WALKING AMONGST THE GOLDER LAMPSTANDS
The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, BSB)
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” (3) But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it. (4) And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. (5) Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”(Revelation 5::1-5, BSBS)
The guiltless sacrifice from Judah’s tribe was the only one found worthy to open the seals of the end-time scroll. Jesus prevailed over the works of evil taking the eternal keys over hell, death and the grave. Our Lord is here characterised as a lamb, meek and defenceless. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7. BSB). It is a dichotomy of His character when visualised against His mandate as the fearsome Lion from Judea’s tribe. The fierce mighty Lion would roar against the enemies of God.
Our Lord’s many roles are further transposed as Great High Priest “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”.(Hebrews 1:3, BSB). and as the Prophet sent from God. “And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet, Jesus, the One from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:11, BSB) He is also the Great Deliverer of His people to break every chain of captivity and is our Hamashiach Melek ‘King’. “And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14, BSB). For on one hand He is Saviour, but also Judge who will mete out the punishment coming to the children of disobedience.
Our Lord is the Overseer of His Church and in Revelation 1 in the vision given to apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, He is seen walking amongst the seven golden lampstands. “This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:20, BSB)
The significance of walking amongst the lampstands is intended to bring context to His role as ‘Refiner’ to inspect and evaluate the works of His universal Church. The reference to the 7-Churches in the provinces of Asia Minor is a representation of the global Body of Christ. Seven is one of the biblically perfect numbers. We can draw an analogy to the Body of Christ coming under the perfect and complete scrutiny of its works. Everything is laid bare under the probing perfect seven eyes of the Spirit before the throne of God. Every entity is turned over, inside out as the Spirit peruse the full detail of a thing. We can but fall humbly at His feet and release every pain, fear and doubt occupying the mind. All presumptions, folly and sinfulness bringing the spirit of man into captivity is stirred to spiritual consciousness. An emptying of self, unburdening under the weighty revealing Spirit of Truth is forcing global change under the piercing auspices of the eyes of Truth.
The Earthly Priesthood
Aaron served as the High Priest under Moses’ leadership performing his sacred duties in the mobile tabernacle of the desert church. Aaron was required, as a ritual to light the lamps in the temple twice daily, in the morning and at twilight. Jesus is the Eternal Light, a lamp of the spirit that searches the dark recesses of the tabernacle in the hearts of sinful men. The church being the collective group of believers Is under inspection by the probing eyes of Truth. Our Lord sits as the Refiner of the 7-fold heat to purify His people, His Beloved Bride. His endearing love towards His people causes our Lord to move on our behalf to flood our dark regions with the brilliance of the New Covenant temple light. Glorious and searching it reveals everything that is to be known. Even those thoughts, feelings and actions not yet come into the realm of reality are seen and exposed on the radar of eternal knowledge, We are eternally known by the Spirit of God.
Under the Law the once yearly Day of Atonement was significant for the smearing of blood on the horns of the Altar. “Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. “ (Leviticus 16:18, BSB) On this sacred day the High Priest would consecrate himself to go into the Most Holy Place to atone for the sins of the people. “Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.” (Exodus 30:10, BSB)
Survival of the Fittest
The horns being a depiction of heaven’s Pascal Lamb, Jesus was a symbol of the strength of an animal. These creatures are by nature hardwired to fight for territories, to secure a mate and strive for survival. These three survival symbols are relevant also to human beings. They are tied up in the ability of all species to seek-out and adapt to survive at all cost. Survival is hardwired into the ability of species to avoid extinction. Survival is an inherent characteristics of the human spirit. Not only do we fight for existence physically but also spiritually. Unique to the human species is the eternal makeup. 3-part of mind, spirit and soul. Only 1-part of our make-up is finite and degradable. We are therefore driven to fight for dominance and to survive at many levels of our existence
We are encouraged by Apostle Timothy to fight the good fight of our faith and in so doing we gain the strength and endurance to be inheritors of eternal life. The spiritual walk is as an obstacle race. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2, BSB) As we strive for spiritual dominance, fitness and excellence in the face of our Lord we are able to pass on the baton of salvation to many others coming up behind us. Our faith will be culminated in our Lord one day, until then we are to diligently strive for the preserving qualities found in our Lord. The strength of endurance, fortitude and the ability to stay the spiritual course is found on the altar of sacrifice under the radiance of the eternal temple light. “The LORD is God; He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalms 118:27, BSB).
7-Branched Menorah
The menorah is used mainly in Judaism worship. It is highly significant in Jewish life as a symbol of the Mosaic order. It is mentioned in Exodus 25:31-40. Hebrew ‘menorah means ‘lamp’.that burnt in the temple of Jerusalem day and night. The eternal representation is that of our Lord, the Eternal Light burning in the fleshy tabernacles. The Eternal Light penetrates as a piercing beam into regions in a dark world. The menorah light was first lit in the mobile tabernacle and then in the Temple in Jerusalem. The menorah looks like a clumsy 7-fingered hand. One cannot overlook the 7-fold light as the perfect light found in Jesus the Spirit of Light. “…and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,” (Revelation 1:13, BSB). “…and His eyes were like a blazing fire” (Revelation 1:14, (BSB). We are in the season of the completion, and fullness of all things.
It is a time of purification as the Spirit of Truth purge His Church and present it ready for His return. The Bride of Christ is making herself ready for the grand meeting with the Bridegroom. .
The menorah was hammered out of pure gold. Gold denotes divinity. .The Church is being beaten to expel impurities so that we come out of this season as pure gold. As we go through the press, the pure virgin oil is released. Oiled under this flow we become a quality of tabernacle worshippers in readiness for the glory that is to come. In Revelation 8:3-4. the Holy Incense on the Altar of God in the heavens, represented the prayers of the faithful saints. The incense is thought to be the representation of Jesus as the Atonement for sin. In Psalms 141:2 , David declared, ‘let my prayer be set as incense before you’. The wafting aroma would pervade the air and rise before a thankful Lord who takes pleasure in the offerings of His faithful children.
A Spiritual Problem
As our Lord walks amongst His Church the seven eyes of Truth searches out our innermost place of worship. Deep in the recesses of the heart His beam of perfection reveals the hidden depths of the murky heart. The mantle of truth stirs up the labyrinth of the deceitful heart to shift the debris, silt and corruption that sin has deposited. The Spirit of Truth will turn over an order and set up another order that will meet His specification. Even the First Temple artefacts had to be built according to the precise measurements as divinely commissioned. Jesus said, ‘ I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not stand against it’. The gates of hell indicates the war being waged against the righteous Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God and its righteous works is within man. The gates of hell is indicative of the attacks assigned against humankind. It is the devil’s aim to entrap and destroy vulnerable souls who are prone to erring and deviating from truth.
The current Body of Christ has without doubt moved away from the timely instructions of the Lord, the Overseer of His Church. However well intentioned we are, and I believe the true saints are wonderful people, we have veered off track into religion. An inherent predisposition to improvise and hack on with a substitute belies our flawed make-up. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and his wife on realising that they were exposed as their spiritual eyes were opened, sewed together fig leaves to cover themselves. They could not have known that the exposure was a spiritual problem. They had come into the knowledge of spiritual truth that there is a realm of evil and they would now have to discern between good and evil. It would have been an uncomfortable revealing of the true state of the self. They required a covering of grace not fig leaves. The covering of the eternal bliss of goodness was removed and they realised their fallen state. Under the New Covenant, the inner tabernacle in the fleshy abode of the deceitful heart is where Yahweh Makom chooses to reside with man in His universe. From this sacred altar the 7-fold eyes of God works to detect and flush out every corruption. Under the auspices of God there is no place in His universe that He is not privy too. We are not our own but we belong to God.
We think we are our own but every human soul belongs to God even when we choose to exert our free will over the will of God and confess atheism and non-faith. Those decisions will not separate you from a loving Father as the Spirit woo the rebellious heart into His will.
GWENDOLYN SMITH. #NEWPENTECOST. 11th OCTOBER 2021