The Morning Star

Q

Would you please help me to understand who the Bright Morning Star is? I thought it was a reference to Jesus, but others I’ve talked to believe it’s a reference to Satan.

A

In Rev. 22:16 Jesus called Himself “the bright morning star” so that should have put an end to the discussion. The idea that morning star refers to Satan comes from some English translations of Isaiah 14:12,which say, “How you have fallen from heaven O morning star, son of the dawn.” The King James version uses the Latin word Lucifer (which means “light bearer”) instead of morning star, but even that is not an exact translation.

Isaiah 14:12-20 is clearly about Satan, so verse 12 would be better translated as “Shining one, son of the dawn”. The Hebrew word for “shining one” comes from a root that means to boast or be boastful. When you read the next two verses , you can see that Satan made five incredible boasts about what He intended to do.

You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

In this context you can see how well the title “shining one” applies. That was quite a boast.

Later, in 2 Cor. 11:14, Paul accused Satan of masquerading as an angel of light. This confirms that both Lucifer and shining one are appropriate titles for him. But in the Lord’s own words, He alone is the Bright Morning Star.