Was There an Eclipse During the Crucifixion?

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:20,21

The eclipse on August 21, 2017 has eclipsed everything else in the Upstate of SC. Everyone is scrambling for a pair of approved glasses to view what is being proclaimed as a once in a lifetime event. But is a solar eclipse that rare of an event? Maybe not. 

In seven years there will be another solar eclipse visible in the US. That event will be from the southwest to the northeast. I remember a solar eclipse as a teen. A solar eclipse occurs on a regular basis but they are only seen in specific areas of the world. 

Some have speculated that a solar eclipse may have happened during the crucifixion. Luke 24:44 tells us that there was a darkness over all the earth from noon until 3:00 PM. Oh, but wait, Jesus was crucified during Passover. Passover only occurs at the time of the full moon. Take a look at the calendar. August 21, 2017 is the new moon, the exact opposite of the full moon. A solar eclipse can only occur on the full moon. Plus, a solar eclipse can only last a maximum of 7 minutes.

Several people have tried to pinpoint the exact date of the crucifixion. There are a couple of dates that most agree would be plausible. April 3, 33 AD is the most widely accepted. It does seem there was a lunar eclipse before sunset on that date. Sometimes a lunar eclipse appears red, often called a blood moon. When the moon became visible that evening, it was only in partial eclipse. However, God preformed a miracle that day in blocking out the sun for three hours. Whatever atmospheric conditions He caused to darken the sun over the whole earth may have caused the rising full moon to appear red like blood. 

Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost quoted the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16-21). The great and notable day of the Lord had come; the resurrection of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit came upon the church at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1,2). Jesus had already ascended to sit on the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:34,35). The crucified Christ had risen from the dead, seen for 40 days by more than 500 people (I Corinthians 15:6) and ascended through the clouds into heaven. When the Holy Spirit came down on the church both men and women went into the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Friends, if you have called upon the name of the Lord for salvation, you and I can do no less than proclaim the gospel in our streets. Jesus said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:32.

Hey Kids:

Are you in the path of the solar eclipse? Do you have the right glasses for viewing? Do you understand what you'll be seeing? 

The eclipse may be like reading. If we don't have the background knowledge we may not understand. Here are some things to research before you view.

What is a solar eclipse?

When do they occur? Where? How often?

What is a lunar eclipse?

When do they occur? Where? How often?

You may want to make a model of the solar eclipse using a flashlight and three balls of various sizes to represent the sun, moon, earth. As you are preparing for the eclipse and listening to the news, begin to move your model into the correct positions. Notice the change in light, temperature, and animal habits in your neighborhood. 

We'd love to see your models and observations. Just add them to our comments section. 

Lastly, why not thank God our Creator for this amazing universe He so lovingly made for us. 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Blessings, 

Gail