Category: The Golden Lamp Stand


THE BRIDE OF CHRIST BRINGS DIVISION

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Jesus the Golden Lampstand, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, The Golden Lamp Stand — 1 Comment
January 18, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST BRINGS DIVISION

 

There are many components of the bride. This means that we all have a role to play in doing the will of God, who calls us to be one with Him. We all have a purpose. In support of this statement we offer the following scripture:

And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

 

Blessings come whenever we do what we are called to do.  

Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Jesus is the Light of the World

 

Do not be lured by the glamour of the world into abandoning your calling and ensure that that you continuously demonstrate the love of Jesus to all others.

But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:42 – 51). 

The bride, the great city, the holy Jerusalem, comprised of God’s anointed people has her lamps burning brightly, which is to say that she is prepared to enlighten the earth. This enlightenment is frequently met with resistance as the darkness can not comprehend and light. In fact, when the darkness is pierced by the light and is about to disappear, with its dying breath, it will proclaim, how can this be. Jesus claimed to be the, “Light of the World.” He also called us to be a light to the world as well. Being a light to the world will cause great division among the peoples of the world, just as it was in the case of Jesus’ ministry.

 

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Jesus Is The Holy Place

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, Table of Showbread, The Golden Altar, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
February 8, 2008

Jesus Is The Holy Place

In our last posting we presented a scripture from Exodus that helped to introduce us to the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. We also demonstrated that the components of this chamber are predictive of the life of Jesus.

We will now continue by starting where we left off in the Exodus scripture. In doing so we will present an overview of the Holy Place and then communicate how it is also predictive of the life of Jesus. We start by presenting a portion of the Exodus scripture:

You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle

The preceding passage identifies the objects found in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. This chamber is entered by passing through the doorway called “the Truth” and this is a direct correlation to Jesus’ claim to be the Truth.

The table mentioned in the above scripture is the Table of Show Bread. The loaves of bread offered by the tribes of Israel were continuously presented on this table. This bread, which is also called Show Bread, was displayed as a symbol of the familial relationship of God and His people. It represented a relationship like that of a close family that continuously shares meals together at the dinner table.

The Show Bread was presented before the Lord for an entire week before it was replaced with fresh. The priests who removed the loves would eat them as they considered it spiritual food.

The Lampstand identified in the above scripture is also known as the Golden Lampstand. Its purpose was to illuminate the Table of Show Bread and the other objects found in the Holy Place. It should be noted that the Lampstand burned olive oil and this is symbolic of Gods anointing of His people. The lamp itself is symbolic of the illumination of the things of God.

The Golden Altar is the third object found inside the Holy Place. Its placement was directly before the semi transparent veil called “the Life,” which happened to be directly before the Mercy Seat where God dwelt. Only the transparent veil separated it from the Most Holy place of God. Only sweet incense was burned on the Altar which produced smoke and a sweet aroma before the place where God dwelt. This smoke and aroma was symbolic of the prayers of the nation going up before God and into heaven where they would become effective in bringing down the forces of evil.

How Jesus becomes our Holy Place

Jesus is the fulfillment of “the Truth” because by entering into Him by way of our prayers, we find that our steps become enlightened, our ministry becomes empowered and the forces of evil are defeated.

Jesus is our Table of Show Bread in that He has become the Bread of Life for us. By eating His body and drinking His blood we become one with Him and the Father. If we have achieved this then we have achieved a very intimate relationship with God.

Jesus is our Golden Lampstand in that He has become the light of the world for us. By coming to Him in prayer our pathways are illuminated and our mission is clear. Only then can we become the light of life for others.

Jesus is our Golden Altar in that prayers in His name become sweet incense that comes before the Father and is strong in bringing down the forces of evil in the world. For a more detailed explanation of “Jesus the Truth”

If you are interested in reading more about Jesus the Way, consider reading the following postings on this subject:

http://possesosthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/entering-the-truth-of-the-tabernacle/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-the-table-of-showbread/

To find out more about the Table of Show Bread follow these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/applying-the-attributes-of-jesus-our-table-of-showbread/

To read about the Golden Lampstand follow these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-the-light-of-the-world/

To learn about the significance of the Golden Altar of Incense reference these links:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-the-golden-altar-of-incense/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-the-golden-altar-of-incense/

To learn about the significance of coming to Jesus our Golden Altar and to better understand the impact of spiritual warfare read these postings:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-heals-the-sick-and-the-lame/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-casts-out-demons/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-victorious-over-an-evil-establishment/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/jesus-is-victorious-on-the-cross/

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/passing-from-the-way-and-into-the-truth/the-victory-of-jesus-empowers-us/

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Jesus The Holy Place Of Empowerment And Truth

Filed under: Jesus, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, Table of Showbread, The Golden Altar, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
January 23, 2008

Jesus The Holy Place Of Empowerment And Truth

We now have completed our section on Jesus “The Truth”, so let’s summarize the things that we have covered prior to moving on to the next section which is entitled, Jesus “the Life”.

Jesus proclaimed to be “the Truth” and this section was a search to find out what this actually means. It just so happens that the name, “the Truth”, is also used to identify the entrance into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. In the days of the Tabernacle only the priest could pass through the Truth and enter into the Holy Place. Even then entry into God’s house was a serious thing and required preparation to become worthy of entry (see postings on the Way). Entry was momentous as it signified the establishment of a closer relationship with the all mighty God. The Holy Place was sacred. It was the place of empowerment and bring down the forces of evil through prayer before God.

So with all of this understood, we can come to understand what Jesus meant when He said “I am the Truth”. He is saying that by coming through Him in prayer, that we can find the empowerment necessary to reach the spiritual maturity necessary to attain our mission on this earth.

In the Holy Place we find the Golden Altar which enlightens those in the Holy Place to the presence of the Table of Show Bread and the Golden Altar of Incense. We find that in Jesus we have a far better replacement of all of these things.

We find that in Jesus our Golden Altar, that we are enlightened by the “Light of the World” to understand our purpose and the steps we must take to be effective in ministry. This light was displayed at the Transfiguration on the Mount before His disciples and revealed who Jesus is. Jesus calls each of us to be a light of His Truth to others.

We find that in Jesus our Table of Show Bread, that we develop a close and personal relationship with “the Bread of Life”. This relationship helps us to understand that all of our provisions come from Him and that without Him we can do nothing. Jesus the Bread of Live was revealed when He multiplied the loaves and the fish for the five thousand who were hungry. Jesus calls us to be the bread of life for others by feeding them the truth of who He is.

We find that in Jesus our Golden Altar, that we are empowered for spiritual warfare through our prayers that go up to heaven. This empowerment comes through the examples of Jesus praying prior to taking action in ministry. His prayers in the garden for example, delivered instructions that were hard to accept and yet, were exactly what was needed to accomplish His mission on earth. Jesus demonstrated this empowerment by healing the sick, raising the dead, confronting an evil establishment and raising Himself from the dead. Jesus asks us to enter into His spiritual warfare by revealing the truth of Him to others and by taking action to support the direction He has given.

Putting it all together, Jesus is the truth about our relationship with the Father. He is our Lamp that will enlighten our mission and pathway toward God. He is our empowerment that comes to us in the form of the Holy Spirit and guides us to bring down the forces of evil in this world.

In our conversation of the Truth, we saw examples of these things in the life of Jesus. Miraculous things like the casting out of demons, healing the sick, confronting evil religious leaders and even dying on the cross for us. From all of this we can conclude that spiritual warfare requires action that is based upon our prayer life. For example, Jesus prayed in the garden prior to taking the action (He went to the cross for us). Jesus was enlightenment in the Transfiguration (the Golden Lamp Stand) with the truth about His identity (the Son of God). More importantly, Jesus had a close personal relationship with the Father (the Table of Showbread) that gave Him the perfect faith to know that the His actions would be supported by the Father in miraculous ways.

In the Holy Place of Jesus we are enlightened with spiritual truth, we receive our communion with God and we exercise our power over evil everywhere.

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Jesus Is The Light Of The World

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — Leave a comment
November 30, 2007

Jesus Is The Light Of The World

In our previous posting we introduced the Golden Lamp Stand as one of the objects found inside the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. We identified that the purpose of the Lamp Stand is to illuminate the bread found on the Table of Show Bread. We also demonstrated that this bread is symbolic of the Bread of Life, which in turn, is Jesus our Lord and Savior.

As in our postings about the Table of Show Bread, we will initiate our analysis by looking at what the words of Jesus have to say about His identity. We will then present a series of events that reveal how the truth of this statement was supported in the form of miracles.

Here are the words of Jesus declaring to be the Light of the World:

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.” (John 8:12)

By claiming to be the Light of the World, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the living Lamp Stand that came down from heaven. After all, Jesus came to earth to help us see that He is the Bread of Life, the Christ and the Son of God.

Here is a scripture that supports the proposition that Jesus is the Light of the World:

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:1-5)

Jesus is the Light of the World because He illuminates the pathway to the Father, which He did for His disciples in the above scripture.

The Principles of the Light of the World

In looking at the life of Jesus as the Light of the World, we find several key traits that can be used in molding our own lives to that of Christ Jesus. One such trait is to illuminate the pathway to the Father to others, just as Jesus did. Being a light to others means that our good works should be visible to others so that the goodness of God is clearly seen. Our lives should enable them to understand what we are and what we believe. Therefore, those around us will not be surprised that we are a Christian. We should be a light to others so that they will not stumble in the darkness, but rather, have the everlasting light of Jesus. Read the words of Jesus in regard to becoming a light for others:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-6)

In this scripture Jesus passes the purpose of the Lamp Stand on to His disciples who are to be held on high to dispense the light of Gods own Son to everyone in the world. The key principle is that it is the mission of every Christian to be light to those around us. We must illuminate the truth that God gives to our fellow man. Like the Golden Lamp Stand we must illuminate the Table of Showbread and the Holy Place of God. Therefore we must illuminate Jesus who is the light of the world, the bread of life, the only begotten Son of God. We must illuminate the fact that Jesus came to tell us the Fathers Truth, that He came to save us from our own sin and that He is the Savior of the world.

Another principle discovered at the Golden Lamp Stand is to become enlightened through prayer in the Holy Place of God. Jesus turned to prayer to seek guidance from the Father and we should do likewise. It is critical that we get our guidance in the Holy place. The following passage is a good example of Jesus getting His direction from the Father through prayer:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:36-41)

This is what coming to the Golden Lamp Stand was all about. In this example Jesus is getting directions from the Father that seem counter intuitive and illogical to our earthly mind, yet they are very effective in achieving God’s purpose. As in Jesus’ case this guidance came through prayer. It is prayer that comes once we are inside the Holy Place that illuminates our pathway. In addition, remember that the seven globes of the Lamp Stand represent the perfect vision of the Father. It is this all knowing vision that enables the Father to guide us when we pray an enable us to setting our course as well as avoid obstacles. This guidance is essential to proceeding effectively toward our mission.

So, we as imitators of God seek to become more like Jesus who is the Golden Lamp Stand, in the following ways:

Enter into the Holy Place in your Prayer Life

We must move from the Outer Court and into the Holy Place of the inner courtyard. We need to get past our sinful nature that drives us back to the outer court yard begging for forgiveness. To enter into enlightened prayer in the Holy Place we must become a fundamentally changed people who can live with a pure heart, not desiring the world or anything in it.

Your prayers in the Holy Place fill the bowls of the Lamp Stand with the oil that illuminates Jesus, the Bread of Life and enables you to see the truth (after all you have passed through the door call the Truth). Your prayer will illuminate your walk with God and the anointing oil of the Lord will cover you such that you can be a light unto others.

Seek God for Direction

Our prayer time then becomes a time of communication. We seek closeness with God and God in turn illuminates our path.

Be Visible

Our actions and life need to be visible to others. The world must know that we follow in the steps directed by our Father. Do not be dismayed if the things that God shows you seem to be impossible. The best way to be visible is to set out and attempt the impossible and proclaim it to the world. After all, if we only attempt what we can achieve then where does God fit in? He certainly gets no glory from our independent actions. But if we undertake the impossible in the name of God, then God will support our actions with miracles that make the impossible possible. Others see what God has done and are impacted by their experience. Most importantly, God gets the glory that He justly deserves.

Be a Light to Others

Let your actions, words and life be an inspiration to others. When they see God’s favor in your life they will look to you for guidance. Point them toward Jesus. Disciple them and nurture them in the way of the Lord.

Expect Miracles to Follow the Truth from God

Speak the truth of your enlightenment to others and expect the power of God to support your action with His miraculous power through the Holy Spirit. Step out in faith, do what He puts in your heart and expect Him to do what you cannot:

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bringforth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”“ (Zec 4:6-7)

In our next posting we will introduce the Golden Altar of Incense. May God bless you all.

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The Golden Lamp Stand And Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Tabernacle, The Golden Lamp Stand, The Holy Place, The Truth — 10 Comments
November 26, 2007

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Jesus And The Tabernacle Courtyard (A review)

In our most recent postings, we have introduced the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. We identified the name of the passageway into the Holy Place as the “Truth,” and then correlated it to the “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life” statement made by Jesus.

We also acknowledged that there are prerequisites for entering the Holy Place. One prerequisite is first passing through the Tabernacle Courtyard seeking God’s forgiveness and a restored relationship with Him. Entering the Courtyard with such a heart also required the support of a priest who burns a blood sacrifice on the Brazen Altar for the forgiveness of the sins. A second prerequisite is that only a purified priest is allowed to enter the Holy Place. This purification occurred as the priests washed at the Brazen Laver. As they did so the priests were able to see their own reflection in the mirror-like surface of the Laver. It is reported that the priests could see themselves as God saw them as they washed. This reflection enabled the priest to contemplate their worthiness to enter into the very holy and special ministry in the Holy Place. This contemplation often brought about the change necessary to enable service as a priest and to move into a much closer relationship with God than was possible in the Courtyard.

Jesus and Moses at the Transfiguration Discuss the Fulfillment of the Tabernacles Prophesy

Jesus and Moses at the Transfiguration Discuss the Fulfillment of the Tabernacle’s Prophesy

 

The major revelation of this work is that we successfully demonstrated that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle Courtyard. It is through Him that we can develop a closer relationship with the Father. He is the high priest that we come to for the forgiveness of our sins. He is the blood sacrifice that is the payment for our sins and His cross is the Brazen Altar upon which His perfect sacrifice was offered. More than this, He is the Brazen Laver that we look into to see ourselves as God does. It is by looking into His words and His actions (as found in scripture) that we can see the truth about how God sees us. Through this reflection, our hearts are changed and our character becomes more like that of Jesus. These actions are necessary for us to move into a closer relationship with God that is found in the Holy Place (that is also found in Jesus.) This association comes with a relationship, enlightenment, and empowerment for spiritual warfare.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

The Tabernacle Courtyard

 

Therefore, if our focus is to become more like Jesus then the preparation in the Courtyard is necessary to obtain entry into the Holy Place. A crucial component of our preparation is the acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. A second component is our genuine desire to become more like our savior Jesus.

The Table of Show Bread (A review)

We have also introduced the Holy Place of the Tabernacle and more specifically, have presented the Table of Show Bread, which is one of the objects found in the Holy Place. We have identified the entryway into the Holy Place as “the Truth” and correlated this name to the “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” statement made by Jesus. In addition, we have correlated the Table of Show Bread to the “I Am the Bread of Life” proclamation made by Jesus. We validated this statement by presenting the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish to the multitude. We also communicated the words of Jesus, who said that those who eat the Bread of Life will never hunger or thirst. Our conclusion of all of this is that Jesus is the Bread of Life and that the Table of Showbread is prophetic of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is our Table of Showbread, which is symbolic of achieving a familial relationship with the Father.

 

The Table of Showbread

The Table of Showbread

The Golden Lamp Stand

In this section, we will show that the Golden Lamp Stand is also prophetic of the coming of Jesus. We will accomplish this by presenting scriptures that support this proposition.  We conclude that Jesus is the living Lamp Stand that came down from heaven to illuminate the world with God’s Truth. So now, let’s start by learning a bit more about the Golden Lamp Stand.

The Golden Lampstand which was present in old temple but damaged, was restored to its original form, kept outside the temple area.

The Golden Lampstand which was present in the old temple but damaged was restored to its original form, and kept outside the temple area.

The Golden Lamp Stand is found on the south wall of the Holy place, opposite the Table of Showbread. A diagram that maps the position of the Golden Lamp Stand is presented below:

Tabernacle Diagram

The purpose of the Lamp Stand is to illuminate the Holy place, and more specifically, the Table of Showbread and the twelve loaves which were placed on it. Its purpose therefore, is to enable us to clearly see the Bread of Life.

 

The Golden Lamp Stand is made of pure gold that has been hammered into shape. The shape of the Lamp Stand is based on a single main shaft, upon which six arms protrude, three on each side. The base also forms an arm in the center of the Lampstand, therefore, there are seven (seven represents perfection or completeness) arms in all. Each arm carried a lamp (or bowl) at its top. Each lamp was filled with oil (symbolic of the anointing of the Lord) that was burned to provide illumination. The body and arms of the lamp are covered with engraved flowers that resemble lilies, large knobs that represent pomegranates, and smaller knobs that represent almonds. These things are thought to represent the bounty of the Lord. The seven lamps at the top were also in the shape of almonds flowers. A photo of what the Lampstand likely looked like is presented above:

The light of the Lamp Stand burned perpetually in the Holy place. This was achieved by the service of the priests who refilled the lamps each evening and morning. This morning and evening process is often thought to be symbolic of our prayer life. Morning and evening prayer can keep our lamps full so that the pathway to Jesus may be illuminated.

 

Some believe that the Lamp Stand is modeled after the things in heaven and that the seven lamps represent the all-seeing eyes of the Lord. The following passage from Zechariah communicates these beliefs:

And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of Grace, grace to it!  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth. (Zec 4:2-10)

The Golden Lamp Stand, therefore, is symbolic of the eyes of the Lord who knows all things. By coming through “the Truth” and into the Holy place we commune with God. This communion enlightens us with the Truth from God. The burning Lamp Stand is symbolic of prayer that provides the illumination of God.

In our next post, we will look at the life and attributes of Jesus to determine if He is the living Lamp Stand that came down from heaven to enlighten us with the truth from heaven.

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