Dear shining and glorious Bride, did you know that you are a star! We have been looking at Esther for a few days, and in our Word for today, let’s look again at the name of Esther. Last time, we learnt how the Hebrew root of the word Esther means “Hidden” or “Secret”. And indeed, her true identity was kept hidden, but there is more to her name. She was brought into the Persian Royal Court, and given the name “Sitareh” the Hebrew translation of which is Esther. Sitareh means “star” after the Goddess Astar, Astara, Ishtar, Ashtar or Astarte. This word is also used to refer to the planet Venus. Apart from the Sun and Moon, the planet Venus is the brightest object in the sky, and it is also known as the Morning Star. The reason Venus is called the Morning Star, is because it is often seen as a bright object rising above the horizon just before the dawn of a new day. Before the sunrise, would rise the planet Venus. The Morning Star, does that sound familiar? Who do we know that is called the Bright Morning Star?
In Rev 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
This is the final unveiling and declaration in the Bible made by Jesus as to His nature. He said I am the Bright Morning Star. It is a remarkable statement that Jesus makes about himself. Within this declaration are both the promise of victory over the enemy and the promise of the new day or millennial age
Numbers 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel.”
Also 2 Thess 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour (or brightness) of his coming.
Isa 60: 1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
So here is the lesson we can learn about the Bride today: She has the name of her Bridegroom. Is it not custom, that the Bride takes the name of her husband? Yes, we shall be like Jesus, for the Bridegroom will hold nothing from His Bride but share all things with her, even His name. He is brilliant, shining and glorious. So much that He will destroy the “lawless one” by the brightness of His coming. So also as the woman is the glory of the man, the Bride is the glory of the Bridegroom. The name we have is His name, and the glory we have is reflected glory, it is His glory. He is the Morning Star, and He will appear just before the dawn of a new millennial day. His first coming was introduced by a star from the east, that was only seen by a few “wise men” or magi. But on His second coming, He needs no star to go before Him, because He is that star, the Bright Morning Star.
Do you know what happened next after Rev 22:16? Well, in verse 17 we find the only response that can be said after Jesus declared that He is the Bright Morning Star, and it is the ultimate agreement between Heaven and Earth. “The Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come!’”.
Maranatha
Mike @Call2Come
