The Seven Stars in Revelation : The seven stars in Revelation symbolize the angels of the seven churches. God directly reveals this concept in Revelation 1:20: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
The entire concept of the Book of Revelation piques the curiosity and interest of both believers and unbelievers. The seven stars mentioned in Revelation are a significant part of this intrigue.
In Revelation 1:20, it is written: “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” As this verse from the Bible states, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.
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In this section of Revelation, Jesus is speaking. God tells us that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The original Greek word used here also carries the meaning of “messenger.” Scholars debate whether the angels/messengers mentioned here are actual guardian angels of the churches or refer to the pastors of the churches.
While both meanings can be correct, we cannot be dogmatic about the exact meaning of the word “angels” in this part of the Bible. However, what we do know is that Jesus Christ directly tells us that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The seven churches specifically mentioned in Revelation are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In addressing these seven churches, Jesus both praises and admonishes them, except for the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11).
As God tells us in Revelation 1:20, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, which directly relate to the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2:1 to 3:22. It is possible that the angels of the seven churches are the angels or messengers of the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Note that in this context, the word “angel” can also mean “messenger,” which might refer to the church pastor.
In Revelation 1:20, we are told that the seven stars are in the right hand of Jesus. While this detail might be easily overlooked, it should not be ignored. This is an important part of Jesus’ message in this section of Revelation.
That Jesus holds the seven stars in His right hand means He holds the churches with His powerful right hand. This should give us a sense of comfort, support, and encouragement, knowing that God protects the seven churches with His mighty hand.
Besides God’s support for the seven churches in Revelation, He also supports the community of believers today. While we have physical church buildings, not all churches teach according to God’s will. This sad truth should motivate us to serve God faithfully, like the church of Smyrna.
Each of the other churches was rebuked by the Lord for their unfaithfulness. We must strive to be faithful to the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul.
Although the Book of Revelation addresses the end times, we can still learn much from its content. Throughout reading the Bible, we should pay close attention to all its parts, including the challenging sections like Revelation.
Symbolism in Revelation (seven stars in Revelation)
The Book of Revelation might seem intimidating, but it is crucial to study it with all our capability. The whole book is filled with future events that have not yet happened.
However, parts of Revelation have already been fulfilled, such as the narrative of Jesus’ discourse about the seven stars in Revelation. As we have understood, the seven stars in Revelation symbolize the seven messengers or angels of the seven churches.
The term “messenger” in this context might refer to the pastor or someone who corresponded with people outside the church or with members of other churches. This is a plausible interpretation; however, it is also possible that God means actual angels by “the seven angels over the seven churches.” This consideration raises the question of whether the term “angel” is meant literally or simply as a messenger, like a pastor.
In modern culture or Christianity, there is often an emphasis on angels to the point of obsession. While angels are real spiritual beings, we should not become obsessed with them. This part of the Bible might refer to real angels, but we are not given specific names.
The only angels specifically named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel. According to Revelation 1:20, there are seven angels. Who these angels are remains unknown to us.
Michael and Gabriel might be two of these angels, but we cannot state this definitively. Similar to other parts of Revelation, none of the angels except Michael are named.
The likely reason for not naming the angels is that God does not want us to become obsessed with angels. The importance of Revelation lies in God revealing the future end-time events and His plans to us.
Throughout Revelation, we are told about the church, the great tribulation, the Antichrist, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, the millennium reign of Christ, the great white throne judgment, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.
While angels play a significant role in Revelation, they are not the main focus. The central event and our focus should be on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Book of Revelation can sometimes be difficult to understand, but with careful study and effort to grasp the profound truths of the Bible, one can comprehend its message.
There are relatively difficult parts in Revelation and several metaphors, yet we should read Revelation with a literal hermeneutic. It is highly disrespectful to believe that the whole book of Revelation is a metaphor or that its content is unimportant to you.
Every part of the Bible contains the true word of God. Ignoring these parts for any reason, even if they are hard to understand, is wrong.
What Does This Mean?
Thus, the seven stars in Revelation symbolize the seven angels of the churches. God directly tells us this definition in Revelation 1:20. The seven stars in Revelation are the seven angels of the churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:20 happened in the past, yet we can learn much from these seven churches. We should strive to be a church that is faithful to God and honors Him with all our heart, mind, and soul.
We do not want to grow cold in our faith or stray from our first love. The Lord Jesus will meet us all upon our death, and we want Him to be pleased with what we have done for Him. We do not want to be unfaithful servants who did not obey His word.
Although we do not know with certainty whether the seven stars in Revelation are angels or messengers, we can understand that they were one of the two.
There are arguments for both sides, but we cannot know the definitive answer this side of heaven. These could be human messengers like pastors or correspondence individuals or real angels.
Since God does not provide us future details about these messengers or angels, we can know that what He has given us is sufficient for our growth in walking with Him and understanding the message of Revelation 1:20.
