Several hundred years afater Zechariah's vision of lampstands, John also saw a vision involving lampstands. John saw seven distinct lampstands before God instead of one lampstand. This reflects an important transition: God had abandoned Israel as His chosen agency and had turned to His seven churches. Again, seven is a perfect number.
When John enters into the experience of the 144,000, in Revelation 10 (John eats the book that is given to him) there is another important transition. Instead of seven lampstands, there are only two lampstands standing before the Lord, but the two olive trees remain unchanged.
With the selection of the 144,00, God abandons the agency of the seven churches and turns to the agency of last resort: the agency of His Word. The remnant will be identified by their allegiance to God's Word, not by membership in some church organization. The two lampstands represent the final agency of God that lights up the whole world with His truth. This agency is the Bible.
The 144,000 will present the final prophetic message that comes from the open book taken from the hand of Jesus. (Rev. 10:8-11) John ate the book which is the prophetic messages coming from Daniel (the Old Testament) and Revelation (the New Testament). The eating of the book means that John "digests" the message contained in the book. Thus, the two lampstands represent the Old and New Testaments-- from which comes the final message of mercy, the everlasting gospel.
Witness 1: two lampstands/OT and NT/Bible/Word of God
Witness 2: twol olive trees/Early and Latter Rain/Ministry of Holy Spirit.
These two witnesses are God's anointed means for presenting His truth in coming days. "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth (distressing circumstances). These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth." (Rev. 11:3,4). God's Word and the Holy Spirit serve the Lord as the final agencies of salvation. For 1,260 literal days the Bible and Holy Spirit will mightily work under most distressing circumstances. They will suffer great rejection, but they will gather the elect of God from all corners of the earth.
YSIC,
MidnightCry
When John enters into the experience of the 144,000, in Revelation 10 (John eats the book that is given to him) there is another important transition. Instead of seven lampstands, there are only two lampstands standing before the Lord, but the two olive trees remain unchanged.
With the selection of the 144,00, God abandons the agency of the seven churches and turns to the agency of last resort: the agency of His Word. The remnant will be identified by their allegiance to God's Word, not by membership in some church organization. The two lampstands represent the final agency of God that lights up the whole world with His truth. This agency is the Bible.
The 144,000 will present the final prophetic message that comes from the open book taken from the hand of Jesus. (Rev. 10:8-11) John ate the book which is the prophetic messages coming from Daniel (the Old Testament) and Revelation (the New Testament). The eating of the book means that John "digests" the message contained in the book. Thus, the two lampstands represent the Old and New Testaments-- from which comes the final message of mercy, the everlasting gospel.
Witness 1: two lampstands/OT and NT/Bible/Word of God
Witness 2: twol olive trees/Early and Latter Rain/Ministry of Holy Spirit.
These two witnesses are God's anointed means for presenting His truth in coming days. "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth (distressing circumstances). These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth." (Rev. 11:3,4). God's Word and the Holy Spirit serve the Lord as the final agencies of salvation. For 1,260 literal days the Bible and Holy Spirit will mightily work under most distressing circumstances. They will suffer great rejection, but they will gather the elect of God from all corners of the earth.
YSIC,
MidnightCry
