Isaiah 60: 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
The darkness spoken of in the above passage refers primarily to spiritual darkness, by which it would be increasingly difficult for the multitudes of earth to tell the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
This darkness will not happen suddenly, for we have studied before that the principles of gradualism are employed by the kingdom of darkness, in order to bring to pass its diabolical ends. A person’s mind can become enveloped in darkness to a greater or lesser extent when erroneous views of God are cherished or held, either deliberately or ignorantly.
Some preachers portray God as being One who only deals in mercy and grace, whose great love for the human family prevents Him from being just. Even though God is indeed love, this one-sided view is a form of spiritual darkness, through which persons are led to perdition.
Another view is that God is strict, looking for every little deviation and mistake made by persons, so as to breathe out fire and brimstone on offenders who sin against Him. This view also constitutes a form of spiritual darkness, and can drive away persons from the only source of salvation, even Christ.
Thus, it is of critical importance that we cultivate a balanced understanding of God, especially as He is scheduled to do strange things upon the earth as we near the brink of eternity. The perspective of A God of grace alone would eventually lead persons to take His love for granted.
This in turn will cause persons to presume upon His, goodness, with the thought that He’ll never call us to account. On the other hand, the perspective of A God of strict justice and no mercy, will drive some folks to serve Him out of fear, and when this is the case, a robotic form of obedience, without any joy or delight becomes the sad lot of those who harbor this view.
Both unbalanced views could cause individuals to stumble, and both perspectives are actively used by devils to try to distort the knowledge of God in the minds of millions. Thus, when Isaiah predicts that darkness shall cover the earth, unbalanced views of God form the bulk of what the prophet is referring to. Let’s read:
Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We are now at the very time of which Isaiah and the other prophets spoke, where light is exchanged for darkness, bitter is put in place of sweet, and truth is sacrificed in favor of error, and as a result, concepts of right and wrong which in former years were taken for granted and clearly understood are now clouded in a deep, and darkening mist of error, fueled, and backed up by philosophy.
What contemporary society accepts as being normal is now so far removed from God’s revealed will, that many persons are confirmed in erroneous patterns of thought and action, to the point where some are currently exhibiting great confidence in doing that which earlier generations would have recoiled from in former years.
Error has taken deep root in the consciences of the popular majority, and, because much of it is being lauded and fostered by persons in high places, it has now become risky, and even downright dangerous in some cases to speak out about it.
Yet the servants of God must be found faithful while delivering Christ’s last message of mercy to a dying world, even if present truth may not bode well with political or social correctness. God has not called His servants to be popular, but instead, to be faithful to Him, to truth and duty.
Thus, as persons prepare for the big one, the light of truth must now scatter the darkness which has been accumulating for many years. Especially should this be the case with those who will be trusted to carry the Elijah message better known as the three angels messages to the teeming multitudes of earth.
One of the facts which must be understood is that truth never goes through a metamorphosis with the passage of time, neither do the principles, and laws of God’s kingdom change with the fads and fashions of the day. The truths found in the Bible are eternal in nature, and therefore, will stand the test of time.
Therefore, there are three areas of concern which we must address, since great spiritual darkness has overshadowed the truth on these issues. They are: [1] Marriage. [2] The Sabbath. [3] Protection.
The first one has to do with the marriage institution that was given to the human family, directly by God Himself. When God pronounced Adam and Eve as being married, He did set in stone the format of one man and his female wife, as the gold standard for all future generations to follow.
And since that time, God has not changed His mind one iota. God has not taken into consideration any social norms, or what popular majorities think, say, or legislate on the matter. Cultural biases and one’s personal preferences and choices do not move God to change His mind on certain issues, for which He has already stated what is the right thing to do. Let’s read:
Genesis 2:21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Matthew 19: 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Therefore, any other belief, philosophy, teaching, or lifestyle which goes contrary to what is stated in the Bible, constitutes a form of spiritual darkness, and the more we dig in our heels into erroneous modes of thought and action, the more we would become enveloped in the shadows of night.
To put it plainly, God will never accept gay marriage or any of the multitude of alternative lifestyles that are currently on the menu, as viable substitutes to the gold standard He has set. He will accept those who turn to Him, when repentance and confession are made, but the marriage institution of itself will remain as sacred as it was the first day God gave it.
That’s because God cannot be coerced, persuaded, bullied, or bribed into changing truth, and as such, the clamors of earth’s multitudes do not move the needle one notch to the left or to the right. Above the confusion, and discordant voices which root for this or that right, the word of God will always stand unchanged.
Censure and applause are often used by devils to get persons to buckle under pressure, and bribes, gifts, and promotions are often employed by the Balaamites of our day, to try to get some to recant their convictions of truth. But it must never be so with those who are called to deliver present truth.
They might be booed, heckled, insulted, maligned, and economic boycotts may take a fearful toll on a person’s finances, but the truth in the matter must never be sacrificed for some temporary advantage. What God has said on the issue of marriage is set in stone, and will never be changed by any mortal man whoever he may be.
The next issue has to do with the Sabbath, for which there is now a generally accepted substitute in the world of Christendom. When God commanded Cain and Abel to bring a lamb to worship, He did so with the sole purpose of pointing humanity to the great sacrifice to be made by Jesus for our redemption.
Abel obeyed and was accepted, but Cain rejected the word of God, yet he was a religious person who showed up for worship, albeit with his own version of what he thought the sacrifice should be. After he was reprimanded by God, he still continued insisting on his version of worship, and as such, his offering could not be accepted.
After he was told of the natural results of his course of action, he complained about the consequences, and God then promised to protect him as long as he would live. Yet, for all the guarantees of protection God then gave, the requirement of a lamb did not in anyway change.
Just because God promised to protect Cain for as long as he lived does not mean that he was in God’s favor. Instead, he was in God’s mercy. Persons in our day who point to the fact that there are some who prosper or seem to be blessed while disobeying God are deep into the spiritual darkness, which has now enveloped the earth.
God blesses and He protects people because of His goodness, not merely because of anything good we may have done. In fact, if God’s blessings to us were to be based on our own goodness, not a single one of us would be blessed.
God makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and He sends His rain on the just and on the unjust, so material blessings, and general protection are not inevitable indicators that God accepts forms of worship that are contrary to the scriptures. This is a form of spiritual darkness that has overspread the earth.
With Cain, God would never accept anything other than what He had required, and the same is true in our day as it pertains to a substitute day of worship, which has taken deep root in Christendom. There are persons who really believe that Sunday is the correct day of worship, and they may be sincere in their convictions.
But although God understands their sincerity, and the force of habit and tradition, yet the Sabbath of the fourth commandment remains unchanged as the only day of worship God recognizes, and as such God will never ever accept Sunday as a substitute.
Politicians may legislate it, preachers might preach it and the clergy in our day may support it, but it will never be accepted by God, the same way that Cain’s brand of worship was rejected, because the passage of time does not alter any eternal truths which God has given to us. Let’s read:
Exodus 20: 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Isaiah 66: 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
The third and final issue we’ll address, as it pertains to spiritual darkness enveloping the earth, is that of protection, which has always been of great concern to earth’s inhabitants.
In our day, it has morphed into an issue which many persons have decided to take into their own hands, and for this reason, the rest of the Bible study will center around some of the truths which need to be understood about protection.
God generally protects all the peoples of earth, and this has become necessary, because our mortal foe only seeks to kill and destroy. Were it not for God’s protection, persons and dumb animals would have been wiped off the face of the earth, many years ago. But God’s mercies are renewed to us every day, and this is why we continue to exist. Let’s read:
Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind therefore have I hope.
22 It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Psalms 127:1 Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
However, there were times, and there will be times when for some reason, God’s protection is removed, and there are other times when God’s judgment has and will become due. There’s no need for such cases to be a reason for stumbling, for God has given to us sufficient light and knowledge in His word, to dispel the darkness that pertains to protection.
And though we may not completely understand the reasons every time, we may rest assured of the fact that God does not do things arbitrarily, neither is He moved to spontaneous action, without first thinking things through, a format we would do well to follow.
There are several instances in the Bible, where, on account of a certain course of action taken by some, The Lord saw it fit to administer justice, and these instances could cause persons to sink into spiritual darkness, if certain truths about God are not fully understood.
There are instances where there may seem to be a mismatch in the administration of justice, and the surface reader, risks going away with an incomplete or distorted view, if the time was not taken to study the issues through.
Some persons wonder why God visited the city of Jerusalem in days of old with such a devastating judgement in response to David’s numbering of the people. What is worthy of note in that episode is that the narrative begins with these very words: “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel”.
In other words, over the years, satan has figured out what he needs to do, in order to trigger an adverse event, and though he may not succeed every time, because of God’s mercies, yet he knows that laws of sowing and reaping do run their natural course. Now, some may wonder, what is the big deal with David numbering the people, why it would trigger such an adverse response.
Others may stumble at what they think was a heavy-handed response from God to Uzzah when trying to prevent the sacred ark from falling while the men of Philistia were permitted to take the ark captive, as they travelled for several miles, with no immediate response from God.
In that episode, even David had a problem with the response from God, and his comments reflect the same spiritual darkness concerning protection that now envelops the earth. In other words, to David, it seemed arbitrary for God to destroy someone, just for trying to save the ark from falling. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day.
In David’s finite mind, this judgment seemed to be a mismatch, because the Philistines years before, had taken the same ark, handling it and placing it in the house of Dagon, their God, and yet, those who then touched it were not immediately visited. But Uzzah, who tried to prevent the ark from falling was intelligently singled by God, and struck mortally for what seemed to David as a good thing, with the best of intentions. That is according to man’s short-sighted wisdom. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 5:1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
The fact is that God is a Spirit, and as such He reads between the lines correctly, and He takes motives, intentions, purposes, objectives and one’s vein of thought, together with a person’s knowledge into account when evaluating a person’s actions.
We often do not or cannot see these invisible things and therefore our evaluations and assessments are very often entirely different to God’s when drawing conclusions about persons. This became evident as Samuel went to anoint a new king for Israel.
At that time, he saw the first son of Jessie, and said the Lord’s anointed is before Him. Yet the infinite perspective revealed that God had refused him. In other words, what seemed to Samuel as the perfect fit for a king, was in God’s eyes, an absolute non-starter. The reasons for these differences in seeing things is explained in the following passages.
1st Samuel 16: 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord sees not as man sees for man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart.
Isaiah 55: 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
These are just some of the reasons why in certain instances which might seem to be similar, there is what may seem to be an apparent mismatch in the way God responds. He looks at what is in the heart while we judge things from the mere externals.
Again, David had a problem with the way God saw fit to address his sin of numbering the people, as an angel of God destroyed 70,000. We must go back to the fact that God is a Spirit and as such He evaluates situations, and actions much differently than we do.
Recently, a submersible sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and imploded, killing all five persons on board. They were on their way to see the Titanic which sank many years ago. Back then, in 1912, it was purported by some people that the Titanic was unsinkable, and some persons went so far as to say that “Not even God could sink it”
The owner and CEO of Ocean-gate was found to be partaking of the same spirit, or mindset, that was to be found in the heart of the captain of the titanic. A brief recount of their words and actions reveals that they were reading from the same script, and shared the same fate.
Some persons believed that the technologies that were employed, and the strength of the materials used, rendered the Titanic unsinkable, and though several warnings of icebergs in the area were given to the ship’s captain, he saw it fit to disregard those warnings, believing that the Titanic’s sturdy frame could withstand anything.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the owner of Ocean Gate believes that the materials used in the construction of the submersible were indestructible. Even though several warnings had been given by employees, and other entities in the business, that CEO disregards them all, and insists that the submersible is safe.
In addition, to this, the CEO’s wife is a descendent of a couple who died on the Titanic. And therefore, the same spirit, and mindset found on the Titanic, was also found in the CEO of the submersible that just imploded. So, when we say God is a Spirit, we mean that He assesses a situation spiritually, taking mindsets and intentions, purposes and one’s vein of thought into consideration.
Therefore, in the situation with David numbering the people, the persons who fell that fateful day were partaking of the exact same spirit which had motivated David, the only difference being that he repented quickly, whilst they did not.
Thus, they became candidates for that collateral damage which was to follow, for their protection was removed by the thoughts and purposes they were harboring. This is one of the reasons why in our day, some persons who may seem to have no connection to a crime, may suffer along with the perpetrators. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore, he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 746] The numbering of the people would show the contrast between the weakness of the kingdom when David ascended the throne and its strength and prosperity under his rule. This would tend still further to foster the already too great self-confidence of both king and people.
The prosperity of Israel under David had been due to the blessing of God rather than to the ability of her king or the strength of her armies. But the increasing of the military resources of the kingdom would give the impression to surrounding nations that Israel's trust was in her armies, and not in the power of Jehovah.
Yet, David thought there was an imbalance in the way God handled the matter, for, as far as he could see, the ordinary people were innocent, and did not deserve the severe judgments which followed. His sentiments are echoed in words that resonate with the spiritual darkness that has now enshrouded the earth on the issue of protection. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said to God, Isn’t it I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
When the times spoken of by the prophets begin to take shape, when the time of trouble such as never was, since there was a nation, begins to unfurl, the same situation that unfolded after David numbered the people, will be repeated.
And if persons have not understood the reasons for collateral damage, they will most likely go with the popular flow of thinking that God is arbitrary in His assessments and judgements. When you may hear statements such as “Where was God” in this or that adverse situation, in most cases, it is a rekindling of the same sentiments David once uttered.
Again, on the issue of protection, God has promised to be with His people until the end of the age, and since we are now living in the wild-wild west, folks will be making decisions on how to move forward in an increasingly dangerous world.
God has given specific promises to those who would be scheduled to pass through the trials of the last days, and as such, individuals would have to decide whether they would defend themselves, or whether they would trust God alone to do so. Let’s read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Joel 3: 15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most-High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Joel 2: 8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
As the prophet Elijah was sent by God to deliver the stern message to Ahab, he didn’t take anything with which to protect himself except the promises of God alone. And throughout the entire episode, from the contest on mount Carmel, to being hunted down by both Ahab and Jezebel, he never needed to defend himself, for He was “Abiding under the shadow of The Almighty”
Those who subscribe to the prevailing philosophies on self-preservation will most likely have to depend upon the arm of flesh to save them in time of real danger. In other words, if persons decide to take the matter of protection into their own hands, then there will be no need for God to send holy angels to protect such, for they have already decided to protect their own selves.
Angels are sent where they are needed, and thus, it becomes useless for God to put resources in places and situations where folks have already decided to fend for themselves. In a nutshell, it would all boil down to trusting in God, and God alone. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 631] The heavenly sentinels, faithful to their trust, continue their watch. In some cases, before the time specified in the decree, enemies will rush upon the waiting ones to put them to death. But none can pass the mighty guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised against them break and fall as powerless as a straw. Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war.
Let us then allow the sacred truths of God’s word to dispel the darkness that has enveloped the earth for it is His will that we be settled into the truth, both in practice, and intellectually. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that should encourage us to search out, and know God for ourselves, because it is an intelligent knowledge of Him that would keep us calm during the difficult days of earth’s history that are ahead. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
God Bless!