SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:20
El misterio de las siete estrellas que has visto en mi diestra, y los siete candeleros de oro. Las siete estrellas son los ngeles de las siete Iglesias; y los siete candeleros que has visto, son las siete Iglesias.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:20
Verse 20. The mystery] That is, the allegorical explanation of the seven stars is the seven angels or ministers of the Churches; and the allegorical meaning of the seven golden lamps is the seven Churches themselves. 1. IN the seven stars there may be an allusion to the seals of different offices under potentates, each of which had its own particular seal, which verified all instruments from that office; and as these seals were frequently set in rings which were worn on the fingers, there may be an allusion to those brilliants set in rings, and worn epi thv dexiav, UPON the right hand. In Jeremiah xxii. 24, Coniah is represented as a signet on the right hand of the Lord; and that such signets were in rings see Gen. xxxviii. 18, 25; Exod. xviii. 11; Dan. vi. 17, Haggai ii. 23. On close examination we shall find that all the symbols in this book have their foundation either in nature, fact, custom, or general opinion. One of the cutchery seals of the late Tippoo Saib, with which he stamped all the commissions of that office, lies now before me; it is cut on silver, in the Taaleck character, and the piece of silver is set in a large gold ring, heavy, but roughly manufactured.
2. The Churches are represented by these lamps; they hold the oil and the fire, and dispense the light. A lamp is not light in itself, it is only the instrument of dispensing light, and it must receive both oil and fire before it can dispense any; so no Church has in itself either grace or glory, it must receive all from Christ its head, else it can dispense neither light nor life.
3. The ministers of the Gospel are signets or seals of Jesus Christ; he uses them to stamp his truth, to accredit it, and give it currency. But as a seal can mark nothing of itself unless applied by a proper hand, so the ministers of Christ can do no good, seal no truth, impress no soul, unless the great owner condescend to use them.
4. How careful should the Church be that it have the oil and the light, that it continue to burn and send forth Divine knowledge! In vain does any Church pretend to be a Church of Christ if it dispense no light; if souls are not enlightened, quickened, and converted in it. If Jesus walk in it, its light will shine both clearly and strongly, and sinners will be converted unto him; and the members of that Church will be children of the light, and walk as children of the light and of the day, and there will be no occasion of stumbling in them.
5. How careful should the ministers of Christ be that they proclaim nothing as truth, and accredit nothing as truth, but what comes from their master! They should also take heed lest, after having preached to others, themselves should be cast-aways; lest God should say unto them as he said of Coniah, As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, were the SIGNET UPON MY RIGHT HAND, yet would I pluck thee thence.
On the other hand, if they be faithful, their labour shall not be in vain, and their safety shall be great. He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of God's eye, and none shall be able to pluck them out of his hand. they are the angels and ambassadors of the Lord; their persons are sacred; they are the messengers of the Churches, and the glory of Christ. Should they lose their lives in the work, it will be only a speedier entrance into an eternal glory.
The rougher the way, the shorter their stay, The troubles that rise Shall gloriously hurry their souls to the skies.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand , etc.] The sense is, that John was to write the mystery of these stars, or the mystical sense of them: and the seven golden candlesticks ; the mystery, or mysterious sense of them also; for the words are in a continued connection with ( Revelation 1:19), and have respect to the following interpretation of them, and to the epistles in the following chapter, which are mystical, and prophetical of the state of the churches in all succeeding ages: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches ; that is, the seven stars which John saw in Christ's right hand, represent the angels, or pastors of the seven churches of Asia, and in them all the pastors and ministers of the churches in all the periods of time until Christ's second coming. Here it may be observed, that the ministers of the Gospel are not only compared to stars, for which (see Gill on Revelation 1:16); but likewise to angels, which signifies messengers, as ministers are sent forth by Christ with the message of the Gospel to publish to the sons of men; and as the angels are Christ's ministering spirits, so are the preachers of the Gospel the ministers of Christ, that wait upon him and serve him in the ministry of the word, and in the administration of ordinances; and there is some agreement between them in holiness, knowledge, zeal, diligence, and watchfulness, in their work; as also they may be so called for the honour and esteem in which they are, both with Christ and his churches; and who like the angels rejoice at the conversion of sinners, and the enlargement of the interest of Christ: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches ; represent the seven churches, of Asia, and in them all the churches of Christ, in successive ages, to the end of time; the reasons why these are signified by candlesticks, (see Gill on Revelation 1:12); and that they are prophetic of the churches of Christ in the several periods of time, until he comes again, will appear from the following considerations: the whole book is called a prophecy, and a revelation of things that were shortly to come to pass, and it would be very strange, and very unsuitable to its title, should the three first chapters contain nothing prophetic in them; the characters of the divine Person under which these seven churches are saluted, as he which is, and was, and is to come, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, show that the things written to them belong to the Gospel church state, from the beginning to the end of it, for what other reason can be given for such a peculiar use of them? the very grand and illustrious appearance of Christ, antecedent to these epistles, when compared with the appearance of God, previous to the opening of the sealed book, and the seven seals of it, may induce one to conclude, that as the latter introduces the book prophecy in this revelation, so the former introduces the church prophecy; nor does it seem that such a magnificent appearance is necessary to the bare sending of some letters of advice to some particular churches: moreover, as there are some things in these epistles too common to all the churches and ministers to be restrained to some particular ones, such as Christ's affording his presence among them, signified by his walking amidst the candlesticks, and his care of, and respect unto the ministers of the Gospel, expressed by holding seven stars in his right hand; for can it be thought that Christ only granted his presence to the seven churches in Asia? or that the pastors of those churches were the only ones Christ holds in his right hand? so there are others too particular to certain periods to belong to those churches, as that Smyrna should have a crown of life, Pergamos hidden manna and a white stone, Thyatira the morning star, and Philadelphia be delivered from a temptation that would reach all the world, and is not yet come; for which no reason can be given in the literal sense of these epistles; and it is strange that only seven churches should be sent to, and these only in Asia; why not to the churches in Africa and Europe? and these churches also, all but Ephesus, very obscure ones; why not to the churches at Antioch, Corinth, Rome, etc. and it is stranger still, if, as Epiphanius says f45 , there was no church at Thyatira till after the writing of these letters: nothing can account for all this but their being prophetic, there being something in the number, names, situation, and case of these churches, which were emblematical of the state of the church in successive periods of time; to which may be added, that the epiphonema at the close of every epistle, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, shows that each epistle to every church is not designed for that church only, but for churches; and for what churches but for those who are represented in that period of time, since they must be unsuitable to one another? and besides, this concluding sentence shows, that what is contained in each epistle is something intricate, abstruse, and parabolical, it being only used when some such thing is delivered; (see Matthew 11:15 13:9,43). There is one observation more to be made, and which runs through all the epistles, and that is, that the names of the several churches, and the titles which Christ assumes in writing to each, as well as the subject matter of the epistles, have respect to the several distinct periods of the church; all which will more clearly appear in the following notes upon them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-20 - The churches receive their light from Christ and the gospel, and holy it forth to others. They are golden candlesticks; they should be precious and pure; not only the ministers, but the members of the churches; their light should so shine before men, as to engage other to give glory to God. And the apostle saw as though of the Lord Jesu Christ appeared in the midst of the golden candlesticks. He is with his churches always, to the end of the world, filling them with light, an life, and love. He was clothed with a robe down to the feet, perhap representing his righteousness and priesthood, as Mediator. This ves was girt with a golden girdle, which may denote how precious are his love and affection for his people. His head and hairs white like woo and as snow, may signify his majesty, purity, and eternity. His eyes a a flame of fire, may represent his knowledge of the secrets of all hearts, and of the most distant events. His feet like fine bras burning in a furnace, may denote the firmness of his appointments, an the excellence of his proceedings. His voice as the sound of man waters, may represent the power of his word, to remove or to destroy The seven stars were emblems of the ministers of the seven churches to which the apostle was ordered to write, and whom Christ upheld an directed. The sword represented his justice, and his word, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, Heb 4:12. His countenance wa like the sun, when it shines clearly and powerfully; its strength to bright and dazzling for mortal eyes to behold. The apostle wa overpowered with the greatness of the lustre and glory in which Chris appeared. We may well be contented to walk by faith, while here upo earth. The Lord Jesus spake words of comfort; Fear not. Words of instruction; telling who thus appeared. And his Divine nature; the First and the Last. His former sufferings; I was dead: the very sam whom his disciples saw upon the cross. His resurrection and life; have conquered death, and am partaker of endless life. His office an authority; sovereign dominion in and over the invisible world, as the Judge of all, from whose sentence there is no appeal. Let us listen to the voice of Christ, and receive the tokens of his love, for what can he withhold from those for whose sins he has died? May we then obey his word, and give up ourselves wholly to him who directs all thing aright __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
τω 3588 T-DSM αγγελω 32 N-DSM της 3588 T-GSF εφεσινης 2179 N-GSF εκκλησιας 1577 N-GSF γραψον 1125 5657 V-AAM-2S ταδε 3592 D-APN λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM κρατων 2902 5723 V-PAP-NSM τους 3588 T-APM επτα 2033 A-NUI αστερας 792 N-APM εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF δεξια 1188 A-DSF αυτου 846 P-GSM ο 3588 T-NSM περιπατων 4043 5723 V-PAP-NSM εν 1722 PREP μεσω 3319 A-DSN των 3588 T-GPF επτα 2033 A-NUI λυχνιων 3087 N-GPF των 3588 T-GPF χρυσων 5552 A-GPF
