As people across the U.S. looked to the sky to view the solar eclipse on August 21, many also turned to Scripture — apparently hoping to gain insight regarding the astronomical event.

Bible Gateway reported that searches for the term “eclipse” increased by more than 4,000 percent in the days leading up to the eclipse, while searches for “moon” rose 3,500 percent.

On the day of the eclipse, the most popular search terms were “sun,” “eclipse,” “love,” and “moon.”

Of course, the word “eclipse” never appears in most English translations of the Bible.

On the day of the eclipse, the most popular search terms included “sun,” “eclipse,” and “moon.”

“But there are numerous references throughout the Bible to the sun ‘darkening,’ often in a miraculous or apocalyptic context,” Andy Rau, Bible Gateway’s senior content manager, wrote in a press release on the topic. “These references don’t detail a scientific, cosmological means for this darkening, nor is it always clear if this darkening (which is often applied to other stars and the moon as well as the sun) is an actual cosmological event or if it’s a theological assertion. But it’s not unreasonable to wonder if some of these instances might be referring to an eclipse.”

Though the recent total solar eclipse was the first one in 99 years to cross the entire continental U.S., such events aren’t as rare as they seem. In fact, a total solar eclipse takes place somewhere in the world every 12 to 18 months, according to NASA.

Theological implications aside, perhaps pastors should take note: People are looking to the Bible for answers concerning the daily headlines. Current events provide opportunities to field questions and teach on what the Scriptures say about end-time events and other issues of concern in today’s world.

This isn’t the first time Bible Gateway has noted a surge in searches related to astronomical events. On the day of the lunar eclipse in September 2015, the top search term on Bible Gateway was “blood moon.”

Incidentally, America’s next solar eclipse is just seven years away. As people rush to buy their solar glasses for the big day on April 8, 2024, chances are they will also be looking for some way to view their experiences through the lens of Scripture.