The star in Matthew 2 is just the beginning of this matter in the New Testament. If we go to the last book, the Book of Revelation, we see two things: the first is that the Lord Jesus is the star, not the evening star but the morning star; secondly, we see that all the angels of the churches are stars. Here we must realize that the angels are not those heavenly beings, but the spiritual people who take the spiritual responsibility in the church—they are the stars. In this book we have Christ as the morning star and those faithful followers of Christ in the churches as the stars. Now where is the star? It is so clear, the star today is in the church. At the beginning of the New Testament the star was outside of religion, but at the end of the New Testament the star is within the church. Have you seen these two ends of the New Testament? If you would see the star today, there is no need for you to look to the sky, there is no need for you to do as those wise men. Today the star is in the church and among the churches. The root and offspring of David, the Son of God as well as the Son of man, Jesus Christ as the morning star, is walking today among the local churches. Where then must you come to see the star? To the local churches.
If we are for religion, we are through as far as the star is concerned. But if we are in the genuine local church, praise the Lord, the star is here. So many of us have proved this by our experience: when we were in religion we simply had the sense of being in darkness, but when the Lord brought us into the local churches, Hallelujah, we saw the star, the brightness of the star. The heavenly star today is in the local churches.
Not only is Christ Himself the star, but also His followers, the shining ones in the churches. In the Acts and the Epistles the leading ones were called elders or bishops, but in the last book of the Bible they are the stars. Now it is not a matter of title or position, but a matter of shining. All the living ones of the local churches must be shining stars.
What does it mean to be a star? Daniel 12:3 gives the answer: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." The stars are those who shine in darkness and turn people from the wrong way to the right way. Now, during the church age, is the time of night; so we need the shining of the stars. All the leading ones in the local churches should never claim their position: they should never say, "I am one of the elders; you must recognize me." If they say this, they are in darkness. We need the brothers and sisters who shine; we need the shining stars. It is by the shining in today’s darkness that people receive the guidance and are turned from the wrong way to the right way. Anything that is wrong is unrighteousness; anything that is right is righteousness. Those who turn many to righteousness are the stars which shine forever and ever.
In the beginning of the New Testament there was only one star in the heavens, but in the end of the New Testament there are seven stars in seven local churches. In every local church there is a star; in every local church there is something shining, leading people to the right way. About forty years ago, I was turned from the wrong way to the right way by this star in the local church. So many dear ones today can also testify to this fact; they can say, "Hallelujah, I have seen the star in the local church. It was the star in the church that turned me to the right way." Today we are not in the age of Matthew 1 and 2, but in the age of the Book of Revelation, in the local churches. Today the star is in the local churches. The Bible ends with this word: "And I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the Bride say, come" (Rev. 22:16-17). Today the star is with the Spirit and with the Bride. Where the Spirit is, there is the star; where the Bride, the church, is, there is the star.
(Finding Christ by the Living Star, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)