God spoke: Let there be light and there was light. (Gen 1,3) These words are creative and miraculous words of the One that created the world.

But why, then, is it in Gen 1:2 the world described with darkness and without shape and void? I guess darkness filled the earth, so much darkness. The beauty and the purity of the creation was covered by the darkness of evil: The darkened creation of the earth had turned into a tohuwabohu – that is the Hebrew word for “without shape” – turned into chaos.
Where did the darkness come from? From Perry Stone I got this idea: I suggest that somewhere between Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2 evil came into the world, when lucifer* rebelled against God. The bible describes it with the words: “How are you fallen from heaven, O lucifer, morning son! How have you been thrown down to the ground, you, that has weakened the nations! Because you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. … I will be like the most High. Now you will be brought down into the realm of dead and deep into the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-14).
So, somewhere between Gen 1:1 and 1:2 the angel of light, lucifer, became rebellious against God and started to destroy the creation, God had just started.
Isaiah 14 tells us how lucifer was expelled from heaven. And now, in Genesis 1:2 the world is described as chaotic and empty.
But God didn’t leave the world behind as an orphan. There, besides the darkness, the spirit of God moved upon the waters (Gen 1:2).
And then, God spoke a mighty word: “LET THERE BE LIGHT” and there was light. (Gen 1:3). It was on the first day. When we follow the first chapter of Genesis, we read, that the stars, sun and the moon were made at the fourth day. That means, before the stars were made, light shined upon the earth. What was that for a light? It was a first visible manifestation of Gods presence.
You know, when God created heaven and earth, as it is written in Gen 1:1, everything was already beautiful and full of light. When God creates something – he makes it perfect.
It was the presence and the glory of God, that was emanated upon the earth. God itself enlightened the earth. But still light and darkness were mixed. The evil of satan still had too much dominion.

Because God didn’t want Satan reign upon the earth he spoke: “Let there be light.” (Gen 1:3) And then there was light – and the light was good. Darkness was bad. In the next step of the creation God brings order into the chaotic mixture between darkness and light. In verse 4 God saw the goodness of the light and divided it from the darkness. Finally, again God had dominion. Like John says: God is light, without darkness (1 John 1:5) and the darkness hasn’t overcome the light (John 1:5).

It is like in the time efore the fall of men, Adam had direct contact to God. The darkness was divided from the light. Gods presence was there, where the light was. The prototype of men, Adam, could talk directly to God, could see God in His glory and was in his presence. After Adam had taken the decision to follow his own rules, by eating the fruit of knowledge of good and bad, he was separated from God and now he was thrown out of paradise. He lost trust in God and lost the direct contact to God. Now the spirit of men became separated from God and the life in the physical realm, in time and space, was now like a “wall” between God and men. From that moment on, light and darkness were mixed. The world has become like in our times: From that moment on, Gods presence is upon the earth and in us human beings, when we believe in Jesus and at the same time evil and sin. That is the reason, why we experience suffering, sickness, desperation, pain and all other things that are not from God but from the devil. In this mixture of light and darkness men can only see the light of God with spiritual eyes, when sin is washed away, through the blood of Jesus – because of his death and resurrection.

But there will come a time, when Gods glory will divide this darkness from the light of God, like in the creation (Gen 1:2). Then everybody can see the glory and the light of God. But only people that have this glory inside them, through faith in Jesus Christ, can stand this glory and light of God. Darkness will be separated from the light. People that are not carriers of the glory of God will be thrown out into deepest darkness and will get lost. The light of God will burn them away and they will step into eternal death. When this moment comes that everybody can see God with his physical eyes, there is no possibility to repent anymore. To seek God, faith, that overcomes, cannot be built anymore and the time of grace is over. But without faith, no human being can live in Gods presence. In the final judgment, everybody that has had no faith, before the second coming of Christ, will get lost – will be burned away from the glory of God. Only the people that have the glory of God inside them, through faith in Jesus Christ, then, can see the Glory of God as something wonderful.
The others will be frightened and then destroyed, because the darkness of the natural man, cannot stand the glory of God. Sin cannot stand the glory of God. Darkness will be separated from the light. And only people that carry the light of God in themselves, through faith in Jesus, will be saved. Only the people that have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus get to the new Jerusalem.

And the awesome thing is: The new heaven and the new earth have similarities to the first heaven and earth. We can read it in revelation 21. There we find a description of the beauty of the inheritance that is waiting on everybody that is prepared for the second coming of Christ. In Rev 21: 22-25 we can read that in the new heaven and earth the glory of God is everywhere and that there is no need of sun or moon because the glory of God and the lamb of God is the light that shines in the city of God, the new Jerusalem. There is no day and no night anymore. It is like in the beginning, maybe better. Gods light shines in the citiy of God, the new Jerusalem and there is no star and no moon and no sun. Everybody has, again, like before the fall of men, direct connection to God himself. It is the restoration of all things – even better. It will be awesome, great, wonderful.

Prayer of salvation:
I invite you to say the following prayer with your audible voice:
Jesus Christ, I come to you to confess, that I have sinned. I have recognized, that without forgiveness, I get lost. Now I want to confess my sins (now name every sin, you have in mind: 1…. 2…. 3…. and so on). Now, that I have confessed my sins, I know that I am forgiven, because of your blood, Jesus, that was shed on the cross of calvary. Now I am free and I have received eternal life. Now I invite the holy spirit, to fill me, inspire me and lead me. Thank you, Jesus, that you are alive and that you will not leave me nor forsake me.
AMEN

*The words lucifer and satan are consciously written with small letters.
(c) Steffen Bürger
Thanks to Sarah Nafula for proofreading.