The Golden Lampstand: Light and Life

Verse 31: This is the third item in God’s list which is to be made. It is a lampstand of pure gold. This is not to be a overlaid piece but from its base to the very lampstand itself and all that is a part of its design was to be hammered work. It was to be a skillfully constructed work of pure gold, even in its ornamentation and incredibly, all of one piece, not parts put together to make a whole.

B. The placement of the branches of the lampstand, 25:32

Verse 32: This lampstand has a central post from which branches extend, three on the one side, three on the other. It may have looked like that which is pictured on the Arch of Titus in Rome, but it is possible that the menorah of the tabernacle may have been different than that on the Arch of Titus,

since even sources of rabbinical texts and Josephus demonstrate some differences from its depiction on the Arch.

We have no instructions as to how tall the menorah is supposed to be; however, it was probably not so tall that the priest who serviced the lamps had to stand on anything.

One of the things we should remember is that this menorah is a lampstand; it is not itself a lamp.

C. The artistry of the lampstand, 25:33-36.

Verses 33-34: The ends of each branch had a cup, where the actual lamps (which held the oil, wicks, and fire) may have been detachable lamps, possibly ceramic, that sat in the cups. There was an additional two cups on each branch, making a total of three per branch.

The cups themselves were shaped to look like an almond blossom, with calyx (“bulb”) and petals (“flower”). Each branch was to be topped with an almond blossom-shaped cup. These cups were both functional and decorative.

The lampstand itself was to have four of these almond blossom-shaped cups.

Verses 35-36. The placement of these almond blossom cups on the lampstand was under each pair of the lampstand’s branches (maybe looking like they came out of the cup/blossom?) with the fourth at the top of the lampstand.

All of this intricate work was to be made of one piece of gold. It was to be a hammered work of pure gold.

D. The number of lamps and the finishing touches, 25:37-39.

Verse 37. The lamps were also to be made, a total of seven in number. The lamps were to be put into place with the wicks facing into the Holy place so that the lamps on the lampstand would illuminate not just the lamp but the entire Holy place for the priests ministering therein. Just a note; we are not told specifically here that these lamps were to be made of pure gold--they could have been (as vs. 38-39 seem to imply), but it would be easier to handle ceramic than heated pure gold lamps when it came time to trim the lamps.

Verses 38-39. All the accessories for the lampstand and its lamps, snuffers to put the lamps out and to remove the wicks, trays to contain any ashes, wicks, or old oil, were also of pure gold.

The amount of gold designated for the construction of the lampstand was one talent, a measurement that is uncertain now but whose weight was possibly about seventy-three to seventy-nine pounds.

E. The warning: “Follow the pattern,” 25:40

Verse 40. The importance of its construction is pointed out in verse 40. The artisans who were to make the lampstand were to be careful to follow the pattern shown to Moses. Moses in turn was to accurately communicate that pattern to them. They could not go off on their own artistic expressions; it was after a pattern already in existence in the heavenly temple, revealed to Moses.

The presence of the LORD is represented visually by the menorah as it is in the table of showbread. The predominate substance inside the Tabernacle was gold, whereas we shall see that outside in the courtyard it was brass. Brass had to do with the judgment of sin; the gold speaks of the deity of Christ. The only items made entirely of pure gold were the mercy seat and the lampstand.

The almond blossoms on the lampstand reminded us of Aaron’s rod that budded. When Aaron’s priestly prerogative was in question, the budding of his almond rod established it.

The rod, a dead branch, was made to live and bear fruit. Christ was established as the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. It did not make Him the Son of God, for he was that from the eternal councils of God. The resurrection confirmed it.

Aaron was the God-appointed high priest, and it was confirmed by the resurrection in the dead almond rod. The resurrection of Christ likewise established His priesthood.

Christ is our great High Priest because He became a man and partook of our nature, “yet without sin.” But the primary basis of His priesthood is His deity. The priest represented men before God. Christ is God who became man, and it is now the God-man who represents man.The resurrection which declared Him the Son of God likewise declared His priesthood.

One purpose of the golden lampstand was to light the Holy Place (see Exod. 25:37). In the words of one commentator, it served as “a welcome sign that someone is home.” The tabernacle meant that God was at home with his people, and the lampstand helped to show this. But it provided something more than a friendly glow. The deeper meaning of the lampstand is that God himself is the light; there is no darkness where God is. As the Scripture says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b).

1 John 1:5b NASB95

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

The lamp in the tabernacle showed that as the people approached God, they were coming into the light. God gives light to his people. The light is where God is. As David said, and we concur...

Psalm 27:1 NASB95

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

Significance as a type.

The lampstand’s purpose was to provide light. It was a beautiful type of Christ, who is the true light of the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”(Jn. 8:12).

John 8:12 NASB95

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

The “light of life”that Jesus spoke of can be obtained only through faith in His atoning work on the cross. But Jesus made it very clear that the world in general would not come to Him as the “light of life”“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”(Jn. 3:19)

John 3:19 NASB95

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

The lampstand was filled with rich symbolic teaching for Christians. The gold in the lampstand typified the deity of Christ, the divine Son of God, who stepped across the galaxies of the universe and became a man. He was pure in His humanity, having neither spot nor blemish (1 Pet. 1:19), but it was His deity that sustained His humanity.

The lampstand, as we have already seen, was not molded or pieced together but was hammered out of a solid talent of gold (Ex. 25:31), symbolizing the Lord, who endured the harsh, hot sting of a biting whip before His crucifixion (Mt. 27:26, 30). Isaiah wrote concerning His suffering, “we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted … and with his stripes we are healed”(Isa. 53:4-5).

The dimensions of the lampstand are not given, but its size, weight, and beauty portray Christ in His fathomless greatness. He is the creator of all things, and by Him all things are held together (Col. 1:16-17).

Colossians 1:16–17 NASB95

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

He is limitless in His value, for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to be found (Col. 2:3). Paul summed up the greatness of Christ when he wrote, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”(Col. 2:9). Joy should fill our souls as we realize that we are complete in Him (Col 2:10), the one who provides a wealth of wisdom and knowledge for our Christian walk.

following from Exodus—Saved for God's Glory (Let Your Light Shine)

J. B. Phillips has written a wonderful story about Christians shining for Christ. His parable begins with a senior angel showing a very young angel “the splendors and glories of the universe.” Finally the two angels came to our own galaxy:

As the two of them drew near to the star which we call our sun and to its circling planets, the senior angel pointed to a small and rather insignificant sphere turning very slowly on its axis. It looked as dull as a dirty tennis ball to the little angel whose mind was filled with the size and glory of what he had seen.“I want you to watch that one particularly,” said the senior angel, pointing with his finger.“Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me,” said the little angel. “What’s special about that one?”“That,” replied his senior solemnly, “is the Visited Planet.”“ ‘Visited’?” said the little one. “You don’t mean visited by—”“Indeed I do. That ball, which I have no doubt looks to you small and insignificant and not perhaps overclean, has been visited by our Prince of Glory.

This was beyond the little angel’s comprehension. So to help him understand, the senior angel took him back in human history:

While … the two of them moved nearer to the spinning ball, it stopped its spinning, spun backward quite fast for a while, and then slowly resumed its usual rotation.“Now look!” and as the little angel did as he was told, there appeared here and there on the dull surface of the globe little flashes of light, some merely momentary and some persisting for quite a time.“What am I seeing now?” queried the little angel.“You are watching this little world as it was some thousands of years ago,” returned his companion. “Every flash and glow of light that you see is something of the Father’s knowledge and wisdom breaking into the minds and hearts of people who live upon the earth. Not many people, you see, can hear His Voice or understand what He says, even though He is speaking gently and quietly to them all the time.”“Why are they so blind and deaf and stupid?” asked the junior angel rather crossly.“It is not for us to judge them. We who live in the Splendor have no idea what it is like to live in the dark.… But watch, for in a moment you will see something truly wonderful.”The Earth went on turning and circling round the sun, and then, quite suddenly, in the upper half of the globe there appeared a light, tiny, but so bright in its intensity that both angels hid their eyes.“I think I can guess,” said the little angel in a low voice. “That was the Visit, wasn’t it?”“Yes, that was the Visit. The Light Himself went down there and lived among them.… Open your eyes now; the dazzling light has gone. The Prince has returned to His Home of Light. But watch the Earth now.”As they looked, in place of the dazzling light there was a bright glow which throbbed and pulsated. And then as the Earth turned many times, little points of light spread out. A few flickered and died, but for the most part the lights burned steadily, and as they continued to watch, in many parts of the globe there was a glow.…“You see what is happening?” asked the senior angel. “The bright glow is the company of loyal men and women He left behind, and with His help they spread the glow, and now lights begin to shine all over the Earth.”

What J. B. Phillips described in his parable is our privilege as Christians. God has given us new life, and now that we are alive in Christ, we are called to shine for Jesus, giving a glowing testimony of his saving grace. We shine for Jesus when we go out of our way to show special kindness. We shine for Jesus when we do our work cheerfully, without complaining. We shine for Jesus when we give generously to help those in need. And we shine brightest of all when we share the gospel, telling people what God has done to save us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Our prayer should be never to flicker or grow dim but to keep shining brightly for Jesus.

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