All over the nation, people are getting ready for today’s solar eclipse.
According to CNN, this eclipse will totally block out the sun for some residents living in 13 U.S. states, including, “Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.”
An estimated 32 million people are living within the path of totality, but many more will be traveling to see the event, causing extended traffic times and crowds in many U.S. cities.
Yet, while today’s eclipse is sure to be a spectacular event, it’s nothing compared to some of the larger-than-life weather events recorded in the Bible.
Here are 15 of the biggest biblical weather events no one saw coming.
1. Possible Eclipse at the Crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27:45)
During the crucifixion of Jesus, the Bible tells us that darkness came over the land for three hours. Matthew 27:45 tells us,
“At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.”
While the Bible doesn’t explicitly state that the event was a solar eclipse, it’s entirely possible that this is how God achieved this unusual and miraculous sign.
This was no usual eclipse, however… Not only do eclipses not typically last for three hours, but this miraculous weather event was also accompanied by the temple curtain tearing in two, the tombs breaking open, and many godly men and women being raised from the dead.
Now that would have been a sight to see!
2. Darkness during the Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23)
Think a three hour eclipse is impressive? In the Old Testament book of Exodus, the land of Egypt was covered in thick darkness for three days!
This darkness didn’t settle everywhere, however. Exodus 10:21-23 tells us,
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.”
This would have been terrifying and confusing for the Egyptian people who never saw it coming.
3. Joshua’s Long Day (Joshua 10:12-14)
In addition to darkness covering the land, the Bible also records multiple times were God provided more light than usual.
For example, Joshua 10:12-13a tells us,
“On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said,
“Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,
and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.”
What a powerful prayer and answer! If only we still had the same level of faith today that Joshua did then.
4. Hezekiah’s Sundial (2 Kings 20:8-11)
Similarly, when King Hezekiah of Judah fell ill, he prayed to God for healing. As a sign that Hezekiah would recover and that God would fulfill his promise, God caused the shadow on the sundial to move backward ten steps.
2 Kings 20:8-11 tells us,
“Meanwhile, [king] Hezekiah had said to [the prophet] Isaiah, ‘What sign will the Lord give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the Lord three days from now?’
Isaiah replied, ‘This is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?’
‘The shadow always moves forward,’ Hezekiah replied, ‘so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead.’ So Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’
This miracle would have been very easy to miss if the people weren’t outside paying attention.
5. Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-9)
Of course, who can forget one of the biggest weather events in all the Bible: Noah and the great flood.
In this story, God sends a great flood to destroy the earth due to its wickedness. Noah is instructed to build an ark to save himself, his family, and pairs of animals. The flood waters cover the earth for forty days and nights, and then it’s up to Noah’s family to repopulate the Earth again.
Genesis 6:12-14, 17a tells us,
“God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, ‘I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
‘Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.
‘Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes.'”
6. Moses Parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
While the great flood during the time of Egypt is likely the biggest and most memorable water-related weather event in the Bible, it certainly isn’t the only one.
When the Israelites are fleeing from Egypt, they reach the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army pursuing them. God miraculously parts the sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land. When the Egyptians attempt to follow, the waters return, drowning them.
Exodus 14:21-22 tells us,
“Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!”
7. The Israelites Crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 3)
Similar to the parting of the Red Sea, just a few books later, Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River. God stops the flow of the river, allowing the people to cross on dry land.
Joshua 3:14-17 tells us,
“So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away…
Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.”
8. Elijah and the Drought (1 Kings 17-18)
Think a water miracle is impressive? How about a “lack of water” miracle? In the Bible, God does both!
During the time of the prophet Elijah, God sends a drought upon the land of Israel as a judgment for the people’s disobedience. This drought lasts for three and a half years before Elijah prays for rain, and God sends a heavy rainstorm.
Elijah 17:1 tells us,
“Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, ‘As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!'”
One chapter (and several impressive miracles later), Elijah reverses his prayer so the sky becomes black with clouds and a heavy wind brings a terrific and much needed rainstorm.
9. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41)
In the New Testament, Jesus and his disciples encounter a fierce storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee. Jesus calms the storm with a command, demonstrating his power over nature.
Mark 4:37-39 tells us,
“But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?’
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.
10. Jonah and the Storm (Jonah 1)
This isn’t the first time a storm appears or disappears under mysterious circumstances. When Jonah refuses to obey God’s command to go and preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, Jonah sets sail in the opposite direction. God uses a storm to get Jonah’s attention, causing Jonah to spend three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish.
Jonah 1:4-5, 12, 15-16 tells us,
“But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship…
‘Throw me into the sea,’ Jonah said, ‘and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.’
Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.”
11. The Plague of Hail (Exodus 9:13-35)
Back in Exodus again, one of the ten plagues inflicted upon Egypt was a severe hailstorm, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The hail destroyed crops, trees, and livestock throughout the land.
Exodus 9:23-26 tells us,
“So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.”
12. The Earthquake in Philippi (Acts 16:25-34)
In the New Testament, during the time of the early church, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi. They didn’t stay captive for long, however. There was a great earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, causing the doors to open and the prisoners’ chains to come loose. As a result, the prison guard and his entire family became Christians.
Acts 16:25-26 tells us,
“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”
13. The Thunder and Lightning at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-20)
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, the mountain was covered in smoke, and there were thunder and lightning, along with a loud trumpet blast. This wasn’t your typical thunderstorm, however. The Israelite people who weren’t allowed on the mountain where the storm was taking place saw it and were terrified!
Exodus 19:16, 18 tells us,
“On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled… All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.”
14. The Sudden Wind and Fire at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
Similarly, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, accompanied by a sound like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were staying.
Acts 2:14 tells us,
“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
15. The Dew on Gideon’s Fleece (Judges 6:36-40)
Finally, Gideon asked God for a sign to confirm his calling, requesting that a fleece placed on the ground be wet with dew while the ground around it remained dry, and then vice versa. God granted both requests, demonstrating His faithfulness.
Judges 6:38-37 tells us,
“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.’ And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.”
7 Facts From the Bible That Have Actually Been Proven
The Bible is a very important book for many people, offering guidance and teaching. But did you know that some things mentioned in the Bible have actually been proven to be true? Over the years, scientists, historians, and archaeologists have looked into the Bible’s stories to see if they match up with real-life evidence.
While faith is important to many, it’s fascinating to find out that certain events, places, and people mentioned in the Bible have been confirmed by things like old records, archaeological discoveries, and scientific research.
Let’s explore some interesting facts from the Bible that have been supported by actual evidence. This helps us understand how faith, history, and science can come together.
7 Facts From the Bible That Have Actually Been Proven
14 “Biblical” Details You Won’t Find Anywhere in the Bible
The Bible may be the bestselling book of all time and translated into almost every language known to man, but that doesn’t stop many misconceptions from springing up.
Biblical myths can take hold in our understanding of what the Bible says and misinform how we view Scripture.
From the Trinity to Jonah and the whale to Eve and the apple, here are 14 commonly accepted and widely repeated biblical “facts” you won’t find anywhere in the Bible.
14 “Biblical” Details You Won’t Find Anywhere in the Bible
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
