Becoming Closer
The Explanation
n(Rev 1:20 NIV)  The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
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nAngels
•“Messenger”
•Bishops?
•Guardian angel?
nHeavenly and Earthly
nLampstands and Light
The word for “angels” in this passage means, literally, “messengers.”  Commentators brood furiously over this little passage:
•  It could mean, simply, messengers to the churches.
•  It could mean their bishops (i.e.., those who led the churches)
•  In Jewish thought, these could have been guardian angels
•  Or they could simply be the heavenly counterpart of the earthly lampstands.
This last appeals to me.  Lampstands are earthly, as are churches.  Angels are heavenly, as are stars (in the astronomy of the time).  This concept -- that earthly things have a heavenly counterpart, and vice versa -- is as old as Moses, as is shown in Hebrews chapter 9.  If this is so, it is a startling example of what Christ told us about “binding and loosing”:
(Mat 16:19 NIV)  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
It is disturbing to think that we are seeing the picture of that -- and this will be more so in the next two chapters.
There is one final thought.  Barclay quotes an old Greek commentator as having this thought:  the churches are not described as light -- they are described as lampstands, that which holds up the light so that all can see.  What was it our Lord told us?
(John 12:32 NIV)  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
If nothing else results from our study, this should:  that we should life up the Ancient of Days -- in our worship, in our thoughts, in our actions, in our lives.  If we lift him up, he will draw all men to himself.  Lift him up!