Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. (Psalm 112:4)

The Bible says that, in the beginning, darkness preceded light. The first act of Creation was God’s command, “Let there be light.” In response to His Voice, the light appeared in the midst of the darkness thus allowing for the subsequent actions in the Creation process. Now, considering that the Bible tells us the Lord reveals the end of days in the patterns seen in the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), we can conclude that, in the last days, spiritual darkness will envelope the earth. But as also revealed in the beginning, God will speak and summon the light to shine as a beacon in the midst of the darkness. This will set the stage for His other acts, all of which are designed to draw many to Him.

It is in that vein of thought that Isaiah’s word to Zion come to mind: “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

This prophecy declares that, in the last days, the Glory of God will be seen upon His people as a light penetrating the “deep darkness.” The intended result of this light is revealed by the statement, “The Gentiles shall come to your light.” In other words, though the righteous certainly benefit from the light of God’s glory, it is not for their exclusive benefit; it is meant to draw others to the light. This connects to the words of Messiah who said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). When we are functioning in our role as “the light,” others benefit by seeing the goodness and glory of God in our lives, thus desiring to partake of it themselves. This objective is, in fact, our mandate; as it is written, “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

So as the days grow increasingly darker, we should not despair because we have assurance that God will call forth the light and cause it to shine. In fact, He has already called and is presently gathering those who have answered to be a pure light to this generation. The darker it grows, the more that darkness will accentuate “the brightness of our rising” causing those who are desirous for the things of God to come into His marvelous light and be saved. Therefore, let us take these words to heart: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill