Despite knowing that Darkness doesn’t hurt me and being a logical thinker, I still find sitting in complete Darkness unsettling. Perhaps, this has to do with the tales about Darkness and the Christian teachings that associate Darkness with evil or all the horror movies I’ve watched. When I recently stumbled upon a bible verse about Darkness, I took it as my cue to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. So, what does Darkness symbolize in the bible?
In the bible, in the book of Isaiah 13:9-10 and Matthew 24:29, Darkness is used metaphorically to refer to evil and sin, with lightness used as a metaphor representing God’s presence and goodness. Darkness is often associated with the anti-God, death, and wickedness. Though Darkness is opaque, it is believed to be just as transparent to God, who veils himself during dark moments in his great revelation.
In this article, I’ll delve deeper into the symbolism of Darkness and what it means biblically, spiritually, and symbolically. I’ll also delve into the aspects of spiritual Darkness and deeds of Darkness. Keep reading to learn more.
What does the bible say about Darkness?
Darkness is an evocative word used in the Old Testament and the New Testament to connote the wicked, the anti-God, judgment, and even death. These suggestions are implied in Proverbs 2:13-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7, Exodus 10:21, Matthew 25:30, and Psalm 88:12.
However, it is also believed that while salvation brings light to all in Darkness, it’s also believed that Darkness – while opaque to humankind – is deemed transparent to the Lord – Psalm 139:12 and Isaiah 9:2. It’s implied in Psalm 18:11 that God veils Himself in Darkness during moments of the greatest revelations.
The Bible further suggests that God is the only figure with the power to rule over Darkness, with the bible viewing both Darkness and light in contrast with each other noting that there isn’t a thought connoting to the idea that Darkness equals God’s power and light. This is believed to be the case because of the sovereignty of God and His power to rule over Darkness, as well as evil powers.
The Bible further implies that God knows and understands the Darkness and also what it holds – Job 34:22 and Daniel 2:22. But God doesn’t just understand the Darkness, He rules over it since he created it, and He also uses Darkness to meet his needs, specifically, being in hiding from men’s sight. Isaiah 45:7, Amos 4:13, and Psalm 18:11. It’s also believed that God uses the Darkness as a way of judging the evildoers, the evil nations, and also false prophets, as implied in Deuteronomy 28:28-29, Ezekiel 30:18-19, Micah 3:6, Jeremiah 23:12, and Revelation 16:10.
The Scripture in the Old and New Testament also suggest that the Darkness represents a time during which God passes his ultimate judgment and that these events would happen on a day of Darkness.
Where does Darkness first appear in the bible?
The first appearance of Darkness in the bible was in the creation story when the world was in chaos, and God created light, as implied in Genesis 1:2; 3. In these scriptures, Darkness is regarded as the absence of natural light and is compared to a state of adversity and misery.
This is followed by the mention of Darkness in Isaiah 45:7, where the division or separation and differences between Darkness and light are mentioned, and Darkness is suggested to have a different reality than the absence of light.
What does Darkness represent in the bible?
Presence of God
The Bible suggests that Darkness represents God or, rather, the presence of God. It’s implied in Exodus 20:21 that while on Mount Sinai communicating with God, Moses drew close to the thick Darkness, which was where God was. It’s also further suggested that God was in the thick dark cloud in the mountain as he spoke to Moses before the Lord went on the Mercy seat. 1 Kings 8:12.
Plague
The 9th plague is believed to have been in the form of complete Darkness that swept through Egypt. The Book of Exodus 10:21,23 suggests that the Darkness spread throughout the land of Egypt, and the people couldn’t see each other. The Darkness is believed to have extended over into Goshen.
Judgment
Darkness is also regarded as a symbol of God’s judgment during the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is implied in Isaiah 13:9-10 and Matthew 24:29. Darkness is also believed to be associated with misery and Darkness. It’s further suggested that the Darkness was believed to be caused by locusts, which signify the obscurity hanging around divine proceedings.
Darkness and the Crucifixion
Scripture also suggests that Darkness represents the Darkness from the scene of God’s crucifixion. The Bible in Luke 23:44-45, Mark 15:33, and Matthew 27:45 suggest that on the sixth hour, when Christ was on the cross, Darkness covered the entire land until the 9th hour. In the 3 hours, the sun didn’t shine. Additionally, the curtain at the temple tore into two. It’s believed that Darkness is associated with death – Job 10:21-22 because of the dark scene during God’s crucifixion. There’s a possibility that it represented God’s displeasure for humankind after they crucified his son. The looming Darkness could also indicate His judgment over evil, while the torn curtain represents salvation to humankind through the death of Jesus Christ.
The Final Darkness
Darkness is also an important part of the end times, and it’s believed to be a sign of the end times. Old and New Testament accounts describe the final days, the day of judgment, and the end of times using Darkness. It is believed to symbolize perdition, and the hell and pits of Darkness are regarded as the fate of the angels that had sinned. The Bible also implies that believers will have the Darkness dispelled by all the light around them as a way for them to experience the glory of God. Revelation 21:23-24, 22:5, Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4, 1 Samuel 2:9, Jude 12:13 and Matthew 22:13.
10 symbolic meanings of Darkness in the bible
Creating contrast to the light
Exodus 10:21-22 and Matthew 27:45 suggest that the Bible used Darkness to create a contrast to light where the light is regarded as a symbol of God’s wisdom, purity, and glory. On the other hand, Darkness is believed to represent the opposite of these. There also are miraculous occurrences of Darkness throughout Egypt.
Moral Depravity and Punishment
It is also believed to be a symbol of moral depravity, and it’s suggested that the wicked work and walk in Darkness, and the reward for these actions is sitting in Darkness or being cast into outer Darkness. It’s also believed that the people who believe in God wouldn’t be cast into or remain in the Darkness because the people that don’t believe in God are in the Darkness not in the light. Matthew 8:12, Psalm 82:5, Psalm 107:10, John 3:19, Romans 13:12, and Proverbs 2:13
Mysterious or Inexplicable Things/Events
The Bible also suggests that the Darkness symbolizes mysterious and inexplicable things, such as God dwelling in a thick, dark cloud or Darkness and clouds surrounding God with righteousness and justice sitting on God’s throne – Psalm 97:2 and 1 Kings 8:12.
Punishment
Darkness could also be a symbol of punishment by God. It’s implied in Deuteronomy 28:28-29 that God would punish wrongdoers by afflicting them with madness, confusion, and blindness, and at midday, the