Revelation 22:16 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Revelation 22:16

Comments

The whole Book of Revelation is given to the churches, not simply chapters 2 and 3, for here, at the end of the book, the same readership is assumed. It is given to the churches of Christ in all ages. Revelation does not speak of a national church or of a denomination, but it constantly uses the word church to describe the body of Christ as it exists in a single location, where believers meet and worship together. Only God’s people can understand the things revealed in this book, for only they know and understand the Scriptures on which the symbolism of Revelation is based. Christ is given two titles both of which have been used earlier in the book. He is the root and offspring of David. He is both. We know what the offspring of David means: Christ is a descendant of David; he is truly man. But here he tells us he is also the creator of David; he is also truly God. No wonder David, Psalm 16, calls him, ‘My Lord.’ He was David's Lord, and David's son at the same time. I am the root. That's what gives rise to the plant. I am the creator of David and the offspring of David, ‘and the bright and morning star.’ Christ in his life heralded the work of salvation.

Application

Christ is ‘the bright and morning star.’ He is that light that came into this world of darkness, which heralds the coming of the eternal day. Satan before his fall was called Lucifer, the morning star, but the glory of his light was extinguished by pride and he became the ruler of the kingdom of darkness. Christ alone may rightly be called the morning star, and believers seeing him know that the eternal day is not far away. He is that bright star which becomes visible across the whole world as the gospel is being preached to all nations. He is seen wherever men and woman hear the good news and put their trust in him as the Saviour of the world. Christ speaks of what he is in the sight of a fallen world because this book is given to the churches still engaged in the struggle on earth. He is that bright star which none can confuse with any other star. The coming of this star is not yet the dawn, but it promises the dawn soon afterwards. So the Light of the world heralds the coming of that day that will bring everlasting blessing. They hold out against the darkness, continuing to shine though all around them is darkness, and just as the darkness did not extinguish the true Light, so it does not extinguish the light of a single believer who has truly been born from above. They will not deny him; they maintain their witness; they continue to walk separated from the world; they put on the armour of light and cast off the works of darkness.

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Revelation 22:16 Commentary and Bible Study