Bible Dictionary
ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES
The angels of the seven churches in Revelation may represent heavenly messengers, the churches’ leaders, or the churches themselves in symbolic form. The passage does not settle the precise identity, but presents them as recipients of Christ’s messages.
Definition
The angels of the seven churches are the figures addressed by the seven letters in Revelation. The supplied material understands them as figurative and suggests either church bishops or personifications of the churches.
Biblical Usage
The seven angels receive the seven figurative letters addressed to the churches. Their identity is not presented as certain: they may represent the bishops presiding over the churches or the churches themselves in personified form.
Historical Background
In Scripture, “angel” can refer to a superhuman being or to a human messenger. This broader usage supports the discussion of the figurative angels in Revelation.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>It is evident from the contexts of the various Biblical passages in which the word "angel" appears, that the word does not always represent the same idea. In such passages as Da 12:1 and Ac 12:15 it would seem that the angel was generally regarded as a superhuman being whose duty it was to guard a nation or an individual, not unlike the jenei of the Arabs. However, in Mal 2:7, 3:1 (Hebrew) the word is clearly used to represent men. In the New Testament also, there are passages, such as Jas 2:25 (Greek), in which the word seems to be applied to men. The seven angels of the seven churches (Re 1:20) received seven letters, figurative letters, and therefore it would seem that the seven angels are also figurative and may refer to the seven bishops who presided over the seven churches of Asia. Or the angels may be regarded as the personifications of the churches.</p><p>E. J. Banks</p>