Here's something updated for the person who asked about 'channels': ....(Southland)
*** w99 12/1 15-16 Be Happy Readers of the Book of Revelation *** Who is the ultimate Source of the Revelation, and what channel is used to transmit it? The opening verse tells us: "A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place. And he sent forth his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John." (Revelation 1:1) To put it simply, the actual Source of the Revelation is Jehovah God, who gave it to Jesus, and by means of an angel, Jesus communicated it to John. A little further scrutiny reveals that Jesus also used the holy spirit to convey messages to the congregations and to give John visions.Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10; compare Acts 2:33.
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Jehovah still uses his Son, the "head of the congregation," to teach his servants on earth. (Ephesians 5:23; Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45) Jehovah also uses his spirit to instruct his people. (John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10) And just as Jesus used "his slave John" to communicate sustaining spiritual food to the first-century congregations, so today he uses "the faithful and discreet slave," made up of his anointed "brothers" on earth, to give his domestics and their companions spiritual "food at the proper time." (Matthew 24:45-47; 25:40) Happy are those who recognize the Source of the good gifts we receive in the way of spiritual food and the channel He is using.James 1:17.Christ-Directed
Congregations5
In the opening chapters of Revelation, Christian congregations are likened to lampstands. Their overseers are likened to angels (messengers) and to stars. (Revelation 1:20) Speaking of himself, Christ told John to 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." (Revelation 2:1) The seven messages sent to the seven Asian congregations show that in the first century C.E., the congregations and their elders had their strong points and their weak points. The same is true today. We will, therefore, be much happier if we never lose sight of the fact that Christ, our Head, is in the midst of the congregations. He knows exactly what is going on. The overseers are symbolically "in his right hand," that is, under his control and direction and answerable to him for the way they shepherd the congregations.Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17.Confused, eh?
Edited by - Lieu on 11 June 2002 18:10:50