ABC:Psalms 97

Verse 2
The EvilBible claims a contradiction exists here, and makes the following comments.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

God dwells in light

1 Kings 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Psalms 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

Psalms 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

God dwells in darkness

Context
The distinction here is only apparent from examining the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament passages. Simply put the KJV translated a word as "darkness" that actually would be better translated as "storm" or "stormcloud", the Hebrew word araphel. The normal Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for darkness is actually choshek which is translated "dark" or "darkness" 77 out of 80 times by the KJV. Another Hebrew word sometimes translated darkness, ophel, refers to dusk, a time of day, as seen from its use in Job 3:6 and Psalms 91:6.

The following is the full interlinear text of the three controversial Old Testament passages in question, I have bolded the controversial Hebrew words translated as darkness. The first and third passages are using the word araphel while the second is referring to a temporary gathering of darkness God the Father made around Him when going to rescue Jesus from Hell. I quote much of this second passage to show the context, that this was a temporary event, not a perpetual dwelling.

1 Kings 8:12 Then spake <'amar> Solomon,  The LORD  said <'amar> that he would dwell in the thick darkness. <`araphel>

Psalms 18:4 The sorrows of death compassed <'aphaph> me, and the floods of ungodly men < beliya'al> made me afraid.  5 The sorrows of hell  compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called  upon the LORD,  and cried  unto my God: <'elohiym> he heard  my voice out of his temple, and my cry  came  before him, even into his ears. <'ozen> 7 Then the earth <'erets> shook  and trembled;  the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken,  because he was wroth. 8 There went up <`alah> a smoke <`ashan> out of his nostrils, <'aph> and fire <'esh> out of his mouth devoured: <'akal> coals were kindled  by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness <`araphel> was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub,  and did fly: <`uwph> yea, he did fly  upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds <`ab> of the skies. 12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds <`ab> passed, <`abar> hail stones and coals of fire. <'esh> 13 The LORD <Y@hovah> also thundered <ra`am> in the heavens, and the Highest <'elyown> gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. <'esh>

Psalms 97:2 Clouds <`anan> and darkness <`araphel> are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. <kicce'>

Meaning of Araphel
Again, the word araphel as seen from its usage throughout the Bible shows it's referring to storms and storm clouds, in fact of the 15 times it is used in the Old Testament, 9 of the times it is mentioned in immediate connection with the Hebrew word anan meaning "cloud" (Deut. 4:11; 5:22; 1 Ki. 8:11-12; 2 Chr. 5:14-6:1; Job 38:9; Ps. 97:2; Ez. 34:12; Joel 2:2; Zep. 1:15) and 3 times in connection with the Hebrew word ab meaning "cloud" or "dark cloud." (2 Sam. 22:10-12, Job 22:13, Ps. 18:9-12)

The following is a complete list of all 15 places in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word araphel is used showing that it does mean "storm" or "storm cloud", I have bolded both it and the Hebrew word anan in the passages for ease of reading.

Exodus 20:21 And the people <`am> stood <`amad> afar off, and Moses <Mosheh> drew near unto the thick darkness <`araphel> where God <'elohiym> was. Deuteronomy 4:11 And ye came near and stood <`amad> under the mountain ; and the mountain burned <ba`ar> with fire <'esh> unto the midst of heaven, with darkness <`araphel>, clouds <`anan>, and thick darkness. Deuteronomy 5:22 These words the LORD <Y@hovah> spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire <'esh>, of the cloud <`anan>, and of the thick darkness <`araphel>, with a great voice : and he added no more. And he wrote them in two <sh@nayim> tables of stone <'eben>, and delivered them unto me. 2 Samuel 22:10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down ; and darkness <`araphel> was under his feet. 11 And he rode upon a cherub, <k@ruwb> and did fly: <`uwph> and he was seen <ra'ah> upon the wings of the wind. 12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds <`ab> of the skies. 1 Kings 8:11 So that the priests could not stand <`amad> to minister because of the cloud: <`anan> for the glory of the LORD <Y@hovah> had filled <male'> the house of the LORD. <Y@hovah> 12 Then spake <'amar> Solomon <Sh@lomoh>, The LORD <Y@hovah> said <'amar> that he would dwell in the thick darkness <`araphel>. 2 Chronicles 5:14 Then said <'amar> Solomon <Sh@lomoh>, The LORD <Y@hovah> hath said <'amar> that he would dwell in the thick darkness <`araphel>. 6:1 So that the priests could not stand <`amad> to minister by reason of the cloud: <`anan> for the glory of the LORD <Y@hovah> had filled <male'> the house of God. <'elohiym> Job 22:13 And thou sayest <'amar>, How doth God <'el> know <yada`>? can he judge through the dark cloud <`araphel>? 14 Thick clouds <`ab> are a covering to him, that he seeth <ra'ah> not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. Job 38:9 When I made the cloud <`anan> the garment <l@buwsh> thereof, and thick darkness <`araphel> a swaddlingband for it,

Psalms 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down : and darkness <`araphel> was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, <k@ruwb> and did fly: <`uwph> yea, he did fly <da'ah> upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds <`ab> of the skies. 12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds <`ab> passed, <`abar> hail stones and coals of fire. <'esh>

Psalms 97:2 Clouds <`anan> and darkness <`araphel> are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne <kicce'>.

Isaiah 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth <'erets>, and gross darkness <`araphel> the people <l@om>: but the LORD <Y@hovah> shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen <ra'ah> upon thee. Jeremiah 13:16 Give glory to the LORD <Y@hovah> your God <'elohiym>, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains , and, while ye look for light <'owr>, he turn it into the shadow of death , and make it gross darkness <`araphel>.

Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd <ra`ah> seeketh out his flock <`eder> in the day that he is among his sheep <tso'n> that are scattered ; so will I seek out my sheep <tso'n>, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy <`anan> and dark <`araphel> day. Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess <'aphelah>, a day of clouds <`anan> and of thick darkness <`araphel>, as the morning spread upon the mountains : a great people <`am> and a strong <`atsuwm>; there hath not been ever <`owlam> the like, neither shall be any more after <'achar> it, even to the years <shaneh (in pl. only),> of many generations. Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath <`ebrah>, a day of trouble and distress <m@tsuwqah>, a day of wasteness <show'> and desolation <m@show'ah>, a day of darkness and gloominess <'aphelah>, a day of clouds <`anan> and thick darkness <`araphel>,

As seen above, there are only 3 of the 15 passages (Ex. 20:21; Is. 60:2; Jer. 13:16) that don't immediately mention the Hebrew words for cloud (anan and ab) in connection with the word araphel, and 2 of those 3 do mention clouds, just not in the immediately adjoining verses. In the Exodus 20:21 passage it shows God speaking to Israel from araphel or the storm cloud, and if you look back at Exodus 19:9 and 19:16-17 it specifically uses the Hebrew word ab in saying God spoke to them from the cloud. As for Isaiah 60:2, it ends up mentioning clouds with the word ab in verse 8.

Exodus 19:9 And the LORD <Y@hovah> said <'amar> unto Moses, <Mosheh> Lo, I come <bow'> unto thee in a thick <`ab> cloud, <`anan> that the people <`am> may hear <shama`> when I speak with thee, and believe <'aman> thee for ever. <`owlam> And Moses <Mosheh> told the words of the people <`am> unto the LORD. <Y@hovah>

Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third <sh@liyshiy> day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud <`anan> upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding <m@`od> loud; so that all the people <`am> that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses <Mosheh> brought forth <yatsa'> the people <`am> out of the camp to meet <qir'ah> with God; <'elohiym> and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

Isaiah 60:8 Who are these that fly <`uwph> as a cloud, <`ab> and as the doves to their windows <'arubbah>?

At any rate, in 14 of the 15 passages where the Hebrew word araphel is used in the Old Testament it clearly is referring to storm clouds, not just darkness in general.

Conclusion
In other words, God dwells with light in Heaven but surrounds Himself with dark stormclouds when coming down to meet human beings on Earth. God the Father dwells with the ultimate source of light, Jesus the Son of God, who at the end of time will be the only light source needed for the New Jerusalem. When Jesus said He was the "Light of the World" in other words He wasn't just figuratively speaking.

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

However, as seen from the numerous passages above, God surrounds Himself with dark stormclouds when He comes down to meet human beings (Ex. 19:9,20:21; Deut. 4:11,5:22; 2 Sam. 22:10-12; Ps. 18:9) God ultimately uses these dark storm clouds as a covering, a curtain or barrier. (Job 22:14) Thus, dark stormclouds are used to surround light.