The Day of the Lord, or the Day of Judgment, is one of the key events in human history, on which many Old Testament prophets focus their attention. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel and Micah prophesied about this day, which will complete the earthly history of mankind. But one of the most impressive prophecies belongs to the prophet Amos, who lived in the 8th century BC not far from Jerusalem and who was either a shepherd or the owner of large flocks (the text of his book does not give final clarity on this matter). This is what Amos proclaims to his compatriots:
The day of the Lord's appearance, of course, can be perceived as a formidable event, and yet, at first glance, it seems that the prophet unnecessarily exaggerates, calling it "darkness" and "darkness." Are God and darkness compatible?
How to explain it
Amos announces to the inhabitants of Judea that the coming coming of the Lord, whom many of them were expecting in the hope of finally crushing external enemies, would turn out for them by no means a political triumph. The Day of the Lord will become the day of Judgment, and this Judgment will begin with Judea. The Prophet utters paradoxical words, which probably none of the people around him expected to hear: Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord!.. Isn't the day of the Lord dark, but light? He is darkness.
People were waiting for a meeting with God, confidently believing that this meeting would bring them joy and liberation. But a person who does not know what repentance is, cannot see God and remain alive (Ex 33:20) - the Lord warned Moses about this. It was not for nothing that the Jews, who left Egypt under his leadership, begged Moses to speak with the Lord on their behalf, and they would stand aside so as not to die. Therefore, the Lord's Day (known to Christians as the day of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ) will become "darkness" for many people who are not ready to meet God.
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It may seem that this is only about historical Israel, but this prophecy also applies to Christians, warns Archpriest Gennady Yegorov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University for the Humanities. In the First Epistle of the Apostle Peter we read: It is time for judgment to begin from the house of God; if it begins with us first, what is the end of those who disobey the gospel of God? (1 Pet 4:17). What is said about the Israelites, who believed in their chosenness by God and hoped that God would always endure their iniquity, it turns out, also applies to the "new Israel", to the Christian Church.
The complexity of Amos' prophecy is also in the fact that God appears here as if clothed in darkness, He is surrounded by darkness - and this, apparently, contradicts both our everyday ideas about God and many passages of Holy Scripture. I am a light came into the world, - says Christ to the people in Jerusalem (John 12:46); God is light, and there is no darkness in Him, says the Apostle John the Theologian (1 John 1: 5). This seems to contradict the testimony of the holy fathers, who described God as “uncreated light” (Gregory Palamas) and “fire” (Simeon the New Theologian).
The joy of the righteous in the Lord. The threshold of paradise (sketches for the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral). V. Vasnetsov. 1885-1896.
But "light" and "darkness" are very conventional concepts when it comes to God. Both of them denote the incomprehensibility of the Divine, His inexpressibility in human words. When the apostle Paul says that God dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim 6:16), and King Solomon - that He delights in dwelling in darkness (2 Chronicles 6: 1), they are talking about the same thing. It is another matter that the prophet Amos under “darkness” means not so much the incomprehensibility of God as the unenviable fate of those who did not cleanse their hearts with repentance and were not ready for His coming.
Why this prophecy matters
Amos is one of the first prophets who warn: the Last Judgment is coming, and its consequences may be terrible for a person. The Prophet calls on his fellow Jews to come to their senses, to put aside complacency and to abandon the idea of God as a "pocket" god with whom it is easy to get along. True God is a righteous Judge, and in His righteousness He can be formidable.
Prepared by Igor Tsukanov