The Angels of the Churches and the Churches

“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.” Rev. 1:19-20.

The seven stars in His right hand are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven golden lampstands are the seven churches.

Christ walks in the midst of the lampstands and guides the churches with His stars (angels), which He holds in His right hand. He has given these angels authority in the church, and He holds them responsible for their works.

He says to the angel of the church in Ephesus: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Rev. 2:2-4.

This angel had done a good work and had done it well. He had tested those who said they were apostles and found them to be liars. He labored for Christ’s name’s sake and had not become weary. And yet, he had lost his first love—this burning love which is able to draw to Christ and which melts everything and everyone together. He had forsaken the power of this love and had thereby also lost some of his authority in the church.

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen.” When you remember this, it is easier to repent. This was a repentance within salvation. He was still doing works, but he needed to repent and do the first works. The first fire of love, which was so infectious, made those works more perfect than the more cold and calculated way of working that came later.

“Or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” If the coolness that had set in were to continue, the angel’s authority over the church would decrease. The church itself would become like its angel, and it would not be able to remain standing fully in the light, where the Master walked among the lampstands.

The first love does not only express itself as love. It expresses itself as a burning hatred against all hypocrisy and false teaching. It zealously defends the honest soul and does not keep back its sword from blood. Nothing can resist it in the battle for truth and righteousness, because love rejoices in the truth, and for the sake of the truth it passes through desolate places and gives revelations through the leading of the Spirit of truth.

To the angel of the church in Smyrna: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

No one pays much attention to a church that is poor and in tribulation, especially those people who sit in the shadow of the rich and consider themselves to be Jews. Even today they mock poverty and admire worldly greatness, especially if it has a religious undertone. But the Lord says, “You are rich,” and this testimony outweighs, ten thousandfold, the blasphemy and mockery of those who call themselves Jews but who are the synagogue of Satan.

To the angel of the church in Pergamos: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.”

“. . . you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” That means that you live where ungodliness is preeminent, where folly is highly esteemed, and where a righteous soul is vexed day and night by all the ungodliness he sees and hears. Antipas had been killed by these ungodly people, and the angel of the church was next in line; but he held fast to the faith of Christ. This was extremely praiseworthy.

Nevertheless, he had some people within the church who held to the doctrine of Balaam. He should have stopped these people and wrested their false doctrine from them, or warned against them and kept them on the outside. He was not watchful here. How much wretchedness results from false doctrine—in every area of life. We have seen enough of this in our day. The doctrine of liberty has led to all kinds of sin. That is why it is so vital to immediately, and mercilessly, take up a battle against doctrines of demons and these teachings that do not lead to godliness. He who does not have the doctrine of Christ does not have God. An angel of the church who is not vigilant when it concerns the doctrine should not be excused, even though he might possess many other good virtues. Balaam taught in order to gain riches and honor. He advised Balak that he would be able to conquer Israel if he could induce them to commit adultery and eat food sacrificed to idols. Num. 25:1, 31:16. The angel of the church had authority from God to eradicate this doctrine from the church, but for the sake of peace, or out of cowardice, he failed to fight against it, and God held this against him. God has no love whatsoever for peace when Satan is permitted to hatch his plans in the midst of this peace.

“Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” It is not written that the angel of the church accepted the doctrine of Balaam or the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Nevertheless, he had to repent. He had remained silent and allowed these things to go on. In this way, he became their protector. He needed to thoroughly repent from this. When the angel of the church will not fight, then the Lord Himself will come to him. In other words, He will make him incapable of defending those people who promoted the false doctrine; and the Lord will then raise up other people to fight against them.

To the angel of the church in Thyatira: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

The angel of this church had love, service, faith, and patience; he had even increased the quantity of his works. Nevertheless, he allowed that woman Jezebel to rule. She broke down what he built up, and he permitted it. So many churches have been plagued by some woman or other—a Jezebel—who wants to rule. And if the angel of the church allows her to have control of anything, she will soon take the helm from him, and later he will not be able to regain control.

Would it not be better for a man with love, service, faith, and good works to lead with a firm and steady hand than for him to capitulate in weakness to a woman whose works all serve to lead souls astray? She no doubt called herself a prophetess; but such prophetesses—with the same mind as Jezebel—should immediately be cut to pieces with the sword of the Spirit, so they have no time or peace within the church to give birth to their children. Such children are destined to die anyway. Rev. 2:23.

To the angel of the church in Sardis: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.”

This angel was sluggish and apathetic. He had earthly interests that weakened his spiritual life to the point of death. But he still had a name that he lived, and he carried out his ministry as the angel of the church. However, his works were not perfect before God, because if life has died out, then the works will also be dead. “Be watchful!” This indicates that he had not yet entered into a state of spiritual death in sin; he was only dead as a servant of the Lord. His works as the angel of the church accomplished nothing. He was dead in this respect, but nevertheless, he was still considered to be the right man for the task and capable of doing his work. No one else in the church could replace him. God had appointed him to his position, and the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. That is why He only spoke to the angel of the church and entreated him to be watchful, because no one else had the power to strengthen the others like he did. Even though the angel of the church was so ineffective, he still had a few people in Sardis who had not defiled their garments. Their garments were pure, but they could not be appointed to the position as the angel of the church. They did not have that calling from God. But they were pure and would walk with the Lord in white garments.

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

“You have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” This word and this name have a remarkable preserving quality. Even when there is little strength, the name is strong, and the word is eternal. This is also what bound the church together. It was not easy for false doctrines to gain entrance when the angel of the church held fast to His word. Even though there was little strength, the word he held fast to had the power to remove what was impure. This was extremely praiseworthy. God also wanted to honor him for this by allowing some people to come from the synagogue of Satan—those who said they were Jews but were not. These people probably tried to use all their tricks against this angel of the church who had such little strength. There was a reason they belonged to the synagogue of Satan. Nevertheless, because he held fast to the word of the Lord and did not deny His name, they could not overpower him. God would see to it that he overcame them to such an extent that they would fall before his feet and acknowledge that God loved him.

“Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. . . . Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked . . . .”

This angel was neither cold nor hot, so the Lord wanted to vomit him out of His mouth. He said that he was rich and had become wealthy, but he did not know that he was poor, blind, and naked. At one time, he had been so thoroughly immersed in grace that he considered himself to be rich. He lived off these glorious memories long after becoming poor. Instead of taking heed to the voice of the Lord “today,” he returned again and again to old memories of his conversion and baptism of the Spirit. He neglected to live by the word of the Lord “today,” and he drew the whole assembly into these recollections from the past, where they felt rich and powerful. But “today,” poverty reigned, and the shame of his nakedness began to appear.

What he needed was gold refined in the fire. Up to this point, the fire had terrified him. He expected to receive everything without sacrifice, without the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, and without hardship; however, the Lord gave him good counsel: Buy gold refined in the fire.

Some say that the condition of this angel of the church aptly describes the condition of the church in our day. Even though I do not normally give the slightest credence to all their fabricated, cleverly-concocted human “teachings,” especially when these people display blatant ignorance regarding the most basic, vital life-truths, I will admit that this time their words fit perfectly. Never have those who are naked felt so well-clothed as they do now; never have people in their poverty believed themselves to be so rich as they do today. Without fire, without suffering, and without sacrifice, they boast of a tremendous fullness of the Spirit and power. So these words fit perfectly for our day. Without having any knowledge of the most basic and simple truths, they delve into things that even those who are the most mature in Christ must acknowledge that they do not have insight into. They travel around, bursting with self-confidence, speaking about things they have never seen, vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind. They will get what they deserve. They live in Laodicea, and the Lord is standing outside and is knocking. Rev. 3:20.