A27) The Lampstands/Churches of the Western World and S. America, (S. Dobbs, 2003). [With notes added in 2020].
This word links very closely with A26, and A4
In the summer of 2003; a couple of months after I’d received the previous word on the 2 lampstands, I believe that the Lord revealed to me a third lampstand (one not mentioned in Rev 11). This was the church of the WESTERN WORLD which consisted of believers from Western Europe and the United States of America. God showed me that this part of the global body of Christ is specifically referred to in Rev 3 v 14-22, in the letter to the church of Laodicea.
The Spirit also showed me that the falling away of believers from the faith, in the end times (see 2 Thess 2 v 3), will be greatest in the western church than in any other part of the global body of Christ. I saw that this will be partly due to the materialism that exists here, spiritual blindness, and also because the beasts power base will be centred in the Western World.
A few months later I received the following word on a fourth lampstand. As this came in a more vague way I’m not therefore as confident of it. However as I was praying I perceived this fourth lampstand to be the CHURCH OF SOUTH AMERICA and saw that this was specifically referred to in the letter to the church of Thyatira (Rev 2 v 18-29).
[This and the previous word identify four lampstands. Since a total of seven lampstands are identified in revelation 1:12, and 2: 1 I think it is likely that there are a further three subdivisions of the global body of Christ which are not identified in this word. Perhaps the Lord has or will reveal the remaining three to others? The two most anointed lampstands, (which I believe the Lord showed me refer to the black/African and Chinese churches), are also called the two olive trees in Rev 11:4. Many scholars think that these also refer to the two olive trees in Zech 4:1-4, 6, 10, 14. (Please read these verses). If so this may suggest that Christians from the regional churches of Africa and China will provide extra anointing of the Holy Spirit to all seven lampstands, i.e. to the whole of the global body of Christ in the end times. As I believe the Lord has shown me that the anointing on the black/African and Chinese churches would remain on Christians from these two groups wherever they went in the world, this would make it possible for them to help the global body of Christ in this way.*
S. Dobbs, typed up in 2004.
*Note added 2019, i.e. these two of the seven lampstands would be the two which are also mentioned in Rev Ch 11, also called the two Olive Trees. The two Olive Trees provide anointing oil for all seven lampstands in Zechariah’s vision.
Note 2: These two most empowered lampstands consist of majority Chinese and majority black Christians. Christian from other nations and races will also be included but must will be Chinese and black people. I have more notes, entitled "Notes on Identification, 2019" at the end of (A26) (link).
Note 3 added in June 2020: I found this hard to explain since these were general revelations rather than worlds containing specific details. This was particularly difficult originally as the concept was new to me. However, if I were to summarise them in hindsight, in 2020, I would put it something like this: From Gods perspective He perceives the world as divided into seven regions, each one of which is represented by the Church or Lampstand of that entire region, (in the same way as each nation or city is also represented by a separate Church or Lampstand). However, as each Christian has the freedom to choose which local church they are in so they can also choose which one of these seven global regional churches/Lampstands they are a part of. The difference is that most Christians will not realise these 7 global regional Lampstands exist in Gods sight, so their choice will be a subconscious one, (if this were not the case every Christian would choose to be in one of the two most anointed ones and Gods purposes in there being 7 would be thwarted). So without realising it each Christian will be in the Lampstand that they most identify themselves with. So a Christian is not destined to be in the Lampstand of the region of the world that they were born in or presently live in, instead they are making a subconscious choice. Nonetheless certain patters will emerge, and these will tend to have racial undertones due to identification. For e.g. most Christians in Africa will tend to be black, therefore, other black people in other parts of the world may subconsciously identify more with this body/Lampstand of black African dominated Christians as a result. That’s not to say that white, Arab or, for e.g. Chinese can’t be part of the African Lampstand if they subconsciously choose to be, it is just that less will tend to do so. Migration will also distort to regional pattern. London for e.g. has the highest Number of African Churches outside Africa due to the migration of so many African Christians to London. So those Christians will be an outpost of the African Lampstand in the UK. A black British born Christian is most likely to subconsciously identify as part of the Church/Lampstand of the Western World or the Africa Lampstand. Although, due to less common personal circumstances they may, however, identify as part of the South American or another Lampstand instead. As the African Lampstand gets more anointed over time than the Lampstand of the Western World more white British Christian’s are also likely to start fellowshipping at black or African dominated churches and many will then start to identify more with these and end up moving across to the African Lampstands as a result without necessarily realising that they are doing this. So these 7 Lampstand are founded in regions but due to migration and the process of identification merge with one another around the world. Because of this the more anointed lampstands are able to minister to local Christians in other Lampstands. In the last 3.5 years the two most anointed Lampstands of Rev Ch, 11, will be able to provide ministry and the anointing oil to the other 5 less anointed Lampstands, i.e. to the entire body of Christ during that end times period. That would be my explanation as of 2020.
Further Notes and analysis of the 7 Candlesticks Prophecies I received in 2003, above, (S. Dobbs, March 2020):
Note added Sept 2020: I would put it like this; the Church of the Western World/ Laodicea is located in W. Europe and the USA. However the Christian people from here travelled and now spread across the entire world. So whilst this subdivision of Gods church is multiracial it just happens to be majority white. The Church of Africa/Philadelphia, is located in Africa, (maybe not in the very north of Africa though?), but today its Christian people also spread across the entire world. The African church is also multiracial but just happens to have a majority of black Christians within it. So the 7 subsections of the end time’s body of Christ are not defined by race but take on these secondary racial characteristics for other, natural reasons. God uses all things to His glory though, including these characteristics. As He does this with individuals so He does this with larger corporate groups, including the 7 subsections of the global church. And we know from scripture, that, generally speaking, God uses and raises up those in humble, poorer circumstances whereas He more often opposes the proud and richer, so that He, Jesus/God is then glorified not man. This also affects the patterns that emerge between these 7 subsections of Gods church, and the amount and ways God uses each in the end times, all for His glory not mans. [And there is no favouritism because we all decide which of the 7 subsections of the church we are in, usually subconsciously. We are viewed by God as being in the subsection that we identify ourselves with the most. If someone is aware of this, then a wise man, or even a fool, would choose to identify themselves as being in the sub- section of the church that is most favourable to them, unless, under rare circumstances, God directs them otherwise]. So the 7 sub-divisions of the global church can look as though they are based on race but they aren’t, and they can look as though God is showing racial favouritism in the end times but He isn’t. The reverse is true historically, it may look as though white people have been favoured historically because the gospel went out to W. Europe much earlier, overall, and had more impact, overall, there than in Africa. I think we all accept that this wasn’t because of race either, the racial characteristic wasn’t the factor God was operating from at all but it resulted in a secondary racial characteristic. This explains why, in the past, it was mostly white missionaries who took the gospel out to black unbelievers in Africa. In the end times, generally speaking, it will look the other way around but God has no partiality and race isn’t the deciding factor.
Summary: I added this in July 2020 as I felt I should have been a little bolder below. Whilst the Book of Revelations may operate on many levels, some of which I may not be aware of, surely most people will agree it refers most specifically to the very last days, to the last seven years or so? It is, therefore, surely most relevant to the church that exists at that time, which will actually experience those events? Also to the whole church at that time, not to just a part of the end times body of Christ. And yet it starts out addressing seven churches, all of which existed at the same time. So surely, in hindsight, the above prophecy makes complete sense; i.e. that the Book of Revelations addresses, most specifically, the seven subdivisions of the global body of Christ in the end times. As mentioned below, I'm not even sure if this other teaching even makes sense, i.e. that the Book of Revelations addresses the seven ages of the church throughout history. Even if that is also true it is surely less specific to thae church in that sense? For example; it didn’t really matter if the church during the period of the crusades understood the Book of Revelations or not. Such understanding would have helped those Christians a little back then but they could have got by quite easily without this beacuse the Book of Revelations was less relevant to them at that time. In the very end times, though, when the literal events in the Book of Revelations start to actually happen, it is extremely important that this end times church understands this Book, so this will then be of huge importance to them. In hindsight, from both a scriptural and rational perspective, I, therefore, think there is an overwhelming case to be made for the above prophecy. It is not strange in fact that so many, including myself in the past, view the seven letters of the Book of Revelations as a sort of early appendix that has little relevance to the rest of the prophecy, as if it didn’t really tie into the rest of the end times prophecy?
Introduction: Since the 7 churches words I have placed on this site are controversial I thought I would write a brief scriptural defence of them so they are not written off by the reader out of hand. I want to underline that those prophecies came first though not this rational analysis. I wasn’t expecting to receive those prophecies beforehand. I’ve also gone on to examine the implications these prophecies have on our understanding of the Church in the end times. Many Christians expect a great anointing to come upon the church in the very last days but according to these words this will only come upon 2 of the 7 subsections of the body of Christ in the most awesome way. Each of these 7 subsections/churches will have a different level of corporate anointing residing upon it, (this is not to be confused with one’s own personal level of anointing, instead it could be thought of as being like a larger anointing that may reside on a local church meeting, which will vary from church to church according to how submitted and committed to Christ each church is). The Book of Revelations actually starts out addressing 7 churches so appears to be written for their benefit. Most scholars believe these letters are addressing the entire body of Christ. These are referred to as the churches of
“Ephesus… Smyrna… Pergamos…Thyatira… Sardis… Philadelphia… and Laodicea, (Rev 1; 11).
The bible makes very clear that these 7 churches are symbolised as 7 candlesticks, “the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches,” (Rev 1; 20).
I believe that the Holy Spirit revealed to me that these 7 Churches represent 7 subdivisions of the global body of Christ in the end times.
I have used the KJV throughout. The word “candlestick” is interchangeable with “lampstand” as used in some other bible versions.
The Lamp in the Holy of Holies. It is interesting to note that the Lamp in the Holy of Holies has 7 lampstands/Candlesticks arising from it, to me that the 7 Candlesticks in Revelations represents the entire body of Christ as this interpretation states.
An alternative view debated: A common alternative belief is that the 7 Candlesticks represent 7 ages of church history. This may also be the case since biblical prophecy often has more than one intended interpretation. However, this doesn’t make as much sense to me since it would imply that the early church of the N/T martyrs was represented by the loveless church of Ephesus, and that the persecuted last day’s church as the lukewarm church of Laodicea. Either way I would argue that the word I received makes more rational sense, i.e. that the 7 churches represent 7 subdivisions of the global body of Christ in the end times. Furthermore all 7 churches co-existed at the same time in St Johns day when he wrote down the Book of Revelations, which surely suggests they will all coexist in the end times era? The letter to the Church of Smyrna appears to refer to those Christians having to prepare to suffer for ten years, (the “ten days” in Rev 2; 10), so these 7 Letters must be relevant for at least that length of time before Jesus return. So from a rational viewpoint the 7 letters to these 7 churches are probably relevant ten years before Christ return with all 7 Churches existing at that same time as the prophecy I received indicates.
So which Churches do these 7 Candlesticks represent today? The Lord only showed me what 4 of these 7 Candlesticks represent; I received this in the following order, i.e. the Church of Laodicea was the church of the western world, (consisting of North America and Western Europe). The Church of Philadelphia was represented by a picture of mostly, although not exclusively, black Christians which I have referred to as the majority black/African Church. I saw the Church of Smyrna represented by a picture of a map of China so have referred to this as the Chinese Church. Lastly I understood that the Church of Thyatira was the Church of South America. I can only hazard a guess as to the identity of the remaining three churches, (my guess would be the Israel and the Middle East and Islamic world spreading from N. African through to Indonesia perhaps, Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, and the rest of Asia, mainly India, minus China but I underline I am only guessing as those last three and this did not come to me from the Holy Spirit). If the letters to each Church relate to the end times they are not yet necessarily fully relevant at this time. The letters appear, therefore, to reveal the spiritual state of each Church, (each of the 7 subdivisions of the global body of Christ), at the beginning of the very end times, possibly 7 or 10 years before Christ’s Return.
The 7 Letters: Each letter reveals the spiritual state and level of submission to God of each of these 7 Churches. I would explain this as being similar to the way in which Jesus could address the churches of nations differently. From the 7 letters we can understand the spiritual state each of these 7 parts of the body of Christ will be in in the end times season as well as the degree to which each is “fit for purpose” in serving God. We can then understand God strategies and the way in which He intends to use different parts of the body of Christ differently in the end times. We can also see the main problems that each of the 7 subsections of the body of Christ needs to address most urgently and the consequences in the end times if they don’t. The Church of Ephesus, for example, is warned by Jesus “I will and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent,” (Rev 2; 5), (as we have seen “Candlestick” symbolises “Church” in the Book of Revelations). Whilst each letter will not become fully relevant until the very end times we can see similarities already today, for e.g. the western world’s church is lukewarm and relatively rich just like the Letter to the Church of Laodicea states. This is not controversial since many people have been noting the similarity for decades now. The majority black African based churches are populated by mostly poorer people just as the Letter to the Church of Philadelphia states. The Church of China is already suffering persecution just as the Letter to the Church of Smyrna states. What appears less obvious is the Letter to the Church of Thyatira addressing the Church of South America in the end times. We could therefore use that letter to examine whether in fact there is a false teacher or false teaching movement emerging within the South American Church in our day and address that issue as that letter suggests must happen. Some claim that these are 7 judgements on these 7 Churches. In his Epistles St Peter warned that judgement would come upon the house of God before the world, which also suggests that the judgements in the 7 Letters do in fact all address the end time’s church just prior to the last 7 or last 3.5 years.
These are corporate not personal judgements on individuals: We all know that God will be judging mankind with many calamities in the end times. We know that most of these things are not judgments on individuals but on regions, nations and cities perhaps. If an erupting volcanoes kills 100 people but 500 survive we do not see that as a personal judgement on the 100 or believe that the 500 got away because they were more righteous. Indeed many good Christians could get caught up and die in such a calamity. Personal judgements of individuals, in the main, do not occur until the Judgement Day after Christ’s Second Coming. The judgements in the 7 Letters are therefore also likely to be corporate judgements that effect the level of anointing and degree of protection each of the 7 Church subdivisions will experience in the end times. These are not letters written to individual Christians. A random then appears to exist in the way the 7 Church judgements and levels of anointing will affect different individual Christians in the same way a randomness exists in the way Gods judgements on the earth affect unbelievers outside the Church in the end times. If, for example, a Christian happens to be a part of one of the more favoured Candlesticks they are likely to benefit from more the protection and corporate anointing that that Candlesticks has, more than a Christian, for example, a Christian in the Church of Sardis or Laodicea, (that is all other things being equal, e.g. assuming their personal levels of commitment to Christ, faith and prayer were the same as each other’s).
The 7 flames on the Lamp in the Holy of Holies: The Lamp in the Holy of Holies has 7 Candlesticks ascending from its base. There are separate 7 flames, one burning on each of those 7 Candlesticks. I would suggest that each flame symbolises a different level of corporate anointing residing on each of the 7 subdivisions of the global body of Christ. So God will be moving by His Spirit in different ways, with different levels of anointing, according to these 7 subdivisions of the body of Christ. This may explain why the Holy Spirit, (who is One Spirit), is described in Rev 5; 6 as; “the seven Spirits of God,” i.e. meaning 7 different corporate anointing’s of the one Holy Spirit not that there are literally 7 different Spirits of God. This phraseology may be emphasising how much the levels of anointing differed between these 7 Candlesticks/Churches, though. We see this to a lesser extent today between the anointing levels in different national Churches. If you go to a nation that is experiencing revival it is likely that you will notice more anointing come upon you when you pray there than when you pray in your home country if there is no revival there. I know people from the UK who have noted this when visiting Uganda for example. They said it was also easier to read the bible whilst there too. This will be due to the different corporate anointing between the two Churches of these two separate nations. When this is scaled up to 7 different regions and people groups of the body of Christ the difference appears, from the 7 Letters, to be even greater than this, with the 7 different anointing’s even referred to as the 7 Spirits of God.
The 2 Candlesticks/Lampstands of Rev Ch 11: As we’ve seen the bible states that Candlesticks/Lampstands are entire churches, “the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches,” (Rev 1; 20). The 2 Lampstands/Candlesticks, (those words being interchangeable), in Rev Ch 11 must, therefore, be 2 of those Churches as opposed to 2 individual Christians. These churches are also referred to as the 2 prophets and the 2 Witnesses.
“I will give power to my two Witnesses, and they shall prophesy… These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of all the earth,” (Rev 11; 3 and 4).
The two “prophets” must, therefore, be two prophesying parts of the body of Christ, toe Candlesticks/Churches that move in phenomenal prophecy and power in the last 3.5 years, (the 42 months of Rev 11; 3). So only 2 of the 7 subdivisions of the body of Christ will be raised up in the last 3.5 years to move in great prophecy and power as a witnesses to the world before Christ’s return. The fact they will be dresses in sackcloth suggests humility, perhaps through persecution and poverty?
The Church of China and majority black/African church: It then becomes clear which of the 2 Candlesticks this will be since only 2 of the 7 have letters written to them that contain praise and no criticism. These are the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia in the bible, which correspond with the Churches of China and the majority black/African church according to the words I received. The Church of Smyrna is persecuted during the last 10 years so will be in a state of humility from that, as indeed is the Chinese Church today. The Church of Philadelphia is humbled by poverty compared to the others as is the case of the majority black/African Church overall today. This, therefore, appears (to me) to be a perfect fit. So we can glean from this that an end time anointing of extraordinary power will come upon these two parts of the body of Christ, upon the Churches of China and the majority black church, in the end times but not upon the entire body of Christ. Many may be saddened by that but then that is a vast improvement on this level of anointing coming upon just two individual Christian prophets as many previously believed to be the case. These 2 Churches are probably not at this stage at the moment, (the African Church for e.g. is still bound up in the prosperity gospel deception from the USA and other sins are common). However, from these letters we can expect God to be refining them to the point where these letters are completely relevant to them when the very last 3. 5 years start. Since the last 7 years don’t appear, (to me), to have started quite yet that leaves at least 3.5 years or more for the majority black African Church to be cleansed of the prosperity gospel and other issues before they are empowered to that degree. And as we know things will be happening very fast in the end times. The corporate anointing available to in those Candlesticks/churches, in the very end times, will be enormous. Maybe we should expect them to be held accountable to that degree of holiness, as we know many Christians will die in the end time’s spiritual battles if they aren’t walking close to God. A greater anointing enables faster deeper repentance and sanctification too though. Although these two Candlesticks/Lampstands appear to be protected from anyone who wishes to harm them, and therefore persecution, (unlike the other 5 Candlesticks/Lampstands), they will ultimately be killed by the antichrist at the end of their 3.5 years of witness. That can’t be a contradiction, I would assume they start out persecuted when the 7 letters were written and apply to them, (as we have seen probably at least 10 years before the end), but they appear invulnerable to anyone hurting them during the very last 3.5 years later on. They then all end up being destroyed in one go at the very end, (see Ch 11). The other 5 candlesticks appear to have varying lesser levels of anointing and maybe, therefore, corresponding levels of spiritual? The two most anointed candlesticks are also called the 2 Olive trees, (Rev 11. 4). Two Olive Trees are also referred to in Zechariah Ch 4 which appears to reveal more information about their role, the role of the Chinese and majority black African Churches in the end times.
Zechariah Chapter 4: This O/T prophecy reveals that the 2 Olive trees will provide anointing oil to the entire Lamp containing all 7 Lampstands/Candlesticks in the Holy of Holies. This is usually pictured as the Lamp with the 7 Lampstands/Candlesticks arising from it with two Olive Trees standing next to this dripping oil into the Lamps base or oil container.
“What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof… these are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth,” (Zech 4; 11, 14).
It is important to remember that the word “Candlestick” is synonymous with “Lampstand” here, the two words being interchangeable. Below is a pictorial impression of Zechariah’s vision.
Rev Ch 11 reveals that the 2 Olive Trees are the 2 most anointed Candlesticks and Zech Ch 4 states that these will provide anointing oil for the entire Lamp, i.e. to all 7 Candlesticks, to the entire body of Christ in the end times, that’s oil both for themselves and the 5 remaining Candlesticks. So by raising up just 2 Candlesticks according to His sense of justice God can thereby bless the entire body of Christ with more anointing oil in the end times to help all Christians stand firm. How this will happen in reality is hard to tell but I assume it will be through the prayers and ministry of the Chinese and black/African Christians, (from that most powerful anointing), for the rest of the body of Christ. Seeing these two subsections of the body of Christ stand up and spiritually take on the emerging best empire should also greatly encourage all Christians and inspire them to do likewise with whatever anointing they have. This support from the two Olive Tree Candlesticks makes sense as Jesus taught us that the greatest in the Kingdom of God was to be the servant of all.
Conclusion: My guess is that most Christians will never know that these 7 subdivisions of the global church exist. I don’t believe God wants most to realise this because all Christians could then move candlesticks and end up in the same two most anointed ones. This would undermine Gods whole reasoning for having 7 and His related end time’s strategies. In my opinion God wants to be able to judge the end time’s church as seven separate churches in order to have two of the youngest subdivisions, those with less history, to receive a lesser judgment. They will then be free to be used in great power during the last 3.5 years, (I believe are the relatively young Churches of China and the Majority Black/African Church). Let’s face it the history of the Church overall is pretty abysmal. If the entire history of the global church, (almost 2000 years), were judged as one perhaps God would deem it unworthy and unfit for purpose overall. How then could God anoint and use the body of Christ as a witness in the last days? This way, by subdividing the body into 7 parts with 7 different levels of anointing, 2 of them can be sued in phenomenal power as the 2 Witnesses in the last 3.5 years. The other 5 Candlesticks will still be used by God but not from within that same extreme level of anointing. Take, for e.g. the long history of the Church of the Western World, (Laodicea), if God were to anoint that with the same extreme power in the end times wouldn’t unbelievers see that as unjust. This part of the body has persecuted Jewish people, engaged in witch-hunts, been involved in the African slave trade, honoured such traders in its churches, along with involvement in all sorts’ of other religious hypocrisy. How can God use it as an end times witness in such extreme power? Unbelievers would surely deem God as unjust in doing so. This would then hinder unbelievers receiving the gospel during the final harvest. But by God raising up the relatively young Chinese Christian Church, which no one associates with these hypocrisies, unbelievers are unlikely to see this as unjust of God. Likewise as black people get raised up within the body of Christ, via the Philadelphian Candlestick, the same thing is likely to be true since unbelievers know that, historically, they have been the most downtrodden race on earth. Not only is Gods character more accurately reflected in this7 subdivisions strategy but He will also be raising up those who are normally seen as lowest in the world, a reverse the ways of the devil, the prince of the power of the air/the god of this world. Likewise the opposite will be taking place as God brings down the proud, rich and lofty within Christ’s body. At present the Church of the Western World dominates Christianity, it owns most of the popular Christian TV and internet outlets, in the main promotes ministers from their own group of westerners via those media outlets, and has huge influence as a result. In the eyes of the world westerners are also the richest as well. God can’t allow that to be the image unbelievers have of Christ’s body during the great end time’s harvest. And how could the body of Christ prepare for the end times persecutions if that was its model, we would be weak and unable to endure. That maybe explains why the Church of Laodicea is in danger of being spewed out of Jesus mouth, (Rev 3; 16) due to its luke warmness etc? Some expect the church of the western world to be refined by a judgement, or a sifting, or a cleansing that I believe will be by spiritual attack as well as deception that will lead many into the temptation of further compromise and apostasy to avoid persecution. Already we see all these false prophecies and teachings that claim Christians are going to rule the world, (sometimes even instead of Jesus literally returning with a body), when the bible makes very clear that the antichrist and his beast empire will rule the world for 3.5 years instead. This is surely is a sign that many Christians are already close to falling away or are ill prepared. God will use the remainder who stand firm though. And we must remember these are not personal judgements but corporate judgements and there will be Christian casualties so we should not judge individuals. There appears to be a trade-off here with God aiming to save the greatest number of people possible. The end times apostasy could also be even greater in two of the other subdivisions of the global church, i.e. within the Church of Ephesus and Sardis, (but I was not shown what these relate to). Which region/people group is religiously loyal but has lost its first love of Christ? Which appears to be alive, and still has a good reputation for this but has since really almost died and is not at all what it once was? The bible states that God doesn’t do anything without telling His body through prophecy first so this information will surely be revealed through prophecies to someone. Like these ones though, I doubt they will become widely known or else every Christian will just leave those Candlesticks and join the best two thwarting Gods other purposes in the world through the Two Witnesses. Those few Christians who do find out about the 7 Candlesticks, however, then use that knowledge for their own strategic advantage in the end times. The big question is how dose God define which Candlestick each individual Christian is a part of? I was perplexed by this until I believe God spoke to me about this some years later.
*** So which Church/Candlestick is each Christian going to be a part of?** At first glance the 4 Candlesticks I was informed about all appear to relate to specific regions of the earth, i.e. the Western World, (i.e. N. America and W. Europe), S. America, Africa and China. The Candlesticks are Churches though and are made up of people, Christians. Due to modern migration these peoples are mingled amongst each other geographically and so cant simply be reffered to as Churches of places or regions. What I have described as the Chinese Church will consist of Chinese living all over the world. I used the description “people groups” to best describe this. These 4 Candlesticks clearly identified 4 different people groups. However, this still wasn’t specific enough to define this well enough. What about, for example, mixed raced people, or those living in a country that they were not descended from. An example would be a black UK citizen living in London, would they be considered by God as part of the Church of the Western World or the Majority Black/African Church? I wondered whether it was down to their nationality, but then what about joint passport holders? Was this about where they were born, where they presently lived, or what type of local church they went to and its alignment? Several years later I believe God then showed me, by His Spirit, that it depended on IDENTIFICATON, on which Candlestick each Christian identifies themselves with. Since most Christians will not fully realise that these 7 subdivisions exist this will usually take place at a subconscious level. The black UK citizen above may identify as part of the Church of the Western World or the Majority Black/African part of the body of Christ dependent on many factors that influence which he identifies himself with the most, (at either a conscious or subconscious level). God will consider him a part of the Candlestick he identified with the most. It is possible this black British man may identify himself as part of the Chinese or another Candlestick due to unusual factors. However, certain patters will tend to emerge. Typical factors will include the person’s race, nationality, culture, his Christian friendship group and which type of local church he goes to. These factors will all have an influence on his which Candlestick he subconsciously identifies with the most. As God raises up a predominantly black movement of Christians from Africa, due to the prayer that has taken place in those nations in recent years, this will attract attention and the majority of black Christians in other parts of the world too. Many of them will probably start moving Candlesticks and identifying more with this African majority black candlestick than say, with the church of the Western World or South American Church which many are a part of at present. With no man planning this the majority black/African Candlestick will start seeing other black people, or mixed race people from the west and elsewhere joining with them. At a subconscious level it is far harder for a white German man, for e.g. to identify with the majority black/African Candlestick although some will. In the end times God will be moving in this way in some highly complex strategies that are beyond our comprehension. However, one of the strategies we can observe will be God raising up the black race within the body of Christ, (see A4), without Him showing any actual racial favouritism. God is always just in all He does and shows no racial but is being true to His character in this way. As a result more and more black and black mixed race Christians are likely to start gaining encouragement from and associating themselves with the Majority Black/African based Church than any other. As a result, of such IDENTIFICATION they will then be seen by God as part of this Philadelphian Candlestick/Lampstand, and start being raised up by God in the greatest of all anointing’s to come. It all happens via their own identification with the Philadelphian Candlestick not God showing racial preference. The spiritual judgements in favour of this Candlestick, and the more powerful corporate anointing available to it, will then apply to all of those Christians. God’s purposes include raising up those who are bowed down and the black race have been least powerful in the world overall. Just one of the strategies God can follow, without prejudice, due to the 7 subdivisions of the church is, therefore, is the raising up the black race within the body of Christ in the end times. The Candlesticks themselves will all be multiracial and contain Christians from a number of racial groups and nationalities though. For example, without realising it a white British woman, with no mixed heritage or any link at all to Africa or even the UK’s black culture at all, with no black friends either, may have fellowshipped all her life in a standard white British Baptist or C of E Church. She then moves Candlesticks, (without even realising it), due to joining a majority Black/African Candlestick/Church because it appears to be far more anointed than her own. She may, for example have become discouraged with her local church and decide to go to the more anointed African Pentecostal Church down the road from there. She may then make new fellowship links with majority black and mixed race Christians there, and become so involved in serving Gods purposes with them that, without even realising it, she starts to associated herself more with this part of the body of Christ than with the Laodicean Church of the Western World she used to be a part of. God will then view her as part of the Philadelphian Candlestick instead because that is the one she now identifies herself with the most. The Letter to the Church of Philadelphia will then relate to her overall spiritual condition. She, a white English woman will then have access to that greater Philadelphian subdivisions, the majority black African churches corporate anointing. This will be independent of her own personal walk with God. Her own walk will obviously be as important a factor, (I would imagine), but the corporate anointing on the different candlesticks will determine the general overall general anointing she is likely to experience. So this white lady will then have access to the same powerful corporate anointing that resides upon the Majority Black/African Philadelphian Candlestick even though she is of a different race and culture to the majority of Christians who form that candlestick. This is a result of which Candlestick she identified with the most at a subconscious level. ***
Our Future: The few who know about this can choose to identify with one of the Two Candlesticks which will soon be the most corporately anointed by identifying that way. It would be wise to do so. We should put anointing above loyalty to a particular Christian culture or church type or Christian peer group. How can you help your friends if you are sinking yourself? We should of course seek God about this. If someone was in the mid-range Church of South America with a calling and ministry links to serve there then that may be the place to stay. For most in the Laodicean Church of the Western World, though, I would urge them to move out to another candlestick, preferably the majority black/African part of Christ’s body, (as there are many such churches in the UK and USA), before the judgement comes, which will it be so harsh in the west. The letter to Laodicea warns that many/most Christians there will be spewed out of Jesus mouth, which suggests a falling away into apostasy. It’s just not worth the risk of remaining either for yourself or those you intend to help. I personally believe up to 95% of western Christians in the UK will fall away from the faith in three waves, (link warning prophecies, C54, C64). I believe any Christian can become a prophet just be asking for and being given that gift. And the bible says receive a prophet, (or their prophecy), in the name of a prophet and you will receive a prophets reward. What is a prophet’s reward if not knowledge about the future? Use that knowledge wisely and you can position yourself in the most anointed part of the body of Christ in the future. But know that your ultimate calling will then have to be martyrdom for Christ. Rev 11 suggests that all, or almost all, of those in the 2 greatest Lampstands, the 2 Olive Trees, will suddenly be killed by the beast near the very end of this age, just prior to Christ’s return, (perhaps via the release of some sort of racially modified virus among other things?), once their 3.5 years of Witness for God has been completed. Generally speaking the pressures that will come upon our faith in the end times will be so great that we cannot risk losing faith, we must instead prioritise our protection through those earlier years. I personally was already drained, worn out and discouraged by what has taken place in the UK already. Despite the fact I was expecting the end times to start I could only motivate myself to prayer and submission to God to a certain degree. When the spiritual pressure mounted didn’t feel I would survive long. I wasn’t going to deny the faith but didn’t see how I could stay alive for much longer, one way or the other. It was towards the end of 2016 that I then received the word about IDENTIFICATION. This was not as a special help from God to me but in response to me asking God about a mixed race Christian of mine, as to how he could qualify for the best Candlestick, I didn’t think it was possible for me. So there was no favouritism shown to me here I just got a lucky break. As soon as I understood a Christian was in the Candlestick that they identified with the most I chose to identify with the majority black/African subdivision of Christ’s body even though there are no African or majority black churches that I know of, where I live. Identification is the key and it works, it has proven to be the case in my life. Straight away I felt I had extra spiritual protection. Things have remained difficult ever since, in whole variety of ways, very difficult, but my head is now above the waterline as it were and I feel I have a few good years left in me to serve God, (all other things being equal). I doubt I would still be here if I had remained in the Church of the Western World. I believe I was getting an early version of the wave of deception and attack due to my prophetic calling at that time. Those who are giving out early warnings are likely to be early targets too. I believe every western Christian will soon come under the same pressure, except those who will fall away without any pressure being needed, with only 5% surviving longer than a few years. Even if you are unconvinced by this if you do start coming under that level of pressure, where spiritual influences from the enemy appear to be able to overwhelm your soul, or kill you, why not at least try moving Candlesticks by identification as a last resort? As for the 2 Olive Trees/Candlesticks I believe they already have that extra protection against spiritual attack and deception, (up to a point), and that they will receive a greater anointing when Israel is grafted back into the vine after the Ezekiel 38 Gog of Magog War, and then receive that full empowerment for the last 3.5 years. Those 2 Candlesticks, (the Chinese and majority black/African Church subdivisions), will be raised up in the body of Christ whilst the Church of the Western World will be brought low, with many becoming apostate and serving the beast empire during the last few years of this age instead. I was not told what the Church of Ephesus symbolised but my guess would be the Church of Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation. If so they need to be ready too as their fate could be just as bad. Which is the Church of Sardis, the worst positioned of all? It can’t be the Middle East or Israel. Looking at the map that only really leaves Asia, perhaps the former Buddhist and Hindu believers from there who have turned to Christ? What condition id the Church of India in for example? If so and you start to struggle try moving Candlesticks/Lampstands and join perhaps the Chinese Church instead through IDENTIFICATION:
* Note; a friend of mine, (Mark Aldridge), believed that God had shown him that another reason God wanted to raise up the black race within the end times Church, and give the beast empire a right kicking through them, was because the beast empire will plan to racially target this group, due to having racist demonic occult roots that will come into play, (maybe we saw this exemplified in Nazi Germany in the past?). The beast empire will be dominated by the western powers who once had empires and ran much of the African Slave Trade. God will be outworking His own justice, within the Church, through these Candlesticks, in many such ways and on many levels that we won’t even be able to comprehend until the age to come.
Footnotes: My guess would be that the remaining 3 Candlesticks/subdivisions of the global church may be i) the Church of Eastern Europe and the Russian confederation since that is a very identifiable people group that Christians may associate/identify with? ii) Another Candlestick maybe the Asian Church, (minus the Chinese), possibly the Hindu and Buddhist majority regions of the world with Christian converts from these peoples as an identifiable people group? iii) The Middle East and Muslim parts of the world along with Israel and converts to Christianity from Judaism? So within the Church there would then be peace, unity and equality between former Muslim and former Jewish Christians to the degree that they will together form the same Candlestick in Gods eyes. I am only guessing at these last 3 Candlesticks though, as I have received nothing from the Spirit of God on them. Interestingly enough, though, Isaiah Ch 19 predicts that Israel will serve God as a nation along with, and in unity with, Egypt and Assyria in the future as if 3 nations under God. Assyrian territory extended roughly from Egypt, encompassed all of Israel’s immediate, presently Muslim, neighbours, including Syria and most of Iraq up to the Euphrates River. Perhaps even more interesting is that this area more or less coincides with the land God promised Abraham’s spiritual descendants. Maybe God was referring to Abraham’s spiritual descendants, (Christians), from that area? Either way we can expect a mighty revival to spread across the Middle East soon, indeed we may already be witnessing the beginnings of this today. Are we about to witness the collapse of Islam across this region, to the extent that even these governments declare themselves Christian as Is 19 appears to suggest? Perhaps Israel is also grafted back into the vine, and accepts Jesus as their Messiah, (as predicted by St Paul in Rm’s 9), then a great outpouring of the Spirit also descends upon Israel’s neighbours converting most Muslims there? If so this would be a great and unexpected testimony to the world in the end times as well as humbling for Israel who would be viewed, even according to the O/T, as one of three servant nations unto the Lord, not Gods only chosen nation as had previously been the case. It would make sense that they would then identify as one and the same candlestick. Many other converts to Christ from Islam, from other parts of the world, especially from predominantly Muslim nations, would then be likely to identify themselves with that Middle Eastern Candlestick as well. However I believe I was only shown what the other 4 Candlesticks symbolised and am only guessing what the three remaining one are. The Church of Ephesus, often referred to as the loveless church risks having its lampstand removed, and the Church of Sardis, (probably the most spiritually unhealthy), is described as appearing to have life and a good reputation but is really be on the edge of death unless it repents so must be secretly very backslidden. I know there are reports of Satanism spreading amongst the Christian youth in India which is strange considering its spirally lively reputation. One would expect persecution there but Satanism, that’s odd. Maybe this is a sign of Sardis in that region? I am only guessing here though and could well be wrong. Someone needs to research the state of the Asian churches though to find out if this may be true.
S. Dobbs, March 2020.