How does the darkness in Mark 15:33 connect to Old Testament prophecies? The Gospel Record: Mark 15:33 “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land.” Why It Matters • The event lasted three hours—far too long for a solar eclipse, and it fell at Passover when the moon is full. • Scripture treats it as a supernatural sign, occurring precisely while the Lamb of God bears sin. • The darkness links Jesus’ crucifixion to several Old Testament passages that foretold a day when God would darken the sky in judgment and redemption. Old Testament Shadows of Midday Darkness • Exodus 10:21-23 – The ninth plague: “darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness so thick it could be felt.” Judgment on Egypt before Israel’s freedom; at Calvary, judgment falls on the true Firstborn so His people can be freed. • Amos 8:9 – “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.’” Explicit promise of midday darkness as evidence of divine judgment against sin and corruption. • Joel 2:31 – “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.” Peter later cites this prophecy at Pentecost, showing its fulfillment begins at the cross. • Isaiah 13:10 – “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising.” Judgment on Babylon prefigures cosmic upheaval when God confronts evil decisively. • Zephaniah 1:14-15 – “The great Day of the LORD is near… a day of darkness and gloom.” The cross inaugurates that Day, drawing both judgment and salvation together. Messianic Fulfillment at the Cross • Jesus takes upon Himself the covenant curses foretold in Deuteronomy 28, including “an oppressive and crushing darkness” (vv. 28-29 paraphrased). • Darkness signals the Father’s wrath poured out on the Son (Isaiah 53:5-6). • By absorbing that wrath, Christ fulfills the prophetic pattern: judgment first, then deliverance. Covenant Judgment and Cosmic Reversal • Throughout the prophets, darkness over the earth is a courtroom scene—heaven and earth bear witness as God judges sin (Jeremiah 4:23-28). • At Calvary, creation itself responds: the earth quakes (Matthew 27:51), rocks split, graves open. The cosmic Judge renders verdict, and the cosmos reacts. • Immediately after the darkness lifts, the temple veil tears, signaling access to God now opened (Mark 15:38). Assurance of Fulfillment • Luke 24:44-46 records Jesus explaining that “everything written about Me… must be fulfilled.” The midday darkness is one of those fulfillments. • Hebrews 9:26: “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The prophetic “end of the ages” dawns at the cross—marked by darkness turning to light. Takeaway The three-hour darkness at Golgotha is not an isolated wonder. It is God’s own commentary on the cross, echoing plagues, Day-of-the-LORD prophecies, and covenant judgments. Every shadow in the Old Testament finds its substance in the crucified Christ, confirming both the reliability of Scripture and the completeness of His redeeming work. |
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