954. "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." This symbolically means that He is the same Lord who was born into the world and who then was its light, and who is about to come with new light, which will arise before the eyes of His New Church, which is the Holy Jerusalem.

I am the root and the offspring of David means, symbolically, that He is the same Lord who was born into the world, thus the Lord in His Divine humanity. That is why He is called the root and offspring of David, and also the branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15). That is why He is also called a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a sprout from his roots (Isaiah 11:1-2).

His being called the bright and morning star means, symbolically, that He was then the light, and that He is about to come with new light, which will arise before the eyes of His New Church, which is the Holy Jerusalem. He is called a bright star because of the light with which He came into the world. For that reason, too, He is called both a star and a light - a star in Numbers 24:17, and a light in John 1:4-12; 3:19, 21; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46; Matthew 4:16; Luke 2:30-32; Isaiah 9:2; 49:6. He is called the morning star as well because of the light which will arise from Him before the eyes of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. For a star symbolizes light from the Lord, which in its essence is wisdom and understanding, and the morning or dawn symbolizes His advent and a new church then, as may be seen in no. 151 above.