What are the Seven Stars?

Tonight I want to address a question I’ve been asking myself lately. We sing, “Seek Him who fashions the seven stars,” but what ARE those seven stars? Well, it turns out there’s an easy answer to that question, and another answer that’s a bit more of a stretch, and I’m the kind of president who’s going to give you both.

The easy answer can be found on the inside cover of the music, where the writer cites the book of Amos chapter Five. Amos 5 is a plea to Israel to turn to the Lord, and that includes listing out the many creations God has made. In the NIV, the verse we sing reads, “He who made the Pleiades.” The Pleiades is a seven-star cluster, a point of reference in the night sky, in the Greek known as the “seven sisters”; it is also referenced in the book of Job when listing out God’s creations. So that’s the simple answer – seek Him who made the Pleiades.

But here’s the stretch answer, and I can’t say if this is intentional or not, or even if it fully makes sense. But if you search the bible for “Seven Stars”, it’s not going to take you to Amos or to Job, but rather to Revelation, Chapter 1.


There John sees a magnificent vision of the Son of Man, who in his right hand holds seven stars. In verse 20 John gets an explanation, “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” – these are 7 specific churches that John is told to relay his vision to. Each church is also sent its own message – some need rebuking, some need encouragement, some need awakening, and many of those messages can apply to us today.

In a way, the seven churches of old are kind of like the Pleiades. Each church had its message from long ago, just as each star produced its light long ago. But when combined together, what began long ago can still be a guiding point of reference that can help us navigate today. So, yeah, that is kind of a stretch, but regardless, the God who created the stars in heaven IS the God who created the early church, and as the song says, He is the Creator, and we shall seek Him.

Let’s bow our heads. Almighty God, designer of the stars AND of the early church, we SEEK You tonight. Thank You for Your messages to Amos, and to John, and to us through song tonight. We give You this rehearsal, Lord. Amen.