53. CHRIST AMIDST THE LAMPSTANDS

Note that Christ appears in Revelation 1:12-13, (RSV), in the midst of the "seven golden lampstands)," and "in his right hand he held seven stars," (vs. 16). In these passages the seven should be understood to mean "seven-fold."[i] Just as the Mənôrâh or Candelabra in the Temple was one and had seven branches, so these candlesticks are joined as one. These same seven are the seven spirits (or Seven-fold Spirit) of God, [ii] Revelation 4:5. These seven spirits are the seven eyes (or the Seven-fold Eyes)[iii] of the Lamb, Revelation 5:6.
Note that there is a distinction between the lampstands and the stars:

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches, [or the Seven-fold, Covenant Church], (vs.20).

The "seven golden lampstands" are the Seven-fold Covenant Church of which the seven churches of Asia are the earthly representation, Revelation 1:20.

In Revelation 1:20 the seven stars are the fire upon the top of the lampstands, as the light of a candle is on top of the candle itself; these are the seven angels of the churches. These angels are ministering spirits, Psalm 104:4 and Hebrews 1:7, 14. 

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God, (Revelation 4:5).

Therefore, in the Book of Revelation, these are all analogous and interchangeable to some degree: Lampstands, Churches, Spirits, Eyes of the Lamb, Angels and Stars.

It must be noted that there is a natural reality that corresponds to, or is analogous to, the spiritual reality.  For example, the Angels of the seven churches of Asia are ministering spirits, spiritual entities, which inhabit the natural pastors or leaders of the earthly churches.  However, the earthly churches mirror the heavenly reality, the Eyes of the Lamb and the Seven-fold Spirit of God. 

As in all use of analogy, the analogy only holds for certain parts of the entities represented.  There is not a total correspondence; the two figures are not identical in every respect.

For the pictorial representation of this analogy, we must look to the visible starry heavens.  Christ is portrayed as at the polar point of the heavens, the cynosure, center of attraction or nucleus, around which the entire universe seems to revolve in its apparent motion. This places Christ, (instead of Jerusalem, as the Rabbis taught), at the center of the universe. "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist, (Col. 1:17).[iv] As the earthly counterpart of the Pole Star, the Temple was considered to be the center of the world,[v] just as the Pole Star was the apparent center of the heavens. The Pole Star has been the guiding star for location and navigation in the entire northern hemisphere since the dawn of history. The spiritual reality is: "God is our guide." 

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross, (Col. 1:17-20).

By picturing Christ at the pole star position, the Revelator is showing Him in His role as the Unifying Factor of the universe, the nucleus that holds and upholds all else in its proper order as well as the polokrator, the power that turns the universe.

The writer of Hebrews says "Consider Christ," (Hebrews 3:1). The word consider is from the Latin root sider which means “star, constellation.” From this come our English words relating to time-telling: Sidereal means “relating to stars or constellations: astral or expressed in relation to the heavens above”; for example, sidereal day, hour, minute, month, or year. As Andrew Murray says: "...(the word consider) suggests the idea of the astronomer, and the quiet, patient, persevering, concentrated gaze with which he seeks to discover all that can be possibly known of the stars which the object of his study are."[vi]

In the pictorial representation, the seven lampstands, portraying the seven churches of Asia, are represented in the starry heavens by the constellation that Americans commonly call the “Big Dipper,” but in other modern cultures is called “The Great Bear.” In ancient cultures it was also variously known as the “Greater Sheepfold,” the”‘Seed Sower,” “The Threshing Wain,” the “Tree of Life,” or sometimes the “Menorah,” the seven-lampstands of the Tabernacle and Temple.[vii]

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[i] See my Commentary at 1-4 "Asia," and "The Number Seven."

[ii] "There is One ... Spirit."  See Ephesians 2:18; 4:4.

[iii] Matt. 6: 22-23:  "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!"

   Obviously, this Scripture does not teach that we should have only one eye, but rather that our two eyes should focus in such a way that we see only one object. We should have a single focus, and not have "double vision." Christ does not have "double vision"! His eye is single, but complex, "Seven-fold".

[iv] The constellation Ursa Major, or the “seven stars” is the word ‘âsh in Hebrew. It was known in Arabic as “the wain” and also as “the nightly watchers” or eyes. The word for “eyes” is `ayin, which also means “a fountain.” It is also used for the numeral seventy. Since the letter `ayin often interchanges with the letter ’âleph, the word ‘âsh may be kindred to the word ’âsh, which see.

[v] From this Rabbinic idea a medieval Jewish poem begins: "Alas, the world's great cornerstone doth lie," (as quoted by Gaster, Festivals, 295.

[vi] Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Abridged Edition, (Forth Worth, Texas, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 76192, 1993), 123.

[vii] See my Commentary at 1:9 "Tribulation" for discussion of "The Threshing Wain."  For "Tree of Life" see Commentary on 22:2.  For further discussion of "Asia" as representing the constellation of the seven-stars see Commentary at 1:4 "Asia."
 
This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context.

My Book is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is also available online at www.amazon.com  or www.xulonpress.com.

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