To continue on John chapter 9…
John 9:4-5 – 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Jesus is the Light.
John 1:4-5 – 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
In chapter 9, Jesus said we must do the work of Him who sent me. It doesn’t say I must do the work. He says I am the Light and He is the Light. So He is saying WE need to do the work as Christians. Now that we have the Holy Spirit, He dwells within us so we may still do the work shining His Light.
When is the night coming that he is referring to? I believe it is still to come. I believe he is referring to the end of the church age. When is the end of the church age? I believe it is the rapture.
Will people still get saved? Yes. I believe that is the tribulation saints you read about in Revelation.
I look at these verses in 2 Thessalonians when Paul is talking about the man of lawlessness.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 –1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
The lawless one is the antichrist and these passages talk of one who holds him back. Who else could this be besides the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit isn’t taking off and allowing the lawless one to be revealed without taking believers with Him.
Night is coming and it’s coming soon. We need to work before the midnight hour is up. It’s time for us to grab our tool which the Word of God and keep on sharing the Good News.
Pius ogola
March 13, 2013 at 1:39 am
Precisely put! Couldnt agree more, for in the same chapter verse 5 he says – while i am in the world, i am the LIGHT of the world. The church too, as long as its in the world, its the light of the world [matthew 5:14.] But then darkness cometh, it becomes impossible for men to work-the tribulation period for me. Jesus really was talking about the rapture and the end of the church age here.
Again if you compare this verse with Isaiah 21:11 – A prophecy against Edom, you get a critical insight into things.
In the oracle concerning Dumah, someone from Seir asks of the watchman what is left of the night [which i take to be the birth pangs b4 tribulation sets in]?
Key is the answer from the watchman-he says this : Morning is coming, BUT ALSO THE NIGHT. For me this brief morning, a new day is the rapture of believers and then NIGHT comes again – the tribulation, now nolonger the birth pains. And u see this was talking about the assyrian conquest [1st night], small time of peace,then babylonian one 2nd night