Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Mornign Star in the Biblical world

Isaiah
Morning star, Son of the Dawn:

12 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!
13 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.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
   I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
   to the depths of the pit.
Isaiah 14:12-15 NISV

Lucifer is latin translation of the Greek name of the Morning Star, Phosphoros, the carrier of light.
King James Version uses the name Lucifer in translating  hêylêl ben shahar 
- יך נפלת משׁמים הילל בן־שׁחר נגדעת לארץ חולשׁ על־גוים

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!
Isaiah 14:12 KJV


Job
Job curses the day of his birth:

May its morning stars become dark;
   may it wait for daylight in vain
   and not see the first rays of dawn,
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
   to hide trouble from my eyes.
Job 3:9-10

Prophecy of Bileam
Moabite Bileam gives a powerful prophecy that was so influential and tragic later on to the Jewish people:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
   the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
   who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
   who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
 17 “I see him, but not now;
   I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
   a scepter will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
   the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
18 Edom will be conquered;
   Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,
   but Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob
   and destroy the survivors of the city.”
 Numeri 24:15-19

Although Morning star is not mentioned here it is the common identification of the star rising out of Jacob.

Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph endorsed the revolt against emperor Hadrian by calling its leader Bar Kokhba, Aramaic for Son of the Star, in reference to Bileam's fourth message.  The bloody revolt 132-136 AD led to the utter destruction of Judea and to the dispersing of Jews from there to the world, a diaspora that lasted for two thousand years.


Second Letter by Peter
Has a rather inner vision of the rising of the Morning Star

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter 1:19 NISV


Revelations 
In the Book of Revelations there is a combination of the Iron Scepter of the Messianic Psalm 2:9 and the Morning Star in Bileam's prophecy and the scepter and star are given by Jesus to the victorious:

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star.
Rev 2:26-29 NISV 


Jesus the bright Morning Star
“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.” 
 Rev 22:16 NISV  

This verse inspired the hymn Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern translated as O Morning Star, How Fair And Bright that was written and composed in 1599 by German Lutheran pastor Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608). It is rare among Protestant hymns as it mentions the Morning Star. It is considered by many the Queen of the German Hymn book.

1. O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
Thou beamest forth in truth and light,
O Sovereign meek and lowly!
Thou Root of Jesse, David’s Son,
My Lord and Master, Thou hast won
My heart to serve Thee solely!
Thou art holy,
Fair and glorious, all victorious, rich in blessing
Rule and might over all possessing.

2. Thou heavenly Brightness! Light divine!
O deep within my heart now shine,
And make Thee there an altar!
Fill me with joy and strength to be
Thy member, ever, joined to Thee
In love that cannot falter;
Toward Thee longing
Doth possess me; turn and bless me; here in sadness
Eye and heart long for Thy gladness!
Philipp Nicolai 1599

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