So far we have talked about the Church being mentioned all through the first three chapters of Revelation.
Then we spoke about Revelation 4:1 when Jesus says, “Come up here” and the word church isn’t used again.
So let’s this week concentrate on those lampstands back in Revelation 1 again.
Revelation 1:20 – 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The seven lampstands are the seven churches.
They are present in Chapter 1 with Jesus amongst them in verse 1:13.
Revelation 1:13 – 13and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,”dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
So the fact they are present in chapter 4 doesn’t make a big persuasion that the church is all the sudden present with the Lord in a rapture fashion. There is something though that has changed.
Revelation 4:5 – 5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there was seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
The lamps are now burning before the throne. Is this significant? Before there are lampstands and they are not burning. The lampstands do signify the church so something has changed.
Since the church is not mentioned again after 4:1 it makes one look at the scriptures a little closer and I did notice the difference concerning the lamps and lampstands.
Next week we’ll look at another group in Chapter 4.