Revelation 1:20-2:2 - The Lampstands and the Seven Stars

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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REVELATION 1:20-2:2 - THE LAMPSTANDS AND THE SEVEN STARS
By Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios

Accordingly here in the book of Revelation (Apocalypse) He says the seven stars are the bishops of the seven churches (the word Angel in this context is the bishop.) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches in Asia Minor. After explaining these two points, He does not explain the rest of the book of Revelation. He does not explain it, but he gives the key to Saint John to enable him to interpret the visions. Saint John then passes this same key to every reader in the Church throughout the centuries. So, my friends, the Lord gives the key to Saint John, and through him, to all of us. However, even if we happen to hold the key of interpretation, (and you can see how emphatic I am on this matter) we have an entire book before us with a plethora of images. How will explain all these even if we are holding the key of interpretation? It is not enough if the reader, the interpreter, does not have the spirit of God. Nor only the book of Revelation, but every word of the Lord remains sealed the seven seals in the absence of the Holy Spirit.

So, the Seven Lampstands according to the Lord's interpretation are the seven churches of Asia Minor. They are gold like the seven-light lampstand of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, this signifies the chosen people; and in the New Testament, it signifies the new Israel of grace, the Christians. The seven stars are the seven angels, and the seven angels are the seven bishops of the seven corresponding churches of reference. These seven bishops are the representatives of the one Church. In the book of the Revelation, one of the definitive characteristics of the Lord and His relationship to the bishops and churches is that we see Him walking among the lampstands, among His churches. This shows maneuverability and power; it also shows that He exercises direct supervision over His churches.

The Lord governs His Churches regardless of the savage attacks of the powers of darkness in history, such as heresies -- and to use a contemporary term, all Zionist masterminds who have never stopped undermining the Church, day in and day out, in its two thousand year history. From the moment of the Lord's death the Jews of the dispersion or of the diaspora, those who believed in Christ comprised the people of grace. They became the new Israel along with the gentiles. They formed the Church. Those that did not believe, however, always turned against the Church...

"...Another definitive characteristic of the Lord's relationship to the bishops and the churches is that the Lord holds seven stars in His hand. He holds the seven stars in His right hand, which means that He holds the seven bishops in His right hand. Consequently, the bishops do not govern the Church as representatives of Christ, but Christ governs the Church and the bishops govern in the presence of Christ. The Greek word for spokesperson is ekprosopos, while the word for representative is antiprosopos. We need to make this distinction and to plainly see the spirit of Orthodoxy and compare it to the spirit of the West or the church of Rome. According to Roman papist thought, Christ governs in heaven and the pope governs on earth. He is in heaven and the pope of Rome serves as his representative here on earth. But, does this not contradict everything that we study in the book of Revelation? Christ holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the lampstands, the churches. That He holds the stars in his right hand is a clear indication that the bishops do not govern the church. Christ governs it.

The spirit of Orthodoxy is this: the bishop, the priest, etc. is not the representative, antiprosopos, of Christ but the spokesperson, ekprosopos. He serves in the Person of Christ or from the Person of Christ. The Greek prefix ek or ex- can be translated as from. Therefore, the spirit of Orthodoxy is that the bishops and the priest serve in the Person of Christ and in the presence of Christ. Christ is present. Christ is present when for example a priest celebrates the Divine Liturgy. He gives his hand to Christ. He offers his hand to be used by Christ. In one of the prayers, the priest says to inscriptional outline -- verses four and six of the first chapters, and from the introductory lines of the vision -- verses eight through twenty. For example, "These things says the true witness, the first-born from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. All these things says He who is the alpha and the omega," the beginning and the end and so on. (Source: Homilies on the Book of The Revelation, Vol. pp. 114-118)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George