Revelation 1:12
And eI turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw fseven golden candlesticks;
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
καὶ ἐπέστρεψα βλέπειν τὴν φωνὴν ἥτις ἐλάλησε μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ. καὶ ἐπιστρέψας εἶδον ἑπτὰ λυχνίας χρυσᾶς,
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e:
Exodus 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Psalms 111:2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
f:
Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Zechariah 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Exodus 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
Exodus 37:23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
that is, to see the person whose voice I heard speaking to me: or else, by seeing is meant understanding; but that he might have done without turning; he therefore turned, hoping to see the person that spake.
by these seven candlesticks which he saw, are meant the seven churches; so we find it infallibly expounded, Rev 1:20. We shall find in this book frequent allusions to the Jewish temple: here they begin. In the Jewish tabernacle there was one golden candlestick, and seven lamps, to give light against it; so Num 8:2 Zec 4:2. John here seeth seven. God had but one church of the Jews, but many amongst the Gentiles. This notion, or comparison of churches to golden candlesticks, both showeth us the nature and office of the churches of Christ, they do not give light of themselves, only hold lights, and it is their duty to keep in them the pure word of God, which is a light to our feet, and a godly ministry; and it also lets us know, that they ought to keep themselves pure (as beaten gold) from all corruption as to doctrine, and their members from all scandalous conversation.