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Darkness.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 12

Created by God. Psa. 104:20²⁰Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. (Psalm 104:20). Isa. 45:7⁷I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7).

Originally covered the earth. Gen. 1:2²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2).

Separated from the light. Gen. 1:4⁴And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:4).

Called night. Gen. 1:5⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:5).

Caused by setting of the sun. Gen. 15:17¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (Genesis 15:17). John 6:17¹⁷And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. (John 6:17).

Inexplicable nature of. Job 38:19, 20¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, ²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? (Job 38:19‑20).

Exhibits God's power and greatness. Job 38:8, 9⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? ⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, (Job 38:8‑9).

DEGREES OF MENTIONED

Great. Gen. 15:12¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. (Genesis 15:12).

That may be felt. Ex. 10:21²¹And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. (Exodus 10:21).

Thick. Deu. 5:22. Joel 2:2²A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2).

Gross. Jer. 13:16¹⁶Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. (Jeremiah 13:16).

Outer or extreme. Matt. 8:12¹²But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:12).

EFFECTS OF

Keeps us from seeing objects. Ex. 10:23²³They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:23).

Causes us to go astray. John 12:35³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. (John 12:35). 1 John. 2:11.

Causes us to stumble. Isa. 59:10¹⁰We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. (Isaiah 59:10).

Often put for night. Psa. 91:6⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. (Psalm 91:6).

Called the swaddling band of the sea. Job 38:9⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, (Job 38:9).

Cannot hide us from God. Psa. 139:11, 12¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. ¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Psalm 139:11‑12).

THE WICKED

The children of. 1 Thess. 5:5⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Live in. Psa. 107:10¹⁰Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; (Psalm 107:10).

Walk in. Psa. 82:5⁵They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. (Psalm 82:5).

Perpetrate their designs in. Job 24:16¹⁶In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. (Job 24:16).

Are full of. Matt. 6:23²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23).

MIRACULOUS

On Mount Sinai. Exo. 19:16¹⁶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. (Exodus 19:16), with Heb. 12:18¹⁸For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, (Hebrews 12:18)

Over the land of Egypt. Ex. 10:21, 22²¹And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. ²²And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: (Exodus 10:21‑22).

At the death of Christ. Matt. 27:45⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (Matthew 27:45).

Before the destruction of Jerusalem. Matt. 24:29²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (Matthew 24:29).

ILLUSTRATIVE OF

Greatness and unsearchableness of God. Ex. 20:21²¹And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. (Exodus 20:21). 2 Sam. 22:10, 12¹⁰He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. (2 Samuel 22:10)
¹²And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. (2 Samuel 22:12). 1 Kings. 8:12. Psa. 97:2²Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. (Psalm 97:2).

Abstruse and deep subjects. Job 28:3³He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. (Job 28:3).

Secrecy. Isa. 45:19¹⁹I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. (Isaiah 45:19). Matt. 10:27²⁷What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. (Matthew 10:27).

Ignorance and error. Job 37:19¹⁹Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness. (Job 37:19). Isa. 60:2²For, 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. (Isaiah 60:2). John 1:5⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5). John 3:19¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19). John 12:35³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. (John 12:35). Acts 26:18¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18).

Anything hateful. Job 3:4-9⁴Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. ⁵Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. ⁶As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. ⁷Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. ⁸Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. ⁹Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: (Job 3:4‑9).

A course of sin. Prov. 2:13¹³Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; (Proverbs 2:13). Eph. 5:11¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (Ephesians 5:11).

Heavy afflictions. Job 23:17¹⁷Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face. (Job 23:17). Psa. 112:4⁴Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. (Psalm 112:4). Ecc. 5:17. Isa. 5:30³⁰And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isaiah 5:30). Isa. 8:22²²And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. (Isaiah 8:22). Isa. 59:9⁹Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. (Isaiah 59:9).

The power of Satan. Eph. 6:12¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12). Col. 1:13¹³Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13).

The grave. 1 Sam. 2:9⁹He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (1 Samuel 2:9). Job 10:21, 22²¹Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; ²²A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness. (Job 10:21‑22).

The punishment of devils and wicked men. Matt. 22:13¹³Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13). 2 Peter 2:4, 17⁴For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)
¹⁷These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (2 Peter 2:17). Jude 6, 13⁶And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6)
¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13) vs.

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