In the original Hebrew Old Testament, Lucifer is called Helel, meaning "shining one". Similarly, a direct translation of Lucifer from Latin into English gives us the phrase “light bearer” or “light bringer”. This notion of light-bringing is a reference to Lucifer's depiction as the planet Venus, which often features in the sky shortly before dawn. Thus, Lucifer is also given the epithet "morning star" to describe how he `brings the light' of a new day.

So, rather than being a prince of darkness, Lucifer appears to have reputable origins. Indeed, popular myths about Lucifer describe him as an angel who was cast out of heaven:

"How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" - Isaiah 14:12.

It should be noted that the King James Bible replaces "morning star, son of the dawn" with "O Lucifer, son of the morning". Despite the protests of some Biblical scholars, the translations given earlier show the two descriptions to be interchangeable. Taken in context, the quoted passage compares the fall of Lucifer with the fate of a Babylonian King. Much despised, the King tried to ascend to heaven, but was cast back down to Earth.

Lucifer's celestial status as a morning star that brings the dawn is clear. Confusion arises when Jesus is described in the same way: