Topical Bible: Darkness: Miraculous: On Mount Sinai

◄ Darkness: Miraculous: On Mount Sinai ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The miraculous darkness on Mount Sinai is a significant event in biblical history, illustrating the awe-inspiring presence and power of God. This event is primarily recorded in the Book of Exodus, where God establishes His covenant with the Israelites and delivers the Ten Commandments to Moses.

Biblical Account

The account of the miraculous darkness on Mount Sinai is found in Exodus 19 and 20. As the Israelites camped at the base of the mountain, God prepared to reveal Himself to them in a dramatic and powerful manner. Exodus 19:16 states, "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled."

The "thick cloud" mentioned in this passage is a manifestation of the miraculous darkness that enveloped Mount Sinai. This darkness served as a divine veil, concealing the full glory of God from the people, who could not withstand His holiness in its entirety. The presence of the cloud and darkness emphasized the sacredness of the event and the seriousness of the covenant being established.

Theophany and Divine Presence

The darkness on Mount Sinai is part of a theophany, a visible manifestation of God to humankind. In Exodus 20:21 , it is written, "So the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was." This verse highlights the separation between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of the people, necessitating a mediator—Moses—who would enter the darkness to receive God's law.

The darkness also symbolizes the mystery and incomprehensibility of God. While God desires to be known by His people, there remains an element of divine mystery that is beyond human understanding. The darkness on Mount Sinai serves as a reminder of the transcendence of God and the reverence due to Him.

Symbolism and Significance

In the broader biblical narrative, darkness often symbolizes judgment, mystery, and the presence of God. The miraculous darkness on Mount Sinai is a multifaceted symbol. It represents God's judgment against sin, as the law given on Sinai would reveal the sinfulness of humanity. It also signifies the mystery of God's ways, which are higher than human ways (Isaiah 55:9).

Furthermore, the darkness underscores the holiness and majesty of God. The Israelites' fear and trembling in the presence of the darkness reflect a proper response to the divine presence. This event foreshadows the need for a greater mediator, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity.

Theological Implications

The miraculous darkness on Mount Sinai has profound theological implications. It highlights the necessity of reverence and obedience to God's commandments. The darkness serves as a backdrop for the giving of the law, which reveals God's righteous standards and the need for atonement.

Additionally, the event points to the importance of mediation in the relationship between God and His people. Moses, as the mediator of the Old Covenant, prefigures Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant, who enters the "darkness" of human sin to bring light and salvation.

In summary, the miraculous darkness on Mount Sinai is a powerful testament to the holiness, mystery, and majesty of God. It serves as a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, marking the establishment of the covenant and the giving of the law, while also pointing forward to the ultimate revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 19:16
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 12:18
For you are not come to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ the Water of Life.
... The miraculous supply of water was as great a ... drop their readers into a perfect abyss
of darkness. ... seven years of their journeying from Mount Sinai may have ...
/.../iii christ the water of life.htm

Whether Christ Worked Miracles Fittingly on Irrational Creatures?
... in the air, as occurred on Mount Sinai when the ... Objection 4: Further, miraculous
works pertain to the work of ... fire'], and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ worked miracles fittingly 2.htm

Traditionalism, Its Origin, Character, and Literature - the ...
... Miraculous cures, miraculous supplies, miraculous help, all for the ... saying: This
stone is like Mount Sinai, and he ... As yet darkness covered the earth, and gross ...
/.../chapter viii traditionalism its origin.htm

Exodus
... viii.), murrain, boils, hail (ix.), locusts, darkness (x.), and ... eg, the holy mount
is called Sinai in J and ... in J is essentially natural, and miraculous only in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
... then state of Israel, till the darkness of their ... left one by the Almighty on Mount
Sinai, the right ... reference to Jewish allusions to the miraculous birth of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v what messiah did.htm

The Land and the People.
... of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. ... d her pile, far off appearing
like a mount of alabaster ... and induce him to abuse his miraculous power for ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 17 the land and.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... Of this miraculous interposition Moses is supposed to ... two crowns every Israelite
who at Mount Sinai had taken ... His Aspostles, were to compare darkness with light ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
... love than in ascetic practices or in miraculous pretensions, writes ... By him who came
down on Mount Sinai: and by ... I confessed not: let me go into outer darkness! ...
/.../hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/iii the life as amplified by.htm

Jesus Only
... are, perhaps unconsciously, expecting some miraculous illapse of ... As Mount Sinai rears
its head, an isolated mass ... warning them against such a darkness, and such ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bonar/gods way of peace/chapter xii jesus only.htm

Turn or Burn
... one of terror: it was like Mount Sinai, it thundered ... the borders of the thick darkness
of futurity ... he wrought on Pharaoh, and the miraculous destruction which ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/turn or burn.htm