| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | August 2004 |
The Bright, Morning Star
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“I am … the bright and morning star.” —Revelation 22:16 |
ON JUNE 8, 2004, the world was able to observe the planet Venus moving across the face of the sun for the first time since 1882. In preparing people for witnessing this rare event, the New York Times on May 18, 2004 published an article in its Science Times section entitled, “Venus Returns for its Shining Hour.” The article said:
“The world is about to witness a rare spectacle that once launched expeditions to ideal vantage points around the globe and inspired millions of people to venture outside and stare at the heavens.
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS
“On June 8, people in the right places on Earth will be able to see Venus move across the face of the Sun in a kind of mini-eclipse that is visible twice every century or so. The last such occurrence, called a transit of Venus, was in 1882. It inspired an international effort to use the event to answer one of the most pressing scientific questions of the day: What is the exact distance between the Sun and Earth?
“Although studies of the event failed to provide an exact answer, they did narrow the range of estimates and measurements, and ushered in an era of investing in science as a symbol of national prestige. For the last event, the United States government mustered eight expeditions to make observations around the world, partly because Britain, France, Russia and other rivals did the same.
“By bouncing radar signals off the Sun and Venus and using spacecraft measurements, scientists in the 1960’s calculated that the average Sun-to-Earth distance is 92,955,859 miles, a measure called the astronomical unit.
“Scientists realized for centuries that if they could find out that number, they could use the formulas of the seventeenth century astronomer Johannes Kepler to calculate the size of the solar system and the exact distances between the planets.
“‘This was the most important question of its day in astronomy,’ said Dr. Jay M. Pasachoff, a professor of astronomy at Williams College. ‘And using the transits of Venus to calculate the astronomical unit was the best way to do it.’
EARLIER TRANSITS
“Although transits of Venus have occurred for thousands of years, the first report of its subtle crossing of the Sun was in 1639. The transits occur when the orbits of Venus, Earth and the Sun put them into alignment along the same plane.
“Since 1639, transits have occurred in 1761, 1769, 1874, and 1882. If someone misses the one next month, there will be another opportunity on June 6, 2012. After that, more than a century will pass before the next transits in 2117 and 2125. Because of its rarity, the transit next month, best viewed from Europe and the Mideast, is generating great scientific and public interest, said Dr. Steven J. Dick, chief historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Dick has written extensively on the eighteenth and nineteenth century transits.
“‘These are truly once-in-a-lifetime events,’ Dr. Dick said. ‘Although the scientific importance has diminished, I think there will be a lot of interest this time among the public, based on e-mail I’ve seen from around the world.’
“Dr. David DeVorkin, curator of the history of astronomy at the National Air and Space Museum, said the 1874 and 1882 transits were prominently featured in newspapers and magazines. A carnival atmosphere pervaded Wall Street for the transit on December 6, 1882, with people crowding the area and staring up through smoked glass.
“‘It was a popular diversion,’ Dr. De Vorkin said. ‘Something maybe everybody didn’t try to see, but everybody talked about it.’
“Scientific interest persists. Instruments aboard at least three Sun-watching satellites, as well as ground telescopes, will follow the event. Researchers will use Venus’ trek to test techniques and instruments that can be used to detect planets in other solar systems.
“More than 120 extrasolar planets have been discovered orbiting other stars, most of them huge bodies found because their gravity affected the motion of their stars.”
The article then described some of the scientific measurements that will be attempted during this transit, before describing in detail where and when the transit could be observed:
WHERE BEST VIEW
“On Tuesday, June 8, observers lucky enough to view the entire transit will see Venus as a small black spot crossing the southern hemisphere of the Sun from left to right. The planet, entering the disc of the Sun at the eight o’clock position, will take six hours to cross the bright face before exiting at the five o’clock position.
“Venus, appearing as a round black dot with a diameter one thirty-second of the Sun’s, is widely expected to cause a one-tenth of one percent drop in sunlight that reaches Earth during the event.
“Location is everything, particularly when trying to witness celestial events. The entire transit will be visible in Europe, most of Africa, the Mideast and most of Asia. The unlucky regions of the globe where the event occurs at night, and is unviewable, include western North America, including most of the United States west of the Rockies; southern Chile and Argentina; Hawaii; and New Zealand.
“Some regions will see just part of the transit, because the Sun sets while it is in progress. Those areas include Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
“Likewise, the Sun rises with the transit in progress over eastern North America, the Caribbean, western Africa, and most of South America, allowing observers a brief view before the event ends. How much early risers see will depend on the weather and how high the Sun rises above the horizons before Venus moves out of view.
“In New York, sunrise will be at 5:25 a.m., and Venus is to begin exiting the solar disc at 7:06 a.m., when the Sun is 17 degrees above the horizon. The planet’s final contact with the edge of the Sun should occur at 7:26 a.m., when the Sun is 20 degrees high. Times are similar for most cities in the Eastern time zone and one hour earlier in the Central time zone. But moving West means that the Sun is lower on the horizon.”
Modern interest in planetary transits can be traced back to the German astronomer Johannes Kepler who predicted the transit of Venus in 1631 by calculations. His calculations were studied by an English Astronomer, Jeremiah Horrocks, to predict the 1639 transit. Edmund Halley, the British astronomer, (best known for Haley’s Comet) calculated the eighteenth century transit of 1761 and 1769. Two naval observatory astronomers used the transit data they acquired in 1874 and 1882 to calculate the astronomical unit measure (distance of the earth to the sun as 92,797,000 miles and 92,872,000) which was adopted at the time. The latest value has been established as 92,955,859.
ILLUSTRATION OF SECOND PRESENCE
What is the significance of the Venus transit to Bible Students? It is an illustration of that most important event of our Lord’s return. The planet Venus is the brightest heavenly object to people on Earth after the Sun and the Moon. It appears more often than any other heavenly body as the morning star. As the dawning of the day approaches and the light from the rising sun has blotted out the visibility of other heavenly bodies, the planet Venus can be seen poised on the horizon as a harbinger of the sunrise. This is an excellent natural phenomenon that illustrates our Lord’s return just prior to the sunrise ushering in the Millennial Age. Thus, Jesus said of himself as in our theme text, ‘I am … the bright and morning star.’
One of the rewards to be given to the faithful overcomers who follow Jesus is mentioned to the Church of Thyatira, “he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, … I will give him the morning star.” (Rev. 2:26,28) This is an allusion to the raising of the sleeping saints as described by the Apostle Paul after some brethren had died in the persecution at Thessalonica. “We do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are falling asleep, lest ye be sorrowing, even as the rest also, who are without hope; For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, so also will God bring forth with him, them who have fallen asleep through Jesus; For this unto you do we say, by a word of the Lord, that we, the living who are left unto the Presence of the Lord shall in nowise get before [precede] them who have fallen asleep; Because the Lord himself, with a word of command, with a chief messenger’s voice, and with a trumpet of God shall descend from heaven, And the dead in Christ shall rise first, After that we, the living who are left together with them shall be caught away, in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus evermore, with the Lord shall we be!”—I Thess. 4:13-17, Rotherham
In the return of our Lord (as the bright morning star) his first executive act has been to raise from death those of his faithful followers. As those who are still living die, they are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (I Cor. 15:51,52), to join those who had been raised earlier. Since this is work done by Jesus at his Second Presence as the morning star, these all receive the morning star.
The Apostle Peter was telling us that he was an eyewitness of our Lord’s glory in the mount of transfiguration. He said, “Not as having followed cleverly devised stories made we known unto you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, But as having been made spectators of his majesty. For when he received from God the Father honour and glory, A voice being borne to him such as this, by the magnificent glory—My Son, the beloved is this, in whom I delight, Even this voice we heard, when out of heaven it was borne, We being with him in the holy mount. And we have more firm the prophetic word; Whereunto ye are doing well to take heed, As unto a lamp shining in a dusky place, Until day shall dawn, and a day-star shall arise in your hearts.”—II Peter 1:16-19, Rotherham
We note that the Apostle is emphasizing his vision of seeing Jesus in his glory before he had died. (Matt. 17:9) He is using this to tell of his parousia, or Second Presence. Although none of us have been favored as he, James, and John had been, he reminds us that we all have the sure word of prophecy and that we would do well to take heed to it in our hearts until his Second Presence becomes a reality when the day (Millennial Day) dawns, and the day star arises, telling of the sunrise to come. Many translators translate the day star as the morning star.
All of the apostles looked forward to that day when their Lord would return with rewards for their faithfulness. As the Apostle Paul approached the end of his good fight of faith, he said, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”—II Tim. 4:8
Now our Lord has returned for that purpose as the morning star. He is invisibly present in all his glory. (John 14:19) He has several roles to perform. As the General of Jehovah’s army he will subdue all enemies of righteousness. As the Chief Reaper in the harvest (Rev. 14:14) he comes to gather the wheat into the heavenly garner. He comes as the Bridegroom to claim his bride.—Rev. 19:7
In all of these roles Jesus is symbolized by the morning star, which most of the time is the planet, Venus. Venus is the brightest of the planets being closer to the sun, by 26 million miles, than planet Earth. It’s called a sister planet to Earth because its size and mass are close to the same as that of Earth. When it appears in the sky, as the dawn of another day approaches, it is a sure sign that the sun is about to rise.
ILLUSTRATION OF MORNING STAR MERGING WITH SUN
As Jesus ends his various roles as Chief Reaper, General, and Bridegroom, the Lord has used as a symbol an apparent merging of the planet Venus into the Sun. This is what occurred on June 8 as the alignment of Earth, Venus, and the Sun gave that impression as the Sun arose. As Chief Reaper in the harvest, his work comes to an end as the last of the wheat is brought into the garner. In the picture given in Revelation it says, “He that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” (Rev. 14:16) In the parable of the wheat and tares presented by our Lord in Matthew 13:24-30, more detail is given. Jesus interpreted the parable by equating the gathering of wheat into the barn (Matthew 13:30), with Matthew 13:43—“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” The sun represents the complete Christ—Jesus, the head, and the Church as his body—as in Malachi 4:2, “The Sun of righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings.”
Likewise, the role of the bridegroom seeking his bride comes to an end when the marriage of the Lamb comes as written, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Rev. 19:7-9) Again, the apparent merging of the morning star into the sun is another picture of this event.
Finally, as the single strategist in the war against unrighteousness, our Lord goes forth as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords with “the armies which were in heaven” following “him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (Rev. 19:14) This again is the merging of the morning star with the sun, and the power unleashed brings an end to the beast and the false prophet, and leads to the binding of Satan.
Our Heavenly Father has many illustrations to help us understand the transition that takes place from the darkness, evil and sin, to the light, goodness, and righteousness of his blessed kingdom. May we continue to fervently pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”—Romans 11:33-36