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For some Christians, a solar eclipse signals the second coming of Christ

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Does the upcoming solar eclipse signal the second coming of Jesus? In all likelihood, no, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating that it does.

The New Testament is peppered with references to Jesus’ “second coming,” the time when Christians believe Jesus will return to Earth, the wicked will be judged, and the righteous rewarded.

The Apostle Paul writes about it in his letters, and the Gospels portray Jesus speaking about it.

The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, which will be visible over parts of North America, has brought with it a slew of predictions that Jesus might be returning sooner rather than later.

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I am a scholar of early Christian literature whose research focuses on how people read, understand and sometimes misunderstand biblical texts.

Religious theories surrounding this eclipse are part of a larger pattern of attempts to find meaning in astronomical events that goes back thousands of years.

Finding meaning in the skies

One of the more famous examples from the ancient world of people finding meaning in the skies occurred in 44 B.C.E., when a comet appeared in the skies over Italy just four short months after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Roman authors Pliny the Elder and Suetonius claimed that the comet was visible for about a week and that it was so bright, it could be spotted in the late afternoon.

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Many Romans interpreted its appearance and lingering presence as a sign that Caesar had ascended to the heavens and had taken a seat among the many gods of Rome. Caesar’s deification was made official by a vote of the Roman senate less than two years later.

A few examples from the past 30 years further illustrate this phenomenon. In December 2020, speculation ran wild in some Christian circles that a planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn signaled the return of the fabled “Star of Bethlehem” that led the wise men to the newborn Jesus.

For at least 10 years, televangelist John Hagee has promoted theories linking various “blood moons” as signs that the apocalypse is approaching.

A tragic example is the religious movement known as Heaven’s Gate. Members of this movement believed that there was a spacecraft hidden in the tail of the Hale-Bopp Comet, which appeared in 1997. This spacecraft, they thought, was coming to transport them to a higher level of consciousness. In March 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate movement committed ritualized, mass suicide through a lethal combination of phenobarbital, vodka and asphyxiation.

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Chasing shadows

It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where such interpretations of celestial events originate.

In the case of the upcoming eclipse, one of the images that has fueled predictions of Jesus’ second coming simply notes southern Illinois as the location where the upcoming eclipse will overlap the path of the last North American solar eclipse in 2017.

Two yellow lines cross over southern Illinois on a map showing North America.
A map showing the path of total solar eclipses in 2017 and 2024. Eclipse maps published by Michael Zeiler, CC BY-NC
From this image, two theories have emerged: First, that these eclipses are separated by roughly seven years, which has symbolic significance in biblical literature as a number indicating completeness and perfection. Second, on charting the paths of these eclipses on a map, they appear to form a cross.

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Some Christians have taken this as evidence that the upcoming eclipse is an indication that Jesus’ return is imminent.

But there is no logical basis for this theory.

For starters, solar eclipses are not quite as rare as they seem. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and blots out all or some of the Sun’s light. They seem rare because they affect only the narrow strip of land that falls in the shadow of the Moon.

According to NASA, there has been an average of 2.5 eclipses per year over the past 1,000 years.

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The phenomenon of two eclipses crossing paths is also rather unremarkable. Looking at a map of eclipse paths between 2001 and 2025, it is clear that eclipses frequently cross paths; of the 15 solar eclipses during this span of time, only two did not cross paths.

A world map with countries in green being crisscrossed by blue lines.
Map of the world charting the paths of eclipses between 2001 and 2025. All but two of these paths intersect. Eclipse map predictions courtesy of Fred Espenak, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
One could argue that the North American eclipses of 2017 and 2024 are unique because of the seven years that separate them. But this isn’t logical in terms of the larger argument that some are making. These eclipses – on August 21, 2017, and April 8, 2024 – are separated not by seven years but by six and a half years, or 2,422 days to be exact. Another pair of eclipses that crossed paths in the Pacific Ocean – on July 22, 2009, and March 9, 2016 – were separated by the same number of days.

Seek and you will find

Most of these end times predictions are rooted in North American evangelical views on the apocalypse, many of which originated or at least share an affinity with evangelical author Hal Lindsey’s popular book, “The Late Great Planet Earth.”

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In this book, Lindsey predicted that the apocalypse would occur in the 1980s, and to make his argument, he stitched together a number of disparate events and phenomena to construct an apocalyptic narrative that included Soviet helicopters, the establishment of the state of Israel and nuclear warfare.

Lindsey was wrong, of course; the 1980s did not bring about the apocalypse. But this way of thinking – of seeking to find significance in various random events like eclipses – persists among some Christians.

The difference between this pairing of the 2017 and 2024 eclipses and the ones from 2009 and 2016 is simple: The most recent pairing crosses over the United States. Patterns emerge when and where they are sought, and much depends on the aims of the people doing the seeking.

The second coming of Jesus is undeniably a topic of conversation among New Testament authors. But it is interesting to note that there is little agreement among these authors when it comes to timing. What is presented in the Gospels is different from what is presented in the letters of Paul. And both of these are quite different from what is found in the book of Revelation.

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But these authors do share a sense that the timing of “the end” is ultimately mysterious and unknowable. And this would suggest that attempting to predict such timing by means of things like eclipses is, at the very least, not terribly “biblical.”

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NUJ-FCT Elections: Comrade Ike To Flag-Off Campaign With Free Medical Checks, Treatment

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By Gloria Ikibah
Ahead of theDecember 4, 2024 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory Council (FCT) election, Comrade Grace Ike, will flag-off her campaign for the position of Chairman with free eye check for journalists on Sunday, November 24, 2024, by 12 noon.
The exercise, under the auspices of the Grace Ike Campaign Council (GICC), which will be held  at the NUJ FCT Council Secretariat, Utako, Abuja, is expected to attract interested journalists and her teeming supporters across all chapels.
According to Comrade Ike, the reason behind the free eye checks for journalists is based on the critical role their eyes play in their daily tasks as watchdogs and also being a critical organ of the body, there is the need to be attended to and checked by qualified ophthalmologists to boost their productivity.
During the flag-off, the Ike will unveil her campaign management team and itinerary in line with the NUJ FCT Council Election timetable.
The campaign will be anchored on the slogan, “One Voice, New Era” and focused on Accountability, Transparency, Accelerated Development, Capacity Building, New Innovation/Creativity, Improved Welfare & All-round Empowerment for members.
Naijablittznews.com reports Comrade Ike was yesterday cleared by the Credentials Committee and declared elected by the NUJ National as the only candidate for the position of Chairman in the December 4, NUJ-FCT election.
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President Tinubu Leaves Brazil After G20 Summit

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President Bola Tinubu has departed Galeao Air force Basa (SBGL) Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, for Abuja after attending the 19th G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The President is due to arrive at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 10.00 p.m. (Nigerian time).

President Tinubu had attended the G20 Leaders summit where he endorsed the global alliance against hunger and poverty, which he said was pivotal.

The President also held bilateral talks with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who commended his administration’s economic reforms and their positive indicators.

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He also presided over the signing of a 2.5 billion dollar Letter of Intent between the Nigerian government and the JBS S.A., a Brazilian company and one of the top three largest meat processing companies in the World.

The president was accompanied in the trip by senior government officials including the minister of foreign affairs yusuf Tuggar, the national security adviser, Nuhu RIBADU and many others.

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HoR to lead historic march, other Key initiatives against gender-based violence

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In commemoration of this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the House of Representatives will lead a landmark march on Monday, November 25, 2024, along with other strategic activities as part of its unwavering commitment to eradicating gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement issued by the HoR spokesperson, Rotimi Akin, Jr on Saturday.

According to him the march, which starts at 8:00 AM, will bring together over 1,000 participants – including Representatives and members of the public – on a symbolic walk from the National Assembly to the Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.

This demonstration of solidarity will culminate in the submission of a petition to the Inspector General of Police, demanding decisive action to safeguard vulnerable populations and ensure accountability for perpetrators of GBV.

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“This march and the associated activities are not just symbolic gestures, they reflect our resolve and call to action against gender-based violence head-on,” said Hon. Abbas Tajudeen,, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We stand united in the fight to protect the rights and dignity of all Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable. Together, through collective action and legislative reforms, we can build a society where safety, justice, and equality prevail.”

Beyond the march, the 10th House of Representatives in alignment with its Legislative Agenda (2023 – 2027) has outlined *key activities to sustain awareness and action throughout the 16 Days of Activism:*

1. *Sash Demonstration Ceremony* – Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Members of the House will don orange sashes, symbolising solidarity with the fight against GBV, during plenary sessions throughout the campaign period.

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2. *Convergence of State Assembly Speakers* – Monday, December 9, 2024
A strategic meeting at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, will bring together Speakers of State Houses of Assembly to discuss legislative strategies for combating GBV nationwide.

3. *National Citizens’ Summit and GBV Conference 2024 -* Tuesday, December 10, 2024
This summit will conclude the 16 Days of Activism with discussions on constitutional reforms and securing endorsements for gender equality initiatives championed by the House.

The House of Representatives invites all Nigerians to *participate in this historic march on Monday, November 25, 2024.* Participants will receive orange T-shirts—the official colour of the United Nations campaign to end violence against women—symbolising hope for a future free of violence.

*Details of the March:*

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• *Date:* Monday, November 25, 2024
• *Time:* 8:00 AM
• *Starting Point:* Speaker’s Car Park, National Assembly
• *End Point:* Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters

Gender-based violence continues to devastate families and communities across Nigeria. The 10th House of Representatives however, remains steadfast in driving systemic reforms, fostering collaboration, and championing accountability to address this pervasive issue.

Together, let us take a decisive stand for justice, equality, and the protection of human rights, paving the way for a safer, more equitable Nigeria.

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