The Seven Candlesticks Which Thou Sawest
HEBREWS 2:1
1 ¶ Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
The book of Hebrews was written around AD64 which is around 34 years after the departure of John the Baptist who introduced the ministry of the son of man which was Christ himself – this pattern has repeated itself again in this day because we have also had a forerunner that introduce the second coming of Christ, not the corporal body but the same works demonstrated and the same one revealed by the opening of the Word through a prophetic gift.
REVELATION 1:20
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 which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The Seven Candlesticks Which Thou Sawest
Lest We Should Let Them Slip Pt.2 - cont..
We remember from last week that the Ephesian age aimed at the promise of the resurrection but then relaxed and fell short – we are also in an age and have come back to the same place where we must be tested on the same grounds, because this is an age when people are becoming lukewarm, they are letting the things that they once knew to be the truth slip away.
***But where Ephesus failed, we must not fail in this hour – that is why we must not let these things of what God has revealed to us slip away from us as many in the Ephesian age did – they aimed at, and then relaxed.
77-1 EPHESIAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.3
The very name, Ephesus, has a strange compound meaning, "Aimed at", and "Relaxed". The high aspirations of this age that had begun with the fullness of the Spirit, "the depth of God", whereby they were aiming at the high calling of God, began to give way to a less watchful attitude. A less ardent following of Jesus Christ began to manifest itself as an omen that in the future ages the physical vehicle called the church would sink to the awfulness of the "depth of Satan". It had become relaxed and was drifting. Already the age was backsliding. It had left its first love. The tiny seed planted in that Ephesian Age would one day grow in the spirit of error until all foul birds of the air would roost in its branches. So inoffensive to human reasoning would that little plant appear to that New Eve (the New Church) that again she would be deceived by Satan. The Ephesian Age had presented to her the opportunity for God's best, and for a while she prevailed, and then relaxed, and in that unguarded moment Satan planted the seed of complete ruination.
REVELATION 1:10-16
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (he is expecting to see the Lord Jesus, but he sees in symbol form the entire seven church ages of believers represented in the Menorah, or the seven golden candle sticks)
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
REVELATION 1:20
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 which thou sawest are the seven churches.
***The seven golden candle sticks spoken of in the book of Revelation are symbolic of the people of God who would become the elected bride of Christ down through the history of the 2000 years of the seven church ages (these are the ones of whom Christ said that he would lose none - all that the Father had given him, he would lose none of them).
These elected bride members were the ones who responded to the message of God through the message and the messenger for their age – that was what called their name and made them apart of the word for their day.
Because we are at the end time and in the last age, we can now look back upon the history of the seven church ages with a clear understanding because of a prophet and a message that God has sent to us in this hour, but before this age, none of the elect knew what part of the word or even what age they lived in, they just lived out their lives to what they thought was best, but unknowingly they were living out the prophecy for their age and by the anointing for the day that they lived in.
- We want to study a little about this seven golden candle stick lamp stand that was also known as the Menorah in the Hebrew.
EXODUS 25:31-37
31 ¶ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. (Imagine the skill it must have taken to take one lump of solid gold weighing around 100 pound or 45kgs and beating it into the seven golden candle sticks – that takes a master craftsman, that is what God has been doing for seven church ages)
37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
Gold represents deity which we know is God himself, so this was symbolic of God revealing himself in another form of a many membered bride body (called the bride of Jesus Christ) - one lump of deity spreading itself out over a many member body of seven church ages that would take 2000 years for each person to come forth in their designated season to become a part of the body of Christ and manifest their portion under their messenger. All that was poured into Christ was now being poured into the church – God was changing his mask into bride form manifestation.
***Notice also that it was beaten gold. In order to create these seven golden candlestick from just one block of pure gold, the master craftsman had to beat it into shape, and notice that he had to beat it into shape to fit the pattern of the word that God had revealed to the prophet Moses, and so that is why we all must go through the beatings in order to be shaped and molded into the word of what God has promised for each age though the messenger for that age.
***After the master had beaten it into shape, then he would put the olive oil inside it (which represents the Holy Spirit) and then that would be lit up to shine in the darkness of the night of the seven church ages period.
Symbolism of the Seven Golden Candle Sticks
On each of the six side arms were 3 golden almond blossoms together with 4 on the center shaft making a total of exactly 22 almond blossoms.
Each almond flower consists of 3 parts (cups, buds and blossoms/petals). Together they are 3x22=66 almond blossom items. On the center shaft are 4 almond blossoms with a total of 12 flower items. On the left side of the Menorah, there are 3x3x3=27 flower parts on the 3 arms. The 12 flower parts on the stem plus the 27 flower parts on the left side are a reference to the basis of the Bible, namely the 12+27=39 books of the Old Testament. The other 3x3x3=27 flower parts on the right side of the shaft indicate the 27 books of the New Testament.
Between the 22 almond blossom flowers, there are 21 connections.
From the lowest flower to the top flower on the shafts to the 7 lamps, there are 27 (3x8+3=27), and together with the highest connection from the top flower on the shaft of the middle lamp, there are a total of 28 (4x7) connections. Together (22+28) they are 50 parts + 7 lamps (50 is 7x7 which is 49 and +1 = 50 which is jubilee), and we know that 50 is also representing the bride age after the seven church ages have run out.
**It is said that the almond tree is the first tree in Israel which awakes from its winter sleep to life and blooms and so the white almond blossom is a symbol of life and purity. Every single almond blossom on the Menorah was to consist of three parts, namely, the cups, buds and blossoms (petals). Together they are 3x22=66 single flower parts which represents the 66 books of the Bible.
The bible is the complete revelation of God, and that revelation includes you and I, and so the seven church ages of people represented in the Menorah is the entire revelation of God in the form of a many membered bride of seven Church ages.
THE.END.TIME.SIGN.SEED_ TIFTON.GA MONDAY_ 62-0319
E-77 … God is known by His numbers. Three is perfection, and seven is worship; twenty-four is worship; forty is temptation; fifty is Pentecost, jubilee (See?), so forth. All of His numbers, His numerals of God is perfected, is in perfection.
There are:
• 22 Almond blossoms of the Menorah
• 22 Letters in the ancient Hebrew alphabet
• 22 Scrolls of the Old Testament which include the 39 books of the Old Testament.
• 27 Connections in the flowering area of the Menorah
• 27 Letters in the ancient Greek alphabet (with digamma, koppa, sampi)
• 27 Scrolls of the New Testament
50-1 PATMOS.VISION - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.2
When John turned he saw seven golden candlesticks. Actually they were lampstands. And according to verse 20, they are the seven churches:
"the seven candlesticks that thou sawest are the seven churches."
To represent the churches they could hardly be candles. A candle burns but awhile and then is burned out. It dies. There would be no more to it. But lampstands possess a lasting quality not found in candles.
If you want to get a beautiful picture of the lamp, read about it in Zechariah 4:1-6,
"And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof.
And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my Lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my Lord.
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My 'Spirit', saith the Lord of Hosts."
Here is another lamp of pure gold. It is burning brightly because it has plenty of oil which it is getting from the two olive trees, which stand on either side. The two trees represent the Old and New Testament, and of course the oil typifies the Holy Ghost, Who alone can give the light of God to the people. The angel who spoke to Zechariah was as much as saying "this what you see means that the church cannot accomplish anything by its own might or power, but by the Holy Ghost."
Now examine this lampstand. You will notice that it has a large bowl, or reservoir, that is central to seven arms that come out of it. This bowl is filled with olive oil which flows through seven wicks which are placed in the seven arms. It is the same oil that burns and makes a light at the end of the seven pipes. This light never went out. The priests just kept pouring oil into the bowl.
The lamp was lit in a special way. First, the priest took fire from the sacred altar which was originally lighted by the fire of God. He lit, first of all, the lamp that was sitting on top of the bowl. He then lit the second lamp from the flame of the first lamp. The third lamp received its fire from the second lamp, as did the fourth receive its from the third, and so on, until all the seven lamps were burning. This holy fire from the altar, being passed from lamp to lamp, is a wonderful type of the Holy Spirit in the seven Church Ages. The original outpouring of Pentecost (which outpouring came direct from Jesus on the Mercy Seat) is enduing His Church through all the seven ages, and showing forth perfectly that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever, the never changing God in His essence and His ways.
***The reason it was candle sticks (lamps) was because the church would enter into a night time period because the original light of the SON (the word of God) would be diminished and the church would enter into seven church ages of the absence of the SON light of the day time, that is why after the seven church ages it is the rising of the SON again, that is what has taken place in these last days under this message of the revealing of the son of man by the opening of the word, the SON has risen age – “It IS the rising of the SON” – “Shalom, good morning bride, the SON has risen”.
366-5 A.RESUME.OF.THE.AGES - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.10
With these principles in mind we start to trace the church through the various seven ages.
The birth of the church was at Pentecost. As the first Adam was given a bride fresh from the hand of God and was undefiled for a brief span, so was Christ, the last Adam, given a bride pure and fresh at Pentecost; and she remained separate and undefiled for some time.
"And of the rest durst no man join himself to them" (Acts 5:13) and "The Lord added daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47.
How long this continued we do not know, but one day even as Eve was tempted and seduced by Satan, so the church was contaminated by the entrance of an antichrist spirit.
"And this is that spirit of antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world." 1 John 4:3.
And Jesus said concerning His bride in that first age, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent." Revelation 2:4-5.
The church was in that first age already a 'fallen woman.' As Satan had gotten to Eve before Adam, even now had Satan seduced the church, the bride of Christ, before the 'marriage supper of the Lamb.' And what specifically was in her midst that caused the fall? What but Revelation 2:6, "THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANES." Already that first age had turned from following the pure Word of God. They turned from God's demand of a church absolutely dependent upon Him (depending entirely upon God to fulfill His Word from start to finish apart from human government) to Nicolaitanism, which is organizing a human government within the church which as all governments do, legislate for the people. They did exactly what Israel did. They took the expediency of human government instead of the Word and the Spirit.
Death had entered. How do we know? Do we not hear the voice of the Spirit raised in that first age for all who will hear, as He is calling. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life in the paradise of God." The church had already imbibed too deeply of the tree of death (or the denominational false vine) whose end is the lake of fire. But there are no cherubim with flaming swords to guard the Tree of Life now. God does not now depart from the midst of the church as He departed from Eden. Oh, no, He will ever be in the midst of His church until the final age. And until that time He calls to all to come.
Now please let us be careful here. This message to the angel of the church which is at Ephesus is not a message to the actual local Ephesian church. It is a message to the AGE. And that age had in it the seed of truth and the seed of error exactly as set forth according to the parable of the wheat and the tares. The church ages is the field, and in it are wheat and tares. The false church organized, humanized the government and the Word, and fought the true Christian.