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In order
to understand what is meant by ‘Morningstar’ we best board a ship and go far
from the coast so that light pollution does not hamper us. We call a
planet ‘Morningstar’ when it emerges over the horizon before the sun rises.
The planet Venus is part of the year Morningstar: depending on the angle with
the Sun, Venus is either Morningstar or Eveningstar for us.
(Of course Venus is not a star at all but a planet: in ancient times
people thought Venus was a star, hence the name.) The Morningstar and the adjustment of the compass. Navigators
can calculate the exact time of the day when Venus should rise above the
horizon, and also in what direction they should look to see Venus. That is very
nice, because then the ship’s compass can be compared and adjusted, so that
the ship can sail a true and correct course, so that it will reach the
destination. The rise of the Morningstar. When Venus
rises it shines beautifully. This is caused by the atmosphere which breaks the
light of Venus into many different colors, just like the rainbow. This only
happens when Venus is still very low in the skies, and Venus shines very
brightly and very white. And of course it should be very dark, because in the
light of the rising sun this phenomenon cannot be seen. Once the
time of rise has been calculated the navigator sharply watches the East: there
the Morningstar must rise. He waits and waits: any moment now! And suddenly:
there is Venus! So, even if you know when and where Venus should appear, it
still takes time and you must wait till it really is visible. And with great joy
you can see the beauty of the Morningstar. The Bright Morningstar. In the
Bible, Revelations 22 verses 16 and 17 we read: "I am the Root and the
Offspring of David, the bright
Morningstar. The Spirit and the bride say ‘Come’.” For the
people of the world and for Israel Jesus Christ is the Root and the Offspring of
David. They expect Jesus to come, and He will reign as King over all Earth. This
we can read in Isaiah chapter 11, where
the Thousand Year Kingdom is described. Those who
believe in Jesus Christ do not expect their King, no they expect their
Bridegroom. To those Jesus calls himself: ”the Bright Morningstar”. There are
several analogies between the Morningstar as described above and the coming of
Jesus Christ for the believers His sudden, shining arrival. All the
nice colors of Venus do remind us not only of the many-colored wisdom of the
Lord, but also of his majestic appearance (see Revelations chapter 1). Also the
signs of time clearly show us that Jesus can come any moment to gather his
believers so that they will always be with Him. But the exact time only the
Father knows. Indeed: we can expect Jesus any moment, but yet His arrival will
be suddenly. When will that happen? Is it
possible to know a little bit more about the ‘when’ ? We saw that Venus must
rise before it is getting light. Likewise Jesus shall come to gather His bride,
when for us it is still dark night. Spiritually interpreted: the darker it gets
in this world with increasing sins, the closer His arrival is. Dawn. We learned
that the bright Morningstar appears before daybreak. Now let us read in the
Bible what happens at dawn, then we can discover another parallel. In Genesis
chapter 19 verse15 and onwards we read that Lot is taken from Sodom at dawn,
after that the judgment over Sodom is executed. In Joshua
chapter 6 verse 15 we read that Israel had to go around Jericho seven times
after dawn. Then the walls of Jericho collapsed and the town is taken. In Jonah
chapter 4 verse 7 we read that God sends worm at daybreak, causing the
miracle-tree to die. So:
God’s judgment takes place just after daybreak. Thus: the
name ‘Bright Morningstar’ implies that Jesus Christ arrives to gather his
believers BEFORE dawn and BEFORE the judgment is executed (see Revelations). This means
that the believers are gathered by Him before the great tribulation begins. Just above the horizon. We saw
that Venus is not visible at the horizon, but just above it.. And
therefore we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 17 that we shall be caught
up …. And meet the Lord in the
air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. It is a
meeting in the air and then we go together to the Father’s house with the many
dwellings, The light. When Venus
is just visible it casts a narrow, clear silvery path on the water, in which the
sea can be beautifully observed. Even seabirds can be spotted. Outside this
path-of-light it is very dark and the sea is almost invisible. Again we
see an analogy the our Bright Morningstar! When we
look at Jesus and expect His coming with joy, then we clearly see the straight
narrow path leading to Him. But if we
watch other ‘stars’ – such as other believers, pastors or even worse: the
world and all that happens there – then we do not steer for the Bright
Morningstar and we do not see the path-of-light to Him. Therefore
Peter writes in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 19 to invite the Morningstar to shine in
our heart: the Bright Morningstar: Jesus Christ. Then our heart is filled with
Jesus and we look forward to His coming. Peter encourages us to expect the
coming of the Lord and to study the prophecies of the Bible, so that the true
light shines on our path. Adjustment (calibration) of the compass. If a
compass has even a small error, after a long trip over the ocean the ship will
not arrive at its destination. Many ships have experienced that … There are
many issues asking the attention of the believers. What a relief that again and
again we can look up to our Lord Jesus Christ and tune the compass of our live
so that we do not shipwreck. Dim stars. Dim stars
cannot be seen with the naked eye, but when it is very dark, we can see dim
stars that are invisible under other conditions, such a light pollution. It is
darkest just before dawn and the we can see the maximum number of stars.
Therefore we looked for the Morningstar in the middle of the ocean, where we are
not hampered by light pollution. Just
assume you put a burning candle in a brightly illuminated room. Nobody will
notice the light of that candle. In a dark
room however, such a candle illuminates the whole room! This
encourages the believers: we are as bright stars in a dark environment. The
darker it gets, the more our light shines. Even from small candles … Great! No
stress Christian! Just be who you are. A small believer. You will be seen, more
and more. Soon. Revelations
chapter 22 verse 17 and 20, And the
Spirit and the Bride say: “Come!” “Surely I come quickly”. Amen, come, Lord Jesus!
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What is meaning of The Cross?
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Venus
as morningstar and its meaning.
