Many readers of the Bible pause when they encounter this striking phrase in Revelation 22:16, where Jesus says:
“I am the Root and the Offspring of David.”
At first glance, it seems like a contradiction. How can someone be both the source (Root) and the descendant (Offspring) of the same person? Does this mean Jesus is two different beings? Is He before David or after him? The answer unfolds not through human division, but through understanding the unity and manifestation of God in time.
A Deep Statement, Not a Confusing One
When Jesus said He is both Root and Offspring of David, He wasn’t creating confusion — He was revealing identity.
As the Root of David, Jesus is the source of David’s life and kingdom — because He is the one eternal God who created all things.
As the Offspring of David, Jesus came in the flesh through the lineage of David — born of a woman, living among us.
It’s not two persons; it’s one God expressing Himself in two roles — eternal and human.
Example 1: The Architect and the Doorway
Imagine an architect who designs a massive, beautiful house. Then, in order to rescue someone trapped inside, he builds a special door and personally enters that house through it.
He is the source of the house.
Yet he also comes through a specific point to enter it.
In the same way, Jesus — who was with God as the very thought and plan of God from the beginning — entered His creation through the doorway of the seed of David.
Example 2: The Author and the Story
Think of an author writing a novel. She creates a king in the story — a character with power and wisdom. Then the author writes herself into the story as the king’s son.
The author is before the king, as his creator.
But she also becomes after the king, as his child — in the narrative.
Likewise, Jesus is the one who existed before David — yet entered history as David’s descendant to fulfill the plan of redemption.
Example 3: The Seed and the Tree
In nature, a tree comes from a seed. But what if the tree also produces the seed? This cycle — seed to tree to seed — shows continuity, not contradiction.
David was born by God’s will. And later, God came into the world through David’s line as Jesus.
Jesus is the divine root — and at the same time, the human branch.
No Need for Multiple Divine Beings
This truth doesn’t require us to imagine multiple divine figures or eternal companions. God doesn’t multiply to work in history — He reveals Himself.
The Bible never says:
“They are the Root,” or
“They became flesh.”
But it says:
“The Word was God… and the Word became flesh.” (John 1:1,14)
“God was manifest in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16)
It was the same God — the invisible, eternal Spirit — who chose to take on flesh and fulfill the promise to David.
The Glory of One God Revealed in Jesus
Jesus is not just from David — He is the reason David existed.
He is not just a man who lived 2,000 years ago — He is God revealed in time, whose identity bridges heaven and earth, Spirit and flesh, eternity and history.
The statement, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David,” is not a contradiction — it’s a divine revelation. The One who created David came through David’s lineage to save the world.