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The Mystery of the Seven Candlesticks
The Book of Revelation begins with a 'revelation' and a "mystery'. This is followed by a special disclosure to the seven churches of Asia Minor which finishes at the end of chapter three with, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev 3:22). This closing statement of the opening three chapters of the Book of Revelation clearly identifies this message with a universal importance. The word for 'revelation' in the greek signifies both a disclosure and a manifestation/appearing. Indeed, the Book of Revelation begins with Jesus appearing to John and end with Jesus' second coming in glory. The Mystery of the Seven Candlesticks is something here to fore hidden but now revealed, something not obvious to the ungodly but now plainly explained to John and to be shared with the True Church Universal.
John tells his reader, "I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man" (Rev 1:12-13). "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).
Many a Bible commentator has drawn attention to the similarity of The Mystery of the Seven Candlesticks to the golden menorah of the temple. For example, Matthew Poole wrote, "...by these seven candlesticks which he saw, are meant the seven churches; so we find it infallibly expounded. 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..." However a few, like Albert Barnes have doubted this. Mr. Barnes writes, "They were seven in number; not one branching into seven, but seven standing apart, and so far from each other that he who appeared to John could stand among them... The scene is not laid in the temple, as many suppose, for there is nothing that resembles the arrangements in the temple except the mere fact of the lights." Leaning towards the former example, the lights of the temple menorah all drew oil from a single source, as the True Church Universal must draw from the Holy Spirit alone. Again, it is necessary that Jesus be in the midst of the church and indeed in the midst of any true believer's heart, life, and soul.
Would God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, choose a symbolism that was arbitrary? No. When Jesus chose to show John this vision and told John to write it for our benefit, it was the revelation of a mystery, the mystery of the church and its relationship to Jesus. It was revealed, and not to be hidden as an enigma for perpetuity. Let us hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and heed the message therein.
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