A26) The African and Chinese Churches, the Two Lampstands, (Rev Ch 11), (S. Dobbs, 2003).
This word links to words Nos A27, A4
In the summer of 2003 I believe the Lord gave me the following words relating to the two lampstands in the end times. I’ve described here how I received these words in order to help the reader weigh them up for themselves.
Revelation Ch 11; verses 3-4, “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth”. (N.K.J.V)
As I was praying with a friend in 2003 he suddenly exclaimed that “the Holy Spirit was going to be showing me what the two lampstands symbolised.”
Although my friend doesn’t make many mistakes when hearing God I nonetheless thought it best to take a cautious approach to his word. I therefore decided that I would not seek for a word on this issue but would leave it in the hands of God. About a week passed and as the Lord had not initiated anything I started to forget about this issue. Then as I was worshipping God one morning I suddenly saw a picture of a lampstand alongside another picture of a group of black Christians which I felt was symbolic. At the time I assumed God was showing me that one of these two lampstands symbolised BLACK CHRISTIANS. Since then I’ve had other words concerning lampstands and all related to Christians from specific geographic regions. In hindsight I therefore think it likely that I should have interpreted the picture of black Christians more specifically as AFRICAN BELIEVERS.*[note 2 added in 2019 below].
About ten days later I was praying in tongues when I suddenly saw another picture of a lampstand, similar to the first one, alongside a picture of a map of China. I believe the Lord was showing me here that the second lampstand mentioned in Rev Ch11 symbolised CHINESE CHRISTIANS.
[I am aware that many people believe these two lampstands, (also referred to as two olive trees and two prophets in Rev Ch11), symbolise two individual believers. Symbols can have more than one meaning in the bible but I do not know if this is the case here. I do however believe that the Lord showed me these two lampstands symbolise black/African believers and Chinese believers, that God will raise up these two groups of Christians in the end times to move in phenomenal power and prophesy in the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the fact that Rev 11:10 refers to them as the “two prophets” reveals to us that Christians from these two parts of the world will lead the way in providing prophetic warnings about the emergence of the beast from the sea, the antichrist and the introduction of the mark of the beast in the very end times?]
As I studied the scriptures I noticed that the entire church of Ephesus appears to be referred to as a lampstand (see Rev 2v5). It seems to me therefore to be in keeping with scripture that these two lampstands could symbolise whole groups of believers, (churches of regions), as opposed to, or as well as, two individuals.
I also had the impression that the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit that will come upon theses two groups of believers will be available to them in whichever part of the world they travel to. That God will therefore be able to use them to help build up Christ’s body in other parts of the world as well.
Some weeks after this I received an impression within my heart that the letter to the church in Philadelphia, (Rev 3v 7-13), referred specifically to the body of black/African Christians in the end times.
S. Dobbs, Typed Oct 2004.
Notes added in 2019: Sometime later I believe that the Lord showed me that the Chinese Church equated with the Letter to the Church of Smyrna, (Rev 2; 8). It is interesting that the letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia, (which the Lord showed me related to the majority black/African Church), are the only two letters that dont contain any rebuke from Jesus but appear, instead, to have His greatest favour, (that would be at the time these letters will become relevant, which I would guess is the last seven to ten years of this age). This would be what we would expect if they are also the two Lampstands mentioned in Rev Ch 11 as these will be the two that will be moving in the most phenominal power during the last three and a half years.
Note 2: It was mostly black people I saw not the continent of Africa in this picture, so maybe "the majority black subsection of the body of Chist" would be the best description of that lampstand after all. There will probably be an African flavour to this though as most of the worlds largest pentecostal denominations are based in Africa. Most majority black churches are African based and African led at the highest level as a result. Being a white South African or of Arab origin from many of the North African Arab countries will not necessarily mean one is part of this lampstand and they are less likely to be so. Those African Christians are more likley to identify with the church of the Western World or the Middle East than the majority black subsection/lampstand/church.
Notes on Identification, 2019: Later I will add some more notes on what I believe the Lord showed me concerning which lampstand each individual Christian is in. In short it is not depndant on race or nationality but on which lampstand "we most identify with" at a subconnscious level. It is possible, therefore for a white Englishman to be a part of the Philadelphian Lampstand, the majority black/African church, due to them identifying most with this. Also vice versa, a black African man living and working in the UK may attend a C of E church and become so involved with it that he starts to identify more with being a part of the Church of Laodicea/church of the western world than with the majority black subsection of the body of Christ. In Gods eyes he would then move lampstands, (although would probably not realise this), and then be subject to the spiritual conditions revealed in the letter to Laodicea, and the level of corparate annointing on the Western Laodicean Church, and would cease to be a part of the majority black church of Philadelphia. So that black guy would not then be considred by God as part of one the two most powerful Lampstands in Rev Ch 11. Its all dependant on which part of the body of Christ we most identify with. The decision is ours but usually takes place at a subconscious level without us realising this.
We can see Gods justice revealed in this. God has no favourites, he doesn’t anoint according to race, but certain trends will emerge in line with what God wants through Him subdividing the body of Christ into seven lampstands like this, (there were seven lampstands on the lamp in the Holy of Holies which must therefore, symbolise the body of Christ). In the end times black and Chinese Christians, (those two lampstands), will dominate the body of Christ instead of white westerners. It will be mostly, although not exclusively, black and Chinese Christians who will be raised up as the Two Olive Trees, the Two Witnesses and the Two Prophets, (the two most prolific lampstands in prophesying), and they will be protected for a season from attacks from man and have enormous power during the last 3.5 years of this age (and maybe to a degree in the preceding years to, (Rev 11; 3-6). This will completely change the appearance of the body of Christ in the last days away from being predominantly white led and western in nature and culture. Instead it will be dominated by black and Chinese Christians although not exclusively so. This gives us a glimpse into how God will be changing the appearance and makeup of the body of Christ in the end times and the just and yet awesomely wise and clever way in which He will be doing this without transgressing his sense of impartiality or character. This is a strategy revealed by Jesus over nineteen hundred years ago to John though his visions in the Book of Revelations. However, it only becomes clear and is only understood once all nations are included in the body of Christ, having had some of their people received the gospel, (another sign of the end), "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come," (Matt 24; 14). God will not leave us guessing what the Book of Revelation means in the end times, He will reveal everything about its symbolism. Although this will be checked and supported by anointed teachers it will originate through revelation, i.e. further prophecy, I expect especially though the “Two Prophets” the majority Chinese and the majority black Lampstands in the last days.