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Did you know there is going to be a solar eclipse on Tuesday? (Tweet that!) Normally I post on Tuesdays, but I'm posting this on Monday, a day early, so if you're interested you'll know about this solar eclipse in time to enjoy it on Tuesday. Plus those who receive this blog by e-mail get it a day later, so they'll receive it on Tuesday, hopefully in time to enjoy the solar eclipse.)
Although no one here in the United States will get to view this eclipse live...except via television or the internet. (Tweet that!)
I'll tell you about my very special calendar in minute.
First, though, let me tell you what I've found out about this eclipse.
We won't be able to see this solar eclipse here in the United States. Here is an "Interactive Solar Eclipse Guide."
However if you're reading this somewhere on the other side of the world from where I am in the United States, you have a much better chance of seeing it live. If you're in Australia you'll get a wonderful view Tuesday afternoon (your local time).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO NEVER LOOK AT A SOLAR ECLIPSE DIRECTLY WITH YOUR EYES. Even with some or most of the sun blocked out, looking at it directly can still damage your eyes. You can look directly at a lunar eclipse like we did the morning of April 15th, but don't do that with a solar eclipse!
The article, Who Will See the Suns 'Ring of Fire' in Next Weeks Solar Eclipse? (with video), gives a lot of great information including the times to see it in Australia. From this article I learned:
I found a lot of really cool information explaining solar eclipses in the article on Wikipedia: Solar eclipse. From this article I learned:
Interestingly the Wikipedia article notes that "in some ancient and modern cultures, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens. A total solar eclipse can be frightening to people who are unaware of its astronomical explanation..." Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well just because there is an astronomical explanation doesn't mean it can't be a perfectly timed message from God. After all, God knew of this solar eclipse (and every solar eclipse) before He created the sun, moon, and earth, before He created time, and before He created the people on this earth. How do we know that He didn't arrange everything in minute detail so that there would be a solar eclipse at this time?! Scientific explanation doesn't mean it can't be of God; all science is of God. (Tweet that!)
Now all this talk about Tuesday's solar eclipse begs the question that this blog deals with: Does this have anything to do with Bible prophecy?
I have not found anything relating this solar eclipse directly to some spiritually or prophetically significant event. But since we seem to be in a season of increased lunar and solar eclipses, I didn't want to ignore it and let it pass without a mention. Maybe someone else knows something I don't and could leave a comment to let us know. Or possibly we'll discover a connection to prophecy somewhere down the road. If so, we'll be glad we took note of it today. Either way, it's important that we take note of solar eclipses because there is a coming solar eclipse that I do believe is spiritually and prophetically important.
That one will occur next year on March 20, 2015. I plan to post more about the prophetic significance of this and other solar eclipses that occur centered within the tetrad (four) of lunar eclipses occurring on major Feasts of the LORD. We'll probably get to that discussion sometime this summer. Right now I have other discussion lined up for the coming weeks up to and through Pentecost.
However with the March 20, 2015 solar eclipse coming in our future, less than eleven months away now, I think it's good to learn about solar eclipses so we'll have that knowledge when the time comes. (Tweet that!)
The very special calendar I referred to above is one I got from El Shaddai Ministries and it's very special because it not only shows the usual months and days we use here in the United States, it is also a Jewish calendar. That means if you're interested in being aware of the dates of the seven Feasts of the LORD which we talked about a couple weeks ago before the lunar eclipse of April 15th, then this calendar has all that information side by side with our western calendar so it's easy to view and keep up with. In addition, since the calendar was created by the man who first brought the tetrad of lunar eclipses on major Jewish Feast days to everyone else's attention, that is Mark Biltz, it also notes those lunar eclipses on the days they occur--the Jewish Feast days--as well as many other important Jewish holidays. Furthermore, it includes a wealth of information about the Feasts of the LORD, other Jewish holidays, and important events in the history of Israel. I love this calendar. I think anyone who wants to study these important topics would love it too.
The 2013-2014 version is a 16-month calendar which started with September 2013, so the drawback is that it is now partly used. However all the information included is still relevant and instructive. They also offer a 2014-2015 version which I suppose doesn't start until September 2014.
I'm telling you all this in case you want to get one for yourself. You can find both of them on the same link here:
If you look in the El Shaddai Ministry Store, they also have this calendar bundled with the study of the Feasts of the LORD, which I highly recommend. That study is where I learned most of what I know and share about the Feasts of the LORD.
I hope you enjoy these resources and learning about solar eclipses. If or when you purchase from El Shaddai Ministry, would you please tell them you saw it here and that I sent you?* Thanks.
My next post is scheduled for Thursday...barring my discovery of any other eclipses before then!
*I do not receive any affiliate commissions from your purchase at El Shaddai Ministries.
Although no one here in the United States will get to view this eclipse live...except via television or the internet. (Tweet that!)
Honestly, the only reason I knew there was even going to be a solar eclipse was because I noticed that dark circle on my very special calendar and realized it was a dark circle with a tiny sun peeking out from behind it. That sent me looking for more information.
I'll tell you about my very special calendar in minute.
First, though, let me tell you what I've found out about this eclipse.
We won't be able to see this solar eclipse here in the United States. Here is an "Interactive Solar Eclipse Guide."
However if you're reading this somewhere on the other side of the world from where I am in the United States, you have a much better chance of seeing it live. If you're in Australia you'll get a wonderful view Tuesday afternoon (your local time).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO NEVER LOOK AT A SOLAR ECLIPSE DIRECTLY WITH YOUR EYES. Even with some or most of the sun blocked out, looking at it directly can still damage your eyes. You can look directly at a lunar eclipse like we did the morning of April 15th, but don't do that with a solar eclipse!
The article, Who Will See the Suns 'Ring of Fire' in Next Weeks Solar Eclipse? (with video), gives a lot of great information including the times to see it in Australia. From this article I learned:
- After a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse of a similar nature often follows. (That's no coincidence.)
- While a total eclipse covers the sun completely, an annular eclipse means the moon is more distant in its orbit and so appears smaller and therefore does not completely cover the sun. This creates the "ring of fire" appearance as the sun shows all around the moon as it passes by.
- Antarctica is the only continent where the annular eclipse, the "ring of fire," will be entirely visible.
I found a lot of really cool information explaining solar eclipses in the article on Wikipedia: Solar eclipse. From this article I learned:
- The Earth's orbit and the Moon's orbit are not in the same plane. If they were, there would be a total solar eclipse every month. But since they are not, this results "in at least two, and up to five, solar eclipses occurring each year, no more than two of which can be total eclipses" (Wikipedia: Solar eclipse).
- "Total solar eclipses are rare at any particular location because totality exists only along a narrow path on Earth's surface traced by the Moon's shadow or umbra" (same article). (So that's what that word, umbra, means.)
- A solar eclipse can last over two hours, however the "total phase" a total solar eclipse can only last up to 7 1/2 minutes for any one location.
Interestingly the Wikipedia article notes that "in some ancient and modern cultures, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens. A total solar eclipse can be frightening to people who are unaware of its astronomical explanation..." Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well just because there is an astronomical explanation doesn't mean it can't be a perfectly timed message from God. After all, God knew of this solar eclipse (and every solar eclipse) before He created the sun, moon, and earth, before He created time, and before He created the people on this earth. How do we know that He didn't arrange everything in minute detail so that there would be a solar eclipse at this time?! Scientific explanation doesn't mean it can't be of God; all science is of God. (Tweet that!)
Now all this talk about Tuesday's solar eclipse begs the question that this blog deals with: Does this have anything to do with Bible prophecy?
I have not found anything relating this solar eclipse directly to some spiritually or prophetically significant event. But since we seem to be in a season of increased lunar and solar eclipses, I didn't want to ignore it and let it pass without a mention. Maybe someone else knows something I don't and could leave a comment to let us know. Or possibly we'll discover a connection to prophecy somewhere down the road. If so, we'll be glad we took note of it today. Either way, it's important that we take note of solar eclipses because there is a coming solar eclipse that I do believe is spiritually and prophetically important.
That one will occur next year on March 20, 2015. I plan to post more about the prophetic significance of this and other solar eclipses that occur centered within the tetrad (four) of lunar eclipses occurring on major Feasts of the LORD. We'll probably get to that discussion sometime this summer. Right now I have other discussion lined up for the coming weeks up to and through Pentecost.
However with the March 20, 2015 solar eclipse coming in our future, less than eleven months away now, I think it's good to learn about solar eclipses so we'll have that knowledge when the time comes. (Tweet that!)
The very special calendar I referred to above is one I got from El Shaddai Ministries and it's very special because it not only shows the usual months and days we use here in the United States, it is also a Jewish calendar. That means if you're interested in being aware of the dates of the seven Feasts of the LORD which we talked about a couple weeks ago before the lunar eclipse of April 15th, then this calendar has all that information side by side with our western calendar so it's easy to view and keep up with. In addition, since the calendar was created by the man who first brought the tetrad of lunar eclipses on major Jewish Feast days to everyone else's attention, that is Mark Biltz, it also notes those lunar eclipses on the days they occur--the Jewish Feast days--as well as many other important Jewish holidays. Furthermore, it includes a wealth of information about the Feasts of the LORD, other Jewish holidays, and important events in the history of Israel. I love this calendar. I think anyone who wants to study these important topics would love it too.
The 2013-2014 version is a 16-month calendar which started with September 2013, so the drawback is that it is now partly used. However all the information included is still relevant and instructive. They also offer a 2014-2015 version which I suppose doesn't start until September 2014.
I'm telling you all this in case you want to get one for yourself. You can find both of them on the same link here:
- 16-month ESM Blood Moon & Eclipse Calendar 2013-2014.
- 16-month ESM Blood Moon & Eclipse Calendar 2014-2015.
If you look in the El Shaddai Ministry Store, they also have this calendar bundled with the study of the Feasts of the LORD, which I highly recommend. That study is where I learned most of what I know and share about the Feasts of the LORD.
I hope you enjoy these resources and learning about solar eclipses. If or when you purchase from El Shaddai Ministry, would you please tell them you saw it here and that I sent you?* Thanks.
My next post is scheduled for Thursday...barring my discovery of any other eclipses before then!
*I do not receive any affiliate commissions from your purchase at El Shaddai Ministries.
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