From Golden Churches to the Golden City
The first lampstand described in the Bible is in Exodus 25, for the tabernacle. The second is in 1 Kings 7, for the temple. The third is in Zechariah 4, related to the rebuilding of the temple after the return from Babylon. Fourth are the seven golden lampstands in Revelation 1:12, 20. The ultimate lampstand is New Jerusalem shining eternally “with the glory of God.”
In Zech. 4 the emphasis is on the Spirit (Zech. 4:6) as seven lamps shining, these seven lamps being the seven eyes of God (Zech. 4:2, 10). The seven eyes of God are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 5:6) for God’s intensified move. This indicates that…the lampstands in Revelation are the reproduction of the lampstand in Zechariah….The shining Spirit is the reality of the shining Christ, and the shining churches are the reproduction and expression of the shining Spirit to accomplish God’s eternal purpose that the New Jerusalem as the shining city may be consummated.*
In Revelation 1:12 John tells us, “I saw seven golden lampstands.” In verse 1:20 “the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” The churches are golden because their inner reality is the divine nature, portrayed by the gold. The shortages in Revelation 2–3 are in the human element, but that does not detract from the inward divine nature.
For New Jerusalem as God’s goal to be reached, the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 4:5) burn for our purification. Eventually all the fallen human element will be in the lake of fire and God’s fully transformed and glorified people will be with Him in the golden and shining New Jerusalem.
———————————
* This is an excerpt from footnote 3 on Revelation 1:12 in the Recovery Version Bible, published and © by Living Stream Ministry. A New Testament of this Bible, with 9000 footnotes, is a available in multiple languages for free from Bibles for America, Bibles for Canada, Bibles for Europe.
Posted by Don on April 24, 2024
https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2024/04/24/from-golden-churches-to-the-golden-city/
