Divine Light and Darkness: Understanding Genesis and John

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came to his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he says, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No.

22 Then said they to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said to him, Why baptize you then, if you be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s lace I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me comes a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bore record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it stayed on him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, On whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bore record that this is the Son of God.

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking on Jesus as he walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and says to them, What seek you? They said to him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwell you?

39 He says to them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelled, and stayed with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41 He first finds his own brother Simon, and says to him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, You are Simon the son of Jona: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and finds Philip, and says to him, Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael says to him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48 Nathanael says to him, From where know you me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

49 Nathanael answered and says to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.

50 Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, believe you? you shall see greater things than these.

51 And he says to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.

1 John 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked on, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we to you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2

1 My little children, these things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoever keeps his word, in him truly is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that says he stays in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

7 Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.

8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines.

9 He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loves his brother stays in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.

14 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God stays in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God stays for ever.

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

20 But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.

21 I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son.

23 Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.

26 These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce you.

27 But the anointing which you have received of him stays in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of him.

Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps on the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps on the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gott musste die Finsternis nicht erst erschaffen, denn Finsternis ist nicht von Gott erschaffen, sondern das Ergebnis eines Hindernisses zwischen der Seele und Gott13LtMs, Ms 56, 1898, par. 45. In den Berichten von Genesis 1 Johannes 1 und 1. Johannes zeigt sich, dass das göttliche Licht in die bereits bestehende Finsternis hineinleuchtet, um Leben, Ordnung und Erkenntnis zu bringen Genesis 1:2-3+1.

Das Wesen von Licht und Finsternis

Die Finsternis geht nicht von Gott aus, da Gott reines Licht ist und in Ihm gar keine Finsternis ist 1 John 1:513LtMs, Ms 56, 1898, par. 45. Während der Schatten durch die Sonne entstehen kann, wird er nicht von ihr erschaffen; vielmehr entsteht er durch ein Objekt, das sich dem Licht entgegenstellt13LtMs, Ms 56, 1898, par. 45. In der geistlichen Welt entsteht Finsternis durch die Trennung von Gott, der die Quelle des Lichts und des Lebens ist12MR 140.1.

• ** Genesis 1:** Am Anfang war die Erde formlos, leer und von Finsternis bedeckt Genesis 1:2. Gott sprach das schöpferische Wort „Es werde Licht“, und dieses Licht war gut, da es die Finsternis teilte Genesis 1:3-4.

• Johannes 1: Das Wort, das am Anfang bei Gott war, ist das wahre Licht, das jeden Menschen erleuchtet John 1:1+1. Dieses Licht scheint in der Finsternis, doch die Finsternis hat es nicht begriffen oder angenommen John 1:5.

• 1. Johannes 1 & 2: Wer behauptet, im Licht zu sein, aber seinen Bruder hasst, befindet sich in Wirklichkeit noch immer in der Finsternis 1 John 2:9. Nur wer im Licht wandelt, wie Gott im Licht ist, hat Gemeinschaft mit Ihm und erfährt Reinigung durch das Blut Jesu 1 John 1:7.

Die Funktion des Geistes Gottes in Genesis 1

Der Geist Gottes schwebte über den Wassern der dunklen, ungeformten Tiefe, um Ordnung aus dem Chaos hervorzubringen Genesis 1:2TDOC 85.9+1. Diese Tätigkeit des Geistes war die Vorbereitung für das schöpferische Wort, welches das physische Licht erscheinen ließPTUK February 8, 1894, page 85.10+1.

• Schöpfungskraft: Dieselbe Macht des Geistes, die am Anfang die Welt gestaltete, wirkt heute in der Neuschöpfung des MenschenTDOC 85.9+1.

• Wandlung von Chaos in Ordnung: Wenn der Geist Gottes in ein Herz aufgenommen wird, bringt er Ruhe und Ordnung in die Verwirrung der menschlichen Gedanken und GefühlePTUK December 1, 1898, page 758.6.

• Vorbereitung auf das Licht: Der Geist Gottes wirkt als belebende Kraft, die den Weg für die Strahlen der Herrlichkeit Gottes ebnetHM November 1, 1893, Art. A, par. 30+1.

Die Gefahr der geistlichen Blindheit 🌑

Wie du richtig erkannt hast, führt das Wandeln in der Finsternis dazu, dass man göttliche Wahrheiten übersieht oder sogar an ihnen Anstoß nimmt13LtMs, Ms 56, 1898, par. 45+1. Wenn ein Mensch das Licht und die Beweise, die Gott ihm gibt, beharrlich ablehnt, zieht er selbst den Vorhang des Unglaubens um sich herum13LtMs, Ms 56, 1898, par. 45.

• Verdrehung der Wahrheit: Wer in der Finsternis wandelt, kommt schließlich dahin, Finsternis Licht und Wahrheit Irrtum zu nennen Isaiah 5:201888 704.2+1.

• Stolpersteine: Schätze der Wahrheit, die eigentlich zur Rettung dienen sollten, werden für denjenigen, der das Licht ablehnt, zu einer Ursache des Fallens1888 704.2+1.

• Verlust der Orientierung: Wer in der Finsternis wandelt, weiß nicht, wohin er geht, weil die Finsternis seine Augen blind gemacht hat 1 John 2:11PrT November 4, 1886, par. 3.

Es ist das wunderbare Vorhaben Gottes, uns aus dieser Finsternis in Sein wunderbares Licht zu rufen, damit wir Seine Tugenden verkündigen können 1 Peter 2:9ChS 21.3+1. Wenn wir Jesus nachfolgen, werden wir nicht in der Finsternis wandeln, sondern das Licht des Lebens haben John 8:1220MR 368.1. ✨