He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
20The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.
The apostle John identifies several congregations of believers in western Asia Minor to whom he sent this book. The first one mentioned in his letter is Ephesus, where he apparently lived, and the remainder on a Roman circuit, which are Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev 1:11 lists each of these).
John greets his readers with the Greek and Hebrew words grace (charis) and peace (shalom).[1] This grace and peace comes from the eternal God and the seven Spirits who are before His throne. These seven Spirits may refer to the seven angels of the seven churches in chapters 2-3, to seven angels mentioned in Rev 8:2, or to the fullness of the Spirit of God referred to in Isaiah 11:2.[2] At times the numbers in the book of Revelation, and other places in the Bible, have a meaning beyond the literal meaning of the text.[3]
[1] See the Word Study on grace and peace at 1 Corinthians 1:3.
[2] See the discussion on the seven spirits of God in Isaiah 11:2.
[3] Reference to John Jefferson Davis, Biblical Numerology: A Basic Study of the Use of Numbers in the Bible.