Revelation 1:20 (ASV)

Passage

the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

Nearby Context

Revelation 1:18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Revelation 1:19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;

Revelation 1:20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mystery", "seven", "stars", "thou", "sawest", "right", and "hand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mystery" and "seven", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Write therefore the things which thou sawest...", giving immediate footing for "mystery" and "seven". In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mystery" and "seven" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.