The Shining Light of Glory Part 1
by Pastor Mark Downey
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 60:1-5
'The Shining' is the title of a weird novel and movie by jewish author Stephen King, but we're not interested in mystically demented literature or movies. However, we're going to be looking at the fantastic, spectacular and wonderfully brilliant subject of biblical light. Why? Because the Scriptures have such a rich reference to not only literal light, but figurative light as well. I've prayed for the light bulb in my head to be turned on, so that the message God wants us to see is seen. I want to shed light on seeing the light. How often do we hope that people with whom we’ve planted the seed of Christian Identity will see the light? Not for our sake, but for theirs. Why is it important to have light? So that we're not in the dark? Naturally, there is the issue of race and poses the question of why did God create light and dark races. And even if you don't believe in God, why did they evolve as such? If there was just a “human race,” why not one uniform skin pigment and behavioral traits? I believe the Bible offers us an explanation. One of the peculiar revelations of this message is that light and the New Testament baptism are very similar. I don't think the other races can be baptized, and by that, I don't mean getting wet. I don't think the other races can see the light as we do, so as we go along, try to replace the word light with the word baptize. I think you'll see some interesting parallels.
Before we feast upon all the ingredients of what constitutes light, we must first set the table with the many definitions of light, so that we are rightly dividing the Word, applying the multiplicity of meanings to their proper use. Light is something that makes vision possible. Sight would be impossible without it. Scientifically, light is an electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range including infrared, visible, ultraviolet and x-rays; traveling in a vacuum at the speed of 186,281 miles per second. Science has yet to answer the question of how light originates (although as we'll see, the Bible does). And so scientists are primarily concerned with how light behaves after it has been emitted. It's a fact that a definitive scientific theory of light has yet to be formulated as scientific law. However, let's see in this study if the Word of God provides us with a fully formed reason that leaves no doubt as to what our biblical understanding of light is.
The word light is used over 250 times in the Bible with 20 different Hebrew words in the Old Testament and 15 different Greek words in the New Testament, according to Strong's Concordance. It would take too much time to do all of these and many are just used once for a particularly unique clarification, but let's look at a variety of general uses.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘ore’ for light is Strong's Concordance #216, which comes from #215. It means to be (make), luminous (literally and metaphorically), break of day, glorious, kindle, set on fire and shine. #216 means illumination, luminary (in every sense: lightening, happiness, etc.), bright, clear, day, morning and sun. #219 has a figurative definition denoting prosperity. Those are the most frequent numbers. A few other definitions will round out our appreciation of the word light in the Old Testament, such as: cheerfulness [#3974], wisdom [#5094], to rest, settle down, be confederate, quiet [#5117], happen unto, meet, bring about [#7136]. In the New Testament, the most commonly used Greek word for light is phos (#5457), from which we get several English words relating to light such as: to shine or make manifest (in the widest application of lit or fig), (#5461) to shed rays, to brighten up, enlighten, illuminate, (bring to, give) light, make to see. A few other definitions from the New Testament are: to beam or radiate (#2989), to set on fire, consume (#2545), to shine upon (i.e. become visible or known), to appear (#2014). As you can see, the idea of something shining or having a bright, glowing appearance becomes conspicuous and a distinguishing feature.
The hippies of the 60s would say 'I'm getting a flash' or 'I'm flashing', meaning the same thing the Bible is suggesting in having a profound revelation of awareness (without being under the influences of drugs). Our illumination as Christians begins with the fundamental story of Creation in Genesis 1:3, where we have the first mention of light: God said, "Let there be light and there was light", and verse 4 "God saw the light that it was good and divided light from darkness.” Now a lot of people think this was the sun, but they're premature. Verses 1 and 2 says all God created in the beginning was our planet earth and the heaven or universe, and He did that first step in the dark, while the earth was without form (that's open to speculation), and void (of the things to come in the rest of the chapter). It really doesn't serve our purpose here to debate what God's timeline was in all of this. The focus is light. And on the 4th day, the sun, moon and stars became visible (Gen. 1:14-19). So we can see here that there was some kind of light before the sun, and I would postulate that this is the same light that Rev. 22:5 talks about, "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
This is talking about the new paradise, the Kingdom of heaven on earth. But there's much to be learned between Genesis and Revelation regarding the big ball of fire in the sky and the supernatural light of God. Let's review some of these instances where light apparently was and is a mystery to this day. We don't necessarily need to know the science. We need to know the reality that it is from God.
Let's go to Exodus 10:21-23 and read, "And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." This is confirmed in Exodus 8:23, "And I will put a division between my people and thy people." The principle of racial separation is miraculously demonstrated with the contrast of light and dark. And if that wasn't enough, after Israel left Egypt, our people were redeemed; released from the curse of slavery, and one million people not knowing where they were going were led and guided by the power of Almighty God's presence as we read in Exodus 13:21-22, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." And also in Exodus 14:20, "And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night."
In II Samuel 21, it relates the incredible battles that David and his men were having in one victory after another against these WFW giants that were related to Goliath, having 6 fingers and toes on each hand and foot. David was so great a warrior that his generals told him to just cool it in verse 17, so that the light of Israel isn't extinguished. This is the first time in the Bible that light isn't literal, but does have the supernatural significance of leading into blessings rather than curses. They had their act together with God. Don't some denominations purport the same kind of blessings with Baptism? If they had a better understanding of it, without the pagan ritual of water immersion, they might start realizing some real supernatural blessings, just like our ancestors. The denominations really need to get their act together with God if they want to see the light. The last words of David in II Samuel 23:1-4 gives us a better understanding of what is meant by the light of Israel:
"Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, the Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain."
The word shining here is #5051 (which is also used for the word light), which means to complete, to consummate or finish. He got the job done, the divine mandates that God put forth before him, just like He does with us and is why, we too, should be a light unto our kinsmen.
As Nehemiah recounted and reminded his people of who they were, what their responsibilities were, what would happen if they were unaccountable to their God, if they ignored the book of the Law, or if they, as Nehemiah 9:2 tells us, assembled with fasting and “Separated themselves from all strangers and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” And they remembered in verse 7 how the Lord thy God did choose Abraham and deliver Moses from Pharaoh, and verse 12 gave them a light in the way wherein they should go. And so many times they hardened their necks and hearkened not unto God, refusing to obey, yet the Lord was slow to anger and merciful and forsook them not, until the darkness of the stranger extinguished the light. They became disobedient, rebelled against the Lord, cast away the Law, and slew the prophets which testified against them to turn back to the Lord. And they wrought even greater provocations. So they were delivered unto the hand of their enemies who vexed them and, in their time of trouble, they cried unto heaven. And God gave them saviors, who saved them, like David. But after they rested, they did evil again. Nevertheless, for God's great mercies, He did not utterly consume them. Finally, the leaders of Nehemiah's day reckoned that their continual wickedness made them servants in the land of their fathers, so that the stranger had dominion over themselves and their possessions. And because of all this, they made a sure covenant with the princes and priests, signing and sealing the agreement, whereby Neh. 10:28 says, "The rest of the people separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the Law of God and to cleave to their brethren, their nobles and entered into an oath to walk in God's Laws." And that the first thing it says they would observe is that they would not give their daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their (the stranger's) daughters for their sons. That's race mixing, folks! And it went on to say all the other things they would do to get back what they lost... the shining light of glory.
Most people find it difficult to walk into a room that is pitch black. We fumble around in the dark until our eyes adjust or we find a light switch. Conversely, when we exit dark quarters and enter a brightly lit environment, it's hard on the eyes and we squint. The same can be said about ideas or concepts. When Jesus ministered dozens of profound thoughts, the Bible says the crowds of people were astonished at His doctrines (Mt. 7:28). The Sermon on the Mount must have been like lightening, striking some of the people with sudden fear and trepidation, and others with sudden wonder and awe. The enemies of Christ didn't like what Jesus was saying, because the Lord was illuminating the dark traditions which were contrary to God.
The political/religious establishment didn't think He was politically correct and considered Him a threat to their power over the people. The people welcomed the rush of revelations and wisdom from Jesus. This new awareness of divine truths was a pleasant surprise. Who would have guessed that the manifestation of the Almighty would have occurred in their lifetimes? But guess what? "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers (of Israel)" (Hebrews 1:1), and in verse 3 declares Jesus as being "The brightness of His glory… upholding all things [the light of the Old Testament] by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins."
We know that the antichrist jews can have a plan for a two or three hundred year conspiracy to come to fruition (such as the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion and a plethora of other jewish writings). But, a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruits. We are advised that we can know them by these fruits. We can identify them by what they produce. This is important because not everyone saying to Jesus 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the Kingdom or government of heaven on earth. II Cor. 11:14 answers a question of identification that a satan (or false accuser) can marvelously transform themselves into an angel of light, when they're nothing but messengers of darkness. Can darkness bring forth light? Can lies become truth? Who is it that is extinguishing the fire of God’s Word? Matthew 7:16 says, “You will know them by their fruits.”
"Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers (and the White man can start with dark people) for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14). Absolutely none for a racially pure society of White Christian separatists! Light is the perfect metaphor for separating ourselves from evil. If the churches of our day have become apostate (fallen away from the shining light of God's glory)… and they have… then we might as well admit that Matthew 15:14 is here. This is where Christ is speaking about the conspiracy of the scribes and Pharisees. Starting in verse 13, He said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Many will say “Lord, Lord, did not we prophesy in your name, casting out demons and done many wonderful works?” (Mt. 7:22). And then Jesus will tell them "I never knew you, get away from Me, you who work lawlessness" (Mt. 7:23). You who make a law unto yourselves, to paraphrase, 'encompass sea and land to make one proselyte, you judeo missionaries who go to Africa to make the negro like you, has made him twice the child of hell than yourself' (Mt. 20:15). It sounds like the Lord is not impressed with exorcists or converting witch doctors.
Light is like that sharp two-edged sword… quick and powerful. The Word of God is light that exposes our thoughts and motives. And like a sword (turned into plowshare), light can bring life, i.e. photosynthesis, or light can take away life, i.e. a thermonuclear blast. I know of some people who have a hard time living in the Northwest during the long overcast winters. A type of depression sets in, and there's actually a product that duplicates sunshine: a panel of light that people can sit in front of and feel better health. There are some prisons that Amnesty International says tortures people by leaving a light bulb on in their cells 24 hours a day. I was surprised to hear a janitor at a local mall explain why they had to replace some of the plants and flowers every 3 to 4 days, and he said it's because the lights kill 'em. Dental labs use certain lights to kill bacteria. Laser light technology is used by the military for weapons. So, you can see how man has taken light and used it for good and evil purposes. Same is true with the shining light of glory, as to whether it's used for understanding or ignorance.
The jew knows that the best lie or falsehood is the one that's 99% truth. It's that 1% that is enough to cast the shadow of death. "In Jesus was and is the life and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). And in verse 5 "The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not." There are ignorant people who cannot or will not see or perceive that Christians understand the message from God Almighty. I know why some people just don’t get it! Those who ignore the light are dead to eternal life. This poses a challenge as to which messenger of light are YOU going to listen to? If the true messenger is rejected, it's like what God told Samuel in I Sam. 8:7-9, "And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and serve other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore, hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them." And people wonder why we have scumbags in the White House and baser sorts in the upper echelons of government. The competitors for the presidency just keep getting more ridiculous: Bush-Gore; Bush-Kerry; McCain-Obama; Romney-Obama. They are all groomed for public consumption with carefully staged orchestration to be believed, but they are all idiots. Because there is no light in them. They are destitute of understanding anything other than their script.
Let's go to the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job, where Job is a little down about the so-called friends round about him. He's a bit depressed, but not without courage to answer their platitudes. If you read the 12th chapter of Job, you can expand your growing understanding of biblical light. Here Job eloquently answers his critics. He mentions adversity in verse 5 as a lamp; in other words, a light for all to see the troubles that we face and how persecution exposes the dark deeds of persecutors, which brings things to light for all to see. Job responds to Zophar in verse 2 rather sarcastically by saying 'oh yeah, no doubt, you are the people; you speak the collective thought for everybody.' In the previous chapter, Zophar insults Job in verse 12; that it was highly unlikely that a stupid man, like Job, could get understanding. Job replied in 12:3 that he was just as intelligent as his contemporaries. Job was a just and blameless man accused of meaningless circumstances in his life, interpreted by shallow friends as God's judgment upon him. Verse 5 seems to be saying those that live the easy life are blind men to the misfortunes of others, and reminds me of the cliché 'hitting a good man when he's down'. Some Bible scholars think that verses 7-12 are out of place here, sounding more like one of the friends than Job. But again, Job may be using some sarcasm to paraphrase his friends. Verse 13 is more of a parody, ridiculing the special wisdom of his friends. Job abhors the intellectual claims of his friends and asserts that with God alone are wisdom and power. Job elaborates on the Lord's doings in verses 13-25, and therefore, proves the Lord's mighty acts to manifest knowledge and control of the realms of light and the mysteries of darkness. Job argues against the rampant injustices in chapter 24, verses 13-16,
"They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me: and disguise his face. In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light."
Rebellion against God is the love of darkness as a cover for their crimes. The corruption of the world is the hatred of the shining light of glory. Job's search for expression to tell his friends the impossibility of achieving wisdom by man's efforts is found in the poetic analogy of chapter 28, and the idea of a miner looking for gold. "The thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light" (Job 28:11). Man can dig into the bowels of the earth and bring hidden jewels to the surface, to daylight. But the irony is that man cannot find wisdom in the deepest mindshafts of his intellect. Wisdom belongs to God, not to man. Only God knows the location, the spiritual hiding place. We can get it, but only on God's terms, as a gift. "And unto man he said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:28). The light for us can only be reverence to God and to obey Him.
Whenever Job is mentioned, people think of his pain and suffering, but if we read the last chapter of Job, we read about the fruits by which we know him. His life serves as an illustration of godliness and afflictions which brought him to the light of knowing God. The fruit of Job's tribulations were vindication and honor, and Job 42:12 tells us, "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, for he had fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters . . . and in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his son's sons even four generations."
As a Christian endures the trials and pains of life, we are known not by our sufferings, but by our overcoming them, and then that not of ourselves, but by the grace of God to do His good pleasure upon the earth. Let me close with two passages, one from the Old and one from the New Testament where the connection is made between endurance and light. From Micah 7:9 we read, “I have sinned against the Lord. So I will endure His fury until He takes up my cause and wins my case. He will bring me into the light, and I will see his victory.” We repent of our sins, that we may be forgiven. Whenever ancient Israel turned to God for deliverance, their enemies certainly felt the impact and the power of their dark world was overthrown. Our adversaries are well aware of the shining light of glory, because it is their doom and ruination.
Hebrews 10:32 reiterates the theme, “Remember the past, when you first received the light, and you endured a great fight of afflictions.” The illumination of our faith and trust in God was probably not better demonstrated than by the 1st century Christians who kept the shining light of glory refreshed, regardless of what the world could do to them; that they might relapse into the darkness before Christ came to make their lives immersed in the Truth that would make them free. We owe a debt of gratitude for the preservation of Christianity with the spiritual awakening and sacrifices of our predecessors 2000 years ago; and may that same spirit give us the inspiration to overcome the world today.
