Candlestick100
 

          Two Olive Trees, Two Candlesticks

                            Revelation 11:4

 

     These are  the  two olive trees,  and the two candlesticks standing

     before the God of the earth. Rev 11:4

                    Hosea Prophesied to Israel

                       They Were a Beautiful Olive Tree

 

     I will  be  as the dew  unto Israel:  he  shall  grow as  the lily, and cast

     forth his roots  as Lebanon. His branches shall spread,  and his beauty 

     shall be as the olive tree.  Ho 14: 5, 6

 

    Hosea was  a prophet  to  the northern ten tribes of Israel  before her

    captivity. God said of Israel, "You are my witnesses." Isa 43:12

 

                        Jeremiah Prophesied to Judah

                     They Were a Fair Olive Tree and Goodly

 

    The LORD  called  thy  name,  a green olive tree,  fair, and  of goodly

    fruit:  with  the noise  of  a great tumult  he  hath  kindled fire upon it,

    and the branches of it are broken. Jer 11:16

 

    Jeremiah  was  a  prophet  to  the two  remaining  tribes  of Judah and

    Benjamin before they fell.

 

                       Paul - Apostle to the Gentiles

             Represented Judah and Israel as Olive Trees

 

     Some of  the branches  be  broken off,  and thou,  being a wild olive

     tree, wert  graffed in among them,  and  with  them  partakest of the

     root and fatness of the olive tree. Rom 11:17

 

     Paul  in Roman's 11 equates  the Jews (Judah) and the  Gentiles who

     were  descendants  of  Israel  living  in  Greece  with  two  olive trees.

     Israel was  a wild and unfruitful tree.  Judah  had  just been pruned of

     "unbelieving" branches.

 

     He grafted one olive tree upon the other to form the church.

                          Two Candlesticks

                          Burning Pure Olive Oil

 

      The seven candlesticks  which  thou  sawest are the seven churches.

      Rev 1:20

  

      Command  the  children of Israel,  that  they bring  thee pure olive oil

      beaten for the light, to  cause  the lamp to burn always.  Ex 27:20

 

      The  candlesticks  were  by Christ  himself  explained  to  be Christian

      churches.  Olive  trees  supplied  nourishment  to  the  temple  lamps,

      only pure olive oil could be burned in them. So the olive trees are the

      faithful ministers that feed them.

 

      Teachers  must be filled with oil,  and the church with all its members

      appropriate the oil so as to exhibit in their walk a lovely brightness.

  

                                The Church in Distress

                            God Keeps the Lamps Burning

  

     The  two olive trees  by it,  one upon the right side of the bowl, and

     the other upon the left side thereof. Zech 4:3

  

     These  are  the  two anointed ones,  that  stand  by  the Lord  of the

     whole earth. Zec 4:14

 

     When   the  Jews  returned   from Babylon  they  had  no  functioning

     priesthood  and  their  temple  was  "trodden under foot" as  was the

     church in the dark ages.

 

     God   raised  up  two leaders  to  minister  in  this  unusua l  situation.

     Joshua   and  Zerubbabel  were  likened   to   two  olive  trees  which

     "supplied oil to the lamp". They are a type of the two witnesses.

 

 

                         Seven Candles in the Lamp

                             But Only Two Shine Brightly

 

     In  Revelation  2 and 3,  we  find   seven  churches  representing  the

     seven ages  of the Church.  They were  like  the seven candles in the

     candlestick. But  only two burned brightly. Smyrna and Philadelphia

     were  the  churches  with  whom  Christ  could   find  no  fault. These

     church ages were immediately before and after the 1260.

       

     The falling away began  with Pergamos, descended  into  darkness in

     Thyatira,  recovered  in  part  during Sardis but brightly  shone  again

     during the Philadelphia church age.

 

     Now  it is almost  extinguished  again in  Laodicea,  but  God will take

     effectual  care that  His  light  never goes out  for want of oil.  He will 

     maintain His witnesses.