And I turned to see the voice that spake with me,
and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
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. His head
and his hairs were white like wool, as
white as snow; and his eyes were as a
flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass,
as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice
as the sound of many waters. And he had in
his right hand seven stars: and out
of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword:
and his countenance was as the sun shineth
in his strength.
Revelation 1:12-16
Symbolism is always hard to understand and we must come to an understanding as to why it is hard to understand and how we can understand them without falseness. History will aid us, and taking time to study about those who are teaching various ideas about a symbol, or symbolism will guide us so that we do not follow after that which the Bible never teaches. Scripture interprets Scripture but also we must understand why Scripture was written the way it was and how we are to understand Scripture. First, and foremost, we are the product of our environment, what has been taught to us, all developing our ideas and understanding. What you read, what you hear, will lead you more than you think and often what we read or hear is taking for granted that it is not harmful, or is the truth, when in fact it may not be truthful and is harmful.
For instance: the early men of the Church held to different views about Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit. In Alexandria a school of Neo-Platonism was founded and this school attempted to bring together Platoism, Judaism, and Christianity. Arius, the bishop that taught Jesus was a created being came under that influence as well as Origen who is noted as being one that used allegory in his writing and held to a belief that God while is immutable Jesus Christ is not, and that Jesus Christ is the creator of the Holy Spirit, and that there are two gods. Some Churches today, the Coptic Catholic Churches for one follow Origen, the Jehovah Witnesses follow Arius, and the Mormons follow both and add even more about God, and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The NIV Bible is translated much from the Sinaticus which is a product of Alexandrian and Alexandrian thought. Some Churches use only a part of those old teachings, such as supernatural healing, for Arius is said to have been healed from a wound he got while working as a cobbler. The Alexandrian School of Theology held closely to mysticism, which we find in those Churches in Greece and other European Churches. So when we read or hear a person teaching about a symbol we need to know from what school of theology he is from and what he believes as truth. All this has led to much speculation about symbols and we must dig through this to get to the truth. So then let us look at those symbols and come to what the Bible teaches and why they were included in this vision of John.
Seven candlesticks should make us think historically as to why this symbol was used here in Revelation. We know from our study that seven was a number referring to completeness, but what about candlesticks. There is an allusion to the seven lamps in the candlestick that was in the sanctuary (Exodus 25:37). These lamps hold light but do not generate light from themselves but only shine forth the light put into them, so this can represent the Churches who have no light in themselves but that which is put into them and is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which dispels darkness and is the means to enlighten sinners and give light to the saints a light by which they, you, walk and work, and are by this light ministers of it, you who are to be the light of the world. At one time this historical candlestick represented one nation, the Jewish nation, but now according to verse 20 this candlestick represents all of Christendom.
This voice, the voice of Jesus Christ was robed down to His feet, and this can mean that He is the High Priest filled with righteousness and is the Mediator. We can think of the robes of the priests, especially the High Priest of ancient Israel, his role as a mediator that once a year went into the most Holy to repent for Israel to have their sins removed. Jesus does not have to go into a man-made temple for He is in the highest of temples for He is in heaven and there represents all who believe on Him every moment of every day.
God is considered to be a most precious metal and Jesus was girded by a golden girdle and this could then mean and denoted of His love and affection for His bride, held together firm and solid is His love for His bride. Hair that was so white, white as snow, and as that old hymn states we are washed in the blood of the lamp and we are whiter than snow. this whiteness represents purity, majesty and His eyes like flame of fire could then represent His knowledge of the secrets of all hearts. As a flame purifies, it can also reveal the innermost and Jesus can see your innermost thoughts. Jesus has feet like fine brass, and brass that has been tempered in fire which denotes firmness and that His proceeding are excellent. His voice of many waters that sound loud and clear represents the power of His word, to be able to remove or destroy. This Jesus will do, for He will remove His bride before He destroys this world and all sin. Those seven stars that represent the ministers of those seven Churches and by extension to all representatives of all Authentic Christian Churches to whom He upholds and directs. the Sword, this two-edged sword represents His justice, His word, and His dividing asunder the soul and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
Jesus shines bright as the sun, clearly, and powerfully, so bright that we as mortals cannot look upon this brightness. John could not look upon it. We have such a symbolism that when understood in light of Scripture without making Scripture to conform to what we believe, rather to allow Scripture to tell us what to believe, to look at how symbols are and have been used by God's people will keep us from following after those who are trying their best to mislead us and to profit from our lack of understanding. May we then obey the word of God and give ourselves wholly to Him for it is He that will, if we allow Him to do so, direct all things and if He directs all things then those things will be a blessing and not a curse to us.
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt
be called by a new name, which the mouth
of the LORD shall name.
Isaiah 62:2
Be wary of what is said: test all things
Richard L. Crumb
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