Interpreting The Book of Revelation

[sdktlk]

In Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Well

Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name: Amos 5:6-8

Can

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Revelation 1:16

You

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Revelation 1:20

Hear

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; Revelation 2:1

Him

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Revelation 3:1

Now

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Revelation 1:1(a)

The question still remains, "what do we believe the seven stars, which are the seven angels, represent and why?"

[Guest]

Got Spirit?

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Job 33:4

____________

The question still remains, "what do we believe the seven stars, which are the seven angels, represent and why?"

Dear One No Question Remains

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. Isaiah 11:1-5

It Is Jesus Christ That Is Represented

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

For Those Who Have Believed

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7

For Those Who Have Tasted

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8

For Those Who Hear

Search the scriptures; for n them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39

God's Spirit

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

You

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Revelation 5:6

See?

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

____________

The Kingdom Of God

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15

Is Not About Esoteric Knowledge

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20

Nor Is It About The Prideful Quibbles Of Men

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17-18

For It Is All About The LORD Jesus Christ And Him Crucified

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 1 Peter 1:18-20

And About His Glory Sure To Come

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. Psalms 72:17-19

You See

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:9-14

____________

Believe

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

And Be Blessed Beloved

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27

Love, Joe

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ephesians 6:17

[Fez]

In Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Well I for one don't really care what it means.

Jesus is coming, this I know, and it is really all I need to know about Revelation.

I try not to carry scripture on my back like a heavy load, it tends to stop me running to Him, and to what He wants me to do....

And the day He arrives, all conjecture goes out the window anyway.

"But we prefer, if it must be so, to be unwise in the scriptures, than to be wise against them" - Turtellian.

[Fraught]

The Hebrew understanding of time is not linear.

Sister, I'm lost, is not a year a year, no matter what? Has it not been nearly 2000 years since the Lord ascended or am I in a time warp of some sort?

If you are interested in studying this for yourself, I recommend you read this web page: The Hebrew Mind vs. The Western Mind

Examples given of the differences between the two -

Western: Knowing

Hebrew: Doing

Western: Linear time divided into neat segments. Each event is new.

Hebrew: Cyclical or spiraling time. Similar events constantly reoccur.

Western: History is recording facts objectively and chronologically.

Hebrew: History is an attempt to preserve significant truths in meaningful or memorable ways whether or not details are objective facts.

Western: Oriented to the near future

Hebrew: Oriented to lessons of history

When reading and interpreting Scripture, including prophecy, one needs to read it through the lens of the Hebrew mindset

For more about the Hebrew concept of time, I encourage you to read here: Hebrew Time Concepts

Does this indicate that some things in the O.T. Scriptures are not objective facts, that they are, instead, memorable ways to preserve significant truth?

[nebula]

Fraught, I cannot answer that.

The only thing I do know is that there is reason to believe the names of people in Scripture may not have been the names they were referred to as in life. At least we know of some names that were changed (recorded in Scripture as such), but we may not know all names that had a change to them, some could have been changed after their death. (I can't explain other than scattered reports I heard here and there in archeological programs.

As far as events go, the only thing that makes sense to me is that the way the event was recorded is not how a modern journalist or modern story teller or novelist would have recorded the event.

That is all I can tell you.

[sdktlk]

Fraught said, "Does this indicate that some things in the O.T. Scriptures are not objective facts, that they are, instead, memorable ways to preserve significant truth."

Sister, I will answer that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the person of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2Tim 3:16-17)

It is written of the Lord Jesus, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God."

The Lord spoke of Adam, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, etc. etc. Man may have had difficulty in translation in some parts that are hard to be seen by one's who are not "spiritual." But, rest assured, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psa 12:6)

And, as this is a prophecy string, for those who want to participate, I will set forth this question again: in Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Edited February 12, 2011 by sdktlk

[Guest]

.... And, as this is a prophecy string, for those who want to participate, I will set forth this question again: in Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why? .....

The

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

Holy Ghost

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. Isaiah 11:1-5

Because It's All About The LORD Jesus

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39

You See

[mizzdy]

Fraught said, "Does this indicate that some things in the O.T. Scriptures are not objective facts, that they are, instead, memorable ways to preserve significant truth."

Sister, I will answer that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the person of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2Tim 3:16-17)

It is written of the Lord Jesus, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God."

The Lord spoke of Adam, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, etc. etc. Man may have had difficulty in translation in some parts that are hard to be seen by one's who are not "spiritual." But, rest assured, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psa 12:6)

And, as this is a prophecy string, for those who want to participate, I will set forth this question again: in Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Timothy was refering to the OT you know that right? If we are to see prophecy we need to go back and read Gen. God said He declared the end from the beginning.

Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold menorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Messianic communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven Messianic communities. CJB

Since I didn't read about all the controversy of the thread is about whats hard to understand about who these guys are? Doesn't it make sense that God would set watchers over His own? And that God sets these over us whever we gather together to teach us, guide us in all the words of God. Each church is charged with a task of either keeping something, doing something or in need of teshuvah, repentance. I see the heart attitude in the churches that speak to us.

[sdktlk]

Fraught said, "Does this indicate that some things in the O.T. Scriptures are not objective facts, that they are, instead, memorable ways to preserve significant truth."

Sister, I will answer that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the person of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2Tim 3:16-17)

It is written of the Lord Jesus, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God."

The Lord spoke of Adam, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, etc. etc. Man may have had difficulty in translation in some parts that are hard to be seen by one's who are not "spiritual." But, rest assured, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psa 12:6)

And, as this is a prophecy string, for those who want to participate, I will set forth this question again: in Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Timothy was refering to the OT you know that right? If we are to see prophecy we need to go back and read Gen. God said He declared the end from the beginning.

Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold menorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Messianic communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven Messianic communities. CJB

Since I didn't read about all the controversy of the thread is about whats hard to understand about who these guys are? Doesn't it make sense that God would set watchers over His own? And that God sets these over us whever we gather together to teach us, guide us in all the words of God. Each church is charged with a task of either keeping something, doing something or in need of teshuvah, repentance. I see the heart attitude in the churches that speak to us.

So, to be clear, you are saying that the "stars," the "angels." are symbols standing for the overseers, the leaders, of the assemblies. Is that correct?

[mizzdy]

Fraught said, "Does this indicate that some things in the O.T. Scriptures are not objective facts, that they are, instead, memorable ways to preserve significant truth."

Sister, I will answer that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the person of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2Tim 3:16-17)

It is written of the Lord Jesus, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God."

The Lord spoke of Adam, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, etc. etc. Man may have had difficulty in translation in some parts that are hard to be seen by one's who are not "spiritual." But, rest assured, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psa 12:6)

And, as this is a prophecy string, for those who want to participate, I will set forth this question again: in Revelation what do we believe, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand...are the angels of the seven churches" (Rev 1:20) represent, and why?

Timothy was refering to the OT you know that right? If we are to see prophecy we need to go back and read Gen. God said He declared the end from the beginning.

Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold menorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Messianic communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven Messianic communities. CJB

Since I didn't read about all the controversy of the thread is about whats hard to understand about who these guys are? Doesn't it make sense that God would set watchers over His own? And that God sets these over us whever we gather together to teach us, guide us in all the words of God. Each church is charged with a task of either keeping something, doing something or in need of teshuvah, repentance. I see the heart attitude in the churches that speak to us.

So, to be clear, you are saying that the "stars," the "angels." are symbols standing for the overseers, the leaders, of the assemblies. Is that correct?

Scripture tells us who they are, 'the seven stars are the angels of the seven messianic communities', why is it a surprise that God sets watchers over His own? They are not symbols but real angels.