Here’s what’s going on:
1. Isaiah 14:12 in Hebrew
- The Hebrew says: hêlēl ben-šāḥar — literally “shining one, son of the dawn.”
- The word hêlēl is related to brightness (from hālal, "to shine").
- The King James famously translated it as Lucifer (from Latin lux ferre, “light-bearer”), which became associated with Satan over time.
But in the original context, Isaiah is mocking the king of Babylon — not necessarily describing a fallen angel.
2. Why NIV says "morning star"
- Modern translations like the NIV avoid “Lucifer” (since that’s Latin and not in Hebrew).
- They render hêlēl as “morning star,” meaning the planet Venus — a symbol of brightness that appears at dawn but quickly fades.
- The point: the proud Babylonian king thought himself high like the morning star, but God casts him down.
3. Revelation 22:16
- Jesus calls himself “the bright Morning Star.”
- Here it’s a positive symbol: Jesus is the true, eternal bringer of light, unlike Babylon’s false glory.
- Revelation is reusing the same natural imagery (Venus), but flipping the meaning.
4. The apparent contradiction
At first glance, NIV makes it sound like:
- Isaiah → morning star = fallen figure (Satan/king of Babylon).
- Revelation → morning star = Jesus.
But context is key:
- Isaiah: “morning star” = false light, arrogance, temporary shine.
- Revelation: “morning star” = true light, eternal hope, messianic glory.
The same metaphor points in opposite directions depending on context — like how “lion” can mean Christ (Lion of Judah) or Satan (prowling lion).
⚖️ So, no direct contradiction, just two uses of the same symbol. But it
does open the door to confusion — especially since NIV made the same choice of phrase in both passages, which the KJV avoided (KJV keeps “Lucifer” in Isaiah, “bright and morning star” in Revelation).