Inanimate nature expressed a sympathy with its insulted and dying Author. The sun refused to look upon the awful scene. Its full, bright rays were illuminating the earth at midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted out. Complete darkness enveloped the cross, and all the vicinity about, like a funeral pall. There was no eclipse or other natural cause for this darkness, which was deep as midnight without moon or stars. The dense blackness was an emblem of the soul-agony and horror that encompassed the Son of God. He had felt it in the garden of Gethsemane, when from his pores were forced drops of blood, and where he would have died had not an angel been sent from the courts of Heaven to invigorate the divine sufferer, that he might tread his blood-stained path to Calvary. {3SP 163.2}

Selv den livløse natur udtrykte sin medfølelse for sin forhånede, døende Skaber. Solen nægtede at oplyse den forfærdelige scene. Dens klare stråler oplyste jorden ved middagstid; men pludselig syntes det, som om de aldeles udslukkes. fuldstændig mærke indhyllede korset og hele omegnen ligesom et ligklæde. Der var ingen solformørkelse eller anden naturlig årsag. Mørket var så tykt som ved midnat uden måne (164) og stjerner. Det tykke mørke var et billede på den sjælekval og forfærdelse, som fyldte Guds Søn. Han havde følt den i Getsemane have, da blodsdråberne trængte sig igennem hans porer, og døden ville have overvældet ham, dersom ikke en engel var blevet sendt fra himlen for at styrke den guddommelige lidende, så at han kunne betræde Golgathas blodbestænkte sti.