This article builds on the theme established in the last article. That is, before the Lord returns, Christ, who is the bright morning star, will arise in fullness within the hearts of His people as light, life, glory, and victory.
In the darkest hour in history, the church will enter her finest hour in history, what David called “the day of [His] power” (Ps. 110:3).
Before the Lord returns, He will have an army of overcomers—forerunners who are given the morning star.
In this article, I explain eight things the morning star refers to.
1. Jesus is the morning star.
Jesus said, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Rev. 22:16).
Jesus Christ is “the bright morning star.” He shines in radiant light in the darkest of seasons and times.
2. The overcomers are given the morning star.
Jesus told the church at Thyatira, “He who overcomes . . . I will give him the morning star” (Rev. 2:26-28).
Though a small remnant throughout history have overcome and received the morning star, this promise is specific to the end-time church.
In the years preceding the Lord’s second coming, we will witness the darkest times in history. Lawlessness will increase in unprecedented ways. Deep darkness will cover the earth. Many will lose faith and hope.
Though it will get darker, we have certainly crossed over into this time period foretold by the prophets. We are living at the beginning of deep darkness covering the earth.
Yet it’s during this darkest hour, the church will enter into her finest hour. Though much of the church has failed, God will have overcomers within the church who will receive the morning star.
You and I are invited to be part of this army of overcomers at the end of the age, who are given the morning star.
Before the Lord returns, there will be a remnant within the church who overcome losing their first love, the temptation to compromise in the face of persecution, false doctrines, the influence of Jezebel in their sphere of authority, apathy, indifference, and lukewarmness.
This remnant army of overcomers will receive the morning star before the Lord returns and will shine forth brightly at the darkest time in history.
3. The morning star is Christ arising in the hearts of the overcomers.
Peter said, “Until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19). The morning star is Christ in you as light, life, power, and victory, arising in your heart as you overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
At the end of the age, within the hearts of the overcomers, Christ’s glorious presence will arise. He will flood, fill, and permeate the hearts and souls of those who embrace the cross, die to self, and overcome.
The living presence of Christ in you will increase until His light and life shine through you.
As the cross works within us, “the life of Jesus” is “manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11). This is not some theological theory, but the actual, substantial life of Jesus Christ arising from within us.
The Lord will reveal Christ in and through His people as they overcome.
What will take place within the church just prior to the second coming—which most certainly seems to be the days in which we live—has never happened before and will never happen again. It is a unique time in human history. In the words of Joel, “There has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations” (Joel 2:2).
4. The morning star points to inward transfiguration and transformation.
The overcomers, who experience Christ arising in their hearts as the morning star, will experience a measure of inward transfiguration and transformation. This will cause them to shine like the bright morning star in the dark night sky.
At the end of the age, the overcomers will be transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit.
It’s interesting that Peter, inspired by the Spirit, connected the morning star to the transfiguration. Though we won’t be transfigured like Jesus was until after the resurrection, we will experience a measure of transfiguration as the light of Christ in us arises like the morning star.
In 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul revealed that the ministry of the Spirit—the glory to glory by the Spirit that transforms us—will be even greater than what Moses experienced. This is a massive statement, considering Moses’ face was shining so brightly he had to wear a veil.
The glory of the Spirit, released upon the end-time church, will not only bring inward transformation. It will also bring a measure of transfiguration—we will shine like Moses’ face shined with the glory of God.
In the words of Psalm 110:3, we will radiate “the beauties of holiness” (NKJV). The internal light of holiness and glory will shine through us from the inside out.
5. The overcomers will shine in the darkest hour of history.
The overcomers will shine brightly when the world is at its darkest.
Isaiah said, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you” (Isa. 60:1-2).
Before the Lord returns, “darkness will cover the earth” and “deep darkness the peoples.” This means, as lawlessness increases, idolatry, murder, witchcraft, heterosexual and homosexual immorality, and stealing will increase to levels not seen since the days of Noah (Rev. 9:20-21).
What God calls an abomination, the nations will normalize, promote, celebrate, and legalize.
All spheres of influence in culture—including media, entertainment, sports, government, education, religion, business, financial, and healthcare—will call evil good and good evil; darkness light and light darkness. Those who don’t comply will be marginalized, ostracized, and persecuted.
Yet in the darkest hour, the church will enter her finest hour.
As Christ arises in the hearts of the overcomers, they will arise and shine, for their light has come. The glory of the Lord will arise within them and upon them, and they will become an army who shines forth the morning star in the darkest hour of human history.
6. The overcomers will be a forerunner army.
Just as “His star . . . went on before them” (Matt. 2:2,9), the overcomers, in whom the morning star arises, will become a forerunner army in the earth. They will light up the world in darkness. And they will herald to the world that a new day is dawning.
Psalm 110:3 states, “Your people will volunteer freely [they will be free-will offerings] in the day of Your power [in the day of your army]; in holy array [in the splendor of holiness], from the womb of the dawn.”
If you carefully examine the context of Psalm 110, this prophecy takes place during “the day of His wrath” (Ps. 110:5). The “day of His wrath” commences with the sixth seal during the last three-and-a-half years of the age (Rev. 6:12-17). In other words, this prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of the age, just before Jesus Christ returns.
Compare “the womb of the dawn” with “until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19).
From “the womb of the dawn”—or you could say, “from the womb of the church”—an army will be birthed who will do the greater works of Jesus in the day of His power (John 14:12). This forerunner army will be a corporate John the Baptist, who will prepare the way of the Lord and make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
This army of overcomers, who receive the morning star and shine forth the morning star of Jesus Christ in the earth, will herald the coming of a new day—the day when Jesus Christ returns to earth in power and glory.
7. The cross and prayer are essential to the morning star arising.
Notice the similarity between these three verses:
Until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts (2 Pet. 1:19).
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense (Song. 4:6 NKJV).
Who is this that grows like the dawn, as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun, as awesome as an army with banners? (Song. 6:10).
Here’s the picture you see. At the end of the age, when Christ arises in the hearts of the overcomers—the awesome army with banners—He will take us from glory to glory by the Spirit.
First, there is the glory of the morning star shining in the dark of night. Second, there is the glory of the dawn breaking. Finally, there is the glory of the sun, when the shadows flee away.
This progressive increase of Christ arising within the hearts of the overcomers starts in this age and carries over into the next age, when we will shine like the sun in its strength after the resurrection.
If you desire this progressive increase of glory, the cross working in your soul is essential. The cross must completely crucify self-life in your soul—the “me” who always wants to get what you want when you want it and how you want it. Self must be put to death for Christ to arise. Like John the Baptist said, He must increase and we must decrease.
The bride says, “I will go may way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.”
It’s interesting the wise men brought Jesus gifts of myrrh and frankincense. Myrrh points to the death of the cross. Frankincense was part of the incense that was burned in the holy place.
Myrrh points to the death of self by the work of the cross. Frankincense points to a life of devotional prayer and ministry to the Lord in the holy of holy of holies.
A life surrendered daily to the cross and a life of devotional prayer and ministry to the Lord are essential for the light, life, power, and presence of Christ to arise in our hearts.
8. The heart must be prepared for the morning star to arise.
Paul said, “But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Rom. 2:29).
Jeremiah said, “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your heart” (Jer. 4:3-4).
Though Christ dwells in your spirit, He doesn’t automatically dwell in your heart. Paul said that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). This is conditional, not automatic.
For Christ the morning star to arise in your heart, your heart must be circumcised afresh by the Spirit, removing the influence of self and the flesh, so that Christ can dwell in fullness within you.
Just as physical circumcision was private and hidden, so also is the circumcision of the heart.
The Lord wants to remove the selfish thoughts, desires, motives, and ambitions in your heart that no one else sees but Him. He wants to purify your heart so that He can dwell in your heart as the bright morning star in fullness.
What an exciting time to be alive. In the darkest hour in history, the church will enter her finest hour in history. At the end of the age, the morning star will arise in fullness within the hearts of God’s people who overcome.
