Quote:
Originally Posted by Mephibosheth
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I agree the seven spirits burning before the throne of God are typified by the seven burning flames of the Minora, but the Minora itself, as one stand-alone unit, typifies the singular Spirit of God. And John faithfully keeps to this imagery in one of his very first descriptions of the throne scene.
..."And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.."
(Rev 4:5)
In other words, the seven Spirits are lamps (of fire), not independent flames suspended in space. It is important to note that John does not say that there are "seven flames burning before the throne.." So, let's go on. Now, these lamps are supported by a single lampstand. All put together, these different components represent the Holy Spirit...a.k.a. the Minora!
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Well I see seven lampstands, not one. There are seven lamps, seven flames, seven spirits, seven lampstands, and seven churches. Where the Menorah comes in is that it connects all seven lampstands. The top of the Menorah is in the throne scene in the imagery of Revelation chapter 1. The seven lampstands are connected by seven hollow tubes (for the oil ascending and descending, see John 1:51) and they have one base, the Menorah, which is on Earth. So the oil from the two olive trees descends, into the base, then rises to the seven lamps before the throne, through the vertical seven lampstands, which are hollow tubes.
Question: how do you refill a lampstand? If you pour oil from the top you will extinguish the wick. So you have a hollow tube of the same height as the lampstand, and fill the hollow tube, and the pressure of the oil going down will force the oil to rise on the other side. So our prayers on earth are a response to the interceding in heaven. The two witnesses had the power to make heaven shut, or open. When we call, "Lord Jesus" it is because our names are written in heaven. There is vertical traffic here. But the lamps never go out. Their oil is always full.
To me, John is saying here, that when Moses and the seventy elders went up on the mountain, and gazed across the sapphire pavement stones (Exod 24:10), they saw seven flames burning there before the throne. They saw a plan of a Menorah, whose top (seven lamps) reached heaven, and whose base (one base) reached Earth. And the angels of God were ascending and descending. This is why Moses built the Menorah, "according to the plan which you saw on the holy mountain." Moses didn't see a Menorah on the holy mountain: he saw seven flames. Moses built the Menorah to hold the seven flames.
Why didn't Jesus say, "You will see heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit ascending and descending" upon the Son of Man? Because it's the same thing, I believe. The angels ascending and descending is the Holy Spirit.
We are clearly in agreement in one regard: the seven lamps/flames create one light, toward the Mercy Seat (throne of God). See Exodus 25:37 “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it." I see one light, fused, in front of the Ark. I see seven lamps and flames, which are the seven spirits of God. I see seven lampstands (vertical pipes), which ultimately fuse in one Menorah, the base of which is on Earth.
So the pattern is - One - seven - One. It was there all along. Lee said the seven flames were a response to the degradation of the churches. I say the seven flames were there all along. This is a major point for the apostle John, I believe. The Spirit didn't "become sevenfold". It was seven flames all along.