The Seven Stars: A Key to Reading Revelation | Part 2

Why does Jesus explain the mystery of the seven stars only four verses after they first appear?

John is not recorded asking for an explanation. Christ simply tells him that the seven stars are the angels—or messengers—of the seven churches. I do not think that placement is accidental. It gives us an early example of how Revelation’s symbolic language is meant to be understood.

In this study, I apply that principle to every major reference to stars in Revelation. Some describe ordinary heavenly bodies. Others point to messengers, representatives or the covenant people of God. The question is not whether everything must be literal or everything must be symbolic, but which reading actually fits the immediate context and the wider language of Scripture.

Work through the passages for yourself. Does the meaning Christ gives the seven stars provide a consistent key for reading the others?