From Physical to Spiritual Light and Darkness

But tonight, we're going to look at a very important concept, and it's really a concept that we all have to understand: the light and the dark, and how that pertains to both you and me. Okay. So, this is going to be a study from Genesis to Revelation, the separation of light and darkness. So, we'll first begin in Genesis 1, verses 2 through 4. And this is what the scripture says: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God divided the light from the darkness."

Before God establishes the order of creation, darkness covers the deep. Then God speaks, light comes forth after He speaks, and God separates the light from the darkness. This is going to travail and travel through all of the Holy Scriptures to Revelation, to the eternal kingdom of what Yahweh did in Genesis 1:2-4, okay? Or 1-4. We're going to see this all the way to Revelation 22 about Him dividing the light from the darkness. And He's just not talking about the sun and the moon and the day and the night. He's talking about the believers compared to the unbelievers. Okay. So, before God establishes the order of creation, darkness covers the deep. He speaks, light comes forth, and God separates the light from the darkness.

So, let's notice three important things here: God Himself brings forth the light; God declares the light good; and God establishes a distinction between light and darkness. And there's another interesting detail: this occurs on the first day, before the sun, moon, and stars are appointed on the fourth day. That distinction becomes especially interesting when we read Revelation 21 and 22, where the New Jerusalem does not need the sun or the moon to illuminate it because God's glory provides its light. So, Genesis begins with light originating through God's command. Revelation ends with God's light illuminating His people. That is our first major connection.

Now, let's go to John 1, verses 1 through 9, and also we'll continue from there. But John 1, verses 1 through 9, this is talking about Yeshua is the light of men. Now, consider how John begins his gospel. John 1, verses 1 through 5: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

So, John deliberately begins with the same words found in Genesis: "In the beginning." This establishes a remarkable literary and theological connection. If you look at the comparisons here, it's pretty amazing from Genesis 1 and John 1. Genesis 1: "In the beginning, God created." In John 1: "In the beginning was the Word." In Genesis 1, God speaks creation into existence. In John 1, all things were made through the Word, Yeshua. God says, "Let there be light" in Genesis 1. And in John 1, the Word is the light of men, Yeshua. God separates the light from the darkness in Genesis 1. In John 1, the light shines in the darkness, hoping that they will come to the light. In Genesis 1, the light is declared good. And in John 1, we have the true light gives light to mankind.

So, there's an extraordinary understanding with this about the light of the world, Yeshua the Messiah, compared to the darkness. So, it's not only about sun and moon and also day and night. It's also about believers as well, compared to the unbelievers. Okay? When I say believers, the true believers in Yeshua the Messiah, following the commandments, following Him, not just people who are not following Him. Okay? So, I'm talking about the true believers, the set-apart believers, the ones in the light compared to the darkness. Okay? So, there's a great comparison between Genesis 1 and John 1. And thus, the reason John's book, his gospel, is about the deity of Yeshua. Okay? So, every gospel writer wrote about a certain way. Matthew wrote to the Jewish people. Luke wrote to the Gentiles more. John is about the deity of Yeshua the Messiah. And thus, when you compare Genesis 1 to John 1, it is a phenomenal comparison and should wake up a lot of people, our Jewish friends and our Christian friends, to understand from Genesis to Revelation, you're going to see this light versus darkness understanding.

So, John is showing us that the Word through whom creation came into existence is also the source of spiritual life and light. But notice something else: in Genesis, darkness is a condition of the physical creation. In John, darkness also describes the spiritual condition of the people of the world. John 1, verses 9 through 11, explains that the true light came into the world, yet the world did not know Him. This brings us to an important development: God separated physical light from darkness at creation. Through Yeshua, the distinction becomes spiritual light and darkness, revealed in humanity, in people. And that takes us directly into John chapter 3.

In John chapter 3, verses 18 through 21: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, Yeshua, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in Yahweh."

Okay, so this is very important. Look at what he says here, where I've underlined this: "But he or she who does the truth." What is the truth? Okay, this is very important when we break these things down. What is the truth? Yeshua is the truth. He says He's the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But does this make sense by saying, "But he who does Yeshua comes to the light"? That does not make sense. But he who does the Torah comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen and they have been done in Yahweh. And again, God spoke out in the Torah. Okay? So, again, when you break down these, John 3, he's not talking when he says, "But he who does the truth." King David calls the truth the Torah in Psalm 119. It's the Way in Psalm 119, and it is the Life in Psalm 119. Thus, the reason Yeshua said in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," which is the Torah. He's the Word made flesh, which is the Torah made flesh. So, again, my friends, there's a connection, obviously, between Yeshua and the Torah. He is the living Torah. That's He's the Word made flesh. So, again, He's the living Torah who explained how to live according to the Torah. So, that's why when He says this right here, "But he who does the truth comes to the light." Well, what is the truth? Okay, you can't "do" Yeshua, but he who does the Torah, follows the commandments of God, comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in Yahweh. Amen and amen.

So, let's look at the progression here. In Genesis 1, God separates light from darkness. In John 1, Yeshua is revealed as the true light. In John 3, humanity is distinguished by its response to that light, including the response to His commandments, His instructions. The distinction is no longer simply between day and night. It is between people who come to the light and follow Him and His commandments, and those who do not, those who reject the commandments. And notice that Yeshua connects this distinction to people's deeds. Okay, the deeds, everybody. You're getting rewarded for your deeds. It says in Revelation, chapter 2, also at the end of the book of Revelation, He's coming to give you your rewards for your deeds, your works. Works and faith go together. That's what Yeshua's brother, Yakov, said, James, the book of James: "Works and faith both go together, because faith without works is dead," is what Yeshua's brother would say. Okay.

And notice that Yeshua, He does connect this distinction to our deeds. Light reveals truth. Darkness conceals evil. John 8:12, Yeshua declares Himself as the light of the world. This was on Shemini Atzeret, where He was circumcised on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. He said it for a reason on that feast day because of what that day means. Shemini Atzeret, the light, eternal life. That's what it means. The eighth day, eternal life. And He stands up on the eighth day in Jerusalem and says, "I am the light of the world, everybody." So, we'll read that. I was just giving context to where why He said it and when He said it. He said it on a certain day for a certain reason.

Then Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." So, again, He is distinguishing between those who follow Him. When they say "follow Him," that means follow what He did: Shabbat, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Feast of Trumpets, Shavuot, follow the ways that Yeshua did. Okay? We pick up our cross and follow Him, right? So, consider the connection with Genesis here. God brings forth light on the first day. Yeshua identifies Himself as the light of the world. And those who follow Him no longer walk in spiritual darkness. Yeshua offers the light of life to those who follow Him, and that light is directly connected with eternal life.