The Seven Lamps and Seven Spirits
“There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.” (Revelation 4:5)
THE SEVEN LAMPS
We might be inclined to believe that the seven lamps have the same meaning as the seven lampstands mentioned in the first chapter of Revelation and that, consequently, they symbolize the Church of Christ. However St. John does not use the same word in both of these cases. John uses the Greek word luchnia to describe the lampstand and the word lampas in our text.
In the New Testament, we find the word lampas in the parable of the ten virgins, in our text and in Revelation 8:10. We omit John 18:3 and Acts 20:8 which have no symbolical import. The Apostle John says to us that the seven lamps are the seven spirits of God (verse 5). When we read Revelation 1:4 we note that the seven spirits of God do not represent the seven Churches-the Church of Christ. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ” (RSV). Thus grace and peace were given to the seven churches on the part of the seven spirits. This verse points out clearly enough that the Church of Christ is not symbolized by the seven spirits or by the seven lamps of fire.
Our understanding is that a lamp represents the Word of God. The Psalmist says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105). In the Proverbs we read: “For the commandment is a lamp” (Proverbs 6:23). The word lamp is these texts is translated from the Hebrew word ner, which means “light, lamp” according to Young’s Concordance. The word ner is also used to designate the lamps which were on the candlestick or lampstand of the Tabernacle. We read, for instance, in Exodus 25:36, 37: “The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand [menorah], hammered out of pure gold. Then make its seven lamps [ner] and set them up on it.”
We have already said that the Greek word lampas is used in the parable of the ten virgins. We find it five times in the parable. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out” (Matthew 25:1-4, 7, 8)
This parable relates to the same time as our text, that is, to the time of the second presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has also some connection with our text. The lamps symbolize the Word of God; the oil represents the holy Spirit. The lamps trimmed or put in order illustrate the Word of God giving a brighter light in this time of the Lord’s presence.
Let us analyze now our text, which says “There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.’ The number seven represents completeness, perfection. The lamps, as we know, symbolize the Word of God. The lamps were burning and consequently they were giving light; they were burning before the throne, i.e., in the presence of the King who was sitting on the throne.
In Revelation the number seven means a complete and entire state. The book of Revelation makes mention of seven lamps, seven spirits, seven churches, seven lampstands, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven trumpets, seven plagues, seven thunders, etc. In all these cases it designates completeness composed of seven parts, like the light, which is one and white, but when it passes through a drop of rain and is refracted, gives the seven fundamental colors. It is the same when the white light is decomposed by means of a prism. It produces the spectrum, the series of colored bands. Thus, it is spoken of seven churches, but they represent the only church of Christ; it is also spoken of seven candlesticks, but they stand for the only candlestick which was in the holy place of the tabernacle. In our text it is spoken of seven lamps, but they are representative of the lamp quoted in Psalm 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.”
In the Reprints, on page 5943, section 6 (R5943), we read: “The opening of the seals has progressed during all the Gospel age” We are now at the end of the Gospel age, when the seventh seal is broken and when, under the seventh trumpet, the mystery of God is to be accomplished (Revelation 10:7). The holy Scriptures are being understood more and more, and many prophecies, which were closed during long centuries, are now unsealed. The Scriptures should be entirely unsealed and understood during the second presence of our Lord, as our text suggests it. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne. In other words the lamp, the Word of God, gives complete light in the days when the Lord is sitting on his throne and when fire, going before him, consumes his foes on every side. (Psalms 97:1-3)
The lamps are of fire in the sense that they shed a complete light in the time of trouble; they give their light, as never before, on the prophecies predicting the present time of trouble, of vengeance and of judgment of nations.
We find a similar text to some extent in Revelation 15:2. There was a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image were standing on it and they were singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb with harps of God in their hands. The sea of glass mixed with fire represents the people in trouble, under the judgments of God. The overcomers are the elect, the members of Christ’s body. They had undoubtedly a great knowledge of the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb during the time of trouble.
The lamps were burning before the throne. In the tabernacle the candlestick had seven lamps, which had always to burn. The candlestick was in the Holy, in the first part of the tabernacle. The candlestick itself with its seven branches typifies the complete Church. Our Lord said: “The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20). The candlestick [menorah] represents the true Church as light bearers (Tabernacle Shadows, pages 115-116 [T115- 116]). However the lamps [ner] symbolize God’s Word (Tabernacle Shadows, page 22 [T22]). This thought is confirmed in Bro. MeggisoiYs notes. In the comments of Exodus 37:23, we read:’As each lamp represents the Word of God, so the oil in it represents the Holy Spirit in the Word which causes the light’ “ In Philippians 2:15, Paul says about the Church: “Among whom you shine as lights [Greek phoster not lampas], in the world, holding fast the word of life” (RSV).
In our text, it is not said that the seven lamps of fire were the same as those which were set up on the candlestick. We think that they were not the same, because the candlestick or lampstand is not mentioned at all in the vision of the throne. Nevertheless the ones like the others were burning and giving light. In both cases the light from these lamps represented holy enlightenment, the spirit of the truth (Tabernacle Shadows, page 116 [T116]).
The light emanating from the Word of God shines today as never before, because the Lord Jesus is present, and is already reigning over Zion (Psalms 2:6, 45:6,7). The Lord gave us the promised “meat in due season.” (Matthew 24:45, Luke 12:37), which we specially find in the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures.
THE SEVEN SPIRITS
In the Tabernacle Shadows as well as in the parable of the ten virgins, we may discern that the lamps will neither burn nor give light if they do not have oil in them. Oil symbolizes the holy Spirit. The seven spirits of God suggest to us the plenitude of Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God fully and He has at present a complete knowledge of the Word of God. Therefore our Lord may give His faithful ones, who live in the time of the opening of the seventh seal, a complete knowledge of God’s Word.
If the seven lamps are the seven spirits, how can they represent the Word of God? someone may ask. The Word of God is precisely spirit and life. Our Lord Jesus said: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63, RSV). The Scriptures have been written by men who were guided by the holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter said:
“Because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of men, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21, RSV).
It should be observed that the seven spirits are not exclusively the lamps of fire. They are also the seven eyes of the Lamb (Revelation 5:6). But even in this case, the seven spirits mean plenitude of Spirit. We remember that it is written in the prophecy of Zechariah: “These seven are the eyes of the Lord” (Zechariah 4:10). Nothing can escape t e eyes of the Lord and of the Lamb. The Lamb has the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He has the seven spirits of God. We read in Revelation 3:1: “The words of him who has the seven spirits of God.”
– Antoine Papajak, France