Day 11: The Morning Star

Proclamation #6

“…And I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:28)

            I found this program online called “Stellarium.” It is a fantastic program to explore the night sky. You can go back to any point in time, or forward to any point to see exactly how the stars and planets align. It is with this program I tried to track down the celestial events around the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I was able to find some very interesting stuff. Including what many think the morning star is, Venus. During certain seasons with a clear sky, you can see it in the east in the early hours of the day. It looks very stunning. With a quick search of the Internet, you can find pictures to see the beauty yourself.

            The gospel of Matthew begins with a star in the east. Let us read, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Mat 2:2) Now there are many opinions on what this star was. From angels, to asteroids, comets, retrograde planets, etc. What the star was exactly is very important and worthy of study. However, it will not change the point, which I am making to you with the sixth proclamation. For that, I turn it over to Jesus’ own words. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” (Rev 22:16) So the wise men saw His star in the east, Jesus claims this star, saying He is the bright and Morning Star. There actually has been a prophecy of this star for some time. We read it as follows, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” (Num 24:17) Did you catch that? A Star and a Scepter will rise out of Israel. In the fifth Proclamation, we read about the Rod of Iron. The sixth Proclamation is the next verse in the book of Revelation right after the fifth. Now we know about the Rod, so let us continue, and learn the meaning of the Morning Star.

            “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” (2Pe 1:19) I love the poetry of that verse. Again, we see dawn mentioned and the rising of the star. So let us answer what exactly Jesus is giving us. What is the morning star? Jesus is the Morning Star. He is giving us Himself. You see, the Father prophesied that He was going to make Jesus the bright and Morning star in the book of Numbers. Now that He is the Bright and Morning Star, He freely gives Himself to the family of God. Therefore, we too will have the Bright and Morning Star. We have Jesus rising within our hearts. Then on that great day when the Star rises fully, we will have the completion of our joy.

            Let us read again the verses of the fifth and sixth Proclamation together to get a fuller picture: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.” (Rev 2:26-28) What Jesus is saying is, “I will give you my kingdom and myself, you will have it all.” It is one thing to give of your processions; it is another thing entirely to give yourself. Jesus explains this in the following verse: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Joh 15:13) This is how great His love is, not only to die for us on the cross, but also completely giving Himself to us after the resurrection. Praise God, Praise Jesus!

            Understanding the sixth Proclamation from our Lord helps us to understand another declaration He made. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Mat 10:32-33) To those who overcome and keep the works of the Lord will be welcomed in with full acknowledgment before the Father. Those who do not keep the testimony of Jesus; now will find themselves unprepared to receive the glory He will bestow upon the ones that love Him now. We will cover this more in the ninth Proclamation. Hence, if you want to know the price of eternity, forever, and the cost to receive the kingdom of God, it is this; complete and total reckless abandon in your love for Him. You can give Him no greater love than to give Him your life completely. He has done it for us, is He not worthy to do the same for Him?

            In the fourth Proclamation, we did not talk about the hidden manna. One of the reasons is I believe it best fits with the discussion of the “morning star.” During the Exodus our Daddy, “…had opened the doors of the heavens; and had rained down manna on them to eat, and He gave them of the corn of heaven.” (See Psalms 78:22-24) The Bible describes manna in its raw form as, “And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.” (Num 11:7) Bdellium is said to be white like pearls. When cooked into cakes it is described as, “…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” (Exo 16:31b) This grain from the heavens sustained them for almost the entire journey until they could eat from the Promised Land. I will let Jesus tell you the rest. “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not.” (Joh 6:31-36) Jesus is the Morning Star, and the Hidden Manna. He is explaining the different attributes of His nature. These attributes must be received from Him, so we can be one with our Heavenly Father. With immortality, we must also become like Him in nature and character. This is the only way we can be in our Father’s presence. So Jesus gives Himself, yet again, to restore the family of God.

            Jesus tells us, “To him who overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna…” (Revelation 2:17b) While I have no doubt there is literally heavenly grain waiting for us in heaven. More importantly, just like how Jesus told us that our Daddy gave us Manna in the desert, Jesus is this Manna. Jesus will give us of Himself in the same spiritual sense as of the Lord’s Supper. The Morning Star and the Manna will likely have a literal fulfillment. It is in the spiritual fulfillment we find the greatest blessing. Let me end it with this: The children during the Exodus received from God the Manna until they reached the Promised Land. Now we will not partake of receiving the “Hidden Manna,” until we reach the heavenly Promised Land. In the literal and spiritual sense, the best is yet to come. It is the one who bless’ that makes the blessing so sweet.

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