Welcome again this week to the “Front Porch.”
We are continuing our 2019 journey in the book of Revelation, recently looking at one of the most interesting churches of Asia to whom Christ pens a letter. The title for that study is telling: “The Church with a Flickering Flame.” This study examines the church at Ephesus, as seen in Revelation 2:1-7.
This theme of our lamps burning emerges early on in the book of Revelation. In fact, the first image John sees in his visions are seven golden candlesticks, or lampstands.
Immediately we pause at seeing those lampstands with John, and wonder: What do they symbolize? It is one of the first important searches we undertake in the study of the book.
After John hears the thunderous voice of Deity behind him on that momentous Lord’s Day on the isle of Patmos, the first sight he sees when he turns around are these seven golden candlesticks (1:12). Of the myriad images in Revelation, this one is the easiest to interpret. We’ll see why momentarily.
Upon our hearing of these candlesticks, our minds immediately go back to the tabernacle of old where God commands Moses to make a candlestick of pure gold (Exodus 25:31). The Lord goes on to lay out the instructions that it is to have six branches stemming from it, three on each side – thus giving the candlestick seven flames, including the flame at the top.
I am sure this candlestick with the seven flames that sits on the south side of the tabernacle pictures the light of God’s people, a light shining as flames for the world for ages to come. The Lord commands those flames to burn continually – Exodus 27:20 – even as our lights are ever to shine today in the blessed church of our Lord. To assure the lights never go out, the Lord ordains the Levitical priests to trim those lamps twice in the day, once in the morning and again later in the afternoon.
We are not surprised to see a similar picture in the Revelation letter. The difference between the lampstand in the Old and the lampstands of Revelation is that John sees seven, not one. Where they are similar is that both have seven flames – showing their powerful influence – and both are made of gold, illustrating tremendous value.
We are glad that the Lord does not leave us to wonder about the meaning of these seven candlesticks: The “seven candlesticks,” He says, simply, “are the seven churches” (1:20), speaking of the seven churches of Asia the Lord had just named: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (1:11).
They are not, of course, seven separate denominations. Instead, they are seven local congregations of the Lord’s one body, located in these seven different cities. The fact that there are seven instead of one likely points to their being autonomous, each congregation being self-governed while still being connected in fellowship with all the others. In addition, “seven” – being a number of completeness and perfection throughout the Bible – shows us that these seven churches represent the churches of Christ of every age, nation, and locality. The Lord, you see, walks in the midst of all the congregations the world over, examining and observing their spiritual state.
In short, He is watching us today and every day. He knows all too well the condition of our hearts continually. He knows whether our spiritual flames are burning brightly, and He knows if they are flickering and growing dim. Think on that a while.
Now, with the mental image of these seven lamps burning in our minds, we come to some soul-searching questions for today: What will the Lord find, friends, when He walks in the middle of the churches today? Will the Lord find us all strong and well? Will our lamps be burning brightly, our hearts on fire for the Lord like a Daniel or Paul?
Or will some of the flames of our spiritual lives be flickering like a flame in the wind?
The Lord knows.
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