The term "blackest" is often associated with darkness, both literal and metaphorical, within the biblical context. It is used to describe the deepest form of darkness, often symbolizing the absence of light, hope, or righteousness. In the Bible, darkness frequently represents evil, sin, and judgment, contrasting with light, which symbolizes God, purity, and salvation.

Biblical References:

1. Jude 1:13 : "They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever." This verse uses the imagery of "blackest darkness" to describe the eternal judgment awaiting false teachers and those who lead others astray. The "blackest darkness" signifies the complete separation from God's presence and the ultimate consequence of living in rebellion against Him.

2. 2 Peter 2:17 : "These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them." Similar to Jude, this passage speaks of false prophets and teachers who promise much but deliver nothing of spiritual value. The "blackest darkness" here underscores the severity of their fate, emphasizing the hopelessness and despair of being cut off from divine truth and light.

Symbolism and Themes:

· Judgment and Condemnation: The use of "blackest darkness" in the New Testament is closely tied to the theme of divine judgment. It serves as a stark warning to those who reject God's truth and choose to live in sin. The imagery conveys the seriousness of turning away from God's light and the inevitable consequences of such choices.

· Contrast with Light: Throughout Scripture, darkness and light are often juxtaposed to illustrate the battle between good and evil. In John 1:5 , it is written, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This highlights the triumph of Christ, the Light of the world, over the forces of darkness. The "blackest darkness" thus represents the ultimate defeat and exclusion from the light of Christ.

· Moral and Spiritual Darkness: Beyond physical darkness, "blackest" can also refer to a state of moral and spiritual depravity. In Ephesians 5:8 , believers are reminded, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." This transformation from darkness to light signifies the redemptive power of Christ and the call to live in accordance with His righteousness.

Theological Implications:

The concept of "blackest darkness" serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of spiritual warfare and the consequences of sin. It underscores the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and truth, avoiding the pitfalls of false teachings and moral compromise. The imagery calls believers to vigilance, encouraging them to walk in the light of Christ and to be bearers of His truth in a world often shrouded in spiritual darkness.

An Eloquent Catalogue
... for an hour untrue to his warmest love, and the other, from giving way to his
constitutional tendency to despondency, and to taking the blackest possible view ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/an eloquent catalogue.htm

A Challenge and a Shield
... Tell him that you are a sinner, and that if he should paint your sin in its blackest
colours, you would not even then despair, for it would still be true that ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/a challenge and a shield.htm

The Folly of Slander. Part 2.
... Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's
son." It is, indeed, plainly the blackest and most hellish sin that can be ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/the folly of slander part 2.htm

The Empress Theodora
... and universal credence. For the first time the character of the illustrious
empress was presented in the blackest colors. The world ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/xi the empress theodora.htm

Morning Hymn
... Since Thou canst change, O holy Light, The blackest hue to milky white, Ebon to
clearness crystalline, Wash my foul stains and make me clean. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/ii morning hymn.htm

Acts X
... This offense takes the hue of the blackest ingratitude, when we remember the blood
which has been shed to touch our hearts, and to open up to us the way of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts x.htm

The Inexhaustible Barrel
... Stay yourself upon his promise, rest ye in his faithfulness, and bid defiance to
the blackest future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/the inexhaustible barrel.htm

Carletta and the Merchant
... was of olive darkness, but a flush rested there, and out of the thinnest face, under
the arch of broad temples, deepened by masses of the blackest hair looked ...
/.../carletta and the merchant.htm

The Sin of Unbelief
... Piety was altogether extinct in the court. The king was a sinner of the blackest
dye, his iniquity was glaring and infamous. Jehoram ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the sin of unbelief.htm

Thomas and Jesus
... One is his exclamation, in which a constitutional tendency to accept the blackest
possibilities as certainties, blends very strangely and beautifully with an ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/thomas and jesus.htm

Blackest (5 Occurrences)
...Blackest (5 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). Proverbs 20:20 If anyone puts a curse on his
father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night. ...
/b/blackest.htm - 7k

Veiled (23 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 60:2 For truly, the earth will be dark, and the peoples veiled in blackest
night; but the Lord will be shining on you, and his glory will be seen among ...
/v/veiled.htm - 12k

Obscurity (10 Occurrences)
... Compare Proverbs 20:20, the King James Version "in obscure darkness," the English
Revised Version "in the blackest darkness," the American Standard Revised ...
/o/obscurity.htm - 10k

Blackish (1 Occurrence)

/b/blackish.htm - 6k

Blacker (1 Occurrence)

/b/blacker.htm - 6k

Compare (22 Occurrences)
... superlative forms of; as, most adjectives of one syllable are compared by affixing -
er and -est to the positive form; as, black, blacker, blackest; those of ...
/c/compare.htm - 14k

Snuffed (8 Occurrences)
... (WEB NIV). Proverbs 20:20 If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother,
his light will be put out in the blackest night. (See NIV). ...
/s/snuffed.htm - 8k

Appears (38 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 60:2 For truly, the earth will be dark, and the peoples veiled in blackest
night; but the Lord will be shining on you, and his glory will be seen among ...
/a/appears.htm - 17k

Pitch (25 Occurrences)
... (KJV). Proverbs 20:20 If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother,
his light will be put out in the blackest night. (See NIV). ...
/p/pitch.htm - 18k

Utter (111 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS). Proverbs 20:20 If anyone puts a curse on his father or his
mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night. (See RSV). ...
/u/utter.htm - 35k

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