The Apostle John

The Apostle John, having been exiled to the Isle of Patmos by Roman Emperor, Domitian, writes in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and was privileged to see a vision of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. It is in that vision that we read about Him Who is “like unto the Son of man”, and the majestic description of the Lord in all His glory as He walks among seven golden candlesticks. What does all of that glittery language mean? The candlesticks were local New Testament churches, the stars are the pastors of them, and the majestic Christ holding them in His hand is their Commander-in-Chief. John recorded in the tenth verse that he heard a “great voice” and in the very next verse he was directed to write to seven local churches in Asia. Upon turning toward the voice, seven golden candlesticks meet John’s eyes first. Fast forwarding to verse twenty, the candlesticks are clearly defined by that “great voice” as being the seven churches of Asia specifically named and described back in verse eleven and following. So first in John’s vision are the symbols representing the seven churches of Asia Minor, the golden candlesticks which are described more fully in the …show more content…
The symbolism of the candlesticks extends even further in application, representing seven “types” of churches existing in the current age, according to prophecy teachers like Tim LaHaye. In the final analysis, it seems agreed among conservative interpreters that the candlesticks are at a minimum, representative of real, local churches, and given the language in the first chapter of Revelation, one would have to do a lot of wrangling to make them represent anything more definite. The symbolism and literalism are happily married in this passage with no