CHRIST THE MORNIXG-STAR. Rev. xxii. 16. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning-star. THE Revelation which had been made to John, contained predictions of an uninterrupted series of events from that time even to the end of the world. They had indeed been made to him tlirough the medium of an angel : but they were nevertheTess as certain, as if they had been delivered immediately by God himself; seeing that the angel had received his commission and instructions directly from Jesus, who is "the lord of the holy prophets*." It seems to have been with a vie\y to assure John, together with the saints in all succeeding ages, of the truth and certainty of all that had been spoken, that Jesus gave this description of his own character : in which we may see,
I. His personal character —
That Jesus was " the offspring of David," is obvious enough —
[He was to be so according to die Scriptures'': and that he was so, both by his father's and his modier's side, tlie genealogies that are given of him expressly affirm ^ Indeed Divine Providence so ordered it, that, in consequence of a taxadon decreed throughout the Roman Empire in the time of Cesar Augustus, his reputed father was under the necessity of going up to Bethlehem, to be taxed there : by which means there was a public enrolment of the name of Jesus, (who was born there at that time,) as belonging to die house and lineage ofDavid<^."]
But He was no less " the Root" also of David—
[How this could be, was but litde understood, till after the day of Pentecost. Jesus did often speak of liimself as God ; but still his Disciples did not clearly apprehend his meaning. Yet diat the Messiah, who was to be " a Child born and a Son given," was also to he " the Mighty God," even " God with us," was fully and distinctly revealed in the Prophetic Writings ^ But the most learned of the Jewish
Rabbies,
* Compare ver. 6. with the text. '' Isai. xi. 1.
' Matt. i. & Luke iii. <> Luke li. 1—0.
• Isai. ix. Q. & Isai. vii. 14. with Matt. i. 23.
416 REVELATION, XXII. id. [1219.
Rabbles, v/hen a remarkable propliecy to this effect was adduced from the Psahns by our l^lessed I^ord, -were unable to solve the difficulty proposed to them : they could not ex- plain how David's Son could possibly be David's Lord*^. Nor can our modern Socinians ever return a satisfactory answer to our Lord's qviestion ; which can only be answered by ac- knowledging, that Jesus is God as well as man ; the Creator of all things in his Divine nature, though himself a creature according to his human nature. It is in this sense that he was " the Root," at the same time that he was also " the Oft- spring," of David : and to this agree the most decided testi- monies of Holy Writs J
Our Lord proceeds to mention,
II. His official character —
The voice of prophecy announced him as *' a Star that should come out of Jacob *'." But in our text he designates himself as " the Morning-star." Now it is the office of the Morning-star, not merely to give light, as others do, but to usher in the day : and in this particular view the title assumed by our Lord should be exclusively considered. We observe then, that,
1. By his first rising in the world he introduced the Gospel day —
[Previous to his appearing, there were some faint glim- merings of light, by means of the types and shadows of the Mosaic law : but as soon as he entered on his Ministry, he dif- fused a light around him ; dispelling the mists by which the Pharisees had obscured the law, and exhibiting in his own person a perfect pattern of that obedience which the law re- quired. By his death he accomplished the prophecies, and shewed more clearly what were the designs of God respecting the redemption of the m orld : and by his resurrection and ascension, and sending down the Holy Ghost to testify of him, he gave to the benighted world the light of perfect day. Then he appeared as "the Day-spring from on high'," even as " the Sun of Righteousness, that had arisen with healing in his wings ""."J