“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.” (Revelation 22:16 KJV)
How about a brief little Bible study this morning? In Revelation 22:16 we see that:
1. The Speaker is Jesus
2. He is testifying of things in the churches
3. He is evidently interested in the church (and churches) He built
4. He is in the lineage of the great King David
and, … oh yes, ….
5. He is the Morning Star.
Morning Star! In our perfectly preserved inerrant Word of God, (KJV) we find the term “Morning Star” used only twice, here and in Revelation 2:28. Malachi 4:2 might be a good reference, since our sun is a star which rises every morning, and there can only be one and only one sun (Son) of righteousness, which is the LORD Jesus Christ “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Gotta love it!!
You wouldn’t ever want to apply the term “Morning Star” to anyone else but Jesus. I would never go into the pulpit and tell the congregation that I had adopted a new title, and would appreciate it if I would henceforth be referred to as “The Morning Star.” I could list adjective after adjective after adjective that would describe the stupidity, foolishness, and sinfulness of doing such a thing. I don’t know of a single Bible believing preacher who would even consider it, and am pretty sure that character doesn’t exist!
Which makes it strange (at the very least) that the New International Version elected to apply the term “Morning Star” to Satan. (Isaiah 14:12-15) “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”
The real Bible gives us Isaiah 14:12 straight “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” It’s Lucifer (this is the only time this name of Satan is found in the Holy Scriptures) who is presuming his “5 I wills” as seen in these verses, and it’s him who will be brought down to the realm of the dead (check Revelation 20:10). Yes, the editors of the NIV have done the unthinkable. They have applied the term of the LORD Jesus Christ, the Creator of this world, the Saviour of this world, the Righteous One, to the Devil, Lucifer! Why would anyone do such a thing? Why would the NIV editors do this? It is unimaginable to me, unless this crafty, wily, being (Lucifer) has masterfully executed 2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
I’m not personally all that worried about Lucifer because “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 KJV) Jesus is taking care of me! God can handle Satan and all of his machinations. But while this is true, we are also told in 1 Peter 5:8 to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” And Peter said this of himself (2 Peter 1:13) “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” If we don’t stay on our toes, Lucifer will bite them off! We’ve got the victory in Jesus, but we’ve still got to be on guard and watch our steps.
The Bible is our final authority, and in the strongest terms I warn others to put no confidence whatsoever in editors who would make such a blasphemous insertion into what they call a Bible, and I would have absolutely nothing to do with the work that they (Lucifer) has produced.
I hope you have enjoyed our brief little Bible study this morning on our wonderful LORD Jesus Christ, “The Morning Star”!
Love and Prayers to you all,
Pastor
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