Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, October 28, 2023
Actually it wasn’t morning when I snapped this photo of Venus this past May, but nearly 10 p.m. After staring fixedly at it for several seconds to make sure it wasn’t an airliner on a flight path toward SeaTac Airport, I held my smartphone as steady as possible, and clicked.
Depending on its position, and Earth’s rotation, Venus can be both a morning and an evening star, and for thousands of years people have watched it, given it god-names, and tried to use it to guide their destinies. Its fascination seems to be because it is so bright and clear, yet so far away.
We don’t know for sure whether, as He was guiding His servant John toward the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus was alluding to Venus itself as an object lesson. But notice this direct quote from the Savior Himself:
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.” Revelation 22:16 NKJV
Just as God used the rainbow to signal a promise to the planet that there would never be another worldwide flood (Genesis 9:13), Jesus may have wanted people to glance skyward and remember that no, that bright object didn’t stand for the Roman goddess of love who gave it its name, or other deities associated with the planet, such as Aphrodite, Inanna, or Ishtar.
“No,” Jesus seems to be saying. “When you look up to the heavens and see this star, remember Me. True, I am far away, but I am bright and clear and dependable. And I’m coming closer.”
For more Bible information about Jesus, click the link below: