20150712 Sunday, July 12 2015
Isaiah 24: When Do Eclipses Happen On The Christian Holy Days?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously"

The LORD's Calendar (that was created before any humans existed - it is the LORD's Calendar; see In The Beginning Was The Word and The Identity Of The LORD God) was declared on the fourth day of Creation (see also What Can You See In The Firmament Of The Heavens?).

"1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day." (Genesis 1:14-19 KJV)

The LORD's monthly calendar, which is a lunar calendar, always begins at the time of the New Moon (see The New Moon Calendar). The Full Moon therefore always occurs in the middle of the Biblical calendar month, half-way through the 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes of the lunar month.

The seven-day week is the only element of the Calendar that is not directly observable in nature - the week was created and declared when all of the other things were Created (see What Does Sabbath Mean? and When Did The Ten Commandments Begin?). The existence of the 7 day week is proof in itself that the LORD exists.

The LORD's true Christian Holy Days are commanded by the LORD (see The LORD God Our Saviour) to be observed according to His calendar. Passover (see Passover: The Days From Sacrifice To Resurrection and Nisan 15: The First Day In The Tomb On The Passover High Day) and the Days of Passover / Unleavened Bread (see Unleavened Bread: Why Observe The True Christian Holy Days?) always begin on the fourteenth day of the first Biblical-calendar month - which is always at the time of the Full Moon (see The Passover Moon At Midnight).

"23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.

23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." (Leviticus 23:4-6 KJV)

Due to the geometry of the orbits of the Sun, Moon and Earth, an eclipse of the Moon can only occur when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon i.e. at Full Moon (see the illustration below). Throughout the time since Passover was instituted by the LORD, many Passovers have been accompanied by an eclipse of the Moon (an eclipse of the moon doesn't occur every month or every Passover because the alignments must also be precise in their cycle).

So too, the Feast of Tabernacles (see Why Christians Observe The Messiah's Feast Of Tabernacles) begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Throughout the time since the Feast of Tabernacles was instituted by the LORD, many Feasts of Tabernacles have begun at the time of an eclipse of the Moon.

How and when an eclipse of the Moon happens:

Also due to the same geometry of the orbits of the Sun, Moon and Earth, an eclipse of the Sun can only occur when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth i.e. at New Moon (see the illustration below). As with eclipses of the Moon, an eclipse of the Sun doesn't occur every month because the alignments must also be precise in their cycles.

Another of the LORD's true Christian Holy Days, the Feast of Trumpets (which portrays and prophesies the coming return of the Messiah; see The Feast Of Trumpets: The First Christian Salvation Day), begins on the first day of the seventh month. Throughout the time since the Feast of Trumpets was instituted by the LORD, many Feasts of Trumpets have been observed at the time of an eclipse of the Sun.

How and when an eclipse of the Sun happens:

While some believe that the darkness that came over the land in the 3 hours before the Messiah died on the Cross (see Nisan 14: The Day That The Messiah Was Crucified) was an eclipse of the Sun, it could not have been. As explained, eclipses of the Sun can only occur at the beginning of the lunar months - Passover always occurs in the middle of the lunar month. As well, the darkness lasted for 3 hours - the longest that a total eclipse of the Sun can last is less than 8 minutes.

There could have been an eclipse of the Moon on the day that the Messiah was Crucified, but the Full Moon, at which time an eclipse of Moon can happen, rises at sunset - the miraculous darkness happened in the afternoon, from "the sixth hour" (the sixth hour of daylight i.e. 12 noon on a modern clock) to "the ninth hour" (the ninth hour of daylight i.e. 3 pm on a modern clock). The darkness was not an eclipse of the sun or the moon.

"27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." (Matthew 27:45 KJV)

Many of the prophets were given to see and record the great "signs in the heavens" in the time just prior to the return of the Messiah. Much of what Isaiah recorded here was also prophesied by the Messiah Himself in His famous "Olivet prophecy" of Matthew chapter 24 - that the Messiah repeated in greater detail to the apostle John in the Book of Revelation ("1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" Revelation 1:1 KJV). While eclipses of the Sun and Moon can occur on the Holy Days that have always been about Jesus Christ (see The True Christian Holy Days), there will be much more in the time of His return.

"24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 24:2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 24:3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.

24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 24:7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. 24:8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. 24:9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. 24:10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. 24:11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 24:12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. 24:13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

24:14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 24:16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. 24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. 24:18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 24:20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

24:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 24:22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." (Isaiah 24:1-23 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) What does the Bible say about the Sun in history and prophecy? (b) Were the Israelites ever corrupted into worshipping on "Sunday"?
(a) See The Sun In History And Prophecy
(b) See Sun Worship In Israel