Outline
Ⅰ
During the time of the degradation of the church, the faithful believers are the shining stars, bearing the living testimony of Jesus—Rev. 1:20:
A
The heavenly Christ is the Star that comes forth out of Jacob and the morning star as a reward to the overcoming believers—Num. 24:17; Rev. 2:28; 22:16-17.
B
Christ's faithful followers are shining and living stars, those who follow Christ as the shining and living star—Matt. 2:2-12; Micah 5:2; Dan. 12:3; Rev. 1:20.
C
The living stars follow the heavenly, living, up-to-date, and instant vision of Christ as the centrality and universality of God's economy—Acts 26:16-18.
D
The living stars are those who bless God and bless God's people; the more we praise the Lord for God's people and speak well of them in faith, the more we put ourselves under God's blessing; those who speak positively concerning the church receive the blessing, but those who speak negatively put themselves under a curse—Num. 24:9; Eph. 1:3; Psa. 71:14; 103:1-5; 142:7; Gen. 12:2-3; Matt. 12:34-37.
E
The living stars take heed to the prophetic word of the Scriptures, "as to a lamp shining in a dark place," so that Christ as the morning star may rise in their hearts—2 Pet. 1:19; John 6:63; Rev. 2:28.
F
The living stars enjoy and are filled with the sevenfold intensified Spirit to make them intensely living and shining for God's building—3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
G
The living stars are the messengers of the churches, those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches; they enjoy and experience the pneumatic Christ as the Messenger of God and as the fresh message from God so that they can dispense the fresh and present Christ into the people of God for the testimony of Jesus—1:20—2:1; Mal. 2:7; 3:1-3.
H
The living stars have "great resolutions in heart" and "great searchings of heart"; they are lovers of God who are like "the stars" in "their courses" to fight together with God against His enemy so that they may be "like the sun when it rises in its might"—Judg. 5:15-16, 20, 31; Dan. 11:32; Matt. 13:43; cf. Dan. 7:25.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches…2 Pet. 1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
In the book of Revelation stars are the shining ones in the churches… ”The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches” [1:20]. These messengers are the spiritual ones in the churches. They may not be responsible for the affairs of the church, but they are responsible for bearing the testimony of Jesus [vv. 2, 9]. As stars, they should be of the heavenly nature and in a heavenly position.
The stars may or may not be elders. It is certain that they are the faithful ones, the genuinely spiritual ones, the overcoming ones among the saints in the church. In the sight of God such ones are shining stars. All believers should aspire to be stars. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1221-1222)
Today’s Reading
In the Bible we see how we may not only follow the star but even become one of the stars. There are two ways: first, by the Bible, and second, by the Spirit.Second Peter 1:19 gives us the first secret…We have the prophetic word, the Bible. However, the prophetic word is not the star…This verse says that since we have the prophetic word, we need to give heed to it, we need to pay full attention to it, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. The Bible should not simply be words in black and white; it should not be dead letters. We should give heed to the words of the Bible until something as phosphorous rises within us—that is, Christ as the morning star.
If we deal with the Word livingly and properly, it surely will turn into the living Christ. This is the turning point—the Word needs to be turned into Christ; the written word needs to be turned into the living word. We can never separate Christ from the living word. We should give heed to the prophetic word until it rises within us as Christ, as the phosphorous, as the day breaking through the darkness.
In 2 Peter we have the prophetic word, but in Revelation we have the seven Spirits. Revelation 3:1 says, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” The hand of Jesus holds not only the seven stars but also the seven Spirits. This means that the seven Spirits are one with the seven stars, and the seven stars are one with the seven Spirits. If we have the living word as the morning star rising within us and we are one with the seven Spirits, eventually we will become the stars. We not only have the star shining within us, but by looking to the star and following in the Spirit, we become the stars. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” pp. 287-289)
Balaam was hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel. But instead of cursing God’s people, Balaam blessed them. Speaking on behalf of God, Balaam said, “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has He seen trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21). Furthermore, in Numbers 24:5 Balaam said, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!” According to these verses, God did not see iniquity or trouble in Israel. Instead, He saw only goodness, fairness, and beauty. The same is true regarding the church today.
Do not say that the church is low or dead. The more you say this, the more you put yourself under a curse. However, if you praise the Lord for the church life and speak well concerning it, you will put yourself under God’s blessing… Those who speak positively about the church, declaring that the church is lovely and that it is God’s house, receive the blessing. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 78-79)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” ch. 6; Life-study of Exodus, msg. 7