Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

The stars are the angels, ministers or messengers of the seven churches.  The word angel what does it mean? Angel (Aggelos) is the Greek word for messenger. God is speaking to the messengers, the priests who proclaim the message to the people.

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 of the LORD of hosts.

Revelation 1:20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Here the ministers of righteousness are symbolized by the seven stars, which the First and the Last has under his special care and protection. The Lord Jesus Christ is acquainted with the number of the stars. He calls them by their names, binds the sweet influence of Pleiades, and looses the bands of Orion. The ministers of the gospel of Christ are greater blessings to the church than are the stars to our world. All are in God’s hand. He directs their motions. He disposes of them in their different orbs in their positions. He fills them with light and influence. He supports them, else they would soon be falling stars. They are instruments in his hands, and all the good they do is done by his hand and by his Spirit’s power. {RH, May 31, 1887 par. 4}

The seven churches are symbolic of seven periods of time, the Christian era. Seven =completeness.

Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

The woman is the church. Twelve Apostles are the twelve stars. Crown represent kings, government and authority.

Revelation 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The dragon tries to eat Jesus. The dragon is Rome. The crown is church head, authority. Twelve apostles wrote the gospel. The sun is the gospel.

What is the Tail that Drew a Third Part?

The dragon, being a symbol, could deal only with symbolic stars; and the chronology of the act here mentioned would confine it to the Jewish people. Judea became a Roman province sixty-three years before the birth of the Messiah. The Jews had three classes of rulers, – kings, priests, and the Sanhedrim. A third of these, the kings, were taken away by Roman power. Philip Smith, History of the World, Vol. III, p.181, after describing the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans and Herod, and its capitulation in the spring of B.C. 37, after an obstinate resistance of six months, says: “Such was the end of the Asmonean dynasty, exactly 130 years after the first victories of Judas Maccabaeus, and in the seventieth year from the assumption of the diadem by Aristobulus I.”

The Jewish government was composed of three different offices. Kings, High Priests, and Sanhedrim, or 70 Elders. These, in prophetic language are called stars. One of these offices, that of kings, was taken from the Jews; and cast to the earth, that is, Roman government.

Gospel Ministry

We need the gospel leadership.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Wycliffe brought about the first bible. He was a star of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Not all apostles are true, not all churches are of Jesus. The apostolic church first appeared under Pagan Rome. The sun is the gospel, the moon is the shadows and types of the Old Testament. The woman is clothed with the New Testament with the Old Testament under feet.

Revelation 12:6.And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days

The woman fled into the wilderness for 1260 years. The Papacy arose. Three score means 60 years.

Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

The woman was persecuted by the papacy.

Revelation 12:15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

Water is the people, papal armies and monks.  The earth helped the woman.

Revelation 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

Papal armies came to Bohemia and found no one as they were hiding. Protestantism brought restraint to the flood.

Daniel 11:34 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

King Edward protected Wycliffe.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This church can trace her descent to apostolic times, it’s the same woman.

This principle bears with equal weight upon a question that has long agitated the Christian world,–the question of apostolic succession. Descent from Abraham was proved, not by name and lineage, but by likeness of character. So the apostolic succession rests not upon the transmission of ecclesiastical authority, but upon spiritual relationship. A life actuated by the apostles’ spirit, the belief and teaching of the truth they taught, this is the true evidence of apostolic succession. This is what constitutes men the successors of the first teachers of the gospel. {DA 467.1}

The people of God, symbolized by a holy woman and her children, were represented as greatly in the minority. In the last days only a remnant still existed. Of these John speaks as they which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (ST Nov. 1, 1899). {7BC 972.5}

Satan is marshalling his forces for the last great struggle, to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. If we would be true to God, we cannot escape the conflict. But we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Beyond the smoke and heat of the battle, we behold them that had gotten the victory standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. And still there come to us down through the ages, those words of our Saviour, In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  {RH, July 18, 1882 par. 26}

The book of Revelation applies to the seven churches right to the end.  Jesus comes, Christ and his church.  There is one church, one body, one head.  The seven churches are one church.

1 Corinthians 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

A person is only identified by the head on the body.  Christ is the head of the church then the book of Revelation is Christ.

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

In the revelation of Jesus he is walking among the golden candlesticks integrated with the church. I am the Alpha and Omega. The entire book of Revelation was sent to the seven churches.  It’s the revelation of his body in the seven churches. The seven churches are ONE church in seven periods of time just like there is one Holy Spirit with his complete symbolism of seven.  Here is an instrument in heaven that has to do with a living instrumentality on earth – the church. The church on earth relates to the golden candlesticks in heaven which are a living animate body.  We see this when Jesus was working in the first apartment as he went to deal with the candlesticks. What happened with the people on earth?

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This is a ministry that works in harmony with the universe of heaven. They are these angels.