OUR gracious Lord in His last words to His people, spoken from heaven, and recorded on the last page of the Holy Scriptures, speaks of Himself as the Bright and Morning Star. These are His own words, “I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches,” —things, fellow-believers, relating to the last hours of the world’s ways, and to the end of the ways of christless Christendom— “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star.” His title, “the root and offspring of David,” relates to His earthly people, to Jews; His title, “the Bright and Morning Star,” relates to His heavenly people, to Christians.
The Lord Jesus shall yet reign over His ancient people gloriously; the distracted east shall yet smile beneath His scepter. God will make good the title which scornful man blasphemously set over His cross, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Jesus is the root of David—from Him king David gained his greatness, Jehovah-Jesus bore up the king. As root of David, Jesus was David’s Lord, as root—in His own divine power—all that David ever was for God upon this earth, sprang from His Lord. Jesus is also the offspring of the royal line, as a man He sprang from David, and was born in the royal city, Bethlehem. In the coming day the kings of the earth shall bow down and own Jesus as their Prince, and His ancient people as the chosen of Jehovah.
The title Bright and Morning Star conveys ideas unlike either those of root or offspring; it is connected with heaven. Above this earth’s turmoil, in the deep and far-off sky, the stars shine; yes, yonder, away and far above earth’s clouds and gloom are the bright lamps of night.
Have you ever seen the morning star? You must use before the sun if you would behold its fair beauty. The light of the morning star is no longer necessary when the sun has risen; it is the herald of the coming day. So when our Lord shall reign upon this earth, He shall be the sun of righteousness, with healing in His wings, and in that day He will have ceased to shine as the morning star. It is during this nighttime, now before the Lord comes to this earth, that He is the Bright and Morning Star, beaming before the day. Well may we ask of our souls, whether with eyes of faith and love we have thus seen Jesus? Those who sleep, see Him not thus; those who reason that this 19th century is ushering in the world’s peace see Him not thus; those who call darkness light see Him not thus. To such Jesus is no Morning Star. Those alone who are awake in this dark night and who look for His coming again know Him as the Morning Star.
And note, He is bright. It is a sorry thing when men are too sleepy and too indifferent to see the coming Jesus, for He is the Bright and Morning Star. Ah! how bright to those who watch for Him! How brilliantly does He shine in His beauty as the coming One to them; thus the day star has risen in the hearts of those who watch for Him.
It is the province of the heavenly people to be looking into the heavens for their hope. The bright prospect of soon being caught away from this cloud-clad earth is their expectation. Think of that day! We shall hear His voice, we shall see His face. Around Him will be gathered the myriads whom He put to sleep, and who wait for Him. Then we shall see, shining in His beauty, the loved ones whom He called to Himself, whose absence we now lament and whom we wait once more to see, and never again to lose sight of.
It is Himself in His brightness and promise who calls forth the cry, “And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come” —the cry of love for Him who loves His people. The Spirit, who is in us, says, “Come.” It is no human sentiment, but divinely-given desire. Men describe as dreamers those who say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” but it is the Spirit of God who awakes this cry within God’s own.
Shall not also such as hear say, “Come”? Surely, when there is deep, earnest desire after the Lord, others will catch the longing. Alas, in this nighttime, there is more dreaming over the doctrines of Christ’s coming than longing desires of waking hearts for Himself. Books are read and sermons are heard about the coming of Christ, but love requires more than clear doctrinal knowledge. She would be a strange bride who, hearing that her lord was near and soon coming, was content to hear the tidings and then went to sleep as others and watched not for him.
Surely, too, if the Lord Himself were so loved by His own as to be longed for, there would be in them the expression of His compassion for the thirsting souls unsatisfied by the world—the going out of the heart after others, as we read— “And let him that is athirst come.” It is poor Christianity which has little love for souls in it—nay, it is remarkably un-Christ like. Hence such as say that they believe in Christ’s coming and have not the heart to cry, “And let him that is athirst come,” cannot have the genuine desire after the Lord Himself.
And more, there is a gracious invitation to the wide world, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Hearty desire after the coming of the Lord and real care for souls are near neighbors within the heart; if the latter be not at home it is more than questionable if the former be within.
H.F.W.