Star of Kingship, and of Light

These two well loved passages bring together the prophetic promise of the Davidic covenant and the light of God's glory breaking into the darkness of a sinful humanity. What is revealed is that Jesus is the Messiah, "the descendant of David, the bright morning star" (Rev 22.16) who "shoulders" the government of God's people through the obedience of a death on a cross by which the powers of darkness are overthrown. It is to this prophetic word that we must pay attention "as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts" (2 Peter 1. 19)