Let’s read Mark 15:33-34, “Now when the sixth hour had come, there was DARKNESS OVER THE WHOLE LAND until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’’

Most Bible teachers (including this writer) believe this refers to “the whole land of Palestine” and “not the whole earth.” All those living in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, were enveloped in this “supernatural darkness” that occurred at the “sixth hour” of the day; in other words, at “high noon.” This was darker than any “solar eclipse,” for this was, as one commentator says, “a darkness that could be felt.” This brings to mind the plague of darkness in Egypt which we read about in Exodus 10:21, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that they be DARKNESS OVER THE LAND OF EGYPTS, DARKNESS WHICH MAY EVEN BE FELT.” This darkness must have struck terror in the hearts of many in the land of Palestine, much like the supernatural darkness that brought fear into the heart of Abraham that we read about in Genesis 15:12, “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, HORROR AND GREAT DARKNESS FELL UPON HIM.”

The plague of darkness in the land of Egypt was a judgment of God against Pharaoh and the people of Egypt who refused to free God’s people. The darkness in Israel was a judgment of God against SIN, where God was pouring out His wrath on His Son after our sins were laid upon Him. Isaiah prophesied of this judgment in Isaiah 53:5-6, 10, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was BRUISED for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all…Yet it pleased the LORD to BRUISE Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin.” Those three hours of darkness brought forth the most solemn cry ever made, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me.” David was inspired to tell us that these exact words would be spoken by Jesus in Psalm 22:1 and then the answer to this solemn question is given in 22:3, “But You are HOLY, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Jesus was acknowledging that God the Father was forsaking Him because He is HOLY and, in His holiness, He had to abandon His Son the moment our sins were placed upon Him. The prophet Habakkuk bore witness to this in Habakkuk 1:13, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (KJV). We read in 1 John 1:5 that “God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO DARKNESS at all,” and thus when God forsook His Son, nature itself bore witness (with a supernatural darkness) to the fact that a Holy God, in whom is no darkness at all, had to turn His back on His beloved Son.

Again, most commentators believe the darkness was confined to “the whole land of Palestine.” A few commentators hold the view it was over “the whole earth.” But what really matters is what we just mused on; God was judging sin in the Person of His blessed Son, the Man Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18 and 1 Timothy 2:3-6). And when our sins were laid upon Him God, who is HOLY, had to abandon Him for those three hours of darkness and this supernatural darkness over the land was a testimony to those in Israel of His judgment against sin.  (DO)  (701.3)