We began our study of Genesis last time. We worked through verse 1 to some extent, then moved into verse 2 and covered its first part.
In this session—by the grace of God—we will continue with verse 2.
What were the key truths we studied last time?
- Summary from our last study
1.1 | Summary from our last study | The Beginning and the End.
We studied the word “Beginning” (Heb. Bereshit). We saw that reshit does not merely point to a moment in time at creation; rather, the good Lord reveals Himself as the Beginning—for He is our Firstfruits, our Beginning.
In Revelation 1:8 the Lord proclaims that He is the Beginning and the End. He is not only declaring that He is God; He is also proclaiming that He is, quite literally, the Beginning and the End of Scripture.
Scripture opens with His title—“Beginning”—and closes with His title—“Amen.”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
1.2 | Summary from our last study | The Lord expected us to know.
This is not a hidden mystery; the Lord expected us to know and understand it. That is why He was surprised when the Pharisees could not see Christ in the Scriptures.
Therefore our study—and any study of the Word of God—should focus on gleaning the knowledge of who our Lord is. When we seek Him and His righteousness, everything else falls into place. That will be our focus today as well: we will strive to seek Him, and trust that the rest will fall into place.
1.3 | Summary of our last study | Life and Life Eternal.
The Lord reminded the Pharisees that they searched the Scriptures hoping to find life. But the only way to find life is to seek the Lord in the Scriptures—to see Him there.
It may sound simple and straightforward, yet we often fail to do this. We read passages only in their immediate context, forgetting that the whole context of Scripture is our Lord Jesus Christ.
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39–40)
That will be our focus today. It should be your focus whenever you study or hear the Word: Can you see Christ in it? Is it leading you into His righteousness? The disciples proclaimed Christ crucified—and so will we.
1.4 | Summary from our last study | Heavens and the Earth – Void and Empty
We were introduced to “the heavens and the earth.” We noted that heavens is plural—there is more than one heaven—while earth is singular: there is only one earth.
We then turned to verse 2 and asked, “Lord, why did it become empty and void?” We learned that God did not create it empty and void; rather, the earth became formless and void—chaotic, uninhabitable, desolate—because of sin.
A common view suggests either that we cannot know why, or that Satan’s fall caused a great devastation, after which the Lord “re-created” the world over millions of years—a proposal meant to satisfy both theistic evolutionists and creationists. But this is not what Scripture teaches. Instead, the Lord points us to one of His most important attributes:
“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’”
(Isaiah 46:9–10)
He alone declares the end from the beginning. We saw examples of how He does this so that, as He brings His purposes to completion, we may know beyond doubt that He is God.
Thus, Genesis 1:2 is not pointing to millions of years, nor to the devil’s fall. We also noted in our study of the adversary’s fall that the devil still has access to the heavenly court—he remains the accuser of the brethren—though a day is coming when that access will be barred.
With that said, let us continue our study this week. Let us read verses 1 and 2.
2.0 The Face
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
Scripture says that darkness was on the face of the deep, and that the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Let us break this down: What is the face? What is the deep? What is this darkness? What are the waters? And what is the Spirit of God doing over the waters while darkness covers the deep?
What is this “face”?
The Hebrew word is pānîm (פָּנִים; pah-NEEM)—“face,” “surface,” or “presence.” It refers to the visible surface or covering of something, behind which what lies beneath is hidden—just as a human face presents what is outward while concealing what is within.
In the Greek (LXX), the preposition ἐπάνω (epanō)—“above/upon”—is used, underscoring that something lies under that surface.
In Genesis 1:2, the first reference places the deep under the face; the second places the waters under the face.
With that in mind, let us look at the deep first.
3.0 The Deep
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
3.1 | The Word Deep.
“Deep” appears many times in Scripture, but not always with the same meaning. For example, a few verses later the Lord puts Adam into a deep sleep—yet that “deep” is a different word. In Genesis 1:2 the term is specific: it names a distinct place throughout Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments. Let us look first at the Old Testament.
3.2 | In The Old Testament.
The Hebrew word is tĕhôm (תְּהוֹם; te-HOHM; Strong’s H8415). Scripture gives substantial insight into what this deep is, so it’s worth pausing to understand it.
3.3 | The Flood.
In Genesis 7 we read that the whole earth was covered with water—high enough to overtop the tallest mountains. Today, about 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, yet to cover the highest mountains would require, on average, roughly three times the amount of water we see on earth’s surface today. That is more water than rainfall alone could supply in forty days.
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:11)
Scripture teaches that the fountains of the great deep were broken up—and that is where most of the waters that covered the earth came from. This is the same deep named in Genesis 1:2. Thus we understand that the deep lies beneath the surface (the “face”). Does this mean it is at the very center of the earth?
Let us consider this further.
3.4 | The New Testament.
In the New Testament, the Greek term for “deep” gives us added clarity. The word is ἄβυσσος (ábyssos)—“abyss.” In the NKJV it is commonly rendered “the bottomless pit.”
By Revelation 9 the good Lord is pouring out His wrath upon the world: the seven seals have been opened, and four trumpet judgments have sounded. In chapter 9 we read the fifth trumpet:
Revelation 9:1–3
Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.
And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.
Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Let us consider this. Genesis 1:2 speaks of the deep—darkness over its face—and elsewhere we learn that the fountains of the great deep supplied the waters that covered the earth in the Flood. In Revelation 9 an angel descends with the key to this realm.
He is given authority to open the well—the pit—of the Abyss. This implies that, even now, this place exists beneath the earth, and that its pit is locked until the Lord grants access. When the angel opens it, smoke pours forth and darkens the sky; creatures emerge at the Lord’s command. So we ask: Who sent the angel? Who gave him the authority to open the Abyss?
It is the Lord—not the devil. We will see this more clearly as we continue. We often assume these beings are under Satan’s control, but Scripture does not say that; such assumptions arise when we do not rightly understand who the good Lord is.
To a casual reader it may sound as though the Abyss is merely a storehouse of evil under the earth—the abode of demons. But the picture is more nuanced. Let us read further; turn with me to Luke 8.
3.5 | The Demons & The Devil
We all know the account in Luke’s Gospel of the man possessed by a legion of demons (a term that, in Roman usage, denotes a very large number—often around six thousand). Consider Luke 8:30–31, where the Lord questions the demon and the reply reveals crucial truth about the deep (the Abyss):
Luke 8:30–31
Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.
And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the Abyss.
The demons feared being sent into the Abyss before the appointed time. The Lord did not say He was sending them there, yet they pleaded to avoid it—showing that, at that moment, they were not in the Abyss but active on the earth.
Why were they afraid? How did they know they would ultimately be confined there? Scripture later makes this destiny explicit:
Revelation 20:1–3
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
A few key takeaways:
- Present status: The devil (and these demons in Luke 8) are not confined in the Abyss at that time; they are active on the earth.
- Future binding: Satan will be bound in the Abyss at the end of the age (Revelation 20:1–3).
- He knows the clock: As we noted in Revelation 12, the devil knows “he has a short time,” being cast down from heaven and losing access to the heavenly court.
- No access while sealed: When Satan is confined in the Abyss, he will have no access to deceive the nations until the appointed release.
With that in view, Luke 8 and Revelation 20 together affirm that the Abyss is real, locked by divine authority, and opened or sealed only at the Lord’s command—not the devil’s.
3.6 | The One Who Binds.
In Revelation 20 it is **another angel—just one—**who binds Satan. The only reason this has not yet happened is that the appointed time has not come.
We often speak of “binding the devil,” but Scripture assigns that act to one angel, not to us (cf. Revelation 20:1–3). No matter how often we attempt to bind him, he will not be bound until that day.
Even before we finish Genesis 1:2, we can already see the end of the devil. An angel has been commissioned, and he is simply awaiting the Lord’s timing. Understand this: the Lord is not reacting after the fact. He did not create the deep as an emergency measure once a fallen angel needed to be bound.
The Lord has already set these things in place. As He challenges Job, who can counsel God or add to His wisdom? (see Job 38:2).
If we would grasp who God is, many practices common in churches today would fall away. We would cling to the Word of God—which is the power of God.
With that, let us return to the Abyss, the deep.
3.7 | Not the Lake of Fire.
This Abyss is not the Lake of Fire. It is not Gehenna (hell) to which the Lord refers in the Gospels. The Abyss is not the final place of destruction for the devil—that final destiny is the Lake of Fire (Gehenna).
Revelation 19:20
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Eventually, the devil will also be thrown into the Lake of Fire (cf. Revelation 20:10). But for a thousand years he will be confined in the pit of the Abyss before being released briefly to deceive the earth once more, and then consigned to final perdition (cf. Revelation 20:1–3, 7–10).
3.8 | The King of Abyss.
We saw that an angel is commissioned to seize the devil and cast him into the Abyss. Scripture also speaks of another angel—the king of the Abyss:
Revelation 9:11
And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
Abaddon (Hebrew) means “destruction”; Apollyon (Greek) means “destroyer.” When the devil and his demons are cast into the Abyss, they are under this angel’s authority.
We must remember: there are beings far more powerful than the devil—holy angels whom demons fear, and under whose authority even the devil is placed by the Lord. And the good Lord has given us authority to stand against the devil’s deception in Christ, though the act of binding Satan awaits the Lord’s appointed time.
So far we know:
- The deep/Abyss is a real place.
- It houses beings.
- It contains fountains/wells, associated with waters.
- It is beneath the earth.
- It has a king—Abaddon/Apollyon.
- We have nothing to do with that place; it is under God’s command and timetable.
With that understanding, let us turn to Psalm 104 for further insight into the deep.
4.0 The Foundation.
Psalm 104:1–6
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
who makes the clouds His chariot,
who walks on the wings of the wind,
who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
so that it should not be moved forever;
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
Scripture teaches that the Lord laid the foundations of the earth so that it should not be moved, then covered it “with the deep as with a garment,” and He stretches out the heavens like a curtain. In other words, creation moves—heavens stretched, waters flowing, earth proceeding in its course—yet beneath it all is a fixed foundation established by God.
But does the earth have a foundation in the way we imagine (a load-bearing structure under the ground)? Job tells us otherwise:
Job 26:7
He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
Scripture says the Lord suspends the earth on nothing—on empty space—even as He “stretches out” the heavens (cf. Ps 104:2; Isa 40:22; 42:5). So what, then, is this foundation?
In Scripture the term often rendered “foundation” is mākôn (מָכוֹן; from kûn, “to establish”; Strong’s H4349): not a concrete footing, but a fixed, established place—the divinely set station or supporting order by which God secures creation.
Before we unpack that further, let us consider a few basics from observable science—and then return to how Scripture’s language of mākôn helps us understand the deep and the Lord’s ordering of all things.
4.1 | The Expanding Universe.
This is not a science lecture, but let’s note a few things we’ve learned so far—remembering that scientific understanding keeps developing. The more we discover, the more our horizon moves.
Only by the 17th century did the modern study of the galaxy begin to take shape, and only in the 1920s did we realize there are many galaxies beyond our own and begin to study them in detail. As Scripture says, creation points us back to the Lord (Romans 1:20).
Consider a few motions:
- Earth around the sun: ~67,000 miles/hour (≈ 30 km/s).
- Earth’s rotation (at the equator): ~1,000 miles/hour (≈ 465 m/s).
- The sun’s motion through the galaxy: ~200 km/s (≈ 448,000 miles/hour).
- The Milky Way’s large-scale motion: on the order of hundreds of km/s—vast and ongoing.
In short, the known universe is being stretched and everything is moving at astonishing speeds.
So why doesn’t anything fall away?
4.2 | He Laid The Foundation.
The Lord declares that He has laid the foundation so that it will not be moved. By foundation Scripture does not mean a concrete footing as we imagine it, but a fixed place—the established station on which everything rests (cf. Ps 104:5–6).
From Psalm 104 we learn:
- He laid the foundation.
- He covered it with the deep as with a garment (Ps 104:6) and, as elsewhere, He veils it in darkness (cf. Ps 97:2).
- The earth proceeds upon it—above what is covered.
Thus, though everything in creation is spinning and moving, we are secured by what Scripture calls the foundation: “You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever” (Ps 104:5).
We cannot see the deep because it is covered—veiled. That may not seem intuitive to a twenty-first-century mind; let’s set that aside for the moment and return to it shortly.
Summary so far
- The Lord laid the foundation—a fixed place.
- The deep is associated with/placed upon that fixed place.
- The deep is covered with darkness.
- The deep is a real place.
- We do not have access to it; it is an abode of beings (angels) under the kingship of the Destroyer (Apollyon).
- The deep lies beneath the earth.
- The foundation—this fixed place—holds His creation fast.
Remember, this is not a stack of layers like pancakes. Scripture accommodates our understanding with spatial language, but we are speaking of realities that transcend our normal three dimensions.
Hold that thought; let us return now to this fixed place and what Scripture means by foundation.
4.3 | The Fixed Place.
Scripture does not use “fixed place” (foundation) only for creation language; it also uses it for God’s dwelling.
Isaiah 18:4
For thus the Lord said to me:
“I will take My rest, and I will look from My dwelling place
like clear heat in sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
Most English versions render “My dwelling place,” but the Hebrew word is מָכוֹן (mākôn)—the same term meaning fixed/established place; foundation.
1 Kings 8:49
“then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,”
Again, “dwelling place” is mākôn. Repeatedly the prophets speak of this fixed place as where the Lord is enthroned and from which He hears His people. This does not suggest that heaven is “under the earth.” Rather, Scripture is teaching a spiritual reality: God is Spirit, and His “fixed place/foundation” is His sure, established throne—the place of His governing presence.
So what, exactly, is the Lord teaching us when He says He looks and hears from the fixed place?
The New Testament makes the answer explicit.
4.4 | He is our Foundation!
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The word foundation here is θεμέλιος (the-MEH-lee-os, G2310; cf. G2311 θεμελιόω, “to lay a foundation”). This New Testament term mirrors the Old Testament idea of a fixed/established place (Heb. mākôn) and the Septuagint’s use of θεμέλιος in passages like Psalm 104 and Kings/Isaiah.
The prophets, the psalmists, and the Lord Himself are not pointing us to a geographical spot. They are declaring that we are not moved or consumed because we stand upon the foundation—Jesus Christ.
- He is the center point of all creation.
- He is the foundation of all creation.
There is no other.
4.5 | He Holds All Creation.
He is the One who holds all creation together. Without Him, we do not exist; creation does not exist.
Colossians 1:16–17
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Scripture declares that all things—visible and invisible—were created by, through, and for Him; and in Him all things consist (lit. “hold together,” Gk. synéstēken). This is not merely a devotional image; Scripture sets it forth as a literal reality: He holds creation; He is the foundation.
Thus, when 1 Corinthians 3:11 says there can be no other foundation, it is not only spiritually true—it is literally true. Remove Christ, and there is no creation, for all things are created in Him and through Him.
But there is more. At the center point of all creation—at the foundation—what divine attributes do we find?
His power?
His authority?
That He is all consuming?
That He is all knowing?
Turn back with me to the Old Testament.
4.6 | He Covers His Foundation.
Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
mercy and truth go before Your face.
Scripture declares—from the outset of our study—that Jesus Christ is the foundation of all creation. At that foundation the Lord reveals righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth.
Consider also:
Psalm 97:2
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
These texts teach that righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth constitute the very foundation of His throne—that is who He is. Yet Psalm 97 adds that clouds and darkness surround Him. In other words, these holy perfections are veiled—not openly accessible to all—until He chooses to unveil them.
That veil is precisely where we are headed next.
5.0 The Darkness.
The good Lord teaches that His throne stands at the center of all creation.
He holds all things together.
And the foundation of His throne is righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth.
Yet Scripture also says His throne is covered in darkness (cf. Ps 97:2). And not only His throne—the deep was likewise covered in darkness:
Genesis 1:2
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Let us consider what this darkness is. For His throne is said to be surrounded by darkness—language we do not usually associate with Him; we instinctively think of light. What does Scripture mean?
That is where we turn next.
5.1 | The Physical Darkness.
Let us first consider physical darkness. Often the Lord teaches us through the physical and then points us to the spiritual. If we grasp physical darkness, we will better understand spiritual darkness.
Why is it dark at night?
There are millions of stars in the sky, yet the night is not bright. For some reason, the starlight does not “fill” the darkness. This is historically called Olbers’ paradox. Various explanations have been offered; but let us understand the physical reality for us -here, today.
Now, stay with the physical: if a room is dark and you flip on a light, what happens?
The darkness is gone. Light disperses darkness.
If the night is dark and you light a bonfire, what happens?
The bonfire gives light. Light disperses darkness.
Spiritually, we understand this as well:
1 John 1:5–6
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Scripture is clear—in the physical and the spiritual—where there is light, there is no darkness.
So how can Scripture also say that His throne is surrounded by darkness?
Let us search the Scriptures to understand this more fully.
5.2 | The Darkness in Egypt.
By Exodus 10, eight plagues have already fallen. We now reach the ninth—a judgment more severe than the previous ones and a prelude to the death of the firstborn.
What was the ninth plague?
Darkness. And Scripture treats it as no ordinary night.
Exodus 10:21–22
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
This was physical darkness—“which may be felt.” The Hebrew verb behind “be felt” is māshash (“to feel, grope”), the same root used when Isaac felt Jacob (Gen 27), underscoring that this darkness had tangible, oppressive substance.
Exodus 10:23
They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Notice the features:
- It immobilized Egypt: no one rose from his place for three days.
- It obliterated visibility: “they did not see one another.”
- It was selective: Israel had light—in Goshen, within Egypt itself.
A natural question arises: Couldn’t an Egyptian light a torch or a bonfire? Wouldn’t light disperse the darkness? The text does not say they couldn’t ignite a flame; rather, it portrays a darkness so thick that ordinary light did not penetrate it. At the same time, Israel had light—a God-given light that the Egyptians neither shared nor could reach. If light was present in Goshen, why didn’t Egyptians simply head toward it? The narrative implies they couldn’t: the darkness fixed them in place and blocked their sight.
In other words, this plague reveals a localized, God-governed darkness—real, felt, impenetrable to ordinary means—alongside covenant light that God preserves for His people. This prepares us to understand other passages where darkness surrounds what is holy, not because God lacks light, but because He sovereignly veils and unveils.
Let us look at another scene in Scripture.
5.3 | The Pillar of Cloud.
After the tenth plague, Israel departs Egypt and soon faces its first great trial: the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind. The people cry out; the Lord tells Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea. But how can an entire nation—elders, women, children, cattle, and goods—cross before the Egyptians overtake them?
The good Lord acts for His children:
Exodus 14:19–20
And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
Note carefully:
- The Angel of God and the pillar of cloud relocate to stand between Egypt and Israel.
- To Egypt, it is cloud and darkness.
- To Israel, it is light by night.
- The result: the Egyptians did not come near Israel all night.
In other words, the Lord establishes a God-governed barrier: darkness to the Egyptians, light to Israel. If the Egyptians could have seen through the cloud to the light ahead, they might have advanced. But the text indicates they could not; the darkness prevented approach. Here again we meet a physical darkness that ordinary light does not penetrate, while God grants covenant light to His people.
What is this darkness? We struggle to comprehend it. Yet Scripture repeatedly presents a darkness that separates and protects, a darkness that veils even as it reveals God’s saving purpose.
Let us consider one more example—this time from the New Testament.
5.4 | On The Cross.
Scripture teaches that when the good Lord hung on the cross, darkness fell for three hours—from noon to 3 p.m. This was no ordinary astronomical event (a total solar eclipse lasts minutes and requires a new moon, whereas Passover is at a full moon).
Matthew 27:45
Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.
Mark 15:33
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Luke 23:44
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
Taken together, the Gospels affirm a midday darkness by divine act, and Luke explicitly states it was “over all the earth”—global in scope, not merely local to Judea.
As with Egypt’s ninth plague (a darkness that could be felt) and the pillar of cloud (darkness to Egypt, light to Israel), this is God-governed darkness: real, impenetrable to ordinary light, and purposeful. It veils the holiest moment—the Foundation Himself bearing our judgment—until God chooses to unveil.
5.0 The Glory of the Lord.
The first time the good Lord came down in all His glory was when He came to give His Word at Sinai. Yes, the Lord appears many times throughout Scripture, even from the earliest chapters of Genesis; but in Exodus He descends in manifest glory.
The people were warned not to approach the mountain; only Moses was permitted to draw near. What did the people see from afar?
Exodus 20:21
So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
Though there were thunders, though the mountain burned with fire, though there were lightnings, Scripture testifies that none of this pierced the thick darkness in which the Lord descended.
- There was thunder.
- There was lightning.
- There was fire on the mountain.
- Yet God was veiled in thick darkness.
Moses later reminds Israel that they saw no form—only the darkness, cloud, and thick darkness—and heard the voice:
Deuteronomy 4:11–12
Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.
This same pattern appears again at the dedication of Solomon’s temple:
1 Kings 8:12
Then Solomon spoke: “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.”
And David sings:
Psalm 18:11
He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
So, what is this darkness?
Why is God surrounded by darkness?
These are not contradictions to His light; they are the veil of His holy presence when He draws near in glory. That is the understanding we will enter next.
5.1 | The Created Darkness.
Here is the first part of the understanding: darkness is not merely the absence of light.
Scripture teaches that God created darkness.
Without His creating, there is nothing—not even “darkness.” Even darkness had to be made by Him.
Isaiah 45:7
“I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things.”
Because darkness is created, it ultimately lies under God’s command. This helps explain why purely natural accounts struggle to define darkness beyond “the absence of photons.” Science can analyze processes within creation, but it cannot account for creation from nothing. For example, we can describe how water forms (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen combining to make H₂O), but we cannot produce hydrogen or oxygen out of nothing—the elements themselves are gifts of the Creator.
So, biblically:
- Light is formed by God.
- Darkness is created by God.
- Both serve His purposes in creation and revelation.
This prepares us to see why God may veil with darkness and unveil with light according to His will.
5.2 | Covered in Darkness.
Here is the understanding: the good Lord covers Himself in darkness.
Left to ourselves, we cannot see God, comprehend Him, or contain His glory.
Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high, I cannot attain it.
He covers Himself in darkness. We cannot confine God to a place; we cannot fathom His glory; we cannot comprehend who He is. Therefore Scripture cries out that no one can see God and live:
Exodus 33:20
But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
The New Testament agrees:
John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Thus, His throne is veiled in darkness (cf. Ps 97:2). He covers Himself—and, in a creaturely sense, He veils creation from direct sight of His unmediated glory—until He chooses to reveal Himself. The darkness becomes His holy veil and His mercy that we may not be consumed.
5.3 | The Light in Darkness.
The good Lord did not leave us in darkness.
Job 12:22
He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
and brings the shadow of death to light.
God revealed Himself—and He did so in one way, first signaled at creation:
Genesis 1:3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
2 Corinthians 4:6
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
There is one revelation by which we truly know the Father: His Son, Jesus Christ.
If we do not know Christ, we cannot know God the Father—for there is no other revelation, there is no other light – there is only darkness.
5.4 | Christ – The Only Revelation
If a person rejects Christ, where is he going?
He is going into the deep darkness of the Father—for he did not receive the only revelation of God the Father.
You who have believed in the light of Christ: understand that the Lord has opened the veil, and now you must walk in the light.
How do we do that?
Psalm 18:28
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
We are in darkness, for the Lord has covered all creation by Himself. We must know the Father, and the only way to know the Father is through His only revealed Light—Jesus Christ. And the only way we come to know Jesus Christ is when He lights our lamp, when He enlightens our darkness.
How does He enlighten our darkness?
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
That is the only way we can walk in the light. It is not a light that merely flashes from the sky above; it is the lamp that gives light to our feet. We are covered in darkness in this world; the only way to walk is by His Word—which is what the Lord proclaims in John 1:
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This is the Light—the Word—placed in our hands. When you walk in the light, there can be no darkness. That is the understanding of this passage.
So the apostle asks by the Spirit:
How can you walk in darkness—as if you have no knowledge of the Father—when you have the Word, the Spirit, the light of Christ?
How could you live without being a living, breathing testimony of Christ when you have received the revelation, the Word, and the Spirit?
1 John 1:5–6
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
How do you know you are walking in the light?
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
If you are not pursuing righteousness, if you are not pursuing His mercy, then you are not pursuing the light of Christ. God says you are in darkness.
Remember: the foundation of His throne is Righteousness, Truth, Mercy, and Justice. If you are not pursuing these today, you are in darkness—you are not walking in the light.
Isaiah 58:8
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
your healing shall spring forth speedily,
and your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
This is calling out the Light of Christ. And what do you see when you see the Light of Christ? His righteousness.
Isaiah 42:6
“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
as a light to the Gentiles.”
The Lord called us so that we may be His righteousness. If we are not pursuing Him for what He called us, then—as 1 John 1 says—we are still walking in darkness. And that cannot be.
Scripture asks how we can fail to comprehend the magnitude of who He is through His Word. Jesus Christ was astonished that the Pharisees did not know Him. And we—who believe—must walk in the light. We must walk in His righteousness. The Word must point us to Christ, and by His light we must see Him.
And step by step, we will—and should—finish our race.
These are not mere visions or pictures for us; this is the truth of the Word of the Lord.
All content © 2025 Noel Kingsley, www.Jeremiah364.com.
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