Zechariah chapter 14, but stop
by Hebrews chapter 1 for a couple verses there. It's amazing how
many Commentators have commented on the book of Zechariah particularly
this 14th chapter and have dealt with it as it's It's in times
prophecy. It's Has some eschatology in
it and I I don't know. Maybe every book in the Bible
has some end times statements. Christ is coming again. We know
that. But turn with me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews
chapter 1. I'd like to read the first two verses of that because
in verse 2 it shares with us something about the last days.
God who at sundry times in diverse manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets. Those were the Lord's prophets,
the ones he called and they had the same gospel that we have
the privilege of looking at today. And it tells us in verse two,
hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son. So we're not going to get real
carried away with last days. We're going to get looking at
the book of Zechariah from a standpoint of God's effectual grace, God's
effectual work, dealing with his people, God's dealing with
those that are not his people. So, there it tells us in Hebrews
chapter 1 verse 2, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
hath made the worlds. So, the writer of the book of
Hebrews, truly the Holy Spirit gave these words to writer Paul
or others. But anyway, the Holy Spirit is
the true author of this book. and we find those words in these
last days. Alright, join me back in the
book of Zechariah chapter 14 and we'd like to read a few verses
over there tonight and do some study about some of them. In
the book of Zechariah chapter 14 I'd like to begin reading
with verse 6 and I'd like to read down through verse 8. Now
we probably won't have time to deal with verse 8, we'll look
at that at another time, but it is just so full of the gospel. It's just bursting over. It's
like a wineskin ready to burst. Let's read here in verse 6. There's a lot of discussion by
translators about this verse of scripture. And it shall come
to pass in that day that the light shall not be clear nor
dark. verse 7 but it shall be one day
which shall be known to the Lord so there's a day that's going
to be known to the Lord he has full knowledge of it we may get
to see bits and pieces of it but it is the Lord's day and
it is uh... uh... something he has absolute
control over verse seven again but it shall be one day which
shall be known to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come
to pass that at evening time it shall be light now we notice
that well today's the shortest day of 2022 and when it was evening
here it was not light but there's a statement made here that at
evening it shall be light and we'd like to look at that a little
bit tonight because in the work of the Lord in the ministry of
Christ we find that there are so many times that our logic
disagrees with the logic that we find in scripture we have
human logic and Lord be pleased to give us some spiritual knowledge
but God is going to work all things after the counsel of his
own will and he will do according to his purpose he has a purpose
in all things and he knows the end from the beginning so when
we look at a verse like this that there's going to be evening
time it shall be light. God has a purpose in bringing
that to our attention. Now in verse 6 we have the word
light and in verse 7 we have the word light. In verse 6 that
the light shall not be clear nor dark. There's something about
that light that is not clear to us, and we're going to look
at that. It's not clear to us in an unconverted
state. We're like the man born blind
in our unconverted state. We just cannot see the light.
Now, some people that are blind can see some light. Many times
they can't see much else, but there's some light they can see.
well when it comes to spiritual things by nature we can't see
any of the truth that is in the gospel until it's revealed to
us and then it goes on here in verse eight now verse eight is
just so full too it's just uh... bursting forth with good things
and it shall be in that day that living waters now we don't have
a lot of uh... misunderstanding about that That
day there shall be living waters, shall go out from Jerusalem,
from the Lord, from the church. This is the preaching of the
gospel. Half of them towards the former sea and half of them
toward the hinder sea. In summer and in winter shall
it be. It's always going to be the same. Now we find that true
about Old Testament and New Testament. We find that they had the gospel
preached unto them in the Old Testament as well as unto us,
and those many that were in the book of Numbers or in the book
of Exodus or in the book of Deuteronomy, they did not have the gospel
Living to them because they believe not that's the natural thing
to do and belief is a gift of God So let's look at this two
verses of scripture in particular verses six and seven tonight
and one of them talks about light shall not be clear and nor dark,
many ways that translators have dealt with that. And then the
other verse of scripture, verse 7 here, and it shall be one day
which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night, but it shall
come to pass that evening time it shall be light. Now we'd like
to look at, last week we looked at that earthquake, that word
earthquake found there in the book of Zechariah chapter 14
and verse 5 and we find out that that's a mysterious thing but
it demonstrates God's awesome power and it demonstrates how
small we are when it comes to an earthquake. God reveals to
us even through those great acts of God how how infinite he is,
how minute we are, and we have no control over that. We're thankful
that when God reveals something to us, it's of God and it's not
of our own creation. Well, this evening we'd like
to look at the subject of a look at light. There's much said in
the Bible about light, but I want to direct your attention back
to the book of Genesis and start right there in the book of Genesis.
Out of this, God demonstrates that spiritual light is in his
hands. And when it is most expected,
it's often held back. And when it seems impossible,
it's given. man born blind it just seems
impossible that anything could help him and yet the Lord gave
him sight and we look here and we find that that light is natural
light or spiritual light are both given by God the heavens
have a light and God speaks about it but there was light created
before there was a sun or a moon or the stars so join me if you
would back in the book of Genesis chapter 1 in this great creation
statement by our great God and our Savior as it's mentioned
here in Genesis chapter 1 verses beginning with verse 3 now God
is in the in the mode of declaring God declared in God said let's
look at that God declared let there be light and we find as
the result of God's declaration about let there be light and
there was light and we look at this from a physical standpoint
we find that all light is as a result of almighty God and
all spiritual light is also a result of almighty God we have no light
in ourselves we have no understanding in ourselves We're darkened in
ourselves. Our mind is darkened. We're unable
to see those things that are mentioned in the scripture and
so often we turn them around and we want to look at them from
a human standpoint and we're going to find works so declared
in the Word of God until the Lord saves us, reveals Christ
to us, and then we find out that we were working from the wrong
position, wrong point, that it's not our works, it's His works,
and we're just the recipient of it. So God said, let there
be light, and there was light, and now in verse four of this
verse of Scripture, or of this chapter, we find that God saw
the light, and that it was good. And God divided the light, from
the darkness, and God called the light day, and the darkness
he called night, and the evening and the morning were the first
day. So God declares here his great work concerning light.
It is interesting to find over in the book, and so I want to
have you clear across the Bible to the book of 1 John, if you
would. 1 John chapter 1. In the book of 1 John chapter
1, we find this statement about our God. We find this statement
that we don't know by nature, but it is revealed to us in Jesus
Christ about God. In 1 John chapter 1, and there
in verse 5, we find these words about light. God is light. Now this is so true to us when
the Lord reveals himself, when the new birth is brought upon
us by the Holy Spirit and we're able to see for the first time
in our life We're able to see the gospel. We're able to see
the one the gospel comes from, from the Lord. And we're able
to see His word demonstrated throughout the scriptures. It's
not a hodgepodge, but there's so much in this word that God
has decreed and declared about the saving of His people and
about the Savior of His people. And here it says, verse 5, 1
John chapter 1, This then is the message which we have heard
of Him and declare unto you. that God is light and in him
is no darkness at all now we'd say it's enough for him to say
in him there's no darkness but he goes on to clarify it to make
it more firm no darkness at all so he's that light in the beginning
God created the light and there was uh... another day that the
lord is going to use to create the sun the moon and the stars
and he gives names to them and says one will rule the day and
one will rule the night and yet we find that there was light
declared decreed there by almighty god before he created those great
uh... sources of light now our earth
depends on those ourselves. We depend on that. Our physical
being depends upon the great light of the day. And we find
that the great light of the night is such a beautiful portrayal
of the grace of God. And then we find if we move through
the scriptures, this word light is brought out to illustrate
how God acts and how God does His business. And it's wonderful
to see that He deals with this light Now, there's going to be
a time in everybody's life when they don't have the light. There's
going to be a time in everybody's life when they can't even see
what light truly is. And then, everyone that was given
to Christ by the Father, and everyone that the Son was going
to lay down His life for ransom for, and everyone that the Holy
Spirit is going to bring into the Kingdom through the new birth,
Every one of those he has promised to give them light and cause
them to see how this beautiful picture of light is brought through
the scriptures and then it may be evening but there is going
to be light. This is God's way of dealing
with his people. It's at the very most threatening
time. God brings his light. All right.
Turn with me if you would over to the book of Exodus. When God
was demonstrating his great power to the children of Israel, even
while they were in Egypt, in the book of Exodus, it shares
a number of times that God made a division. God shared a division
between Egypt and between the children of Israel. And he makes
it quite known, and it's brought out in the scriptures, that I
have a difference here. There are Egyptians, and then
there is Israel. there are those of the world
there is my church i make a difference for them and here in the book
of exodus chapter ten while they're still in egypt and god is using
moses to bring these great plagues upon egypt to demonstrate his
power and to demonstrate there is a difference i have between
these folks and these folks doth not the potter have power over
the clay of one lump to make those vessels of honor and then
vessels of dishonor as we mentioned exodus chapter 10 and there in
verse 23 this wonderful passage of scripture it's so illustrative exodus chapter 10 verse 23 they
saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three
days now that's Egypt That's the Egyptians. They couldn't
see. It was a darkness you could feel.
But notice the difference that God made when he talks about
Israel. But all the children of Israel
had light in their dwellings. That's the difference. God makes
a difference. He has given light to his children,
and he gives his light to his children, all those that are
blood-bought, all those whose names are written in the Lamb's
Book of Life, all of those that he deals with in time. As we
read with regard to the Apostle Paul, he said, when it pleased
God, he turned on the light. We'll read about that in just
a moment. So, there was light in Israel. Now, another time
here in the book of Exodus in chapter 13. Chapter 13 and verse
21, as we think about there's a time when there will be no
light, it's darkness, and then there's going to be a time when
it appears that there's no light. But there is light given. How
glorious is that light that is revealed to His people. They
have no light in themselves. Born blind. Born deaf. born unable
to speak to speak a word of glory to god and god in this great
work of grace causes us to see him hear him and then speak about
him here in the book of exodus chapter thirteen and in verse
twenty one the scripture share this about the lord and light
and it says here in the lord went before them by day in a
pillar of cloud how glorious is that A pillar of cloud led
them by day, but notice this, at night, in darkness, when the
sun went down, when there is no way to see, it says here,
to lead them in the way, and by night a pillar of fire to
give them light, to go by day and night. a pillar of cloud
to give them light at night in the darkness so even in the evening
we have light even when the sun has gone down we have light and
so it is we may be going through a great uh... trial or tribulation
in our life and we find out that even in that time god gives his
light he instills in us his grace he instills in us i'll not leave
you nor forsake you he instills in us all the blessings of the
light now light is a mystery i've read about it i've read
encyclopedias i've read articles about it and still it is such
a mystery waves of that strike our eyes and we're able to see.
Turn on the lights, but these are all artificial. We want true
light. We don't want artificial light
when it comes to our salvation. We want true light, the light
of life, the Lord Jesus. As we move through the scriptures,
we find in Psalm 18, it talks about God doing something for
us. In Psalm 18, we need something terrible. Terribly bad. We are such in such a shape so
blind so out of it We can't recognize good or bad. We can't recognize
religion from the truth. We were just caught up We're
just and here in the book of Psalms psalm 18 The psalmist
writes this for us and we go home and say thank you Lord.
We're so thankful that you do this for thou wilt light my candle
This is God doing we can't do it ourselves and We know we're
really just like a candle we we start out We may be six inches
eight inches ten inches, but as life goes on we're burning
it down but that light that we have is from the Lord and every
light every bit of light every bit of understanding about the
lord is from the lord and so thou will light my candle the
lord my god will enlighten my darkness so the lord is opening
this up in the darkest of time it's the lord that opens that
up the mystery now we find During the ministry of the Lord, often
he spoke to his disciples and he shared with them the truth
about why he was here. The truth about what must happen
to him. The truth of going to Jerusalem.
The truth about being arrested. The truth of going on trial.
The truth of going out and being crucified outside the city walls.
The truth about him giving his life for ransom. The truth about
his resurrection. And they often went off, even
by themselves, and said, I don't understand this. I don't understand
that. You know what? After it happened, the Lord revealed
all that to them, and they understood. It mentions that several times
in scripture, that after he was raised from the dead, then they
understood. You know, even about John, John
the Baptist. they wondered about him being
an Old Testament prophet and Jesus shared with them and they
said oh he's speaking about John well that's what God does to
his people he reveals the truth to them he reveals the light
to them and so often as we find here He'll enlighten my darkness. We have a natural darkness. We're
like that day That's mentioned over there in Zechariah chapter
14 It's a day known to the Lord and it looks dark But there's
going to be light given moving again in the Psalms if you'd
return with me to Psalm 89 in Psalm 89 the scriptures share
this about This light that God has given to his people in Psalm
89 in verse 15. I Blessed is the people. Psalm 89 verse 15. There is a blessed people and
blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. Now this has
It goes back to the sound of the trumpet on the 50th year. It goes back to the joyful sound
that we find in the camp. It goes around the joyful sound
that's around the temple and the tabernacle at certain times.
And yet it gets better for us because around Jesus Christ there
is a joyful sound. Blessed is the people that know
the joyful sound the words of the Lord are a joyful sound to
the ears of a believer and they shall walk O Lord in the light
of thy countenance What us? I'm just going to use the term
what a smile is on the face of the Lord when he looks at his
children He he went through great agony to purchase them He went
through great agony to lay down his life, a ransom for them.
And he says there in the book of Hebrews chapter 12 about that
for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. to have the light of his countenance,
the smile of his countenance on the behalf of his children.
What does that do for us? It allows us to come boldly,
to be accepted in the beloved. It allows us to come boldly to
the throne of grace. So it's a glorious thing that
God does for the church and it's built upon this light that he
gives us. Even in darkness there is light
he says and then there's a day that there's neither light or
dark We just it's just unable to see as we should because we
can't see through that moving again in the psalm psalm 112
This is brought up psalm 112 and there in verse Verse 4 Excuse
me verse 4 upon upon the upright there are riseth light and Now, did you notice that? In
darkness, there arises light in darkness. It just looks like
it's so dark, and yet the Lord, even at evening, there is light. It is so contrary to what we
know by nature. When the sun goes down, if we're
going to have light, we're going to have to have artificial light.
And yet the Lord shares here that even in darkness, Unto the
upright there ariseth light in the darkness. He is gracious
and full of compassion and righteous. This is speaking about our Lord.
He has this great grace. He's gracious and full of compassion. And in the upright there ariseth
light in the darkness. Thank God that He does not depend
on us. to make a move to Him because
we're darkness, but He brings that light. Last Sunday I heard
about a preacher that said that Lazarus had to consent to God
raising him from the dead. I thought, there's not a preacher
in this world that is any more ignorant than that. And yet,
preachers who believe that Everything depends upon man to get it accomplished
believe the same thing and the Bible teaches us that Lazarus
was in darkness. He was dead. He was dead Bodily
now, it's just an illustration of how dead we are spiritually
and when God calls the light comes on and And that's what
happened to Lazarus as an illustration of God's great work of raising
us from the spiritual dead. In the book of Isaiah we have
these words and this is truly what religion is. Isaiah chapter
5 and verse 20. If you'll join me there in Isaiah
chapter 5 and verse 20, as we think about the light and the
darkness and what God is in command of, He's the one that commands
light out of darkness. He's the one that commands light
to raise us, allows us to see, to go to the scriptures and see
the Lord. This is His business. This is what He does. And so,
here in the book of Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 20, it shares this. Woe to them that call good, or
excuse me, evil good and good evil. that put darkness for light
and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter. Now that's just a summation.
One verse of scripture sums up religion. It is so contrary to
the truths of the gospel. Everything is contrary. It's
turned around backwards. Got the horse behind the cart. We got everything out of kilter. And God is a God of order. God
is a God of orderliness. He saves his people in an orderly
fashion. Because he has decreed it from
the foundation of the world He is going to save his people and
they're going to agree on this that Jesus Christ is Lord That's
the light that God gives to his people and in that same book
of Isaiah chapter 8 would you join me there in Isaiah chapter
8 as we think about this subject of light, what does it tell us
here in chapter 8 in verse 20 and Isaiah chapter 8 and verse
20 to the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to
this word to the Word of God it is because There is no light
in them So that is a darkness beyond comparison. It's darker
than that darkness that fell upon Egypt and There was a darkness
that you could feel. It was a darkness that there
was absolutely no light at all, but there was light in the dwellings
of the Israelites. One time, Nancy and a couple
of our children went down into that great cave there in Kentucky,
and the guy that was the leader, he turned off his light. Now,
I'm glad it was a battery-powered light, because we didn't have
to wait for him to light it again. but it was it was absolute darkness
there was no light in there whatsoever well that is just a very poor
illustration of where we are by nature we find ourselves found
in that verse of scripture because there was no light in them we
speak not according to this word because there's no light in us
by nature We'll argue about the Word of God. We'll fuss over
it. We'll make exception for people. We'll say, well, everybody's
okay. We're just going to all get to
the same place. You know, that is so untrue. That is so untrue. That's not anything that's found
in the Scriptures. Well, let's move just a little
bit further in this look at the Scriptures about light and in
Isaiah chapter 9, just the next chapter here. Isaiah chapter
9 and verse 2 says, The people that walked in darkness, I want
to find out who that is, because it goes on to say, have seen
a great light. He's speaking about us by our
nature, walking in darkness, a darkness that we can't even
comprehend. We think we're okay, but we cannot see. Where is that
man born blind that the Lord Jesus Christ healed? We just
are incapable of seeing spiritual things. And everything that we
think is spiritual, we find out we were incorrect on. We didn't
have the right attitude towards. So it says right here, the people
that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death Upon them hath the light
shined. What a glorious light! And you
know, so often it just almost appears as if it is at evening. There is a blast of light. In
the darkest time, the light comes on. We find as we follow this
out throughout the scriptures that there is a great illustration
of this found in the book of Acts chapter 9. Now last week
we also looked at Acts chapter 9 as we find the Apostle Paul,
Saul of Tarsus as we originally know him as. He is a great illustration. He is a type. In fact, he calls
himself that very thing. He is a type of Believers that
God deals with he's a type of those that God gives salvation
to and here in the book of Acts Go over there with me to Acts
chapter 9 and just another little nugget that we find there in
Acts chapter 9 about Saul of Tarsus in Acts chapter 9 and
verse 3 there's something that happens here that is so Pictorial
about what God does for his people he says there in Acts chapter
9 and verse 3 and as he journeyed Saul of Tarsus and He's not going
to Damascus to a prayer meeting. He hates those folks. I mean,
vehemently hates those folks that know anything about Christ,
that believe that he's been raised from the dead. He says here,
and he's adjourning, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there
shined around him, around about him, a light from heaven. Now I don't think that very many
of those other folks even saw anything going on, but this man
saw light from heaven. Now if you think about this,
let's go over to Acts chapter 22 and read about what Saul of
Tarsus had to say about this. Over here it's light shine from
heaven, but drop down to Acts chapter 22 and we have him speaking
about what he saw and it tells us here in Acts chapter 22 and
verse 6 and it came to pass that as I made my journey. I remember the old days when,
oh, the testimony meetings, the bring and brag meetings. And
here we have what Saul of Tarsus, now Paul the Apostle, sharing
this in this wonderful time before a magistrate. He said, it came
to pass that as I made my journey and was come nigh unto Damascus
about noon, Now, you know, about noon, that's about the brightest
time of the day. Sun shining about the best it could show. And he said here, suddenly there
shone from heaven a great light round about me. This is greater
than the sun. This is greater than a noonday
sun. This is greater than the sun
about noon. It was a bright day and yet The
Lord, even in that time, shows this Saul of Tarsus that there
is a light greater than that light. That's the light we read
about in the book of Genesis, let there be light. that has
always been the glory of God he is light and in him is no
darkness at all and this is who came to Saul of Tarsus now it
is no mistake that it was noon they were walking in the best
lightest part of the day Saul of Tarsus, now his name is changed
to Paul, the Apostle. We know him as that great preacher
of righteousness, just as Moses was, just as Noah was, just as
David was, just as Abel was. We find this preacher of righteousness
going back and he's not telling what he did. He's not telling
what he did to get saved. It just drives me up the wall
when people say, I got saved, when I got saved. Well, Saul
of Tarsus didn't say that about himself. Paul, as he mentions
it, he says here, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon,
suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around about me. this light is the glory of god
his righteousness revealed the person of christ and then it
goes on to say as we read there saul saul where why persecutest
thou me that's brought over in the chapter nine now saul or
paul has mentioned it here in chapter twenty two and why persecutest
me and this man asks who are you and the answer is i'm jesus
of nazareth whom thou persecutest What a statement! The light,
the glorious light of heaven is speaking to him in this glorious
light even at noonday, a light that overshadowed the noonday
sun, the light that put the sun in Second place the light that
put the Sun behind the light that what a statement is made
here about the work of God that it is he takes second place to
nothing Everything else is put in its right place in the grace
of God And in the glory of God so a great light in the book
of 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians turn there with me as we think
about this light of Zechariah You know, as we go through here
and we're in preparation for that very next verse of scripture,
that this rivers of water, rivers of water, rivers of living water, Rivers of living water proceeding
out from Jerusalem. That's the church's mission. That's the church's declaration
is to preach Christ and Him crucified, a living Savior. Here in the
book of 2 Corinthians, we have this wonderful message mentioned
here, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. chapter 4 and verse 6 it says
for God now it takes us right back to Genesis chapter 1 here
but this is in a different light for God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness he's in charge of this light he was
in charge of that light did you notice how selective he was with
that light that great host of men that were traveling down
to Damascus one man saw that great light from heaven. The
rest of them saw the sunshine at noonday. But he saw something
else. He saw the glory of Christ. And
that is what he does for his people. He is so selective. Does not the potter have power
over the clay? Does not the creator have power
over the light? Does not God have power over
the light that he shines out of darkness into our hearts?
Notice here in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 6. For God
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, he takes all
control away from humanity. He takes control of salvation
out of the hands of humans. He takes control of the light
out of our hands. Here he goes, he says, has shined
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. What a statement is made here
by God through his apostle, this Paul, as he is sharing with us
what he had been given by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
caused him to write the truths down from the Scriptures. He,
God, commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Now Saul of
Tarsus could go right back there to that trip he was making down
to Damascus and say, there it is. God commanded the light. I had nothing to do with it.
He had no interest in that light. He was doing just fine in the
light of the noonday. And he was traveling heartily
towards Damascus. And he had an intent once he
got there to what to do. He was going to arrest believers.
But God stopped him in the way. God came to him, arrested him
in the way. He brought him to his knees by
the great light of the glorious Son of God. And here he is. commanded the light to shine.
How often he has done that from the very beginning. Every time
he's turned the light on it has been for one specific individual
at a time. He isn't shotgun hunting. He
is so selective and he only is going to give the light to those
that he bought at the cross he's only giving the light to those
whose names are written down in the lamb's book of life and
so it is how glorious this is that they would do this back
up just a little bit in the book of uh... second corinthians chapter
four verse four scripture share this in whom the god of this
world has blinded the minds of them that believe not there's
a lot of discussion about the god of the world this world and
you know you may have your opinion but I look at this and I see
that the worst the very worst God of the world that blinds
people's minds is ourself we are our own worst enemies we
are fallen creatures of Adam we have we're dead in trespasses
and sin we have a God of this world and it's religion and we're
going to carry that out Everybody in the world is religious, and
once God works a work of grace, religion takes its place. It
is just phony, and we have the true. I don't know how many times
I've had a certain religious sect come to my door, and they
start blabbering away, and I interrupt them. And you know, if you interrupt
them, they lose their train of thought, and they have to start
over. It's kind of like, I can't start with K and start the alphabet. I have to go back to A. Well,
that's what happens. And I just simply ask this. Do
you know what butter or margarine is? That's what it is. Do you
know what margarine is? Yeah. Yeah. What is margarine? Well,
it's fake butter. Well, what's butter? Well, that's the real.
And I says, why would I give up the real butter for fake margarine? Christ is the real. Why would
I give him up for fake? Well, there's always going to
be those who are carrying candles But he has the light of the glory
of God, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine upon them." God's going to shine on
those he intends to shine on. He doesn't waste his light. He doesn't waste his blood. His
blood could cover it all, but it didn't. It covered all that
He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians
chapter 5, we have this statement about ourselves. Ephesians chapter
5, as we think of darkness and light, in Ephesians chapter 5
and verse 8, this passage of scripture comes to mind our minds
as we think about this light. They had light, not in Egypt,
but down there among Israel. in their dwelling places. There
was light created by Almighty God. God is light, and in Him
is no darkness at all. This light, and even in the evening
there shall be light. At God's appointed time, light
will be coming upon all those He intends to save. And here
in the book of Ephesians chapter 5, for ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light.
You are sometimes. That's just a statement for everybody
that God has ever saved has always began their life in darkness.
And then you are now are ye light in the Lord. He has created light
in us. He has created life in us. And
how glorious is that? You know it's a common thing
We just say, why in the world can't they see it? Well, in the
book of John chapter 3 and verse 19 it says, men love darkness
rather than light. By nature, we'll go to the darkness.
We'll not come to Christ. We have an aversion to that.
There's just a negative pull about that. We just cannot be
attracted by that. Everything that God stands for,
we stand against. And yet, when the Lord saves
us, we are in agreement with God on everything that we find
in the scriptures. All the truth of the gospel,
we are in agreement with. As we look just a little bit
further here, we find these wonderful thoughts about the light you
know in Hebrews chapter 12 would you join me there Hebrews chapter
12 Hebrews chapter 12 and there in verse 18 ye for ye are not come now the
Apostle is sharing with us places that we have not come when God
saves us We've been taken away from this place. Now notice the
description of this place under the law. Notice this description.
You are not come unto the mouth that might be touched, and that
burned with fire, nor unto darkness. God doesn't bring his people
to darkness. We're not brought to the darkness
of the law. We're not brought to the darkness
of ourselves. We're fine. And the darkness
and tempest and the sound of the trumpet, and so forth. Verse 22, But ye are come unto
mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, to an innumerable number of angels. company of
angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn.
You know, just reading that, we find that that place that
is mentioned originally there in that passage of Scripture,
that Sinai is mentioned as a place of darkness. But ye are brought
to, you are come to Mount Zion. Well, we find how glorious it
is that the Lord would bring us to the light. He takes us
from darkness to His marvelous light. He's delivered us from
the power of darkness, it tells us in the book of Colossians.
So we're not brought to that place of darkness, we're brought
to a place of light. The Lord is light, and in Him
is no darkness at all. Just back up just a little bit
there to the book of Colossians. The book of Colossians and in
Colossians chapter 1 verse 13, we have this glorious statement
about this God's work, God's work. This is what he did for
Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. This is what he does
for every one of his sheep, lost sheep. He brings them to this
point who hath delivered us. He hath delivered us from the
power of darkness. No, we love darkness rather than
light by nature. where bedbugs, light comes on,
we run. You know, that's illustrated
by our first father, Adam. When God came in the cool of
the evening, he ran and hid himself in the trees of the garden, among
God's own creation. All right, notice this, verse
13, Colossians chapter one, who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
son. the glorious light of his son
translated into the kingdom of his dear son the lord is light
and he's my salvation and we find in james chapter one verse
seventeen is the father of lights every good gift and every perfect
gift cometh down from the father of lights with whom there is
no variable as neither shadow of turning father of lights it
is the lord that gives light in fact in the book of revelation
twice towards the end there in revelation chapter 21 and chapter
22 and with this we'll close our study for tonight the book
of revelation chapter 21 verse 23 revelation chapter 21 verse
23 and I just have to be reminded as I open up this book of revelation
the very first verse of scripture shares us the truth about this
whole book the revelation of Jesus Christ the revelation of
Jesus Christ alright let's look at this revelation of Jesus Christ
in revelation chapter 21 verse 23 And the city had no need of the
sun, new Jerusalem, neither of the moon to shine in. What's
that mean? There's no need of physical light. This place is lit by spiritual
light. We don't take the physical there. We take the spiritual. Here it
goes on to say, Neither of the moon to shine in it, for the
glory of God lighten it. and the lamb is the light thereof."
We don't take physical light to the kingdom. It's not of meat
or drink. It's of spiritual truths. And then in that same book, the
last chapter, verse 22 of the book of Revelation, chapter 22
of the book of Revelation, and there in verse 5, we read this, And there shall be no light there,
and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun. For the
Lord giveth unto them light, and they shall reign for ever.
You know, the sun is God's creation, but that's not the light that's
there. The light that's there, the light in the kingdom, the
light in New Jerusalem, the light that God gives to us to enlighten
us is Jesus Christ, the light, the true light that lights every
one of His elect. You know, from a natural standpoint,
He enlightens everybody. He gives life to everybody. Everybody
that's ever been born has this life. When it comes to spiritual
things, everyone that's born again, He has given them His
light, spiritual light. So, just want to return to that
book of Zechariah for just a moment. There in chapter 14, verses 6
and 7, read these words one more time. And it shall come to pass
in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark. Why, we
walked there long enough. You know, when did God save Saul
of Tarsus? Doesn't tell us a month, doesn't
tell us a day, doesn't tell us a season. It mentions in the
book of Galatians though, when it pleased God. That's when he
was saved. That's the same thing about every
one of his people. When it pleased God. And then
in verse 7, But it shall be one day which shall be known to the
Lord, He knows that day. He knows the day of our salvation.
He has it marked out from eternity. When it pleased the Lord, not
day nor night, but it shall come to pass that at evening time
it shall be light. Out of darkness He calls us to
His light. And then, Lord willing, next
time we want to look at this eighth verse. What a glorious
gospel message is here. And it shall be in that day that
living water shall go out from Jerusalem half of them towards
the former sea and half them to the hinder sea in summer and
in winter shall it be unchangeable living water doesn't matter the
season the gospel remains the same so we'll close tonight with
that verses six and seven of this looking to him as our light
looking to him as the only light We have no light of our own.
We're in darkness. But He is the life that gives
us understanding about the Lord of glory. He is our light and
He is our salvation.