Millions of people are expected to travel to see the spectacle, which also will attract scientists from across the country to study its unique effects.
On the spiritual side of things, many also are preparing to use the eclipse as a time of reflection and prayer, though many also see the celestial events as bad omens.
Eclipses have inspired fear and awe among civilizations throughout history, from the Aztecs to the ancient Hindus. They’re also associated with some major religious events, including the darkness that accompanied Jesus’ crucifixion in Christianity and, in Islam, the passing of the Prophet Muhammad’s son, Ibrahim.
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What does the Bible say about eclipses?
Celestial darkness is mentioned in sections of the Bible depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ — Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23.
Mark 15:33 reads: “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
James Willis, an assistant professor of practice for religion at the University of Indianapolis, told USAToday that such references often emphasize the power of God over the cosmos.
“What we today see as an astronomical event, people previously interpreted as having life-and-death significance,” Willis said.
Other references to eclipses include the book of Joshua, which recounts a day the sun stood still, as well as the book of Revelation. End times scholars often interpret celestial phenomena like solar eclipses, lunar eclipses and meteors as signs heralding significant future events, including the Rapture.
Is there a solar eclipse Bible prophesy?
In the Old Testament, prophets often describe eclipses or celestial phenomena as illustrations of a higher power at work when prophesizing, according to the Jerusalem Post.
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Isaiah 13:10: “The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”
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Ezekiel 32:7: “When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.”
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Isaiah 38:8: “I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
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In the book of Joel, a Jewish prophetic text, Joel 2:10; 2:31: “The earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine… The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Also, Joel 3:15: “The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.”
Eclipse in Choctaw culture
Earlier this month, in the Choctaw Nation newspaper Biskinik, a recurring column exploring Choctaw culture noted the sun was considered to bring life and good fortune; for some communities, when solar eclipses occurred, it was as if great black squirrels in the sky were devouring the sun. In response, all were called upon to make noise in an effort to frighten them away.
Eclipses in Islam offers an occasion to pray
During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, there was a solar eclipse on the day his son Ibrahim died.
As the story goes, speculation spread among Muhammad’s followers that even the sun and moon were grieving his loss. In response, he dispelled the notion that the eclipse was due to a person’s death or life, and instead called them to pray until the eclipse is clear.
While Islam’s eclipse prayer is not a mandatory one, many still take time to recite it.
Looking for free solar eclipse glasses? These OKC libraries are handing them out
A warning of God’s imminent wrath?
Perspectives on eclipses vary widely, but some see celestial happenings as a warning of God’s imminent wrath; some have even claimed they bear political significance. In November 2022, some ultraconservative Christian pastors said the approaching blood moon lunar eclipse portended a surge of Republican midterm wins.
More recently, Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of iconic evangelist Billy Graham, has seen speculation among some that the combined paths over the United States of this year’s eclipse and the previous two solar eclipses appear to mimic the shapes of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet — in other words, the beginning and the end.
“Maybe people are reading too much into it,” she told USAToday recently. “But when you look at the world, you don’t need an eclipse to know that things are getting really dangerous. Maybe it’s telling us it’s time to get right with God and the people in our lives, so that we have no regrets.”
Contributing: Marc Ramirez, USAToday
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What does the Bible say about eclipses? Some see a call to prayer, warning