Jesus in the Midst of the Candlesticks

MF Blume
NOVEMBER 27, 2011


John the apostle wrote the Gospel of John, 1, 2, 3 John and Revelation.

John and 1 John start with allusions to the Book of Genesis.

John 1:1 MKJV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 John 1:1 MKJV  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life,

Revelation has been part of our Kingdom Eschatology Conference last week.

John introduces the book and then sees his first vision of the book in verse 9.

Revelation 1:10-16 MKJV  (10)  I came to be in the Spirit in the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,  (11)  saying, I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Also, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.  (12)  And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.  (13)  And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands I saw One like the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and tied around the breast with a golden band.  (14)  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like a flame of fire.  (15)  And His feet were like burnished brass having been fired in a furnace. And His voice was like the sound of many waters.  (16)  And He had seven stars in His right hand, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

And there is a very particular Book of Genesis, Garden-of-Eden-like element in all of this.

Jesus is seen standing in the midst of seven golden candlesticks.

 

John sees several elements of this vision of Jesus that are worthy of notice.

1)    He is in the midst of the seven candlesticks that represent the seven churches and holds seven stars in his right hand. (Rev 1:13, 16)
2)    He is the first and last and was dead and is alive. (Rev 1:17, 18)
3)    He has a sharp sword with two edges coming out of his mouth. (Rev. 1:16)
4)    His eyes are like a flame of fire and his feet like burning brass. (Rev. 1:14, 15)
5)    He has the seven Spirits of God. (Rev. 1:4)
6)    He is the faithful and true witness, and is firstbegotten from the dead. (Rev. 1:5)
7)    And has the keys of death and hell in his left hand. (Rev. 1:18).

All these things are seen in Revelation 1.

And each of these seven churches represent one of those seven golden candlesticks in the midst of which Jesus stands!

Genesis 2:8-9 KJV  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.  (9)  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Jesus is actually the TREE OF LIFE.

John 1:1-4 KJV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  (4)  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Notice that in Genesis 1, GOD SPEAKS THE WORD and makes everything.

Jesus is the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14 KJV  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

What is also a blessing is that the Garden with the tree of life has rivers with pearl, precious stones and gold in it.

So, like a wonderful tree of life, Jesus is in the midst of a seven-branched candlestick shining LIGHT for the darkness of the world to be swallowed up.

John 1:5 KJV  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:5 ASV  And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

John 1:5 MSG  The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out.

John 1:5 ECB  (EXEGESIS COMPANION BIBLE) the light manifested in darkness;  and the darkness overtook it not

John 1:5 LEB  (LEXHAM ENGLISH BIBLE) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

John 15 speaks of Jesus and the BRANCHES.

John 15:1 KJV  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

The candlesticks were actually shaped like branches of a tree.

Exodus 25:31-33 KJV  And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.  (32)  And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:  (33)  Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

 
Buds, flowers, almonds.

No tree has buds, flowers and fruit at the same time on its branches.

This same picture is seen when they chose out amongst the tribes the tribe that would be acting as priests.

Numbers 17:8 KJV  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

In the holiest of holies, the dead rod came to life and bore buds, flowers and almonds.

 
 
Inside the Holiest would be like being inside the Garden of Eden.

We get our life from Him.

Revelation 1:4 KJV  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;


Isaiah 11:1-5 KJV  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:  (2)  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;  (3)  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:  (4)  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  (5)  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah mentions seven spirits.
 

Revelation 2:1 KJV  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

The first letter to the first church is this picture of Jesus in the midst of the candlesticks.

Revelation 2:2-5 KJV  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  (3)  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.  (4)  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  (5)  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Their candlestick was like a branch coming from Jesus.

Jesus spoke of the branches and said this:

John 15:2-7 KJV  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  (4)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (5)  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  (7)  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

We have to learn to trust in Jesus.

Like the trees of Life on either side of the river of life in Rev 22, the branches that are connected to Jesus LIVE BY THE SAP FROM THE VINE.

When we focus on many efforts and works and lose firstlove, we turn into legalists and carnally motivated believers who no longer depend on the Spirit of God.

And like removing a branch that does not abide in the vine, Jesus said He’d remove the Ephesians’ candlestick from its place.

Revelation 2:7 KJV  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

And he wraps up their word with a reference to GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EAT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE IN THE MIDST OF EDEN.