Understanding Symbolism in Revelation
Most Christians wholeheartedly agree with the old adage, "Let Scripture interpret Scripture." Most agree that instead of looking for an interpretation that is foreign to the text, we should first and foremost seek to understand how the original author uses the word that we are trying to interpret. Based on the author's established usage, we should then go about seeking to understand the passage being studied. Using this Scripture to interpret Scripture principle can also help to untangle some of the symbolism in the book of Revelation. In this post we will seek to understand what John's intended symbolism was for his 7 uses of "lampstand" in the book of Revelation (1:12, 1:13, 1:20(2x); 2:1, 2:5; 11:4). Revelation 1:12-13 - "Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.