Revelation 2:1 KJV
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;
As long as I have been studying the Bible I have been led to see the angels of the seven churches as the pastors of those churches.
• It is impossible that they would be spiritual angels or else they could not convey the message to the churches
• The word literally means messenger
We have built some doctrines around that teaching, for instance, that the pastor is in God's hand and no one should mess with him. Some churches in Quebec have taken it still further and developed their own peculiar interpretations of the seven letters built around the understanding that the letters are to the pastors specifically and not the churches. That is at least not the case with Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea because each of those letters ends with the Spirit addressing them to the churches.
But Scofield suggests that, rather than the pastors , these angels are messengers sent from the seven churches to see to the welfare of the exiled and aged John. Given the practice of communication we see in the letters of Paul this is certainly possible and probable. It does not negate that these messengers could have been the pastors; but it does call into question the teachings of those churches in Quebec. We need to make sure our doctrines are honestly Biblical and not merely preconceived ideas.
None of this changes the message of the seven letters, interpreted literally. Whether they were to the pastors of the churches or to those messengers sent to check on John, the function is the same; get these letters to the congregations.
And that is the urgency of our day. We do not need to get off on opinions and speculations of the Word. We need to get busy getting this Word of God to those who need to hear it.
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;
As long as I have been studying the Bible I have been led to see the angels of the seven churches as the pastors of those churches.
• It is impossible that they would be spiritual angels or else they could not convey the message to the churches
• The word literally means messenger
We have built some doctrines around that teaching, for instance, that the pastor is in God's hand and no one should mess with him. Some churches in Quebec have taken it still further and developed their own peculiar interpretations of the seven letters built around the understanding that the letters are to the pastors specifically and not the churches. That is at least not the case with Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea because each of those letters ends with the Spirit addressing them to the churches.
But Scofield suggests that, rather than the pastors , these angels are messengers sent from the seven churches to see to the welfare of the exiled and aged John. Given the practice of communication we see in the letters of Paul this is certainly possible and probable. It does not negate that these messengers could have been the pastors; but it does call into question the teachings of those churches in Quebec. We need to make sure our doctrines are honestly Biblical and not merely preconceived ideas.
None of this changes the message of the seven letters, interpreted literally. Whether they were to the pastors of the churches or to those messengers sent to check on John, the function is the same; get these letters to the congregations.
And that is the urgency of our day. We do not need to get off on opinions and speculations of the Word. We need to get busy getting this Word of God to those who need to hear it.
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