Star of morning, Star of night

--> As fall has progressed, my normal morning prayer time begins in increasingly greater darkness. As I go out to our living room to walk and pray, the first thing I do is usually stub my toe on something left on the floor. But after that, I like to look outside through a little window at the top of our front door. The window faces the east, and eventually, I get a great view of the sunrise. But that’s not what I see first as I peer out into the early morning blackness. There is a quite brilliant star that sits just above the point where the sun will crest the horizon within the ensuing hour. It is quite interesting because it outshines by far any other stars that might still be left over from the nighttime display. This star quite literally captivates my attention, as it dances and sparkles brightly. I find myself staring and admiring it, curious as to how this star is able to shine so brightly well into the dawn, as the sky begins to lighten with the approaching sun. I realized that I was getting a glimpse of what the Bible calls the Morning Star. The physical morning star is in actuality the planet Venus shining so powerfully. I sensed the Lord say to me that there was great significance in this imagery for me, and I began to search the scriptures for what truths God might be speaking through this natural and spontaneous early morning object lesson. Let me share with you a few things I found and what profound meaning they have for me prophetically.
In Revelation 22:16, Jesus says to us directly, “I, Jesus, am the bright and morning star.” Jesus as the Morning Star reveals much about who He intends to be to His people as we get closer to His return. Following this description is the verse “The spirit and the bride say “Come” (v17) and “Yes I am coming soon! Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (v20) The Morning Star speaks of the end of night and the soon return of our Lord Jesus and his coming kingdom. Scripture is clear in its imagery that in the end times evil will grow worse and there will be an increase of wickedness. It can seem that as darkness increases, we wonder where is God in all of this? For anyone who has suffered through sickness, pain or insomnia all night, it can seem like the surrounding darkness will never give way to the sunrise. We can feel that way now. With shamelessness, public flaunting of evil, and the disintegration of morality and purity all around us, it can seem like the night can’t get any blacker. But in the same way that my eyes were drawn to and fixated on that star, He desires that our eyes be fixated not on the depth or the length of the darkness, but on His brightness and glory.
Focusing on the morning star in the midst of great darkness is what the church of Thyatyra was chastised for not doing. (Rev. 2:26) They had lots of outreach and faith and love for their common man, but they tolerated a spirit of adultery in their midst. They had been compromised by the darkness and had slipped into drunkenness and immorality. But for those who overcome that lapse into participating in the darkness, there is the promise of being given both power over the nations and the Morning Star. (v. 28) This is the promise of spiritual authority and power that comes from increasing levels of faithfulness and consecration to Him in the midst of a powerful seducing spirit. And it is a promise of a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus for those who will stand strong against the spirit of compromise during the dark days of immorality that precede Jesus’ return. We must keep ourselves fixated and focused on our Bridegroom, doing whatever it takes to stay alert, ready, and lovesick for His return and chaste and pure in preparation for meeting Him, even as others lose heart in the lingering night and slip into drunkenness, partying and uncontrolled anger (see Luke 12:45 and Matt 25:48)
But when Jesus as the Morning Star is prophetically revealed and highlighted to our spirits, it is an indication that we are drawing closer to the end of darkness and the coming of the dawn. Much like when the morning star shines brightest and begins to rise higher above the horizon like a herald announcing the coming day. 2 Peter 1:19 says “We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place and Christ the morning star rises in our hearts.” The prophetic revelation to our hearts that the darkness is soon giving way to the coming of the day of the Lord is like the appearance of the morning star on the horizon and its rising just ahead of the sun. The Holy Spirit is moving on hearts and giving them a sense of urgency regarding the soon coming of the Lord. The bride will hear what the Spirit is saying and join Him in calling out, “Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!”
One other thing to note about the morning star. As the sky begins to brighten, if you look away from the star, it is easy to lose sight of it and not be able to spot it again at it rises. You have to keep your eyes on it, or you lose sight of it.
What God is saying to me through all of this imagery is:
1) He is coming soon. It is time to be ready and to be watching and waiting for His soon return.
2) We must keep our eyes fixed on Him. He wants to captivate our attention, our focus, our desires and our time. This is a very crucial kairos moment we are entering. It is not a time to frivol away what is precious and valuable (our time, affection and resources) on cheap and trivial things (i.e. media, possessions, self-pampering, etc. and the chasing after these things)
3) The prophetic rising of the morning star in our hearts means we must realign our priorities, pursuits and passions to match what His are for these unique end-times (winning the lost, discipling the nations, bringing justice to the oppressed, being consecrated and intimate with Him in unprecedented measure)
4) It is time to be His bridegroom, fixated on Him, madly in love with Him alone and captivated more and more by His beauty and not lured by the false beauty of counterfeit attractions.
5) It will be easy to lose sight of where Jesus is as the day of tribulation approaches. Those who have trained their eyes on Him will have the confidence and authority to walk among the confusion and devastation with a sense of His real Presence and what He is saying and doing. Those who did not buy oil for their lamps in the quiet place of intimacy before the trial will long to know this intimacy, but it cannot be bought so quickly. NOW is the time to press in to Him in intimacy and uncommon consecration as never before.