Proof of God #34 Revelation 1 The Seven Golden Lampstands. Interpreting the Bible Revelation 1: 12. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, John is declaring this Book to be a Book of parables, not a literal Book of future history as it is so commonly taken to be. He lays out three parables for the churches and explains that in verse 20. The seven golden lampstands represent the seven churches that were mentioned in verse 11, “ Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to La-odicea." He calls them “lampstands,” because they are holders of the “light” of Jesus in a world of darkness. 13. and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; The “one” is of course a reference to God. The golden girdle is a reference to the fact that God has a heart of gold, which is a “soft” metal that is very beautiful. The Hebrew word for “lamp” is Strong’s #3940 and its original meaning is “to drink of a pure life together.” That works wonderfully with the parable of God and the “lampstands.” 14. his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, The white hair defines this “one” as the “ancient of days” or God. The “eyes like flames of fire” references the power of God to create trial and tests as hot as any fire for anyone He sees breaking His commandments. 15. his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; These descriptions are designed to add splendor and glory to the image of God. The burnished bronze” would have the shine of gold, but would be much stronger than soft gold. The voice “like the sound of many waters” is another parable to those “clouds of angels.” Meaning that millions or billions of angels were speaking as “one.” 16. in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. Again as we will find in verse 20, the “seven stars” represent the angels that are in these churches. The “two edged sword,” that comes from His mouth gives the word of God the power of life and death. We live as long as we follow the commandments of God to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves. His face shining “like the sun” is a parable for the fact that God is the “light” of the world, that He shines 24 hours a day. 17. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, Seeing God face to face tends to affect people this way, of course before it happens, God puts the “fear of God” in you. However those who reach this point have nothing to fear from God or they would not be seeing Him “face to face.” 18. and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. This is another “instant fact” realized by those who see God “face to face” He obviously “lives.” Because He appears as someone you have known all your life and you know that God is not just “appearing” in that life, He IS that life. Another “instant fact,” well, almost an “instant fact,” it may take a day or two for God to “explain” how what you see is happening, is that as long as God wills it, not only does God live forever, but so do we. The “keys” to “Death and Hades” are not metal “keys” as we understand them, but the knowledge of “Death and Hades” which I will attempt to explain as we go through Revelation. 19. Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter. Verse 19 is the “key” to understanding revelation and all prophecy. God is unchanging, the God of Abram is the God Jesus. God does not change, but the souls that God is working with to Justify unto Sanctification, are in a state of constant change. 20. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Please note that one star may represent more than just “one” angel. Tomorrow the letters to the churches begin. Gary Sechler With knowledge on loan from God
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:25:53 +0000
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