2. What shows that Christ was closely following the activities of first-century congregations?

² Over 60 years after Christ ascended to heaven, he showed that he had been following intently the activities of Christian congregations on earth. In the revelation given to the apostle John, a member of the first-century governing body, Jesus Christ sent messages to seven congregations located in Asia Minor. To five of them he said: “I know your deeds.” And he showed that he was very familiar with what was going on within the other two, Smyrna and Pergamum. He gave specific encouragement and counsel to each congregation. There could be no doubt in their minds as to who was their active Leader.​—Revelation 1:11; 2:1–3:22.

3. To whom were the seven messages really addressed, and what proves this?

³ Actually, those seven messages were not limited in their scope to the seven congregations in Asia. The fine counsel and the warnings they contained applied to all congregations, from the first century down into “the Lord’s day,” where we now are.a Christ’s eyes, likened to “a fiery flame,” have continually watched what has been going on within “all the congregations.”​—Revelation 1:10; 2:18, 23.

8, 9. (a) What vision did the apostle John receive? (b) What was pictured by the seven lampstands and the seven stars?

⁸ The apostle John, a member of the governing body of the early Christian congregation, received a vision in which he “saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands someone like a son of man . . . And he had in his right hand seven stars.” Jesus Christ explained to John: “As for the sacred secret of the seven stars that 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.”​—Revelation 1:12-20.

⁹ Commenting on this passage, the book “Then Is Finished the Mystery of God” states: “Are such ‘angels’ invisible ones? No. The apostle John received the entire Revelation from Jesus Christ by means of a heavenly angel, and it would be unreasonable for him to be writing back to angels in heaven, in invisible realms. They do not need the messages written to the seven congregations in Asia. The basic meaning of the title ‘angel’ is ‘messenger; message bearer.’ . . . As these seven symbolic stars are seen to be upon Jesus’ right hand, they are in his care and charge and under his direction, his ‘right hand’ of applied power being able to direct and protect them. . . . As the ‘seven lampstands’ in the visionary ‘Lord’s day’ pictured all the true Christian congregations in this present, real ‘Lord’s day’ since 1914 C.E., so the ‘seven stars’ symbolize all the spirit-begotten, anointed angellike overseers of such congregations of today.”b​—Pages 102-4.

10. What increased “belongings” have been committed to the slave’s care?

¹⁰ These anointed overseers in Christ’s right hand are all a part of the collective “slave” whom He has appointed “over all his belongings.” Because the slave’s Master has himself been clothed with enlarged responsibilities since 1914, “all his belongings” must involve many more things for the slave than in the past. For one thing, as “ambassadors substituting for Christ,” the remnant are now ambassadors of a reigning King ruling over an established Kingdom. (2 Corinthians 5:20) They have been put in charge of all the spiritual things that belong to the Master on earth. They must serve in fulfillment of the prophecies that apply since the establishment of the Kingdom. This includes preaching “this good news of the kingdom . . . in all the inhabited earth for a witness.” (Matthew 24:14) More than ever, they must go on making “disciples of people of all the nations,” thus gathering in the unnumbered “great crowd.” (Matthew 28:19, 20; Revelation 7:9) Yes, these “desirable things of all the nations” are a part of Christ’s increased “belongings” on earth.​—Haggai 2:7.

11. (a) What do these increased “belongings” necessitate? (b) Who is directing the work, and how?

¹¹ All of this means more work for the collective “slave,” a larger field of activities, extending literally to “all the inhabited earth.” It also requires larger headquarters and branch facilities for supervising the work and for printing and distributing literature for preaching and personal study. As in the first century, this work is carried out under the active leadership of Jesus Christ, who is figuratively “in the midst of the lampstands,” or congregations. He directs them by means of anointed overseers, whom he holds symbolically “in his right hand.” (Revelation 1:13, 16) As in early Christian times, a group of these anointed overseers makes up the visible Governing Body of Christ’s congregation on earth. His “right hand” of applied power directs these faithful men as they supervise the Kingdom work.