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Who is the morning Star and the Bright Morning star?
Job 1:6; 2:1 mentions of sons of God as ancient. Job 1:6: “Now there was a day
when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also
came among them.” The Lord is in heaven and at a certain time He summons the
angels to be present and accounted for. How do we know they are angels? First,
Satan is required to appear before the Lord with them.
God asks Job “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me,
if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or
who stretched the line upon it. To what were its foundations fastened? Or who
laid its cornerstone, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-6)
This could not mean Adam who had no sons until after he sinned. This was when
the foundations of earth were being laid, before Adam was made on the 6th day.
The angels were together, united as sons of God before a division occurred
through the fall of a certain Cherub. So we see that the morning stars are a
group and they are also called sons of God.
The Hebrew word for sons of God is bene elohim. The term, sons of God in the Old
Testament is used in a plural manner and refers to angels. Men are not called
sons of God until the New Testament when the Holy Spirit resides in them. One
becomes a son of God – children in his spiritual family (Jn.1:12; 1 Jn.3:1,10,
5:10) by being born again, by His Spirit living within us. We are adopted
becoming part of a family of believers. Gal. 3:26-27: “For you are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Rom.8:14,19; Lk.20:36). The word `son ` in
this respect relates to possession, or that one thing belongs to another.
The word morning stars is found only once in the Old Testament and is plural in
Job 38:7. [KJV, NKJV, NASV all have the same words in Job.38.] The Hebrew word
here for morning is boquer or dawn stars – they are symbolized as when the
angels were together in unity. We see this symbology used when Satan states “I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” His goal; to become the authority
over all the “other“ angels in heaven, something reserved only for God.
What we have is both the symbolic usage of angels (morning stars) and what God
calls them, sons of God. In Job 1, 2:1 these angels include Satan. When the word
star is used symbolically, it is for angels (Job 38:7; Rev. 1:20; 9:1; 12:4.
with Num. 24:17 as an exception). We see this same type of symbolism in few
places in the New Testament saying the same thing; showing the stars of heaven
are symbolic of angels.
Mark 13:25: “the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in heaven will be
shaken.”
Rev. 6:13: “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.”
Rev. 12:4 “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the
earth” the amount of angels in the rebellion.
With this background we come to the usage of morning star. Isa 14:12:”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!”
KJV - How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER, SON OF THE MORNING
NASV - How you have fallen from heaven, O STAR OF THE MORNING, SON OF THE DAWN
NIV - How you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR, SON OF THE DAWN
In the Hebrew, the name Satan is used 19 times in the Old Testament, 36 times in
the New Testament. His actual original name in the Hebrew is Day Star (not
Lucifer), the word describes his original state as “the shining one”. Even
though his nature is changed from its original state, Satan can still transform
himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). His inner nature is changed, but
he is still able to look beautiful, so he is deceptive in character because this
is not who he really is.
The fall of Satan is described in Isaiah 14:12-14: is more accurately translated
How are you fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the morning! Verse 12
summarizes his fall. Isa. 14:12 The Septuagint renders it, [Heoosforos], and the
Vulgate, `Lucifer, the morning star’ (from Barnes’ Notes).
Lucifer is NOT the correct translation of the name. Though it is accepted today
this is not a name drawn from the Bible for Satan before his fall or after. “He
is called the Day star- Hebrew Ben Shaachar- Son of the morning- Isa. 14:12
Hebrew heeyleel which means the bright and shining one, one who spreads light.
This Hebrew noun is found nowhere else” (Barnes' Notes).
Lucifer is the Latin name given to the Devil derived from this passage - light
bearer. The King James Version unfortunately uses the Latin and translates the
name to “Lucifer” (Isa. 14:12). The scholars that translated the King James
Bible did not use the original Hebrew texts for all the Old Testament. In this
passage they were influenced by Jerome's Latin Vulgate Bible from the fourth
century. Jerome had mistranslated the Hebraic metaphor, “Day star, son of the
Dawn,” as “Lucifer.” The name 'Lucifer' (shining one) was associated to Satan
(before his fall) and is now the accepted terminology. But because of this
widespread usage of the name, it confuses people. In Roman astronomy, Lucifer
was the name given to the morning star (most identify as Venus). The morning
star appears in the heavens just before dawn, and is diminished by the rising
sun.
Isa. 14:12: “Son of the morning” is a Hebraism of a bright star, having light;
the offspring of morning. The word ‘son’ often describes possession of the
quality or characteristic described. It belongs to the morning; in other words
it has the nature of that thing or title it is attached to. So the Son of the
morning would present him as one who has light.
Satan still has glory (he is an angel of light) but he is a morning star, not
the bright Morning Star that he tries to counterfeit.
All the angels are called morning stars, collectively (Job 38:4-7), this is not
a unique title. Satan is classed among the other morning stars as a created
being, an angel. However, he being called the son of the morning separates him
from among the other stars. The other angels are called stars, morning stars
(symbolically), this title makes the point that he had a higher estate than the
others.
After the fall he is no longer called by this title. We have to understand that
this being, now called Satan (meaning accuser) was created without flaws,
perfect in his being until sin was manifested - which was pride). Satan is
spoken of in Ezek. 28:14: “You were the anointed cherub who covers; in Ezek
28:16 he is called the covering cherub. He was the anointed angel day star, the
son of the morning that was located “above God’s throne.”
Before his fall the light bearer bore the name of son of the morning, an
important star (symbolic) as light giver. Once a shining and beautiful star,
after he fell, his glory and position were taken away. Some Biblical scholars
believe Jesus took this title upon himself, being called the bright morning
star: just as he took the title of son of man later in his
incarnation and the last Adam (1 Cor.15:45). Many names unperfected by
man are applied to Jesus as He fulfilled the roles and offices of prophet,
priest and King perfectly.
Many make the mistake (some on purpose) that Lucifer is the “bright morning
star” that the New Testament speaks of. Jesus is then confused with Lucifer
because of this term being used.
There are three places the title morning star are seen in Scripture.
1) Rev. 2:28 “and I will give him the morning star.” In Revelation the Son of
God promises to give the MORNING STAR to him that overcometh. . . this has
nothing to do with the fallen angels known or Satan. Since one is overcoming the
world and its temptations that come from Satan to receive the morning star.
Morning star- proinos Aster. this is where going into the Greek will help
clarify it.
“Rev 2:28 The morning star ton (NT:3543) astera (NT:785) ton (NT:3543) proonion
(NT:4355). “The star the morning one.” In Rev 22:16 Christ is the bright morning
star. The victor will have Christ himself” (from Robertson's Word Pictures in
the New Testament)
2) Rev 22:16: `Jesus is called THE “bright morning star”: Bright morning star-
lampros-1) shining a) brilliant proinos- pertaining to the morning. Gr.aster-a
star.
This means we will have Christ Himself [as our reward], like God promised
Abraham I am you exceeding great reward. This connects with Rev. 22:16: “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.” Jesus is
saying he alone is this, “I am the bright Morning Star.” Only here is the word
bright is added to Morning Star, distinguishing Jesus from any angel.
Bright – Gr. lampros-1) shining a) brilliant; figuratively, magnificent or
sumptuous (in appearance):
Easton's Bible Dictionary states: a name figuratively given to Christ (Rev.
22:16; comp. 2 Pet. 1:19). When Christ promises that he will give the “morning
star” to his faithful ones, he “promises that he will give to them himself, that
he will give to them himself, that he will impart to them his own glory and a
share in his own royal dominion; for the star is evermore the symbol of royalty
(Matt. 2:2), being therefore linked with the sceptre (Num. 24:17). All the glory
of the world shall end in being the glory of the Church.” Trench's Comm.
3) 2 Peter 1:19: “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; (NKJ)
The confusion comes from a mistranslation of 2 Peter 1:19, previously
misidentified the Morning Star [Satan] will assume the ascendancy in hearts of
believers:
KJV . . . until the day dawns, and the DAY STAR arises in your hearts
NASV . . . until the day dawns and the MORNING STAR arises in your hearts
NIV . . . until the day dawns and the MORNING STAR rises in your hearts.
In 2 Peter 1:19 the word in Greek- phosphoros, literally is, “light-bringer,”
from light-bearing, to give light, It is only translated in the KJV this way,
This is the only place the name day star is used. It is not the same word used
elsewhere.
2 Peter 1:19: “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”
This is referring to Scripture as our continual light, a light in darkness that
gives us instruction until the real light comes, which is Jesus. This later
portion could be describing the transformation of believers to immortality. As
A.T. Robertson points out “usual construction for future time. A late compound
verb diaugazoo (NT:1293) (Polybius, Plutarch, papyri) from dia (NT:1211) and
augee (NT:820), to shine through, here only in the New Testament.
The morning star is a far more accurate translation than day star. What
distinguishes Jesus from the morning star is the definite article “ha”, THE. In
the same way an angel of the Lord and THE Angel of the Lord distinguishes the
special messenger from an ordinary angel as the pre-incarnate Christ.
Malachi 4:2: “But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise”
This concept of "dawn" is applied to the Messiah.
'Shachar' = 'dawn' as in coming out of the dark (God separates light from dark
in creation in Genesis and in new creation in John); Shachar Ha Ira chasecha
l'shir' - “morning by morning new mercies I see'.
The syntax is a distinguishing feature. When it is Christ it always a reference
to Him by title; when a reference to another the term is used in substitution of
a personal name.
son of the morning- head of the angels, associated with Day star before he fell.
THE morning star- Jesus (singular)
THE Bright morning star
Son of the morning (is exclusively the devils title before he fell) is not the
same as the bright morning star (used only for Jesus), which makes the titles
difference between Jesus and Satan.
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