And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands. Rev. 1:12.
On Easter in 1969 I had the privilege of being in Rome. After attending the pope's Easter remarks in St. Peter's Square, my three friends and I went to see the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum. It was quite a thrill to stroll on ground that Peter and Paul must have walked, looking at the remains of buildings that had been once grand, but still made of the same stones that the apostles would have seen and touched.
Most tourists visiting the Forum start opposite the Mamertine Prison (where Paul may have been confined). You then move past the temple of the Vestal Virgins, up and down Palatine Hill, and past the Basilica of Constantine to the other end of the Forum. There we came across the Arch of Titus, the Roman general who conquered the city of Jerusalem in the year A.D. 70. Imagine our excitement when we saw in sharp relief an illustration of soldiers parading around Rome with the seven-branched lampstand removed from the Temple in Jerusalem! We felt truly close to the world of the Bible.
Throughout the ancient Roman world the seven-branched menorah (lampstand) was the most common symbol for Judaism, just as the fish and the cross later became emblems for Christian faith. In a striking way, the book of Revelation adopts this image of Judaism to represent the churches of Asia Minor. By this means John clearly understood that true Christian faith was heir to Israel's heritage, even if at times the synagogue did exclude Christians (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). It was those who did the expelling that had lost touch with their Jewish heritage, not the faithful followers of Yeshua the Messiah.
Were the Nazis right, then? Has the church replaced Israel? Was the Holocaust a judgment from God rather than human wickedness? It is hard to imagine first-century Christians taking such a position. They proclaimed a Jewish Messiah, who fulfilled the ancient promises made to Israel. They converted pagans to Israel's one true God. While not requiring Gentiles to be circumcised, Jewish Christians such as Paul embraced them as new participants in their Jewish faith in Jesus. Gentile believers were the spiritual children of Abraham (Gal. 3:28), inwardly circumcised (Rom. 2:28, 29) and grafted into Israel's tree while unbelieving branches were broken off (Rom. 11:17).
In the book of Revelation the lampstand image stresses the Jewishness of Christian faith and the intimate connection between that faith and the ancient heritage of Israel.
Lord, help me to learn more about my Jewish roots and appreciate them the way Paul and John did.
On Easter in 1969 I had the privilege of being in Rome. After attending the pope's Easter remarks in St. Peter's Square, my three friends and I went to see the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum. It was quite a thrill to stroll on ground that Peter and Paul must have walked, looking at the remains of buildings that had been once grand, but still made of the same stones that the apostles would have seen and touched.
Most tourists visiting the Forum start opposite the Mamertine Prison (where Paul may have been confined). You then move past the temple of the Vestal Virgins, up and down Palatine Hill, and past the Basilica of Constantine to the other end of the Forum. There we came across the Arch of Titus, the Roman general who conquered the city of Jerusalem in the year A.D. 70. Imagine our excitement when we saw in sharp relief an illustration of soldiers parading around Rome with the seven-branched lampstand removed from the Temple in Jerusalem! We felt truly close to the world of the Bible.
Throughout the ancient Roman world the seven-branched menorah (lampstand) was the most common symbol for Judaism, just as the fish and the cross later became emblems for Christian faith. In a striking way, the book of Revelation adopts this image of Judaism to represent the churches of Asia Minor. By this means John clearly understood that true Christian faith was heir to Israel's heritage, even if at times the synagogue did exclude Christians (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). It was those who did the expelling that had lost touch with their Jewish heritage, not the faithful followers of Yeshua the Messiah.
Were the Nazis right, then? Has the church replaced Israel? Was the Holocaust a judgment from God rather than human wickedness? It is hard to imagine first-century Christians taking such a position. They proclaimed a Jewish Messiah, who fulfilled the ancient promises made to Israel. They converted pagans to Israel's one true God. While not requiring Gentiles to be circumcised, Jewish Christians such as Paul embraced them as new participants in their Jewish faith in Jesus. Gentile believers were the spiritual children of Abraham (Gal. 3:28), inwardly circumcised (Rom. 2:28, 29) and grafted into Israel's tree while unbelieving branches were broken off (Rom. 11:17).
In the book of Revelation the lampstand image stresses the Jewishness of Christian faith and the intimate connection between that faith and the ancient heritage of Israel.
Lord, help me to learn more about my Jewish roots and appreciate them the way Paul and John did.
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