As Jesus Christ was dying on the Cross, the light of the afternoon sun was darkened for three hours. Was this, this total eclipse of the sun, a sign from Heaven validating His claim of being the Son of God? Did the prophecies foretell this singular eclipse? Further, was it a natural or supernatural phenomenon? Is there corroborating evidence to substantiate the biblical accounts? Did this celestial wonder have symbolic meaning? Finally, is there any conclusion which may be drawn from it?
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Older translations of the New Testament say that it happened from the sixth until the ninth hour. And since the hours of the Jewish day were counted from sunrise, the time of its occurrence would correspond to around 12 noon to 3 p.m. Three Gospel writers have in fact testified to it:
"From noon onward, there was darkness over the whole land until
midafternoon." — Matthew 27:45
"When noon came, darkness fell on the whole countryside and lasted until
midafternoon." — Mark 15:33
"It was now around midday, and darkness came over the whole land until
midafternoon with an eclipse of the sun." — Luke 23:44(1)
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As to the particular relevance of this eclipse to the fulfillment of the sacred prophecies, there are several Old Testament passages cited by the "Fathers of the Church,"(2) which they say, make reference to it. Here are two notable ones. Some eight centuries prior to the event at Calvary the prophet Amos wrote:
| "On that day, says the Lord God, I will make the sun set at midday and
cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight." — Amos 8:9
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| In the Book of Joel composed about 400 B.C. it is also written:
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| "And I will work wonders in the heavens and on the earth . . . the sun will
be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, at the coming of the day of
the Lord, the great and terrible day." — Joel 3:3-4
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| The first pope, Peter, declared the words of Joel fulfilled just fifty-two days after the Crucifixion. Peter so stated this in the preface of his address to the people in Acts 2:16-21 after the Holy Spirit's descent on the morning of Pentecost. The assembly, presumed eyewitnesses also to the sun's eerie and mysterious disappearance, undoubtedly understood that the prophecy had, indeed, come to pass.
| But was the timing of this eclipse at the Crucifixion merely a coincidence? Or is there any evidence to indicate that this solar eclipse had violated physical law, that somehow it took place when it wasn't supposed to?
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