Biblical Light

 

The Bible about the Light

 

“FAITH is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” – Rabindranath Tagore

“HOPE is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu

“LOVE is God’s Light in the Darkness”  – Jack Hayford

 

  

First Testament

The Covenant History

Genesis

Genesis 1:3-5 – “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

Genesis 1:4 – “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness

Genesis 1:13-19 – “And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so, And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, …”

Exodus

Exodus 13:21 – “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

Samuel

Kings

The Prophets

Jonah

Amos

Hosea

Micah

Micah 7:8-10 – “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets

Isaiah

Isaiah 9:2 – “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. “

Isaiah 42:16 – “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

Isaiah 42:6 – “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness, I will take you by the hand and keep youI will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, “

Isaiah 45:7 – “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things

Isaiah 49:6 – He says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 58:8 – “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”

Isaiah 60:1 – “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you

Isaiah 60:2-3 – “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Isaiah 60:19 – “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory

Isaiah 60:20 – “Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended

Zephaniah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:16 – “Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness

Obadiah

Ezekiel

Haggai

Zechariah

Zechariah 14:6-7 – “On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light

Joel

Malachi

The Writings

Psalms

Psalm 18:28 – “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.”

Psalm 27:1 – “Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 36:9 – “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”

Psalm 44:3 – “It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them

Psalm 104:2 – “Covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent

Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Psalm 119:130 – “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

Lamentations

Song of Songs

Proverbs

Proverbs 4:18 – “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day

Proverbs 6:23 – “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,”

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:13 – “Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.”

Job

Job 38:15 – “From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken

Job 38:19-24 – ““Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? …”

Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Daniel

Daniel 2:22 – “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him

New Testament

Luke-Acts and the Pauline epistles

Luke

Luke 2:32 – “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke 8:16 – “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.”

Luke 11:34 – “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.“

Luke 12:3 – “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs

Luke 16:8 – “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.“

Acts

Acts 13:47 – For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Acts 26:13 – “At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me

Acts 26:18 – “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

Acts 26:22-23 – “But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.“

Acts 9:3 – “Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:5 – “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness

2 Thessalonians

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 – “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,”

Galatians

Romans

Romans 13:12 – “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light

Colossians

Colossians 1:11-12 – “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.“

Ephesians

Ephesians 1:18 – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people

Ephesians 5:14 – “For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.””

Ephesians 5:8-9 – “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),”

Philemon

Philippians

Philippians 2:14-16 – “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain

Philippians 2:15-16 – “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.“

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6:16 – “Who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen

Titus

2 Timothy

Matthew and works addressed to Jewish believers in Jesus

Matthew

Matthew 17:2 – “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

Matthew 4:16 – “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned

Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.””

Matthew 5:14-16 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven

Matthew 5:15-16 – “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven

Matthew 6:22-23 – “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Hebrews

James

James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Mark and works addressed to a Roman audience

Mark

1 Peter

1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

2 Peter

Jude

John and the letters of John

John

John 1:4-9 – “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. …”

John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it

John 1:5-6 says, “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

John 1:7-9 – “He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”

John 1:8 – “He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light

John 1:9 – “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world

John 12:35-36 – “So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them

John 12:46 – “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness

John 3:19-28 – “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized …”

John 5:35 – “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”

John 8:12 – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 9:5-7 – “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing

1 John

1 John 1:5-7 – “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin

1 John 1:5-9 – “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

1 John 1:7-10 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2 John

3 John

Revelation

Revelation 21:23-25 – “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”

sources:  

https://bestofchristianity.com/bible-verses-about-light/

https://bestofchristianity.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-light/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Books_of_the_Bible_(book)#New_Testament

https://www.biblestudytools.com/books-of-the-bible/

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” – Anne Frank