Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024 - Part 1

Exodus 4:8 Then He (YHVH) said, “If they do not believe you, or listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the message of the latter sign.

A lot has already been said about the upcoming total solar eclipse in America on April 8th, 2024. But not all aspects of this event have been shared.

This year's American eclipse enters at ground zero over a town named Eagles Pass. An interesting choice because God is like an eagle. He cares. He protects. He soars. He defends. He lets His young fall out of the nest to teach us that we can fly only to catch us before we hit the ground should we not be ready.

Deuteronomy 32:11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, He spreads His wings, catches him, lifts him up on His pinions.

God has His eye on all of us. The heavens and the earth have also been His witnesses. This may be the time that He no longer catches us because there is a season for everything under the sun. We need to be ready. We must stand and not fall. Because there is also another striking verse that speaks of the eagle. 

Deuteronomy 28:49 “YHVH will raise up a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, just as the eagle swoops down—a nation whose language you will not understand.

Meditate on Ezekiel 17 if you can. The Eternal God always gives warning. Some will say this verse is speaking of something already completed. But we say what was done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.

Solar and lunar eclipses have always been viewed in ancient times as omens for things to come. In fact, we do have historical evidence that disaster did happen to cities and nations after a solar eclipse.

On April 16, 1178, BC there was a total solar eclipse. “The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium BCE, which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, long-used trade routes were abandoned, along with writing systems, advanced technology, and monumental architecture,” writes Cline in his best-selling book, "1177 B.C., The Year Civilization Collapsed." However, solar eclipses can inspire positive change.  

The Mohawk, the Oneida, the Cayuga, and the Seneca nations, all four nations traveled to Onondaga where they convinced Tadodaho, and the Onondaga to join the Great Peace.  At Onondaga, they planted a Tree of Peace where they buried their hatches of hatred, jealousy, and anger against each other.  They pledged peace among the five nations and established a government guided by peace for the future generations. They call themselves the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse.  April’s eclipse will visit their lands once again this year.

This eclipse will cross the entire United States from west to east in an upward motion and this time pass through towns named Nineveh. There are only 8 cities named Nineveh today in the world, found in only two countries. Seven of these cities are in the United States of America. Don’t expect a prophet like Jonah sailing and crossing sea and land to warn us of what is coming. We already have had a prophet and the son of God to warn us nearly a full 2000 years ago, that there would be no sign that comes except for the sign of Jonah. What we do have is access to technology to see this for ourselves and to realize the time is near. Let's reflect on the words found in scripture.

For those that have not read the story of Nineveh and Jonah please do.  Many remember the belly of the fish part, but there is so much more. Scripture tells us that Jonah did not want to send the message. The people of Nineveh were a mixed multitude detached from Israel.  In Jonah’s opinion unworthy of a warning and certainly not worthy of salvation. But God. God’s desire was that they receive the warning and opportunity to turn back to what was good.

The king received the warning. He gave instructions to the whole kingdom to put on sack cloth. They covered their heads with dust, and they asked for forgiveness. They even fasted. The point being they took the warning seriously and made a change. But it does appear that when we investigate history that it was not a long-lasting repentance and destruction came upon Nineveh despite the warning because the people did not stand firm and resolute. Nineveh, once the most powerful city in the world and the largest city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, now lies in ruins. Its historical location is marked by two large mounds: The total solar eclipse on June 15 763 BC (Julian calendar) over Assyria is the one associated with Jonah. The fall of Nineveh was around 613 BC, 150 years later.

America received her first warning when the Total American Eclipse on August 21, 2017, passed over ground zero, Salem Oregon. We think that He selected Salem intentionally. The first time we see Salem mentioned in scripture is in connection with Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18. He was both king and priest of Salem, a royal priesthood. Nearly 2000 years later the words written in 1 Peter give us a big “but”.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

But have we done and/or are we doing what a royal priesthood was/is chosen to do?

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore if ye will hear my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my chief treasure above all people, though all the earth be mine.6 Ye shall be unto me also a kingdom of Priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. [1599 Geneva Bible]

1 Peter continues on to tell us that judgment comes first to the house of God, and it did first come on October 7th, 2023, to the land of Gaza and it is spreading. The war broke out and it continues.

1 Peter 4:16-18 16 But if anyone suffers for following Messiah, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. 17 Because the time has come to begin · judgment with the house of God, and if first with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now, “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what shall become of the ungodly and the sinner? [Tree of Life Version](see also Jeremiah 25:29, Ezekiel 9:6, Amos 3:2) 

So, judgment has come first to God’s house, His sanctuary. Yet America has also been a sanctuary for His people, far more than any other nation. Among the global Jewish population, the number of Jews in Israel is 7,200,000. About 8.5 million live outside Israel, with approximately 6.3 million of them living in the United States. These figures come from renowned Jewish demographic expert Professor Sergio DellaPergola of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The American colonies were founded on strong godly principles. If we review our history, we will find that the Separatists honored the Sabbath, Christmas was against the law, subject to fines or imprisonment. Community churches, not the government, were responsible for taking care of widows, the fatherless, and orphans. Pointing to the words of Paul, these committed Christians maintained that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12).  

A later exhibit of these beliefs shows up in the song written in 1895 by Katharine Lee Bates, “America the Beautiful” Read ALL the verses.  Oh, how times have changed.

The significance of the date –

We have been accustomed to relying on the words found in scripture to find Truth. Yet He does not just use words and letters to communicate. He integrated a numeric value for each one of those letters. Numbers are significant and they add meaning to the text. We see many numbers written in both the OT and NT. He does not waste a single ink stroke on something that is not important. 

The first letter of the Hebrew aleph bet has a numeric value of 1.

We can see its middle age form crossing the Americas, the last stroke needed to form the letter will be completed on April 8th, just as the last letter will be completed.

The letter taw/tav has a numerical value of 400. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon and 400 times farther from the earth than the moon.

April 8th and the 8th day. The number 8 in Hebraic thought has the meaning of “new beginnings”. The war with Hamas broke out in Gaza on October 7th, the 10th month on the Gregorian calendar on the seventh day. The number 10 in Hebraic thought means fullness. But did you know that October 7th was a holy day (also known as a mo'ed, an appointed time) specified in scripture for us to keep called Shemini Atzeret meaning "8th day of assembly"?  It is the last day following 7 days of living in temporary dwelling places. God’s timing is perfect. We might not like the timing, but He is just.   This upcoming eclipse is also on the 8th day, in the fourth month on the Gregorian calendar. But what might not be noticeable is that April 8th will most likely fall on the 29th day of the calendar used in Judaism. The number 29 is often associated with being cutoff. On April 8th the moon will be in its “new moon” stage. The moon never reaches 30 days old it is always just "nearly 30".  

Here at The Disciples Table, we use another method of calculating His days, using the sun. We believe this was the way that Moses was taught by Elohim as we read it in Exodus 12. Using this method April 8th is the 8th day after the Feast of First Fruits for those of us that are observing Pesach in the 1st chodesh. This is also the 8th day after Easter for those following this practice in many of the Christian religions. The Feast of First Fruits will also be celebrated on the same day in the religion of Judaism for those that determined that March 11th was the Rosh Chodesh for Aviv (different from Nisan) dependent on the ripening of the barley. Barley is a member of the grass family and man is also associated with grass. Barley is the first harvest of the year in the land.

The image of America shows 3 events, August 21, 2017, October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024.

There were 7 cities named Salem that were in the path of totality in 2017. There are only 3 cities named Nineveh in the path of totality in 2024. Place these two numbers side by side, 37 has the meaning of "chosen servant".  The number 73 has a meaning of “lives”.  Often God uses mirror opposites in deeds, sentence structure and letter arrangement. So where do you see yourself? What is your life story? Is it one of a chosen servant to the One Most High?

Or should we also consider that 7 Salems, then 3 Ninevehs is even more to the point, directing us to Revelation 7:3!

We'll develop that thought further in Part 2

Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024 - Part 2