Light Piercing the Dark: A Beacon of Hope
“On that day the sources of light will no
longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could
happen. There will be no normal day and
night, for at evening time it will still be light.” (Zechariah 14:6-7)
Matthew 24:29 says, “Immediately
after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of
the heavens will be shaken.”
And Joel 2:31 says, “The sun will
be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and
awesome Day of the LORD.”
Isaiah 60:19-20 says, speaking of
that day, “No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of
the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and
your God will be your splendor. Your sun
will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your
everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.
Revelation 6:12-14 tells us that
this time of great darkness was as the sixth seal is opened. It says, “And I watched as the Lamb opened
the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like
sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of
the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a
great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain
and island was moved from its place.”
And as the Kingdom of God is fully
established, this darkness is replaced by the light of the Glory of God. Revelation 21:23-25 says, “And the city has
no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the
city, and the Lamb is its lamp. By its
light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring
their glory. Its gates will never be
shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.”
The light that is spoken of in Zechariah
14:7 is Strongs# 216, the Hebrew word owr. It speaks of actual light as in the morning
sun or daylight, but also brightness, clarity, and illumination. Also included in this definition is lightning,
light of face / favoring, enlightenment from the Word (lamp unto feet), and
happiness. The topical lexicon notes
the contexts fall into five spheres: “(1) physical luminosity, (2) theophanic
glory, (3) moral and spiritual enlightenment, (4) revelatory instruction, and
(5) eschatological salvation.”[1]
For me, this paints a picture of a
darkening of the world where things look more bleak in the natural, people are
confused, and there is more oppression and opportunity for sin. At the same time, there is this coming
enlightenment for believers where, while the world is confused, they become
more clear and enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit. The glory of the Lord brings this incredible
illumination and clarity so the people of God are not left groping around.
This light that the Lord brings,
overtakes the darkness. A world
descending into physical and spiritual darkness, yet simultaneously being
flooded with divine illumination for those who walk with God. These visual representations in the Prophets
and Revelation are a beautiful depiction of this what is taking place in the spiritual
realm. They point to a cosmic upheaval—a
disruption of the natural order that signals the end of one age and the
beginning of another. This spiritual darkness
manifests in confusion, fear, and the collapse of worldly systems. It’s as if
creation itself groans under the weight of sin and anticipates redemption. At the same time, for all the confusion, there
is greater illumination coming. It’s the
light of God’s face shining upon His people (Numbers 6:25), the l
The brilliance of His glory that
dispels every shadow. As darkness
manifest in confusion and fear, the light manifests in enlightenment and
clarity. Daniel 12:3 says: “Those who
are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens.” The Holy Spirit brings
discernment, peace, and purpose even when chaos surrounds. This is the light of
the Kingdom—an unshakable reality that transcends circumstances.
All that to say that when things
seem lost, dark, hopeless or confusing.
It is not the end of the story. The
darkness is not the end—it’s the backdrop against which the glory of God shines
brightest. As John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it.”
So how does this play out? How can believers today live as “children of
light” in a darkening world—bringing illumination, clarity, and hope to
despair, fear, and chaos of the world?
A few things that come to my heart
are:
Pray For the Light. If we want our land to be
filled with light, God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to humble ourselves and pray,
seeking an outflow of His glory while we repent, turn from our sin and seek His
face. This is not passive waiting—it’s
active intercession. It’s asking for revival, not just in the land, but in our
hearts.
Walk in the Light. By both, letting the Word of God be a lamp
onto our feet and a compass, as well as living in the light by not hiding under
but shedding the veneer of professionalism, we can bring the light by following
and living in the light. Jesus said, “No
one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl” (Matthew 5:15). The world
doesn’t need more polished personas—it needs real people, lit up by the Spirit,
walking in truth and grace.
Speak Light. Light exposes,
but it also heals. Speaking the truth in love break people into freedom. In a culture of deception, clarity and
compassion are much needed. It is living in lies that leaves people in
bondage. When we are MN nice and polite,
it is selfish and lacks care for others. The
Word says that to know the truth will set us free.
Bring the Light. Also, for
those walking in depression and hopelessness, the light of hope can be a beacon
in the night calling people forward into safety. Hope is not wishful thinking—it is a divine
force that pierces the darkness of despair.
For those who are hopeless and do
not see a way out, shining the light of hope illuminates and revives their
souls. It gives them something to live
for. Hope brings strength and a power
to overcome.
Be the Light. Just as we are to imitate Christ, the concept
of goodness and light are deeply intertwined. 1 John 1:5 says God is light; in
Him there is no darkness at all.” As He has
the absence of darkness or sin, God radiates the light of His goodness. Goodness is the essence of light. Ephesians
5:8-9 says that the fruit of the light consists in all goodness. When we radiate the goodness of God, we are
shining the light of Christ.
Let in The Light. Another
way to look at goodness and light is what we believe. Matthew 6:22 tells us to
be full of light in the way we see and not dark and squinty eyed. What this means is that we choose the
perspective on which we see the world and others. We can agree with darkness and be suspicious
and fearful of others or we can agree with light and see the goodness all
around us. So much of which Kingdom we
are living out of has to do with what Kingdom we let in to flow through us.
Lord Jesus, let us be people of Your
light in a dark world. The darker the
world becomes, let our eyes become brighter and let us live in the fullness of
your Kingdom of Light.
[1] Brown-Driver-Brings. Hebrew and English Lexicon. Topical Lexicon. Biblesoft, Inc. 2006. Located at: Strong's Hebrew: 216. אוֹר (or) --
light, lightning, lightszzz. Last
Accessed: 9/28/2025.
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