The term translated “mist” (ἀχλύς; also ὁμίχλαι when plural imagery is employed) speaks of a transient, veiling vapor that obscures sight. In Scripture it is never neutral. It is consistently connected with judgment, spiritual blindness, and the tragic contrast between deceptive darkness and the clarity that comes from God’s revealed light.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Acts 13:11 – Upon the sorcerer Elymas, “mist and darkness” descend as an immediate, tangible sign of divine judgment that renders him unable to see.

• 2 Peter 2:17 – False teachers are likened to “mists driven by a storm,” promising refreshment but proving empty and dangerous; “blackest darkness is reserved for them.”

Though the vocabulary differs slightly, the imagery is unified: an obscuring vapor sent (or allowed) by God that exposes and punishes spiritual rebellion.

Old Testament Background

Hebrew narrative lays a foundation for the symbolism. In Genesis 19:11 the men of Sodom are struck with blindness, groping for the doorway—an echo of Elymas’ plight. Isaiah 29:9-10 warns that the Lord can pour out “a spirit of deep sleep” so that eyes are closed. Joel 2:2 describes “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” Each passage prepares the reader to understand New Testament “mist” as an instrument or picture of divine response to hard-heartedness.

Mist as a Sign of Divine Judgment

In Acts 13, mist falls the moment Paul pronounces God’s verdict. It is not random natural phenomena but a direct intervention. The judgment is temporary (“for a time”), reflecting God’s mercy even in discipline, and serves two purposes: (1) it protects the gospel from opposition, and (2) it testifies to the assembled governor and others that the apostles speak with heavenly authority.

Mist as a Portrait of False Ministry

2 Peter widens the motif. False teachers are “springs without water,” offering thirst-quenching promises they cannot fulfill, and “mists driven by a storm,” unstable, aimless, and soon swallowed by the very darkness they create. The image rebukes every ministry that clouds the light of Christ with human schemes.

Contrast With the Light of Christ

Where “mist” blinds, Jesus proclaims, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Paul’s mission is defined in similar contrast: “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18). The gospel scatters every spiritual vapor that hides the face of God from humankind.

Historical Interpretation

Early Christian writers saw Elymas as a living parable of Israel’s self-inflicted blindness (Romans 11:7-10) and a solemn warning to anyone who twists Scripture. Later commentators linked 2 Peter 2:17 to apostasy in every era, viewing the “mists” as theological novelties that obscure the clear teaching once for all delivered to the saints.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Discernment – Teachers must handle the Word so plainly that no “mist” of ambiguity remains.
2. Humility – Any believer may lapse into temporary blindness through sin; restoration requires submissive openness to God’s light.
3. Evangelism – The gospel confronts spiritual mist with revelation, just as Paul’s word confronted Elymas.
4. Warning – Persistent distortion of truth invites judgment; the church must address it decisively yet redemptively.

Related Biblical Themes

• Blindness and sight: Exodus 10:21-23; John 9:39-41.
• Gloom and darkness: Zephaniah 1:15; Jude 13.
• Vaporous transience: James 4:14 (“You are a mist that appears for a little while”).
• Divine illumination: Psalm 119:105; Ephesians 5:8-9.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 887 and its cognate imagery depict a God-sent veil that exposes rebellion, contrasts with gospel light, and warns against hollow, deceptive ministry. Where the mist descends, sight is lost; where Christ shines, every cloud is scattered.