Ingrid Kohlstadt: "The Shadow of the Almighty and the Second Sunrise: Coming Across America on August 21, 2017"

From the desk of Steve Shultz:

I found this article absolutely fascinating about the upcoming eclipse...and I am sure you will too.

Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt from Maryland, is on faculty at Johns Hopkins University Center and is a researcher and teacher.

Bill Yount, who is one of our prolific writers, knows Ingrid and sent us this most intriguing article from her.

Ingrid shares here:

The eclipse traverses North America from west to east. The Magi saw a celestial sign in the west and they followed it. So where is that star today? The Bible describes the Church as a light set on a lamppost. A lamp is especially needed when our usual light-source is eclipsed. Pray that the Church draws close to Christ her beloved. May she be His beacon.

Enjoy this article by Ingrid...as you also learn a great deal about what the eclipse can mean for the Church! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

A total eclipse of the Sun is traversing North America on August 21, 2017. The last solar eclipse to cross the USA took place June 8, 1918 and the eclipse in 2024 will only be visible in the Central USA. Some call the rare occurrence a "once in a lifetime experience" and an experience one remembers lifelong.

Before science's insights, solar eclipses were met with superstition, being considered a bad omen from the heavens. For Christians the opposite is true. The Bible gives us reason to join the scientific communities' anticipation and imbue it with spiritual meaning.

Historic Shadows Heralded Safety and Victory!

Psalm 91:1 is a particularly suited Scripture for Christian meditation. It evokes an image of a celestial shadow. "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1).

"Our prayers for ourselves, our church and our nation can petition the Almighty to awaken our desire to dwell in His shelter, in the shadow of His wings."

This Psalm is written by King David, an extraordinary military leader. David praises the Most High as One who protects, but he doesn't stop with an image of military success. David adds another aspect to protection – the nurturing image of a mother hen gathering her chicks under wing.

The Psalms are poetry, and sometimes their power is under-recognized. David's poetic metaphor is buttressed by Scriptures written before and after his reign. Biblical accounts of the Almighty's shadow include these:

1. During the Exodus a plague of thick darkness covered Egypt for three days. Where the Israelites lived there was light. The plague ended with freedom from bondage (see Exodus 10)!

2. Joshua chapter 10 recounts the shadow that didn't budge: The Sun and Moon stood still until the Israelites won the battle.

3. Darkness covered Jerusalem for three hours on Good Friday, so named for victory over Hell (see Luke 23:44; Mark 15:33).

Do you see the pattern King David sang in psalms about? In each account the shadow of the Almighty brings not only safety, but victory! Christians can believe as King David did – that the shadow of the Almighty brings sweeping victory.

Victory Requires Human Faith in Action

The words "rest" and "abide" are not passive when used in Psalm 91:1. In musical terms "rest" means silence, which Mozart called the most powerful note. In military terms rest is part of battle readiness. The Biblical accounts above involve human acts of faith. (Photo via Pixabay)

1. The thick darkness recorded in Exodus began when Moses stretched out his hand. "So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days." (Exodus 10:22)

2. The Sun and Moon stood still when Joshua spoke it. "There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel." (Joshua 10:14)

3. The Apostle Peter's story doesn't stop with a faith crisis before the darkness of Good Friday. He is remembered for the great faith which emerged from the Almighty's shadow. Peter's faith is the Rock of the Church.

Moses raised his hand, Joshua spoke, and once Peter got started he didn't stop speaking. Therefore, as Christians, we should expect to have a piece of the action. Our piece will certainly involve prayer. If the eclipse's path were a sound rather than a visual event, it might be the blast of a shofar calling us to prayer.

How Then Shall We Pray? A Clue in the Lunisolar Calendar

The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar where dates are determined by both the rotation of the Moon and the Earth around the Sun. Here's how it works: each New Moon starts a new month. Nightfall on August 21, 2017 in Israel marks the start of Elul – a month to draw closer to the Almighty.

Interestingly, to further enrich this ancient season, Elul is an acronym. Its four Hebrew letters stand for the phrase I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine (Song of Solomon 6:3).

In sum, the eclipse coincides with Elul. Both events can draw us nearer to the Almighty. Our prayers for ourselves, our church and our nation can petition the Almighty to awaken our desire to dwell in His shelter, in the shadow of His wings.

His Love and Light!

A solar eclipse is fully explained by technical, astronomic science. When placed alongside Psalm 91 and Song of Solomon 6:3, the science enriches the metaphor of the Almighty's love. Here's the science:

A solar eclipse involves the Moon. An eclipse occurs only during the New Moon when the Moon is positioned directly between Earth and Sun. For example, the Moon did not eclipse the Sun to cause the darkness of Good Friday. We know this because Good Friday occurred on Passover, which always takes place on the Full Moon.

To totally eclipse the Sun, the Moon's elliptical orbit must be close to Earth. When distant from Earth, the eclipsing Moon appears in the center of the Sun and is ringed in fire. Also called an annular eclipse, it appears as fire instead of darkness and shadow without stars.

"Christians can believe as King David did, that the shadow of the Almighty brings sweeping victory."

Here's a sample of eclipse-inspired poetry to amplify the Almighty's love for us.

"You are the object of My love. We are not star-crossed or Moon-crossed lovers. I desire you close to Me, so that nothing comes between us. I want to hold you so close that you reflect My image, even in the darkness. My love for you will quench My fiery anger. For you, I will light the night sky with stars and cause the Sun to rise even from the western sky. You are My beloved. Do you love Me?"

The eclipse traverses North America from west to east. The Magi saw a celestial sign in the west and they followed it. So where is that star today? The Bible describes the Church as a light set on a lamppost. A lamp is especially needed when our usual light-source is eclipsed. Pray that the Church draws close to Christ her beloved. May she be His beacon.

National Prayer: Anticipate the Second Sunrise

The Hebrew calendar defines nightfall as the emergence of three stars. A total solar eclipse can create darkness sufficient to see the stars. Therefore, an eclipse can create nightfall. As the eclipse passes and the stars again disappear from view, America might experience a second sunrise!

What will happen when America prays with the bold faith of Moses, Joshua and Peter? Personally I believe these prayers can accomplish Malachi 4:2, "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings..."

Some of our prayers can be specific to states along the eclipse. These can include:

Oregon: We recognize the sanctity of human life. We pray that the assisted euthanasia enabled by Oregon's Die with Dignity Act not end a single human life before the Almighty's appointed time.

Idaho: We pray specifically for the prosperity of Native Americans and their land. We pray for reconciliation and healing. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Wyoming: We thank You, Almighty for the awe-inspiring beauty of creation and the immense privilege to be its caretakers. Bless the leaders who empower us to be creation's stewards.

Nebraska and Missouri: We are powerless against those who harm our land. They change the life-code of our crops and poison the earth with chemicals. Our earth and health suffer as we await Your healing.

Tennessee: We thank You for the gift of song and for today's musicians who inspire us in worship. Increase their number.

South Carolina: We pray for reconciliation of race relationships. We pray that wounds caused by flying by the Confederate Flag be healed. May wounded hearts experience Your Love Flag (Song of Solomon 2:4).

Christians have extra reason to anticipate the total solar eclipse across America. We should mark our calendars for August 21, 2017, especially since it's already on the Almighty's day timer. I believe as we pray during the eclipse, in faith, the rising "Son" will reveal answered prayers. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

Ingrid Kohlstadt MD, MPH
Email: ingrid@RevelationRx.org
Website: www.RevelationRx.org / www.NutriBee.org

Ingrid Kohlstadt MD, MPH specializes in leveraging nutrition and metabolism for improving health. She is a Faculty Associate at Johns Hopkins University Center for Human Nutrition where she teaches and conducts research on improving the uptake of metabolic therapies. Her research findings form the basis for the non-profit organization NutriBee, and her fourth medical textbook is featured here. Dr. Kohlstadt has worked for the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the USDA, the Indian Health Service, and the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center. She practiced medicine on every continent including as station doctor in Antarctica. She is convinced that integrative medicine and nutrition are powerful yet underutilized tools for healing. She and her family live in Annapolis, Maryland, where they are members of the U.S. Naval Academy's faith community.

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