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Who are the angels the seven letters to the churches are directed to?


Quasar93

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Who are the angels the seven letters to the churches are directed to?


Due to the use of a single word in Hebrew and Greek to signify both human and divine messengers, in some biblical passages a certain amount of ambiguity arises. As with many ancient words, the meaning must be determined by the contextual framework. In the second and third chapters of Revelation, we read of Jesus delivering important messages to seven churches located in Asia (present-day Turkey). Each message begins with the words, “And to the angel (angelos) of the church....”6 Whether these angels are human messengers or divine messengers can only be determined by carefully examining the biblical context.

In Apostolic circles, the angels of the seven churches are held by some to be the pastors of these churches. For example, Nathaniel J. Wilson writes: “When we begin to look into what is written, we find that, first of all, these letters were written to the ‘angel’ of each of the churches. This is not speaking of an angelic spirit which brought the message to the churches, but rather to the individual pastors of those particular congregations. Even here, Christ continues to allow us to understand the importance of local church government and order by binding up these congregations very closely with their pastors, and their pastors with them. Here, Christ shows that there is a ministry and an official God-equipped ‘gift’ to the Christian church of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers, and that Christ has a pastor for each local body and makes him its representative and head.”7

In his commentary on the Book of Revelation, Paul Dugas writes: “The seven stars (of Revelation 1:16) in His right hand are the pastors of the seven churches. The pastor stands between God and His church acting as a messenger.”8 On the surface at least, this would seem to establish a pastoral priesthood in the New Testament, an idea which conflicts with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Writing somewhat less dogmatically, Marvin D. Treece states, “It has been surmised that the aggelos (messenger) is a reference to the pastor.”9

Apostolics are not the only ones who believe this interpretation. John F. Walvoord, former chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, writes, “These messengers were probably the pastors of these churches or prophets through who the message was to be delivered to the congregation.”10 It is apparent that a certain degree of equivocation exists in this area. The words “surmise” and “probably” are hardly the currency of sound doctrine.
But are the angels of the seven churches the pastors of the local Asian assemblies or are they something else? Is there a way to resolve the seeming ambiguity and bring clarity to these verses? Perhaps these questions can best be answered by looking at exactly what was going in the first three chapters of Revelation.


For the complete article: http://www.gloriouschurch.com/html/Ange ... urches.asp


Quasar93

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John saw the vision of Revelation 5:6 in which he saw a "Lamb" with "seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."  Revelation 5:6 the "seven Spirits" are SENT FORTH.

"seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."

Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth." Revelation 1:4, 5

We learn in Revelation that Jesus has both "the seven Spirits of God" and the "seven stars." Who are the "seven stars"? 
Revelation 1:20 says, "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." Jesus holds the "seven stars" in his right hand. That is a place of power. 

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