PLAN OF REDEMPTION: DARKNESS DEFEATED!

“For, 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, KJV)

ABSTRACT

This article delves into the profound theological significance of divine darkness as a manifestation of judgment and mercy throughout history and prophecy, illustrating how the tangible darkness over Egypt exposed the futility of idolatry, the destructive events in San Francisco served as a modern harbinger of end-time calamities, the supernatural gloom at Calvary absorbed the sins of humanity through Christ’s sacrifice, spiritual blindness emerges from willful rejection of truth leading to self-deception, the community’s solemn responsibility mirrors that of ancient watchmen to proclaim warnings with compassion, the insidious nature of judicial blindness warns against pride and unrepentance, and the impending final eclipse signals the climax of the great controversy where light ultimately triumphs over darkness, calling us to embrace supernatural illumination amid encroaching shadows.

PLAGUE! NILE’S NIGHTMARE UNLEASHED

The delta of the Nile, usually a tapestry of emerald green and desert gold under the relentless gaze of the sun, had become a void. It was not merely the absence of light; it was the presence of a suffocating, tangible oppression that defied the laws of meteorology. We often conceive of darkness as a passive state—the simple negation of photons, the vacuum left when a candle flickers out—but the narrative of Exodus demands a recalibration of our physics, for the record states with a chilling specificity that this was a “darkness which may be felt.” The Hebrew text implies a tactility, a thickness, as if the very air had congealed into a shroud, pressing against the lungs and the soul of the empire. “And 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. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They 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 10:21-23, KJV). Scripture reveals in Psalm 105:28 that “He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word,” underscoring the sovereign authority behind this phenomenon. In Deuteronomy 28:29 we read, “And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee,” portraying the helplessness induced by divine intervention. A prophetic voice once wrote, “They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. The sun and moon were objects of worship to the Egyptians; in this mysterious darkness the people and their gods alike were smitten by the power that had undertaken the cause of the bondmen.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 272, 1890). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The people of Egypt were suddenly enveloped in a darkness so deep and oppressive that it seemed a tangible thing. Not only was the darkness very intense, but it was of such a character that it could be felt.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 272, 1890). This palpable obscurity served as a profound testament to God’s power over creation. But how does this ancient shroud foreshadow a modern upheaval?

This phenomenon was not a solar eclipse, a fleeting celestial alignment that passes in minutes and is predicted by the astronomers; rather, it was a sustained, three-day assault on the sensory reality of the Egyptian civilization. The theological implications of this event are staggering when we consider that the Egyptians organized their entire chronology and cosmology around Ra, the sun god, the sovereign of the sky and the bringer of Maat (order). Pharaoh was not merely a king; he was the son of Ra, the earthly guarantor that the sun would rise and chaos (Isfet) would be held at bay, yet when Jehovah, the God of the slaves, commanded the sun to veil its face, He was effectively executing a divine coup and dismantling the pantheon of Egypt. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.” (Exodus 12:12, KJV). Joel 2:10 declares, “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining,” linking cosmic disruptions to divine judgments. In Job 5:14 we find, “They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night,” illustrating the reversal of natural order as punishment. In Patriarchs and Prophets we read, “Yet fearful as it was, this judgment is an evidence of God’s compassion and His unwillingness to destroy. He would give the people time for reflection and repentance before bringing upon them the last and most terrible of the plagues.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 272, 1890). The inspired pen notes, “The Lord God of Israel is to execute judgment upon the gods of this world as upon the gods of Egypt.” (Last Day Events, p. 240, 1899). This event dismantled false securities and revealed true sovereignty. But what parallels exist between this ancient terror and a city’s fiery ruin?

The psychological terror of this plague cannot be overstated, for it struck at the very heart of the Egyptian worldview which equated light with life and order. Imagine the paralysis of a civilization built on the worship of light, suddenly plunged into a darkness so absolute that social cohesion collapsed, the economy halted, and the daily rituals of the priests of Ra were rendered impotent mockeries in the blackness. The ancient Egyptian sage Nefer-rohu had prophesied in a text that strangely mirrors the biblical account, stating, “The sun disc is covered over. It will not shine… No one knows when midday falls, for his shadow cannot be distinguished”. This was a demonstration of total sovereignty, where the created thing (the sun) was revealed to have no power except that which is sustained by the Creator, and when the Creator withdraws, the idol fails. “The sun, the moon, and the stars… are all obedient to the laws of their creation… But man, the crowning work of the Creator, has lost his uprightness… He has joined the ranks of the rebels.” (Ellen G. White The Spirit of Prophecy Vol. 4 p. 20). Scripture affirms in Amos 5:20, “Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” highlighting the ominous nature of divine withdrawal. Isaiah 13:10 states, “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine,” foretelling widespread cosmic signs of judgment. A passage from Last Day Events reminds us, “The plagues upon Egypt when God was about to deliver Israel were similar in character to those more terrible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God’s people.” (Last Day Events, p. 240, 1899). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The Lord God of Israel is to execute judgment upon the gods of this world as upon the gods of Egypt. With fire and flood, plagues and earthquakes, He will spoil the whole land.” (Last Day Events, p. 240, 1899). The eclipse of Egypt’s light exposed the vanity of human idols. But how does this veil of night connect to a trembling metropolis across the ages?

While the Egyptians were entombed in a darkness that paralyzed them, the text records a miraculous distinction: “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” This dichotomy is the central tension of the remnant experience, illustrating that while the world fumbles in a darkness that is both moral and intellectual, the people of the covenant walk in an illumination that is supernatural in origin. It is not that Goshen had a different sun, for they lived under the same sky; it is that they had a different God, and thus the darkness of Egypt was a darkness of separation, a physical manifestation of their spiritual severance from the Source of Light. “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.” (Amos 5:18-19, KJV). Zephaniah 1:15 describes, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,” portraying the multifaceted terror of judgment. In Joel 2:2 we read, “A 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,” emphasizing its uniqueness. The inspired pen notes, “The fifth angel pours out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and darkness like that which overspread Egypt pervades his kingdom.” (The Biblical Institute, p. 306, 1878). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Exodus 10:21-23 will illustrate the fifth vial: “And 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.” (The Three Messages of Revelation 14:6-12, p. 80, 1860). This contrast highlights divine protection amid calamity. But what modern cataclysm mirrors this ancient division?

The “darkness which may be felt” was not merely an atmospheric anomaly but a theological polemic against the blindness of idolatry. By worshipping the creature rather than the Creator, Egypt had inverted the order of existence, and God simply allowed the physical reality to match their spiritual condition. The plague was a mercy in disguise, a final, terrifying warning before the stroke of death, designed to show Pharaoh that his “light” was actually darkness, and that true illumination could only be found in submission to the God of the Hebrews. Scripture reveals in Isaiah 59:10 that “We 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,” depicting the futility of self-reliance. Jeremiah 13:16 warns, “Give 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,” urging repentance to avert doom. In Patriarchs and Prophets we read, “He was informed that the monarch would not yield until God should visit judgments upon Egypt and bring out Israel by the signal manifestation of His power.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 263, 1890). Through inspired counsel we are told, “Before the infliction of each plague, Moses was to describe its nature and effects, that the king might save himself from it if he chose.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 263, 1890). This shrouded mercy called for reflection and change. But how did a similar shadow fall upon a proud city in recent times?

SHOCKWAVE! THE CITY THAT TREMBLED

Three millennia after the gods of Egypt fell silent in the dark, another civilization, equally proud and equally convinced of its own permanence, faced a judgment that would shake its foundations. San Francisco in 1906 was the jewel of the West, a city of gold and commerce, a modern Tyre sitting on the edge of the Pacific, boasting of its “sky-scrapers” and opulence, yet in the eyes of the divine Watcher, it was a city of profound wickedness that had forgotten the laws of God. “And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” (Revelation 16:19, KJV). Nahum 1:6 questions, “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him,” emphasizing the irresistibility of divine wrath. In Haggai 2:6-7 we find, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts,” foretelling global upheavals. A passage from Last Day Events reminds us, “The terrible earthquake that has visited San Francisco will be followed by other manifestations of the power of God.” (Last Day Events, p. 114, 1906). The inspired pen notes, “Not long hence these cities will suffer under the judgments of God. San Francisco and Oakland are becoming as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Lord will visit them in wrath.” (Evangelism, p. 403, 1903). This catastrophe awakened awareness of human fragility. But what veiled agony surpassed this earthly tremor?

Two nights before the earth heaved, on April 16, 1906, Sr. White was at Loma Linda, where she was given a vision that would serve as a terrifying postscript to the Exodus narrative. She saw not the tectonic plates grinding in a geological accident, but the “destroying angels of God” at work, signaling that the calamity was a direct divine intervention in response to the city’s accumulation of guilt. “While at Loma Linda, the second night after the dedication of the sanitarium, there passed before me a most wonderful representation. The destroying angels of God were at work… I saw that which appeared to be a large ball of fire fall among some beautiful buildings, which were destroyed on the instant.” (Sr. White Review and Herald May 24 1906 par. 1-2). The imagery of the “ball of fire” suggests a supernatural catalyst for the destruction, reminiscent of the fire and brimstone that leveled Sodom, indicating that the ensuing inferno was not merely a secondary effect of ruptured gas lines but a specific judgment. The fires that consumed San Francisco for three days—a chilling chronological echo of the three days of darkness in Egypt—created a canopy of smoke and ash that turned day into night, plunging the survivors into a literal “darkness which may be felt” as they stumbled through the ruins of their ambitions. “The angel that stood by my side then instructed me that but few have any conception of the wickedness existing in our world today, and especially the wickedness in the large cities… The time is near when large cities will be swept away, and all should be warned of these coming judgments.” (Sr. White Review and Herald May 24 1906 par. 3). Scripture affirms in Jeremiah 25:15, “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it,” symbolizing inescapable judgment. Ezekiel 38:19 states, “For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,” linking earthquakes to divine displeasure. Through inspired counsel we are told, “The prophecies recorded in the Old Testament are the word of the Lord for the last days, and will be fulfilled as surely as we have seen the desolation of San Francisco.” (Letter 154, 1906). A prophetic voice once wrote, “I am bidden to declare the message that cities full of transgression, and sinful in the extreme, will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood.” (Evangelism, p. 27, 1906). This fiery ordeal echoed ancient warnings. But what cosmic gloom shrouded the ultimate sacrifice?

The parallels between the Nile delta and the San Francisco bay are striking, for in both cases, the “darkness” was a prelude to a greater reality: in Egypt, the death of the firstborn; in San Francisco, a warning of the final judgments that will encompass the globe. Sr. White explicitly links the San Francisco earthquake to the end-time scenario, noting that “the terrible earthquake that has visited San Francisco will be followed by other manifestations of the power of God” because “His law has been transgressed” and “cities have become polluted with sin”. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6, KJV). Malachi 4:1 prophesies, “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch,” foreseeing fiery consummation. In Zephaniah 1:14 we read, “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly,” signaling imminent reckoning. In Last Day Events we read, “San Francisco and Oakland are becoming as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Lord will visit them. Not far hence they will suffer under His judgments.” (Last Day Events, p. 114, 1903). The inspired pen notes, “Even in the cities where the judgments of God have fallen in consequence of such transgression there is no sign of repentance. The saloons are still open, and many temptations are kept before the people.” (Letter 268, 1906). These events serve as harbingers of global tribulation. But what profound obscurity enveloped the Savior’s final hours?

We see here the operation of what the prophet Isaiah calls the “Strange Act” of God, where the Creator, whose nature is love and light, is forced by the rebellion of man to utilize darkness and destruction to arrest the progress of evil. The destruction of San Francisco was not an arbitrary burst of anger but a necessary “strange work” to wake a sleeping world, demonstrating that when a city gives itself over to “confusion, violence, and crime” , the physical environment will eventually convulse in sympathy with the moral chaos. “For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” (Isaiah 28:21, KJV). Joel 3:16 declares, “The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel,” contrasting judgment with protection. In Amos 9:5 we find, “And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt,” illustrating earth’s response to sin. A passage from Review and Herald reminds us, “On our way home from Mountain View, we passed through San Francisco, and for an hour and a half viewed the destruction wrought in that great city. Buildings that were supposed to be proof against disaster, are lying in ruins.” (Review and Herald, May 24, 1906). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The city presents a most dreadful picture of the inefficiency of human ingenuity to frame fire-proof and earthquake-proof structures.” (Review and Herald, May 24, 1906). This strange act reveals mercy in disruption. But what ultimate darkness descended upon Golgotha?

The “darkness” of San Francisco was the physical manifestation of the city’s spiritual condition, a “confusion” that filled the streets long before the smoke did, proving that the stability of our civilization is an illusion maintained only by the restraining hand of God. We must understand that the “destroying angels” are currently holding back the winds of strife (Revelation 7:1), but as in 1906, there will come a moment when the restraint is lifted, and the darkness of human nature will be allowed to manifest its full, destructive potential. “The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes, storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land, follow each other in quick succession. Science seeks to explain all these. The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause.” (Sr. White Testimonies for the Church Vol. 6 p. 408). Scripture warns in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up,” depicting sudden dissolution. Hebrews 12:26 states, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven,” promising comprehensive shaking. The inspired pen notes, “Repeatedly I have been instructed that we must not invest means in the erection of expensive buildings in cities.” (The Paulson Collection of Ellen G. White Letters, p. 50, 1906). A prophetic voice once wrote, “As we near the close of this earth’s history, we shall have the scenes of the San Francisco calamity repeated in other places.” (Manuscript 61a, 1906). This withdrawal signals approaching climax. But what eternal shadow fell upon the skull-shaped hill?

GLOOM! THE SHADOW OF THE SKULL

The darkness of Egypt lasted three days, a period of suspended animation and tomb-like stasis, but there was another darkness, centuries later, that lasted only three hours yet carried a weight infinitely greater than the plague of the Nile. This was the darkness that descended upon Golgotha, a supernatural opacity that fell precisely at high noon, the hour when the sun should have been at its zenith, signaling a cosmic disruption that far exceeded the local judgment of a single nation. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46, KJV). Luke 23:44-45 records, “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst,” detailing the miraculous signs. In Mark 15:33 we read, “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,” confirming the midday eclipse. The inspired pen notes, “The angels had viewed the horrid scene of the crucifixion of their loved commander, until they could behold no longer; and veiled their faces from the sight. The sun refused to look upon the dreadful scene.” (Early Writings, p. 176, 1882). A passage from Signs of the Times reminds us, “The night following the crucifixion was the darkest night the church had ever known.” (Signs of the Times, May 25, 1882). This momentary veil bore eternal significance. But how does this sacred obscurity invert the Egyptian plague?

Here, the typology of the Exodus reaches its agonizing climax and inversion: in Egypt, the darkness was a judgment upon the wicked while the righteous had light; at the cross, the darkness fell upon the Righteous One, the True Israel, while the wicked world watched in a confused “light” of their own making. Christ absorbed the plague of darkness into His own being, experiencing the “darkness which may be felt”—the sensory deprivation of the Father’s presence—so that the crushing weight of the world’s sin could be expiated in the shroud of divine judgment. “In the thick darkness, God veiled the last human agony of His Son. All nature sympathized with its Author… The sun refused to look upon the awful scene. Its full, bright rays were illuminating the earth at midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted out. Complete darkness, like a funeral pall, enveloped the cross.” (Sr. White The Desire of Ages p. 753). This event was a direct confrontation with the powers of darkness, an inverted parallel where the True Sun of Righteousness voluntarily entered the eclipse to break the power of the dark. While the darkness of Exodus 10 attacked Ra, the false sun god, the darkness of Calvary veiled the glory of the Creator, proving that His love was strong enough to endure the total withdrawal of light and life for the sake of His creation. The “three days” of Egypt’s paralysis are echoed in the three hours of Christ’s suffering, and then extended into the three days He lay in the tomb, marking the complete cycle of judgment and restoration. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, KJV). Psalm 88:6 laments, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps,” reflecting the depth of substitutionary suffering. Lamentations 3:2 states, “He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light,” portraying isolation from divine favor. Through inspired counsel we are told, “The divine light of God was receding from his vision, and he was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness.” (The Sufferings of Christ, p. 13, 1869). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe.” (Christ Triumphant, p. 277, 1898). This inversion transformed judgment into salvation. But what internal shadow threatens the soul more than external gloom?

The “plague of darkness” is thus not merely a historical curiosity or a future threat found in the bowls of Revelation; it is the cup that Christ drank to the dregs. He entered the “darkness that could be felt”—the absolute isolation of the sin-bearer—so that we might have “light in our dwellings,” transforming the darkness from a symbol of hopelessness into the canvas of redemption. We must proclaim that the darkness of the cross was the only means by which the light of the resurrection could be ignited, proving that God’s “strange act” of judgment is always subservient to His ultimate purpose of salvation. “The immaculate Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; His hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars… And all this that sin might be destroyed, and that man might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (Sr. White The Desire of Ages p. 755). The darkness of the cross was not just atmospheric; it was theological, representing the judgment of God against sin falling upon the Substitute. If the darkness of Egypt proved that Jehovah was greater than the gods of the nations, the darkness of the cross proved that Jehovah’s love was stronger than death, for it was in the dark that the victory was won. This darkness serves as a warning and a comfort: a warning that sin inevitably leads to the extinguishing of light, and a comfort that Christ has already traversed that darkness so that we do not have to walk it alone. “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (Isaiah 50:10, KJV). Job 12:25 observes, “They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man,” illustrating the peril of separation. In Micah 7:8 we read, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me,” promising restoration through faith. In The Sufferings of Christ we read, “The sins of the world were upon him. He was suffering in man’s stead as a transgressor of his Father’s law.” (The Sufferings of Christ, p. 13, 1869). The inspired pen notes, “Nature sympathized with the suffering of its Author…Terror seized the executioners and spectators as they beheld the sun veiled in darkness, and felt the earth shake beneath them.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 211, 1871). This redemptive shroud offers eternal hope. But what peril lurks in the blindness of the heart?

BEWARE! THE BLINDNESS OF THE SOUL

The physical darkness of Egypt and the atmospheric darkness of the cross point to a more insidious reality: spiritual blindness, a condition where the soul possesses the faculties of sight but lacks the capacity to perceive truth. The plague of darkness was effective in Egypt because Pharaoh was already blind; he had seen the miracles—the water turned to blood, the frogs, the lice—and yet he “hardened his heart,” possessing eyes but unable to see the finger of God, a condition that the scriptures warn is the default state of the unregenerate heart. “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” (John 9:39, KJV). Ephesians 4:18 describes, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart,” linking alienation to willful ignorance. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them,” revealing satanic influence in obscurity. A passage from Review and Herald reminds us, “What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right, when they are all wrong?” (Review and Herald, September 16, 1873). Through inspired counsel we are told, “We need to cultivate Bible holiness. Sin prevails among the people of God. The plain message of rebuke to the Laodiceans is not received. Many cling to their doubts and their darling sins, while they are in so great a deception as to talk and feel that they are in need of nothing.” (Review and Herald, September 16, 1873). This unseen affliction demands vigilant self-examination. But how does pride perpetuate this inner eclipse?

This paradox of spiritual sight is most vividly illustrated in the Pharisees, who claimed to be the illuminated elite of Israel, the “seers” of the law, yet were pronounced blind by the Light of the World because they rejected the evidence before them. Their blindness was not a result of ignorance but of a deliberate refusal to accept the “correction” that contradicted their pride, proving that spiritual vision is less about intellect and more about the posture of the will. “I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them.” (Sr. White Testimonies for the Church Vol. 3 p. 254). For us in modern times, this is a chilling indictment, for the “darkness” that threatens the community is not the removal of the sun, but the removal of the humble heart. When we refuse to accept the “straight testimony,” when we reject the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans to buy “eyesalve” (Revelation 3:18), we induce a self-imposed plague of darkness, becoming like Pharaoh in the pew, surrounded by light but unable to perceive it. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17, KJV). Isaiah 42:19 questions, “Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant?” exposing hypocrisy among the professed. Romans 2:19-21 challenges, “And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?” urging self-application. The inspired pen notes, “Blinded by selfishness and self-sufficiency.” (Temperance, p. 234, 1905). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Spiritual eye blinded by unbelief.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 255, 1873). This refusal breeds perpetual night. But what gradual process seals this fate?

The mechanism of this blindness is gradual; it begins with the rejection of a small ray of light—a conviction of conscience, a verse of Scripture, a testimony of the Spirit—and as the light is rejected, the organ of spiritual vision atrophies. The darkness thickens until the soul can no longer distinguish between the shadow and the substance, a state of “great darkness” where “evil is called good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23, KJV). This “great darkness” is the condition of the world today, a darkness of confusion that mirrors the “San Francisco” spirit—the pursuit of pleasure, the denial of judgment, the deification of the self—and tragically, it is a darkness that creeps into the church when the “watchmen” fall asleep. We must understand that spiritual blindness is not a passive affliction but an active judgment, a withdrawal of the Spirit in response to persistent rebellion, leaving the soul to wander in the labyrinth of its own making. “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give 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 13:15-16, KJV). Hosea 4:6 laments, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children,” connecting rejection to destruction. Proverbs 4:19 states, “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble,” depicting unwitting peril. In Christian Service we read, “That church or those persons who shut themselves away from bearing burdens for others, who shut themselves up to themselves, will soon suffer spiritual feebleness.” (Christian Service, p. 77, 1925). Through inspired counsel we are told, “It is labor that keeps the strong man strong. And spiritual labor, toil and burden-bearing, is what will give strength to the church of Christ.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 22, 1871). This progression demands immediate repentance. But what solemn obligation arises amid this gloom?

ASSEMBLE! THE WATCHMAN’S DUTY

In the face of this encroaching darkness—both the judgment of God and the blindness of man—the responsibility of the community is clear: we are called to be watchmen, to possess the “light in our dwellings” and to carry it out into the gloom. The prophet Ezekiel outlines the terrible calculus of the watchman’s responsibility, stating that if the watchman sees the sword coming—the “darkness” of judgment—and blows the trumpet, the people are responsible for their own reaction, but if the watchman stays silent, the blood of the people is on the watchman’s hand. “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” (Ezekiel 33:6, KJV). Habakkuk 2:1 declares, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved,” modeling vigilant readiness. In Isaiah 21:11-12 we read, “The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come,” urging persistent inquiry. A passage from Evangelism reminds us, “It is the duty of both watchmen and laymen to give the trumpet a certain sound.” (Evangelism, p. 194, 1875). The inspired pen notes, “There are many who do not understand the prophecies relating to these days and they must be enlightened.” (Evangelism, p. 194, 1875). This call demands faithful proclamation. But how does silence violate divine command?

This responsibility is grounded in the Ninth Commandment, which we often view too narrowly as a prohibition against perjury, but which has a deeper, more demanding application in the context of the Great Controversy. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16, KJV) implies that to see a neighbor walking into the darkness of destruction and to say nothing—to pretend that they are safe, to smile and say “peace, peace” when there is no peace—is to bear a false witness about the reality of their situation. “Our Savior sought to impress upon His hearers that the person who would venture to defraud a neighbor in the smallest item would, if the opportunity were favorable, overreach in larger matters… By precept and example Christ taught that the strictest integrity should govern our conduct toward our fellow beings.” (Sr. White The Southern Watchman May 10 1904). Our responsibility to our neighbor is inextricably linked to our responsibility to God; we cannot claim to love God, who is Light, while leaving our neighbor in the dark. The “Evidence Cycle” of our faith demands that our profession be matched by our proclamation, for if we believe the end is near—that the “plague of darkness” is coming upon the seat of the beast (Revelation 16:10)—then love compels us to warn, not to condemn, but to save. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:39-40, KJV). Leviticus 19:17 instructs, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him,” mandating loving correction. Proverbs 24:11-12 urges, “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” holding us accountable for inaction. Through inspired counsel we are told, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1, KJV). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (Oasis Worship Center, undated, but from context 1 Thessalonians 5:4). This linkage unites love and truth. But what phantom lurks unseen in deception?

But this warning must be given with the character of Christ; it is not a warning of superiority but of shared peril and offered salvation, the cry of the one who has found the exit from the burning building. It is the sharing of the Goshen light, a testimony that says, “There is a place where the darkness does not reach,” inviting the world to step out of the shadow of Ra and into the light of the Lamb. “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV). The “darkness” is God’s “strange act,” but His “nature and property is ever to have mercy,” and even the plague of darkness in Egypt was a final opportunity for Pharaoh to relent before the death of the firstborn. Even the darkness of the cross was the purchase price of our redemption, and even the warning of the coming judgment is an act of severe mercy, a “shaking” designed to wake the sleepers before the roof falls in, proving that the true watchman is the one who loves enough to disturb the peace. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1, KJV). Nehemiah 4:18 describes, “For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me,” combining labor with alertness. Ezekiel 3:17 appoints, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me,” commissioning divine messengers. In Last Day Events we read, “The time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand.” (Last Day Events, p. 72, 1890). The inspired pen notes, “We must educate ourselves to be thinking and dwelling upon the great scenes of the judgment just before us.” (Last Day Events, p. 240, 1899). This merciful alarm calls for response. But what deceptive light masquerades as truth?

PHANTOM! THE ENEMY YOU CANNOT SEE

The most dangerous darkness is the one that convinces you it is light, a deception that cloaks the soul in self-righteousness while it stumbles toward the pit. The Pharisees were the theological heavyweights of their day, memorizing Torah and tithing mint and cumin, yet when the Light of the World stood before them, they saw only a Sabbath-breaker, proving that religious activity is no guarantee of spiritual sight. “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” (John 9:39, KJV). Matthew 15:14 warns, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch,” exposing misguided leadership. In Luke 6:39 we read, “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” reiterating mutual peril. A passage from Review and Herald reminds us, “The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception.” (Review and Herald, September 16, 1873). Through inspired counsel we are told, “These wrongs and sins, which have brought the people of God in their state of wretchedness, blindness, and poverty, must be seen, and they arouse to zealous repentance, and a putting away of these sins which have brought them into such a deplorable condition of blindness and fearful deception.” (Review and Herald, September 16, 1873). This illusion demands discernment. But what mechanism enforces this eternal night?

This “judicial blindness” is a terrifying biblical concept, suggesting that the ability to perceive spiritual truth is not a static faculty but a dynamic gift that can be withdrawn if abused. If you close your eyes to the light long enough, your eyelids fuse shut, and what was once a willful refusal becomes a permanent incapacity, a state where the conscience is seared and the voice of the Spirit is silenced. “For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Acts 28:27, KJV). What causes this spiritual cataract? Sr. White is explicit that it is not a lack of intellect but a lack of submission: “I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction.”. This is the pathology of the Laodicean church, which boasts of being “rich and increased with goods” while being blind to its own nakedness, a condition that is rampant in the modern era where we mistake information for transformation. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17, KJV). Isaiah 56:10 laments, “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber,” critiquing negligent guardians. Romans 11:8 states, “According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear; unto this day,” describing divine hardening. The inspired pen notes, “Those who have an opportunity to hear the truth, and yet take no pains to hear or understand it, thinking that if they do not hear, they will not be accountable, will be judged guilty before God the same as if they had heard and rejected.” (5BC, p. 1145, 1900). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Jesus has made atonement for all sins of ignorance, but there is no provision made for willful blindness.” (5BC, p. 1145, 1900). This withdrawal follows persistent rejection. But how does hatred darken the inner vision?

The “darkness that may be felt” in the church today is the atmosphere of pride, the refusal to say “I was wrong,” the defensiveness that rises up when a brother or sister offers a word of correction. This is the “smoke” that obscures the Sun of Righteousness, creating a community of the blind leading the blind, where form replaces power and tradition replaces truth. “He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:11, KJV). This connects the plague of darkness to the violation of the Second Great Commandment; if I hate my brother—if I bear false witness, if I ignore his need, if I judge him without mercy—I am turning out the lights in my own soul. I am creating a personal Egypt where the presence of God cannot dwell, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and we cannot walk with Him while harboring the darkness of malice. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, KJV). 2 Peter 1:9 observes, “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins,” linking forgetfulness to shortsightedness. Jude 1:12-13 describes, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever,” portraying ultimate doom. In The Great Controversy we read, “Men entertain errors, when the truth is clearly marked out; and if they would but bring their doctrines to the word of God, and not read the word of God in the light of their doctrines, to prove their ideas right, they would not walk in darkness and blindness, or cherish error.” (The Great Controversy, p. 597, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “If they only had the sweet spirit of Elder Smith; he never hurts any one’s feelings, he never says sharp and cutting things. But these blind ones do not see that this very pleasing, careless indifference on the part of men at Battle Creek who have failed to keep the fort, has created the necessity for the alarm to be sounded and the cutting rebukes to be given.” (The Judgment, p. 3, 1880). This relational shadow demands love’s illumination. But what remedy heals this affliction?

Is there a cure for this blindness? Yes, but it is painful; it requires the “eyesalve” of the Holy Spirit, which inevitably stings before it heals, stripping away the layers of self-deception. We must trade our self-righteousness (“I see!”) for the humility of the blind beggar (“Lord, that I might receive my sight”), becoming like the disciples after the resurrection who had their “understanding opened” only after they had passed through the crushing darkness of their own failure. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Revelation 3:18, KJV). Luke 24:45 recounts, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,” showing post-resurrection enlightenment. In Acts 26:18 we read, “To 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,” promising transformation through faith. The inspired pen notes, “Blind Bartimaeus is waiting by the wayside; he has waited long to meet Christ.” (Steps to Life, undated). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Such eyesight is a guide to the soul.” (Steps to Life, undated). This anointing restores vision. But what ultimate twilight awaits the unrepentant?

OMEGA! THE FINAL ECLIPSE

We stand today between two darknesses: the historical darkness of Egypt and the cross, and the prophetic darkness of the Day of the Lord, where the “sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood” (Acts 2:20). The world around us is celebrating its “Ra”—its science, its economy, its military might—but we know that the sun is setting on this age, and the shadows are lengthening across the plain of history. “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Zephaniah 1:14-15, KJV). Obadiah 1:15 declares, “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head,” ensuring equitable retribution. In Joel 3:14 we read, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision,” calling for decisive allegiance. A passage from Last Day Events reminds us, “While God’s mercy bears long with the transgressor, there is a limit beyond which men may not go on in sin. When that limit is reached, then the offers of mercy are withdrawn, and the ministration of judgment begins.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 162, 1890). Through inspired counsel we are told, “There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed.” (Prophets and Kings, p. 417, 1917). This impending night urges preparation. But how do past veils inform this final shroud?

We must recall the vision of Sr. White regarding the San Francisco earthquake, seeing in it a “representation” of the final destruction that awaits the cities of the nations. We must recall the palpable silence of the Nile delta, where the gods of the age were silenced by the withdrawal of the true Light. We must recall the cry of the forsaken Christ, who drank the cup of darkness so that we might drink the cup of salvation. “For, 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, KJV). The call to the community is a call to be a child of the light in a generation of night. We must scour our own hearts for the blindness of self-righteousness, applying the “eyesalve” of repentance so that we can see clearly to lead others. We must stand as watchmen on the wall, blowing the trumpet with a “certain sound,” warning the world that the darkness is coming, not to terrify, but to drive them to the Light of the World. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, KJV). Malachi 4:5-6 prophesies, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse,” promising preparatory restoration. Revelation 18:1 states, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory,” foretelling final illumination. In Last Day Events we read, “God has always given men warning of coming judgments.” (Last Day Events, p. 15, 1890). The inspired pen notes, “Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving.” (Last Day Events, p. 15, 1890). This historical recall strengthens resolve.

We do not fear the darkness, for we know who controls the sun; we know that even if the “darkness which may be felt” descends upon us, “the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (Isaiah 60:19). The darkness is God’s megaphone, amplifying the need for the gospel, and it is in the deepest night that the stars of God’s promise shine the brightest. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1, KJV). The time for “playing church” is over; the time for the reality of the “Goshen experience” is now. We must live in the light, walk in the light, and be the light, until the day breaks and the shadows flee away. Excelsior.

ANATOMY OF JUDGMENT

The theological framework of “God’s Darkness” requires a structured understanding of how Divine Judgment operates in relation to Human Responsibility and Divine Love. The following table synthesizes the key historical and prophetic events discussed in this report.

Event	The “Darkness” (The Judgment)	The Cause (Human Responsibility)	The Divine Purpose (God’s Love/Mercy)	Scriptural/Prophetic Evidence
Plague of Egypt	3 Days of physical, palpable darkness. Total immobilization. Failure of Ra.	Idolatry (Worship of Ra/Nature). Hardness of Pharaoh’s heart. Oppression of God’s people.	To reveal the impotence of false gods. To provoke repentance before the death of the firstborn. To separate Goshen (the remnant).	Exodus 10:21-23; “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment” (Ex 12:12).
San Francisco (1906)	Earthquake followed by fire. Smoke obscuring the sun. “Ball of fire” vision.	“Wickedness in the large cities.” Confusion, violence, and crime. Transgression of God’s law.	A “representation” and warning to the world. A call to repentance before the final destruction of all cities.	RH May 24, 1906; “The destroying angels of God were at work.”
The Cross	3 Hours of supernatural darkness at noon. The sun refusing to shine.	The sin of the world placed on Christ. The rejection of the Messiah by the leaders.	To veil Christ’s suffering. To execute judgment on Sin so the sinner could be saved. The ultimate act of substitution.	Matthew 27:45; DA p. 753 “Complete darkness, like a funeral pall, enveloped the cross.”
Spiritual Blindness	Inability to perceive truth. “Judicial blindness.” The condition of Laodicea.	Refusal to receive correction. Pride (“I am rich”). Hating one’s brother.	To force the soul to realize its need for “eyesalve.” To allow the wheat and tares to ripen.	John 9:39; 3T p. 254 “The greatest reason… is that they will not receive correction.”
The Final Crisis	The “Plague of Darkness” on the seat of the Beast. The “gross darkness” covering the people.	Worship of the Beast. Rejection of the Three Angel’s Messages.	To signal the end of probation. To highlight the glory of the Lord upon His people (Goshen experience).	Revelation 16:10; Isaiah 60:2; “The LORD shall arise upon thee.”

Excelsior.

SELF-REFLECTION

How can I deepen my grasp of these profound truths in daily devotion, letting them mold my character and guide my choices?

In what ways can we present these intricate doctrines accessibly and pertinently to varied groups, from longtime members to newcomers of diverse backgrounds, while upholding doctrinal precision?

What prevalent misunderstandings about these subjects exist in our circles, and how might I address them kindly yet firmly with biblical and Sr. White insights?

How can we as individuals and congregations radiate these truths more vividly, embodying the assurance of Christ’s imminent return and God’s triumph over evil in everyday actions?

For more articles, please go to http://www.faithfundamentals.blog or our podcast at: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-lamb.

If you have a prayer request, please leave it in the comments below. Prayer meetings are held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. To join, enter your email address in the comments section.