Perhaps the distance from the center lamp on the Menorah is a measure of how hot or cold the entity is. For the heavenly bodies, the respective temperatures are Saturn (140 C), Venus (464C), Aries (8200K – 11000K), Jupiter (-110C)), (Mercury (167C)), (100C to -173C). The shortest distance from the Earth are Aries (the furthest), Saturn (1200mK), Venus (38mK), Jupiter (66`mK), Mercury (77mK), and the moon (.0003mK).
Based on size and brilliance of their illumination, the
distance and sizes are not what they appear to be. The moon appears to be closer
than the brightest, largest, and most brilliant sun of Aries, but it is really
the smallest and closest. The point is that the heavenly bodies are not what
they seem to be based on sight! However, God knows their true attributes. He
placed them in a different order than what they would appear. Enoch saw them in
order: Saturn, Venus, Aries, Jupiter, Mercury, and finally, the moon. We do not
what metrics that Enoch used, but that is how he saw the heavenly circle.
Illumination seems to be important for each place in the
heavenly circle. Aries is the most illuminated but appears dim while the moon
is the least brilliant and seems the brightest. The heavenly circle, therefore,
is not what it seems to be and I will make no attempt to order their brilliance
of theor illuminations. At any rate, the seven heavenly bodies appear to be
one thing represented by the Menorah.
In scripture, another thing is the universal Church.
Whereas, the seven heavenly bodies represent the visible universal light, the
seven churches of Asia, perhaps, represent the illumination of the bodies in the
universal Church.
Because Christians are “lively stones” in the pillar of the
Church, the seven churches in Asia represent the Seven Pillars of the Universal
Church. The Catholic (Universal) Church is not included as one of the true Churches,
for at that time, it was not recognized. Although it was already there it was
not recognized even though it was “the world” at that time!
The seven pillars of the Church (Rev 13:2) are made of “lively
stones” of which God’s Spiritual House is built (1 Pet 2:5). The seven pillars
resemble what? The Menorah. The seven churches of Asia were the Seven Pillars of
Christianity. Islam also has its seven pillars, but they are holy mountains,
as they see them. They are the Seven Pillars of Islam, and they represent seven
different lights (doctrines) of Mohammad. Judeo-Christians have the real
Menorah, and the Muslims only replicas that will do them no good!
God revealed the Menorah to John: “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” (Rev 1:20).
God revealed the same revelation to Enoch and to John with
those Words. The heavenly bodies of Enoch (stars) were in Jesus’s hand. He
created them. Each “star” has their angel, much as the heavenly bodies represent
angels in their courses. Just like the stars in the heavenly bodies, the seven churches
of Asia parallel them. Like the heavenly bodies that appeared differently to
the eyes of the beholder, the seven churches were not what they seemed to be.
If they are examined, based on proximity to Jerusalem, the
place of the First Tabernacle where God rested, their proximity to God would be
obvious. Rather than world, or global, metrics, God established His own — how
well each church was illuminated. It is extremely difficult for us to measure
the illumination of each Church, but God’s metrics were how much Light each church
reflected.
If distance from the Light of God is the metric, then God
would spew the Laodocian church from His mouth. It was the lukewarm church and
like vomit to God. Lukewarm is neither hot nor cold (Rev 2:14-22). Laodician
would be the “star” Aries. It is not truly a star but appears to be from the
world. It is not what it seems. Although it is hot out there, its temperature
is cool to the world. It should not be a heavenly body nor a pillar in the
church. That light on the Menorah would have no place there, and neither would
a lukewarm church.
Jesus was over the lampstand. It was Him who has the Light
and Him that created both the heavenly bodies and the Body of Christ (the Church).
Each church had one of the seven pillars on the spiritual Menorah. His Presence
hovered over the lampstand providing Light to each. Each church received all the
Light that Jesus revealed (Shekinah) but reflected much of it back, not
absorbing all the truth.
The most illuminated of the heavenly bodies is Venus. Ashtarte
(Venus) claims that heavenly body as her own, but it light places it in the
middle of the spiritual Menorah. Philadelphia, as the most illuminated of all
seven, deserved center position in the spiritual lampstand. It was the most “Jewish.”
But were these all not Gentile Churches? Yes, but God saw
them as his chosen and peculiar people (Deut 14:2; 1 Pet 2:9). Which church was
the most peculiar and deserving of election? The church at Philadelphia! The church
whose name meaning “brotherly love.” The church of Philadelphia was the most
illuminated, not with perfect Light, but enough to please God. They were the “faithful”
church and are those who would endure to the end!
They were unlike the persecuted church at Smyrna who God encouraged
with the promise of the Crown of Life. They would be placed next to Philadelphia
on the lampstand.
Now for the least illuminated. Sardis is geographically the
closest to Philadelphia, but spiritually the least illuminated. They were noted
for being the dead church. Like the moon, they reflected little light much of
the time. The moon has no light source itself, like the planets, but its light
depends entirely on the Sun. The Moon appears to be a dead planet most of the
time, and the Church at Sardis was a dim light on the spiritual Menorah. The Moon
has some light but on its backside is always dark, the side relative to the
earth, and is dead. A little light is reflected depending on the relative
positions to the light of the Sun and the rotation of the Earth, and even in
that dead church, some would receive a little Light — enough to squeak by as
one of the “stars” in the hands of Jesus.
Just as I cannot place the illumination of the heavenly bodies
in order, neither can I place the illumination of the seven churches. Just as
the heavenly bodies are always there, but sometimes obvious and sometimes not,
the churches, throughout the ages are always there but reflect different Light
during the ages. Some believe that we are presently in the Laodocian church
age. Perhaps that is the Age of Aquarius that we surely are in now. Aquarius is
not one of the heavenly bodies.
At the time of Enoch, Aries was the closest constellation.
Now, Pisces would be. Jesus was born at the dawning of the Age of Pisces. Aries
was cast out like the Laodicians. Up until now, Pisces took its place on the heavenly
Menorah. Pisces is the Christian era and the Church age. Soon, if not already,
Aquarius will wax as Pisces wanes. Then the Antichrist, for a short time, will
hold the “stars” in his hands. He becomes head of the heretical church. The Menorah
will be stolen again and hidden until it is returned to its rightful owners.
And that is when the Jews get it back and the dead church is welcomed back —
Sardis returns a few to keep their place on the lampstand lighted, however
dimly!
Christianity is about “illumination.” The writer to the
Hebrews called something to their attention: “Call to remembrance the former
days, in which, after you were illuminated, ye endured a great flight of
afflictions. The Menorah belongs to the Hebrews. It was stolen away by the
Gentiles. “Illuminated” in the English is “photizo” in the Greek. The Jews were theretofore the true “picture,”
or image, of Christ. The Torah, wisdom literature, and the prophets revealed the
Hebrew image of God. They were made as a picture of Jesus, then the Lamp was
stolen away… for a while.
Not mentioned in the Seven Churches of Asia, was the Church
in Jerusalem. It was not one of the seven, but someday, it would get its sacred
Menorah back and return to its place. Perhaps Laodicia, which was cast out,
will in the end return to its place on the sacred Menorah. Perhaps the Jewish
era, Aries, will return to its place on the Lampstand.
Tomorrow I will present the Jewish purpose of the Menorah.
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