The Removing of the Lampstand: When and How, The Apostasy John writes in Revelation 1:12-13: Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. Here John sees Christ glorified in his holy priestly garb. He is seen walking among the seven branch Menorah, like the Menorah in the Holy Place in the tabernacle. The fuel for its light was pure olive oil, which it needed to burn properly. This oil was to be fed into the lampstand and burn continuously on behalf of the children of Israel. The lampstand in the Old Testament symbolized Jesus as the Light of the World that was to burn continually, giving its light in the Holy Place where the priest would be (John 1:7-9, 8:12, 9:5, 12:46; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Luke 1:78-79, 2:32; Revelation 21:23-24). The responsibility of the priests was to keep the lamp burning. They had to feed it oil and trim its wicks so it would not smoke, but continue to burn without failing to give pure light. It also symbolized the believer, in that the believer is also called the �light of the World (Mt.5:14-17). After Jesus ascended into heaven (John 9:5; Philippians 2:15; Luke 12:35; Ephesians 5:8-9) the believer is also called the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-17). For that reason the believer is also to walk in the light, i.e., His Word (I John 1:7). Therefore the lampstand can also be seen as a symbol of the Church, bringing the light to a world of darkness as representatives of Christ. We see this motif continuing in Revelation 1:20: 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 which you saw are the seven churches. Revelation 1:20 tells us the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Whenever the word stars is used symbolically, it refers to angels. The seven lampstands are seven churches of which Christ is the head. Just as the oil lit up the whole Menorah (lampstand), so does the Holy Spirit illumine all the Churches. The seven individual lampstands symbolize the seven local churches which represent the whole of the Church, not just different ages of the Church. Revelation 1:4 said they already existed in Asia at the time of the writing of Revelation, they were not just future churches or representative of Church ages only. We can concede that these churches are examples of churches throughout all ages and that all seven can exist at the same time in type, as they have throughout history. The last church mentioned is Laodicea, during the latter times the Laodicean church would be dominant one. It is this Church that will be common in the end time and will usher in the apostasy. READ MORE: letusreason.org/Pent41.htm
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 01:06:05 +0000
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