“The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation”
—Psalm 27:1

IN SCRIPTURE, light stands for enlightenment, knowledge of God. And, as the Psalmist suggests, this light or knowledge of God goes hand in hand with our salvation. We read: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5) This scripture not only suggests that God is the Author and center of all true wisdom and knowledge, but that his every action and thought is in accord with these great eternal principles.

And this, the Scriptures show, is not a cold, calculating wisdom and knowledge, but a wisdom and knowledge prompted and governed by love. “The wisdom … from above is … pure, … gentle, … full of mercy.” (James 3:17) The poet has truly said, “As every lovely hue is light, so every grace is love.” We are again reminded:

“For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man’s mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.”

Let There Be Light

THE very early act recorded in the Genesis account of the earthly creation resulted in the appearance of light upon the earth. “Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3) This reminds us that the beginning of the “new creation” was preceded by the appearance of light in the world. This included, of course, the light of truth necessary for the work which was about to begin. As Paul said, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”—II Cor. 4:6

The Master in substance emphasized, “I am come a light into the world.” (John 12:46) Not that our Lord expected all men to come to the light and rejoice in it there and then, for the majority of mankind were, and still are, not ready for this blessing. It is recorded: “Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”—John 3:19

Looking back to the first advent, we see that only a few in Israel were ready for the message of the great salvation Jesus brought. The same thing has been true of the Gentile nations to whom the light of truth went after Israel was cast off from favor. Only one here and one there has been, through faith and consecration, translated out of darkness into His marvelous light.—I Pet. 2:9

The light above the brightness of the sun shining at noonday that Paul saw on the road to Damascus appropriately illustrates “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” which was so soon to come to him. So each called-one, in proportion as he is ready for the message, sees a light far brighter than any of the lights of this world—far more brilliant than can be given out by any worldly science or philosophy.

This light comes not from any earthly source, but is a light from heaven communicated to us by God through his Word. “The Lord is my light.” Having received the light of truth—the light concerning the great salvation in Christ Jesus—we are told that if we “walk in the light” we have fellowship and are cleansed from all sin; and we are exhorted to strive, that our thoughts and actions may be in accord with this light of truth. (I John 1:7) In this way we become “lights” in the Lord, and would “walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8) Paul again says, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.”—I Thess. 5:5

Having been translated out of our former darkness into God’s marvelous light, we must never forget that the continued enjoyment of the light of truth is conditional. The condition is that we walk in the light and truth the Lord has given us; that we seek to be obedient children of the light. Our Lord gave a solemn warning along this line, saying, in substance, “If the light with which you have been blessed become darkness; if you fail to let it shine by putting it under a vessel or under a bed, how great is that darkness!”—Matt. 5:14-16; 6:23

If the Master, having come in to inspect the guests at the brilliantly lighted wedding feast, should say of us, “Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness,” how dense that darkness for us would henceforth be! (See Matt. 22:11-13) How much more unfortunate and sad would our position be than if we had never been favored with the light of the knowledge of God! “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober, … putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”—I Thess. 5:6,8

Light Has Many Enemies

WE MUST never forget that the light of God, and the children of God illuminated by this light, have many enemies. First and foremost there is the great enemy of God and man, Satan, the prince of darkness; and his kingdom, of which we were once a part, is a kingdom of darkness. Further, the subjects of his kingdom are far more numerous than the children of light, who have been translated out of this kingdom of darkness.

The Scriptures show how Satan is constantly using the children of darkness to deceive and mislead the children of light by trying to make darkness appear light, and light darkness. Referring to this the prophet says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”—Isa. 5:20

We know from actual fulfillment how Satan has succeeded in deceiving many who claim to be God’s servants, and who, like the religious leaders in Israel at the first advent, call “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ” darkness, error, false doctrine; and endeavor to show that the darkness of the creeds has the support of the Word of God. In addition, they put the exceedingly bitter satanic deception that all who die outside of Christ in the present age are eternally lost, and will spend eternity in a place of conscious suffering, eternal in duration, in the place of the exceedingly sweet and beautiful message of God’s Word, which shows how the Gospel, in due time, is to be good tidings of great joy unto all people.—Luke 2:10

Yes, all will be brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth, and by obedience to the laws of that kingdom be eventually given the blessing of “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (I Tim. 2:4; Rom. 6:23) Even for such a wicked people as Sodom and Gomorrah our Lord assures us that the great millennial day of judgment will be a tolerable time—more tolerable than for some who had greater opportunities during the present life of coming to a knowledge of the truth.—Matt. 10:15; Acts 17:31

The End of the Age

OUR Lord, through his servant Paul, tells us that this conflict between light and darkness—between the children of light and the children of darkness—would be especially severe at the end of the age. Paul calls our attention to the bright shining of our Lord’s presence at his second advent, whose “presence is according to [accompanied by] the. working of Satan [or, as we should say in everyday language, special activity on the part of the great Adversary] with all power and signs and lying wonders.”—II Thess. 2:8,9, R.V.

Against these attacks the faithful apostle exhorts the brethren, saying, “So then brethren, stand your ground, and hold fast to the teachings which you have received from us, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (II Thess. 2:15, Weymouth) If we would stand against the wiles of the prince of darkness in this evil day, we must be faithful to the light with which we have been blessed, and “walk in the light”; that is, in accord with the truth that has come to us; for, as the Psalmist says, “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”—Ps. 97:11

Again, “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.” (Ps. 112:4) For these the path of light will shine with increasing brightness, as they seek not only to hold fast to the truth, but also to possess more and more of the spirit of the truth. This is suggested by the Psalmist’s description of this class: “There ariseth in the darkness a light to the upright: he is gracious, and merciful, and righteous.”—Ps. 112:4, Leaser

Our Master said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) In other words, I am showing you the way in which one who has been illuminated with “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” should walk in order to lay hold of the glory, honor, and immortality held out to him. Walking humbly in this way, we are able to enjoy the very great honor our Lord placed upon his followers as suggested by his words, “Ye are the light of the world.” (Matt. 5:14) Indeed, the members of the true church have been the only true light-bearers in the world during the present dispensation; hence the Master exhorts, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”—Matt. 5:16

The world sees the good works of the Lord’s servants, their endeavors to enlighten others, that they too might be blessed with a knowledge of God; but, as John says, “The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5) The majority in Satan’s dominion of darkness cannot comprehend the light of the divine plan; they even oppose the light, and persecute the light-bearers. But during the millennial kingdom, remembering their previous contact with the truth and the servants of the truth, they will, as Peter says, “glorify God in the day of visitation.”—I Pet. 2:12

Special Fulfillments

THE Apostle Paul indicates that the things written aforetime in Old Testament prophecy have a special application and fulfillment in “the ends of the ages.” (I Cor. 10:11, R.V.) At the end of the Jewish Age, when our Lord was present in Israel, he had occasion to say to his disciples and to the people, with reference to certain things he was saying and doing: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.” (Matt. 1:22; 2:15; 13:35; 21:4) This shows that these prophecies to which Jesus referred, although given by God centuries before, had been intended to have a special fulfillment at the end of the Jewish Age. The Scriptures indicate that even more prophecy was intended to have its special fulfillment when our Lord would be present again at the end of the Gospel Age and the dawning of the new age, the Millennium, or “day of the Lord.”—I Thess. 5:2; II Pet. 3:8,10

Just as with the dawning of a new day the sun arises and scatters the darkness, so the Bible uses the same illustration to indicate that more light upon the Word would be given to God’s people “upon whom the ends of the ages are come.” This is the time which brings the close of the long night of darkness and sin, and the dawning of the millennial day of light, righteousness, and divine blessing.

Paul emphasizes the same thing: “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” (I Thess. 5:4,5, R.V.) This is in keeping with the promised “meat in due season” which was to be dispensed when the Master would again be present. He said, “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and shall come forth and serve them.”—Luke 12:37

God’s glory is seen in his gracious character and plan as these are revealed to the watching saints upon whom the ends of the ages are come. We now see the divine character to be a perfect combination of infinite wisdom, infinite justice, infinite love, and infinite power. As this light dawns upon the faithful, they are naturally exhorted to let it shine for the benefit of others.

Light Dispels Darkness

IN SPITE of all past misunderstanding and confusion, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5) All his doings relating to his human creatures are, and have ever been, in the fullest accord with righteousness and truth, and prompted by a heart of love. And eventually our dear Redeemer will be, as it is recorded, “the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”—John 1:9

The Prophet Isaiah says, “The people that [for six thousand years] walked in darkness [in ignorance of God and his gracious plan for their eternal blessing] have seen a great light [the light of the Sun of Righteousness—Christ, Head and body].” (Isa. 9: 2) In harmony with this the Master assured us, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:43) “They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death [that is, the earth, which for six thousand years has been overshadowed by suffering and death—the penalty that passed upon all men on account of one man’s disobedience], upon them [the poor groaning creation] hath the light shined.”—Isa. 9:2, R.V.

Then the great resurrection work will take place. To begin with, after the “first resurrection” of those who will live and reign with Christ, will be the “better resurrection” of the Ancient Worthies. This will be followed in due course by the resurrection of all the dead, both Jews and Gentiles.

After Israel crucified their Messiah, blindness and darkness came upon them until “the fullness of the Gentiles [the full number to be gathered from the Gentiles to complete the elect church] be come in.” (Rom. 11:25) The Israelites will then be delivered from their blindness, darkness, and ignorance. This will be shortly followed by the Gentile nations beginning to see and appreciate the light of the Gospel—good tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people.

Speaking of things that are not as though they were, the Prophet Isaiah says: “Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy.” We can well imagine how the joys of Israel and of all mankind will increase when they realize the wonderful restitution blessings coming to them; how the wonderful earthly inheritance lost through sin is to be restored to them! “They joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest [the time when the greatest joy and rejoicing comes to a people whose existence depends upon successful tilling of the soil], and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil”—the fruits of the Redeemer’s great victory; also the fruit or spoil which will come to all who will, in that day, gain the victory by faithfully walking the highway to life.—Isa. 9:3, R.V.

The next verse pictures how the hard toil and labor of mankind under the curse, often made doubly severe by the cruel taskmasters who have ruled over them, will be lifted. And in verse 5 we seem to be given a picture of the destruction of the distressing burden of militarism which has become increasingly heavy during this so-called Christian dispensation, and especially during its closing years:

“For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments [war cloak—Rotherham—so frequently] rolled in blood, shall even be for burning [destruction], for fuel of fire.” (R.V.) “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Isa. 2:4

And now Isaiah 9:6 tells us the great and all-important reason for the salvation to come to men during the time of the kingdom: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” It is because, as the world in that day will realize, a Son has been born of the line of Abraham and David who has made atonement for all the human family, who lost life in Adam, that they will receive the blessings of the kingdom, the restoration of the blessings lost through sin. “And the government shall be upon His shoulder.” Christ will be responsible for the affairs of earth in that day.

“And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.” The world’s great Prophet, Priest, and King is not now regarded by mankind as a wonderful counselor, for they give very little attention to his counsel. And even those who have some theoretical knowledge of it seldom put it into practice. But when, under the weight of the iron rule of Messiah’s kingdom they begin to put into action the great principles of righteousness laid down by the Master, the results will surprise them.

Many social and political difficulties will almost immediately resolve themselves, and to the Master will be accorded, by common consent, the title, “Wonderful Counselor.” The prophet proceeds to mention other titles which will stand out with special prominence in that day: “The mighty God, The everlasting Father [or life-giver], The Prince of Peace”—the One who will establish a world-wide and eternal peace among men.

Surely all but the few incorrigible ones will say in that day, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”—Ps. 27:1