The Light and the Darkness*
This week we will experience a rare total eclipse. There is a massive focus on the darkness that will occur in the middle of the day with many planning parties and celebrations, but Jesus told us to know the signs of the end of the age, and His return. Jesus also said, "Occupy (be busy doing what you should be doing) until I come." (Lk. 19:13). Cults use these same signs to draw people to their false doctrines and keep them from salvation. Are the people of God paying attention to His signs? If so, what then are we called to be doing? As we will see, the day of the LORD when it comes will come with darkness and not celebrations:
- "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light." (Amos 5:18).
- "The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?...turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning...And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come." (Joel 2:10-12, 30-31).
- "...at that time...I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men...that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil...The great day of the LORD...it is near, and hasteth greatly...That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness...Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." (Zeph. 1:12, 14-15, 18).
The prophet Isaiah wrote about this light: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORDS is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isa. 60:1-3, see also Isa. 49:6). In occupying, Jesus said to take the Gospel to all nations. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes it, both the Jew first, and also the Greek or Gentile (Rom. 1:16). Isaiah also wrote: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isa. 9:2).
The source of this light in us is the Lord, Himself: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (katalambano - to lay hold of, overtake, prevent, take possession of) it not." (Jn. 1:1-5). The life referred to here is the Greek word zoe, which means: "absolute fulness of life, which belongs to God, and to Christ; Life real and genuine, active and vigorous, devoted to God and blessed in this world, and with trust in Christ, forever." Darkness, no matter how deep, cannot overpower the Light that is Christ. We see this in the natural as well when darkness is easily dispelled by even the small light of a match, a candle, a lamp. It is the light of Jesus and the glory of God that will light the City of God, the New Jerusalem, when it comes down from heaven, rather than the light of the sun and the moon (see Rev. 21:23).
The Gospel of John also tells us about one who came to be a witness to Christ, this Light of life. This witness was John the Baptist who identified for all of us the One who was "that Light...the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (Jn. 1:6-9). John the Baptist was born for this purpose as a prophet of the Most High to give knowledge of salvation to God's people (Lk. 1:76-79, and Isa. 9:2). Even though this Light of salvation and life, Jesus the Word, became flesh and came into the world that was made by Him, both the world and His own people did not receive Him: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (v. 10-12).
That Light is resident in us by the Spirit of God. We, like John, are witnesses to the Light of salvation and life, Jesus. Jesus' birth was made known to the world by a light, the light of a new star in the heavens. The wise men from the east noticed the star and followed it to the child King laid in a manger in Bethlehem. The light of the glory of God filled the night sky as shepherds watched their sheep near Bethlehem. Angels told them about the child born in Bethlehem who was the Messiah/Christ, and the good will of God that was now extended towards men. After they sought out and found Mary and her baby, they also became witnesses to the Light of salvation: "...they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds (Lk. 2:8-20).
When the baby Jesus was only eight days old, His parents brought Him to the temple to be circumcised and presented to the LORD. There a man named Simeon, led to the temple that same day by the Holy Spirit, bore witness to the Light, Jesus, declaring that this salvation child was "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel", a light and glory which God "hast prepared before the face of all people." (Lk. 2:25-35). A prophetess of great age named Anna was also in the temple that day when the baby Jesus was presented. When she saw Him, she gave thanks to the Lord "and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (Lk. 2:36-38). She also was a witness to the Light of Redemption for all men, Jesus.
Jesus, speaking to those in the temple, said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (Jn. 8:12). Jesus was challenged when He said this because, according to the law, the testimony of two witnesses is required to establish truth. Jesus answered "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me...Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." (v. 13-19). They accused Jesus of being a Samaritan, whom the Jews treated as outcasts because they were not considered to be true Jews, and also accused Jesus of having a devil, but Jesus answered them, "I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonour me. and I seek not my own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." (v. 48-51). Those who must have heard about the witness of the Bethlehem shepherds, and Simeon and Anna, and even the witness of Abraham, who knew the Messiah in the Spirit many generations earlier (see v. 38-40, 56-59), refused at this later point in time to be witnesses to the Light.
Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. They all had lamps to light the way, but of the ten, five were foolish, and had not been prepared with enough oil to keep their lamps lit. As all ten slept, the cry went out at midnight, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." (Mt. 25:1-6). As all ten arose and trimmed their lamps to go out, the five foolish virgins asked the five wise to give them some of their oil because their lamps had gone out. The five wise virgins told them that they would have to go out to those that sell oil and buy some for themselves (v. 7-9). As the five foolish virgins went to acquire the oil for their lamps, the bridegroom came, and the five wise virgins went in with the bridegroom to the marriage: "and the door was shut." (v. 10). Later, the five foolish virgins tried to enter, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (v. 11-13). We are to be prepared beforehand with the oil (Holy Spirit) and the light in our lamps. There will be a moment when it will be too late.
What are you doing with the light and glory of God? Have you gained souls with it? We are so caught up with "self" that we are not fulfilling our responsibilities as witnesses to the Light. Is the church operating under the idea that the rapture will relieve us of this responsibility? While the rapture will come before the wrath of God is poured out, it is my opinion that the rapture will not occur before the Tribulation. We are in fact seeing the beginning of the Tribulation now. Many signs are pointing us to the return of Christ, but they are being ignored by the church. The light of salvation is meant for all men, and the darkness cannot overcome it. Bear witness to the light.
*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 4/7/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.
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