Revelation 1:20
“the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.”
What does Revelation 1:20 mean?
Jesus is explaining a vision John just saw, and he's letting us know that the symbols have real meaning. The seven stars represent the spiritual leaders or messengers of seven churches, and the seven lamp stands represent the churches themselves. This reassures us that Jesus sees and holds the leadership of his communities in his hand, and that each church is called to shine his light into the world. The imagery reminds us that our gatherings matter to him, and that he's intimately aware of what's happening in our communities, whether we're thriving or struggling.