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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2026 8:42 am
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the
root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
What does this mean?
The morning star (in Greek “ἀστὴρ λαμπρὸς ὁ πρωϊνός” — the bright pre-dawn star) is
first of all a symbol of the planet Venus itself. It shines brightly in the morning sky just
before sunrise, when all the other stars have already gone out. It is a herald of the new
day, a harbinger of the dawn, hope after a long night.
Jesus calls Himself this in order to say:
• I am the One who comes after the darkness. As Venus proclaims the end of night and
the beginning of day, so My coming (the Second Coming) proclaims the end of the
present world with its sufferings, sin, and darkness, and the beginning of eternal
light, joy, and the Kingdom of God.
• I am the bright and true Light. He emphasizes the word “bright” (radiant, shining)
in order to distinguish Himself from any other “morning star.” In the Old Testament,
the fallen angel (Satan) was once also called “Lucifer, son of the morning”
(Isa. 14:12) — but he was only a reflected light that went out. Jesus, however,
is Himself the source of light, the brightest and the most inimitable.
• I am the King of the line of David. “The root and the offspring of David” recalls that
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the lawful King of Israel and of the whole world.
He unites in Himself both humility (the root, the beginning) and glory (the star).
Another important passage in the same book
In Revelation 2:28, Jesus promises the faithful Christians in the church of Thyatira:
“And I will give him the morning star.”
Here this is a promise — to receive Christ Himself, His glory, light, and victory. He who
is faithful to the end will receive a share in His kingly power and eternal light.
root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
What does this mean?
The morning star (in Greek “ἀστὴρ λαμπρὸς ὁ πρωϊνός” — the bright pre-dawn star) is
first of all a symbol of the planet Venus itself. It shines brightly in the morning sky just
before sunrise, when all the other stars have already gone out. It is a herald of the new
day, a harbinger of the dawn, hope after a long night.
Jesus calls Himself this in order to say:
• I am the One who comes after the darkness. As Venus proclaims the end of night and
the beginning of day, so My coming (the Second Coming) proclaims the end of the
present world with its sufferings, sin, and darkness, and the beginning of eternal
light, joy, and the Kingdom of God.
• I am the bright and true Light. He emphasizes the word “bright” (radiant, shining)
in order to distinguish Himself from any other “morning star.” In the Old Testament,
the fallen angel (Satan) was once also called “Lucifer, son of the morning”
(Isa. 14:12) — but he was only a reflected light that went out. Jesus, however,
is Himself the source of light, the brightest and the most inimitable.
• I am the King of the line of David. “The root and the offspring of David” recalls that
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the lawful King of Israel and of the whole world.
He unites in Himself both humility (the root, the beginning) and glory (the star).
Another important passage in the same book
In Revelation 2:28, Jesus promises the faithful Christians in the church of Thyatira:
“And I will give him the morning star.”
Here this is a promise — to receive Christ Himself, His glory, light, and victory. He who
is faithful to the end will receive a share in His kingly power and eternal light.