Genesis 1:17-19 “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good, And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
The function of these three categories of lights, the sun, moon and stars is also threefold:
- Light the earth.
- Rule over day and night.
- Divide light from darkness.
These three functions were already mentioned in verses 14-16, and are reiterated here, which not only denotes their importance, but also establishes them as sure and steadfast (See Genesis 41:32, Matthew 18:16).
The consistency of the heavenly bodies in fulfilling their purpose and mission in all times and places is a lesson book for us on the character of their Creator and His plans for us. The same sun that shines over the Sahara lights the Arctic, even though the daily hours of shining in the latter location go to seasonal extremes due to the earth's inclination. What about you? Do you lean toward or away from the light?
As the sun moon and stars were placed as signs in the sky at the beginning of earth's history to testify of God’s creative and sustaining power, in the last book of the Bible they are incorporated as part of a “great wonder” or sign to mark the closing of earth’s history and testify of His redeeming and restoring power. The sun moon and stars figure as the foundation, crown and clothing of God’s faithful people who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:1, 17). These commandment keepers are represented as angels, or messengers, flying with a threefold message through “the midst of heaven” as a warning sign right before the final harvest of the world (Rev 14:6-12, 15-19). The prophet Daniel describes them like this: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (12:3). Will you choose to be wise today?
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