Righteous: The Sun
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The term "Righteous: The Sun" is a metaphorical expression found in the Bible, symbolizing the purity, justice, and divine illumination associated with righteousness. This imagery is deeply rooted in the biblical tradition, where the sun often represents God's glory, truth, and the dispelling of darkness.

Biblical References:

1. Malachi 4:2 : "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." This verse from the prophet Malachi is one of the most direct references to the "sun of righteousness." It promises healing and liberation for those who revere God's name, suggesting that righteousness brings restoration and joy.

2. Psalm 84:11 : "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity." Here, the psalmist likens the Lord to a sun, emphasizing His role as a source of light and protection. The association of God with the sun underscores His righteousness and the blessings He bestows on the faithful.

3. Isaiah 60:19-20 : "No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease." In this prophetic vision, Isaiah speaks of a future where God's presence replaces the sun and moon, highlighting the eternal and unchanging nature of divine righteousness.

Theological Significance:

The imagery of the sun as a symbol of righteousness is significant in biblical theology. It conveys the idea that righteousness is not only a moral quality but also a divine attribute that brings life, growth, and healing. Just as the sun is essential for physical life on earth, righteousness is essential for spiritual life and well-being.

In the New Testament, the concept of righteousness is further developed through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is seen as the ultimate embodiment of righteousness, bringing light to a world darkened by sin. The metaphor of the sun rising with healing in its wings is often interpreted as a foreshadowing of Christ's redemptive work, offering salvation and restoration to humanity.

Practical Implications:

For believers, the metaphor of "Righteous: The Sun" serves as a reminder of the transformative power of living a righteous life. It encourages Christians to seek God's righteousness, which brings clarity, direction, and healing to their lives. The sun's consistent and unwavering presence in the sky is a call to steadfastness in faith and integrity.

Furthermore, this imagery challenges believers to reflect the light of God's righteousness in their own lives, becoming beacons of hope and truth in a world that often dwells in darkness. As the sun illuminates and warms the earth, so too are Christians called to illuminate their surroundings with the love and righteousness of God.
Nave's Topical Index
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.
Nave's Topical Index

Matthew 13:43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Shining of the Righteous. Its Interpretation.
... But as we said above in reference to the words, "Then shall the righteous shine
as the sun," that the righteous will shine not differently as formerly, but as ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/3 the shining of the.htm

That the Righteous Shall ever Abide with Christ Our Lord we have ...
... the righteous, it will now not be difficult to believe those also which the Prophets
have foretold, namely, that "the righteous shall shine as the sun and as ...
/.../46 that the righteous shall.htm

How no one is Righteous or Can Truly be Said to Live in Comparison ...
... How No One is Righteous or Can Truly Be Said to Live in Comparison with God ... from
another quarter and say that no candle can give light before the sun, not that ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/11 how no one is.htm

The Death of the Righteous
... 7. Death and the last day 1. The Death Of The Righteous. ... shall behold the glorified
body of Jesus Christ; and if it be pleasant to behold the sun, how blessed a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the death of the.htm

From Dawn to Noon
... Proverbs 4:18. 'Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom
of their father."Matthew 13:43. The metaphor common ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/from dawn to noon.htm

Against Plato, on the Cause of the Universe.
... But now we must speak of Hades, in which the souls both of the righteous and the ...
earth, in which the light of the world does not shine; and as the sun does not ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/against plato on the cause.htm

Moreover, it is a Righteous Thing to Give to the Needy of Thy ...
... Moreover, it is a righteous thing to give (to the needy) of thy bread, and of ... Truly,
when a man considers with himself that the sun is good, and that this life ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter xi moreover it is.htm

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Behold, the Days Come, Saith ...
... Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous
Branch, and a King shall reign, and ... Bright Sun, oh dart Thy flame to earth,. ...
/.../lyra germanica the christian year/twenty-fifth sunday after trinity behold.htm

The Reward of the Righteous
... alone teaches him to say, "Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous;" "there
is ... this cold flesh resume its native warmth, or those eyes again see the sun? ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 99 the reward of.htm

Again on the Lord's Prayer, Matt. vi. To the Competentes.
... rose not upon us." [2062] That Sun riseth upon the righteous only; but this sun
which we see, God "maketh," daily "to rise upon the good and evil." [2063] The ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon viii again on the.htm

Resources
What does it mean to be overrighteous and overwise (Ecclesiastes 7:16)? | GotQuestions.org

What is justification? What does it mean to be justified? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Abraham bargain with God in regard to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18)? | GotQuestions.org

Righteous: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Righteous

Righteous: Access of, to God

Righteous: Babies

Righteous: Branches of a Vine

Righteous: Calves of the Stall

Righteous: Cedars in Lebanon

Righteous: Corn (Grain)

Righteous: Described

Righteous: Dew and Showers

Righteous: Doves

Righteous: Eagles

Righteous: Few

Righteous: Fruitful Trees

Righteous: Gold

Righteous: Good Figs

Righteous: Good Fish

Righteous: Good Servants

Righteous: Green Olive Trees

Righteous: Jewels

Righteous: Lambs

Righteous: Lebanon

Righteous: Lights

Righteous: Lilies

Righteous: Lions

Righteous: Little Children

Righteous: Living Stones

Righteous: Members of the Body

Righteous: Mount Zion

Righteous: Obedient Children

Righteous: Palm Trees

Righteous: Pomegranates

Righteous: Promises To, Expressed or Implied

Righteous: Relation of, to God

Righteous: Righteous and Wicked, Circumstances of, Contrasted

Righteous: Runners in a Race

Righteous: Salt

Righteous: Sheep

Righteous: Soldiers

Righteous: Stars

Righteous: Stones of a Crown

Righteous: Strangers and Pilgrims

Righteous: The Sun

Righteous: Thirsting Deer

Righteous: Treasure

Righteous: Trees Planted Beside Rivers

Righteous: Unfailing Springs

Righteous: Unity of, With Christ

Righteous: Vessels of Gold and Silver

Righteous: Vines

Righteous: Watered Gardens

Righteous: Wheat

Righteous: Willows by the Water Courses

Righteous: Wrestlers

Select Readings: The Righteous and the Wicked in Contrast

Related Terms

Over-righteous (1 Occurrence)

Perversity (23 Occurrences)

Declaring (48 Occurrences)

Actions (62 Occurrences)

Commits (39 Occurrences)

Anger (387 Occurrences)

Merely (30 Occurrences)

Murdered (25 Occurrences)

Perishes (14 Occurrences)

Peradventure (35 Occurrences)

Abel (22 Occurrences)

Declared (261 Occurrences)

Perhaps (89 Occurrences)

Blameless (81 Occurrences)

Vindication (14 Occurrences)

Zadok (50 Occurrences)

Encompass (20 Occurrences)

Dare (19 Occurrences)

Pronounced (63 Occurrences)

Practices (80 Occurrences)

Prophet's (22 Occurrences)

Perisheth (15 Occurrences)

Practiseth (4 Occurrences)

Practises (9 Occurrences)

Pursues (15 Occurrences)

Bribe (27 Occurrences)

Condemning (6 Occurrences)

Abraham's (34 Occurrences)

Anyone (514 Occurrences)

Self-righteousness

Stedfastness (17 Occurrences)

Slew (206 Occurrences)

Sweep (34 Occurrences)

Consume (136 Occurrences)

Committeth (22 Occurrences)

Violence (98 Occurrences)

Slay (189 Occurrences)

Sinners (132 Occurrences)

Simply (27 Occurrences)

Perverse (55 Occurrences)

Exult (50 Occurrences)

Spare (80 Occurrences)

Paradise (6 Occurrences)

Plea (35 Occurrences)

Sight (522 Occurrences)

Sinner (88 Occurrences)

Condemn (43 Occurrences)

Spies (22 Occurrences)

Prosperity (66 Occurrences)

Alike (67 Occurrences)

Suppose (47 Occurrences)

Excellent (52 Occurrences)

Surround (39 Occurrences)

Killed (352 Occurrences)

Sure (142 Occurrences)

Branch (60 Occurrences)

Destroy (379 Occurrences)

Saving (37 Occurrences)

Concerned (45 Occurrences)

Shaken (62 Occurrences)

Condemned (49 Occurrences)

Believing (84 Occurrences)

Appointed (385 Occurrences)

Man's (347 Occurrences)

Begging (18 Occurrences)

Death (1610 Occurrences)

Disobedience (49 Occurrences)

Deal (170 Occurrences)

Vexed (37 Occurrences)

Zachariah (6 Occurrences)

Exist (24 Occurrences)

Effectual (8 Occurrences)

Existence (35 Occurrences)

Disturbance (7 Occurrences)

Dishonest (33 Occurrences)

Deceives (14 Occurrences)

Disobeys (4 Occurrences)

Delivers (38 Occurrences)

Righteous: Strangers and Pilgrims
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