I AM: Part 5

John Plunkett
October 28, 2012

For those of you who may be tuning in for the first time, we have been going into all of the statements – especially in the writings of John – where Jesus said: “I AM.”

To begin today’s study, let’s have a quick reminder of all of the sub-topics that we have examined so far. Let’s go through them quickly:

Jesus tells us:

I AM the one and only Messiah,
I AM come in my Father’s name,
I AM come from my Father,
I AM come from above,
I AM come from Heaven,
I AM come into this world,
I AM going to a humanly inaccessible place,
I AM One who bears witness of Myself,
I AM the “I AM,”
I AM the door of the sheepfold,
I AM the Shepherd,
I AM glad,
I AM the Son of God,
Where I AM,
I AM in the Father,
I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life,
I AM the Resurrection and the Life,
I AM your Lord and Master,
I AM the true Vine,
I AM glorified,
I AM He who searches the hearts and the reins (or the kidneys or the loins),
I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last,
I AM the Almighty.

This brings us up to date. We have covered thirty two sub-topics so far.

Now, here is the very last I AM verse in all of God’s Word.  For this reason alone, it is likely that it is quite important for us to note this verse.  It is a multiple I AM verse, which has three parts to it.  The discussion of this one verse will take up the entire sermon.

I AM the Root

Revelation 22:16a:
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.  I am the root and the offspring of David…

Let us look, first of all, at the word "root."  In Greek the word is "rhiza" and it is simply what it says: a root. 

But what is a root; what is the purpose of a root.  I looked in the encyclopaedia and this is what it says:

A root is an organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil; however this is not always the case.  It is better to define root as a part of a plant body that bears no leaves and nodes. 

Now, as I read you the four major functions of roots from the encyclopaedia, I will let you spiritually apply them to Jesus – the I AM:

1. The absorption of water and inorganic nutrients. 
    (When we think about water, we might think of the Holy Spirit; 
     and when we think about nutrients we might think about food - perhaps the Bread of Life).
2. The anchoring and support of the plant body to the ground.
3. The storage of food and nutrients. 
    (Here again, we might think about the bread of life.)
4. The vegetative reproduction. 
    (The roots have a great part in the reproduction of the plant).

Also, in response to the concentration of nutrients, roots synthesize cytokinin, which acts as a signal for how fast shoots, or branches, can grow. 

I found all of this to be quite interesting.  Lots of obvious symbolism there; but I will not going into it in much detail right now.  Some of it will come up as we move along.

There are lots of symbolic mentions of roots in both the Old and the New Testaments.  There are forty-eight mentions of roots in the Old Testament and twenty two in the New Testament, for a total of seventy.  (That is an interesting number!)

"The root of David" in today’s I AM verse (Revelation 22:16) is also referred to by one of the twenty-four elders back in:

Revelation 5:5:
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

So this angelic elder and Jesus Himself both refer to Him (Jesus) as "the Root of David."

The apostle Paul mentions "root" too:

Romans 15:12:
And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Paul’s mention of the root actually goes one generation back from that of David to the root of Jesse.  Why does he do that?  It was because he was actually quoting:

Isaiah 11:
1:  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 
10: And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

We will come back to these verse in just a minute, because the wording is a little different between what Paul wrote and what Isaiah wrote. Before we do that, though, let’s do a quick word study on some of these words in verses 1 and 10. They all decsribe different parts of a plant:

The first one is "rod" which comes from the Hebrew word "choter"; and can also mean "branch" or "twig."

The next word is "stem" which comes from the Hebrew word "geza"; and can also mean the stock or the trunk of the tree or plant.

Then we have the word "branch" which comes from the Hebrew word "netser"; and can also mean "sprout" or "shoot."  This derives from the striking green colour of a new shoot.

Finally, the word "root" in Hebrew is "sheresh"; and can also mean "bottom," "deep," or "heel" in the sense of firmness or permanence. The root ensures that the plant remains rock solid.  This takes us back to the idea given in the encyclopaedia article that the root gives solidity and firmness to the plant.

As I mentioned, Paul’s Romans 15:12 quotation of Isaiah 11:10 seems to differ slightly in meaning, compared with to Isaiah’s original.  But I believe that the two are additive; they add to one another in giving us the total meaning (Isaiah 28:10-13).  

Paul’s quotation says that the root of Jesse (remember that this refers to Jesus Christ) will rise to reign over the Gentiles; and that He will be trusted by the Gentiles. 

The original, written by Isaiah, says that the root of Jesse will stand for an ensign of the people – like a flag showing where God’s true people are; so that God’s people may be recognized (Matthew 7:16-20).  He says that the root of Jesse will be sought by the Gentiles, meaning that at some point, they will be seeking Him.  It also says that His "rest" – the Millennium and the Kingdom of God – will be glorious.

When one thinks of Gentile Christians, as we just mentioned, we might start thinking about Romans 11, where we will now go and see Paul’s other mentions of "the Root":

Romans 11:16a:
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy…….

We know that Jesus Christ is "the firstfruit."  He is the fulfilment of the Wave Sheaf Offering – the First of the Firstfruits  (I Corinthians 15:23; Leviticaus 23:10-14).

But what is "the lump"?  I have been called a lump more than once in my life, especially when I was in school!  But the Greek word that the apostle Paul used was the noun "phurama" which stems from the verb "phuro" which it means "to mix a liquid with a solid."  From this we might think of mixing the Holy Spirit with a human being.  It means any substance mixed with water and kneaded.  The Word Book of the New Testament gives the example of a mass of dough or clay.  

It also says that this is perhaps akin to the verb "phuo" through the idea of swelling in bulk, as with the effects of leaven.  The word "phuo’ means to puff or to blow; to swell up like leaven.  This is very interesting as this "lump" in Romans 11:16 is apparently being applied to human beings – to Christians, Jesus’ brothers and sisters. 

So we ask the question again: "What lump is Paul referring to here?"  As we have already seen, there are the two different types of lumps that are common throughout the Bible.  The first is a lump of dough, which we can apply to ourselves, as Christians.  This dough, which God wants to be holy (as stated by Paul in Romans 11:16), is made from the "flour" that is made from the "grain" of the First of the Firstfruits – Jesus Christ.  This "flour" is mixed with – kneaded together with – the living water of God’s Holy Spirit (John 4:10-11; 7:38).  

The context implying the inclusion of leaven strongly indicates that Paul's "lump" could refer to Jesus' human brethren.  We are the "second of the firstfruits" – the "subsequent firstfruits."  We are symbolized by the two leavened loaves commanded to be offered on the Feast of Pentecost.  Leavened?  Yes, because we are not perfect yet; we are not yet one hundred percent unleavened  (Leviticus 23:17).

The other obvious possibility of what Paul's "lump" refers to is a lump of clay being shaped by the Master Potter. I won't go into this in much detail; I will just give you some of the relevant scriptures for you to look up at your own leisure:  Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-10; Lamentations 4:2; Romans 9:21.

All of these verses give the symbolism of the Potter’s clay, which consists of a special kind of soil.  Soil, dirt and dust are all symbolic of human beings – of Adam for instance, and the sons of Adam (Genesis 2:7).  It is mixed together and kneaded with water, which is symbolic of God’s Holy Spirit. 

We have spent some time on "the lump."  Now let us move on and return to Paul's mention of "the Root": 

Romans 11:16b:
... and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

We looked at branches last time in Part 4.  Still, let us ask the question again:  "What branches is Paul referring to here?"  The Greek word used here is "klados" which, according to the Word Book of the New Testament, means "young, tender shoots broken off for grafting."  Perhaps in some cases broken off from the world and grafted into spiritual Israel.  Romans 11 talks a lot about grafting.  We will come back to it later.  These branches could again be referring back to Isaiah 11:1.  Let's read it again:

Isaiah 11:1:
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots:

Let us take another quick look at the Hebrew word for branch – "netser" which can also mean "sprout" or "shoot."   "Netser" stems from the word "natsar" which means "keeper," "preserver," "watchman," "watcher" which are all nouns; or in its verb form can mean "to watch over," "to keep," "to preserve," "to guard from dangers," "to guard with fidelity" and "to be kept close."  

These are all things that Jesus is as the Root; but also, this is what we too, as the Branches, are expected to become as we grow more and more like Him.  All of these things that Jesus is as the Root, we His Branches are to become those things too.

Again, what is God telling us here through Isaiah?  Here is one possible reading of what He is saying:  The rod – Jesus – was to come out of the stem of Jesse – David; and the branches – physical and spiritual Israel – are to grow out of the Root – also Jesus.

From some of the other "IAM" verses we have examined, we know that Jesus is the Vine – the main trunk of the tree – we are the branches coming off it.  We are to bear much fruit.  This is not something brand new that Jesus as a human being came up with, as recorded in the gospel accounts.  All of this was referred to way back in Isaiah’s time.  And of course, as YHWH, Jesus was the One who inspired those words of Isaiah.

Now let’s see where it talks about the grafting:

Romans 11:
17:  And if some of the branches (natural branches – physical Israelites) be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 
18:  Boast not against the branches.  But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

The old English is a little tricky here in verse 18.  From the Greek, it might be better paraphrased: 

Boast not against the (Israelite) branches; but if you do boast, please remember that the branches – especially you grafted-in ones – don’t bear the Root.  You're not holding the Root up.  On the contrary, the Root is holding you up. 

Remember from the encyclopaedia's list of a root's functions that the root provides strength and support to the plant.  Jesus is not only the Trunk or Stem of the tree or the vine; but He is the Root as well.  Yes, Jesus is the Root of the plant; He is also the First of the Firstfruits of the crop; He is the Vine.  We discussed this in John 15, last time.  

The physical Israelites were, and still are, the natural olive branches.  The New Testament Gentile Christians are the wild olive branches which are grafted into the natural tree or plant.  So if you are a Gentile that is not a problem.  We find out later on in the scriptures that God tells us not to worry whether people are Gentiles.  That doesn’t matter any more because, through Jesus Christ, we are all one.

In conclusion of this first section, please allow me to repeat and summarize.  In the same way as Jesus is the Root, the Trunk, the Vine and the First of the Firstfruits, true Christians are the Branches of the Vine.  We must be solidly attached to the Vine and we are also to bear much fruit.  Again, we are the "Subsequent Firstfruits."  We are also the lump of bread-dough that is made from the Firstfruits flour and the water of the Holy Spirit.  We are also lumps of pliable clay of the Master Potter.  So if anybody calls you a "lump," say: "Thank You!"

I AM the Offspring

Now let us go back again to Revelation 22:16, and read it again to remind ourselves of Jesus’ words:

Revelation 22:16a:
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM the root and the offspring of David...

As YHWH, Jesus was the Root of Jesse and of David.  How?  Through Jesse's and David’s forefather, Adam, who was a son of God – of Elohim.  YHWH and His Father had created Adam.  

As a physical human being, Jesus was also the Offspring of Jesse and David.  How?  Through the lineage of His human mother, Mary.  Also, legally, through Joseph as well; but Joseph was only His Stepfather.  See Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38.

Let’s look at the word "Offspring."  The Greek word is "Genos" and is a really interesting one.  It means "kind" as in "after the same kind" such as the animal kind.  It can also mean "kindred," "stock" or "tribe"; but the really interesting translations of "Genos" are "born," "family" and "nation."  

Jesus says that He is the Root of the plant and that He is also the Offspring.  In putting it this way, Jesus is saying that He is the very base or bottom of the plant and that He is also the very top of it.  Jesus is saying that He is the oldest part of the plant and the newest part. 

Yes, Jesus is the Offspring of Jesse and David; but more than that, He is the Offspring of God the Father.  Please think about this.  God the Father on His own would be just God alone.  But He would not be a Father.  But when the Word – the Logos – became God’s human Firstborn Offspring, then God became a Father and the Word became a Son.  Together they became a Family.  God the Father and Jesus became the beginning of a Family.  They were the first two Persons of the God Family. 

I know that I am mixing scriptural metaphors here, but by adding their branches (you and me) into the God Family Tree (or Vine), they have given us sonship –  N.B. not adoption!  They have given us admission into their Family – the God Family. 

This is the very core of the Gospel.  Not only is it Good News, this is the best news that anybody could ever hear – that we have been admitted into the God Family.  

But it doesn’t stop there.  When God adds more members into His Family, the God Family grows into an even bigger Family.  Just like physical Israel, the Family ultimately grows into a Nation – a Holy Nation.  It will grow into a Kingdom – the Kingdom of God. 

Let’s look at some of the scriptures that back up what I have just said about the Family of God, and the Kingdom of God: 

Romans 8:
15:  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption (Greek: huiothesia: full sonship), whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 
16:  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
17:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 
18:  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
19:  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
20:  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
21:  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
22:  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 
23:  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

II Corinthians 6:18:
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Galatians 4:
5:  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (huiothesia).
6:  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Ephesians 1:5:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (huiothesia) by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Ephesians 3:
14:  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
15:  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Philippians 2:15:
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Hebrews 12:7:
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

I Peter 2:9:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

I John 3:2:
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

To sum up that part of the sermon, Jesus is telling us: I AM the Offspring.

I AM Bright

Revelation 22:16b…………………….I AM the bright and morning star.

To begin this section, let us concentrate first on the word "bright."  

The Greek word is "lampros" and it means "gorgeous," "splendid" and "magnificent."  But it also means "white," "shining," "brilliant"; and what is really significant here, it means "clear" or "transparent."  

Jesus is all of these things; but the last five terms deserve special mention: white, shining, brilliant, clear and transparent . 

All mentioned together, these terms might remind us of the scriptures about the glorified Jesus:

Revelation 1:
14a:  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow…

Have you ever been up into the mountains on a sunny day when the white of the snow is so brilliant that it almost blinds you.

Verse 14b: …and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Again, Jesus is so bright that He is shining, and He brilliant. It would burn your eyeballs out if you were to see Him.

Verse 15a:  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace….

As if burning or blazing.

Verse 15b: ... and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16:  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

We cannot even look at the midday sun.  Also the other similes of the Greek word "lampros" clear and transparent are hugely significant; so we cannot overlook them.

Let us talk a little about the spiritual clarity and transparency of Jesus Christ and His Father; and also about the opaqueness or opacity of us human beings.  We have talked about this before; but I think you will find it really interesting and spiritually significant.  

Here is a short quote from the Encyclopaedia Britannica article on the subject of mirrors:

When light falls on a body {e.g. a house or a tree}, some of the light may be reflected, some absorbed and some transmitted through the body.

High purity, ultra-transparent glasses have been developed for use in fibre-optic telecommunications systems, in which messages are transmitted as light pulses over glass fibres.  

If the body on which the light falls is one hundred percent transparent, none of the light will be reflected and none of the light will be absorbed.  All of it will be transmitted through the body.  But if the body on which the light falls is less than one hundred percent transparent {and in reality no physical substance is one hundred percent transparent}, some of the light will be absorbed, some of it will be reflected, and a shadow will be produced. 

Before we continue, please let me review a couple of definitions, just so you know what we are talking about:

The word "opaque" means blocking the passage of radiant energy – especially light.  When the word "opaque" is applied to a human being, it means hard to understand, obtuse or thick-headed. 

The word "opacity" means the quality of a body that makes it impervious to light.  It means the relative capacity of matter to obstruct the transmission of light.  When applied to a human being, "opacity" means obscurity of sense, unintelligibleness or the state of being mentally obtuse or dull. 

The word "transparent" means having the property of transmitting light, so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly.  It means allowing the passage of light, fine or sheer enough to be seen through.  For example, most windows are designed and made to be quite transparent so that we can see things on the other side.  When applied to a human being, ythe word "transparent" means free from pretence and deceit; it means frank, easily detected or seen through; it means obvious, readily understood or clear. 

In our modern terminology, the symbolic usage of the words "opaque," "opacity," "shade" and "shadow" usually give a negative connotation, whereas the words "transparent," "clear" and "clarity" always give a very positive implication. 

With these definitions in mind, let us go to some relevant scriptures:

James 1:17:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Please note that God the Father is the Father of lights; and He is the Father of the Son who is light as well (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).  So God the Father and God the Son – Jesus Christ – are both total light.  In them are no shadows or dark spots whatsoever. Because Jesus and His Father are so absolutely perfect (Matthew 5:48), we can think of them as not casting any shadows.  They are so pure that they are one hundred percent transparent; and therefore they are normally invisible to human beings.  If God the Father or Jesus were standing right in front of us now, they are so pure that they would be invisible; and we wouldn’t be able to see them because they are totally transparent light.

I Timothy 1:17:
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. 

Hebrews 11:27:
By faith he {Moses} forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

We have seen that God the Father and Jesus are so pure that they are invisible; but where does that leave us?  Even if we have answered God’s call; even if we stand and walk day-by-day in the brilliant spiritual light of Jesus Christ, we are still going to cast spiritual shadows.  Why?  Because we are still imperfect and not yet totally pure, as Jesus is.  It is true that we have put the darkness and opacity of Satan’s world behind us; but we are still not yet spiritually transparent.  Rather, we are still to some extent spiritually opaque.  We are still human; we are still physical; we are still imperfect and to some degree, we are still impure.  We know that we are not to stay like that.  We know that our spiritual clarity and transparency must improve as we progress:

II Corinthians 3:18:
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Our goal is to be as transparent and to have the same glory as Jesus Christ and His Father.  

II Peter 3:18:
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever. 

As we grow in grace and knowledge, and as we grow in the Holy Spirit, we are also to be growing from glory to glory.  Every day of our lives we are to become more like God the Father and Jesus. We must be decreasing in spiritual opacity and increasing in spiritual clarity, purity and transparency.

Colossians 1:
12:  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 
13:  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 
15:  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

With God’s Holy Spirit and Jesus' example, we are to be increasing in our brightness too.  Please see also Exodus 34:29-35; Matthew 5:48; Acts 26:18; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:8; I Thessalonians 5:5.

Again, Jesus tells us "I AM bright."

I AM the Morning Star

Repeating for the last time today:

Revelation 22:16:
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.

Now we will take a look at Jesus as the Morning Star. 

Let’s break the term down into its two component words:

First of all, "Morning" which is translated from the Greek word "orthrinos," which means "early."

So I ask the question: “Is Jesus early?”  Yes, He is!  He is the Early One.  He is the Earliest One.  As we saw last time in Part 4, Jesus is the Alpha and He is the very beginning (Revelation 1:8, 11; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13). 

In Revelation 22:16, we are just six short verses away from the very end of the Bible; but look what is Jesus telling us here!  He is telling us of His earliest beginnings and that He is early!  

Is this significant?  And if so, where does it take us?  We know, of course. that “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  But was that the real beginning for Jesus?  No!  We know that Jesus goes back way further:

John 1:
1:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
2:  The same was in the beginning with God.

Like His Father, Jesus (the Word, the Logos, YHWH and Melchizedek) had no beginning of days:

Hebrews 7:3:
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

When Jesus tells us this, it is only stated for our own human benefit.  It is only stated for the benefit of our limited, finite, human minds; but Jesus is eternal.

The word "orthrinos" stems from another Greek word "orthros" which means "early in the morning," "daybreak" or "dawn," which might bring this scripture to mind:

II Peter 1:19:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

That "dark place" is, of course, Satan’s world.  But who is "the Day Star"?  Jesus, of course.  And when will "the day dawn"? What day is Peter writing about here?  He is writing about the day of the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. 

It is interesting the way this it is phrased… "until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."  We always think of Jesus descending at His return, and He certainly is going to do that.  But this scripture says that He will arise in our hearts.  With our human concepts of "up" and "down," we know that the world being round, that wherever we might be right now (e.g. Canada, the UK or New Zealand), we have different views of what to us is "up" and what is "down."  But in the grand scheme of things there is no real up or down.  That is just a human observation.  

Again, we usually think of Jesus descending at His return; but this scripture says that His day will dawn – His day will come up – and He will arise in our hearts.  The phrase "in our hearts" is, of course, definitely important.  Jesus promised that He would be with us and that He would be in us.  This means that we don’t need to wait until His return to receive this wonderful benefit.  Jesus tells us that, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, He will be in us and He will give us an earnest of it now (II Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Let us now look at the second word of the term "Morning Star," which, of course, is "Star."  The Greek word is "Aster."  I believe that there is a flower called an Aster, and it is a star shaped flower.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aster_(genus)).

Throughout the scriptures, we notice that stars are frequently symbolic of angels. There is a possibility, for instance, that the moving star that the Magi followed may have been an angel (Matthew 2:2-10). There are other scriptures that talk of angels (including "fallen" ones) as being like stars. Let’s take a look at just one of them here:

Job 38:7:
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

This is interesting, because there are two references to angels; but also there is an implication of Jesus Christ in there as well.  In the same way that Jesus is the primary and ultimate Son of God, He is also the primary and ultimate Morning Star.  

Although Jesus is, of course, more than just an angel, in some scriptures, Jesus Christ does title Himself as an Angel (usually  denoted by a capital "A").  We see this more especially in the New King James Version of the Bible; but also, in certain cases, in the "old" King James Version, as well.  There are many scriptures in the book of Judges in which Jesus (YHVH) reveals Himself as an Angel.  But again, not just an Angel; but a very ultimate and special one.

Among all of the millions – or even billions – of angels that Job alludes to in Job 38:7, there are some "archangels" as well.  There may be more; but there are only three that we know of for sure.  

Probably one of the best known archangels is Gabriel.  The Hebrew word "El" means "God" and "Gabri-El" means "Warrior of God" or "Man of God." 

Another very well known archangel is Michael – Micha-El – which means "Who is like God?"  

The third archangel, who is not so very well known by his original name, is Heylel – "Heyl-El" which means "Shining the Light of God."  His name is only mentioned once in the scriptures; perhaps for good reason:

Isaiah 14:
12:  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!
13:  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

(Please see also Revelation 12:4).  

The name "Lucifer" is not a good translation.  The real Hebrew name here is "Heylel."  This original name, Heylel, seems to have been covered up, as we don’t hear it very often.  Everybody knows who Lucifer is; but nobody seems to know who Heylel is! 

It seems as though this name was purposely covered up; perhaps by God or perhaps by Heylel himself.  I have looked at it both ways.  It could have been God who covered it up for a certain reason; but perhaps Heylel himself covered it up, perhaps for the purpose of deception.  Perhaps he didn’t want God’s name "El" to be part of his name; so he changed it. 

Heylel’s name was Latinized in the King James Version and the New King James Version into "Lucifer" which means "Light Bearer."  Again, many are familiar with the name Lucifer, but not with Heylel.  

What do we know about Heylel?  We don’t know a great deal about him actually.  He is talked about a lot throughout the scriptures; but we really don’t know very much about him.  What we do know is that once he was spiritually transparent and clear; and once he did bear God’s light.  He bore, shone and retransmitted God’s light.  But in his rebellion and his vanity, he turned to a preference for spiritual opacity and darkness. 

Perhaps he didn’t want human beings – especially God’s called out ones – to recognize his "new" preference – one that is not really new; it probably happened millions of years ago.  Nevertheless, he doesn’t want us to recognize it because he knows that, if he openly admitted that his preference was for darkness and opacity, there would be too much chance of us rejecting him and his way of life right from the outset.  

So what did he do?  He disguised himself – and continues to do so to this very day – yes, disguised himself as still being a faithful archangel.  Really?  Yes, really:

II Corinthians 11:14:
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Instead of the word "transformed," the Revised Standard Version uses the word "disguised."  Yes, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Sometimes we read this verse and we find it hard to believe.  If you think that it is hard to believe, please thnk about this:  In four days time at about 7 o’clock in the evening, jump in your car, drive around your neighbourhood and you will see the influence of Satan on your so-called "Christian" nation.  Halloween!

Just what is Halloween?  Its name is merely a shortened form of "All Hallows Evening" – the Eve of All Hallows Day.  November 1st used to be called "All Hallows Day" in professing Christian churches.  They changed it in more modern times to "All Saints Day."  Some of these professing Christian churches refer to All Saints Day as something called a "Solemnity" which is is the highest ranking so-called "holy day" in their church calendars.  One would think that this would be something that was really good and pure.  But I can almost guarantee that, if you went into the majority of Roman Catholic or Anglican churches and you asked their members if they were familiar with All Saints Day, few would have even a clue.  But if you asked them about Halloween, they would all know about it; they would all be familiar with it; and the majority of them accept it.  Maybe I shouldn’t say "the majority of them," but we know that there are very few people in our nations who reject the keeping of Halloween.  So this is just one indicator that Heylel has done his job; and that he is still on the job!

The name "Heylel" can also mean "Morning Star," which is the very same name that Jesus applies to Himself in Revelation 22:16. But, still thinking about Isaiah 14:12, Heylel has a secondary title in this verse – a kind of surname: "Son of the Morning."  Again, he was one of the angelic "sons of God" mentioned by Job. 

Did God leave him with these names?  I admit to struggling with this a little.  I'm not sure what the real answer is.  But again, did God leave him with these names?  Or did Heylel vainly and covetously keep these names for himself?  I feel that "Heylel" is too spiritually light a name for him to keep.  Again, I'm not totally sure what the answer is; but it is worth thinking about. 

The name "Heylel" is a proper noun, which stems from the root verb "Halal" which, incidentally, is the root of the very well known term "Hallelujah" – "Praise the Lord."  Some of the English meanings of the word "Halal" are praise, glory, shine, commended, celebrated and renowned.  All of these words, as long as they are attributed to God, are very appropriate.  But when Heylel vainly began to covet these terms for his own aggrandizement, there are some other, more appropriate terms that "Halal" can mean: boast, mad, foolish, and rage, which are very appropriate to Satan. 

Again, I feel that the name "Heylel" and even the Latinized form, "Lucifer," are too spiritually light for him to keep.  God gave him more appropriate names.  

i) Satan.  The noun form of Satan means adversary or one who withstands.  The verb form means to resist or to oppose. 

ii) The Devil.  In the Old Testament we do not read of the term "Devil" being applied to Satan.  But in the New Testament Greek, it is "Diabolos" which means false accuser, slanderer or defamer. 

iii) The Wicked One.  The Greek term is "Poneros" and it means evil, wicked, bad, diseased, blind, the bringer of annoyances, hardships, perils, pain and trouble.  It is interesting that the words "diseased" and "blind are included because sometimes we might wonder: "Doesn't Satan know what his end is going to be?  Why does he keep up with it?"  I think that the answer to these questions might be in that part of his name that Jesus gave him; the part that means "diseased" and "blind."

I do not want to give the closing minutes of the sermon to our adversary.  So let us move away from discussing Jesus’ arch-enemy, and let us close with the primary subject of our study: the I AM.  There is one more mention of the Morning Star:

Revelation 2:
18:  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass...
Verse 26:  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations...
Verse 28:  And I will give him the morning star.

As a human being, Jesus has already given Himself.  But as the Morning Star, what does He promise the church at Thyatira that He will give to their overcomers and those who keep His works to the end?  Power over the nations... and Himself!  I believe that this applies to all overcomers – not just those of the past Thyatiran church era.  I believe that Jesus will give Himself to all overcomers and keepers of His works in all of the eras and groups of His true church.

Again, Jesus tells us: "I AM the Morning Star."

JHP/pp/jhp