The bright morning star mentioned in Revelation 22:16 refers to Jesus Christ. In this verse, Jesus proclaims, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” By calling Himself the bright morning star, Jesus is equating Himself with Venus, the bright planet that appears in the sky just before sunrise. This imagery draws a connection between Christ and the dawning of a new day.
The morning star was a well-known ancient symbol for messianic hope. In the Old Testament, the prophets used morning star imagery to speak of the coming Messiah who would bring light and salvation to the world (Isaiah 14:12; 2 Peter 1:19). Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies – the long-awaited Messiah who brings the dawn of eternal life.
The morning star is also symbolic of Jesus’ radiance, glory, and sovereignty. As the morning star heralds the arrival of a new day, Jesus’ coming heralded the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth. And His second coming will mark the full realization of that kingdom. The morning star represents the light and hope that Jesus brings to the world darkened by sin.
Some key points about Jesus as the morning star:
- He is the root of David – Jesus is the Messiah, descended from the line of David.
- He is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the coming “morning star.”
- The morning star symbolizes His radiance, glory, and sovereignty as the divine King.
- It represents the dawn of a new era inaugurated by Jesus – the kingdom of God on earth.
- Jesus brings the light of salvation and hope to a dark world lost in sin.
Old Testament background
The concept of the morning star as a messianic symbol has its background in several Old Testament passages that help illuminate Jesus’ meaning in Revelation 22:16.
Isaiah 14:12-15
This passage uses morning star imagery in reference to the king of Babylon, who is condemned for his pride and arrogance. There are several connections between the language used here and Jesus’ statement in Revelation 22:
- The Hebrew word translated “morning star” here is heilel, which literally means “shining one.” It refers to the planet Venus, the bright morning star.
- In the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), heilel is translated as “ho eosforos” – “the morning star” or “the bringer of dawn.” This is the same term used for Jesus in 2 Peter 1:19.
- The king of Babylon exalted himself above God, but Jesus is the true bright morning star who is exalted by God.
So this passage establishes the morning star as a royal title and links it to the concept of a royal/messianic figure who brings light and dawn. Jesus is the true fulfillment of this symbolism.
Numbers 24:17
In this prophecy about Israel’s future king, the text states: “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” This verse connects the Messiah to the imagery of a star coming out of Jacob. While not explicitly a morning star prophecy, it links the concepts of an end-times king with the symbol of a star, which Jesus draws on in Revelation 22:16.
2 Peter 1:19
Peter uses the same term for morning star found in the Septuagint’s translation of Isaiah 14:12. He encourages believers to pay attention to the message of the prophets “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” The morning star here refers to the coming of Christ. Peter is connecting Jesus’ second coming to the dawn of the new messianic age prophesied in the Old Testament.
So the Old Testament background shows that the morning star is a rich messianic image that Jesus draws on to communicate His royal splendor, divine nature, and role in inaugurating the kingdom of God.
New Testament references
Aside from Revelation 22:16, there are a few other New Testament passages that shed light on Jesus as the morning star:
2 Peter 1:19
As mentioned above, Peter uses the Septuagint term for “morning star” in reference to the coming of Jesus: “We have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Peter links Jesus’ coming to the dawn of a new day. The morning star (Christ) rises in believers’ hearts as His coming draws near.
Revelation 2:26-28
In His letter to the church at Thyatira, Jesus promises: “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…I will also give that one the morning star.” Here, Jesus offers the morning star, meaning Himself, as a reward to those who remain faithful to Him.
Revelation 22:16
This is the key passage where Jesus directly claims the title “morning star” for Himself. He identifies Himself as the root and offspring of David, making a clear messianic connection. And He boldly declares, “I am the bright morning star.”
This statement comes on the heels of Jesus’ promise to return soon (Revelation 22:7, 12). The morning star imagery points to Jesus coming to establish His kingdom as the new day dawns.
So in these passages, we see the morning star presented as a symbol of Jesus in His glory, a promise to believers, and a representation of the coming dawn of God’s kingdom.
Thematic associations
There are some important symbolic themes and attributes connected to Jesus as the morning star:
Light
As the morning star heralds sunrise, Jesus brings the light of truth, righteousness, and salvation into the world. John 1 presents Jesus as the divine light coming into the dark world. And Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). The morning star imagery captures Christ as the Light that scatters the darkness.
Glory
The brilliant planet Venus gleams brightly in the sky, representing the majesty and glory of Christ. Jesus possesses the same divine glory as the Father (John 17:5). His glory will be on full display when He comes again as the radiant morning star.
Royalty
Ancient kings were sometimes associated with the morning star as a symbol of their royal splendor. Jesus is the King of Kings whose return will consummate His kingdom. The morning star points to Christ’s sovereignty as the majestic King of creation.
New beginning
Morning stars herald a new day. For those living in darkness, a new dawn brings hope. Jesus’ coming inaugurates a new era of righteousness, justice, and peace on earth. The morning star represents the arrival of a new creation and Kingdom.
These symbolic themes help expand the meaning of Jesus as the morning star. He illuminates our lives and world with divine light, glory, and majesty, ushering in the new Kingdom age.
Interpretations and significance
There are some key insights to highlight regarding the significance of Jesus as the morning star:
- It affirms Jesus’ divine identity. By claiming this title, Jesus signals His divine nature and Messianic identity.
- It points to His incarnation. As the morning star indicates the coming dawn, Jesus’ first advent signaled the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth.
- It represents His coming in glory. Jesus will return as the radiant morning star, in power and great glory.
- It provides hope for believers. Christ’s coming brings promise of redemption, transformation, and resurrection life for believers.
- It means the definitive establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. The morning star represents the final consummation of God’s reign.
In summary, Jesus as the morning star affirms His deity and messianic identity. His first coming announced a new Kingdom age, though not yet complete. When He returns as the bright morning star, Christ’s glory will be fully revealed, and the darkness will be conclusively scattered. This provides hope for believers as we look forward to His coming Kingdom.
Just as morning stars herald the dawn, Jesus’ second coming will signal the definitive arrival of God’s Kingdom:
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” (Revelation 21:23-24)
The morning star represents the light, hope, and promise that Jesus brings to all who put their faith in Him.