Day 69-70

“(R)epent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.”                (Rev 2:5, NKJ)

                      In this teaching we will try to bring together all the various strands that have been discussed thus far regarding the golden candlestick of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle. It is of great importance to make sure that we secure all that the golden lampstand represents in our spiritual lives, especially considering the warning given in the abovementioned verse.

In Revelation 1 John sees a vision of seven golden lampstands. In verse 20 it is explained as the “seven churches”. Thereafter, in Rev 2 and 3, Christ writes a personal letter to each of the seven churches – they are letters of admonishing and also encouragement and can be interpreted in various ways, but especially as guidelines on how to come in line with God’s end-time agenda. Along with this, each letter must also be read as a guideline for that which needs to come into order with regard to our personal menorah in our tabernacle with God.

After many positive characteristics of the spiritual life have been commended in the first letter (Rev 2:2-3 and 6), only one thing is mentioned that testifies against this lampstand: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (verse 4). The believer(s) is(are) reprimanded: “repent and do the first works”. But what exactly are the first works?

The almond symbolism of the golden lampstand has an important deeper meaning here: it is an indication of the “firstfruits, fruitfulness and resurrection life” (Kelly Varner). The golden Lam(b)stand, we have shown, indicates the abundant Light and Life that is found in the risen Christ, which manifests in us (Col 1:27). It is said well in 1 Cor 15:20: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Christ, the Firstborn Life who lives in us, makes it possible for us to – like HIM – be alive spiritually: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:11).

Revelation knowledge is symbolised in Scripture by gold (Rev 3:18), and therefore this golden lampstand should be a revelation as well as a Presence of the risen Christ in you (John 11:25) – the Anointed in you. In this way God transforms you to “the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29). This Light and Life manifests in that your spiritual eyes are opened and you stand up in your calling (Eph 1:18). The anointing of God, which allows the golden Lampstand to burn through the seven Spirits of God Isa (11:2), is also the seven eyes (Rev 5:6) – the fullness of God’s (prophetic) calling in your life, that which places the plumb line in the hand of Christ (the builder of your spiritual temple), so that He can rebuild your temple according to the original plan (Zech 3:9 and 4:10)! Sela.

With this in mind, you need to begin to understand that Satan’s primary attack on you is to prevent you from standing up in your original creation purpose. When it says in Gen 3:15 that Satan, the serpent of old (Rev 12:9), will bite you on your heel, what exactly does this mean? The Hebrew of the word ‘heel’ means “by the heel; figuratively to circumvent (as if tripping up the heels); also to restrain (as if holding by the heel)” (Strongs). It also means “to supplant  … to hold back” (Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions). Thus: his strategy is to build a “refuge of lies” (Isa 28:15) around you and thus hold you back from that which God has planned for you!

In the light of this it is possible to understand what the “first works” are that we need to return to. Eph 2:10 gives us a key: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Since before the beginning of time God prepared a perfect path for you to walk on and COMPLETED all the works so that you only need to walk in them! What an incredible thought that is! That is why He calls us His workmanship and even His “masterpiece” (ISV)! The Greek word here, poiēma, is the same word as the one used for “poem”. You are His poem! Just like a poem, each word about you has been carefully written, ordered into a perfect masterpiece; this includes all the “first works” that you must do in the execution of your calling! This allows you walk in the “paths of righteousness” that Ps 23:3 talks of.

The word “sin”, in its original meaning, indicates that you “miss your mark”; you do not live out the purpose for which you were created. This is what it’s all about. Although Adam and Eve trespassed when they ate from the forbidden fruit, they actually allowed sin to be manifested – they missed the purpose that God had for their lives. If this happens, God will remove your golden candlestick from the Holy Place, which actually happened to them. With this, your “first love” also disappears. For this reason it is of utmost importance that you gird yourself with “the armour of light” (Rom 13:12); this is explained in detail in Eph 6:11-18 (we’ll return to this later).

Eph 4:1: “I … beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called …”

  • Sela: It is now of utmost importance that you make sure with God what your calling is.
  • Read: Ex 19 & 20; Ps 69 & 70; Rom 11 & 12.
  • Memorise: Rom 12:1-2