Since the sun represents the Lord, the early morning and sunrise represent a state of enlightenment with a new and clear understanding coming after a time of darkness. There are many ways this representation appears in modern life. For one, it’s long been tradition to orient churches with the sanctuary in the east, toward the rising sun. People grappling with a problem often decide to “sleep on it,” anticipating that answers will be more clear in the morning. And we actually use “dawn” as a verb for sudden enlightenment: “As he stared out the window, it dawned on him that the answer had been in his hands all along.”

Down" is used many different ways, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down," "lying down" and "falling down" are defined primarily by "bowing," "lying" and "falling"; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from heaven and someone handling an object, to offer a few examples. In a very general sense, though, "down" indicates a lowering from more internal spiritual states to more external ones. That's why the journey is described as going "down" to Egypt from Canaan, and people from all quarters go "up" to Jerusalem. It's also why the Lord comes "down" to us, which generally indicates a state of judgment.