[[@page.3.1.12]][[@bible.87.1.12]]3.1.12 - Revelation [[1:12|bible.87.1.12]] 
I turned to see
John is about to enter into the experience of many other prophets who were given a revelation of the glory of the Lord, usually near the beginning of their prophetic ministry. We think of Moses (Ex. [[33:22-23|bible.2.33.22-2.33.23]]; [[34:5-6|bible.2.34.5-2.34.6]]), Ezekiel (Eze. [[1|bible.26.1.1]]), Isaiah (Isa. [[6|bible.23.6.1]]), Daniel (Dan. [[10:5-6|bible.27.10.5-27.10.6]]), and Paul (Acts [[9:3|bible.65.9.3]]; [[22:6|bible.65.22.6]]). John had been given a previous taste of God's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter and James (Mtt. [[17:1|bible.61.17.1]]; Mark [[9:2|bible.62.9.2]]; Luke [[9:29|bible.63.9.29]]).1 St. John Beholding the Seven Candelabra
2
seven golden lampstands
The symbolism of these lampstands is explained: "the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches" (Rev. [[1:20|bible.87.1.20]]+). The churches bear light, but are not the source of light (Mtt. [[5:14-16|bible.61.5.14-61.5.16]]; John [[1:4-5|bible.64.1.4-64.1.5]], [[7-9|bible.64.1.7-64.1.9]]; [[5:32-35|bible.64.5.32-64.5.35]]; Eph. [[5:11-13|bible.70.5.11-70.5.13]]; Php. [[2:15|bible.71.2.15]]).The "seven candlesticks" . . . are intended to send us back, to the seven-branched candlestick, or candelabrum, which bears ever the same name of λυχνία [lychnia] in the Septuagint (Ex. [[25:31|bible.2.25.31]] cf. Heb. [[9:2|bible.79.9.2]]); the six arms of which with the central shaft . . . made up the mystical seven, each with its several lamp (λύχνος [lychnos] , Zec. [[4:2|bible.38.4.2]]).3
See Interpreting Symbols. See symbolic meaning of seven.
Notes
1 Interestingly, John is the only gospel writer who does not record his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration except if John [[1:14|bible.64.1.14]] be taken as a reference to it.
2 Albrecht Durer (1471 - 1528). Image courtesy of the Connecticut College Wetmore Print Collection.
3 Richard Chenevix Trench, Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1861), 23.
Copyright © 2004-2005 by Tony Garland
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