The Great Ribulation

90 THE QmEAT TRlsul.mm
angels. Why? Because he had already introduced
seven “angels,” or @stuYs, in Revelation 2-3. They
are the ones represented here, even if we grant that
the two sets of “seven angels” are not necessarily denttial.
They are clearly meant to be related to each
other, as we can see when we step back from the text
(and our preconceived ideas) and allow the whole
picture to present itself to us. When we do this, we
see the Revelation structured in sevens, and in recurring
patterns of sevens. One of those recurring
patterns is that of sewn angels (chapters 1-3, 8-11, 14,
15-16). Just as earthly worship is patterned after
heavenly worship (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23-24), so is the
government of the Church (Matthew 16:19; 18:18;
John 20:23); moreover, according to Scripture, there
are numerous correspondences between human and
angelic activities (cf. Revelation 21:17). Angels are
present in the worship services of the Church
(I Corinthians ll:lO; Ephesians 3:10)–or, more precisely,
on the Lord’s Day we are gathered in worship
around the throne of God, in the heavenly court.
Thus we are shown in the Book of Revelation
that the government of the earth~ Church cowesponds to
heaven@ angehk governnwnt, just as our official worship
corresponds to that which is conducted around the
heavenly throne by the angels. Moreover, the ju@ments
that fall down upon the Land are brought through the
actions of the seven angels (again, we cannot divorce the
human angels from their heavenly counterparts).
The officers of the Church are commissioned and
empowered to bring God’s blessings and curses into
fmition in the earth. Church oficers are the divindy ap-