the resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ, not by mentioning his own name but by telling known things about himself. Then he told John: “Write down the things you saw, and the things that are and the things that will take place after these. As for the sacred secret of the seven stars which you saw upon my right hand, and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars mean the angels of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands mean seven congregations.” (Rev. 1:19, 20) These congregations picture the entire congregation on earth today of the spirit-begotten, anointed followers of Jesus Christ, all joint heirs with him of the kingdom of the heavens. In the Revelation the promises made to them are incorruptibility and freedom from the “second death,” a crown of rulership and authority over the nations to dash them to pieces at Armageddon, a position in the heavenly temple and in the New Jerusalem and a seat with Jesus Christ on his heavenly throne. (Rev. 2:7, 10, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 6, 11, 12, 21) Each of the seven lampstands pictures a congregation of these members of the “little flock” to whom the heavenly Father has approved of giving the kingdom.—Luke 12:32.

30. What today would the Speaker’s walking in the midst of the seven lampstands picture, and who today have been associated with the seven symbolic lampstands since 1931?

³⁰ As the number seven is used in the Bible to symbolize what is spiritually perfect, the seven lampstands would picture all the congregations of these Kingdom heirs, or all those Kingdom heirs yet on earth who are viewed as but one indivisible congregation, with Jesus Christ as their spiritual Head. So his walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks would signify how today he is invisibly present with his entire congregation on earth and walking among them, inspecting them and expressing his judgment. With this congregation of his Kingdom heirs yet remaining on earth there is now associated a “great crowd” of other sheep, whom the Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has been gathering since the summer of 1931. This “great crowd” was pictured at Revelation 7:9-17.

31. What does Jesus have in his right hand, what do these picture, and why could not spirit creatures be meant here?

³¹ But what is it that the glorified Jesus has in his right hand? Seven “stars.” These have a relationship to the seven lampstands. As the seven lampstands picture the seven congregations of the anointed remnant of Kingdom heirs, so the seven stars stand for the “angels of the seven congregations.” Who, then, are these angels of the seven congregations? Unseen spiritual angels in heaven, who accompany Jesus Christ when he, the glorified Son of man, comes in the glory of his heavenly kingdom? Not at all. We are not to understand that each earthly congregation of the anointed remnant has its own angel in heaven who shines down upon it. No; for were that the case, Jesus up in heaven could give his messages directly to them concerning the seven congregations. To the contrary of this, Jesus commands the apostle John to write to each angel of each congregation about its condition. John on earth could not write to unseen spirit angels in heaven. How would John know which one was the star of which congregation? How would he deliver or send the message from Jesus to each star and to the proper one?

32, 33. Whom, then, do the seven stars picture, and since what notice in The Watchtower have “other sheep” been made overseers?

³² It is reasonably clear, therefore, that all seven stars in Jesus’ right hand picture the entire body or complete number of overseers of the entire congregation yet on earth of the remnant of anointed Kingdom heirs. Each star pictures the overseer or group of overseers placed in charge of each congregation of the anointed remnant. No particular person of such and such a name is pictured in the case of any star, because the individual in the position of overseer may change in the course of time by reason of death or other circumstances. But the office of overseer, not vacant but actually filled by some individual who meets the requirements, is pictured by each star. The stars picture spirit-anointed overseers who, like their congregations, are joint heirs of the heavenly kingdom with Jesus. It was first some years after the Right Shepherd Jesus Christ began gathering his “other sheep” that some of these, according to the needs of the situation, were put in positions of overseer by the “faithful and discreet slave” class. It was first in the year 1937, in the May 1 issue of The Watchtower (page 130), that the following notice was published:

³³ “COMPANY SERVANT – Proclamation of the kingdom message is all-important now. It is the duty of the anointed to vote as to who shall be company servant; but ‘hewers of wood and drawers of water’ (Josh. 9:21-27) may serve. (Deut. 16:12-15; 29:11) When there are none in the company capable of filling the places of company servants or service committees and there are Jonadabs who have the ability and zeal, let the Jonadabs be placed on the service committee and give them opportunity to serve. The work should not drag because some of the company have lack of zeal. The gospel must now be proclaimed.—Matt. 24:14.”

34. What was the purpose of a sacred lampstand, and what now is the purpose of a symbolic lampstand?

³⁴ A lampstand is filled with oil and lit for the purpose of shedding light to those in the house or in the temple. The sacred tabernacle erected by the prophet Moses in the wilderness of Sinai had one lampstand stationed in the first compartment or in the Holy. But in the Holy of the temple built by King Solomon there were ten golden lampstands, five on the north side and five on the south. (Ex. 25:31-40; 26:35; 40:24, 25; 2 Chron. 4:7, 20; 1 Ki. 7:49) A symbolic lampstand or congregation of anointed joint heirs of the Kingdom must serve its purpose, namely, to let the light shine; and Jesus Christ who walks in the midst of the seven symbolic lampstands will, as High Priest without need of a pope on earth, see to it that these congregations do shine.

35. How should an overseer shine like a star compared with a lampstand, and with what light should all members of the congregation shine?

³⁵ A star in the skies shines higher than does a lampstand on earth. In like manner, one who fills the office of overseer in charge of such a congregation should shine over and above those other members of the congregation. He should be outstanding like a star in letting the light of the good news of God’s kingdom shine to the members of the congregation and to the “other sheep,” those already gathered in or those yet to be gathered in to form “one flock” with the anointed remnant. (John 10:16) Of course, in a general sense, all members of the congregation must shine with spiritual light from heaven: “Be blameless and innocent, children of God without a blemish in among a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as illuminators in the world.” (Phil. 2:15) Specifically concerning this “time of the end” of the world God’s angel prophesied to Daniel: “They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Dan. 12:3, AS) True to that prophecy, all wise members of the congregation should shine like stars, but their overseer especially so, just as starlight compares with lamplight. Lamplight does not carry very far; starlight does. Overseers must be examples of light-bearing.

Overseers in the Right Hand of Christ

1. To which congregation was John instructed to write first, and what farewell words of the apostle Paul may some of its overseers have heard directly?

“TO THE angel of the congregation in Ephesus write: These are the things that he says who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.” (Rev. 2:1) In obedience to this command from the glorified Christ, John doubtless did write to the overseer or group of overseers over the congregation in Ephesus. In John’s day some of these older men may have met the apostle Paul years before, when he said these words of farewell: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son]. I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore keep awake.” (Acts 20:28-31) John was now on the penal island of Patmos, not so far from Ephesus, and he would see that the overseers in Ephesus, as well as the overseers of the other named congregations in Asia Minor, would get the entire Revelation with its specific message to each congregation.

2. By his opening words, what did Jesus remind the Ephesian overseers of, and what today did the conditions in the congregations back there picture?

² By his opening words of address Jesus Christ reminded those Ephesian overseers, as well as those of all the other congregations, that they were in his right hand, within his power and control and within his favor and protection. “No one will snatch them out of my hand,” said he. (John 10:28) Likewise in these apocalyptic times the overseers, especially the spirit-anointed overseers, over the congregations of God’s flock are reminded that they are in Christ’s hand and they must be guided and used by his hand and not resist or fight against it. Today there is no congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses at Ephesus near the coast of the Aegean Sea. But the condition in the congregation back there foreshadowed the condition that may be true in a congregation or in congregations of the Christian witnesses of Jehovah today. The conditions in all the seven congregations named in Asia Minor were used to picture the different conditions obtaining here and there today among the congregations of God’s flock. It is therefore proper for the congregation “stars,” the anointed overseers of all the congregations, to be notified of the conditions that correspond with those foreshadowed in Christ’s messages to the seven congregations