The Sun

By George Feldman

A topic about the sun may appear unusual, but the Bible does have some interesting references to it. In the creation account of Genesis 1 we are told the heavenly bodies of the sun, moon and stars were given for signs and for seasons, to rule the day and the night. However, the name "sun" or the "moon" are not so named in the creation account. They are referred to as the greater and lesser lights.

Symbolically, the "greater light" is a beautiful type of Christ, prophetically spoken of as the "Sun of righteousness" in Malachi 4:2. The Lord will take this role at His Second Advent. The sun itself is interesting in more ways than one. For one thing, it is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of life itself on planet Earth. The Creator positioned the earth when He established the solar system, so that the earth was not too far away or too close to the sun. Either extreme would have spelled disaster for the possibility of life to exist on the earth. Both light and heat as we get it from the sun are indispensable for the maintenance of life on our planet. Little does this world realize that it is Christ, Who was the Creator before taking human form, that keeps the universe intact. As Col. 1:17 reveals, "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (cohere, hold together).

It is also interesting to note that the Bible refers to the sun as both rising and setting. In Gen. 15 is a reference to the setting sun foretelling the long dark period that Israel would endure as slaves in Egypt. But Israel's rising sun is clearly predicted in Isaiah 60: "No more shall the sun be your light, by day nor the moon give brightness at night; but the Lord shall be your everlasting light and your God your glory.  Your sun shall never set, and your moon shall never wane."

Our picture shows the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. It reminds us that man's day of infamy and misrule in the earth is fast coming to an end. The sunrise of each morning reminds us of the sure coming of The Sun of Righteousness.