The Bright Morning Star – Steve Orr

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“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16)

For me, the Bright Morning Star is a fantastic metaphor for the coming of a new day. Who brings this new day to our hearts? Jesus. When Jesus says He is the Bright Morning Star, he says…

I am your new day! With me, you get a new start. Yes, it’s the dawning of a new day of creation, for morning has broken like the first morning. Behold, I make all things new! I am your daily shining light who overwhelms all the darkness of your past. Prepare your hearts, for my Kingdom has come to you on this bright new day!

You will have many troubles in this world, but be of good courage, for I have overcome the world. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Together with our Father and the Holy Spirit, I have pitched my tent in your heart. I am closer to you than a heartbeat.

How do I come to this interpretation? Peter provides his personal, prophetic testimony for our understanding:

For when [Jesus] received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “he is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts… (2 Peter 1:17-19)

From this, we see that the morning star is a fantastic metaphor for the coming of a new day. Who brings this new day to our hearts? Jesus.

This New Testament revelation sheds light on other passages that refer to the bright morning star, an obvious reference to the planet Venus, named after a pagan sex goddess.

Curiously, Venus is also used in the Old Testament as a symbol of Satan and Lucifer, the King of Babylon.

This may be disturbing for the metaphorically challenged and those obsessed with pagan symbols. The literal implication is that Jesus himself says he IS the planet Venus. This is a prime example of how absurd it is to read the figurative language of the Bible literally.

Although the Old Testament prohibits astrology, it dwells on the same constellations and planets as the ancient pagan astrologers (ref: Amos 5:8; Judges 5:20; Job 9; 26; and 38).

Even my namesake Stephanos condemned the Jews for their pagan astrology in his last great speech, saying, “You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship” (Acts 7:43).

Despite the Old Testament prohibitions, the book of Revelation points to astrological signs of war in heaven between the woman and the dragon (see Revelation 12:1-5).

This passage is critically important for the Apostle Paul. His theology hangs on it when he points directly to this astronomical sign, saying it was used to inform the Gentiles that God exists and has shown himself to them, so they have no excuse for rejecting him (see Romans 1:18-19).

The significance of this is huge.

Jesus and the apostles are teaching “Christianity without the Religion!”

The star of the old fallen world has been replaced and co-opted to become the star of Jesus in the new world. Jesus has replaced the religion of the false tree in the Garden of Eden with the Tree of Life, as depicted in the last chapter of Scripture.

After a long absence, the Bright Morning Star has returned this spring.

Here’s a nice way to start your day. With a cup of coffee in hand, take your place in a chair outside in the cool dawn air. Then look to the East at the Bright Morning Star and rest in Jesus, who is your new day.

Steve Orr writes to us from Montana. After working in the mecca of technology, Steve traded the rat race of Silicon Valley for the adventures of High Tech in Big Sky Country. Steve has an MBA with experience in accounting, finance, technology, and management. He occasionally writes a little software code, but mostly he likes writing about Matters of the Heart.