By Pastor Dave Farmer
A study of darkness as used in the Greek New Testament.
I. Natural Concepts of Darkness
A. The Origin of Darkness [Genesis 1:2-4; Isaiah 45:7]
B. The word "darkness" is used as a natural [physical] concept as when the sun goes down and the evening begins. We say "It is dark out or it is night time" [John 6:17; 20:1].
C. Darkness describes the condition of physical blindness [Acts 13:11].
D. Darkness is used to describe the conditions on Mt Sinai when God gave Moses the Law Hebrew 12:18]. A reference is to Exodus 19:9,16 "thick cloud" indicating God's presence.
E. The supernaturally produced darkness while Christ was on the cross [[Matthew 27:45 [Parallel Mark 15:33; Luke23:44]].
II. The Figurative Uses of Darkness
A. The Metaphors 1 of Darkness
1. Metaphorically, it has a connotation of secrecy, something said in private [Matthew 10:27; Luke 12:3]; of unseen, obscure motives [1 Corinthians 4:5].
2. Darkness represents the status quo of spiritual death, Luke 1:79; Romans 2:19; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:19 "a depressing darkness".
3. Darkness represents spiritual or moral darkness, the realm of sin, godlessness, of resistance and rebellion against God, Matthew 4:16; John1:5; 8:12; 12:35, 46; 1 John 1:5; 2:8, 9, 11.
4. Darkness represents Satan's Kingdom (Cosmos Diabolicus)
a) The Origin of Darkness [Genesis 1:2, 4; Isaiah 45:7].
b) Satan's Conflict with God is called Darkness [Luke 22:53; John 1:5; Ephesians 6:12]
c) Satan's Kingdom and Dominion is called Darkness [ Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13;1 Thessalonians 5:5].
d) Residence, function, and production in the Cosmic System is called darkness.
e) The Penalties For Walking In Darkness, Matthew 6:23; Luke 11:34,36; John 12:35c; Ephesians 4:18; Romans 1:21, 11:10; 1John 2:11.
f) Prevailing over the Darkness, 1 John 1:5; 1 John 2:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:4.
B. Darkness by metonymy 2. Darkness represents divine judgment upon Satan's Kingdom.
1. Darkness describes the prison house and place of punishment for the fallen angels who tried to sabotage God's plan [Genesis 6:1-5; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6].
2. Darkness represents the 5th cycle of judgment on nations who reject God and spread evil [Satan's policy], [Isaiah 8:22; John 12:35b].
3. There will be a supernatural produced darkness effecting the sources of natural Light during the Tribulation [Revelation 8:12; 9:2; 16:10].
4. Total darkness just prior to the Second Advent [Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:20; Zachariah 14:6,7; Isaiah 60:2; Isaiah 13:9,10; Mark 13:24].
5. The future judgment of all the angels and unsaved humanity in the Lake of Fire [Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Jude 13; 2 Peter 2:17].
Endnotes
1 A metaphor is a declaration that one thing represents another and a comparison is made to form a word picture.
Key Characteristics:
1. The verb “is” means "represents". The verb “is” always has this meaning and no other when used as a metaphor. No other verb will do.
2. The two nouns themselves must both be mentioned, and are always to be taken in their absolutely literal sense, or else no one can tell what they mean. The figure lies wholly in the verb, or copula, which, in English, must always be expressed, and never understood by Ellipsis. [Bullinger, E. W. (1898). Figures of speech used in the Bible (pp. 735–736). London; New York: Eyre & Spottiswoode; E. & J. B. Young & Co.]
2 Metonymy is a figure of speech by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation. Darkness = Judgment. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1968), 610-11.