Considering Moral & Physical Darkness: Luke 23:44-45

In reading the following verses of Luke 23 you may notice that “darkness” and “darkened” are used distinctly in these consecutive verses in the record of Jesus’ crucifixion but the question may be asked as to why:

⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness (σκότος skotos) over all the earth until the ninth hour.
⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened (σκοτίζω skotizō), and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

Luke 23

In the second verse, the word “darkened” is translated from the Greek word skotizō, which is predominantly expessive of the state of absence of visible light. Another example of this use is in Revelation 9:2

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened (skotizō) by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Apart from skotizō being used as relating to the absence of visible light from the sun, it is also used in the following 3 verses, which speak metaphorically of a lack of godly spiritual “light”, which of itself is inclusive of wisdom and/or knowledge:

• Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (skotizō).
• Romans 11:10 Let their eyes be darkened (skotizō), that they may not see, and bow down their backs forever.
• Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened (skotizō), being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

But in Luke 23:45 the word skotizō is clearly in the context of the sun being darkened. This then brings into question: What form of darkness was spoken of in verse 44 as being over ALL the earth until the ninth hour? To help with the answer, the Greek word which “darkness” has been translated from is skotos, which depending on context, again has a variety of metaphorical meanings, as shown in the following verses where it’s referring to spiritual condition or environment;

• Matthew 8:12 “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: (skotos) there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  
  or in another verse it refers to the sinful condition of man and of their closeness to hell, which is the place of the penalty of those who die in that state:
• Matthew 4:16 “The people which sat in darkness (skotos) saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
  
  While in some other verses, it is speaking of the activities of evil beings:
• Colossians 1:13 “Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, (skotos) and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”
• Luke 22:53 “When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness (skotos).“

Now if we consider it’s use in the passages relating to Jesus’ crucifixion, we’re told in Mark 15:25, that Jesus was crucified on the 3rd hour, which subject to seasonal variation is approximately 9am, and in Luke 23:44, we’re told that 3 hours later at approximately 12 noon Christ was forsaken by His Father for a 3 hour period ending at the ninth hour, which is approximately 3pm.

With thanks to a short article by Justin Taylor from TGC called “What time did Jesus die”, I’ve come to understand that we can only appoint approximate time of each of these events just as Luke does when he said “it was about the sixth hour“; this is because the means of ascertaining the time wasn’t done by reliable mechanical means such as a clock, but only by gauging the position of the sun relative to it’s total field of visibility between the east and west horizons. So given seasonal variation in length of day, the ascertained time throughout the day could generally vary within an hour and a half of accurate time. This variation in perceived time appears evident by John’s assessment of it as he wrote in chapter 19 “Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”, so during this approximate time there was “darkness (skotos) over all the earth“, which Matthew wrote of as “over all the land“, and Mark as “over the whole land“, then at the end of that 3 hours of darkness (skotos) “the sun was darkened” (skotizō).

Note that the words “all” and “whole” used in those verses are both translated from the Greek word ὅλος olos (hol’-os) which literally means all, whole, completely, compared to πᾶς pas which again subject to context is sometimes interpreted as “all” but is often “some of all types” such as in 1 Timothy 2:4 where we read: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”(Where all is “pas” meaning , some of all types, as per Revelation 5:9 “…For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,” these are some of all types, not “all” as in every man). So by the use of the words all and whole in the preceding verses, it’s revealed that the darkness (skotos) affected everyone on the earth not just those in the region of Jerusalem and its surrounding villages and cities.

We’re not given information in the passages of what the inhabitants of earth experienced during those three hours of darkness (skotos), but there is what I think is similar use of the word in Genesis 10, “darkness which may even be felt“:

Then the Lord said to Moses,
“Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt,
darkness which may even be felt.”
So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven,
and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. 
But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Exodus 10:21-23

The words “darkness” and “light” in this passage are metaphorical references which speak of the contrast of the presence of God in the Israelites dwellings and the absence of God among the Egyptians, the imposition of this darkness among the Egyptians at that time also reveals God’s mercy to them before and after that occasion, just as He has mercy on all the people of the world today, as described in Matthew 5:45 “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“.
The effect of the darkness (skotos) spoken of in Luke 23:44 is not described specifically, so we can only speculate what it was like based on other references such as we’ve considered, and also from our own and others experiences:

• As far as human centric experience is concerned, when God withdraws His peace from man to any degree, the state of personal feeling can be described as “darkness”, which may be experienced as loneliness even in a crowded room or while in the company of friends and family, or it may be sadness that can’t be brought to joy despite available resource, it may be despair despite prosperity achievement and fame, it may be fear despite relative power, or it could be an unstable and confused fearful mind when called on to make the simplest of decisions despite having notable earthly knowledge and understanding. Darkness in this context means that what previously seemed solid has now become fearfully unstable or depressive emptiness, I heard it said by someone after their experience of unexpected adversity: “I was in a very dark place…“, and I remember clearly God’s call for me to repent and follow Jesus when He gave me a taste of what (if not for Jesus Christ) could have been my lot of eternal darkness (skotos) in hell.
  • Although any of these feelings may have been experienced by the people on earth during the 3 hours of darkness (skotos) over all the earth, all of them combined are only a minute fraction of the darkness (skotos) of eternity in Hell, and I think that the ultimate penalty Jesus paid was this dark separation from the Father that would have been the combined eternal judgment of every redeemed person as written of in Isaiah 53:12 “and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many”; Jesus described His experience of the absence of His Fathers’ presence when He cried out : “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”. Only Christ Jesus could bear that penalty, and yet He did it in love rather than with malice or bitterness to us who’s sin caused His suffering!
    
• I don’t know what God’s children felt during those 3 hours, but as described earlier in Exodus 10, I expect they all had light in their hearts though being in sadness at the knowledge of Jesus’ inconceivable suffering.
  
• Another possibility of what is meant by the “darkness” is in relation to the presence of Satan and evil spirits: It’s easy to think that life’s not too bad at times, until war breaks out, or terrorists act, or the work of wickedness is seen in the news in any of it’s various forms, but as wicked as these occurrences are, we’re told in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that the whole earth is presently benefitting from Holy Spirit’s restraining presence on the work of wickedness;
  The active presence of evil beings can be felt physically, so it’s possible that the power of darkness in working to crucify Christ Jesus may have been a “dark cold” presence felt over the whole earth as Satan and the demons may have been granted* ability to express or extend their presence without border, while in their blindness they foolishly thought they had been victorious in defeating Christ Jesus, Luke 22 tells of Jesus speaking of a period of evil activity around this time:

When I was daily with you in the temple, 
you stretched forth no hands against me: 
*but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

Luke 22:53

I haven’t found specific reference to describe how this darkness (skotos) felt for mankind at that time, but through numerous revelations of contrasting scripture, I know that because of Jesus Christ suffering, dying and rising victoriously from the grave, all who believe, repent and confess Him to be the Christ of God now have hope through Him and will live in eternal light in His presence where no “darkness” exists! We’re told in 1 Thessalonians 5 that:

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the *night (*nyx: the time for deeds of sin and shame) nor of darkness (skotos).

1 Thessalonians 5:5

Through Christ Jesus’ work inclusive of Him being forsaken by the Father,
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” ref. 1 Corinthians 15:54;
There is no eternal darkness (skotos) for the eternally saved, “He said, ‘It is finished!‘ ref. John 19:30.

Redemption through Jesus isn’t limited to those present during those dark hours, I love reading His words where He said: “before Abraham was, I Am“, His presence on earth affects all mankind from Adam through to whoever will be the last, either to eternal darkness (skotos) or to eternal life:

• Jesus perfect righteousness judged that all man’s “righteousness’s” from Adam onward were no more than filthy rags,
• His blood has redeemed all that the Father has given Him from Adam onward.
• His resurrection is the basis of our eternal hope as promised by God, and confirms the reality of God’s promise to resurrect the earthly bodies of the saints and transform them into heavenly bodies which will eternally express the glory of God to all creation.

Jesus’ Godly power, though largely hidden during His earthly presence, was still evident in overcoming the power of darkness (skotos) even after the ninth hour, as we’re told in Matthew 27:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;
and the earth quaked,
and the rocks were split, 
and the graves were opened;

Matthew 27:51-52

And then after His resurrection we’re told:

…many bodies of the saints that slept arose,
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Matthew 27:52-53

Christ Jesus is still light to the world by the work of Holy Spirit through His Word and the church, transforming people from darkness (skotos) to live for God’s glory, Psalm 119 speaks of Him being daily light to those who read His Words

Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

So all who come out of darkness into His glorious light can say:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively (powerful) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3

Though Jesus is not visibly present on earth now, when He spoke to Saul in Acts 9, He told Him that his persecution of Christians was persecution of Himself because He lives in God’s children, and they express Him as light to the people in darkness, and Matthew 5 tells of this responsibility His church has in delivering the light to all (ὅλος olos hol’-os) the world:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 
Let your light so shine before men, 
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Through God’s work in His children many in the darkness who’ve been chosen by Him from the beginning will receive eternal salvation in His light by His grace, as we are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

To which he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

We praise God that through Jesus’ suffering of darkness He has “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” ref. 2 Timothy 1:10