END OF TIME PROPECIES 027

• His sovereignty over all luminaries:   "and He had in His right hand seven stars"   Revelation 1v16.

The world has an expression  "right hand man."   The man Jesus Christ, now exalted in heaven is God's right hand man.   The right hand in scripture is the symbol of power and authority.   The first mention of this is in Genesis 48v14, where Jacob, as the ruling patriarch, placed his right hand on the head of the younger grandson Ephraim, thus conferring upon him the leadership of the tribe.   The references in the New Testament to Jesus being on the right hand of God are numerous: Matthew 22v44:  Matthew 26v64: Acts 2v33: Acts 7v55: Colossians 3v1: Hebrews 8v1: Hebrews 10v12: Hebrews 12v2. etc.  

The stars which He holds in His right hand are interpreted in Revelation 1v20 as angels.   The word angel can mean "messenger" and probably means the human agency which brings the message(in symbolic terms the light givers);  the Lord Jesus Christ, now exalted, holds them all in His hand.     In chapter 2v1 it is written  "He holdeth the seven stars which are the angels of the seven churches."   The word for "holdeth" is a strong word (krateo) meaning to hold in a firm grip.   Sometimes the word is used in the sense of co-ercion, sometimes in the sense of control, and commission.   What John saw was one in complete control over those who speak the message.  The "angel of the church could refer to the body of elders or the body of teachers, those who bring the light of the truth of God to the church and who are responsible to the Head who is in overall control.