Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Golden Lamp-stand*

Have you ever been in the dark?

– We all have, but I mean really dark.

I remember going to the caves in Cheddar gorge.

It was off season and we were the only ones – so they showed us a lighting display in the last cavern that they don’t normally show because of it takes too much time and they want to get as many groups through as possible.

I think they called it the cathedral – they turned all the lights off in the cave and gradually brought the light up over this vast wall of stalagmites and stalactites.

But when they turned the lights off …. Man, it was dark!

I mean you literally couldn’t see a thing!

Not your hand in front of your face.

We need light!

We can’t see a thing without it.

Everything we need might be right in front of us but unless there is light we cannot see to avail ourselves of it.

We need light!

We have been looking at the tabernacle – when we outside in the court we could see easily – there was the natural light of the bright Sinai sun *[P]*.

But inside there are gold boards, four layers of coverings, thick curtains *[P]*.

How do you see?

You need a source of light – revelation!

Last time I spoke about the table of shew-bread – does anyone remember what the table signified?

– Fellowship *[P]*.

There is a well known verse about fellowship in [*1 John 1:7* /if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin/.]

There are light and fellowship together.

We need light in order to see the table.

The table is fellowship; the “bread of the face” is Jesus made flesh, the Bread of Life.

Right there where we have fellowship with Jesus, there is the light shining on the table – the light of the golden lamp-stand!

We need light, revelation in order to see Jesus.

Jesus is in the light and we are in the light with Him.

Hallelujah!

So today let us look at the golden lamp-stand *[P]*.

*The Golden Lamp-stand*

[*Exodus 25:31-40*/ “Then you shall make a lamp-stand of pure gold.

The lamp-stand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.

“Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lamp-stand from its one side and three branches of the lamp-stand from its other side.

“Three cups shall be shaped like almonds in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almonds in the other branch, a bulb and a flower—so for six branches going out from the lamp-stand; and in the lamp-stand four cups shaped like almonds, its bulbs and its flowers.

“A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lamp-stand.

“Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

“Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it.

“Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold.

“It shall be made from a talent of pure gold/ (about 30kg)/, with all these utensils.

“See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain./]

[*Numbers 8:2* “/Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lamp-stand.’//

”/] This is the “menorah” (show it).

The passage describes seven branched candlestick – right?

No. What did I just read?

Did it mention a candlestick?

No; a lamp-stand.

Look at the picture – see the lamps at the top?

Did it say seven branches?

No, six branches.

The picture is not quite right – we read that the branches had 3 of these flower~/bud thingies (count them) but central stem had four (count them) – so this central branch should have an extra bud, making it higher than the other branches.

As we will see, detail is important.

*Lamp-stand is the Church:* So, what is the lamp-stand?

One of the good things about the Bible is that its use of symbolism is consistent throughout – so, we can use Scripture to interpret Scripture: *[P]* [*Revelation 1:12-20* /Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.

And having turned I saw seven golden lamp-stands; and in the middle of the lamp-stands I saw one like a son of man,/(that’s Jesus)/ clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.

And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades/ (it cannot be anyone other than Jesus!)/.

“Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

“As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamp-stands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches/.]

Here there are not seven lamps but seven lamp-stands.

What is the purpose of a lamp-stand?

– lamps were put on a stand so that their light would shine out [*Matthew 5:15* /nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house/.]

And the lamp-stands are what?

Churches *[P]* – the Church is meant to give light.

Seven is the number of perfection~/completion – it is the Church – perfect spotless, complete.

A perfect, Divine creation.

The lamp-stand was made of Pure gold *[P]* – utterly Divine *[P] *–* *no wood, nothing of man – it is the perfect Church, where יְהוָה dwells by His Spirit – this is vital for us to see (so I will come back to this point) because we tend to regard the Church as what we see, and that has plenty of wood, it’s man’s creation (purpose driven church) – wood, hay and stubble that will be consumed because it isn’t of God.

The light is our witness~/testimony before the world [*Matthew 5:14-16* /“You are the light of the world/ ....../ “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven/.]

*Central shaft:* Jesus Himself said that the lamp-stands were the churches *[P]*.

So what is the Church?

It is the body of Christ.

The redeemed, who are joined to Him, those who have died and now Christ lives in them – Christ is their life!

Jesus lives through His body, the Church.

What makes up the Church?

There is a central stem or shaft – what is that?

You may have noticed that I have a very simple method of interpretation – what does “so and so” symbolize?

Answer: “Jesus”!

*[P]* Jesus is the Stem [*Isaiah 11:1* /Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,(/Jesus, the Son of David)/ and a branch from his roots will bear fruit/.]

Verse 10 speaks of [*Isaiah 11:10** */Then// in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious./]

[*Isaiah 4:2* /In that day the Branch of יְהוָה will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel/.]

[*Jeremiah 23:5* /“Behold, the days are coming,” declares יְהוָה, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land/.]

Jesus is the Branch, a branch that bears fruit – you will find Him referred to as such several times in Messianic prophecy.

[*Zechariah 6:12* /‘Thus says יְהוָה of armies, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of יְהוָה/.]

Remember I said that this central shaft, having four almonds and flowers, stood taller than the six branches.

Jesus is above all and is central.

There is no Church without Him.

Jesus is the light of the world [*John 8:12* /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.”/]

*Six branches:* We too are the light of the world [*Matthew 5:14* /“You are the light of the world…./].

This is confusing – is it Jesus or man?

They are one!

This is the great mystery of the Church!

One central shaft, attached to it were six branches.

*[P]* Six is the number of man, short of perfection, created on the sixth day.

Only when joined to the central stem are there seven, there is perfection.

He is the Vine we are the branches – we have no life or existence apart from Him.

We are branches joined to the stem, supported and drawing life from Him. [*John 15:5* /“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing/.]

We shine forth light into the world [*Matthew 5:14-16* “/You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven/.].