John, the Beloved Disciple, sees the seven lamps of fire in The Throne Room of Heaven.
The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation 4:
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
John recorded what he saw in Revelation 1:
12 Then I turned to see the Voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
The purpose of a lampstand is to shed light. John wrote in his Gospel, chapter 1:
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Jesus spoke in John chapter 8:
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of Life.”
And in chapter 9:
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
Paul also spoke of The Light as he recorded by The Holy Spirit in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4:
3 But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine on them.
The function of the true church is to light the world up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The light is to be pure and not exalt anyone else. The fivefold ministry is called to serve the congregation, not control, or lord over it. Light will overtake darkness as it shines brightly. As the followers of Christ mature, they will be as lampstands themselves and provide The Light to others. If a church is not glorifying Jesus Christ in all areas, it is not fulfilling the Divine Intent assigned to it.
John the Baptist, the greatest prophet, spoke in Matthew chapter 3:
11 Those who repent I baptize with water, but there is coming a Man after me who is more powerful than I. In fact, I’m not even worthy enough to pick up His sandals. He will submerge you into union with the Spirit of Holiness and with a raging fire!
12 He comes with a winnowing fork in His Hands and comes to His threshing floor to sift what is worthless from what is pure. And He is ready to sweep out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into his granary, but the straw He will burn up with a Fire that can’t be extinguished!”
The lampstand’s contents are ignited by fire and fire represents justice and judgment. Wood, hay, and stubble will be burned up and only that which is pure will remain. Gold represents Divine Nature hence the golden lampstands were to carry the Divine Nature of The Gospel to the world.
Jesus speaks to John and us in Revelation chapter 1:
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His Right Hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 I am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Jesus explains the chronological outline of The Book to John:
What you have seen
The things which are
The things which will take place
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.
The seven churches were in the 2nd category of “the things which are”. The state of these seven churches was described in the seven epistles of chapters 2 and 3. They were the multifaceted states of churches representing both historically as well as the current state of churches today. Time is no issue to Jesus in describing the seven churches.
They were identified by Jesus in verse 20 as seven golden lampstands. However, the seven lamps of fire are now in the Throne Room, an indication that they have been removed from the earth. The Restrainer (The Holy Spirit) has been removed which provided the “Oil” for the lampstand. Now, the world is subject to its blindness as the counterfeit god attempts to replace The True and Authentic King of the earth, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
By the way, Isaiah describes the Seven Spirits in chapter 11:
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom
The Spirit of understanding
The Spirit of counsel
The Spirit of might
The Spirit of knowledge
The Fear of the LORD.