Topical Bible: The Sun: The Power and Brilliancy of Its Rising Alluded To

◄ The Sun: The Power and Brilliancy of Its Rising Alluded To ►

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The sun, as one of the most prominent celestial bodies created by God, holds significant symbolic and literal importance throughout the Bible. Its rising is often used to illustrate God's power, faithfulness, and the illumination of truth. The sun's daily journey from dawn to dusk serves as a testament to the order and consistency of God's creation.

Creation and Purpose

The sun was created by God on the fourth day of creation, as described in Genesis 1:16: "God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." The sun's primary purpose is to provide light and to govern the day, marking the passage of time and seasons, which is essential for life on earth.

Symbol of God's Glory and Faithfulness

The rising of the sun is frequently used as a metaphor for God's glory and faithfulness. In Psalm 19:4-6, the psalmist declares, "In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course, it rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth." This passage highlights the sun's strength and the joy it brings, reflecting God's omnipresence and benevolence.

Illustration of Righteousness and Justice

The sun's brilliance is also a symbol of righteousness and justice. Malachi 4:2 states, "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall." Here, the sun is a metaphor for the coming of the Messiah, who brings healing and justice to those who revere God.

God's Sovereignty Over the Sun

The Bible emphasizes God's sovereignty over the sun, demonstrating His control over creation. In Job 9:7, it is written, "He commands the sun not to shine, and seals off the stars." This verse underscores God's authority to command the sun, reinforcing His ultimate power over the universe.

The Sun as a Witness to God's Covenant

The sun also serves as a witness to God's covenant with His people. In Jeremiah 31:35-36, the Lord declares, "He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name: 'Only if these ordinances vanish from My sight,' declares the LORD, 'will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Me.'" The sun's consistent rising is a reminder of God's unchanging promises.

The Sun in Eschatological Imagery

In eschatological contexts, the sun is often used to describe the end times and the coming of God's kingdom. Revelation 21:23 describes the New Jerusalem: "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." This imagery signifies the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan, where His presence will surpass the need for the sun's light.

Throughout Scripture, the sun's rising is a powerful symbol of God's majesty, righteousness, and faithfulness. Its daily journey across the sky serves as a constant reminder of the Creator's order and the hope found in His promises.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 5:31
So let all your enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 23:4
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
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Library

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... who, in order to break the power of Blulai ... O Shamash," he wrote to the Sun-god,
"great lord ... Kharkhar, securely entrenched behind its triple ramparts, assumed the ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

On his Father'S Silence, Because of the Plague of Hail.
... while the rivulet runs its course; the sun to be ... and recognise in our sufferings
that power which we ... now shines upon them with greater brilliancy and purity ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xvi on his fathers.htm

Explanatory and Biographical
... the contrast between their tone and the joyous brilliancy of [207 ... What breadth of
sympathy,"what a strange power of living ... il4 wake the Sun: So in the popular ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/explanatory and biographical.htm

The Evangelical Revival.
... a luminary did I say?"he was a sun! ... Connexion Lady Huntingdon exercised a moral power
to the ... laymen in each congregation to superintend its secular concerns ...
/.../chapter ix the evangelical revival.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1824 to the ...
... This I believe to be the secret of his power. ... were but as occasional spots upon the
sun they obscured his ... shone out with an increasing and a steady brilliancy: ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1832 to the Beginning ...
... Lord, and conquering souls by the power of gospel ... still more eminently characterized
by the brilliancy of his ... untimely blast, Parch'd by the sun's directer ray ...
/.../chapter 12 from the close.htm