Who Are The Seven Angels Of The Seven Churches In Revelation 1?

Re 1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

The word "angel" just means a messenger. To me, the seven angels here are the seven human messengers to the seven churches. If you look at the steps as to how Revelation was communicated in chapter 1 verse 1, we read this:

Re 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Notice that Revelation came from 1) God which He gave to 2) the Lord Jesus ("Him") given to 3) an angel 4) then to John then in Revelation 1:20 given to 5) the seven angels or messengers and then 6) to the seven churches

It would seem unthinkable and unlikely for John to pass on his message back to angelic celestial beings again in Revelation 1:20 after having received it from an angel. More likely, he would have passed it on to human messengers who will publicly read it in the seven churches.

What's the theme of the book of Revelation?

If you read it in its entirety in one sitting, you'll get this idea---after everything, after the smoke has cleared, in the end, team JESUS wins

Is Non-Denominationalism Another Denomination?

Often those who can't help but think in denominations use this objection to say that non-denominationalism is, in effect, another denomination.

The misconception is the failure to realize that non-denominationalism is not an organization but a belief and a conviction like Trinitarianism, the belief and conviction, derived from the Bible that there is one God who exists in three blessed persons.

A denomination is an organization that excludes some Christians from their fellowship if they don't accept certain distinctive doctrines that the organization holds dear.

Non-denominationalism, on the other hand, is a belief and a conviction that embraces and recognizes all those who trust in Christ as part of the one body. To avoid any semblance of divisiveness, they don't do anything and say anything that will go against the one body principle.

Did Jephthah Commit A Human Sacrifice?

Before we give an answer to the question, it would be in order if we recount the story. Here it is:

Jg 11:30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,

31 "then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering."

Jg 11:32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

33 And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith-twenty cities-and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Jg 11:34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it."

36 So she said to him, "My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon."

No, Jephthah did not offer his daughter as a human sacrifice. Notice his vow very carefully in verse 31. He did not intend to commit a human sacrifice:

  "then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering."

Jepthah was referring to an animal sacrifice ("whatever" and "it"). However, he fulfilled the essence of his vow by giving up his daugther to be a perpetual virgin for life. Fathers at this time had authority over their own daughters whether they would marry or not. She would be dedicated to God to serve Him as a single woman for life.

Verses 38 and 39 make this very clear:


Jg 11:38 So he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel