In the book of Numbers we see a prophecy concerning Christ – He is the Star shining in a dark place, and the Sceptre to rule with authority the whole earth for God’s kingdom.
The book of Numbers presents the history of Israel, and the history of Israel is a type of the history of the church; in 1 Cor. 10:5-6 we are told that these things occurred as examples to us, as a type of our experience of Christ in the church.
Strictly speaking, the only portion in the book of Numbers that is a prophecy is in Num. 24:14-25, also called, “Balaam’s prophecy”. Balaam is a pagan prophet called by Balak, a Moabite king, to curse the children of Israel who were about to pass through his land.
After eventually Balaam coming to Balak as a result of his promises of riches and rewards, he did not curse the children of Israel but rather blessed them. So Balak brought him at a different place to see the children of Israel, and from here Balaam blessed the children of Israel also.
Balaam realised that God didn’t want him to curse His people, for whoever curses God’s people will be cursed, and whoever blesses God’s people will be blessed; therefore, he blessed the children of Israel.
And in his blessing he prophesied concerning Christ, especially concerning His second coming, saying that He is the Star out of Jacob, and He is a Sceptre who shall rise out of Israel; this One will have dominion and destroy the remnant from the city.
Christ is the Star shining in a dark place; in His first coming He came as the Star, and the pagan magi came to look for Him because they saw His star. In His second coming, He will come as the morning Star as a reward to the overcoming believers.
Today He is the star rising in our hearts, as we heed the prophetic word; He shines in us and on us, and He wants to make us starts shining in a dark place, which is today’s world.
Furthermore, in His second coming Christ will come to rule over the earth; He will be on the throne, He will rule over all men and all things, and He will be enthroned with authority in His kingdom. Hallelujah!
In Numbers we see the history of Israel, which signifies the history of the church; at the end of these histories, Christ will appear as the Star and the Sceptre.
Christ will come as the Star to shine on all the peoples and as a Sceptre to rule the whole earth, and all those who harass God’s people will be removed, and the Lord will reign forever and ever. Praise the Lord!
Christ is the Star out of Jacob, the Morning Star rising in us, and the Bright Star
In Num. 24:17 both the Star out of Jacob and the Sceptre rising out of Israel refer to Christ. When Christ was born, there was a great star in the heavens, and the pagan magi saw His star from the east.
They came to Jerusalem and asked for the newborn King of the Jews, for they saw His star at its rising and came to worship Him (Matt. 2:2).
This is how we also found Christ – the star rose up and we found Him; God shined His light over us, and we found the Lord.
At His second coming, the Lord will be manifested as a bright star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16) to His overcoming believers. He will be the bright star to all those who watch His appearing and who are produced as His overcomers; He will come to be the morning star as a reward.
At His coming back publicly Christ will be the rising sun to His people generally (see Mal. 4:2), but He will be the morning star to His watching lovers particularly.
The morning star appears before the darkest hour, prior to the dawn; the great tribulation will be this darkest time, after which the day of the kingdom will dawn.
At Christ’s first appearing the magi – not the Jewish religionists – saw Christ’s star; at His second appearing Christ will be the morning star to His overcomers who watch for His coming.
Today, in the age of grace, between the Lord’s two appearings, He also rises as the morning star in the hearts of those who belong to Him (2 Pet. 1:19). Today we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which we do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our heart.
The word of prophecy in the Scripture is like a lamp shining in a dark place. This age is a dark night (Rom. 13:12), and all the people of this world are moving and acting in darkness.
But the prophetic word of the Scripture is a shining lamp to the believers to convey spiritual light that shines in our darkness, guiding us to enter into a bright day, even to pass through the night until the day of the Lord’s appearing dawns.
The morning star comes up before the sun comes up; when we enjoy Christ in today’s age as the morning star rising in our heart, He will be our prize as the morning Star rising in our heart in the next age.
We need to earnestly seek the Lord’s presence and be watchful so that we would not miss the Lord in the secret part of His coming, when He rises as the Morning Star and comes as a thief to steal, to rapture, the overcomers.
May we allow the word of God to enlighten us by remaining in the washing of the water in the word with much pray-reading, so that the Lord will rise as the morning Star in our heart, until we are enlightened by the shining of the word and are led to the dawning day.
Every saved believer has Christ as the star rising in him; He appeared to us the first time as our Savior, and He rises in us again and again until His second appearing in glory.
Lord Jesus, we want to give heed to Your word by prayerfully considering it, reading it, and praying it back to You so that Christ as the morning Star would rise in our heart. Amen, Lord, we belong to You, we are watching for Your appearing, and we want to be Your overcomers, those who are rewarded to Christ as the morning star! Amen, Lord Jesus, shine on us through Your word, wash us by the water in the word, and may Your word shine on us as a lamp in a dark place until the morning star rises in our heart!
Christ is the Sceptre rising out of Israel, the One on the Throne with Power and Authority
The sceptre rising out of Israel in Num. 24:17 refers to Christ’s ruling; He is the sceptre rising out of Israel, the One with all-inclusive power and authority.
The one who has the sceptre is the one who is on the throne and has authority. We see this in Psa. 2:9, where Christ is the One who breaks the nations with an iron rod, shattering them like a potter’s vessel.
In Psa. 45:6 we see that the throne of Christ is forever and ever, and the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of His kingdom. In Psa. 110:2 it says that Jehovah will send forth the sceptre of His strength from Zion so that He may rule in the midst of His enemies.
Furthermore, in Gen. 49:10 Jacob blessed Judah by saying that the sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
On one hand in His second coming Christ Himself will come as the One who has the throne and has all-inclusive power and authority to rule over the nations and execute God’s government.
On the other hand, he who overcomers and keeps the Lord’s works until the end, to Him He will give authority over the nations, and he will shepherd them with an iron rod with authority; and to him the Lord will give the morning star (see Rev. 2:26-28).
If today we cooperate with the Lord to enthrone Him as Lord in our being, enjoying the works that the Lord has accomplished and He is doing, we will be rewarded by Him to have authority over the nations.
To reign with Christ over the nations in the millennial kingdom is a prize to the overcomers (Rev. 20:4, 6). But if we don’t answer the Lord’s call to overcome degraded Christianity, we will not participate in the reign of the millennial kingdom.
Today on earth there’s both darkness and rebellion; men walk in darkness and are rebellious against God and His rule. Even in Christianity in general, there’s degradation and a clear rejection of the authority of Christ as the Head of the Body.
Therefore, the Lord today is looking for overcomers, those who take Him as their unique Head, are submissive to His authority, and enthrone Him in their being and in the church life; these ones enjoy and participate in what Christ has accomplished and in what He is doing, and they will share in His kingship when He returns.
If we put the verses concerning the star together with the verses concerning the sceptre, we will see that, at the Lord’s coming, He will exercise His authority on the throne and in His kingdom.
Today the present age is altogether dark – it is an age ruled by darkness and which doesn’t submit to God’s authority. Nevertheless, the Star and came forth out of Jacob the Sceptre will rise out of Israel.
Christ will return as the bright morning star to illuminate this dark world, and Christ as the sceptre will rise out of Israel to rule over this lawless earth.
If we look around us today we will see that the earth is dark and chaotic, and all men are without light and not under the rule of God. But praise the Lord, Christ will return, and we want to be His overcomers returning with Him!
Lord, we praise You as the One coming with the sceptre to rule over the earth. We enthrone in our being, Lord, and we give You the preeminence in all things. Make us Your overcomers, those who will return with You and will reign over the earth. Come, Lord Jesus, as the Star and the Sceptre to shine on all the peoples and to rule the whole earth! Amen, Lord Jesus, bring the age in which everything on earth that harasses God’s people will be removed, and bring in Your kingdom on earth! Amen, Lord, Your throne is forever and ever, and the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of Your kingdom!
Read this article / blog post in Romanian – puteți citi acest articol și în limba română la următorul link – Trebuie să Îl savurăm pe Cristos ca Steaua care strălucește în noi și ca Sceptrul care se ridică peste noi.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Ed Marks for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1960, vol. 1, “Synopsis of Numbers,” ch. 35, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallisation-Study of Numbers (1), week 10, The Major Types and the Prophecy concerning Christ.
- Hymns on this topic:
# O Morning Star, how fair and bright, / Thou beamest forth in truth and light! / O Sov’reign meek and lowly, / Thou Root of Jesse, David’s Son, / My Lord and Master, Thou hast won / My heart to serve Thee solely! / Thou art holy, / Fair and glorious, all-victorious, / Rich in blessing, / Rule and might o’er all possessing. (Hymns #174)
# 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. (Scripture Song)
# Hallelujah! sing to Jesus, / His the scepter, His the throne; / Hallelujah! His the triumph, / His the victory alone. / Hark, the songs of His redeemed ones / Thunder like a mighty flood: / Jesus out of every nation / Hath redeemed us by His blood. (Hymns #125)
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