Who Is This Morning Star?

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works 

unto the end, to  him will I give power over 

the nations: and he shall rule them with a 

rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall 

they be broken to shivers: even as I received 

of My Father. And I will give him the morning star. 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 

Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 2:26-29

 

     This portion of chapter two can be a bit confusing if the context is not considered to bring light and understanding. In verses above this portion it is Jesus Christ who tells Christians to hold fast till He comes (vs. 25) and in we are told that He, Jesus Christ will cause no other burden (vs. 24b). Now in verse 26 it is the one who overcometh and keeps the works of God, as Jesus exemplified during His time on earth. Now the narrative switches to Him, Jesus Christ the context admits no other explanation of the one that would receive power (actually the Greek word means authority, so power is ok but does not convey the meaning as well). Who keeps the law of God now in their lives to the end? Can you? Well, possibly but not probably as sin still resides in each and every person until they have come into the presence of God in heaven. Yes, you are saved and your sins washed away but not by anything you can do or will do except to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, convert to Him and then with the power of the Holy Spirit you have all you need to overcome. But in reality, we do not always use the power of the Holy Spirit and make many choices and decisions that are not God's will. We are not perfect, and we cannot be perfect in of ourselves in this life. God sees you as white as snow when He sees you through Jesus Christ who is making intercession for you. So there is a double meaning here, you can have power over the nations but you cannot rule over them with an Iron fist. Your power is not the same as the power of God who can rule over the nations and break them into little pieces and this is what God gave to His Son Jesus Christ to be able to do due to His vicarious work on the cross. The world is like a pile of potter mud and the potter can if he so chooses to destroy his work at any level of his work. Only God can do this and only God can give to His Son who did the will of God. It was the Wisdom of God that was sent and it is this Wisdom that now being incarnate can be given the morning star. So who is this morning star and the Bright Morning star? A little research will provide the answer. 

     In Job 1:6; 2:1 the sons of God are mentioned as they are summoned to be before Jehovah and this included Satan. We know they are angels as they are appear before God. God then asks a question about creation and then: "When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4-6). It is clear the the morning stars are a group and they are also called sons of God. A point of interest: the term sons of God in the Old Testament is used in a plural manner and refers to angels. Men were not called sons of God until the New Testament when the Holy Spirit dwells in them: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:14,19). The Hebrew word boquer means dawn stars and it symbolizes the angels where together in unity as when Satan states: "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13).

This symbolic usage can be found in the New Testament saying the same thing: "the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in heaven will be shaken" (Mark: 13:25), and "And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind" (Revelation 613), and "His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth" (Revelation 12:4). 

     We now have some background to come to an understanding and the usage of morning star: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations" (Isaiah 14:12). The King James Bible uses the word that means morning star calling it Lucifer and this is incorrect and in this verse Satan is called star of the morning and to use a proper name is wrong. The name Lucifer is not drawn from the Bible even though it has become accepted. No where else in the Bible does the Hebrew noun heeyleel that means bright and shiny one, one who spreads light. The word son often describes possession of the quality or characteristic described. So then, son of the morning would present him as one who has light. It is interesting that the term "son of the dawn" for Satan is no longer applied to him after the fall of Adam and Eve. 

     Jesus is called THE "bright and morning star" this places Jesus above all other who are bright for it is Jesus who is the victor and we will have the victor, Jesus Christ. We who overcome will have Jesus as our reward. Only in Revelation 22:16 is the word "bright added to Morning Star distinguishing Jesus from any angel. When Jesus promises to give the "morning star" to His faithful ones, He promises that He will give to them Himself. 

     The prophetic word: "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 (2Peter 1:19). Jesus is our continual light that gives to you instruction until the real light comes: Jesus Christ. It is this light that will transform you and give to you immortality. 

     This should clear up any misunderstanding as to the words "morning light." THE morning light is Jesus, notice the word "THE" and the light that the Morning Light gives is life, life eternal. This section has a double entendre as it applies to you, and to Jesus Christ. What we must not lose here is the fact: you must be an overcomer, have an ear that hears what the Spirit says to the called out ones, the Church.

 

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,

     and unto them that turn from

transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

                        Isaiah 59:20

 

Study to show yourself an approved workman

 

Richard L. Crumb