Sermon Tone Analysis

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[[@page.3.1.20]][[@bible.87.1.20]]!!!! 3.1.20

- Revelation  [[1:20|bible.87.1.20]]

mystery \\ As is frequently the case within Scripture, the answers to our questions are "in the back of the book" (in this case, the back of the /chapter/).

Jesus explains the mystery of the seven stars and seven golden lampstands.1 A "mystery" in the constant language of Scripture is something which man is capable of knowing, but only when it has been revealed to him by God (Mtt.

[[18:11|bible.61.18.11]];

Rom.

[[11:25|bible.66.11.25]];

Eph.

[[6:19|bible.70.6.19]];

1Cor.

[[13:2|bible.67.13.2]]), and not through any searching of his own.2

Many of the fanciful interpretations offered for this book can be reigned in by the simple process of carefully observing what the book offers in the way of explaining the meaning of symbols: "This verse points up the fact that, when symbols are used in the book of Revelation, they are explained internally, not subject to imaginative suggestions by allegorizing expositors."3

seven stars \\ Due to their brightness and location in heaven, angels are often represented as stars (Job [[38:7|bible.18.38.7]];

Isa.

[[14:13|bible.23.14.13]];

Rev. [[9:1|bible.87.9.1]]+).

See /Seven: Perfection, Completeness/.There are /seven/ stars, not /twelve/.

The number of stars is an important aspect for differentiating this group of stars from another group of stars mentioned elsewhere (Gen.

[[37:9|bible.1.37.9]];

Rev. [[12:1|bible.87.12.1]]+).

These are said to be the churches of Asia Minor.

The twelve stars of Revelation [[12:1|bible.87.12.1]]+ represent the twelve tribes of Israel, /not the church/.angels of the churches \\ Here we enter upon perhaps the most difficult interpretive question in this chapter: the identity of these angels?

Each of the primary views is attended with some difficulty:The Identity of the Angels| Identity | For | Against |

| Heavenly guardian angels of the churches | The term "angel" describes heavenly beings elsewhere in the book of Revelation.4 | The angels are charged, /as individuals/, with various sins.

Elect angels do not sin.5

The complexity of communication: why would the revelation be given from God to Jesus to a heavenly angel to John (a man) to another heavenly angel (the star) and then to the church?6

Why would elect angels, known for their steadfast service and power, be said to be protected in the right hand of the Son of Man?

The awards for the overcomer correspond to those promised to redeemed /humans/.

Angels do not partake of the tree of life (Rev.

[[2:7|bible.87.2.7]]+), cannot be imprisoned by men or killed (Rev.

[[2:10-11|bible.87.2.10-87.2.11]]+), are not written in the Book of Life (Rev.

[[3:5|bible.87.3.5]]+),

nor will they reign over the nations (Rev.

[[2:26-27|bible.87.2.26-87.2.27]]+; [[3:21|bible.87.3.21]]+).

If the angel is a heavenly guardian angel, then almost all that is said of him must be strictly representative of the people within the church he guards.

|

| Human messengers from the churches7 | The term "angels" is occasionally used of human messengers.8

Human messengers may have been sent to Patmos for the purpose of meeting with John and carrying a copy of the letter back to each church.9

There are fewer problems attending this view.

"The view that takes the /angeloi/ as men who are representatives of the churches, but are without a unique leadership function appears to be the most probable choice, largely because objections to it are easier to answer than objections to the other . . .

views."10 | Human messengers are never called "stars" (but see Gen. [[37:9|bible.1.37.9]] cf.

Rev. [[12:1|bible.87.12.1]]+;

Dan.

[[12:3|bible.27.12.3]]).11

Why would secondary human messengers be held personally responsible as individuals for the sins of the church?12 |

| A Human leader of the church in each city (elder or bishop)13 | The angels are individually responsible for the spiritual welfare of the churches and are protected in the right hand of the Son of Man.14 | There is no precedent within Scripture or church history for referring to church leaders as "angels."15

Even apostles with great authority, such as Peter and John, refer to themselves merely as "elder" (1Pe.

[[5:1|bible.81.5.1]]; 2Jn.

[[1:1|bible.84.1.1]];

3Jn.

[[1:1|bible.85.1.1]]).16

NT church leadership consists of a plurality of elders.17

The individual leader could not be personally responsible for the character of the entire church.18

Cities such as Ephesus probably had multiple house churches.19

|

| Personifications of the churches20 | The close identification between each "angel" and the character of the church.

Christ speaks to the churches both in the singular and plural.

| Lack of scriptural evidence for the personification of congregations of believers.

"Stars" or "angels" are not used this way anywhere else.

In assigning sin to a personification, ambiguity remains as to who is truly responsible.

This view would make the stars and lampstands virtually identical.21

|

In most cases, the grammar of the letters to each church implicates each /individual angel/.

This is reflected by the preponderance of verb forms in the second-person /singular/.

Yet the things which are said to the angel include aspects which could only be true of the wider church membership.

In some cases, the grammar itself reflects a broader application.

For example, in the letter to the angel of the church of Smyrna, seven of the Greek words indicate the angel is an individual (second-person /singular/, /you/).

Yet three words indicate the larger church membership (second-person /plural/, /you all/).To the angel [singular] . . .

I know your [singular] works . . .

but you [singular] are rich . . .

You [singular] do not fear . . .

those things which you [singular] are about to suffer . . . the devil is about to throw some of you [plural] into prison . . .

that you [plural] may be tested, and you [plural] will have tribulation . . .

You [singular] be faithful . . .

and I will give you [singular] the crown of life.

(Rev.

[[2:8-10|bible.87.2.8-87.2.10]]+)

Since a number of individuals are to be thrown into prison to be tested, the promise of the crown of life cannot be strictly for the individual angel, but surely must apply to all those who remain faithful.

We should take care not to make too much of the grammatical distinctions between the single angel and the plural congregation.When all these factors are considered, it would appear that the best solution is one that takes the "angels" as human messengers or leaders of the churches while recognizing that much of what Christ says to the angel as an /individual/ is also meant for the /entire church/.22

In our commentary on the individual letters to the seven churches, we will interpret the comments directed to each /singular/ angel as being descriptive of the entire congregation.----

Notes

1 To study the use of 'mystery' in the NT, see Mark [[4:11|bible.62.4.11]];

Rom.

[[11:25|bible.66.11.25]]; [[16:25|bible.66.16.25]]; 1Cor.

[[2:7|bible.67.2.7]]; [[13:2|bible.67.13.2]]; [[15:51|bible.67.15.51]];

Eph.

[[1:9|bible.70.1.9]];

[[3:3-4|bible.70.3.3-70.3.4]],

[[9|bible.70.3.9]];

[[5:32|bible.70.5.32]]; [[6:19|bible.70.6.19]];

Col. [[1:26|bible.72.1.26]];

[[2:2|bible.72.2.2]]; [[4:3|bible.72.4.3]]; 2Th.

[[2:7|bible.74.2.7]]; 1Ti.

[[3:9|bible.75.3.9]],

[[16|bible.75.3.16]];

Rev. [[1:20|bible.87.1.20]]+;

[[10:7|bible.87.10.7]]+;

[[17:7|bible.87.17.7]]+.

2 Richard Chenevix Trench, /Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia/ (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1861), 51.

3 Henry Morris, /The Revelation Record/ (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983), 45.

4 Variations of the word /angel/ occur 72 times in this book, and unless the references to these angels of the churches be excepted, all mentions are of divine beings.

Angels are ministering spirits actively involved in other aspects of God's plan.