One of the many foundational truths of Genesis is this: “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” (Genesis 1:14). 

Famously, the “Magi”, of Christmastime, a powerful and respected caste of wise men who studied astronomy, medicine, and natural science, came to Jerusalem “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east” (Matthew 2: 2). To the Magi the star signified birth. To the Magi the star signified kingship. To the Magi the star had a connection with the Jewish nation. How could some celestial event inform the Magi that a king of the Jews had been born?! Except that they knew the “lights in the firmament” could be deciphered for prophetic signs!

Ancient man knew things that modern man does not. They had technology and understanding which we don’t have. And recall that the Bible tells us that the great Hebrew prophet Daniel had been appointed chief of all the Magi in Persia by Nebuchadnezzar almost 600 years earlier (Daniel 2:48).  Daniel prophesied the coming of the Messiah. “The Son of man” is a phrase recognized from the book of Daniel as referring to the Messiah (Daniel 7:13,14), who will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords in a kingdom with “an everlasting dominion”.

Here is where we get to another heavenly sign, one like that recently experienced by record numbers of people on April 8, 2024. And one specially designed by our great Creator to be awe-inspiring, since the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, while being 400 times closer so as to exactly overlap in a total eclipse! Jesus spoke about signs in relation to the experience of Jonah and His forthcoming experience of death and resurrection - “…the sign of the prophet Jonah”, He said. And He added, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:39b-41).

Historical astronomers apply computer models to verify the validity of ancient observations in historical documents and date them. Thus, we know that the “Assyrian Eclipse” occurred over Nineveh on June 15, 763 B.C., supporting ancient Assyrian records. This time coincides with the time frame in which the prophet Jonah was active under Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25), who ruled Israel from 786 to 746 BC.

Biblical scholars have speculated that the eclipse took place around the time when Jonah arrived in Nineveh and urged the people to repent – adding a special “exhibit” to his message. Their empire was in chaos at this time, struggling with revolts, famines and two separate outbreaks of plague. It was a perfect time for a prophet from far away to arrive on the scene and command a response. And the Bible says they did. The ancient city, with up to 1.5 million people, repented! Their king decreed that they fast and cover themselves in sackcloth and “turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands” (Jonah 3:8). Hence Jesus was able to “brag on them” in Matthew 12:41, quoted above.

In the last seven years, America has seen two total eclipses cross the continental United States. The path of the eclipse on August 21, 2017 entered at Salem, Oregon, completely overshadowing seven of the thirty-six towns in the U.S. named Salem. That its path was so narrow that it would perfectly connect seven of the towns named Salem is quite remarkable. Could this have been a sign? – per biblical teaching about “the lights in the firmament”?  

Well, consider that not only does the Hebrew word “Salem” mean “peace”, but the original Salem is Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2), which is why Melchizedek was called “King of Salem” in Genesis 14:18. Jerusalem will also have 2^nd Coming and Millennial significance at the closing of this Age (Acts 1:11,12; Zechariah 14). And it will continue with eternal significance, the “New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2) – continuing as the holy city for the King of Kings and His bride the church. So, consider that after years of American presidents “talking about it”, President Donald Trump, on 12/6/2017, officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and began the process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - completing it by May 2018 in spite of strong United Nations disapproval which had to be overridden by a U.S. veto! Seems to me the American eclipse earlier in 2017, delivered a prophetic “sign” connected to this great City of Peace, with eternal significance to the Messiah, the Prince of Peace!

Interestingly, the North American total eclipse of April 8, 2024, in what would be called scientifically a “best-fit-smooth-curve”, passed over all eight hamlets and townships in North America named Nineveh! - Nineveh, Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, and Nova Scotia. All of them! In one quick pass of the moon moving under the sun at 2288 mph with the earth rotating simultaneously at 1000 mph. Is that a coincidence, or is that also a sign?! Secular fact checkers kept trying to minimize the significance of this by saying that only two of the seven Nineveh’s in the U.S. were “total” eclipses. But the fact is they were all at least what are called “deep-partial” eclipses of 90% or more, 97, 98, and 99%, with the one in Nova Scotia, Canada a 100% total eclipse. In scientific data analysis, you don’t expect to hit every single data point with your best-fit curve. But the line is always understood to represent the data! And it’s that way here as well - clearly to me, another heavenly sign, which the Bible says is a principal purpose for “lights in the firmament” per Genesis 1:14. And it hearkens back to the Ninevites!   

The Ninevites repented. And in a political and ideological sense, America has arguably repented in 2024. Consider that the government and corporate freight train of “Woke Progressivism” threatening its entrenchment and transformation of the country has been derailed at least temporarily by the results of the national election of November 2024.

Mark Cadwallader, Board Chairman Creation Moments

Check out more from Creation Moments @creationmoments.com/