Martin Johnson follows the glorious theme of Light in Scripture
This is a shortened version of a talk given to Lighthouse Cambridge in November 2025.
Festival of lights
We meet tonight on a dark evening in between Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night, the time of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Hallowe’en and Bonfire night are persistent relics of the ancient Druid religion.
You will be told that the Bonfires now are in celebration of the failure of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament in 1605 while the king was visiting, but they are far more ancient. Somehow the bonfire got separated from the older festival, but the two used to go together, with the bonfire lit within a circle protected by a skull fence, human skulls with lamps or candles inside. The whole affair was a celebration of light at a time when the days got darker and nights longer.
At some point, turnips or swedes substituted for skulls, hollowed out and with eyes and mouths carved in them. Hollowing out swedes was hard work, needing patience and a sharp knife. I remember being taught to do this by my father, who said swedes (which he grew a lot of) were more authentic than pumpkins. How did we get to pumpkins as skull substitutes? Well, Irish and Scottish settlers in North America discovered pumpkins, and decided they were both bigger and easier to carve than swedes, so the skull fences returned across the Atlantic as pumpkins, and now they appear everywhere!
Skull fences
Why the skulls? They were originally the skulls of ancestors, and were believed be able to involve the spirits of those ancestors who could then protect the people inside the circles from evil spirits. This form of ancestor worship has been known in modern times in the South Pacific and in rural Africa. Many societies with this heritage can be identified because they can recall the names of their ancestors for 40 or 50 generations. This includes the Maoris of New Zealand and several other Polynesian tribes. This should be seen more as venerating the ancestors rather than treating them as gods, rather similar to the way some Christians pray to saints to intercede with God for them. The Western Church created the feasts of All Souls and All Saints at exactly this time of the year to divert people away from the ancient pagan festivals.That hasn’t worked so well lately, has it?
Ancestor-worshipping societies knew that there was one all-powerful God, and also that there were demonic spirits out to harm people. They treasured the memories of their ancestors, and brought gifts and offerings to their shrines on that belief that their deceased grandparents and ancestors loved them, and that from their position in the after-life might be able to intercede on their behalf with that ‘unknowable God’ for protection against evil.
The story of many from these societies is of the great relief – and release – they experienced when they learnt about Jesus, who freed them from the powers of evil, and declared that the one true God loved them indeed. The artificial light in the skull fences, from candles or oil lamps, was replaced by the one true light.
Artificial lighting
We often overlook that candles and oil lamps used to be a very expensive way of making light, requiring beeswax, seed oil, or (later) whale oil. In fact, the discovery of kerosene did more than anything else to stop the hunting of whales!
The cost of artificial light fell by a factor of 3,000 in between 1800 and 2000, and it has continued to fall since. The invention of electric light provided enormous social benefit, and also saved many lives (from the fires and gas explosions that used to be a regular feature of life with oil and gas lamps).
Unfortunately, the cheapness of electric lighting means that we now experience light pollution over much of the developed world. Where people live together in large numbers, it is now not possible to see many stars. In August 1969 I was camped in the Sahara desert for a month attached to an army unit. I was startled by the amazing brightness of the night sky and the enormous number of stars that could be seen. If you have ever been in a place like that with no light pollution and clear skies, you will understand what these verses mean:
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1
Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing. Isaiah 40:26
Artificial light has therefore dimmed our ability to see the full glory of God’s creation. It has cast a veil over that which was intended to glorify God.
Light comes from God
Light is the first thing that God spoke into existence :
Then God said “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:3.
The creation was filled with light before the creation of the sun moon and stars on the fourth day (Genesis 1: 14). The Bible reveals that God himself is the ultimate source of light:
The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1.
The Hebrew word for light is owr, and the three letters of this word reveal the essential features of light.
The ancient Rabbis (teachers) believed that every Hebrew letter has four main levels of meaning. These are:
- Its name.
- Its numerical value.
- Its form.
- What it symbolises.
Important clues to letter symbolism come from the first point the letter appears in Genesis, and often the word that the letter is first used in.
The symbolic meaning of the letter can be shown by its context, and some letters can symbolise a range of different things, sometimes in a “positive or negative” kind of way. Letter symbolism can illuminate and give depth to the basic meaning of a word, but without changing that primary meaning.
The ancient Rabbis also believed that each letter had “body soul and spirit”, that every part of the word of God is indeed alive, that the scriptures are truly living words, speaking fresh to every age. The Torah (or “Law”), the name given to the first five books of the Bible, itself was viewed as what we would now describe as the “source code” of creation, containing depths of knowledge much of which still lies beyond our comprehension.
Light in the Bible combines physical and spiritual reality, and this is reflected in the letters of owr, Aleph Vav and Resh.
We may perceive God in many ways, just as a ray of light through a prism may seem to be many colours, but is still a single ray of light. From its form we can see the upper Yod representing the waters above the firmament, the Vav the firmament, and the lower Yod the waters below. This shows creation united all in one (God all in all, 1 Corinthians 15:28). We can also see the Trinity, with the Vav representing Christ as the mediator, with the top Yod showing our Father in heaven above and the bottom Yod the Holy Spirit active on earth below (Yod here represents the invisible power of God).
It first appears at the beginning of the sixth word of the Genesis 1:1, translated “and” followed by “the earth” so it connects the heavens with the earth. It’s shape is a hook, and in its primary meaning of “Hook”, Vav shows a link connecting heaven and earth, which we can recognise as Jesus, as it also represents the upright man.
Vav illustrates the sovereignty of God, “Head” of the whole creation, pointing to his infinite eternal nature.
In summary, the word owr shows us the one true God (Aleph), with Jesus as the only upright man, the mediator between heaven and earth (Vav), who is sovereign over all (Resh).
Adam and Eve may originally have shone with light, perhaps another aspect of being created in the “image and likeness” of God:
And the Lord God made garments of skin [ owr ] for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21.
In this verse there is a different word also pronounced owr, Ayin + Yod + Resh = Skin, which is pronounced the same as owr = Light. The Aleph of owr = Light is changed for:
This may imply the original covering of Adam and Eve was Light, now they can see (Ayin) that the light no longer covers them and they need clothing. They formerly lived in the light of the glory of God, in His presence, but now they were cut off. The light of God’s presence has been witnessed on rare occasions, as the Glory of God:
So as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and indeed, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. Exodus 16:10.
The Glory of God is a most beautiful sight, but also a warning of the proximity of the presence of the holiness of God, which sinful man cannot survive without the grace of Jesus.What does it look like? There are a few reports that it resembles a blazing fire or a shimmering rainbow:
And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. Exodus 24:17.
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.Ezekiel 1:28.
God’s glory is normally concealed:
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2.
There is, today, a host of people who have seen a light that sounds like the glory of God’s presence, while having near death experiences (NDEs).
Testimony to that Light from Near Death Experiences
We should not discount modern secular testimony from NDEs. The Apostle Paul describes a similar experience:
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.
We are not likely to see the full glory of God while in this life, but there is now a huge number of testimonies from people who have died (usually in an accident or while being operated on) who have. Modern medicine and its ability to resuscitate people means that there are now thousands of such reports. John Burke is someone who has interviewed “countless individuals” and reviewed thousands of NDE reports, applying careful criteria to establish that the person concerned was declared physically dead before resuscitation.He has published examples from 70 such cases in his book “Imagine the God of Heaven”. For example:
*I always thought that once you die, your life is finished. That’s it. But when I died, I discovered your life isn’t over, there’s another life after that. I realised, I’m not dead, I can analyze, interpret. I was curious and wondering as I saw a bright Light coming towards me. I could see my body lying on the hospital bed. This Light was so bright. I knew that this Light has superior authority – I had to obey that Light: no-one had to tell me, I just knew. When the Light came near me, He engulfed me with His radiance, and all that I could see was the Divine Light. I immediately fell in love with the Divine Light. I knew the Light’s purpose was not to harm me but [to] protect me. I felt safe. (Santosh, Indian Engineer from Hindu family). P9
*First, all I see was the light, and [then] I hear a voice. [And it said] “Come to the Light.” I know I have to go. I know it was like God or something. It was like you see the face in the light, but you can’t see it really…. And it’s a different light. It’s not like light on earth or sunlight. It’s like white light but [more] like golden white light. And it moves, it shimmers. It’s not like any kind of light in the world. It’s warm – like you were in the light. Not only [do] you see the light, but you become part of the light and the light goes around you. It’s like God in the light. Nothing on earth is like that. (Marsha, born with retinopathy of prematurity, and functionally blind). P14.
*I saw tens of thousands of beings dressed in white gowns and all facing the Light and … in the service of the Light and apparently “singing” praises to the Light. The Light was filled with the most extraordinary, overwhelming and indescribable feeling of LOVE … The Light spoke in a man’s voice, firm and direct, saying only, “Go back! You have a great deal to learn.” (Nan, of Middle Eastern descent). P15.
John Burke has analysed thousands of NDE reports and found that 65% reported Light that is Love, and 48% reported encountering the God of Light and Love. Some have also seen a place of darkness and even a lake of fire.
There is enough here to affirm what the Bible has been telling us all along, that our souls are immortal and there is a heaven which is wonderful beyond description, but we should remember that everyone bringing these stories has returned to this life, and like Paul cannot fully or properly understand and describe what they have seen.
Many do say, however, that they can “feel” the light, and it fills them with feelings of love joy and peace.
We can be content to know that atthe end, in the heavenly city, things will revert to the original first days of creation, with God himself being the source of all light:
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. Revelation 21: 23-25.
This reveals the final abolition of both darkness and death!
Where is the Light found today?
The real issue before us is now, before we get to heaven, where is the Light of the World today? The Apostle John wrote:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. John 1:4-9.
Jesus declared himself to be God when He spoke about light:
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12.
Jesus told us that we are to bearer of His Light:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; … 16 Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14, 16.
The People who live in darkness
In this present age, in the developed world, most people either don’t believe in demons or evil spirits, or imagine they are far more powerful than the Bible shows them to be.
The pumpkin “skull fences” we see in front of so many peoples’ houses during the Halloween season are set out by people who have absolutely no idea of the ancient origins of this custom, and think of it as “just a bit of fun”. Likewise those who send out their children dressed as witches or other scary creatures. They are still living in that darkness.
When I ran a hospice charity about 30 years ago one of our people came up with the idea of setting up a big Christmas Tree at the end of November, and getting people to sponsor each light in memory of a loved one, as a fund raiser for the hospice. It took off so well that within 3 years we had a 30-foot tree and were arranging park-and-ride arrivals for the switching-on ceremony with the help of a local supermarket and a bus company, and hundreds of people came so it was “standing room only” in the hospice grounds.
This event of memorial lights has now become celebrated by hospices nationwide as “Light Up A Life”. Tens of thousands of people will be gathering in a few weeks’ time at hospices all over Britain to take comfort from commemorating their loved ones with a light on a tree. This illustrates a deep-felt need people have, even if it may appear that the pagan festival of Samhain is making a comeback. Against that, many hospices will include church services as part of their event, so perhaps they have just renovated the feast of All Souls instead!
A pointer?
One way or another, people still seem very keen on using lights to commemorate their loved ones. This may help point them to the true light.
If you want to see in the dark, you can get infra-red scopes, which display the levels of infra-red light being emitted. This is also light, but below the spectrum our eyes can see. We can, however, detect infra-red light with our skin: we feel it as it warms us up.
I think the heavenly light that we represent is sensed by people in a similar way, and you may see the effects of the Holy Spirit within you changing the feelings of people around you. This is a function of the fruits of the Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.
Have you ever had someone tell you that they cannot understand how calm you were in a moment of crisis? (That’s peace) Or how your presence cheered them up when they were feeling low? (That’s joy) You can see how all the fruits of the Spirit can produce positive emotions in the people who encounter them.
True light
The true light gets veiled or obscured by so many works of mankind beyond the invention of electric light. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in trying to find other life in the universe, or ways of humans inhabiting Mars or the Moon, all to show that the supposed ‘salvation’ of mankind rests in the supreme cleverness of people. This all about as useful for hopes of eternal life as carving a face in a swede and lighting up a candle!
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2
We were among those people who “walked in darkness” before we came to Jesus, but now we are among those who have no need to be afraid of demons and evil spirits, or of death and what comes after. Paul encouraged Timothy to pursue the fruits of the Spirit:
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12.
Light emitting disciples
1 Timothy 6:11-12. In this way we become emitters of the Divine Light of Jesus, invisible to the human eye, but felt by the human spirit, just like infra-red light can be felt but not seen. Paul emphasises our status as Light bearers:
For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)”,Ephesians 5:8-9.
Two weeks ago I was kayaking on the river near Huntingdon, the day was sunny and the wind was almost calm. In places the surface of the river was like a mirror. I could look down into the river and see the blue sky with puffy white clouds, and the big trees with their leaves turning from green to gold and brown in fine detail, and turning my head I could look up and see exactly the same, the reflections were practically perfect. The same glorious sight above and below me. I thought how wonderful God’s creation is, even in this fallen world of ours. Most of the time, however, the reflections are blurred by even the slightest ripple. In the same way, the breezes of life can often blind us to the glory of Godeven if only temporarily, as we encounter challenges difficulties upsets and disappointments. And so also, most of the time we can affirm, with Paul, that:
“… now I see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Paul also emphasises our transformation as children of God:
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
What other people see
We have to trust by faith that the Lord shines His light through us, and accomplishes things we may well not be aware of. When the veil is removed from us, it may not change what we see, but it surely changes what other people see.
Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16.
And it may help to remember that the very word for Light, owr, reminds us that Jesus is our sovereign Lord, and our mediator between heaven and earth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God … In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1, 4-5.
While many without Jesus in their lives will resort to the equivalent of carving out and lighting up their particular swedes, hoping for comfort in such activity, we must instead look into the Word which He has given us. This is the only way we will find the way to His kingdom:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:33.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of Light. (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth). Ephesians 5:8-9.
We do not need visions or experiences, only the true word:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105.
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Lighthouse Cambridge meeting – 4th November 2025
Martin Johnson is a member of The Hesed Association. https://www.hesedassociation.com/
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