Let there be light
jay_emm
Kerygmania Host
in Kerygmania
There was a request for a discussion on light motifs.
Between Genesis, John's I am saying, and Revelations seven sun irradiance, there's clearly a lot to talk about.
Between Genesis, John's I am saying, and Revelations seven sun irradiance, there's clearly a lot to talk about.
Comments
And (without going too much into any documentary hypothesis), are there other candidates for the earliest light reference in the bible?
How does it compare with other creation myths, is it an unusual feature or a standard?
And then we can see if other uses call back to this.
1) It is a symbol of intelligibility--the world becomes knowable through it.
2) It is a sign of divine activity--the gods reveal themselves though illumination.
3) It is a country marker--separating chaos from cosmos.
4) It is a metaphor for life
Genesis 1 stands out from the other creation stories in that light is not a god. Note, we have light, and plants before the sun, moon and stars
What is the seven sun irradiance? I can't think of what this could be, off hand.
Probably some pop culture having been merged in with my memory of rev 21:23 "the city had no need of the sun...for the Glory of God did lighten it" and similar 22:5.
Paul seems to manage to get it four times in 2 Cor 4:6, which I think is impressive.
It's interesting that 'light' there us linked to 'knowledge' - or clarity I suppose. The knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a relational sense.
I'm often struck by John 1:5 where we are told that light has shone in the darkness and the darkness 'did not comprehend it.'
Some versions have 'understand' of course, which amounts to the same thing.
It's as if darkness has a kind of negative agency, as if it ought to be able to understand it but can't because of its own darkness as it were.
Plenty of light and dark imagery in the scriptures of course about 'light' and understanding.
'The entry of your word brings light, it brings understanding to the simple.'
It goes beyond that, of course.
We've got the light of the Transfiguration, and much more besides.
Thanks for starting this thread and for your contributions so far Kerymaniacs. I look forward to further reflections on light imagery in the scriptures.
It sounds like Isaiah 30:26: "Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow."
(Glad it was actually biblical at least)
I was wondering about psalm 119:105 "your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path", it works perfectly fine as an improvised metaphor,
But if there is a pattern, say a resonance with creation, or with wisdom 'seeing the light'...
There's definitely lots of passages that can be brought in.
I think if someone clever could give structure, it would could easily last Lent.
Perhaps we could narrow things down to consider the subject in relation to Christ?
'I am the light of the world ...' etc.
But even then it's a massive topic.
How can it not be?
Or consider the scriptural references to 'light' in the context of understanding and illumination?
Again, pretty big ...
Any suggestions on how we can break this down into bite-size chunks?
Perhaps we could pick one particular verse or passage and consider that in detail. @Jengie Jon's citation of 2 Cor 4:6 might be a good place to start as there are several light references in that one verse.
1. Cosmic & Creative Light
These passages deal with light as the foundational "stuff" of the universe and the boundary between order and chaos.
Genesis 1:1–5: The first separation (Day 1).
Genesis 1:14–19: The delegated lights (Day 4).
Job 38:12–15 & 19–21: The "dwelling place" of light.
Psalm 104:1–2: Light as a garment for the Divine.
2. Ethical & Wisdom Light
Here, light is a tool for navigation, clarity, and distinguishing right from wrong.
Psalm 119:105: The lamp and the path.
Psalm 27:1: Light as salvation and confidence.
Proverbs 4:18–19: The "shining light" of the righteous vs. deep darkness.
Ecclesiastes 2:13: The practical advantage of light over folly.
3. Prophetic & Restorative Light
These verses look forward to a time when light will be intensified to heal the world or signal God’s intervention.
Isaiah 9:2: The people walking in darkness seeing a great light.
Isaiah 30:26: The "Seven Sun" irradiance (moon like sun, sun sevenfold).
Isaiah 60:1–3 & 19–20: The glory that replaces the sun.
Micah 7:8: The Lord as light in the midst of a fall.
4. The Incarnate & Living Light
The New Testament shift where the metaphor becomes a person.
John 1:1–14: The Word as the light of men.
John 8:12: The "I Am" claim to be the Light of the World.
Matthew 17:1–8: The Transfiguration (light as a physical manifestation of glory).
2 Corinthians 4:4–6: The light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ.
1 John 1:5–7: The claim that "God is light" and the requirement to walk in it.
5. The Eschatological (Final) Light
The conclusion of the biblical narrative where the "physics" of the world changes.
Revelation 21:23–25: The city with no need of sun or moon.
Revelation 22:5: The end of night.
To which I asked it to add contradictory verses:
1. The Darkness as God’s Hiding Place
In these verses, darkness isn't the absence of God, but the very place where God dwells to protect His holiness or to shroud His mystery.
Psalm 18:11: "He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky."
1 Kings 8:12: "The Lord has said that he would dwell in a thick cloud [thick darkness]."
Exodus 20:21: "The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was."
2. The "Inaccessible" Light (The Danger of Exposure)
Usually, we want to get closer to light, but these verses suggest that divine light is a barrier that creates a different kind of "blindness."
1 Timothy 6:16: God "who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see."
Acts 9:3–9: The light of Christ on the road to Damascus doesn't clarify the world for Paul; it physically blinds him for three days.
3. The Deceptive Light
The Bible warns that "light" isn't always a guarantee of truth—it can be a costume.
2 Corinthians 11:14: "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."
Matthew 6:23: "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (The idea of "false light" or internal delusion).
4. The "Darkness" of the Womb and Secret Creation
Darkness is often seen as a place of chaos, but in the Wisdom literature, it is the necessary, quiet "darkroom" where life is developed.
Psalm 139:12–15: "Even the darkness is not dark to you... I was woven together in the depths of the earth [the secret/dark place]."
There should be something to pick out from that, for instance, playing the first one against the last.
Well done!
Darkness us the absence of light.
Which makes the last references all the more intriguing and counterintuitive.
But seeing the use of Gemini I will make some general remarks.
We don't want AI to be used as an authority.
We don't want AI used to produce content faster than everyone can read/respond.
We don't want AI used to avoid reading others posts.
We really don't want any copyright leakage or other legal issues.
We don't want to be confused between you and any AI (thanks for attributing it)
And I'm sure there's more.
Jay-Emm Kerygmania host
Then perhaps on Ash Wednesday someone can do Darkness/Inaccessible light.
Then wk 3 ethical light
Then wk4 prophetical light
Jesus wk 5/6 in teaching
Jesus wk 6/5 as person
Eschalotical light
That gives kind of a Lenten shape to it (or an altar call), while being distinctive. And each part can hopefully stand on it's own.