Revelation 1:12: “Being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks.”

Praying Toward Jerusalem

John was in the isle of Patmos. The Jews in exile from the land of Judea were taught that they should pray toward Jerusalem according as Solomon had prayed at the dedication of the temple:

“Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, [even] toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.” (1 Kings 8:28)

We know that Daniel followed this tradition while Israel was captive in Babylon:

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10)

“Being Turned” Away From the Fallen Jerusalem

We can understand, then, that John was praying toward Jerusalem and the Temple. From the Isle of Patmos, he would have been facing in a southerly direction. Upon hearing the Voice, John turned. He would then have been facing north. It was as he was facing north that he saw the seven golden candlesticks, (KJV), or “lampstands,” (RSV). John’s “turning”, then, symbolized turning away from the old Judaism to the Church of Jesus Christ, visually represented by the north polar constellations, sometimes known in the Hebrew culture as the Menorah, or seven-branched candlestick of the Temple.

THE CHURCH HAS BECOME THE MENORAH

The “seven golden candlesticks” are the seven churches of Asia, Revelation 1:20: “The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

These same seven are also the seven spirits of God, Revelation 4:5. These same seven spirits are also the seven eyes of the Lamb, Revelation 5:6.

(See also my Commentary at 1:4 “Asia”.)

In Revelation 1:20 the seven stars are the fire upon the top of the lampstands: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.”

These angels are spirits, Psalm 104:4 and Hebrews 1:7, 14. Therefore, in this writing, these are all synonymous and interchangeable to some degree: Lampstands, Churches, Spirits, Eyes of the Lamb, Angels and Stars.

How the Natural is Analogous to the Spiritual

It is probably helpful to understand that there is a natural reality that corresponds to, or is analogous to, the spiritual reality. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse,” Romans 1:20.

For example, the “Angels” of the seven churches of Asia are spiritual entities that inhabit the natural pastors or leaders of the earthly churches. However, the earthly churches are merely the counterpart of a heavenly reality, the Eyes of the Lamb and the Seven Spirits of God. As in all use of analogy, the analogy only holds for certain parts of the entities represented. The two figures are not identical in every respect.

This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book, Revelation in Context, available locally at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma or www.Amazon.com, orwww.XulonPress.com.
Free downloads are also available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.