Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Sunday responded to overwhelming criticism of her “repent” post ahead of the solar eclipse in the United States, noting that while these natural phenomena happen, “God created all of these things and uses them to be signs for those of us who believe.”
The controversy began on Friday after the congresswoman wrote, “God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come. I pray that our country listens. ”
A series of fact-checks appeared beneath her post on X, formally known as Twitter. It pointed out that Monday’s eclipse was predicted “hundreds of years ago” and added the “earthquakes occur naturally and happen” over “30 times a day across the world.”
Her post coincided with news of an earthquake rattling areas of the northeast, including the New York area, on Friday.
Many users on X also mocked Greene, asserting that these events are not “random” but largely predetermined. But Green hit back on Sunday.
“Many have mocked and scoffed at this post and even put community notes. Jesus talked about that in Luke 12:54-56,” she said.
“Yes eclipses are predictable and earthquakes happen and we know when comets are passing by, however God created all of these things and uses them to be signs for those of us who believe,” she added:
In the scripture Greene refers to, Jesus speaks to a crowd, pointing to the irony of the fact that they are able to predict basic phenomena such as weather patterns but are spiritually blind with misplaced priorities — so much that they are unable to discern what is urgent or happening in the present day — a message MTG seemingly believes America could, perhaps, take to heart as well.
The scripture reads:
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
That aside, many point to the Gospel of Matthew for Jesus’ words on the end of the age. Matthew 24 reads in part:
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
While there is much debate on this Biblical prophecy, some adhere to the “double fulfillment” line of thinking, which surmises that this refers to both the destruction of the Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as well as the promised Second Coming of Christ.
Debate aside, Monday’s highly-anticipated eclipse will begin in the U.S. in Texas around 1:27 p.m. CDT before ending in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. And the phenomenon does serve as a reminder to the faithful of the handiwork of God, as Psalm 19 celebrates it with the words, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
NASA Releases Animation Showing Path of Full Solar Eclipse on Monday
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio via Storyful
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