By
Fred Thomas
It has become a tradition to call him “Lucifer” when we speak about Satan. It started with the King James translation of Isa.14:12, where the “morning star” is called “Lucifer”, following the Vulgata. But please note that only the King James translation uses the name “Lucifer” here, which we don’t find in the translations of other languages; also the New International Version (NIV) reads “morning star”.
As we all know, the morning star is the planet Venus that shines brightly at dawn before the sun rises. The name “Lucifer”, which means light bearer (from Lat. lux and fero) is an epithet given to this planet by the Romans because of its shining brightness.
The name “Lucifer” given to Satan was based on an interpreta-tion of Isa.14:12 assuming that the clause referred to Satan. Most scholars reject this interpretation, because the whole passage of Isa.14:4-21 is a song or poem about the fall of the Babylonian monarch, who in his arrogance considered himself as the “Shining Star” in the East.
In the Bible the Babylonian kingdom and king is referred to as the symbol of the power of darkness, which is also manifested by other evil kings and leaders in the past as well as today, such as the king of Babylon, Nero, Hitler, Stalin and the evil kings of Israel. But to say that they are Satan or identical with Satan, is according to most scholars an erroneous interpretation. It is indeed true that the Satanic power is manifested in the evil acts and practices of man, but we cannot say that a criminal for example is Satan himself, do we?
It is therefore clear that the tradition of giving the name "Lucifer" to Satan was started by the users of the King James translation plus an erroneous interpretation of Isa.14:12 as mentioned before.
One more thing we need to notice. Considering that “Lucifer” means “bearer of light”, it does not make any sense to apply the name to Satan, because how could it be possible that the King of Darkness be the “Bearer of Light”???
It is therefore out of place to call Satan “Lucifer”, because it is an epithet given to the planet Venus, and is only used in one translation of the English Bible; the King James. Other translations and versions keep calling it “Morning Star”
An interesting thing now draws our attention. As mentioned above, the name “Lucifer” is given to the Morning Star (Venus).
When we open Revelations 22:16, there we read that Jesus Himself said: “I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”, exactly the same as written in Isa.14:12 (NIV)....!
The identification of Satan as “Lucifer” in Isa.14:12 was only based on an excessive interpretation or allegory. But in Rev.22:16 it was Jesus who called Himself the “Morning Star”. Which then has more validity, an interpretation or a statement of Jesus?
It is exactly based on Rev.22:16 that there are churches and denominations that bear the name "Morning Star". Is the "Morning Star not also called "Lucifer"....?
Therefore, if “Lucifer”, is the Latin name given to the Morning Star, then the real Lucifer is The Lord Jesus….!
Indeed, the Lord Jesus is the real “Bearer of Light”, the real "Lucifer", because we read:
“…in Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Joh.1:4);
And He Himself has said:
“I am the light of the world” (Joh.8:12; 9:5),
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness” (Joh.12:46).
XXXWXXX
Who Is He, Actually?
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