Enlightenment not Illumination

“And God saw the light that it was good. And God divided between the light and the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4)

In the previous verse, God did not create light in the same sense like He created the fish in the sea and the birds of the air (Genesis 1:21,22), made the beasts (Genesis 1:25) and made man (Genesis 1:26),  but commanded the light to be on earth, indicating that light already existed, but not on earth. The verse is simple and without explanation. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) In other words, let light happen here on earth. We know light existed before God spoke it to be on earth.

We don’t wonder too long about where the light came from. It came from God. God is light. “And 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.” (1John 1:5) The word light used in the Greek is “luminousness” by rays. The Hebrew word that was used in Genesis means illumination.

In our Scripture of study, God sees the illumination of earth and saw that it was good. When Ezekiel saw the vision of the New Jerusalem where God will live forever with Israel (Ezekiel 43:7), He saw the earth shine with His glory. “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.” (Ezekiel 43:2) We have God’s Word about the New Jerusalem from John who describes his vision. “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23) The conclusion then is that God illuminated the earth with His glory.

I wondered about how even atheists love sunrises and nature, God’s creation, but hate the Creator. The creation of God points to Him, to His glory and to His greatness. They are so blinded; they don’t see it. All mankind is drawn to the sunrise, the beauty and wonder of nature. It points to God and draws in man to His glory. As Christians, we know God created nature and praise and thank Him for its beauty. For those who don’t know God, they are amazed by its beauty. They get that beautiful feeling of God’s presence but don’t recognize it as God’s presence. They think they are feeling nature, but they are feeling God’s glory. It’s God drawing them and showing Himself to them.

God’s glory is His light. (Revelation 21:23) When God spoke His glory on earth, He saw that it was good. It serves as a beacon to draw man to Him. It’s His glory here on earth. That is not to say that the daylight is God’s glory on earth, but that God’s glory is on earth. It’s not the sunlight because the sun was created on the fourth day to give light on earth (Genesis 1:16), but God’s glory or presence is on the earth in the day from the beginning and day one. “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: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 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. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 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. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” (Genesis 1:14-19)

Some Bible commentators do not address the fact that there was light on day one before the sun was created on the fourth day. Matthew Henry alludes to it. “We have here a further account of the first day's work, in which observe, 1. That the first of all visible beings which God created was light; not that by it He Himself might see to work (for the darkness and light are both alike to him), but that by it we might see His works and His glory in them, and might work our works while it is day.” By his explanation it’s a spiritual light that can discern God. And it’s on the earth on day one. Further on Matthew Henry writes, “Light is the great beauty and blessing of the universe. Like the first-born, it does, of all visible beings, most resemble its great Parent in purity and power, brightness and beneficence; it is of great affinity with a spirit, and is next to it; though by it we see other things, and are sure that it is, yet we know not its nature, nor can describe what it is, or by what way the light is parted, Job 38:19, Job_38:24. By the sight of it let us be led to, and assisted in, the believing contemplation of Him who is light, infinite and eternal light (1John 1:5), and the Father of lights (James 1:17), and Who dwells in inaccessible light, 1Timothy 6:16. In the new creation, the first thing wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spirit captives the will and affections by enlightening the understanding...” By this we come to know that this light is understanding of spiritual good and knowledge of God. It’s the illumination of the soul (mind, will and emotions) of God. That is why believers are called the children of light and unbelievers children of darkness. “For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8-10) And Paul in Thessalonians again writes, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” (1Thessalonians 5:5) It’s obvious that he isn’t talking literally about the day that comes from the rising sun, but it’s spiritual existence.

In the last sentence of our Scripture, God divides the light from the darkness. They are opposites. Light is good and from God. Darkness is of the devil. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

So, the conclusion of the matter is that God placed His glory on earth on day one. This light He called day on day one is not the light given by the sun, but the spiritual understanding and enlightenment of man’s soul. And God divided this light from the darkness which is evil and of the devil. All who come to Jesus receive this light and are called the children of the light and of the day in the Bible. The references to the light in the Bible refer to this light that came to earth on day one. It’s the spiritual understanding and enlightenment of man’s soul.