The Holy Place (the
sanctuary) would be shrouded in darkness without the light of the Candlestick.
Similarly, the Church era will be in total darkness without the Holy Spirit.
The Candlestick
was entirely made of pure gold. Gold refers to the heavenly riches
of God the Holy Trinity. In this case, it pertains to the Holy Spirit.
Beaten Gold:
gold heated so that it could be beaten and shaped. The church, likewise,
must undergo such a process of suffering to be a light in the midst
of this dark world.
The Church (God’s
children) is called to be like Christ, the Light of the world. (John
8:12 ; Matthew 5:14-16)
The Bride of Christ
is called to shine for her light like a city set on a hill. Compare
with Revelation 21:9-11. Also note the following
verses : 1 Peter 2:20-23 ; 1 Peter 4:12-14 ; Philippians
3:10-11. To be a light, we must be willing to suffer and,
it necessary, sacrifice our personal physical needs and our ego
so that the Lord will glorify us.
One talent of
gold used to make the Candlestick refers to One Spirit that fills
and leads the Church.
Ephesians
4:4 + 1 Corinthians 12:11-14 = One Body, One Spirit
The Shaft and
Its Six Branches
6 is the number
of man
7 is the divine
number
The Shaft and its
Six Branches depict the fellowship between Jesus, the True Vine
(the shaft), and the Church (as the branches). It is the unity that
enables the Church to bear fruit/to be fruitful (John 15:5)
The bowls, the knobs,
and flowers refer to fruitfulness. There were 9 bowls like almond
blossoms, each with an ornamental knob and a flower, on the other
side. There are 9 fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
and 9 gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
Ranch branch
had 3 bowls made like almond blossoms; each with an ornamental knob
and a flower but the shaft had 4 bowls made like almond blossoms.
This refers to the
Lord Jesus Christ who is exceedingly filled with the Holy Spirit
beyond any human measure (Isaiah 11:2; 61:1-2; Luke 4:16-19;
Revelation 3:1; 5-6)
Altogether the
Golden Candlestick had 66 bowls make like almond blossoms, each
with an ornamental knob and a flower. The tongs and the snuff dishes
were utensils used to trim the lamps to make them burn brighter
and also to extinguish them.
They refer
to the process of sanctification. |
