If it be true, as we sought to show in our
last article, that the holy place is connected with worship and service, that
will be true not only as it relates to the table of shewbread, but as it
relates to the golden lampstand. The
word candlestick is misleading. No candles
were used, but oil for the lamps is specifically mentioned:--
“And thou shalt make the seven lamps
thereof” (Exod. xxv. 37).
“Oil for the light” (Exod. xxv. 6).
“Pure olive oil beaten for the light”
(Exod. xxvii. 20).
“Not by might,
nor by power.”
There is a chapter in Zechariah that deals
so pointedly with the symbolism of this golden lampstand, that to attempt an
interpretation of Exodus xxv. before first considering this passage would
be to insult the Author of Scripture, therefore, let us turn to Zechariah iv. Here we
have one of a series of visions, all concerned with one object, the fulfilling
of the age-abiding covenant, whose memorial or reminder we have seen was
found in the twelve loaves of presence, the shewbread. These visions are eight in number, and
occupy chapters i.-vi., a new section of the prophecy commencing
with chapter vii. Readers of The Companion Bible will
notice a light change in the structure of these visions, as we feel that there
is no warrant for uniting the sixth and seventh as one member.
It will be seen that the common theme of
these visions is the restoration of Israel, showing the satanic opposition
(manifested through Gentile powers and finally at Babylon), and the triumph of
the Lord (manifested through Joshua and Zerubbabel, and finally through Christ,
the Branch). We are not, however,
dealing with Zechariah, but seek light from
Zech. iv. upon the symbolism of
the candlestick.
The Branch.
In Exod. xxv. 31-36 when reading the description of the lampstand
we come upon the word “branches”
repeatedly, in fact twelve times.
The word branch here is qaneh.
In Zech. iv. 12,
where we read of “the two olive
branches”, the word is shibboleth. In
Zech. iii. 8 & vi. 12
the Branch is Tsemach. Now
although these seem so diverse at first, they are nevertheless intimately
related.
In
Gen. xli. 5 we have the first
occurrence of shibboleth, where it is translated “ears of corn”. In Gen. xli. 5
also we have the first occurrence of qaneh, where it is
translated “stalk”. This establishes a
connection between the “branches” of the golden candlestick of Exodus xxv.
and the “two olive branches” of
Zechariah iv. In Psa.
lxv. 9, 10 tsemach is used of
corn, “the springing”. So also in Hos. viii. 7
where it is translated as the “bud” that yields no meal, and is
connected with sowing, reaping and standing corn (see margin). It is demonstrated, therefore, that the three
words translated branch are all used of corn, and therefore cannot be widely
dissimilar, but, to adopt the words of Scripture, may be as closely allied as
“the blade, the ear, and the full corn in the ear”. We have here a sequence. First the type of the lampstand in the
tabernacle, next the vision of the lampstand in
Zechariah iv., and finally the
prophetic fulfillment of both type and vision in “The Man Whose name is the
BRANCH”.
It is readily granted that we should
naturally have considered the lampstand in the tabernacle as a type of Christ,
the light of the world, but we should have made the same mistake that we
observed is made by making the shewbread a type of Christ as the bread of life. As the light of the world Christ is
set forth by other figures, but as the light in the holy place another
office is implied. Prophecy is said to
be a “light that shineth in a dark place” (II Pet. i. 19), until the day dawn, and
the Lord comes. Zechariah iv. is most certainly prophetic of the day of
Israel’s restoration and the coming of the Lord. The explanation of the vision of the lamp fed
from the two olive trees is given by the angel:--
“This is the word of the Lord unto
Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the
Lord of hosts” (Zech. iv. 6).
There can therefore be no two thoughts as
to the symbolism of the olives. They
speak of the witness and the work of the spirit in contrast with the arm of the
flesh. The seven lamps are evidently
“those seven” of verse 10, which are explained to be “the eyes of the Lord”
that watch over His purpose. The last
word of explanation in Zech. iv. 14 forces us to turn to the book of the
Revelation.
“These are the two anointed ones, that
stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
The two witnesses.
The state of things under Joshua and
Zerubbabel at the return from the captivity is to be repeated on a vaster scale
in the time of the end. In
Revelation xi. we have the
measuring of the temple by an angel (xi. 1), parallel to the measuring of
Jerusalem by an angel in Zechariah ii. The two
witnesses withstand the beast until their testimony is finished. This testimony lasts for 42.months. Upon their martyrdom resurrection and ascension
follows the sounding of the seventh angel:--
“The kingdom of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ” (Rev. xi. 15).
To this the two witnesses, the vision
of Zechariah iv., and the golden lampstand of the tabernacle bore their
testimony. “The testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. xix. 10). It will
be seen that “oil for the light” and for the
“anointing” (Exod. xxxv. 28) come to much the same thing. Every anointed priest and every anointed king
bore testimony to the day when Zech.vi.12,13 should be fulfilled:--
“Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH . . .
. . and He shall be a priest upon His throne.”
All point forward to the King-Priest,
after the order of Melchisedec. They too
are to combine kingship with priesthood.
They are to be “a kingdom of priests” (Exod.
xix. 6), “a royal priesthood” (see Rev. i. 6;
I Pet. ii. 5, 9).
The seven lampstands.
While the unity of Israel, so far as God’s
view-point is concerned, remains unchanged throughout their whole chequered
history, their manifest witness as set forth by the seven-branched lampstand
did not remain intact. When we come to
the book of the Revelation, we have seen separate lampstands, each standing for
a church in Asia that was bearing a testimony of some kind. Christ is seen in their midst as the great
King-Priest, upholding the seven angels who are responsible for the testimony
of these seven churches. Failure could
involve the removal of a lampstand out of its place (Revelation ii. 5). Israel were the Lord’s witnesses (Isa. xliii.
10), the tabernacle was called “the tabernacle of witness” (Numb. xvii. 7),
they who reign for the thousand years include those who were beheaded “for the
witness of Jesus” (Rev. xx. 4). The ark
is called both the ark of the covenant, and the ark of testimony or witness* (Exod. xl. 3), and when the seven
angels appeared, then John said, “Behold the temple of the tabernacle of the
testimony (or witness) in heaven was opened”.
[* - Both
in the Hebrews and the Greek, witness and testimony are the
same.]
The great thought of the lighted lampstand
in the holy place is that of witness bearing. Genesis i. 3
differentiates “light” itself from a “light bearer” (Gen. i. 14, 15),
light being or in i. 3 and maor
in
Gen. i. 14, 15. This distinction is carried over into the LXX.
Exodus xxv. 6 “oil for the light” uses maor, the
light bearer. “Light” (or) occurs but once in Exod. x. 23,
whereas “light bearer” (maor) occurs seven times, and each time
is used of the lampstand.
In
Isa. xi. 2 we have the sevenfold
anointing of Christ:--
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
He is pre-eminently “the faithful
witness”, and all other witness must draw its inspiration from Him, the great
Anointed, and receive its light from Him, the true light.
In the description of the lampstand we sometimes
use the expression, “The seven-branched candlestick”. This is incorrect.
“Six (not seven) branches shall come out
of the sides of it; three branches … out of the one side, and
three . . . . . out of the other side” (Exod. xxv. 32).
Though there were seven lamps, there were
but six branches, the central stem supporting both its own lamp and the
remaining branches. It is a fit symbol
of the essentials for witness, whether in Israel or the church. The central supporting
and uniting shaft is the Lord Himself; the oil for the light, the Holy Spirit; and apart from union with the Lord, and the
Spirit of God, we shall have neither light nor testimony. This sevenfold arrangement is well seen in
the special testimony for the church of the mystery as given in Eph. iv. 4-6,
where the one Lord is in the midst with the two sets of three on either
side. “Oil for the light” is a
word that should make us examine our own testimony to see that the source of
our illumination is that of which God can approve.
The two features of the holy place
specified by Exodus xxv. are the table of shewbread and the golden
lampstand. They stood over against each
other. The light from the lamps would
shine upon the pure gold of the table, the twelve unleavened loaves and the
pure frankincense. Testimony in the holy
place is not taken up with flesh and failure, but with the purpose of grace as
seen in Christ.
One more article of furniture that was
found in the holy place, viz., the altar of incense, is not mentioned here, but
its description is deferred until after
chapters xxviii. & xxix. These chapters are devoted to the consecration
of the priests, and then, with the opening verse of chapter xxx.,
comes the first reference to the altar of incense. The reader will realize the necessity to
abide by this divine order, and we therefore follow the leading of the Lord and
likewise refrain from comment upon this third item until the proper time, which
will be after chapters xxvi.-xxix. have been considered. This in itself, small detail as it may
appear, is a practical outworking of what we realize underlies the words “oil
for the light”, for true witness must always flow from faithful adherence to
God’s Word given by inspiration.
May our witness ever conform to the
essentials set forth in the beautiful symbol of the golden, oil fed lampstand
in the holy place.
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