics of the planets, only God."

A footnote to Alexis Katz's commentary that is important to point out is that the United States is also the largest Christian nation in the world. We should also note that the number 7 is the number of completion.

As the eclipse begins to darken American soil on April 8, it will first pass over Eagle Pass, Texas, the first American settlement on the Rio Grande and currently a hotspot for Texas' attempted enforcement of state immigration laws.

Is Eagle Pass significant from a Biblical perspective? In Matthew 24:28, when Jesus described what would be the signs of the end of the days, He stated: For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (KJV)  (Note: In a number of translations, the word vultures is used instead of eagles.)

Shelby Park, located in Eagle Pass, is so named because in June 1865, the Shelby Expedition, the last force of Confederate soldiers who refused to surrender to Union troops after the Civil War, retreated across Texas and made their way into Mexico. While crossing the Rio Grande near Fort Duncan, General Joseph Orville Shelby and his men ceremoniously buried a Confederate flag in the river.

Accordingly, the 2017 eclipse ended where the Civil War began – Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and the 2024 eclipse will start where the last act of the Civil War took place. As the Bible says in Matthew 20:16, So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

After passing over Eagle Pass, the eclipse will move northeasterly and pass over Jonah, Texas; Nineveh, Texas; Rapture, Indiana; Nineveh, Indiana; Nineveh, Ohio; Nineveh, Pennsylvania; Nineveh, NY; and Nineveh, Nova Scotia.

Some observers claim the eclipse will directly pass over only two Nineveh's, but other researchers disagree. Some say the umbra shadow will pass over eleven towns named Nineveh. I'll go with the majority that says the Umbra shadow will be close enough to enough towns named Nineveh to be noteworthy. I recommend you do your own research if you have doubts or questions.

Is the name Nineveh significant in any way?

Yes, in the book of Jonah, we read that God commands Jonah to travel to the city of Nineveh, where a cruel Assyrian King named Jeroboam II ruled at the time. God ordered Jonah to tell him and his subjects to repent of their evil ways within 40 days or face God's judgment. Of note, one of the Assyrian's accomplishments was the construction of a palace that glorified and memorialized the Assyrian army's slaughter of thousands of Jews. The city was considered to be one of the most evil in existence at the time.

As most know, Jonah initially refused to obey God, which led him to be swallowed by a whale after being thrown overboard from a ship at sea during a violent storm. The large mammal ultimately spit Jonah out, and, learning his lesson, Jonah proceeded to Nineveh and delivered God's message. Jonah's fear of visiting Nineveh was not without basis; Assyria was an arch-enemy of Israel at the time, and the city had begun to worship Ishtar, the goddess of immorality, sexual sin, prostitution, and adultery, around the year 2000 BC. For more information on Ishtar and her connection to the present conditions in the world, I suggest you check out my blog post, dated 1/23/24, entitled Idols of our Times.

Since a single angel dispatched by God had massacred 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army some years early outside of Jerusalem, the King took God's warning seriously and repented along with his people.

According to historians, Noah's journey took place in 763 BC. Was there anything else significant that happened in 763 BC? On June 15 of that year, according to NASA, a solar eclipse, known as the Assyrian solar eclipse, took place—the day that some Christian researchers identify as when Noah walked into the Assyrian palace and delivered God's warning.

Do we see parallels in today's world? What is the state of America today from God's perspective? Are we a God-fearing nation that rejects sin, or have we become a mecca for decadence and moral decay? I believe we are in the latter category - we have become the child trafficking and child pornography capital of the world.

How about April 8 or 4/8? Is there any significance from a Biblical perspective? Exodus 4:8 says, "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign."

Hmmm! Might we apply God's word to current events?

Another fact that should be noted is that the point where the 2017 and 2024 eclipses cross and form an X is called Little Egypt. Recall that God used ten signs or deadly events to warn Pharaoh that Moses spoke for Him, and His message was to release his people from slavery.

A closer look at the crossover point of the two solar eclipses reveals a town called Makanda, Illinois. In the same area is Giant City State Park. Within the park is a unique rock structure called the Devil's Stand Table. Strange? You bet when considered with all of the other odd coincidences. At a minimum, the area's double exposure to a total solar eclipse within seven years should get our attention.

Where does the 2024 Eclipse exit the continental United States? On its way out to sea, it touches the towns of Magog, Vermont; Moscow, Maine; Orient, Maine; and Burnt Church, New Brunswick.

As some observers say, the preceding is undeniable data. How you interpret it is up to you.

Will other unusual events take place on April 8? Yes, NASA has announced that it will fire three scientific-sounding rockets into the moon's shadow on Monday, April 8, during the solar eclipse across North America.

What's so special about a few rocket launches?

According to a March 26, 2024, Forbes Magazine article, NASA named its rocket launches after the "serpent deity from ancient Egyptian mythology, nemesis of the sun deity Ra." The mission's name will be APEP, which is the name of an ancient Egyptian deity of unbridled anarchy, sheer evil, darkness, and destruction. In the ancient texts, APEP swallows the sun god.

Also on April 8, the CERN Large Hadron Collider will be fired up to perform atom smashing experiments in search of dark matter – also known as the "God Particle." For those interested in CERN and its potential Biblical connections, you can find more details about CERN in my information novel Divine Return: Death Is Never The End. Suffice it to say that previous CERN officials have publically stated that one of the goals of CERN is to open portals to other dimensions. Why choose April 8 – the day of the total solar eclipse – for such an experiment? Only God knows (outside of the CERN administrators), but we may find out the unpleasant truth in the not-too-distant future.

If the preceding events are not enough to pique your interest, consider that shortly after the April 8 solar eclipse, for the first time in 221 years, two gigantic broods of periodical cicadas are set to emerge from the ground simultaneously in the U.S. to engage in a raucous mating frenzy.

The rare double cicada brood will include two of the largest cicada broods, which will co-emerge in the billions after having lived underground for 17 and 13 years, respectively. Brood XIII is expected to emerge in the Midwest, mostly around north-central Illinois, Ohio, and Iowa. Brood XIX will cover parts of Illinois, as well as a wider geographic area in the southeastern U.S., including Louisiana, Virginia and North Carolina.

In addition to the above, other ominous events will occur on April 8, such as the appearance of the Devil's Comet and the anniversary of Aleister Crowley's supernatural encounter in 1904 with a disembodied voice that claimed to be a messenger of the Egyptian Sun God, Horus, who directed him to write down specific verbiage that became "The Book of the Law." Crowley was one of the most satanic occult leaders of all time.

Last but not least is the alignment of five of the eight planets of our solar system on April 8. Earth will line up with Venus, Neptune, Saturn and Mars. I cannot tell you the prophetic significance of the alignment, but I can tell you the alignment is rare.

So, what are we to make of all the coincidences surrounding the total solar eclipses in 2017 and 2024?

First, I don't believe we should make definitive declarations about God's intent. We have the scriptures – God's Word - as our road map, but beyond that, we don't know what God's intent is with respect to the eclipses.

We can confidently say that our nation has adopted laws and cultural practices over the past several decades that have most assuredly grieved Father God. God is not only loving but also holy and just. Therefore, His perfect character demands that He judge sin, and our nation is a nonstop sin factory. 

To add insult to injury, President Biden just declared Easter Sunday to be "Transgender Visibility Day." Our nation's ostensible leader has now labeled the day we celebrate our Lord's resurrection as a day to celebrate a form of spiritual rebellion.

From abortion to child trafficking to outright Satan worship in our entertainment industry and our total exclusion of God from the public square, our collective actions as a nation must both sadden and anger our Heavenly Father.

The operative word to describe what we need to do as individuals and as a nation is repent.

We know from the Bible that God has a history of sending warnings to His people before taking action. Are those warnings about to end? Since we certainly deserve judgment, I recommend we pray for the following immediately:

·       Pray to Father God that he forgives our nation for turning our back on Him and becoming disobedient. Pray that He convicts the hearts or our nation's elected leaders and our citizens who have turned their back on Him.

·       Pray to Father God to have mercy on us for our past sins and allow us to turn from our wicked ways.

I also suggest that anyone reading this article who has not established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ do so now. Say a simple prayer of repentance for your sins and declare your true belief in the saving, redemptive power of Jesus Christ. Confirm your true acceptance of His sacrificial death for our sins.

Lastly, trust in the Lord for protection. Those who know the Lord personally will be protected from the harm that will surely befall our nation in the future. Pray that those who haven't made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior do so before it's too late.

In my third installment of words and phrases that confuse and mislead Christians and add to an atheist’s arsenal of arguments against a belief in God, I mentioned one significant source of sin that can lead followers of Jesus Christ down a path of destruction.

I believe the type of sin I referenced is so pervasive in our culture and so destructive – particularly for our youth – that I feel compelled to expound on the topic.

Before I discuss the idol in question, I must point out that I write not as a preacher speaking from a lofty ivory tower of moral superiority or piousness. I write as a fallen sinner who struggles with the same temptations and sinful nature that we all have in common.

With that said, we should remember that most Westerners – including myself - live a life of comfort and excess in our daily lives.  According to a U.S. Federal Reserve consumer finance survey in 2022, the net worth of an average American household, adjusted for inflation, is $1.06 million. While Americans enjoy a very high standard of living compared to much of the world, over 50% of the world’s population lacks indoor plumbing.

Relatedly, even many low-income American families have cell phones, internet access, and wide-screen TVs – luxuries unheard of in many developing countries.

What does prosperity have to do with sin and salvation? A lot, in my humble opinion.

God made clear in the Ten Commandments that we should have no other gods before Him and make no idols that we would bow down to or serve. Unfortunately, our ancient forefathers did both.  Even the Israelites, who were God's chosen people and whom Joshua led into the promised land, regressed into the worship of many false gods, including Baal and Ishtar. 

For an in-depth discussion of the evil powers from the past who have now returned to a backslidden and increasingly sinful world, I highly recommend Jonathan Cahn’s landmark book, The Return of the Gods.

2 Judges 10:6

Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashthoreths.

Baal is an evil ancient god known as the possessor who leads people away from the one true God and toward the worship of money, power, and pleasure, and the Ashthoreths is the plural for a group of evil spirits who serve their master, Ishtar, who is the queen of immorality, sexual sin, prostitution, adultery, and pornography. The two are linked; many view them as lovers or married in a carnal sense.

We do not know the origin of either god. Still, we can assume Father God created them as righteous supernatural beings and that they fell with Satan and became major powers in the second heaven.

Why are Baal and Ishtar important?  Because many Christian researchers agree that when America began to push God out of our public schools, our government institutions, and the public square in the 1960s, Baal and Ishtar rushed in to fill the vacant house, and with them, they brought rebellion and sexual sin.

The Book of Luke provides a clear warning of what happens when someone or some country accepts Jesus Christ and then turns away:

Return of an Unclean Spirit

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

As Jonathan Cahn points out, two of the critical events that pushed out God and ushered in Baal and Ishtar back into American society were the removal of prayer and Bible reading from our public schools. I witnessed the falling away firsthand, as I was in middle school, when the changes took effect. 

The U.S. Supreme Court declared prayer in public schools unconstitutional on June 25, 1962, in Engel v. Vitale. The following year, in the Abington School District v. Schempp, the Court disallowed Bible readings in public schools for the same reasons.

At the same time, our nation began to move away from God, we entered a time of post-WWII prosperity. America became the world's only superpower; its economy came to life – raising the standard of living for most.

With our wealth and the culture of comfort that came with it, we began to develop technology that magnified our potential to obtain earthly pleasures – many of which contained the seeds of destruction. 

One of the areas in our culture that imploded was in the area of sexual morality.  The 1960s also heralded the start of the sexual revolution that brought down our sexual mores as a country. Many seasoned observers identify 1967 as the year it all began.  My generation, the Baby Boomers, was severely impacted by the sexual revolution in a very negative way. In a sense, the moral guardrails of our culture fell off.

As our slide has continued unabated for decades, we now find ourselves with the potential to descend down a path of unintentional idol worship and, ultimately, sin and eternal death, even if we have professed our faith and belief in Christ.

How so?

Our lives of relative comfort give us sufficient spare time to pursue an almost limitless supply of entertainment and leisure activities.  Today’s smartphones and other electronic devices offer us a portal to a previously unimagined digital world of entertainment, information, and a great sin.  Pleasure or perversion is just a few clicks away.

The digital outlets we choose for entertainment can quickly become idols. Sports figures and teams, Hollywood stars, famous musicians, and any number of media personalities can gain our attention to the point that we spend more time thinking about them than we do Jesus Christ.  I’m guilty of that sin, and I struggle daily with the urge to spend hours looking at the things I like rather than focusing on the One whom I truly love and need – Jesus Christ.

The threat from digital devices is particularly serious for our youth, who don't have a clear set of moral values.  Many spend hours scrolling through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tick Tock. Unfortunately, a child’s unsupervised access to the internet will most likely have disastrous results.  I believe many of our youth – and some not so young – have fallen prey to the digital sirens who beckon the bored and the lonely.

A recent opinion piece by the Epoch Times editorial staff, entitled Popular Culture – A Decadent Indulgence, summed up the magnitude of the problem succinctly:

"The introduction of the internet and smartphones has brought major changes to the porn industry. The total amount of pornographic content that a typical adult in the 1980s might have been exposed to over the course of years can now be accessed by a child in mere minutes.  On average, children are now exposed to pornography by the age of 8. One 12-year-old British boy became so addicted to online pornography that he raped his sister."

Of all of the temptations that our youth face in our rapidly declining culture, online pornography is probably greatest threat. Parents must be vigilant when monitoring the digital content their children consume. While access to pornography was very limited in my youth, now a child can view pornography in the privacy of his or her room, at no cost, and on demand.  I can’t think of a more destructive and toxic vice than the addictive sin of viewing pornography.

Many of us know that while scrolling for completely innocent content, we sometimes see sexually suggestive images intermingled in our AI-controlled feed that stimulate a normal human response.  If we're not alert and fail to control our dopamine cravings or hormonal responses and allow them to overpower us, we can click on a lust-stimulating image and get pulled into a moral cesspool that can lead to a porn addiction and ultimately eternal death.

In addition to our innate physical responses, we get added "help" from the likes of Ishtar and her subservient army of demonic entities who pump urges and appetites into our spirit and soul. The perfect storm of lustful appetites is created.

Some may think, what can be so wrong about admiring a shapely but scantily clad female or male body? We’re in the 21^st century and long past the age when puritanical values shackled our ancestors with feelings of guilt.

We need to look no further than the Bible, where Jesus tells us that lusting after a woman or a man in a person's heart is considered adultery.  We are all guilty, but we can and must confess our sins and move on.  However, if we rationalize in our mind that a few glances at a shapely person are harmless, we are setting ourselves up for a disaster.

A contributing factor in our culture today is the almost complete collapse of our moral boundaries.  In decades past, sexual relations between two people were to be within the confines of marriage. Sex – a gift from God - is supposed to be an act of loving intimacy that leads to procreation, not just an activity for physical pleasure alone.  Now, we live in a hook-up, shack-up, and breakup culture that has all but destroyed God’s institution of marriage and family life.

Our entertainment is a major contributing element.  Sexual images permeate movies, television, and online content. We gradually become desensitized to sexually promiscuous content to the point that it provokes no sense of moral conviction.  If we allow ourselves to continue to view sexually suggestive or explicit content, we run the risk of acting on our urges and sinning.

If we don’t resist the worship-like attention to fellow humans and material objects that digital platforms facilitate, we will pursue our love of things instead of our love of our Creator and our Savior.  Cars or similar high-value possessions can also absorb our attention and our covetousness.  One needs to look no further than the ubiquitous car auctions on cable TV.  One can spend hours watching wealthy fellow Americans spend thousands of dollars on a refurbished muscle car or rare exotic auto. 

Resisting all of the idol worship opportunities is increasingly difficult in our secular culture.  Still, we must hold tight to the reality that this life is temporary, and our eternal life after physical death will be filled with either constant ecstasy or unimaginable suffering.

We have to choose who or what we worship – the Son of God or the temporary offerings of this world.  I hope you choose wisely – I struggle to do so daily.