3 Ways April 8’s Total Solar Eclipse Reminds Us of Biblical Truth

1. The mathematical precision of the heavens points to a Creator. Scientists can predict an eclipse decades, even centuries, in advance—nearly down to the very second! You may have noticed that timetables for this year’s eclipse give the exact time and the exact length of totality depending on your location. The precision is extreme. Now, how is such precision possible if the universe is just the result of millions of years of random, chance processes? Randomness doesn’t result in such incredible order! Furthermore, it’s clear the heavens are governed by laws of nature and mathematics—but how can such immaterial laws form in a strictly material universe? They can’t! The precision of the eclipse is a wonderful reminder that, yes, there is a Creator. This universe is not the result of random, naturalistic forces. Rather, it was purposefully designed by an all-wise and all-powerful Creator.

2. The heavens really do declare the glory of God. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse, you well remember the feeling of awe as you stared at the darkened sun with the sparkling “ring of fire” haloing it. AiG’s astronomer, Dr. Danny Faulkner, described it as “one of the most incredible things [he] had ever experienced.” That feeling of “wonder and amazement,” as Dr. Faulkner said, is a reminder of the incredible glory of God. If the beauty of something God made can inspire such a reaction, just stop for a moment and think about the incredible glory of the God who created it and “who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16). We can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like when we see the glory of the Lord face to face in eternity!

3. It’s obvious to all that there’s a Creator. Romans 1 reminds us that those who reject the Creator are without excuse, and moments like the total solar eclipse remind us of this. The dazzling beauty and mathematical precision of this event points us to the one who created it all, and those who are awed by the creation without giving praise to the Creator stand before him “without excuse” for their unbelief.

Psalm 14

1Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!

Romans 1:18-21

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Men keeps proving these Scriptures to be true by trying to change the status quo of what has already established by God.

Revelation 3:7

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens."

In other words, no man can undo what God has accomplished.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

TheWildEcho · 56-60, M

I find it incredible that the sun and moon are just the right size and distance from each other so they appear exactly the same size! Amazing design!

newjaninev2 · 56-60, F

@TheWildEcho Design? In that case, sloppy work.

The Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth. It used to be much larger in the sky, and will become smaller in the future... so solar eclipses won't be as we currently see them.

When the Moon was newly formed, Earth days were five hours long, but with the Moon's braking effect operating on the Earth for the last 4.5 billion years, days have lengthened to the 24 hours that we are familiar with now, and they will continue to lengthen in the future.

Dumbman · 36-40

@newjaninev2 distance of sun divided by diameter of sun is approximately equal to distance of moon from earth divided by diameter of moon. 😬 108

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@TheWildEcho [quote]The Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth. It used to be much larger in the sky, and will become smaller in the future... so solar eclipses won't be as we currently see them.[/quote]

According to whom?

TheWildEcho · 56-60, M

@newjaninev2 even if youre right your point being? The eclipse is a beautiful sight, but some people are incapable of seeing the beauty of Gods creation

newjaninev2 · 56-60, F

@GodSpeed63 [quote]According to whom?[/quote]

According to the [b]evidence[/b] obtained by the laser ranging retroreflector on the Moon's surface.

Would you like to discuss NASA's laser ranging retroreflector project?

Would you like to discuss the other [b]evidence[/b] [i]e.g.[/i] the Milankovitch cycles?

No, I thought not

Your and your little magical entity can run along now.

ElwoodBlues · M

@newjaninev2 The physics of the Moon's slowly growing distance from Earth is angular momentum transfer due to tidal effects. This transfer of momentum won't halt until the Moon's orbital rate matches the Earth's rotation rate, AKA tidal locking. Mercury is tidally locked to the Sun, and Pluto and its moon Charon are tidally locked as well.

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@newjaninev2 [quote]According to the evidence obtained by the laser ranging retroreflector on the Moon's surface.[/quote]

That's not telling me anything. It's only guess work by the scientists observing it.

[quote]Your and your little magical entity can run along now.[/quote]

What magical entity? Run along, little girl, you're in way over your head.

newjaninev2 · 56-60, F

@GodSpeed63 Yes, it appears almost impossible to tell you anything.

Scientists use reflectors on the Moon in a fairly straightforward experiment... aim a laser beam at the reflector and clock the amount of time it takes for the light to come back. By measuring how long it takes laser light to bounce back (about 2.5 seconds) researchers can measure the distance between Earth and the Moon reflectors down to less than a few millimetres.

Decades of making this one measurement has led to major discoveries. One of the biggest revelations is that the Earth and Moon are drifting apart. This widening gap is the result of gravitational interactions between the two bodies.

No guess work involved... just empirical, demonstrable, precisely measured, [b]evidence[/b].

TheWildEcho · 56-60, M

@newjaninev2 you say eclipses as we know them will cease. When will this happen?

ElwoodBlues · M

@TheWildEcho Total eclipses will slowly be replaced by annular eclipses (which are already more frequent). Here are a few constants from the web with which to do the calculation.

[i]"If the distance from an observer to the moon is closer than 1/400.9 of the distance to the sun, then a total eclipse is possible"[/i] (at current solar diameter).

[i]"In January when we're closest to the Sun (perihelion), the distance is 147.5 million km"[/i]

[i]"At perigee, the point at which the Moon is closest to Earth, the distance is approximately 360,000 km. At apogee, the point at which the Moon is farthest from Earth, the distance is approximately 405,000 km."[/i]

[i]"the moon is straying away from Earth by about 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) per year, roughly the rate at which fingernails grow,"[/i]

[i]"The Sun has increased in size by around 20% since its formation around 4.5 billion years ago. It will continue slowly increasing in size until about 5 or 6 billion years in the future, when it will start changing much faster"[/i] as it swells into a red giant.

So the moon's perigee will need to shift as far as 408,000 km to prevent a total eclipse at solar perigee at current solar diameter. If we ignored solar expansion, that would take just over a billion years. With solar expansion it's down to more like 300 million years (warning: that last number is a rough estimate, allowing the sun 1.5% growth).

A reference for relative freq of eclipses (interestingly, totality is more common in northern hemisphere).
[b]https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/1982JBAA...92..124M/0000125.000.html[/b]

According to this reference, if you stay at one point on the Earth, the frequency of being in the 60 mile wide band of total eclipses ranges from once every 250 years to once every 500 depending on latitude (annulars about twice as frequent). As we approach the end of total eclipses, they will become vanishingly rare (the details are left as an exercise for the student)!!!

TheWildEcho · 56-60, M

@ElwoodBlues so eclipses as we know them will be around for a long time yet! An amazing design to have people in awe for thousands of years! According to new janinev2 its a sloppy design, i doubt if she could design and create anything so awe inspiring that will be admired for thousands of years!

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@newjaninev2 [quote]Scientists use reflectors on the Moon in a fairly straightforward experiment... aim a laser beam at the reflector and clock the amount of time it takes for the light to come back. By measuring how long it takes laser light to bounce back (about 2.5 seconds) researchers can measure the distance between Earth and the Moon reflectors down to less than a few millimetres. [/quote]

Has it ever occurred to you that they could be wrong?

ElwoodBlues · M

@GodSpeed63 Of course! Science is all about questioning the results and testing for error via independent experiment. Most new science happens because people question the old. Science is littered with instances where some minor discrepancy is investigated and turns out to be major.

You, on the other hand, are unable to imagine that your view of the universe could be flawed. SAD!

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@ElwoodBlues [quote]You, on the other hand, are unable to imagine that your view of the universe could be flawed. SAD![/quote]

Science has not been able to show how life first came into being nor has life been able to be created in a laboratory.

In Genesis Chapter 1 verse 1 God says that " in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...". In Chapter 1 of Genesis God details how He created all of the living beings and the first human in His own image.

This account perfectly details why and how there is so much beauty and order in animals, birds, and sea creatures. I cannot believe other wise than that nature itself proves that there is a Supreme Creator God. As I read Chapter two of Genesis in the Word of God (Holy Bible), I am shown how the sinful condition of man and woman came into being. In the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I came to know a loving sacrificial Savior and Father, Jesus Christ who suffered for six hours nailed to a cross to pay the price for our sins. With a Savior who loved us so much that He would rather suffer and die than live in Heaven without us, I think that His Word is the most beautiful and true account that details a loving God that there is. No, I would rather die than renounce my faith in His love and existence.

ElwoodBlues · M

@GodSpeed63 [quote]Science has not [/quote]
Yet.

Science is all about questioning the results and testing for error via independent experiment. Most new science happens because people question the old. Science is littered with instances where some minor discrepancy is investigated and turns out to be major.

You, on the other hand, are unable to imagine that your view of the universe could be flawed. SAD!

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@ElwoodBlues [quote]You, on the other hand, are unable to imagine that your view of the universe could be flawed. SAD![/quote]

Please, don't sound like a broken record will you?

newjaninev2 · 56-60, F

@GodSpeed63 lol! You say that your particular magical entity did it... and claim that "perfectly details" abiogenesis and the subsequent evolution of life on Earth.

Simplistic and pointless... it explains nothing, let alone 'perfectly details' anything at all

GodSpeed63 · 61-69, M

@newjaninev2 [quote]lol! You say that your particular magical entity did it[/quote]

What magical entity, yours? I don't have a magical entity.

newjaninev2 · 56-60, F

@GodSpeed63 Oh, that's nice! Nor do I, so we have something in common!

After all, magic must, by definition, violate the physical laws of the universe, and at least we agree that there's nothing capable of doing that.