Was the Darkness that came upon the land at the cross localised or worldwide?
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It is somewhat difficult to determine, as various sources say different things, including conflicting accounts of whether or not any extra Biblical record exists of it. Back-to-back claims: Most ancient and medieval Christian writers treated this as a miracle, and believed it to be one of the few episodes from the New Testament which were confirmed by non-Christian sources. Modern scholars have found no contemporary references to it outside the New Testament. <= sounds contradictory to me. Creation Ministries says, Many have pondered whether or not the darkness was a regional or global phenomenon. A vast majority of biblical translations records that the darkness was ‘over the land’, ‘over all the land’, or ‘over the whole land’. However, some translations of Luke’s account state the darkness was ‘over all the earth’ or ‘over the whole earth’.
Wiki says, In his Chronicle of Theophanes, 9th-century Christian chronicler George Syncellus cites the History of the World of Sextus Julius Africanus as writing in reference to the darkness mentioned in the synoptic gospels as occurring at the death of Jesus:
Wiki says, In his Chronicle of Theophanes, 9th-century Christian chronicler George Syncellus cites the History of the World of Sextus Julius Africanus as writing in reference to the darkness mentioned in the synoptic gospels as occurring at the death of Jesus:
On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.
One thing can be certain, though, and that is that is was no solar eclipse, as many sources claim, for that is a cosmological impossibility on a full moon, and all Passovers take place on a full moon, which I believe to be by design. -
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For reasons we may understand only sufficiently rather than completely, God designed reality so that experiencing His presence is less than compelling, so that even Jesus (God the Son) on the cross cried out “My God [the Father], why have you forsaken [taken God the Spirit from] me?” (MT 27:46, PS 51:11)
This phenomenon is sometimes called “distanciation”, because we experience God as distant from us and “unknown” (ACTS 17:23), even though He is close or immanent, “for in Him we live and move and have our being” (ACTS 17:28). Distanciation is not forsaken.
However, the darkness in MT 27:49 may reflect the more significant darkness mentioned in JN 1:4-9 and in TOJ #171: Evil-doers hate/avoid the light of GW. [JN 3:19-20] Atheists hate God’s truth because it exposes their sinful attitudes and actions. Often they seek to justify or excuse their avoidance by noting the sins of so-called Christians, as though God will not judge them, too. Jesus is that light personified {JN 7:7}. (See TOJ #186.)
TOJ #186: Jesus is the light or God/GW incarnate. [JN 8:12, 9:5, 14:6] John’s gospel stated this in the opening section (JN 1:1&4-9). Several OT verses spoke of light as representing God (PS 27:1, IS 60:19 MIC 7:8) or GW (PS 119:105). Jesus spoke GW {JN 8:26, 12:49-50, 15:15} or truth {JN 18:37b}, and so He illuminates the right way to live {JN 12:35-36, 46}. (See TOJ #19, #38, #178 & #203.)
This phenomenon is sometimes called “distanciation”, because we experience God as distant from us and “unknown” (ACTS 17:23), even though He is close or immanent, “for in Him we live and move and have our being” (ACTS 17:28). Distanciation is not forsaken.
However, the darkness in MT 27:49 may reflect the more significant darkness mentioned in JN 1:4-9 and in TOJ #171: Evil-doers hate/avoid the light of GW. [JN 3:19-20] Atheists hate God’s truth because it exposes their sinful attitudes and actions. Often they seek to justify or excuse their avoidance by noting the sins of so-called Christians, as though God will not judge them, too. Jesus is that light personified {JN 7:7}. (See TOJ #186.)
TOJ #186: Jesus is the light or God/GW incarnate. [JN 8:12, 9:5, 14:6] John’s gospel stated this in the opening section (JN 1:1&4-9). Several OT verses spoke of light as representing God (PS 27:1, IS 60:19 MIC 7:8) or GW (PS 119:105). Jesus spoke GW {JN 8:26, 12:49-50, 15:15} or truth {JN 18:37b}, and so He illuminates the right way to live {JN 12:35-36, 46}. (See TOJ #19, #38, #178 & #203.)
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The sun was darkened/stopped shining (Luke 23:45) before Jesus cried out with a loud voice and took His last breath.
The Greek verb ekleipó conveys the sun's darkening in Luke 23:45, which indicates the failure/cessation of something that was previously present, the sun's light in this instance.
From that, I would draw the inference that the darkness at the juncture of Jesus' death, was a worldwide occurrence. Even if the duration of those 3 hours was more of a localised event.
The Greek verb ekleipó conveys the sun's darkening in Luke 23:45, which indicates the failure/cessation of something that was previously present, the sun's light in this instance.
From that, I would draw the inference that the darkness at the juncture of Jesus' death, was a worldwide occurrence. Even if the duration of those 3 hours was more of a localised event.
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My own intuition is that a myriad of demons left their posts and came to watch and mock the humiliation of the Lord. The density of the demons' dark hearts absorbed the sunlight locally, like thick clouds obscure the sun, What was odd was that there did not seem to be any visible clouds in the sky and yet the sun was obscured by some invisible barrier. My intuition is that once Jesus' spirit and soul left His body all those demons dragged those off to the deepest part of hades, maybe the centre of the earth, where these were held until the Father and Holy Spirit raided hades, ripped Jesus soul and spirit out of the centre of the earth, and placed them back in the body of Jesus in the tomb.
Psalm 18 describes this raiding of hades very graphically.
Psalm 18 describes this raiding of hades very graphically.
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According to some who use a software to track the celestial bodies both in the past and in the future and now it was a complete solar eclipse that surrounded the whole area in darkness but that is assuming they got the date of Christs death correctly
others say it was a supernatural darkness that surrounded the whole world on what basis for this claim I don't know but considering how the sun and moon had a lot of symbolic meaning to them back then I would assume it was a solar eclipse and that wouyld mean it was not world wide
others say it was a supernatural darkness that surrounded the whole world on what basis for this claim I don't know but considering how the sun and moon had a lot of symbolic meaning to them back then I would assume it was a solar eclipse and that wouyld mean it was not world wide
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Thanks donnyscot for your question. In my opinion, and it is just an opinion, the term 'all the land' is referring to the spiritual darkness that was upon the land of Judea, described as all the land. 'The land' in the Bible usually refers to the land of God's people, though sometimes in parable form. Luke 23 has a version of this Jesus-on-the-cross story that says that the darkness was not just over all the land, but rather over all the earth. Either this is a fill-in-different-but-important-details of the cross story, or, just as possible, the term earth is a parable term referring to a more specific entity. If the first case is true, then darkness would be everywhere on the planet, a picture really of spiritual darkness. Even so, the term 'the land' in Matthew 27, the chapter you ask about, is probably referring to the land of Judea in my opinion.
As a brief aside: The number three is very frequent in the story of the cross, and from six until nine is three hours. The ninth hour, when Jesus gave his cry and yielded up the ghost, is three times three (nine). Some say three is the number of very abundant witness, and truly Jesus was the faithful witness.
Anyway, if you look in the book of Exodus, you find a very similar-sounding scenario: "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. "
The interesting thing about this scenario with the land of Egypt is that we know it is a parable picture of something. That is because the land of Egypt is said to be the same as Sodom, and the same as where our Lord was crucified: "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. " So, in my opinion, the land where our Lord was crucified is also called Sodom and Egypt. What is equally interesting, is that the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Israel, in the Bible, is a picture of all true believers. It is possible that during the cross, the true believers still had the light of Christ (like the Israelites in dwellings without the darkness of Egypt). Or, maybe, the light of Christ was not there for believers until the resurrection, and the darkness in Egypt is more of a picture of the end times, which would have the light of Christ for all believers distinct from unbelievers.
As a brief aside: The number three is very frequent in the story of the cross, and from six until nine is three hours. The ninth hour, when Jesus gave his cry and yielded up the ghost, is three times three (nine). Some say three is the number of very abundant witness, and truly Jesus was the faithful witness.
Anyway, if you look in the book of Exodus, you find a very similar-sounding scenario: "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. "
The interesting thing about this scenario with the land of Egypt is that we know it is a parable picture of something. That is because the land of Egypt is said to be the same as Sodom, and the same as where our Lord was crucified: "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. " So, in my opinion, the land where our Lord was crucified is also called Sodom and Egypt. What is equally interesting, is that the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Israel, in the Bible, is a picture of all true believers. It is possible that during the cross, the true believers still had the light of Christ (like the Israelites in dwellings without the darkness of Egypt). Or, maybe, the light of Christ was not there for believers until the resurrection, and the darkness in Egypt is more of a picture of the end times, which would have the light of Christ for all believers distinct from unbelievers.
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The sun was darkened but it was not by an eclipse. Passover is always on a full moon and a solar eclipse
on a full moon is impossible. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun,
blocking some or all of the Sun's light. This can only happen during a new moon. Full and new are 2weeks apart.
Nope. Impossible.
on a full moon is impossible. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun,
blocking some or all of the Sun's light. This can only happen during a new moon. Full and new are 2weeks apart.
Nope. Impossible.
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Heh, that is the question, isn't it? And I do believe God had Passover fall on a full moon always so nobody could say the darkness was caused by a solar eclipse. The sun simply went dark. Brings to mind the occasion when the sun and moon stood still in Joshua 10~
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.
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