Clouds and darkness surround Him

Psalm 97:2
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

1 John 1:5
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Why does darkness surrounds God (as mentioned in the Psalm verse) while Jesus revealed that God is light (as mentioned in 1 John). There is not even one bit of darkness in God. How can God have darkness while His Glory shines so remarkably, as mentioned in so many places in Scripture?

So the darkness mentioned in Psalm is not of God, but that which surrounds Him and hides Him from His creation. It could be the darkness represented by His enemies, or the lack of knowledge / relationship that we have with God. In any case, this darkness separates us from God.

While this darkness is hiding the glory of God from us, the psalm emphasizes that righteousness and justice are still upheld by God and thus still need to be practiced and valued by us. The thicker the cloud and darkness, the harder it is for us to practice the righteousness and justice.

It is through our Lord Yshua, who reveals that He is the Light, that we are able to see the Glory of God through the Son. When we know Jesus, we see God's light and we follow it. Hence by faith, righteousness and justice follows because we are focused on the true Light.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”[c] says the Lord,[d] “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty

Yshua revealed the details of the End of Times to His apostle John, who then wrote the letters to the seven churches. A few things are revealed here. There are seven Spirits around God's throne. Jesus is the first person who has conquered death; note that the other resurrected people still had to die later. The next time when Jesus comes, it will with clouds, indicating coming from the sky, and that everyone on Earth will see Him at the same time.

John had a vision while in Patmos. Yshua, in the vision, told John to write to the seven churches which are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. The message to these churches are applicable to churches around the world.




Revelation 1
Introduction and Benediction

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Greeting the Seven Churches

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed[a] us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings[b] and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”[c] says the Lord,[d] “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

9 I, John, both[e] your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and,[f] “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia:[g] to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,[h] “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write[i] the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw[j] are the seven churches.

Seek God in Early Life

The passage here seem to suggest not being overly cautious. In life, calculated risks are necessary. It talks about being generous and not withhold from those who are in need. We cannot know the outcomes of many things so even if there are signs of caution, we can still proceed with care. But in all, seek God in early life.

The other message is to rejoice, despite the circumstances. Follow our heart and remember there is judgement so avoid evil. Rejoice in spite of everything being vanity.



Ecclesiastes 11
The Value of Diligence


1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,[a]
Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
7 Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun;
8 But if a man lives many years
And rejoices in them all,
Yet let him remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.
Seek God in Early Life

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
And put away evil from your flesh,
For childhood and youth are vanity.