Church of the Firstborn (Part II): The Early Risers

After a catastrophic fall from glory while in the Garden of Eden, we have been trying scratch and claw our way back to the stars ever since. Though we are made of the dust and will return there upon physical death (Gen. 3:19; Ps. 103:14–16), this “limitation” hasn’t prevented mankind from ascending to great heights and trying to attain godhood by any means necessary. The image of God in man may have been marred and disfigured at the Fall, but our inherent dignity and worth remains to this day and keeps us yearning and searching for paradise lost.

Tragically, in the age-old quest for eternal glory, some have tried to build their own stairway to heaven, only to miss the mark yet again (Gen. 11:4). Others, however, have waited patiently for God’s own ladder to come down and bridge the gap for them (Jn. 1:51; cf. Gen. 28:12, 16–17).

One faithful shepherd-king reflects on the opening chapters of Genesis, our special place in YHWH’s plan, and the enduring hope of heavenly glory:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [Heb. elohim] and crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3–5, ESV).

A young David, pleasantly tired after keeping his flock all day, glances up at the night sky and ponders the immense honor and authority the sons of Adam wield over the rest of this earthly realm. A child of the suburb can have the same experience today once he gets away from all the smog and light pollution, looks up, and asks himself, “Who am I, and what is my purpose?”

Years ago, I recall one such child of the suburb, a broken young man (yours truly), who was being drawn by the LORD as he looked up at the stars and wondered in his heart, “Is there a God, and does He care about me?”

Thankfully, the One who created the stars and gave them a place and a name (Isa. 40:26) also had me in mind when He sent His one and only Son into the world to die for the sins of all mankind. Little did I know then, not only was I individually chosen to be saved, but I was also baptized by the Holy Spirit into a collective group—the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12–13; Eph. 4:4). After further exploration and study, I discovered that the future is exceedingly bright for the members of Christ’s body, and now it is my desire that more of my brothers and sisters comprehend and appreciate our gracious escape from worldwide judgment and the glory to come.

My aim for the “Church of the Firstborn” series is to explain and defend an exclusive privilege granted to the Church, the body of Christ: We are a part of a select group among the redeemed of all ages who will be the first to rise up from the earth before the Day of the LORD and the start of Daniel’s 70th week (a.k.a. the future 7-year Tribulation period). See Part I (here).

The goal of this particular post will be to verify the intent and meaning of Revelation 2:28: The gift of the morning star to Christ’s ruling body, the Church. What is “the morning star”? And how should we interpret this verse within the context of chapters 2–3 and in light of the book as a whole?


A Place Among the Stars

Before we launch into Revelation 2:28, let’s ground ourselves in the first-century context. Instead of treating every astronomical reference in the Bible (e.g. Rev. 12:1-2!) with a post-Enlightenment, heliocentric lens, we need to take seriously the way that the original readers and hearers would have viewed and understood the words being communicated.

Another hurdle we must overcome is the over-allegorization of Scripture, or, in other words, always searching for an ethereal, esoteric, and elusive meaning when the plain sense is right under our noses. Oftentimes, our commentaries and church traditions bypass the literal/historical referent in favor of a more “spiritual” or “heavenly” interpretation. Even if a heavenly/spiritual meaning for the word “star” is explicitly revealed (cf. Rev. 1:20; 9:1–2; 22:16), we can still have a “both/and” in play because of texts like Hebrews 8:5; 9:23, which affirm the existence of earthly “copies of the heavenly things.” As always, context is crucial.

Though we are far removed from the first-century today, the salvo of end-time signs in the sky (i.e. “heaven,” Lk. 21:11, 25) that has aligned in this decade has resulted in the rediscovery of an ancient lost art. Interpreting YHWH’s astronomical messaging can be accomplished now with a Bible and a computer, and the corrupted use of the constellations has been reclaimed and proclaimed, not by the experts so much, but mainly from the unknowns and the amateurs:

For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.’ Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? (1 Cor. 1:19–20, HCSB).

Like the ancient magi who scoured the heavens nightly, kept meticulous records, and clearly understood that the arrival of the King of the Jews had come (see Gary’s post: God’s Calendar), here we are in these last of the last days looking at the same sky and confidently expecting the King’s return in our own generation.

Moreover, the world today is filled with reports of the King’s arrival much like it was in the era of the BC/AD turning point. It’s not merely believers who live under the specter of His return, the religious and non-religious alike are inundated with news about the coming of Christ as major media outlets consistently cite end-times prophecy (usually with a heaping scoop of sarcasm and scorn).

Sadly, not much has changed. The first-century world also had its fair-share of true and “fake news.” Yes, it was indeed the appointed time for Messiah’s arrival (Dan. 9:25; Gal. 4:4–5); however, the “secular media” also had to chime in and muddy the waters. For example, aside from the faithful and true biblical records, there were two notable Roman historians who anticipated the arrival of a king (or series of kings) that would come from Judea to rule the world:

(1) Tacitus, writing circa AD 105, acknowledges a “mysterious prophecy” that concerned the rise of “men from Judea” who would possess and rule the world (see Histories, 5:13)

(2) Suetonius, writing circa AD 119, adds that this oracle/prophecy was widespread throughout the empire, “There had spread over all the Orient an old and established belief, that it was fated at that time for men coming from Judea to rule the world” (The Lives of the Caesars, “Vespasian,” 4:5).

And, let’s not forget about the famous Jewish historian, Josephus, who apparently under pressure from his captor-benefactor conveniently appropriated biblical prophecy about Israel’s Messiah to exalt Rome rather than Home:

But now, what did most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in their sacred writings, how, ‘about that time, one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth.’ The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise men were thereby deceived...this oracle certainly denoted the government of Vespasian*, who was appointed emperor in Judea...these men [the Jews] interpreted some of these signals according to their own pleasure, and some of them they utterly despised, until their madness was demonstrated, both by the taking of their city and their own destruction (Jewish Wars, 6.312–15, emphasis mine).

*Vespasian rose to power as emperor of Rome just before Titus overthrew Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in AD 70.

So, you see, even the first-century mainstream news outlets had caught wind of messianic prophecy, but it was the low-key magi who correctly interpreted the signals in the sky (Matt. 2:1–2). The rise of a bright star from the East, we know to be Jesus (Num. 24:17); however, the rest of the world at that time revered the Roman emperors as gods and believed that these men returned to the heavens and took their place among the stars after they died. Hence, Vespasian is recorded to have said at his death:

Woe is me, I think I’m becoming a god! (Suetonius, “Vespasian,” in the Lives of the Caesars, 23:4).

In short, the first-century recipients of the book of Revelation—the seven churches located in the heart of the Roman empire—had at least a minimal understanding of the stars and their importance to world events. And this belief of going back to the stars at death had a name. It’s called a catasterism (noun), or in the Greek verbal form: katasterizo, which literally means, “to place among the stars” (source).

All things considered, including the corrupted view of the constellations and their Creator, the Greeks and Romans weren’t too far off when it came to looking up at the stars and longing for heavenly glory. I’ve already quoted David in Psalm 8, but also take a look at Daniel 8:10; 12:3; Matthew 22:30 (cf. Mark 12:25); 1 Cor. 15:40–41; Philippians 2:15; Jude 13 (negatively, “wandering stars”); and, of course, Revelation 1:20.

The literal expanse of lights above our heads is often used as an analogy, or illustration, for a “heavenly” or unseen reality, and in a very real sense, perfected believers in Christ will one day be radiant and glorious just like the shining stars in the sky. Elohim, angels, heavenly beings—these lofty descriptions are common in Scripture, but it can be difficult for many Christians to think of themselves as “angels” and, yes, elohim (emphasis on the little “e”).

Nevertheless, in regard to the book of Revelation, I believe the “angels” of the seven churches were actual human beings, perhaps, a bishop or an elder, who had been given the divine descriptor as an already-but-not-yet reality, much like the other dignified titles for believers throughout Scripture such as “saints/holy ones” and “sons of God” (cf. Rom. 8:14–17; Gal 3:26; 4:6; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1).

The genuine believers among the seven churches were facing serious pressure to compromise, and if you’ve been walking with the Lord for any length of time, you have also encountered some form of persecution. In the midst of heavy fire from the enemy, Jesus offers several incentives to those who have ears to hear and have their sights set on heaven.

And so, with a first-century frame of mind, let’s address the text in question...


The Morning Star in Scripture

After Christ offers the overcoming Church the authority to rule over the nations in Rev. 2:26–27, which is the same divine right and responsibility given to Jesus by His Father (cf. Ps. 2:7–9), the Son of God then adds:

And I will give him the morning star (Rev. 2:28, ESV).

The Greek phrase ton astera ton proinon, “the morning star,” doesn’t have an exact word-for-word parallel elsewhere in Scripture. However, there are key passages in the Bible that help us to gain a better understanding of the inner-biblical use of this term. Ton astera is the noun, “the star,” and ton proinon, commonly translated “morning,” is the modifying adjective.

Just to be thorough, here is a definition of the adjective proinos from the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (BDAG):

Pertaining to the early morning, early, belonging to the morning... (pg. 892).

Therefore, another nuanced definition of proinos is “early.” It is the “early/morning” star that is promised to the overcoming Church. The most logical cross-reference to 2:28 is Rev. 22:16, where Christ says in the same book that He is “the Bright Morning Star” (Grk. ho aster ho lampros ho proinos, and literally translated, “the star the bright the morning”). As you can see, there is the same modifying adjective: “early/morning” + the same noun: “star,” but there is also an added modifier: “bright.” Naturally, one would assume that this sets Jesus apart from the rest of the morning stars—He is the brightest of the bright!

There are three key passages that shine further light on the early/morning star: Job 38:4–7; Isaiah 14:12–13, and 2 Pet. 1:19.

(1) Job 38:4, 7:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth...when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (ESV).

The phrases in bold emphasize the parallelism in verse 7: The morning stars are the same as “the sons of God,” which is a reference to God’s heavenly creatures (also known as angels, or elohim). Verse 4 is included because it provides an important contextual detail: The morning stars sing as the LORD creates a new realm, our realm. This is Genesis 1:1 territory.

Verse 7 in the LXX (Greek version) reads a little differently, “When the stars came into being, all of my angels praised me with a great voice” (cited from The Lexham English Septuagint). Thus, the “stars” in the first clause are the inanimate heavenly bodies created on Day 4 (cf. Gen. 1:14–19), and the “angels” in the second clause, who have already been created, are the living, divine beings that the stars symbolize and represent.

(2) Isaiah 14:12–13:

Shining morning star*, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. You said to yourself: ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North (HCSB).

*Also translated, “Day Star, son of the dawn.” And just as an aside, the asterisk * comes from the Greek word asteriskos, meaning “little star!” 

Not content with his gracious standing as a guardian cherub in the council of YHWH, the once brilliant morning star fell from the highest heaven and will one day find himself in the deepest, darkest pit forever (cf. Ezek. 28:11–19; Lk. 10:18; Rev. 20:1–2, 10).

The LXX translation of verse 12 is intriguing and worthy of our attention, “How the dawn-bringer, who rises early, fell from the sky; the one who sends to all the nations was crushed into the earth” (LES). In the phrase, “[the one] who rises early,” we find the root word proi (early/morning) which forms the prefix to the adjective in Rev. 2:28, morning star. The term rises [Grk. anatello] is the same verb found in our next key passage, 2 Pet. 1:19, and is defined, “to move upward above the horizon, rise, spring up, dawn” (BDAG, pg. 73).

Finally, the term translated “dawn-bringer” in the LXX is the Greek word phosphorus, meaning “light-bringer/bearer” (hence, the Latin-Vulgate/KJV translation for Isa. 14:12, “Lucifer”). This is not the same Greek word found in Rev. 2:28 (astera), but the two terms are synonymous nonetheless.

Now think about the implications of this passage in Isaiah. Satan, our chief enemy, who once held the prestigious honor and title of “morning star,” has to be absolutely infuriated by Jesus’ words to the Church in Revelation 2:28. At the time of the resurrection/rapture of the Church, there will be a role-reversal as the body of Christ is lifted up and glorified while Satan and the rest of the fallen stars will be thrown down to earth (cf. Rev. 12:5, 7–9).

Afterwards, like the morning stars mentioned in Job 38, the newly-glorified Church will join the chorus of God’s heavenly creatures to sing a new song before the dawn of the kingdom and new creation on earth (cf. Rev. 4–5; 11:16–18; 19:1–8)!

(3) 2 Peter 1:19:

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts (NASB).

The term often translated “morning star” is phosphorus (cf. Isa. 14:12, LXX), and this is a word that is often associated with the planet Venus in Greco-Roman literature (found in Plato, Plutarch, Cicero, etc., BDAG, pg. 1073).

Some folks needlessly stumble over the fact that both Christ and Satan are referred to by the title “morning star,” and the Mormons certainly take the association too far. However, the confusion is easily cleared up once you read the whole counsel of God and conclude that Jesus is not a mere creation, but coequal with the Father in nature (e.g. Jn. 10:30; 17:5; Phil. 2:6). For a more in-depth discussion, please see Michael Heiser’s article, “The Morning Star.“

Thus, the contrast between the “morning stars,” Jesus and Satan, is stark—a night and day difference. One says in his heart, “I will exalt myself” (Satan), and the other says, “I will humble myself” (Jesus).

Heiser’s summation of the morning star reference in 2 Peter 1:19 highlights the imminent reappearing of Christ and the subsequent exaltation of believers:

Because all believers are in Christ and he is [in] them, they will be resurrected to rule and reign with him, and they will receive the new body promised through the guarantee of the Spirit. Peter’s ‘in your hearts’ idea is communicating something like ‘until this hope rises in you’—until you see the blessed hope dawning (brackets and emphasis mine, see the link above for the source).

Hmmm...that also sounds like another well-known Rapture verse—one that affirms the deity of Christ and the longing of those who watch and wait for him:

[We are] looking for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, NASB).

All in all, through these three passages, we have seen “the morning star” used in reference to divine beings (holy angels), Satan (now a fallen angel), and the reappearing of Christ (who is above all and distinguished as the Bright Morning Star – Rev. 22:16). Also, in the context of Isaiah 14:12 (LXX), we have the concept of one who rises early associated with the “dawn-bringer.”

In the final section we will take what we’ve learned and seek to determine the specific meaning of the morning star in Revelation 2:28.


Before the Day Breaks

Let’s approach this from a first-century perspective, shall we? Without telescope, satellite image, or access to astronomy software, just picture yourself standing on good ol’ terra firma in the fourth watch of the night, eagerly anticipating the dawning of a new day. As you sharpen your focus toward the eastern sky, what are you looking for even before the sun rises above the horizon?

Ah, yes, the dawn’s early light—the morning star.

And what might this morning star represent to the theologically-informed believer as it rises above the earth, going up, up, up into the sky?

Naturally, it would be the resurrection and glorification of the believer.

Not only does the nature of the morning star represent our glorification (this is obvious from the OT/NT references to luminous, divine beings), but the sheer act of the early light rising up from the earth into the sky also represents our resurrection.

In modern astronomical terms, the rise of the morning star is called a heliacal rising. It’s something that first-century believers would have been able to observe with the naked eye, and there is also evidence that the magi from Matthew 2 saw a similar rising of the Messiah’s star:

The statement of the Magi [in Matt. 2:9] is not a reference to a time of day, but rather is calendrical (cf. the phrase ‘the time of the star’s appearing’...in 2:7): ‘rising’ means the star’s heliacal rising, i.e. the first time in the year that it was visible rising ahead of the sun before dawn (Timothy Hegedus, “Attitudes to Astrology in Early Christianity,” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Toronto, 2000, pg. 175).

In a footnote on the same page, Hegedus notes that Numbers 24:17 is the only place in the LXX where the Hebrew verb darak (“to tread, march forth”) is rendered by the Greek term anatellein (from anatello – recall Isaiah 14:12 LXX!). Anatello is the root word from which we derive anatole found in Matt. 2:2, 9, “at its rising“ (often translated “in the east”).

Look again at Revelation 2:26–28:

(1) 2:26 – “...I will give him [the overcomer] authority over the nations...”

(2) 2:27 – “...and He will shepherd them...[and] shatter them...” (Psalm 2:9)

(3) 2:28 – “...and I will give him [the overcomer] the morning star...”

Question: At what point in time did the Father officially deputize Jesus as the inheritor and ruler of the nations (i.e. when did God the Father say to the Son the words spoken in Psalm 2:7–9)?

Answer: According to Acts 13:33–34, the words of Psalm 2:7 (and by inference, our promise of 2:9 as well) are sandwiched between two statements about the resurrection/glorification of Christ, “God has fulfilled this to us their children by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm (v. 33)...”Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay (v. 34)...” (HCSB).

So, before the Church can be officially deputized as co-rulers with Christ over the nations, what has to take place first? Answer: The resurrection and glorification of the entire body to be united with the Head (Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18).

In conclusion, while standing on the ground and observing the rise of a morning star on the horizon, we are informed about two aspects of Christ’s gift in 2:28:

(1) The first aspect is our resurrection/glorification. The heliacal rising of a morning star like Venus, Jupiter, or some other luminary mirrors the resurrection of the dead from the earth, rising, shining, and going up into the air.

(2) The second aspect is one of timing. When, or at what time, does the morning star rise? It rises first before the sun and before the break of dawn. And when does the body of Christ rise in glory to meet Christ in the air? We rise up first before the start of the Day of the LORD!

It’s a simple illustration that the first-century believers would have understood with ease. Those in Thyatira were under a burdensome and grace-stifling religious system much like the Roman Catholics are today. Jesus’ promise to the overcomer flies in the face of any “Christian Church” that believes they are ruling for Christ in this current age instead of holding fast to “His works” until the Resurrection and Rapture of the true Church.

Furthermore, these two aspects of the morning star gift in Rev. 2:28 cohere with the immediate context of the imminent return of Christ to both bring judgment (the Tribulation) and rescue/deliver true believers (Resurrection/Rapture). Thus, the gift of the morning star is in parallel with Christ’s promise to keep the overcomer from the “hour of testing” that will come upon everyone who lives on the earth (Rev. 3:10). For an in-depth study of the return of Christ in Revelation 2–3, see Robert L. Thomas’ article here.

In his book The Brides of Scripture, J. Denham Smith writes about the union of Isaac and Rebekah as a type of the coming union of Christ and His Church (cf. Gen. 24:62–67):

What a home-taking will that be! He will then be seen not, in His own Home, or down here in the wilderness where we now are, but in these lower heavens as the Morning Star, to herald the departure of this long night of our separation and death. The Morning Star is that peaceful luminary which always precedes the rising of the sun; its scene is just above the horizon, but below the higher heavens. Thus, in like manner, the Lord when He comes will descend from heaven to the air, and we who are alive and remain, together with those who sleep in Jesus, will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Thence He will take us to the Father’s house, thence again to reign over His kingdom (pg. 38, cited from Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 4, pg. 141).

Rejoice, brother or sister in Christ! Not many of us are of “noble birth” or destined for world greatness this side of glory (1 Cor. 1:26). However, with the assured promise of ruling with Christ in the future and the awesome gift of the morning star (i.e. our resurrection + glorification before the big Day), you don’t need a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

I say, again, rejoice! Your name is already written in heaven and you will rise early to meet Jesus, the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)!

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