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Numbers 24:17, “…a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab…”
Revelation 22:16, “I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Numbers 24:17 combines a number of images that are and will become important in the symbolic grammar of scripture.
First, the star and scepter are images of kingship—which is significant because Israel (Jacob) had no king at this point in their history.
Secondly, the language of Moab (which represents the enemies of YHWH and His people) having its forehead crushed harkens back to the “protoevangelium” of Genesis 3:15 where God tells the serpent (Satan) that a chosen descendent of Eve would one day bruise / crush his head, even as the serpent will bruise / crush the descendent’s heel.
So, Numbers 24:17 takes the imagery of kingship and the imagery of the promised serpent-trampling Savior and unites them. The Savior who will crush Satan’s head even as His own heel is crushed will be the King of Israel.
Now, of course (and gloriously!) we know where this goes. However, it is awesome to see Jesus, in His penultimate words of revelation, explicitly link Himself with this prophecy. He Himself is the star who was to rise from Israel, the King who crushed the Dragon’s head as His own heel was crushed on Calvary, and who rose again as the “the Morning Star,”—the herald and bringer of New Creation Dawn.
When the Morning Star appears on the horizon, Night’s death is sealed. The Day is coming. And, in that sense, the crucified, risen and now-reigning Jesus is the Morning Star of history. But He is, of course, also the Sun who has risen and will soon rise, filling the earth with the radiance of the glory of God the Father….a radiance in which those who oppose Him will be burned to ash and those who fear him will be healed of all hurts (Malachi 4:1-2).
We, with all the Church, say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:17).
