Here's part of a commentary that I wrote on that portion of the Bible when the Lord put it on my heart to dig into Revelation chapters 2 & 3.
http://web.express56.com/~bromar/html/7churches.html
Each letter starts out with an address to the 'angel' or aggelos of that church.
The Greek word for angel, 'aggelos' (pronounced ang'-el-os) appears 185 times in the New Testament. It is translated 178 times as 'angel' or a variation thereof and 7 times it is translated as 'messenger'.
The word 'aggelos' is used to describe John the Baptist (Mark 1:2), who heralded the coming of Jesus and is also used for the messengers Jesus sent ahead of his group to prepare Samaritan villages for His arrival.
Luke 9:52 And sent messengers (aggelos) before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Aggelos is also used for the 'messenger' of Satan which was a thorn in Paul's flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), the messengers of Israel whom Rahab the harlot concealed from harm in Jericho (James 2:25), and the messengers whom John the Baptist sent to inquire of Jesus if He were indeed the awaited Messiah (Luke 7:24).
While it may be that God has assigned specific angels to minister to individual churches, as the Archangel Michael is said to be the angel of the Jewish people (Daniel 12:1), or to individuals themselves as Jesus relates in Matthew 18:10. This letter was written to those men who were entrusted with God's Word in the various churches in Asia. The elect angels, who receive their orders directly from God, have no need of a letter from the hands of men but instead are sent to men with messages from God.
The root of the word aggelos 'ago' is a primary verb; properly to lead; by implication to bring, drive, (reflexively) go, (specifically) pass (time), or (figuratively) induce: - be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.
By implication, aggelos or angel can be used of a Pastor in this context.
Pastor: 1. A shepherd; one that has the care of flocks and herds.
2. A minister of the gospel who has the charge of a church and congregation, whose duty is to watch over the people of his charge, and instruct them in the sacred doctrines of the Christian religion.(Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
The Hebrew word for angel has a similar meaning. In this passage from 2 Samuel the wise woman from Tekoah, whom Joab sent to entreat King David, compares David to a 'malak' or 'angel' of God.
2 Samuel 14:19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid: 20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel (malak) of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
In this verse from the book of Malachi, a priest is called the malak, or messenger of the Lord.
Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger (malak) of the LORD of hosts.
malak - From an unused root meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically of God, that is, an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher): - ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
2007-07-07 22:36:58
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answer #1
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answered by Martin S 7
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In chapter one v. 20 (ACV) it is explained, "The mystery of the seven stars that thou saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are agents of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands that thou saw are the seven congregations."
Thus it becomes evident that the agent or angel is the agent in each congregation that is responsible for that congregation, has authority over it! This can only mean one thing! That the angel or agent refers to the elders and the ministerial servants in each congregation as this agent or angel (remember that angel means messenger).
These overseers of each congregation are charged with keeping it up to Christ's standards, adjusting, disciplining, teaching, and unfortunately disfellowshipping unrepentant wrongdoers.
The seven congregations or churches are then because seven refers to spiritual completion referring to Christ's worldwide congregation of believers.
It is up to each Christian to adjust themselves according to these warnings, just as it is up to all claiming to be Christian churches to conform to this or to be receiving eternal damnation.
2007-07-08 09:03:05
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answer #3
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answered by Fuzzy 7
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IT MEANS SEVEN YEARS LEADING UP TO A CHANGE,I AM THE SEVENTH ANGEL AND GIVE A CROWN OF LIFE TO THE TRUE AND FAITHFUL LIVING IN THE HOLY WORD.OR I GIVE YOU THE MORNING STAR,FOR DESTROYING ALL THAT IS HOLY UPON A WORLD GOES STAR BURST
2007-07-08 05:37:26
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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