Explaining "The darkest hour is just before the dawn"

What does it mean?

The phrase means that tough times or challenges often precede hope and better circumstances, suggesting that things may seem bleakest just before they improve.

Tone

Origin

The phrase is attributed to the English theologian and historian Thomas Fuller. In his religious travelogue, "A Pisgah-Sight Of Palestine And The Confines Thereof," published in 1650, Fuller included the observation, "It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth."