Spiritual food for thought regarding numbers, math, and the eclipse of April 8th, 2024. Let me guide you to some thoughts that are spiritual in nature and not just physical. The Date April 8th, 2024 in the Gregorian Calendar is a date based on the Sun calendar. The Hebrew date was the 29th Day of Adar II and the next day April 9th being Nissan 1st (new month new moon). Just like every 4 years we have a leap year (an extra day added to the month of February as in the 29th) this past Eclipse day was a leap year in the Jewish calendar. The Jewish calendar on same date is 29 Adar II, 5784. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Wow, think about how long ago that was. The calendar was a reform of the Julian calendar, which had been implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. The Julian calendar had fallen out of sync with the seasons because it miscalculated the length of the solar year by 11 minutes. Ok, too much information, but bear with me for a minute on calendars and times.
Just as every 4 years we have a leap year (extra day in February) so the Jews also have a leap year (extra day in their month called Adar II which was our April 8th 2024. It might always fall in the same month, but it was added to the month of Adar II this year. The Next day was called Nissan 1st being the first day of their next month called Nisan. So, on the leap year day in the Jewish calendar the Moon and Sun crossed in the sky to get our attention over north America as we were looking to the signs in the heavens. Jesus told us people seek signs." An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. Matthew 16:4 But In Genesis scriptures also tells us “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.” Matthew 24:29 Jesus said. “ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Some believe this already happened, while others believe it is yet to happen. Perhaps its both as we continue to unfold and look to the natural world for spiritual signs of our times. So on one hand Jesus an adulteress generation seeks signs, but God has also said the celestial bodies are signs including for seasons , days and years.
In
Christian circles there were lots of humor, rumors and even mocking, as well as
serious comments about the end times, the rapture of the church and the last
days. Was this eclipse a sign to the world or to North America? Was it just
another eclipse of many or a sign of the many we have seen and never see. Seven years ago, there was an eclipse over North
America that streaked across the county in the opposite direction and this year
the opposite direction and if you over lay the two, they mark an X over North America.
Some call this a sign of repentance to America while others just see science
and give it not much more thought. All about the science here
For the
spiritual minded we must realize the true Resurrection Passover celebration of
Jesus dying for the sins of the world is more accurate to be commentated on the Jewish calendar
which would make Passover not on a Sunday the 31st of March, but our
April 22nd, 2024. I know the majority of the Christian world celebrated
it on the 31st. I do not get to hung up on when we celebrate his
resurrection, but I’m more pleased we have a date we do acknowledge in or culture to remember that glorious event
of our salvation history. They say I was born on March 11th and who am
I to debate it, since I can’t recall it. So likewise, I am persuaded
Jesus rose from the dead on a Jewish Holy week called Passover and I believe
it regardless of what day in an given year it falls to whichever calendar we
live our daily lives. He lives and He’s alive and coming back and that makes
me excited to meet him face to face some glorious day.
So here are some numbers and dates to think and wonder about. Are we seeing signs and if so, what is God saying in these signs in recent days?
In 1948 Israel was established as a nation again. The earthquake in NJ was on April
4th, 2024, with a magnitude of “4.8” that happened at the same time
the folks in the UN a few miles away were debated the war in Israel as the building shock. Was that God's way of using nature to speak to humanity? Then a few
days later on 4.8.24 North America experienced a total solar eclipse. What did that mean as it related to Israel, the times, the attention it drew?
Are these consequences as secularist scientist would say or signs in the heavens as
God has said they were to be? What is God saying by his signs
using nature to say it to us? God uses nature
to speak to humanity about spiritual things and we should be trying to
understand what is saying.
What is God speaking to the Church, to the world and to the Jews?
Another
interesting timing event this past week was the ending of the Muslim holy fast
of Ramadan that is declared by two witnesses in Saudi Arabia seeing the crescent moon. Apparently, there
was a mis declaration that caused some confusion on it ending on April 8th
or 9th. But again, perhaps another sign to the spiritually
minded.
As you read this to the end you
might be thinking, what is the conclusion of this post. It is that we should
not jump to conclusions and date setting can be dangerous and easily off course
unless you really know more about dates, times, calendars, and scriptures.
For future reading consider this this Jewish video on
calendars and eclipses in conjunction with the Torah.
To read about the Muslim world fast challenge in 2024 click here.
Keep seeking Jesus and declaring his ability to
forgive people and set them free on a right course for eternity. For eternity is beyond the
scope of time and calendars.
#eclipse2024
