Using a very nice astronomy software package that I have called 'Sky Tools 3', what you saw in the SouthEast on the morning of Feb 21st was most likely Venus. It rose shortly before 4:30 in the SouthEast from your Southern California location, and is extremely bright -4.1 magnitude. Given the likelihood of turbulent air over the mountains, it was undoubtedly a spectacular sight. See image below (if John can hopefully post it). Don't feel embarrassed by mistaking this planet for something else, it's often done, especially when it is at its brightest.
I've been an avid reader of the Doves over the past 2 years, and am also an amateur astronomy buff. Each time I read about a new 'sign in the heavens', I try to check it out if possible with my telescope and observing tools. I don't doubt that the good Lord will continue to give us more and more signs as the time continues to tick away until His soon return, but I'm fairly certain (read Kevin Heckle's excellent post today) that there's no giant planet 4X the size of Jupiter masquerading as a comet (i.e. C/2010 X Elenin, which is at Magnitude 15.2 right now), or hiding in plain sight at RA 5h 53m, -6 10' in Orion, that will be in the inner solar system within the next year, as it would by now be orders of magnitude brighter that what you saw the other night. If that was the case, then there'd be millions of witnesses in either the Northern or Southern hemisphere to an object that would rival the Moon in brightness.
Keep looking up for signs of His imminent return, but also remember that we're in the age of deception, and fear nothing but the Lord.
Peace in Christ
-Rick in Colorado
