Creation in Revelation – Part 1
The process of writing books for me has become an expedition of exploration and discovery. Through writing books on biblical (or historic) themes, I am forced to examine the reasons things happened. The process of creation forces me to ask the hard questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Ok, while these questions do not appear difficult on the surface, to really answer the issues they raise I must dig … sometimes deeply. I have an inquisitive mind, and I want to learn.
Is Seven just about completion?
One example of how and why I dig is the question just stated. Many of the books I read about the Book of Revelation explain that the reason for John’s constant use of the number seven is because it is the Jewish number of completion. My mind worked with that. At first, I reasoned that the number seven derives from the numbers three and four being added together. Christians find many sets of three in the Bible, such as the Trinity, and they derive the number four from the four directions on earth (North, South, East, West). I felt satisfied for a while until I started digging into the book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation begins with the Son of Man walking among the seven golden lampstands; and by that John means the Menorah in the Holy Place of the Temple. The seven branches of the Jewish Menorah picture the seven days of creation. In my book “Advent Journeys” my exploration with the Wise Men (Maji) on their journey to Bethlehem caused me to look at the variety of sevens that existed in Babylon. There were seven planets, and my new realization (I had never counted before) was that the Babylonians created our seven-note musical scale. Count them: A, B, C, D, E, F, G!
Of course, there are also a multitude of sevens in the Persian book of Esther.
Where did John use all the sevens in Revelation?
If you only briefly look at the Book of Revelation, you’ll notice many instances of the number seven: seven lampstands, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven heads, seven bowls, and more. A person who wanted to scratch the surface of the Apocalypse just a little deeper would discover the book of Revelation contains many lists. John included seven items on almost every list (count them!) An even deeper dive would lead the dedicated student to see seven verse poems and other sets of seven.
Many people find satisfaction knowing only that the sets of seven represent completion, but not me. My mind asks questions like a two-year-old: Why?
What is the meaning of seven in Revelation?
The seven-branched lampstand (or Menorah) in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temples of Solomon, Ezra and Herod provide the illumination for us to understand the meaning of seven in Revelation. The ancient teachers of Israel told us that these lights represent the seven days of creation as seen in the first chapter of Genesis. (Nu 8:2; Ramban)
Each of the seven days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis contains an idea that John extracts in each set and subset and list in the book of Revelation.
Who told John about the secrets of seven?
John learned the meaning of each portion of the seven days of creation while serving as a Levite in the Temple in Jerusalem. The first chapter of my book “John’s Apocalypse: A Jewish Idea” explains John’s family background and how he became a worker in the Temple. My book shares many verses of scripture and historic references to help the reader answer every question about this part of John’s life.
As a Levite, John served five weeks each year at the Temple in Jerusalem (during all three Harvest festivals and two additional weeks on rotation). Levites serving in the Temple read the portion of Genesis 1 and an accompanying Psalm each day during their week of service. Through reading, prayer, meditation, and discussion, John learned the reasons, meanings, and secrets behind each day as related in Genesis, Psalms, Jewish folklore, and other sources.
How can I learn the secrets of the sevens?
By reading the Bible without distractions, issues and controversies of the twenty-first century (modern times) a student can rediscover the ancient mystical meaning behind the sevens of Genesis and then Revelation. Let me explain some ideas expressed through the sevens in Genesis here:
Day 1: God made light. Made and light are two keywords.
Day 2: God separated water from water. Separated is the key word here, as well as the waters below (oceans are salt) and the waters above (the sky is blue).
Day 3: God made the land and also plants growing on the land. Apples, figs, oranges and pomegranates are products of the third day.
Day 4: The book of Genesis makes a switch here, going from the theoretical process of creation to the very practical and understandable parts of revelation. The second portion of the seven days mirrors the first portion; this was important to the Jews and mystics. Notice: God created light on the first day. God created the very practical Sun, Moon, and Stars that provide light on the fourth day.
Day 5: On the second day God separated the water from the water, creating both the lower waters and the upper waters. On day 5 God created the fish to swim in the water below and the birds to fly in the water above.
Day 6: God made land animals and humans. (by now you should understand how day 6 connects to day 3!)
Day 7: The one day that has no mate (yes, Jewish folklore!) This day is the Sabbath, and on this day God rested. It is time for me to do the same, except for one advertisement …
How does Creation relate to Revelation?
That is for another blog: “Creation in Revelation – Part 2”
