Darby Bible
Revelation 1:20
20The mystery of the seven stars which thou hast seen on my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. — The seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies; and the seven lamps are seven assemblies.
Revelation 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
- New International Version (NIV)The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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 are the seven churches.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Revelation 1:20
18and the living one: and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades. 19Write therefore what thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to be after these. The mystery of the seven stars which thou hast seen on my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. — The seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies; and the seven lamps are seven assemblies.
Read all of Revelation 1Revelation 1:20 word by word
τὸ μυστήριον τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀστέρων οὓς εἶδες ἐπὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς μου καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ λυχνίας τὰς χρυσᾶς· οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀστέρες ἄγγελοι τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησιῶν εἰσιν καὶ αἱ λυχνίαι αἱ ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαι εἰσίν.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Revelation 1:20
- Matthew 13:11And he answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given;
- Luke 8:10And he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
- Revelation 1:13and in the midst of the [seven] lamps [one] like [the] Son of man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle:
- Revelation 1:12And I turned back to see the voice which spoke with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden lamps,
- Revelation 2:1To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps:
- Revelation 3:1And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: These things saith he that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
- Malachi 2:7For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.
- Zechariah 4:2And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I see, and behold, a lamp-stand all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, seven [lamps] and seven pipes to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;
- Matthew 5:15Nor do [men] light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lamp-stand, and it shines for all who are in the house.
- Philippians 2:15that ye may be harmless and simple, irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation; among whom ye appear as lights in [the] world,
- 1 Timothy 3:14These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee more quickly;
Commentaries on Revelation 1:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The mystery - That is, the allegorical explanation of the seven stars is the seven angels or ministers of the Churches; and the allegorical meaning of the seven golden lamps is the seven Churches themselves. In the seven stars there may be an allusion to the seals of different offices under potentates, each of which had its own particular seal, which verified all instruments from that office; and as these seals were frequently set in rings which were worn…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The mystery of the seven stars - On the word “mystery,” see notes on Ephesians 1:9. The word means, properly, “what is hidden, obscure, unknown” - until it is disclosed by one having the ability to do it, or by the course of events. When disclosed, it may be as clear, and as capable of comprehension, as any other truth. The meaning here, as applied to the seven stars, is, that they were symbols, and that their meaning as symbols, without a suitable…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-20Verses 12-20 The churches receive their light from Christ and the gospel, and hold it forth to others. They are golden candlesticks; they should be precious and pure; not only the ministers, but the members of the churches; their light should so shine before men, as to engage others to give glory to God. And the apostle saw as though of the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in the midst of the golden candlesticks. He is with his churches always, to the end of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20John must record what he sees because Revelation is an important message for the churches. The angels (or messengers; Greek angelos) of the seven churches could be: the guardian angels of these churches (compare Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15); the leading officials of the churches (compare Matthew 11:10, where “messenger” is angelos); or a personification of the ethos (spirit or character) of the church. The best understanding is probably a combination of 1…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. in--Greek, "upon My right hand." the mystery ... candlesticks--in apposition to, and explaining, "the things which thou hast seen," governed by "Write." Mystery signifies the hidden truth, veiled under this symbol, and now revealed; its correlative is revelation. Stars symbolize lordship (Nu 24:17; compare Da 12:3, of faithful teachers; Re 8:10; 12:4; Jude 13). angels--not as Alford, from Origen [Homily 13 on Luke, and Homily 20 on Numbers], the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 1:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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