In Mt.13: 24-30 Jesus told the crowds a parable about a man sowing seed in his field and at night his enemy came and sowed weeds. His servants questioned him about the weeds in the field and whether to gather them up. The man replied that an enemy had sown the weeds and instructed the servants to let both weeds and wheat grow to maturity, lest they pull the wheat out with the weeds, then at harvest gather the weeds into bundles for burning and the wheat into his barn.
In Mt. 13:36-43 Jesus explains this parable to the disciples. The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of man, the field is the world, the good seed means the sons of the Kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, the enemy is the evil one. The harvest is the close of the age and the reapers are the angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burnt, so too will all causes of sin and evil doers be gathered and thrown into hell. The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
You are the light of the world Jesus told his disciples in Mt. 5:14. When the close of the age comes and all causes of sin and evil doers are separated from the disciples of Jesus-the sons of their father God- then they will shine brightly in the Kingdom. However Jesus instructed his disciples to shine before this in Mt. 5:14-16; they are to let their light shine to be seen by the world and redound to the praise and glory of God in heaven. In Phil. 2:14-15 Paul advises proper conduct to Christians whereby they will be innocent children of God shining as lights in a world of evil.
The theme of light is prevalent in the bible and Jesus often spoke of the separation and sorting of people at the end of the age to their ultimate consequences using various analogies. The wheat from the weeds, the goats from the sheep, various fish sorted into good and the rest thrown away. Fruit bearing trees- those bearing good fruit and those bearing bad, the bad cut down and thrown into the fire; good servants are contrasted with unfaithful servants and the fate of each, five wise maidens are compared with five foolish and the end results. At the end of the age those who are of the light will be separated from those who are of darkness. Jesus is the light and to be of the light is to be a follower of Jesus.
In the opening chapter of Revelation Christ's voice is like the sound of many waters, these are the great multitude of chapter 7:9 redeemed from every nation, from all tribes and tongues whom are Christ's body, the Church, speaking in unison with one accord. Among humankind there are two lots of waters; those of God and Jesus Christ and those who are of the realm of the beast and Babylon. These two lots of water are to be parted from one another and destined to different fates; those of the light to heaven, those of Satan to hell. This is demonstrated when God parted the sea and Moses led the people through but the Egyptians perished. This a parable, the Hebrews are God's people, God's people are called out of Egypt, that is the world, Babylon, Sodom, whilst the Egyptians are the worldly people who do not seek or know God. God parting the sea is representative of this separation of the peoples into two groups.
In Ephesians 5:7 Paul writes, "Therefore once you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord". The disciples of Jesus once being dark in the night have been called to shine. The Holy Spirit has moved over these peoples lives and when they heard the message of salvation they were convinced of the need for conversion and responded to God's edict, "Let there be light", that is they chose to receive Christ. Here is clear the meaning of the first few verses of Genesis. Gen. 1:2-4 "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness."
The end of the age when the light is separated from the darkness, the wheat from the chaff, has not yet arrived. The first day of Genesis chapter one is not yet completed! This demonstrates that the Genesis creation account of chapter one is not a simple time frame for God's working. God's Spirit is still moving over the face of the waters, that is the Spirit is still acting upon people to draw them to God. God's word for light to shine is an order today to the people the Spirit has drawn to a point of decision, whether to accept or reject Christ, the true light of the world: whether to shine out of darkness or become deeply dark.
In Mt.25:34 the triumphant King Jesus after sorting the goats from the sheep-(separating light from darkness) - says to the people who have been placed at his right hand, "Come, Oh blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world". This kingdom that is prepared for the children of the light is already established and is the very basis for the world yet it has not yet been, that is come to. The separation of light from darkness is a foundational world precept or principle.