Who Is This Morning Star?

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. 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 

Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 2:26-29

 

     This portion of chapter two can be a bit confusing if the context is not considered to bring light and understanding. In verses above this portion it is Jesus Christ who tells Christians to hold fast till He comes (vs. 25) and in we are told that He, Jesus Christ will cause no other burden (vs. 24b). Now in verse 26 it is the one who overcometh and keeps the works of God, as Jesus exemplified during His time on earth. Now the narrative switches to Him, Jesus Christ the context admits no other explanation of the one that would receive power (actually the Greek word means authority, so power is ok but does not convey the meaning as well). Who keeps the law of God now in their lives to the end? Can you? Well, possibly but not probably as sin still resides in each and every person until they have come into the presence of God in heaven. Yes, you are saved and your sins washed away but not by anything you can do or will do except to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, convert to Him and then with the power of the Holy Spirit you have all you need to overcome. But in reality, we do not always use the power of the Holy Spirit and make many choices and decisions that are not God's will. We are not perfect, and we cannot be perfect in of ourselves in this life. God sees you as white as snow when He sees you through Jesus Christ who is making intercession for you. So there is a double meaning here, you can have power over the nations but you cannot rule over them with an Iron fist. Your power is not the same as the power of God who can rule over the nations and break them into little pieces and this is what God gave to His Son Jesus Christ to be able to do due to His vicarious work on the cross. The world is like a pile of potter mud and the potter can if he so chooses to destroy his work at any level of his work. Only God can do this and only God can give to His Son who did the will of God. It was the Wisdom of God that was sent and it is this Wisdom that now being incarnate can be given the morning star. So who is this morning star and the Bright Morning star? A little research will provide the answer. 

     In Job 1:6; 2:1 the sons of God are mentioned as they are summoned to be before Jehovah and this included Satan. We know they are angels as they are appear before God. God then asks a question about creation and then: "When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4-6). It is clear the the morning stars are a group and they are also called sons of God. A point of interest: the term sons of God in the Old Testament is used in a plural manner and refers to angels. Men were not called sons of God until the New Testament when the Holy Spirit dwells in them: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:14,19). The Hebrew word boquer means dawn stars and it symbolizes the angels where together in unity as when Satan states: "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13).

This symbolic usage can be found in the New Testament saying the same thing: "the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in heaven will be shaken" (Mark: 13:25), and "And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind" (Revelation 613), and "His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth" (Revelation 12:4). 

     We now have some background to come to an understanding and the usage of morning star: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations" (Isaiah 14:12). The King James Bible uses the word that means morning star calling it Lucifer and this is incorrect and in this verse Satan is called star of the morning and to use a proper name is wrong. The name Lucifer is not drawn from the Bible even though it has become accepted. No where else in the Bible does the Hebrew noun heeyleel that means bright and shiny one, one who spreads light. The word son often describes possession of the quality or characteristic described. So then, son of the morning would present him as one who has light. It is interesting that the term "son of the dawn" for Satan is no longer applied to him after the fall of Adam and Eve. 

     Jesus is called THE "bright and morning star" this places Jesus above all other who are bright for it is Jesus who is the victor and we will have the victor, Jesus Christ. We who overcome will have Jesus as our reward. Only in Revelation 22:16 is the word "bright added to Morning Star distinguishing Jesus from any angel. When Jesus promises to give the "morning star" to His faithful ones, He promises that He will give to them Himself. 

     The prophetic word: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2Peter 1:19). Jesus is our continual light that gives to you instruction until the real light comes: Jesus Christ. It is this light that will transform you and give to you immortality. 

     This should clear up any misunderstanding as to the words "morning light." THE morning light is Jesus, notice the word "THE" and the light that the Morning Light gives is life, life eternal. This section has a double entendre as it applies to you, and to Jesus Christ. What we must not lose here is the fact: you must be an overcomer, have an ear that hears what the Spirit says to the called out ones, the Church.

 

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,

     and unto them that turn from

transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

                        Isaiah 59:20

 

Study to show yourself an approved workman

 

Richard L. Crumb

How To Find Happiness In A World Full Of Trouble

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them 

that commit adultery with her into great 

tribulation, except they repent of their

 of their deeds. And I will kill her children

 with death;  and all the churches shall know that

 I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: 

and I will give unto every one of you 

according to your works. But unto you I say, 

and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as 

have not this doctrine, and which have 

not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;

 I will put upon you none other burden. But that 

which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Revelation 2:22-24 

     The Greek word for bed used here has an interesting meaning as it means to cause to slope or bend, to bow down, to decline.  Therefore a good translation is that to put a person, a sinner to be cast into a decline, to be have tribulation due to their adultery. Do not think of adultery to be just a sexual adultery as adultery can be done in several other ways outside of sex. To go after other things that God opposes is to commit adultery the One who has adopted you and has made you a bride of Christ. It is interesting that the children of Satan, Jezebel will be killed with death. How can a person be killed with death are we not all going to die? Yes! But there is a death that all who will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be their personal Savior will die in Gehenna (Revelation 20:11-15). Some will say that a person who is not going to heaven and is cast into Gehenna will suffer alive for eternity. What fear this may bring to a person but fear of this death will not save you. Gehenna, and I will address this thoroughly when we come to these verses in chapter 20, is a place called the Valley of Hinnon, a garbage dump where sulphur and brimstone burned day and night, where the edges of Gehenna had worms to eat decaying flesh and food particles. Even those considered to vile and evil to be buried where cast in this garbage dump and destroyed as their bodies burned to ashes. There is a death beyond the death that all men on this earth will have to pass through, then they too will rise to be judged and they will see how evil they are and will be killed with death. But those who repent, truly and honestly repent will be saved. God searches the heart and the "reins." The Greek word used here for "reins" means the kidneys, and reins is to be understood as a seat of desire and affection. What desire holds your affection and priority? What are your works that God will consider? You cannot work to be saved and has little to do with you being saved but is an outcrop of being saved. Faith, Authentic Christian Faith is demonstrated in your works and your works according to Scripture is to follow the law of God, the Ten Commandments and to spread the Gospel. Nothing added or taken away as some so-called Christian Churches have done. 

     The Church in Thyratira were following false doctrine. Do you belong to a "Church" that insists upon formality, and a self-righteousness shown by as in at least one Church I know to run through tunnels of fire, or to lay on tombstones and "suck up" the dead person' spirit. Or that some liturgical doctrine and will not allow others to have their liturgy without their condemnation. A person is always taking communion, even may be daily reading Scripture, you may have a deep hope of eternal life, never missing a Sunday Sermon, keeping the Sabbath holy, but where is the work of the Spirit? Where are the evidences of your regeneration? To do these things that hold a priority over the foundation of salvation is to make your Christianity a little religion. Beware, as we have learned to not be as the Church in Ephesus who left their first love, or to become lukewarm as we will see in the Church at Laodicea of tolerating false practices like Pergamos, of tampering with false doctrines like in Thyratira, of becoming half dead, ready to die. 

     Let all who desire to be Authentic Christians to be one who covets the best gifts and to aim at eminent holiness. Let us be known unmistakenable Christians. Be men and women of God and live that all may see that God is first, holds the priority in your life and follow Jesus Christ who is our Savior and will come to take you home to be with Him eternally.  

     God puts no other burden upon you and His burden is not that which you cannot bear for you have the Holy Spirit to guide you, to be with you, in all circumstances of life. You and I are commanded to hold fast that which God has revealed to us in Scripture until He comes. Repent, and return to your first love that love of Jesus Christ. Do you want to be happy? Well there is where the answer for happiness lies. God will not do this for you without you taking responsibility. 

Turn thou to us unto thee LORD,

     and we shall be turned;

renew our days as of old.

                      Lamentations 5:21

Be intentional to spread the Gospel

Richard L. Crumb

What is the "White Stone?" What Is The "Hidden Manna?" Who Is This Jezebel?"

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; 

these things saith the Son of God, who hath 

His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet 

are like fine brass; I know thy works; and 

the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding

 I have a few things against thee, because

 thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which 

calleth herself a prophetess, to teach 

and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, 

and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave 

her space to repent of her fornication; 

and she repented not.

Revelation 2:18-21 

     Before I move on I must address the words "white stone," and "hidden manna," spoken of to the Church at Pergamos. The word "stone" in Greek in the Bible uses lithos that has six derivatives and used 82 times in the New Testament. The other word, "petros," is used 161 times translated "Peter," and time as "stone." Those words are not used here in Revelation. The Greek word, Psephos, is used on 2 times in the New Testament and used once as stone and the other time used by Paul in Acts 26:10 and translated vote. Bible scholars have had a tough time with this word saying that it is a mystery and several interpretation have been proffered. Let the Bible interpret the Bible. This Greek word carries the meaning of a pebble, and this pebble was variously employed, especially in a ballot, a vote, that which was given as a token. For us today we have a problem with certain symbols, or words but this would not be true of those living in the time when those symbols were used, as here in Revelation. So we look to how that word was used by those other than Biblical writings. In ancient Greece a jury would cast a white stone to signify acquittal, a black stone proclaimed the defendant guilty. In ancient Roman a custom used was to award a white stone to the victor of an athletic game. To be an overcome, a victor as a Christian then the promise of Jesus Christ that an overcomer would have eternal victory and be admitted to the banquet prepared for all the bride of Christ. A new name given to an overcomer refers most likely to the work of the Holy Spirit of conforming believers to the holiness of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10). The "hidden manna" is the revelation of God a revelation that was hidden from the world and is to be revealed in this last time. Manna fed the Hebrews in the desert after leaving Egypt and the manna today is our food found in Scripture. Again we look to history for answers and we find that the provision of manna was a special provision, so special that it was placed in a 'golden pot' within the Ark of the Covenant, hidden from he people but visible to God. So it is today, hidden from the people but present to God. God sees all, everything, your works or lack of works. 

     God sees your faith, your charity, your service and knows that whether or not you put yourself ahead of others. The Church at Thyatira did all the write things but still were not doing all that needed to be done to be a holy people in the sight of God. This Church was allowing that which God held against them, Jezebel. We once again return to history to get some clarification as what this means and why God was holding this against this Church. Who is Jezebel? You can find the account about Jezebel in 1Kings 16: 31, 18:4,13; 19:1,2; 21:5,7,11,14-15, 23,25; 2Kings 9:7,10,22,30,36,37. Ahab who now was the king of Israel took for himself a wife, Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians and went to serve Baal and worshipped him. Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah and even killed the prophets of Jehovah. Jezebel even threatened the life of king Ahab. Due to her wickedness it was prophesied that she would be eaten by dogs. All this due tot the fact that she stirred up wickedness while attempting to be a prophetess. Jezebel was called a whore and one who practices witchcraft. Jezebel painted her face to make herself more attractive but in the end the real Jezebel stood up for what she was and this ended in her death. This woman, queen has been used for thousand of years to describe cunning, ruthless and reprehensible women. She typifies evil and is synonymous with idolatry, prostitutes and sorcerers. 

     Can you now see why God hates those who are similar to Jezebel. When you, the Church, allow doctrines that are not Scriptural you are adulterers, and if you allow images that are nothing more than idols and worshipped as to have some special ability God holds this against you. If a person who is using cunning, or is ruthless, are reprehensible to God. This Church was allowing this to occur in their Church and God wants that removed. Check your Church and remove all that is reprehensible to God and you have this example of Jezebel to aid you to ensure holiness. 

Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son:

    but he that is a companion of

riotous men shameth his father

        Proverbs 28:7

Test all things: hold fast to the good

Richard L. Crumb