SHINING ONE

A descriptive designation applied to the “king of Babylon.” (Isa. 14:4, 12) The Hebrew expression thus translated (NW, Ro, Yg) comes from a root meaning “to shine.” The rendering “Lucifer” (AV, Da) is derived from the Latin Vulgate.

The “shining one” is represented as saying in his heart: “Above the stars of God I shall lift up my throne, and I shall sit down upon the mountain of meeting.” (Isa. 14:13) Biblical evidence points to Mount Zion as the “mountain of meeting.” (See MOUNTAIN OF MEETING.) Hence, since stars can refer to kings (Num. 24:17; Rev. 22:16), the “stars of God” must be the kings of the Davidic line who ruled from Mount Zion. The “king of Babylon” (or, the dynasty of Babylonian kings) indicated his ambition to lift up his throne “above the stars of God” by desiring to make the kings of the line of David mere vassals and then finally dethroning them. Like stars that shed light, the “king of Babylon” shone brightly in the ancient world and could be termed “shining one.”