Revelation twenty-two, verse twelve. And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him that heareth say, Come. Let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. In verse twenty, He which testifies these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. I'd like to speak this morning about the last title of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible, where he's called the Bright and Morning Star. Someone has said that there are three hundred and sixty-five different names and titles of the Lord Jesus in the Bible. But the final one that we get on the last page of the Bible is this lovely description, the Bright and Morning Star. I want you to notice that there are five double titles of the Lord here. He's first of all called the Alpha and the Omega. That is his grammatical title, his relation to the word. I suppose we all know that the word Alpha and Omega is the first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet. And what we get here is the Lord Jesus in relation to the word. The grammatical title is the subject, the predicate, and the object of Holy Scripture. We get the living word and the person of Christ and we get the written word here and it's all about him. The alpha and the omega is the grammatical title of Christ in relation to the word. And the second one is the beginning and the end. This is his creatorial title in relation to creation. The one that flung the galaxies into space and the one that upholds creation. is the same one who died on Calvary's cross. He is the beginning. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And He also will be the end. And when this old world and the creative things, the material things of this world, comes to an end, the one who will be the consummator will be the same one who is the beginning. He's the beginning and the end. This is his creatorial title. And the third one is the first and the last. This is his dispensational title. It would be interesting to notice the different places in the Bible where we get these two titles linked together. And they are in relation to our Blessed Lord. He is the first and the last. His dispensational title. And then he's the root and the offspring of David. This is his messianic title. There's a tremendous body of teaching in the Word of God, both in the Old and in the New Testament. concerning the Jewish race, the people of Israel. On this title, the root and the offspring of David is his Messianic title. But the final one is The Bright and Morning Star. And this is his Advent title. It's the last title of the Lord Jesus in the Bible, and it's about this lovely figure. I thought I would like to speak this morning. We have been looking at the different names of God these morning sessions and I thought it might be nice this morning just to speak about the Lord Himself on the final title that we get often in the Holy Scripture in relation to His coming back again, the bright and morning star. Now I know that most who are here this morning are Bible students interested in the Word of God and you probably would like to mention that there are three occurrences of the bright and morning star in the New Testament. And just to get the well-rounded-out picture, I thought it might be as well to read the other two. So shall we look for a moment at Revelation chapter two, where we get another occurrence of the title? Revelation chapter two. And it's in connection with the Church of Thyatira. Verse twenty-four. But unto you, I say, and unto the rest. Now notice that expression, the rest. It's the first time that the remnant is introduced in these seven churches. Unto you, I say, and unto the remnant in Thyatira. As many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. In fire tire there are two ideas introduced for the first time, and that is a remnant, and the second is the truth of the Lord's coming. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. He that over cometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my father. and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. So the very black dark picture we get in Syatira, picturing too is that dark period of church history that we call the dark Middle Ages, we get the morning star introduced. Now shall we look at another occurrence in Second Peter, Chapter One. Second Epistle of Peter, Chapter One. And again for our connection, we'll read from verse fifteen. Moreover, I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, on this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy month. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, for unto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star, or the morning star, arise. in your heart knowing this first that no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not an old time by the will of man but holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost these are the three occurrences of the bright and morning star in the New Testament and I thought that very simply this morning we would like to look at this threefold occurrence of this lovely figure now again Bible students would tell us that there are different symbols in the Bible concerning the coming again of Christ. I think that the first one is the one that we have read, the bright and morning star. This has to do with the church. I believe it has to do with the bridegroom, coming back again for his bride. We have something that has already arisen in our hearts, a light that has already arisen in our hearts, and that is the bright and morning star. Now the second figure... is the Son of Righteousness that shall arise with healing in his wings. You notice that in the book of Revelation, the final title of Christ is the morning star. But if we turn over to the Old Testament, the final title of Christ in the Old Testament is the Son of Righteousness in Malachi chapter four. And if he's the bright and morning star for the church, he will be the Son of Righteousness with healing in his wings. When earth's dark night is brought to a close by the daybreak, and the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming back again is the sun. And during his millennial reign, that sun will shine in a way that it has never shone before in the history of this poor old world. For Israel, the hope of Israel is the sun of righteousness that shall arise with healing in his wings. Now the third picture we get in the book of Daniel, the third symbol. And there he's called the stone cut out without hands. We find it on two occasions and two magnificent prophetic passages in the book of Daniel were read about a storm. You remember the image that was set up on the plane of Dura that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream? And it was a picture of Gentile world dominion. The four great empires that we find in human history, Gentile world dominion is pictured in the image that was set up on the planes of Dura and that they King, the emperor, saw in his dream, and read that a stone was cut out without hands. On that stone it smote the image on its feet. The feet was composed of potter's clay, and when it smote the image on its feet it measured its length on the ground. It became as the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and we read that the stone that smote it on the feet it became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Now this is the relationship of Christ to Gentile world dominion, to the nations, to the Gentile nations particularly. So that the three figures completely cover the picture that we get in the Bible concerning the coming again of Christ. First of all, the bright and morning star for you and for me. And then the Son of Righteousness with healing in his wings in relation to the people of Israel. And then the Gentile world. The Gentile nations, we believe that the storm that will smite world dominion and will become a great mountain is the Lord Jesus himself. Taking up his throne with the scepter in his hand and the imperial diadem upon his head, he'll reign from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. How beautiful these pictures are. These lovely symbols in the Bible concerning the rule and reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I thought just for a little while this morning, we would like to consider this first picture, the bright and morning star. Now I want first of all to look at Peter and what he has to say about it, and then just a word or two about Thyatira, and then the final picture, the final revelation in the Bible. He's the root and the offspring of David, and he is the bright and morning star. I think we take the two letters of Peter, the first epistle and the second. I think that the teaching that we find in them is this. First of all, in Matthew chapter sixteen, our brother in this prayer this morning spoke about the Lord with his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. And when men said that he was John the Baptist risen from the dead or Jeremiah or one of the prophets, he said, Who do you say that I am? And the Lord used the term, whom do ye say that I the son of man am? Notice the title. I the son of man am. And Peter spoke up and he said, There are the Christ, the son of the living God. And the Lord in reply to him, he said, Flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I also say unto thee that thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. I believe that the first epistle of Peter is the commentary on that passage. We get the Church of God in all its relationships brought before us in the first epistle of Peter. First Peter is a commentary on Matthew chapter sixteen, but second Peter is a commentary on Matthew chapter seventeen. Just at the end of chapter sixteen the Lord said this, He said, Verily I say unto you, there be some that standeth here, which shall not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. And immediately afterwards he chose three of the disciples, some of you that stand up here, a selection. And he takes Peter and James and John and he takes them up to the mountaintop. And on the mountaintop we'll read that the Lord was transfigured before them. Now I believe that Matthew seventeen is the explanation of what we get in Matthew chapter sixteen. There be some that standeth here that shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. and read that there upon the mountaintop the Lord Jesus was transfigured. And the three men that were taken up there as witnesses, actually they're fast asleep while it's going on. What's an amazing thing that these disciples, we have been speaking about them again and again and their weakness and their failure, that did the same thing in Gethsemane. Three men that were chosen to witness the sufferings of Christ in Gethsemane were fast asleep. And on the mountaintop, When the Lord was transfigured in his glory, giving a picture of his power and coming, is coming back again, the same three men are fast asleep. But when we take the overall picture, we get a complete outline of the Lord coming back again in glory, his millennial reign, his millennial kingdom, and read that the Lord is the sinner, and he was transfigured. It's most interesting to notice the way the different Gospels portray the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. The gospel according to Matthew, we're told that his face did shine as the sun. And on the gospel according to Mark, the gospel of the servant, we read that his garments did shine as the light. No fooler could whiten in the way that they were whitened as he stood upon the mountain top. He's occupied with his garments. And then Dr. Luke. In the beautiful description that he gives in chapter nine of his gospel, he speaks about the conversation between the three members that were upon the mountaintop. They speak of his decease or his exodus, the way out. They speak about his death. The conversation upon the mountaintop was about the cross. But read that the Lord Jesus is central. Beloved friends, what we get here is a picture of Christ in his coming kingdom and glory. He is absolutely central, and here he is glorified upon the mountaintop. Now that glory that shone from the person of Christ upon the mountaintop, it was not a reflected glory where he'd hear about a cloud that overshadowed him. I believe that that cloud was the Shikana cloud. You remember it came with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt. It was a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. And it was a reflection of the glory of God. It was the visible presence of God among his people. And when the tabernacle was built in the wilderness, the cloud overshadowed it. And again when the temple was built, Solomon's temple will read that the glory cloud it came down. It was the visible presence of God among his people. I believe that the cloud that overshadowed the group upon the mountain top, the mount of Transfiguration, I believe it was the Shekinah cloud. I believe it came a dip down again. And from the cloud there came the voice of God the Father. This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. Now what we get here, I believe, is a little preview of the power and coming of the Lord Jesus. And this is what Peter is speaking about in his second epistle and in this first chapter. He said, we have not followed cunningly devised tables when we made known unto you the power and coming of Christ. He takes seven expressions that are taken from the Gospels and he uses them here in this first chapter in his second epistle. And he gives us a beautiful picture of the power and coming of the Lord. Now I want to think about it just for a moment. First of all, Christ is central, glorified upon the mountaintop. And on the one side is Moses and on the other side is Elijah. Now is there anything peculiar or distinctive about these two men? Well, I think there is. As far as Moses is concerned, he was the man who died. There's a beautiful description of his death in the Old Testament scriptures. When I was a boy going to school, we had to learn a poem that was called The Burial of Moses. I wish I could remember it today and repeat it. It's a beautiful thing. One of the most beautiful things in our language is the burial of Moses. But God, he buried Moses. He took him to himself and he buried him upon the mountaintop on Mount Nebo, a new man north of a sepulchre to this day. The word that's used about his death in the Old Testament is that he died by the word of the Lord. Now the old Jewish rabbis who knew their Hebrew that say the word could be easily translated, he died by the mouth of the Lord. And some would even go as far as to say he died by the kiss of the Lord. The Lord gently took his servant home. We know he was being taken home before he had realized that tremendous ambition that he had. Oh, he said, Lord, I would love to go into that land, see that goodly land in Lebanon. Now he wasn't allowed to go into the land, but the Lord gently he took his servant home. He died by the mouth, by the kiss of the Lord, and the Lord buried him. No man north of a sepulchre to this day. Isn't this a beautiful picture of those that are asleep in Jesus today? I believe it is. Well, I know some would say that the two men on the mountaintop, one is a representative of the law, and the other is representative of the prophets. Well, now I think that that is in it. But I think there's something far deeper and far more precious than that. The man here on the one side of Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration was a man who died, and the Lord took him home. You know, the last time I was here at Park of the Palms, there were some dear friends here. They're no longer here. And during this past year, there's some of my good friends in different parts of the country I've been taken home to be with the Lord. You know, it's a wonderful thing to think, but it's only for a little while. The Lord is coming back again. Those that sleep through Jesus will God bring him with him. I know that's a controversial passage. But I love to think of that little preposition. Those that sleep through Jesus. I believe that the one who receives the spirit of the believer when he's taken home to be with the Lord is Jesus. It's the human name that's mentioned here. Those that sleep through Jesus will God bring with him. You know, in one way, when we realize this, it completely takes away the fear of death. That when that moment comes of dissolution, the one who's there to receive the Spirit of the believer is Jesus. Those that sleep through Jesus will God bring with him. And God's dear servant upon Mount Neville, we read that he died by the word or the kiss of the Lord, and the Lord buried him. There is a rather mysterious passage in the epistle of Jude. read about an argument between Michael the Archangel and the devil concerning the body of Moses. I wonder why that is. Now, we're not dogmatizing here, but I think it's possible that his body was required for the transfiguration. On his body, it was taken from the grave. And there upon the mountaintop, we see Moses on the one side and on the other side with Elijah. Now, if Moses is representative of those that sleep, In Jesus today, I believe that the other man, Elijah, is representative of those that will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Here was a man who wanted to die. And yet he wasn't given that privilege of dying. He was taken up without dying. You know, the life of Elijah is a wonderful picture. I think it's representative of so many of the servants of the Lord. I've heard smart things said about Elijah running away from a woman. You know, I never would say anything sarcastic or cynical about this man. Anyone who knows anything at all about the work of the Lord, they know a little bit about how he felt. He had gone in courageously to Ahab, and I had looked him in the eye, and I had given him the word of God, and then his wife Jezebel, the worst woman in Holy Scripture, she said, God do so to me, and more also, if your head stays on its shoulders before the sun goes in. And when he heard that, he ran for his life. And he went forty days out into the wilderness because a woman had said she was going to take his head off. And away he went into the wilderness. And he got down onto the juniper tree and he started to pray. And he said, O Lord, he said, I know better than my fathers. He said, they have digged down nine altars. And he said, they've slain thy servants with the edge of the sword. And I I only am left. Do you ever feel like that? And as somebody has said one time, likely under his breath he said, and when I'm dead, there'll be nobody left. He thought he was the only pebble on the beach. I, I only am left. Oh, he got down onto the juniper tree. And he said, Lord, it should take away my life. I don't want to live any longer. Just take me home. I don't want to stay here any longer. But the Lord had other purposes for his dear servant. And in this position of discouragement underneath the juniper tree, you remember what the Lord did? He fed him. The man was hungry, and he was tired, and he was upset. And the Lord, he fed him. Oh, the Lord always does that. Didn't he do it with Peter? Before he rebuked him, and before he restored him there at the little fire beside the lake, he gave him something to eat. He fed him first of all, and after he had fed him, then he spoke to him. And he did the same with Elijah. And after he had had a good rest, and the Lord had fed him, then he got up. And on the strength of that food, he went forty days, and he went to Mount Horeb, and there the Lord revealed himself to him in that still small voice. He recommissioned him and sent him back again to do the work that God had given him to do. But you remember at the end, when he crossed the Jordan, along with the young man that was about to step into his shoes and assume his mantle. You remember what happened? There came the whirlwind and the chariot of fire and worried that Elijah, he was taken up to heaven and he went up without dying. He was translated. On the one side is the man who slept. The one side the man who died and was buried by the Lord. And on the other hand, there was the man who was taken up without dying. Now I don't think we need to stretch our imagination at all to say that these two individuals are representative of those that sleep in Jesus, and that will be raised when the Lord Jesus comes. And the other is representative of those that are alive and remain, that are changed, and then that are taken up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall he ever be with the Lord. I believe that this is the real interpretation of the transfiguration. The Lord was giving these disciples a little preview of his coming. On the one hand, those that had died. On the other hand, those that were translated and Christ in the center, transfigured with that inward glory shining out. His flesh becomes a veal. On the inner glory of his Godhead, it shines out upon the mountain top. He is transfigured before them. He is the center and the two men on either side. And then overall is the cloud. The Shekinah cloud of glory. And from the cloud there comes the voice of the Father. This is my well-beloved son and whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. And then at the foot of the picture we get three men in their human bodies. I believe that these three men are representative of a godly remnant of Israel in a coming day. And when we take the sevenfold picture, we get the power on coming of our Lord Jesus. Now this is the picture that Peter gives us in his second epistle. And he tells us that what we find here is a little picture of what it will be in a coming day. And it's the reason why we are not carried about with winds of doctrine or with cunningly devised fables. You know, it would be rather amusing. this morning to look at the different translations of these words. I'm not going to occupy time in doing that, but it's the most interesting thing to look at Philip's translation. And the different translations that have been made of this passage, cunningly devised fables. Oh, this is the day in which we live. All kinds of cunningly devised fables, but we're not carried away with these things. The hope that we have is a coming day when Christ will come back again for his people not only as the bridegroom, not only as the morning star, but when he will come back again to reign gloriously for one thousand years in the place where he was cast out. This is the background to the picture that we get in second Peter chapter one. It's the commentary on Matthew chapter seventeen. Now Peter tells us that we have three lights that shine amid the darkness. This voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount, and we have also the word of prophecy made more sure. Whereon do you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. Now this word dark place, again just to mention some of the translations that are given out, in our version a dark place. Some of the versions call it a murky place, others a squalid place. And I think Phillips translates it a dirty place. Now this is a very vivid, a very vivid picture of the world in which we live. But in this dark, squalid, murky, dirty place, we have three lights that shine. And the first one is something that we hold in our hands. The light that shines in the dark place is the prophetic word. We have also the word of prophecy made more sure. On this lamp, the lamp of prophecy we hold in our hand. Now the second light that shines is something we have in our heart. And read here about the day star that already has arisen in our heart. And then on the horizon we have a third light. And that third light is the day dawn. The day is going to break. And these three lights are lights that shine in this dirty, squalid, murky, dark place today. You know, I'm not going to distress your minds by talking about the condition of things in the world today. It's a very dark picture. And it's getting darker all the time. You know, people like ourselves that sometimes live in a protected environment, we little realize the character of the world in which we live. on in every sphere of life. It just seems that there has been a deterioration in recent years. Morality, to talk about the new morality. On these smart, sophisticated people, they talk about the new morality. It's not the morality that's based on the Bible. The new morality is Sodom and Gomorrah in modern form. And all the wicked, wicked, wicked things that are being said and done today, and people seem to have no conscience about it at all. Ordinary common behavior and decency is something that's very, very likely held today. People laugh at it. And anybody that wants to hold to the old idea of morality that we find in the Bible, well, they call them all kinds of names. I'm not going to distress your ears by giving you the names that they gave. But this is the dirty place in which we live today, the squalid place. There's a description of it in chapter two. There's a four-fold apostasy in chapter two of the environment of which we live. And if we're to take time to go into it here, the denial of the one that bought them. But first of all, it has to do with Christ. The denial of the person of Christ. I remember years ago when I was a boy reading a book by a man called Dr. Dale of England. He was an outstanding theologian and he wrote a classical book on the atonement and he said this. He said in my day, he said the attack is on the venerable head of Moses. Those were the days, of course, when they were attacking the Pentateuch in the first three chapters of Genesis. It's that the day, it's that the attack is on the venerable head of Moses. But it's that in the last days it will be that one holy head that will be attacked. Beloved friends, that's the day in which we live. The person of Christ and the great fundamental doctrines concerning him are being attacked today all over the world, denying the Lord. And then we read here about morals. We read about Sodom and Gomorrah. And all we need to do is to think a little bit of what obtained in the cities of the plain. It's the modern world that we see today. And then material things is brought in. And Balaam, the man who loved the wages of unrighteousness, any servant of God that makes money, his motive, he has to be awfully careful. What we get in Balaam, I believe, is a type of people that do that kind of thing, money being the motive of their service. You know, we get quite a lot of mail today, and I suppose about fifty percent of the mail that we get is begging appeals. for funds and for money. All kinds of people. You know, there's no servant of God that knows anything at all about the teaching of Holy Scripture ever would bring the work of God down to anything of the kind. I believe that we should have simple faith in God and God will honor it if we do. We get material things. And practically everything that we find in the second chapter, it describes a dark, dark day. But amid the darkness we have three lights. And the first one is the prophetic lamp. And that prophetic lamp was held amid the darkness. We have the word of prophecy made more sure by what Peter saw upon the mountaintop. Are you interested in prophecy? In the book of Daniel? In the book of Revelation? The book of Zechariah? I hope you are. You know, some people despise these things. And they say, we don't understand them, and therefore it's just a closed book. My dear friends, these books are exciting in the revelation that we get, not only of the past, but of the present and the future. The prophetic lamp that we have today, we hold in our hand. And as we look at the precious word of God, and what it has to say, not only about the present day, the dark world in which we live, but also the future. We have it all outlined for us. And all that we need to do is to read carefully and study and look to the Holy Spirit to reveal these great truths to us. We have a prophetic lamp that shines amid the darkness. But then the second thing is we have something in our hearts. We have the bright and morning star. It has already arisen in our hearts. A little private preview of the coming of the Lord. It's one of the most delightful and one of the most beautiful pictures of the coming of Christ. And we have it in here in our hearts. And then on the horizon we see the day dawn. The day star, first of all, and then the day dawn. Are you interested in astronomy, in the stars? Well, for many years I wasn't. But many a time out in Africa where we don't have neon lights to blind your eyes at nighttime. Many a time lying beside a fire at night over there in the middle of Africa on looking at the stars in the dry seasons. You'd almost think you could put up your hand and touch them. The blank velvet sky overhead on those beautiful constellations. I got thoroughly interested in astronomy. I have had no technical education at all along that line. Anything I know, I have learned the practical way and also from some books that we got connected with it. I got thoroughly interested in astronomy. It is a wonderful study. I went to Mount Polymer a couple of years ago. I was over there in California and went to see the big eye in California. Oh, I would have loved to have gone inside that glass door and put my eye to the eyepiece. But you know, anybody like me never would be allowed to do that. It's kept at a certain temperature and it's only astronomers and scientists that are allowed to do that. And for anybody like me that would be called a lay man to go in there and have a look at the moon or have a look at Venus or any of these stars through that magnificent mechanism, you wouldn't be allowed to do it. But I did see the color photographs, some of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and the statistics. Of the universe in which we live, it's an amazing picture. Astronomy. But I think one of the most beautiful things in astronomy is the morning star. You ever seen it? You know, lazy heads that lie in their bed at six o'clock in the morning, they don't see the morning star. If you want to see it, you have to set your alarm clock and get up. It comes up about three o'clock in the morning. And you know, right now, the morning star is the planet Venus. It's the brightest star in the heavens after the moon. Venus. It's a beautiful, beautiful sight to see it come up, especially if there are no clouds. When the Santa's Venus, and on certain periods to see the morning star, it's a beautiful sight. I'll never forget the first time I saw it. It was out in Africa. I had a request from a Portuguese administrator to come and see him. It wasn't a request, it was a command. The only transport I had at the time was an old bicycle. And the administrator, he lived at a place called Novogaya that was a hundred and sixty-five kilometers from where we live. I started off on the bicycle and I got there. It was the wet season. And when I arrived at Novogaya, I transacted my business. And in the middle of the night, I heard some news that disturbed me, that meant that I had to get home in a hurry. I got up out of bed about two o'clock in the morning, got the bicycle, and I started off. I'd gone about ten miles over a thick gumbo road, red mud, and the bicycle broke down. I didn't have any mending material, so I abandoned the bicycle at the roadside and I started a walk. I walked the rest of that night until the dawn, and all the next day until the sun was going in at night, and I came to a little river called the Jombo. I found some of my men, Africans, sleeping in a grass hut on the bank of the river. And I went over and asked them if a volunteer would come with me to walk through the night to get home. Oh, they said, Gandy, you better come in and sleep here and have something to eat. We'll start off at dawn the next morning, tomorrow morning. I said, no, I have to get home. And there was a young fellow sitting beside the fire. His name was Wanchingongo. And he got up from beside the fire and he lifted his axe. and put his axe over his shoulder and I said, Tatu Yenu. That means let's go. And he stepped out into the night. It was a dark night, there was no moon, and I grabbed his belt and we staggered on through the night along the little nine inch path going home. We had across the river in a dugout and on the other side we started off that long journey walking through the night. About midnight he wrenched himself from me and he threw his axe at something ahead. I said, Whatchingunga, what is it? Oh, he said, it's a leopard. And he said, it has pulled down a deer, an antelope and was eating it. But he said, I've chased it away. He said, Tatuyenu, let's go. And I went forward again and grabbed them by the belt and we staggered on through the night. It was one of the longest nights I think I've ever spent. And about three o'clock in the morning I saw something come up over the horizon. It was so bright. It almost looked like the headlight of a motorcycle. And I said, watching Ganga, what is it? He put his head over his shoulder like this, and he said, that's the Mutumbu. I said, what's the Mutumbu? The word means the jumper. Kutumbu means to jump. And the Mutumbu is the jumping one. He said, it's that star that comes up over the horizon. It comes up so suddenly that we call it the Mutumbu. And he said, if you watch, he said, just where you see that star coming up, he said, that's the place where you'll find the sunrise. Comes up just on exactly that same spot. And so we went on and on. And sure enough, that bright and morning star rising above the horizon, after several hours, the sunrise came. We were standing on the edge of a precipice and looking right away down through the valley. And among the trees I saw a coil of snow coming up among the trees. And that's the place that I call home. Mahietu is the lovely word that they use. Mahietu, our home. That was the place where I was heading for. And about three o'clock in the afternoon I staggered in. I got in there. pulled off my socks and shoes and laid down and slept right around the clock. But I'll never forget the first time I saw the Motungu, the bright and morning star. Beloved friends, this is the beautiful picture we get here of this preview of the coming of the Lord, the bright and blessed hope, the bright and morning star. It comes up at the darkest star of the night, at the coldest star of the night, the weakest star of the night. The darkest hour of the night is the time when the morning star comes out. And it's the beautiful picture we get here of the Lord Jesus in his coming back for you and for me. Now, again, my time has gone. I just want you to notice that in the other two passages, in Thyatira, we get a black background. The darkest picture we get in the seven churches is those dark, dark Middle Ages. But thank God even on that day, God had his own. On to you, I say, and on to the rest, the remnant of them, Thyatira, that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. The godly remnant, even in those days. The lovely to speak about them for a little while. Those little companies of God's people in the dark middle ages. Not only were the loyal and faithful and true to Christ, But for the first time, the coming of Christ here is introduced again. That which we have already hold fast till I come. And the overcomer is given the reward of the bright and morning star. And then finally, on the last page of the Bible, the last title of the Lord Jesus is The Bright and Morning Star. And as John thinks of this at the end, we get the words, Behold, I come quickly. And John's reply is, Amen. Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. What a wonderful, precious hope we have of the coming again of Christ and this beautiful, beautiful picture. May God bless his word. So we pray. Our God and Father, again we thank thee for the bright hope of the coming again of the Lord Jesus. We thank thee that then when we see him face to face, we'll be transformed into his image. We'll see him face to face, and throughout eternity we'll worship and adore in a way that we cannot down here. Thou knowest the limitations of time and sense, and all the problems of this poor world. But, our Father, we thank thee that in our hearts we have this bright hope of his coming back again. We pray thee that it may garrison our hearts. And, our Father, we pray it may influence our lives. Again, we commend each one here this morning to thee, praying thy blessing upon thy dear children and upon thy word. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.