Connect Revelation 22:16 to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Setting the Scene • The closing words of Scripture invite us to look back and see how every earlier promise blossoms in Jesus. • Revelation 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.” • Two titles—“Root and Offspring of David” and “Bright Morning Star”—reach straight into the Old Testament and pull its messianic hopes into full daylight. Root and Offspring of David: Tying to the Davidic Covenant • 2 Samuel 7:12-13—God promises David: “I will raise up your offspring after you… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” • Psalm 89:3-4—“I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever…’” • Jeremiah 23:5-6—“I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely… This is the name by which He will be called: ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’” • Jesus calls Himself both “Root” (source) and “Offspring” (descendant) of David—affirming His pre-existence and His incarnation in David’s line. Root of Jesse: The Preexistent Source • Isaiah 11:1—“Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.” • Isaiah 11:10—“On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.” • By saying He is the “Root,” Jesus claims to be the very life hidden beneath Israel’s history, the One out of whom David himself sprouted. The Bright Morning Star: Fulfillment of Balaam’s Oracle • Numbers 24:17—“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth out of Jacob, a scepter will arise out of Israel…” • Psalm 132:17—“There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed.” • Malachi 4:2—“For you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings…” (the dawning image that complements the star). • “Morning Star” signals the first light after night, a promise that the long darkness of sin and exile is ending because the Messiah has risen. Prophetic Puzzle Pieces Interlocking • Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7) + Branch imagery (Isaiah 11; Jeremiah 23; Zechariah 6:12) + Star prophecy (Numbers 24) = one portrait fulfilled in Jesus. • The titles in Revelation 22:16 summarize centuries of promise: – He is David’s promised heir (human). – He is David’s root (divine). – He is the dawning star (cosmic hope for all nations). Living Implications • Because Jesus is both Root and Offspring, He is strong enough to save and near enough to sympathize. • Because He is the Morning Star, our darkest nights are temporary—daybreak is guaranteed. |
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