Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:20
1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
John the Apostle fell at Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him with a contrite heart. As the result, he received the revelation of the Word of God about the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands.
The star is an angel or a pastor of a congregation. A pastor is a star if he becomes an example of faith to the congregation and holds the true teaching Word. He also always lives in righteousness in every matter and becomes strong and of good courage in facing temptations.
A pastor is an angel if he feeds the congregation with the shepherding Word, and cares and protects the congregation through intercession prayer.
If a pastor becomes the star and the angel of the congregation, he is within the hand of the Great Shepherd. He will never fall but be glorified by God. Moreover, the congregation is also within the hand of the Great Shepherd. We will never fall but be glorified by God. The congregation will experience the work of the shepherding Word that sanctifies and renews, until we are presented as the seven golden lampstands or the perfect church or the Heavenly Bride.
Exodus 25:31-32
25:31 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamentalknobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
25:32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.
The golden lampstand consists of two parts as follows.
ad. 1. The lampstand is made of gold.
The process of making the lampstand from gold or the process to become the Heavenly bride is as follows.
The golden lampstand refers to the ministry of a teacher, who must bear the hammering.
ad. 2. The lamp.
Exodus 25:37
25:37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.
The oil and fire are important for a lamp. They refer to the power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter how great a servant of God is, without the Holy Spirit he is as a quenched lamp. He will not be able to welcome Jesus’ second coming on the glorious clouds and will be destroyed together with the world forever.
Acts 2:1-4
2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
2:3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and onesat upon each of them.
2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Holy Spirit is as the divided tongues of fire poured from Heaven.
One of the signs of being anointed or filled up by the Holy Spirit is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance.
The usefulness of the Holy Spirit is as follows.
God blesses us.
Revelation 1:20
1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
John the Apostle fell at Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him with a contrite heart. As the result, he received the revelation of the Word of God about the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands.
The star is an angel or a pastor of a congregation. A pastor is a star if he becomes an example of faith to the congregation and holds the true teaching Word. He also always lives in righteousness in every matter and becomes strong and of good courage in facing temptations.
A pastor is an angel if he feeds the congregation with the shepherding Word, and cares and protects the congregation through intercession prayer.
If a pastor becomes the star and the angel of the congregation, he is within the hand of the Great Shepherd. He will never fall but be glorified by God. Moreover, the congregation is also within the hand of the Great Shepherd. We will never fall but be glorified by God. The congregation will experience the work of the shepherding Word that sanctifies and renews, until we are presented as the seven golden lampstands or the perfect church or the Heavenly Bride.
Exodus 25:31-32
25:31 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamentalknobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
25:32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.
The golden lampstand consists of two parts as follows.
- The lampstand is made of gold.
- The lamp.
ad. 1. The lampstand is made of gold.
The process of making the lampstand from gold or the process to become the Heavenly bride is as follows.
- It is made of a talent of pure gold (approximately 34 kilograms of gold).
Exodus 25:39
25:39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.
It means as follows.- A unity.
Holy Spirit fulfills and leads all the churches of God to become the Heavenly bride.
Ephesians 4:3-6
4:3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4:4 There isone body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
4:6 one God and Father of all, who isabove all, and through all, and in you all.
There are many differences in the churches of God, but to become the perfect Heavenly bride, we must have seven unities as follows.- One body = one Head, that is Jesus or the true teaching Word. The true teaching Word is revealed by God, that is one verse explains the other verses in the Bible.
- One Spirit.
- One hope.
- One Lord.
- One faith.
- One baptism.
- One Father God.
- One body = one Head, that is Jesus or the true teaching Word. The true teaching Word is revealed by God, that is one verse explains the other verses in the Bible.
- The riches of the Heaven.
The true riches of the Heaven are the ministry and gifts of Holy Spirit.
If we long to become the Heavenly bride, we must have the ministry and gifts of Holy Spirit. We must become the priests and kings. A priest is the one who is holy, has the ministry and gift of Holy Spirit, and ministers God. - The shape of the lampstand is very beautiful and not monotonous. There are bowls, knobs, and flowers. It refers to the glory of the Heaven.
Thus, every servant of God serves Him to radiate the glory of the Heaven.
Romans 14:17-18
14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
14:18 For he who serves Christ in these things isacceptable to God and approved by men.
The kingdom of Heaven is not the matter of eating and drinking. Ministering for radiating the glory of the Heaven means we do not depend on earthly matters but we minister with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Peace means there is no envy, revenge, sadness, et cetera. Peace means we do not feel the things that are felt by the flesh anymore. We surrender everything to God until we love Him more than everything.
Joy in the Holy Spirit is the Heavenly joy marked with orderliness and regularity.
- A unity.
- Through hammering, meaning a trial, sprinkling of blood, or flesh suffering because of Jesus.
Exodus 25:31
25:31 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamentalknobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
It is as John the Apostle who was exiled to Patmos Island to suffer in the flesh, not because of sinning but the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The aim of a trial is to make a more beautiful shape, meaning our life will be more beautiful and shining in front of God and the others.
Do not step back and do not run when we are hammered. We must keep being faithful and withstand until we are formed as the golden lampstand.
The things that decide whether we are strong or not in facing trial are as follows.- The calling from God.
- Our full submission to God.
- The calling from God.
The golden lampstand refers to the ministry of a teacher, who must bear the hammering.
ad. 2. The lamp.
Exodus 25:37
25:37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.
The oil and fire are important for a lamp. They refer to the power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter how great a servant of God is, without the Holy Spirit he is as a quenched lamp. He will not be able to welcome Jesus’ second coming on the glorious clouds and will be destroyed together with the world forever.
Acts 2:1-4
2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
2:3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and onesat upon each of them.
2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Holy Spirit is as the divided tongues of fire poured from Heaven.
One of the signs of being anointed or filled up by the Holy Spirit is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance.
The usefulness of the Holy Spirit is as follows.
- Giving heat, meaning always warming and heating our spiritual life.
Luke 22:54-57
22:54 Having arrested Him, they led Himand brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.
22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
22:56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”
22:57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”
If there is no fire of the Holy Spirit, one will enter spiritual winter as Peter who heats himself on a strange fire. It refers to false fellowship, the fire from the world, or the fire of sins up to the peak of sins.
Titus 1:16
1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him,being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
The consequence is denying God with unrighteous and unholy deeds, also the deeds that grieve God, the parents, and the pastor. - Giving light, so there is nothing hidden in our life, marriage, and ministry. We can be honest in our marriage and financial matter, so we can be honest in everything.
2 Samuel 12:11-13
12:11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give themto your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12:12 For you did itsecretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’”
12:13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
David was a great man, but he hid evil sin (killed one’s husband) and unclean sin (slept with one’s wife). He hid the sins within marriage. But God declared his sins openly. Gratefully, he accepted the rebuke from the Word so he could confess his sins, be forgiven and recovered.
Mark 14:10-11
14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
14:11 And when they heard it,they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.
Judas was great too, but he accepted false teaching and had fellowship with the chief priests who are against God’s teaching by stealth. The consequence was he hid his sins in his middle. He rejected the rebuke of the Word said by Jesus. At the end, God showed his sins openly. He burst in the middle and his sins were shown but there was no more forgiveness. It is better when the Word points our sins openly now. - Giving energy.
We can be strong and of good courage, meaning as follows.- Holding fast the true teaching Word and being obedient whatever the risk.
- Keeping living in righteousness, not doing sins whatever the risk.
- Not being desperate and disappointed, not leaving God, but faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering Him.
- Keeping believing and fully surrendering ourselves to God, as well as worshiping God.
3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
3:17 If that is the case,our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver usfrom your hand, O king.
3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
3:25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
If we are strong and of good courage, God will be with us and we are wrapped with the fire of Holy Spirit. We experience protection and care from God in the midst of all impossibilities. God is also able to solve all our problems even the impossible one and give us beautiful and successful future.
Acts 6:15
6:15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
Acts 7:59-60
7:59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on Godand saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
7:60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
The renewal of life by the fire of Holy Spirit makes Stephen has the face of an angel. It means as follows.- We can love the others as ourselves, until we can love our enemy.
- We fully surrender our life to God.
1:7 and to giveyou who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is until we are lifted up to the glorious clouds with the flaming fire. - Holding fast the true teaching Word and being obedient whatever the risk.
God blesses us.