THE LAMP

As you entered the Holy Place, the front room of the Tabernacle’s Tent of Meeting, you were greeted by the glowing light of an ornate golden Lampstand… in Hebrew, the golden Menorah.

God gave to Moses exacting instructions for its construction. “You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand … All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold. Make its seven lamps, and set them up so that they illuminate the area in front of it” (Exodus 25:31-37).

God even told Moses how much gold would be required to make the beautiful piece … “seventy-five pounds of pure gold” (Exodus 25:39). Last month gold prices peaked over $3,500 per ounce… a record high. At that price, the lampstand would have cost $4,200,000! Wow!

The lampstand was ornate and beautiful!

The lampstand was also necessary to shed its light for the priests who performed daily ministry inside the Holy Place. It was practical and functional.

More important, the lampstand was prophetic… it points to Jesus, who famously said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Jesus spoke those words while he was standing in Herod’s Temple. I can’t say for sure, but here’s my guess. I suspect that Jesus was standing beside the towering Menorah that stood in the Temple’s courtyard, an enlarged replica of the one built for the Tabernacle.

John wrote: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:4–5).

And Jesus declared: “Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light”(John 12:35–36).

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).