The Bright and Morning Star
What this prophetic name for Jesus reveals to us about our divisive times
Reflecting on the darkness of the last days, Jesus tells us that the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). That’s exactly what we’re seeing today. In this current moment, the vast political divides, economic divides, racial divides, and even spiritual divides seem impossible to overcome.
So how do we protect our hearts from growing cold and dark, like the times we are living in?
One of Jesus’s names—the “Morning Star”—gives us the answer. Every name of Jesus reveals something unique about His character, and knowing Jesus intimately is the key to guarding our hearts.
Here’s the passage in the Bible where Jesus introduces Himself as the Morning Star:
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”—Revelation 22:16
So, why exactly is Jesus called our “Bright and Morning Star”? The meaning is far richer than you might imagine. Here are three reasons…
1. Jesus is Our God
The light astronomers commonly identify as the “Morning Star” is not actually a star. It’s the planet Venus. Ancient astronomers knew this, but they called it a “star” because it shines with such brightness, just as Jesus notes in Revelation 22:16.
In the ancient world, stars were associated with divinity because of their luminosity, because of their position in the heavens, and because they moved across the sky. The people of Israel were unique among their neighbors in that they understood the stars were helpful for designating times and seasons (Genesis 1:14), but were not to be worshipped. Yahweh alone was worthy of worship—not His creation.
But this didn’t stop Jewish prophets from borrowing the vocabulary of their pagan neighbors to communicate God’s truth. In this case, Jesus’s claim to be the Morning Star is nothing less than a claim to Deity. He’s more luminous than any star. He holds the highest position in the heavens. And when He comes back, He’ll move across the sky to rapture His church.
The ancient world placed its faith in the stars, but we place ours in the One who made the stars. Only He has the power to protect our hearts from growing cold.
2. Jesus is Our Hope
In the solar system, the orbit of Venus is located inside the orbit of Earth. For this reason, Venus doesn’t even appear in our skies until a few hours before sunrise. This is why the ancient Greeks referred to Venus as Phosphorus, which means “bringer of light.”
When the Apostle Peter refers to Jesus as our Morning Star, he has this same idea in mind:
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.—2 Peter 1:16-19
Peter’s experience with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration confirmed the prophetic word about “the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” For now, we hold on to this promise like a “light that shines in a dark place.”
But one day—I believe very soon!—the light of promise will be replaced by the Morning Star of fulfillment. Jesus is our “bringer of light.” As the One whose arrival announces the light and warmth of a new day, only He has the power to protect our hearts from growing cold.
3. Jesus is Our King
While the ancients obviously attached significance to Venus as the “bringer of light,” John would have been thinking mostly of the Old Testament background for Christ as our “Morning Star.” Ironically, one of the oldest and most complete prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament came from the pagan Balaam.
Here’s part of Balam’s prophecy:
“I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.
And Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does valiantly.
Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”—Numbers 24:17-19
Theologians universally recognize that Christ’s title as Morning Star developed in part from this prophecy, which mentions a Star that “shall come out of Jacob.” (As Matthew 1:1-17 details, Jesus was born from the lineage of Jacob.)
One thing I want you to understand about the Morning Star is not only that it brought hope into darkness. I also want you to see HOW that hope arrived. It was by conquering Israel’s enemies and taking dominion with His ruling “scepter.”
The same idea is clear in Revelation 22:16, where Jesus calls Himself “the Root and Offspring of [King] David” in the same context as identifying Himself as the Morning Star. The ideas are related because the Morning Star symbolizes the dominion of the Messiah.
As our Morning Star, Jesus is King over our political, economic, racial and spiritual division. People place their hope in earthly kings, but we place ours in the One who rules the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5).
Only Jesus has the power to conquer the darkness. Only Jesus has the power to protect our hearts.
How wonderful that He has brought light into our darkened hearts and that soon we shall see Him face to face!!!
If I may, I'd like to God's Word which blessed me,
Whose program are you yielded to, the Lord's or your own?
For a moment, transport yourself to Jerusalem about two thousand years ago, you and your friends are about to enter the temple for an "ordinary" temple service - But God...!
"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord," Acts 3:1-19
Brethren, let's submit ourselves wholeheartedly with humility, the fear of God, a servants heart, obedience and love as dearly beloved children to our Father, the One of Whom it is said, "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. "
"And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith **would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."** 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, **‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done."** Luke 17:7-10
"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power **will be of God and not from ourselves;** we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
"May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:5
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Matthew 11:15 (Rev 2:7, 11; 3:6,13; 13:9).
Let this be our heart attitude, our character.
God Bless you. (Numbers 6:24).