X Marks the Spot

From Randy Nettles,

According to the article, 14 Things That Everyone Needs To Know About The Great American Eclipse Of 2024 (themostimportantnews.com), the two solar eclipses of June 16, 1806, and Sept. 17, 1811, were a possible sign (or signs) that preceded the great earthquakes that occurred around the New Madrid fault line in the U.S. The first great earthquake occurred three months (90 days) from the Sept. 17, 1811 solar eclipse, on December 16, 1811. Other earthquakes followed in January and February of 1812. The 1806 eclipse was a total solar eclipse while the 1811 eclipse was an annular solar eclipse.

Everybody is looking at the two total solar eclipses of 2017 and 2024, however, if you want to compare apples to apples, you would compare the early 19th-century scenario (an annular solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse) to the 21st-century scenario (an annular solar eclipse and a total solar eclipses). There are two 21st-century scenarios with this criteria.

The first scenario is the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, and the annular eclipse of October 14, 2023. They intersect near Salem, Oregon. 90 days from October 14, 2023, is January 12, 2024…two days from now. February and March of 2024 could also be included in the timeline. Could something significant occur in the U.S. during this time?

The second scenario is the annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023, and the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. They intersect near the San Antonio-Austin, TX area. 90 days from April 8, 2024, is July 7, 2024. August and September of 2024 could also be included in the timeline. Could something significant occur in the U.S. during this time? See NASA - Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses.

Considering the solar eclipse’s path goes through the U.S. (a Gentile nation):

An eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body. In some ancient and modern cultures, solar eclipses were attributed to supernatural causes and were regarded as bad omens. The Talmud tells us that the solar eclipse is a sign or omen for the Gentiles, who base time on the solar calendar, and a lunar eclipse is a sign or omen for the Jews, who calculate the duration of the months (and Feast days) according to the cycles of the Moon.

From Pete,

All that you touch

All that you see

All that you taste

All you feel

All that you love

All that you hate

All you distrust

All you save

All that you give

All that you deal

All that you buy, beg, borrow, or steal

All you create

All you destroy

And all that you do

All that you say

All that you eat, everyone you meet

All that you slight, everyone you fight

All that is now and all that is gone

All that's to come,

and everything under the sun is in tune,

but the sun is eclipsed by the moon

"Eclipse," Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

The above song quote is very reminiscent (to me at least) of Solomon's "No New Thing Under the Sun" as found in Ecclesiastes 1 in its literary style of comparing by contradistinction. Israel's united kingdom under King Solomon noted that there was no new thing under the sun. Three thousand years later, the Gentile rock band Pink Floyd noted that there was no new thing under the moon. Given the mysterious nature of our moon and its ties to paganism throughout the ages, it makes sense. Regarding 2017's and now 2024's eclipses, much ado has been made of the seemingly foreboding image-picture it creates now by completing the other half of the X it began seven years ago.

NASAs 2017 Eclipse Path

NASAs 2024 Eclipse Path

However, the 2017 and 2024 eclipses are not the only ones to form an X over the United States. Consider also the 2023 and 2024 eclipses (when taken together).

NASAs 2023 and 2024 eclipse paths

While not overwhelmingly common, these types of ecliptical intersections do and will occur in seven-year intervals. Below are the most notable ones.

(Source: Astronomy.com)

So for me, the obvious question is, was there any significant activity over these previous locations during those particular eclipses? While I couldn't find anything on the Pacific Ocean crossing, here is what I found out about the ecliptical intersection over Turkey for those dates.

• On August 11, 1999, a devastating earthquake struck northwestern Turkey. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, centered in the city of İzmit, caused widespread destruction and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. The disaster had a significant impact on the region and prompted extensive efforts for rescue, relief, and reconstruction.

• On March 29, 2006, Turkey experienced a series of bombings in the tourist city of Kusadasi. The attacks targeted a popular shopping area and the courthouse, resulting in the deaths of several people and numerous injuries. These bombings were part of a series of attacks carried out by a terrorist group.

When we consider the total amount of eclipses and not just the ones at Biblically significant dates, I think the picture gets a little clearer on just how much emphasis we should extend to the April 8th one. This is from the Williams College Solar Eclipse Expeditions which does a good job of showing them all so we can keep it all in perspective.

With all of the charts above shown, it's important to note that the sun and moon do affect the earth, particularly its ocean tidal system and tectonic plates.

(IMG Source: https://astrobackyard.com/how-the-moon-affects-the-tides/)

According to Sciencing.com, the tidal occurrences that frequently accompany an eclipse are the Spring and Neap tides. From the aforementioned source:

The gravitational force exerted by both the sun and the moon causes the tides in the Earth's bodies of water. Proximity to Earth means the moon is the predominant factor in determining the Earth's tides because the moon exerts greater immediate gravitational shifts. The most drastic high tides, called spring tides, occur when the Earth, moon, and sun align. Therefore, during a solar eclipse, spring tides occur.

So if you reference the picture of the earth above, the side facing the moon and sun will have the strongest gravitational attraction (or pull) on the oceans, causing them to be higher. Conversely, on the opposite side of the world, the waters would be equally lower resulting in neap tides.

Neap tides, meanwhile, result from the moon and sun working against each other's pull. When the moon is in its first and third quarter phases, the earth, sun and moon form a right angle. Acting in counter directions, the gravitational tugging of moon and sun weaken one another, resulting in less pronounced high and low tides than normal: a neap tide.

The next question is what are the sun, moon, and earth's (rotation) effects on tectonic plates?

The gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon produces the tides, so it makes sense gravity could affect plate tectonics and potentially trigger earthquakes. In a solar eclipse, the Earth, Sun, and Moon are aligned, so you expect the effect to be greatest. Is there a correlation between eclipses and earthquakes? The short answer is yes, but it’s not really the eclipse that increases the probability, but the lunar phase. (Source-Sciencenotes.org)

While the United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes the three-times increase in potential activity during eclipses, it downplays the possibility given the frequency of these particular alignments and the inconsistent data we see regarding earthquake activity. Granted, if you're a proponent of the flat earth position, I'm sure you'd find fault with all of the above as illegitimate sources. However, I believe the Earth is spherical (as is the case with all the rest of the major bodies in the solar system), thus, gravitational pulls (however weak) will still impact the Earth in varying ways.

So for me, the conclusion is that while I do believe the sun and moon play a far greater role in the cause of natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis (resultant from tectonic activity), coastal flooding, rogue waves, etc., there isn't enough data to link every major disaster with them. Granted, there are some times when massive earthquakes align with unique solar and lunar activity, but is it a must? No. We must exercise caution with attributing too much apocalyptic foreboding to their impact, including eclipses.

Nevertheless, we know that God (who is not bound by cosmic constraints or the laws of the universe) can and does use these events for His own purposes (e.g., Joel 2:31, Matt 24:29, Mark 13:24, Luke 21:25, etc.). Furthermore, we know that God created them creating both a system to track time and a way to herald the signs of great Biblical watershed events.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years....Genesis 1:14

Conclusion:

Since I'm not omniscient, and I can't see into the future, I can't say definitively anything significant will happen on this eclipse bookmarking the end of the previous seven years, so I will not be throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. All I can say is that when it comes to the cosmic, it is beyond man's ability to manipulate or twist in and of itself. Where man does err (regarding the cosmic) is our interpretation of such things. Is it a sign of foreboding over the United States? Is it not? Does it mean anything?

Jonathan Brentner's excellent "Solar Eclipse: Coincidence or Final Warning?" article presents a solid case for it to mean something. To be fair and completely transparent, I figured since we are eschatologically like-minded, I should present the other end of the spectrum lest we be accused by our detractors as fringe stargazers seeking to make everything a sign.

Concerning my original question regarding the upcoming April eclipse, the obvious question many are asking is, does this eclipse, which, in conjunction with the 2017's eclipse, forms an X (or aleph if you include 2023's eclipse) over the United States...what does it mean?

Does it mean anything?

Is it a sign?

Simply answered...we don't know.

But we do know two things:

1. The Bible says there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, particularly in the last days

2. The Gentile world (i.e., non-Christians) might as well be on the dark side of the moon for all they know about what's coming
   

Nevertheless, it is fascinating nonetheless. Every day we are here is one day closer to arriving at our eternal destiny with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Keep looking up, because one day soon, day or night, work or play, awake or asleep, buying or selling, marrying or being given in marriage, that shout will go forth and the trumpet will sound, the dead will be resurrected and we who are alive will be transformed from mortal to immortal, and from corruptible to incorruptible!

Until then, occupy and keep looking up, because our redemption draws nigh!

Maranatha!

Pete