Monday Reflection – April 26, 2021 The Power of Light

Monday Reflection – April 26, 2021The Power of Light
It shall be one day which is known to the Lord – neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. Zechariah 14:7
We all walk around with varying degrees of fear for one thing or another. For some, the fear of failure; for some, criticisms; for some, the loss of a loved one; many fear death, and the list goes on. While some of our fears are mild, others have become phobias, which is an excessive level of fear that impacts one’s day to day life. One such phobia is nyctophobia, which is an extreme fear of night or darkness that can cause intense symptoms of anxiety and depression. While fear of the dark is normal for children, it can escalate to a phobia. Such fear exists mainly because of the lack of any visual stimuli, where we are not able to see what is around us.
While night and darkness are a part of our current reality, the prophet Zechariah speaks of a time when darkness will fade and only God’s light will be experienced. In the context of Zechariah 14, the Prophet speaks of a time when Jerusalem will be surrounded and attacked by some type of international force. This attack will be severe, but the city itself will not be overthrown, for the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. In the midst of all this, Zechariah prophesizes of the intervention of the Messiah as He fights for His people. The Messiah will manifest His power by delivering His people and punishing their enemies.
The Messiah will establish His Kingdom which will result in significant changes. These are:

1.      There shall be continuous day, not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.

2.      Living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, in summer as in winter.

3.      The Lord will become king over all the earth.

4.      The whole land shall be turned into a plain; Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site and it shall be safely inhabited.Zechariah looked forward to the glory of Jerusalem in the Messiah’s kingdom. The lights that guide their lives will diminish and God will establish His own light. But doesn’t this all sound familiar? The Apostle John, exiled in Patmos, shares his vision of the end times and of the New Jerusalem with us. He says in Revelation 22:5: “And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” He says also in Revelation 21:23: “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”  
While darkness looms and we wait in hope and great anticipation of the New Jerusalem, let us be guided by Christ, who declares, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). And may we live remembering Christ’s declaration to us that we are the light of the world and we should let our lights shine (Matthew 5:14-16).   
Jermaine Gibson