The Eighth I Am signifies Christ as 'the bright and morning star' — the new beginning of the eternal day that follows the seven I Am's of completion.
Les Feldick explains that Scripture presents seven I Am's in the Old Testament and seven corresponding I Am statements in John's Gospel; seven is God's number of completion, and eight always marks the new beginning after that completion. The eighth and final I Am appears in Revelation 22:16, where Christ declares, 'I am the bright and morning star,' signaling the dawning of the eternal day.
Revelation 22:16 — This is the verse containing the eighth I Am — Christ's declaration, 'I am the bright and morning star' — which Les identifies as the dawning of the eternal day.
Scripture records the 'I Am' name first in Exodus 3:14, where God tells Moses, 'I AM THAT I AM.' In John 8:58, Jesus takes that same name for Himself: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.' The Gospel of John records seven occasions on which Jesus says 'I am': 'I am the bread of life' (John 6:35); 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:12); 'I am the door of the sheep' (John 10:7); 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:11); 'I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25); 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6); and 'I am the true vine' (John 15:1). In Revelation 22:16, near the close of the last chapter of the Bible, Christ declares, 'I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.'
Les Feldick teaches that the eighth 'I Am' is found in Revelation 22:16, near the end of the last chapter of the Bible, where Christ declares, 'I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' He calls this the final 'I Am' of Scripture, completing the pattern of seven and introducing the eighth. Les demonstrates the pattern: in the Old Testament there are seven distinct 'I Am's' (Jehovah names such as Jehovah-Jireh and Jehovah-Rapha) relating to God and the nation of Israel. In John's Gospel, Jesus uses the same 'I Am' title seven times, fulfilling those Old Testament types. Then, because eight always follows the completion of seven and always points to a new beginning, the eighth 'I Am' — 'the bright and morning star' — appears in Revelation 22. The morning star is seen at the dawn of a new day. Les applies this to eternity: since Revelation 21 and 22 deal with eternal things, the eighth 'I Am' marks the dawning of the eternal day after the night of human history has run its course. He also uses the eight souls on Noah's ark as an illustration of eight as the new beginning after the flood. After the seven I Am's of John's Gospel have accomplished their purpose, the eighth I Am presents Christ as the new beginning of the eternal state.
Les teaches that in Scripture, seven is the number of completion and eight always refers to what follows that completion: 'Eight always refers to that which follows the completion of number seven.' He illustrates this with Noah's ark — eight souls entered the ark, and they were the new beginning after the flood. Because the seven I Am's of the Old Testament and the seven I Am's of John's Gospel are complete, the eighth I Am in Revelation 22 — 'the bright and morning star' — is the new beginning of the eternal day.
The eighth I Am appears in Revelation chapter 22, the last chapter of the Bible, just a few verses from its end. The risen Christ says, 'I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' Les also notes that in this same passage Jesus speaks of sending His angel 'to testify unto you these things in the churches' — language that had been absent since Revelation 3 — because the church, though absent during the tribulation, again becomes prominent in the eternal state.
When do you see the morning star? At the dawn of a new day. Les says the morning star appears at the end of darkness and the beginning of a new day, and in Revelation 22 it is the dawning of the eternal day, because chapters 21 and 22 are dealing with eternal things. The night is past, and the eternal day is coming.
Les teaches that the seven I Am's in John's Gospel fit perfectly with the seven Jehovah/I Am's of the Old Testament. Jesus took the same title the Lord used with Israel and applied it to Himself: 'I am the bread of life,' 'I am the light of the world,' 'I am the door of the sheep,' 'I am the resurrection and the life,' and 'I am the true vine' — along with 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' and 'I am the good shepherd.' After these seven have accomplished what they were given for, we enter the eternal state in Revelation 22, where the eighth I Am — 'the bright and morning star' — completes the whole program from start to finish.
The Eighth I Am in Eternity
In this clip, Les reads the actual text of Revelation 22:16 in context, where Christ says, 'I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' He notes that the church, absent since Revelation 3, again becomes prominent in the eternal state — the setting of the eighth 'I Am.'
The Eighth I Am and the Eternal Day
Les pinpoints the eighth 'I Am' at Revelation 22 ('the bright and morning star') and explains that the morning star is seen at the dawn of a new day — here representing the dawning of the eternal day, since Revelation 21 and 22 deal with eternal things.
Eight as New Beginning
Les explains that seven refers to completion and eight always follows that completion as a new beginning. He uses the eight souls of Noah's ark as the pattern and then applies it to the eighth 'I Am' as the new beginning of the eternal day.
The Seventh and Eighth I Am's
Les walks through the seven 'I Am' statements in John's Gospel and then arrives at Revelation 22 for the eighth — 'the bright and morning star' — the New Beginnings: 'Night is past, eternal day is coming.'
Tying the Eighth to the Seventh
Les ties the eighth 'I Am' to the seventh: after the seven 'I Am's' of John's Gospel have accomplished their purpose, the eighth appears in Revelation 22 when we enter the eternal state.
Eight Following the Perfect Seven
Les repeats the teaching that eight follows the perfect number seven as another beginning, using Noah's ark, and identifies the eighth 'I Am' — the bright and morning star — as the new beginning of the eternal day.
Seven I Am's in Old Testament and John
Les shows the Old Testament pattern: seven distinct needs of Israel fulfilled by a seven-fold operation of Jehovah (Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha), which Jesus mirrors with seven 'I Am' statements in John's Gospel.
Jesus as the I Am of Scripture
Les connects the burning bush name 'I AM THAT I AM' to Jesus' declaration 'Before Abraham was, I am,' demonstrating that Jesus is the 'I Am' of all Scripture and that His seven John 'I Am's' fit the seven Old Testament 'I Am's.'
Revelation 22:16: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
The verse containing the eighth and final 'I Am' — 'the bright and morning star' — spoken in the context of eternity.
Exodus 3:14: And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The source of the divine name 'I AM' that God revealed to Moses.
John 8:58: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus' claim to be the 'I AM' of the burning bush.
John 6:35: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The first 'I Am' of John's Gospel that Les names.
John 8:12: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
'I am the light of the world,' the second 'I Am' Les lists.
John 10:7: Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
'I am the door of the sheep,' one of the seven John 'I Am's.'
John 10:11: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
'I am the good shepherd,' an 'I Am' Les mentions.
John 11:25: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
'I am the resurrection, and the life,' one of the seven John 'I Am's.'
John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
'I am the way, the truth, and the life,' an 'I Am' Les cites.
John 15:1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
'I am the true vine,' the last of the seven John 'I Am's' Les names.
The Eighth I Am is Christ's declaration in Revelation 22:16: 'I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' Les Feldick identifies this as the final I Am of Scripture, marking the new beginning of the eternal day.
Because there are seven I Am's in the Old Testament and seven I Am statements in John's Gospel. Eight follows the seven of completion; in Scripture, eight always signifies a new beginning, so this title points to the dawning of the eternal day.
The morning star appears at the dawn of a new day. In Revelation 22, with the eternal state in view, it signifies the dawning of the eternal day — the new beginning after human history is complete.
Watch the Teaching: What Does Revelation 22 Really Mean? Eternity Explained