2009 North American Bible Conference      December 26, 2009     “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  James 1:17 God, the Father of ‘Lights’Previously, we examined the verse that says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Also, the Bible says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). This is saying that among God’s creations, there are things that are visible and things that are invisible, and that, while we are living in this world, there are things besides those that we can see. These are matters pertaining to God’s world, the world in which God dwells. Let’s consider first the things that are within the atmosphere of the earth on which we live. In general, people’s knowledge of light extends to far-infrared rays, x-rays, ultraviolet rays, visible rays, and so on; there are more than ten forms of electromagnetic radiation of which we are aware. People of our generation are able to make use of various forms of light. The signal transmitted from a cellular phone connects to another person’s cellular phone by means of a satellite, and this signal is a form of light. The radiation used to treat cancer patients is another form of light. When radiation is used at the right dosage, it can kill off the cancer cells, but caution is necessary because too much of it can melt the bones or organs. This is why there are technicians who concentrate solely on the use of radiation. Then, X-rays are used to diagnose pneumonia or see the extent of damage done to a broken bone. X-rays are also a form of light. The light rays that can be seen with the naked eye are called visible rays, meaning they can be seen. Bees, however, are also able to see ultraviolet rays which human can not see.It was not until well into the 1900s?the twentieth century?that we knew that so many different forms of light exist. It was as a result of the advancement of science and civilization and the invention of machines that we have been able to discover such facts. Even just two or three hundred years ago, most people were not aware that there are different kinds of light. Around 600 years ago, at the time of the revival of learning that we call the Renaissance, many artists were active, producing sculptures and paintings. The Renaissance Movement centered on Italy, where many artists experimented with colors and shapes changing by the properties of light to create new techniques. Even so, they were still not aware of the existence of the various forms of light.Now let’s go back even further in time. What was it like two thousand years ago when Jesus came to the world and died on the cross, the age of the Church began and the apostles bore witness of Jesus Christ? At that time, when there were no cars or light bulbs or any of our modern conveniences, Jesus said, “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:15). The only form of lighting at that time was a candle or oil lamp. Even as little as about one hundred years ago, little was known beyond the light that could be seen with the human eye, so what would people of the time of Jesus have thought when any reference was made to light?Yet there is a rather strange verse in the Bible; it tells us even at that time long ago that there is more than one light. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  James 1:17 Does it say, “light,” or “lights”? It says, “lights.” The Bible also uses the word “water” in the plural form, “waters.” Usually, when we talk about a large quantity of water, we treat it as an uncountable noun and say “water,” not “waters.” Yet, the Bible says, “His voice was like the sound of many waters” (Ezekiel 43:2), using the plural form of “waters.” The Bible also refers to light in various places, as for example, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good” (Genesis 1:3-4) and, “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, … and the world did not know Him” (John 1:9-10), but in the letter of James, it says, “and comes down from the Father of lights”, using the plural form, “lights.” It explains the distinctions in God’s creation at a much deeper level than can be seen by the human eye. When the Bible says, “Being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,” light is also included in these “things that are made.” When we think about these “things that are made,” we usually think of things like trees, forests, clouds, the ocean, and so on, and yet God also made the light, which is intangible and without which we wouldn’t be able to see all the things that God has made. The light that God created in this way is not singular; there are various forms of light. This fact was already recorded in the Bible a long time ago. Long before the people of this world used their sophisticated knowledge to establish anew the thoughts and ideas of the Renaissance, and long before science developed to the point at which X-rays and the like were discovered, the Bible established the existence of “the Father of lights.” It is most definitely not by chance that these words are recorded here. In Ezekiel chapter 1, we find a description of a very strange image. It says that this image appeared from the north, bearing faces of animals and moving forward like some huge tram. It also had wings and made a noise as it moved forward. Above it was the firmament, and above the firmament, an image like that of a man. This is a very mysterious image. It also says that from His waist upward the image was the color of amber with the appearance of fire, and from His waist downward it was the appearance of fire with brightness all around, like the appearance of a rainbow. Even from this very short description, we can see that there was not just one form of light emanating from this being that was seen as the image of man.One mistake we frequently make when reading the Bible is that of attempting to interpret its words purely within the sphere of what man is able to determine with his human eyes and ears. Yet, all things began from a state which man is unable to gauge. Man merely makes estimations within the limits of his abilities and we live our lives getting by in this way. The verse we read earlier in James chapter 1 verse 17 is one of the passages in the Bible that testify of this. Nevertheless, the people of this world say that man started out from the smallest unit, which evolved over hundreds of millions of years, becoming a living creature, then something similar to an ape, and finally a human being. And now, man is trying to become like God. Man is walking a path that is completely opposite to what the Bible says. The Bible proclaims that “every good gift and every perfect gift … comes down from the Father of lights” and, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” These words seem to be rebuking and at the same time undermining the ignorant thoughts of man. They contain neither compromise nor request. They are not saying, “The Bible says this and that and it is true, so please believe it”; they are simply saying, “This is the truth. It is up to you whether or not you believe it.” In fact, in the book of Revelation, it says, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (22:11). It is saying, “Just do as you please.” Man has been given complete free will. As you set yourself before the Bible, it is your decision whether or not you are going to believe in God. One thing is certain, however: if the Bible is true, those who don’t believe are in big trouble. In the Bible, there are words of warning addressed to those who live in ignorance of the Bible. If the Bible is true, such people will have to deal with a great problem. The same applies to those who pride themselves in knowing the Bible and being born again. You must not consider it too much trouble to get to know more about God, thinking, “I’m already saved. Through the Bible, I have come to believe with all my heart in the cross of Jesus and to believe that my sins have been forgiven. That should be enough.”For whom was the letter to the Romans written? Was it for those who are not saved? It was first written to the church in Rome, to those who knew God, as it says, “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God” (Romans 1:21). In Ephesians it says, “that you … may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height ? to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (3:17-19). We need to examine ourselves and determine whether we are making an effort to get to know God and know how the mysteries of God are being revealed through the Bible. The Creation that Began with the LightThe Bible tells us that in the beginning there was God and He created the heavens and the earth. As we study further, we come to know that this God was born into the world in human form with the name of Jesus. Then we come to know that our sins have been cleansed through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross and that Jesus has forgiven our own personal sins. The Bible says, “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead”. Those who have not known the Bible come to know God through the Bible, and those who already know the Bible understand God more and more through the Bible.In the Bible, however, we find the expression, “the Father of lights.” What are these lights? Genesis chapter 1 says of the first day of creation, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good” (verses 1, 3-4). Then in John chapter 1, it says, “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” (verses 1, 4).In the Bible, the one event of the creation is viewed from two different perspectives at the same time: through human eyes and through the eyes of God. Such is the charm and power of the Bible. The Bible is not a book of poetic expressions created within the minds of men. Even though the expressions used may seem overly simple and not so very important, as we continue to consider and try to understand what these words are saying, consulting various passages in the Bible as we do so, we come to see that God explains all kinds of matters even just through one individual phenomenon. The Bible says that on the first day of creation, “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good”. That light does not only include visible rays; it contains many other things besides visible rays. On the first day, when God said let there be light, there was light, and when that light shone, everything under the heavens began to move. Then, when the light met with the water, God commanded on the second day, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters” (Genesis 1:6). When the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, when the earth was in such chaos and without form, the waters were divided; the clean waters being drawn upwards and the rest of the waters mixed with soil were drawn downwards. Then, when the waters were divided in this way, the firmament was formed. When God gave the commands regarding the creation, the power that was able to accomplish His words originated in the light on the first day when “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” It was because that light was there that the rest of the six days of the creation were possible and the creation continued on.When the light shone on this world in this way, what happened to the darkness? In Genesis, it says, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night” (1:3-5). Then in the book of Psalms, there is a verse that says, “You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about” (104:20). It says that God made darkness. What does darkness tell us? The Bible says that God made the darkness visible in this world, and it says that God made the darkness, but in the verse in James, referred to earlier, it says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” It says that the One who has no shadow of turning made the darkness. This is really strange.When we read Genesis chapter 1, we might think hastily that everything was done in the order in which it was recorded from the first day on. Yet, as we read thr

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