DARKNESS COVERS THE EARTH

There is a natural and there is a spiritual darkness. The natural darkness of the night is a work of God in Creation. Light and darkness, light in the day and darkness in the night, are works of God in Creation, Genesis 1.

Spiritual darkness, of which the natural darkness is an emblem, is through the sin of man. Alas! man chose darkness rather than light. Had we not sinned and not left the eternal Light, there would be no spiritual darkness, that darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the people. Yea, that we read that Christ Jesus did hang in the natural and spiritual darkness on the cross, crying: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” O, what an eternal wonder that this eternal Light, the Sun of Righteousness, was willing to hang in darkness of death and hell that He may take away all darkness from His dear people and that they may after many nights of darkness enter into the eternal light of heaven and rejoice forever in their Sun and Shield Christ Jesus, Who appeared so gloriously out of the darkness of Golgotha and the darkness of death and grave when He arose on the third day in the garden.

It is through sin that we read of a place of eternal darkness, a place of eternal separation from God and His sweet communion; about a place of eternal death and pain, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Darkness is an emblem of ignorance and error (heresy), because we cannot see in the darkness. Ignorance and error is spiritual blindness. We read in Psalm 82:5: “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.”

Darkness is an emblem of sin, wickedness and un-cleanness. So many make use of the natural darkness to commit all kinds of wicked works. “They that be drunken are drunken at night,” I Thess. 5:7. The thief uses the dark night to steal, etc.

Because darkness is not pleasant and is dangerous, considering robbers and murders, and that during darkness the wild beasts come out of their places to hunt their prey and to tear to pieces, and there is much danger to stumble and fall, therefore darkness is also an emblem of various miseries which can come upon us. Distress, sorrow, and darkness are more than once conjoined in our Bible: “And if one look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof,” Isa. 5:30.

“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.”

Thus it was before Jesus came upon this earth, to which time the words refer in the first place. The land and the people were filled with the greatest ignorance and errors, pride and haughtiness. Under a pretense of religion they committed all kinds of iniquities. World and church were in darkness and the upright in the land were in prison bands. The master in Israel, Nicodemus, did not know that a man had to be born again, shall he see the Kingdom of God. By reason of ignorance and blindness they rejected the eternal and divine Light. Darkness could not bear the light.

In this time also, we must testify and say, “Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people.” Are not the nations and people everywhere filled with ignorance and error? The ignorance with respect to God and His pure Word is very great, even amongst those who hear the experimental truth proclaimed. There is little or no desire to search the Word of God and the good writings of our fathers. May not the Lord testify against us as He did against His old Covenant-people Israel?: “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” Isa. 1:3.

It is true that we find some superficial and objective knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, yea even great knowledge amongst the learned men, but how litle spiritual and subjective knowledge of God and divine matters. Years ago we knew an old Christian woman, who could neither read nor write, but who had more spiritual knowledge than a thousand or more preachers and teachers.

The darkness, yea, the gross darkness of all kinds of errors and heresies is terrific in our time. Millions of poor creatures imagine themselves to walk in the light, but go forth in the darkness of error, unbelief and superstition. If there ever was a time, it is now, that the smoke comes forth out of the bottomless pit of Satan to fill the peoples of the earth with the gross darkness of heresy and ignorance. We read in Rev. 9: “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” With great zeal poor creatures preach and proclaim the errors from the pulpits, at our doors, and by radio. O, dangerous time in which we live! And how many young people who have been instructed for years in the pure words of God and the right way of salvation, are carried along with the power of error, lie and deceit. O, poor wretches who are so full of imagination and yet believe that they are right and on the heavenly road! How many, if the Lord will not intervene, will have the same experience as the foolish builder as we find him in Matthew 7; his fall was great! the disappointment awful! Such souls will cry, Lord, Lord, open to us! But God replies, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not!”

You may also read in this paper about the terrible heresies of the “Jehovah Witnesses,” who in reality are nothing but witnesses of Satan and lies. Consider also the dangerous heresies of the Arminians (freewillers), which are so contrary to the doctrines of our Bible and what our pious fathers have composed in the “Canons of Dordrecht.”

“Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.”

All over, the earth in our days is covered with the darkness of sin and with the gross darkness of wickedness. The days of Noah are upon earth again; it is an evil time! The eventide of the world has come and the words of Jesus are being fulfilled: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt. 24:12.

People without and within the churches are drunk with love towards sport, plays, and feasts. The works of darkness are declared to be sinless; truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter, Isa 59:14. We must say with David: “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.” Psalm 12.

Radio, immoral literature, and especially television are the instruments in the hand of Satan and world to advance the sin of immorality, carnal lust, deceit, theft and murder, yea, all kinds of abominations. Great sums of money are being sacrificed to the idols and vanities (think about all the God-dishonoring insurances) of the world, which in time of distress and misery, in the face of death, let poor creatures stand naked and trembling before a holy and righteous God. They forget that God has a remembrance book and that after a short space of time they will have to appear before the Judge of heaven and earth.

Magistrates also do often lead into the darkness of sin. Leaders in society and church are being found in places of world and vanity, and are not concerned about the eternal welfare of souls or the breaking of Joseph. Parents who have promised that they shall bring up their seed (children) in a godly way, very often do sacrifice their seed to the Molech of the world, and can behold very restfully the fact that many are being deceived and drawn along with a superficial form of religion.

Insincerity, quarrels, hatefulness, anger, envy, slandering, backbiting and hypocrisy all bring unspeakable great divisions and breaches in churches and congregations. Where shall it all end? Truly, Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy; and the more dangerous is he when he transforms himself into an angel of light. Under this all, the wise virgins are very often asleep with those that are foolish. “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Hab. 3:2.

“Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.”

Darkness, gross darkness indicates all kinds of judgments and visitations which a holy and righteous God threatens to bring upon nations and peoples. O, how many judgments has God threatened in His Word! Read especially the Revelation., and O! how terrible shall it be if an angry God shall pour His vials upon this deep sunk world. What distresses and dead ones amongst the people; what diseases and pains. How many fall in hell daily, being struck by the arrow of God’s anger. The Lord has a controversy with the nations and His Church, but not many observe it and take it to heart. Everywhere we notice hardening of hearts, and the true people of God and mourners in Zion do often go forth with silent lips and unfruitful hearts. A jubilant Christendom is happy and rejoices, but is blind for the dangers and the judgments of God. We call to remembrance the seer Fransen, a minister in Holland, who has written about these times that darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people. He has blown the trumpet of God’s Word, but he was despised by thousands and his voice was much as a voice calling in the wilderness. Although despised and rejected by the majority, he was loved and esteemed by the mourners in Zion.

“O earth, earth, earth, hear ye the word of the great and almighty God!” O, that young and old would be stopped by almighty power from Above and not go on in their own evil and dangerous ways, which are ways of death and destruction. Sin will break up bitterly. What shall it be if poor creatures, dust and ashes, helpless and powerless, shall have to appear before God when death comes, and in the final and great Judgment Day stand in the sight of Zion’s great and glorious King at which time these words shall be fulfilled: “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:15–17.

While darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, and many rejoice therein, may it please the great King of Zion to restore His Church and revive His people. That He may remember in mercy and love the cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in the garden, as a besieged city. That the blessed Spirit may fill the hearts with convictions of sin, be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, and exclaim with the weeping prophet Jeremiah: “The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!” Then Christ shall be dear and His blood precious. Darkness may then yet cover the earth and gross darkness the people, but Zion shall be as Goshen in the worldly Egypt. The faithful Jehovah shall show mercy to His Israel and on His time make these words of promise true: “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” Isa. 60:20. “The Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” Isa. 60:2.

“Great Shepherd Who leadest Thy people in love,
Mid’ cherubim dwelling, shine Thou from above;
In might come and save us, Thy people restore,
And we shall be saved when Thy face shines once more.”

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