The Darkness Which May be Felt

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The discourse explores the biblical account of the ninth plague of darkness over Egypt as a symbol of the spiritual darkness enveloping the world today, caused by deception and division among numerous religions and ideologies. It emphasizes that true light comes from God’s truth and the teachings of Jesus, which guide believers away from confusion and into spiritual enlightenment, despite the ongoing struggles and divisions in society. Ultimately, the message is one of hope that God’s kingdom will bring lasting light and salvation to all mankind.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse: “Darkness Which May Be Felt”

Theme and Scriptural Foundation:
– The discourse centers on the concept of darkness that can be physically felt, taken from Exodus 10:21 (Amplified Bible):
*”Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand towards the sky so that darkness may cover over the land of Egypt.”*
– This darkness lasted three days with no sun, moon, or stars visible, and Egyptians were unable to see each other or move about.
– Contrasted with the Israelites who had supernatural light in their homes during this period.

Personal Illustration of Darkness:
– The speaker recalls a visit to Ohio Caverns where the lights were turned off completely to experience total darkness, emphasizing how intimidating and palpable such darkness is.

Historical/Egyptian Context of Darkness:
– According to Brother John Maguson’s notes, in Egypt there is a natural 50-day period called “suresome” starting around Easter, where sandstorms and static electricity create a dark, silent atmosphere causing nervous depression in humans and animals.
– There is speculation about a possible volcanic eruption causing the biblical darkness plague, but the speaker emphasizes that it was ultimately “The Lord’s doing” as per Scripture.

Modern Analogies and Observations:
– Reference to the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse which caused public panic and fear, illustrating how darkness still evokes fear and uncertainty.
– Statistical data from a global survey:
– 40% believe in God as described in scriptures.
– 20% believe in a higher spirit.
– 21% believe in neither God nor any higher spirit.
– Christianity is expected to lose millions of adherents by 2050, with a notable rise in religiously unaffiliated individuals.
– The failure of nominal Christianity to convert the world is highlighted, referencing a pamphlet A Mute Appeal on Behalf of Foreign Missions which states that about 100,000 souls die daily in “Christless despair.”

Scriptural Assurance and Prophecy:
– Isaiah 60:2 (paraphrased):
*”Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord will arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light.”*
– Ephesians 6:12:
*”For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the rulers of the darkness of this world…”*
– This highlights spiritual warfare involving “wickedness in high places.”

Nature of Current Darkness:
– The world’s darkness is caused by confusion and division among over 4,000 religious denominations including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.
– 2 Corinthians 4:4 explains that Satan is “the god of this world” who blinds the minds of unbelievers to prevent them from seeing the gospel’s light.

Brother Russell’s Writings on Darkness:
– Darkness is defined as the total or near total absence of light (Isaiah 60:2 repeated).
– The ninth plague in Egypt symbolizes the current global spiritual darkness.
– Pharaoh’s refusal to release the Israelites even after darkness is a type of Satan’s hold on mankind until God’s kingdom is established.

Contrast Between Darkness and Light:
– Light stimulates the sense of sight physically and spiritually (John 8:12: *”I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”*).
– Personal testimonies of improved vision following cataract surgery are used as an analogy for spiritual enlightenment.
– The true source of light is God’s truth revealed through Christ and the Holy Spirit, not physical eyesight.
– 2 Samuel 22:29:
*”For you are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord will lighten my darkness.”*

The Role of the Household of Faith:
– The community holds and spreads the light by sharing Bible teachings, literature (e.g., Dawn booklets in 26 languages), and personal testimonies of conversion and coming out of false beliefs.
– Despite progress, the majority of the world remains in darkness (1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…”).

Dangers of Losing the Light:
– Quoting 2 Corinthians 6:9:
*”But if the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!”* — referring to nominal Christianity that has lost true light through error and tradition.

Encouragement to Hold Fast to the Light:
– John 12:35-36 encourages believers to continue walking in the light so darkness will not overtake them.
– 1 John 1:5 affirms:
*”God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”*
– 1 Peter 2:9 describes believers as called out of darkness into marvelous light.
– Psalm 27:1:
*”The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”*
– Numbers 6:24-26 blesses with the light (faith) of God’s countenance.

Closing Reflections:
– The darkness plague in Egypt was a type of the present spiritual darkness but will not last forever.
– God allows mankind to experience all forms of government and turmoil so that when His Kingdom comes, no one can say they weren’t given a fair chance.
– Satan (Pharaoh type) continues to resist releasing mankind from bondage.
– The true liberation and light come through Christ’s sacrifice (the final plague type) and the work of the church as His followers.
– The discourse closes with the hymn “Without Him,” emphasizing dependence on God’s light.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– Exodus 10:21 (Amplified) – Darkness over Egypt
– Isaiah 60:2 – Darkness covers the earth but the Lord will arise
– Ephesians 6:12 – Spiritual warfare against the rulers of darkness
– 2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers
– John 8:12 – Jesus as the light of the world
– 2 Samuel 22:29 – God as lamp that lightens darkness
– 1 Corinthians 2:14 – Natural man cannot receive spiritual things
– 1 John 1:5 – God is light, no darkness in Him
– 1 Peter 2:9 – Called out of darkness into light
– Psalm 27:1 – The Lord is my light and salvation
– Numbers 6:24-26 – Blessing invoking God’s light and faith
– John 12:35-36 – Walk in the light while you have it
– 2 Corinthians 6:9 – If light becomes darkness, how great is that darkness!
– 2 Corinthians 11:14 – Satan masquerades as an angel of light

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This discourse blends biblical exposition, historical and modern examples, personal illustration, statistics on world religion, and encouragement for believers to hold firmly to spiritual light amidst the pervasive darkness of the present age.

Transcript

So brethren, our topic is the Darkness which May be Felt. That sounds like a maybe a little bit odd title. Oh, this is where our, our theme text comes from. It’s Exodus, chapter 10, verse 21. It says, Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand towards the sky so that darkness may cover over the land of Egypt.

A darkness which is so awful that it may be felt. So Moses stretched out his hands towards the sky and for three days a thick darkness was all over the land of Egypt. No sun, no moon, no stars. That’s from the amplified version. I remember an occasion the Egyptians could not see one another or did anyone leave his place for three days?

But all the Israelites had supernatural light in their dwellings, and I remember occasion when our family went to the Ohio Caverns and we took the cave tour about, way, about halfway through the cave, the guide that was guiding us said, now I’m going to turn off the lights, and I know there’s, there’s young people here, but don’t be alarmed. We’re gonna, we’re gonna turn all the lights off for, for a moment and so that you can experience total darkness. Brethren, I got to tell you, that’s.

It’s an intimidating thing. I, I don’t know whether any of you have experienced that. Probably have. He turned the lights out and, you know, kids were gasping and so were adults, but, you know, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. There’s no light.

There’s no light whatsoever. So it’s very, very intimidating. It really is, and you know, actually it is, you know, a darkness that you feel. I mean, you feel it.

So that’s where our, our title comes from, those scriptures. This is notes from Brother John Maguson’s notes on verse 21.

In Egypt, there begins in April, about Easter, a period of 50 days called suresome, meaning 50. During this time, the south winds at times bring a storm of fine sand, which sometimes is terrible. Whenever the storm passes, crackling sound is heard as of electric spark, which I imagine is static electricity. A nervous depression seizes mankind and domestic animals. This is the Egyptian darkness.

Gika, I think it is, says artificial light at such times is of little use. The streets are practically emptied and a deep silence rings everywhere.

We don’t know, you know, whether this really happened or not. Brother Maguson’s points us out in the rvic. It says translation. There’s a comment that says that this could have been a volcanic eruption in the northwest. We, we do not know, but we do know this was The Lord’s doing.

So we do not, we do not speculate on how it happened, but we’re assured in the scriptures that it did. An interesting side note, I got these, I got these thoughts up some time ago and then April 8, 2024, there was a total eclipse in parts of Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania. A total eclipse, and the people at that time were, they were panicking. They were saying, we better go to the store, we better get supplies, we better, you know, we may run out of this.

Who’s, who knows what’s going to happen. They were scared, and so the people really didn’t know what to do. I remember that it wasn’t a total eclipse in our area, but at parts it was okay, and according to Wikipedia, in a survey of 26 countries, 40% say they believe in God as described in the scriptures, 20% believe in a higher spirit, but anyway, another 21 believe in neither God nor any higher spirit, while 19 are not sure or will not say.

Here’s another interesting note. According to the same study, Christianity is expected to lose a net of 6.66 million adherents. 40 million converts, 106 million apostate. Apostate is. I looked it up.

It’s defined as someone who renounces religion or political belief, and that’s an interesting term, religiously unaffiliated. Down at the bottom it says mostly to religiously unaffiliated category between 2010 and 2050. It is also expected that Christianity may have the largest net loss in terms of religious conversion. Now, I don’t know what that means, religiously unaffiliated.

It’s a large number.

I think it’s 16%, but I don’t know if that’s atheist or just people that don’t want to say what their religion is, but I don’t know. It’s on unaffiliated. I like to quote from volume one, page 18, it says, and before this page on 16 is a drag dragon diagram. We’ll get to that. That shows the various religions at his time with a number of those in those religions.

As I say, of course it’s now outdated. I’ve got a chart coming up that’s a little bit newer.

However, his point was that the goal of nominal Christianity was and still is, I guess, to convert the world to save them from the condition of hell or torment.

In other words, their conversion of the. Their conversion of the world to Christ was and still is failing. There are so many that they have not reached to convert them. This is one of the things that brought me into the truth was that just and loving God would never leave people out there that didn’t have some sort of salvation coming and that that’s a. A large number that they never got to to convert them.

I’ll begin at the bottom paragraph, page 17, volume one, and I quote to show that we have not misstated orthodoxy on the subject of the fate of the heathen. We quote from the pamphlet A Mute appeal on behalf of foreign Missions in which the diagram was published. Its concluding sentence is Evangelize the mighty generations abroad. The 1000 million souls who are dying in Christless despair at the rate of 100,000 a day. Think about that.

That’s devastating. That’s terrible. Continuing on page 18. But though this is a gloomy outlook from the outlook of human creeds, the Scriptures present a brighter view, which is the purpose of these pages to point out, instructed by the word we cannot, I can’t read of salvation was ever intended to be or ever will be such a failure. It will be a relief to the perplexed child of God to notice that the prophet Isaiah foretells this very condition of things and its remedy.

Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But the Lord will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen be upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light. I’m going to read this again. Ephesians 6:12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, containing contending with only physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against spiritual forces.

Wickedness in high places. Yes, we’re good.

Doesn’t Ephesians here sound so familiar at this time? It mentions the forces of. Of the present darkness and wickedness in high places. We can relate to that, can’t we? Wickedness in high places.

And we can truly see this. I do not believe there has has ever been so much deceit and division in our. In our world there is really no one in the creeds of government that can be trusted. What then is causing this darkness?

It’s estimated that over 4000 faith groups and denominations worldwide and five major ones, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. To answer the question above, as I think you can see from the chart, is confusion, as you can see in the many different confessing creeds and beliefs, some Christian based and others not.

2nd Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them? Who is the God of this world?

Yes, Satan, the God of this world. That number 4,000. It surprises me because I remember thinking years ago we talked about 2500 maybe religions when I was younger. That number is. Is amazing to me.

That number and that chart is from Google, of course. But this is Satan’s goal, to keep the world in darkness through lies, deceit, just like he always has, just like in Eden. This gives us some idea of the complexity of the problem. Also, there is a category I mentioned before. Unaffiliated 19%.

I don’t know who those are. Continuing on page 18 of volume one it reads the second paragraph. Not only have the continued misery and darkness of the world and the slow progress of truth been a mystery to the church nominal, but the world itself has known and felt his condition. Like that which enveloped Egypt. It has been a darkness which may be felt.

This is Brother Russell in this paragraph. It is interesting that the editor mentions the slow progress of truth as compared to our day.

There was much more spreading of the truth, I think at that time, Brother Russell’s time because they had so many responses. If this is, and I believe it’s an indication of further darkness, then we do indeed live in a darker time, and that could be disputed, I guess, as the witness work slows down.

I pointed out that at the time of Brother Russell wrote this we have the advantage of looking back and so it may have been more light back then, but we can’t say that for sure. This is a definition of darkness. The total or near total absence of light. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 2. Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people.

But the Lord shall rise upon the and his glory shall be seen upon the. Brother Russell referred to this earlier.

The text we read at the beginning was was the ninth plague upon Egypt. The next one would be 10. The final plague which we are about to study at that time was our memorial. We study it in our memorial studies. As with all of the plagues before, once again Pharaoh would not let the people go.

Of course this was intended of the Lord so that the final plague of death would be used as an example of the picture of the true Lamb of God. An interesting point to me is the fact that even after the darkness of three days, Pharaoh again a type of Satan would not let them go. This is a picture of our present evil world in which Satan will not release mankind until the end of this present harvest when the Lord’s people will be sealed.

So brethren We’ve talked about darkness.

Now let’s talk about light.

So in contrast, what is the definition of light? There are many definitions, and some are very scientific when they talk about different wavelengths, and you know, how a prism works and can divide it and, and it’s made up of certain colors.

Here is one also. The sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of this. Of sight. Brother Byron just talked about that, and the difficulties and problems that can arise.

An illum. Illuminating agent or source as the sun, a lamp or a beacon, the light of a candle. So on the line I highlighted mentions a stimulation of the organ of the eyes. The eyes. This reminded me of something George Balco said when he got cataract surgery, that everything seems brighter.

My wife Pam said the same thing, and then I had it and I found it true. Also with my surgery, my mother did not need eyeglasses anymore. Things seem to be clearer and sharper. It makes the light that we see brighter.

The light is the light, as it says, stimulates the sight. So we need to have light to begin with.

Now, here’s an interesting thing. None of us knew how much our sight had dimmed. It’s a gradual process, and we weren’t aware of it. I use this simply as an example of the fact that the world today does not know. They’re deceived about how dim the light may be getting for them, but not for us, because we are getting light from another source.

Not so much our physical eyesight, though. It’s important from our Lord, because for us, there’s another source of light, and that’s the truth. Not seen by our physical eyes, but by the eyes of faith.

You know, when I had my surgery, as I said, we didn’t know how much our eyesight had changed. But when I went to the doctor and, and then I came out of the operating room and they. They had a. Bandages on the eyes and they take it off and I’m like, wow, and the doctor says we call that the wow factor.

The wow factor. I. I don’t know. I don’t know how many of you have ever had that surgery, but it is. It’s. It’s simply amazing, the light that we have here in the true household of faith.

Wow. Isn’t it amazing? In the light. Precious.

We’re not like the world. We’re not blind. In Exodus, chapter 10, verse 24, it reads, and Pharaoh called to Moses and said, go serve the Lord. Only you flocks and your herds must be left behind. Even you children may go with you.

Verse 27. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.

Once again, there is, as we know, only one way to dispel darkness, and that is with light. 2nd Samuel, chapter 2, verse 29. For thou art my lamp, O Lord, and the Lord will lighten my darkness.

Brethren, did you ever walk in the dark?

Well, it’s a. It’s an interesting journey if you have grandchildren, because you get up in the night and you’ve memorized everything and you feel very smart and confident that you can make it to the. To the facilities. But then the children have put something in your path, and down you go, and then you feel foolish, and then you have to call for your wife.

Brother, we. We follow Jesus. No problem.

John, chapter 8, verse 12. Then Jesus saying again, I’m the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but he shall have the light of life. This is one of my favorite scriptures. Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 32.

We call to remembrance the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great flock, a flight of afflictions.

I remember a time, maybe some of you do, too, before I was illuminated. It wasn’t fun. The. The illumination comes from the Lord. Second Corinthians, verse 6.

Second Corinthians. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, is the one who has shown into our hearts to give us the light of the knowled of the glory and majesty of God clearly revealed in the face of Christ repair. Reprint page 375. Paragraph reads 6. Reads, Thus we see.

It is the light of God’s truth, our mind shining into our hearts, which shines out unto the world. We are to do all things without murmurings, disputings that we may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the words of life. Philippians 2:15. He shines that light into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which. Which we all are privileged to share in during the convention this week.

If you look down in that hallway, the dawn booklets are there. There’s a. There’s a page there that said. Now printed in 26 languages. 26 languages.

Is that light? Yeah. That’s wonderful light. The Chicago literature is so impressive to me and so beautiful, the messages that they are putting out to the world. Beautiful, beautiful printing, beautiful sentiments, beautiful booklets.

Brother Todd brought material, and from the Herald and so forth, we have all this.

That’s a Proof, brethren, right out there that we had. That the light is shining. We can help do that. Do we have any proof that some are receiving the line. Did you hear the testimonies?

Did you hear the testimony of those that are coming out of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Isn’t that wonderful? Do you know what price they’re going to pay for doing that? They don’t care. They’ve received the light, brethren.

We’ve received the light. The sisters and one brother. They, they, their family will probably disfellowship them. But they’re seeking the light, brethren. The light is drawing them.

What wonderful testimonies. They’ll be ridiculed.

Continuing on page 375, paragraph 7. It is us seen by reflex light through those who possess it. The spirit operates upon. But not in the world. Yeah, the lights in the world, brother.

But for the majority, as we looked at the chart, it’s not. It’s not reaching the world. Not yet. First Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto them.

Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I think the key thing here. Let me read one more paragraph nine. But if the light that is in thee become darkness, how great is the darkness? This is the condition.

The nominal systems of Babylon to confusion because they have taken the creeds and traditions of men. They have taken the spirit of fear and of bondage, which is their message. Because they have neglected the words of the Lord, the word of truth. They have lost the spirit of truth and receive the Spirit. Spirit of error.

The spirit of error is what caused the world to. To be in darkness in the first place, and I think the key to remember is the arrow was not always there from the beginning, as we know. Adam fell. It creeped in over time.

Errors can be corrected just as easily as we were talking about before our sight. It dims slowly. I didn’t know it was that dim until my doctor told me my eyes were you. You need an operation. So it happens very subtly.

But it can be corrected, and God. God will correct it in the kingdom. I would like to use some scriptures, more scriptures concerning light.

John, chapter 12, 35 and 36. Then Jesus said unto them, the light is among you. Only a little longer walk while you have the light. Keep on living by it so that the darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

He is drifting aimlessly.

I like the point here. That says, while you have the light, believe and trust in the light. Have faith in it, hold on to it, rely on it so that you may become sons of light. Being filled with light as followers of God. I like the point our Lord brings out to keep living by it so that darkness will not overtake us.

Can that happen? Yes, it can happen. It can overtake you. First John, chapter one, verse five. This then is the message which we have heard of him.

Declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

No darkness at all, and how marvelous is the light. First Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into the marvelous light. Psalms chapter 27, verse 1.

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? Numbers 6:24 26 the Lord bless thee and keep thee.

The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance unto thee and give the light the word countenance in the amplified is faith.

There are so many wonderful scriptures that time will not permit me to list them all.

The one in numbers I know is very clear to all of us.

So let’s sum up things. Number one, we started with the ninth plague up on Egypt that the that the Lord used to free the children of Israel.

This plague was a plague of darkness that covered land for three days. To me this is a type of the darkness as brother Russell also mentioned in his writings that now covers the world of mankind. Will it last forever? No, it will not. God will see to that.

There was an interesting conversation that came up in one of our Bible studies were in Armageddon volume four and we were discussing it and some said well, or someone I don’t know said why doesn’t God just go ahead and bring the kingdom now, finish it, get it over with, bring it on. Because the world needs it so badly, and that’s true, the world needs it. But as we look at our governments and the things that’s going on, I think the reason for that this is just my opinion, is that he wants mankind to try every type of government, dictatorship, whatever you want to name it, try them all so that there’s in the kingdom when it does come about, mankind can’t say well you didn’t do this, you didn’t try this. Why didn’t you do this?

No. Brother Russell wrote somewhere and I didn’t. I couldn’t find it. I didn’t look for it, but somewhere. He said that he wants the world to get a belly full of all this trouble, of all the strife of everything that’s going on so that they can’t say that and come back and say, well, this would have worked.

Or this. No. We’re in a time, I believe, brethren, when everything we see it’s being tried. Our present government here in the US It’s a. It’s never.

I’ve never seen it so divided in my life. There’s so much division and they can’t get along. So this. This to me is an indication of. Of that, as I said, the darkness is the result of Satan’s lies and deceit used in the creeds of men.

Pharaoh being a type of Satan. Second Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 14.

And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Foreign this ninth plague, however, did not free the Israelites from their bondage, but was only a precursor to the tenth and final plague, as we mentioned before, the final plague of the death of the firstborn, which was a type of our Lord’s sacrifice and also that of the church that will bring about the ransom, bring life eventually or light eventually to the world of mankind in his blessed kingdom, so that we as his footstep followers have his light in our lives now that lights our path as we follow him in the narrow way that will eventually bless all mankind. That’s the goal, isn’t it, brethren? That all mankind will be blessed.

In closing, I want to quote some of the words of our closing hymn 186A.

It’s. It’s my favorite hymn, or at least one of them, one of my favorite hymns, and it’s called Without Him. I hope I can get through this.

Without Him I could do nothing Without Him I surely fail Without Him I would be drifting like a ship without a saint. Lord, bless.

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