This past Sunday, we saw John’s breathtaking vision of the risen Christ in Revelation 1:9–20. John describes Jesus as standing among seven golden lampstands and holding seven stars in His right hand. For the sake of time, I didn’t linger on one interpretive question in the sermon—but I’d like to follow up with it here: Who are the “angels of the churches?”

Let’s begin with what is unmistakably clear. In Scripture, the right hand is the hand of strength and authority. So when John tells us that Jesus holds the seven stars in His right hand, the message is simple and powerful: Christ reigns. He does not answer to anyone—everything answers to Him. This is what John makes clear is most important to understand.

Before exploring the two main interpretations of the angels of the churches, let me offer a brief pastoral word. Not every detail in Revelation carries the same theological weight. Some truths we hold tightly—like who Jesus is and what He has done. Other questions invite careful study and humble discussion. Faithful believers have sometimes disagreed on symbolic details while standing shoulder to shoulder on the gospel. This is one of those areas. So let’s look at the two main views.

View One: The Angels Represent Pastors or Church Leaders

The Greek word angelos simply means “messenger,” and in Scripture it can refer to human messengers as well as heavenly beings (e.g., Luke 7:24; James 2:25). Supporters of this view note that Revelation 2–3 contains very practical commands—repent, remember, hold fast, shepherd faithfully—that must ultimately be carried out by people within the church. They also emphasize that Scripture consistently places spiritual responsibility on church leaders: they are called to watch over souls (Heb. 13:17), shepherd God’s flock (1 Pet. 5:2–3), guard sound doctrine (Acts 20:28–31), and will give account to Christ for their ministry.

Advocates also point out that each church has only one “angel,” which fits naturally with the idea of representative leadership. Throughout the New Testament, God often addresses His people through their leaders (cf. Mal. 2:7, where priests are called God’s “messengers,” and Rev. 2–3 follows a similar pattern). In addition, the letters feel distinctly pastoral in tone—evaluating spiritual health, confronting sin, encouraging perseverance, and calling for repentance—suggesting Christ is speaking directly to those entrusted with guiding the congregation.

This view also highlights Christ’s authority over His under-shepherds. If pastors are the “stars” in His hand, the imagery becomes deeply personal and sobering: Christ appoints leaders, sustains them, evaluates their faithfulness, and can remove them (Rev. 2:5). Many find this reading compelling because it underscores pastoral accountability while affirming that every church leader serves under the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4).

View Two: The Angels Are Heavenly Beings Connected with the Churches

Others understand the angels to be actual heavenly beings. Throughout Revelation, John consistently uses the word angel to describe spiritual beings, and nowhere else in the New Testament are pastors called angels. The imagery of stars also often carries heavenly associations, and Revelation regularly presents earthly realities alongside unseen spiritual counterparts.


In Revelation especially, angels deliver revelation (Rev. 1:1; 22:6), worship Christ (Rev. 5:11–12), restrain judgment (Rev. 7:1), fight spiritual battles (Rev. 12:7–9), and carry out God’s purposes across the earth (Rev. 8:2–6; 14:6–7). Some passages even suggest angels have a guarding role connected to God’s people (Matt. 18:10; Acts 12:15; Dan. 10:13, 20–21). From this perspective, each church has a kind of heavenly counterpart. John is pulling back the curtain to show that what happens in local congregations is tied directly to heaven itself.

Some have also approached the passage by stepping back and asking what kind of vision Revelation 1 actually is. First and foremost, it is a vision meant to display the magnificence, supremacy, and authority of the risen Christ. John is not simply being given information about church structure—he is being granted a heavenly unveiling of Jesus in glory. Every detail in the scene serves that purpose. Christ stands radiant among the lampstands, His voice is like many waters, His face shines like the sun, and He holds the stars in His right hand. The entire vision lifts our eyes above earthly realities and fixes them on Christ’s sovereign rule.

From that perspective, some suggest the stars fit naturally as angelic beings—part of Christ’s heavenly administration—rather than human leaders. Throughout Revelation, angels repeatedly appear as instruments of Christ’s power, carrying out His will, delivering His messages, restraining judgment, and executing His purposes. Read this way, John is seeing Christ surrounded not by church officers, but by symbols of His cosmic authority. The emphasis is not on leadership structures within the churches, but on the reality that Jesus governs His people through both visible and invisible means.

A natural question with this view is: If these are literal angels, how do they carry out Jesus’ commands—and why would Christ address His churches through them? Advocates respond that angels are not replacing human responsibility. The calls to repent, persevere, and remain faithful are clearly directed to the churches themselves. The angel is simply a representative addressee, highlighting that Christ’s words come with divine authority and that heaven stands behind every command, warning, and promise.

Where I Land

I genuinely see biblical strengths in both views, and I want you to feel free to study the text and reach your own conclusion. This is not a test of faithfulness. Personally, I lean slightly toward understanding the angels as heavenly beings, largely because of John’s consistent use of the word angel throughout Revelation and the book’s strong emphasis on the unseen spiritual realm. Still, I hold that position humbly, and I respect those who see it differently.

What John makes unmistakably clear is this: whoever the stars represent, they are held in Christ’s right hand. He walks among His churches. He rules over every authority—earthly and heavenly. And He speaks to His people not as a distant observer, but as the risen King who governs their future. May all of this lead us not merely to deeper understanding, but to greater worship of our sovereign Savior!


Pastor Tyler