Menorah (Golden Candlestick) Symbolism
Revelation 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And
having turned I saw seven golden Lampstands.
The Lampstand (also called the Golden Candlestick) is the seven-branched
Menorah.
In verse 20, Jesus explains that the seven Lampstands are the seven
churches, which are:
1.
Ephesus
2.
Smyrna
3.
Pergamos
4.
Thyatira
5.
Sardis
6.
Philadelphia
7.
Laodicea
The symbolism of the Lampstand with seven stems represents:
1.
The seven Spirits of God (which
is the Holy Spirit). Isaiah 11:2 says, “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.” Kat Kerr says that
the Seven Spirits of God are seven actual Spirit Beings.
2.
The Lord Jesus Christ as the
Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5)
3.
The New Testament Church, both
local and universal (Matthew 5:14-16 and Revelation 1:12, 20)
In Keven J. Connor’s book entitled The
Tabernacle of Moses, City Bible Publishing, p. 41-46, he brings out some
good points.
The Golden Candlestick did not have candles that burned. Rather, it was a Lampstand filled with oil
and wicks that were trimmed daily.
Candles burn by self-consumption, while lamps burn by the continual
supply of the Oil of the Holy Spirit.
The chief purpose of the Lampstand was to give light and to illumine all
that was in the Sanctuary.
Jesus is the light of the world and He has called us to let our light
shine before men (Matthew 5:16).
The Lampstand was made out of pure gold.
Gold symbolizes the Divinity of Christ.
The gold of the Candlestick speaks to us of Deity and Divine nature as
first seen in Christ, and second in the Church.
It is in the Church that the Divine nature of Jesus will be revealed.
Gold is put through a refining process and impurities are removed. After the gold is brought to this point, it
can be fashioned in the hands of the goldsmith.
This process is typical of that which God works in His Church. God, by His Spirit, purifies and sanctifies
the Church.
The Golden Candlestick was fashioned out of one piece of gold. It had a central shaft from which proceeded
six branches – three on either side of the main shaft. This speaks to us that Jesus is the Vine
(central shaft) and we are the branches (John 15).
The Lampstand burned continually.
The flames never went out. In the
same way, God wants us as individuals, and His Church, to burn continually for
Him and to let our light shine.
The Candlestick had three types of ornamentation:
1.
Knops (or buds)
2.
Flowers
3.
Almond Bowls
The knop, or round unopened bud is a type of the Father God who is the
source and beginning of everything.
The central flower is a type of the Son of God who was crushed as a
flower emitting a sweet-smelling savor.
The almond bowl is a type of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the
Father and produces fruitfulness in the people of God.
In Walter L. Wilson’s book entitled A
Dictionary of Bible Types, Hendrickson Publishers, he says the following
regarding the Candlestick:
The Candlestick is a type of the Holy Spirit illuminating all the things
of God. The pure gold represents the
purity of the Spirit and of His Word.
The seven branches or stems represent the fullness and completeness of
the revelation of the Spirit. The bowls
represent the great provision of the Spirit.
The flowers represent the beauty of the Spirit.
The Candlestick also represents God’s people (Revelation 1:12,20). In Revelation 1:20 we find a type of the
church as she gives light on the Scriptures and reveals Christ by her
ministries.
Numbers involved in the
Lampstand:
One piece of gold – unity, oneness, one accord, one Body of Christ
Three knops – the Godhead; Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Seven Lamps – fullness, completion and perfection.
The Seven Spirits of God (Holy Spirit).
Nine Ornaments – In each of the six branches there were three bowls, three knops and
three flowers. Each branch had nine
ornaments in all. The number 9 is the
number of the Holy Spirit. Nine fruits
of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-24). Nine
gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12).
Twelve Ornaments – On the main shaft, there were four sets of three knops, three bowls
and three flowers, totaling twelve ornaments.
The number twelve speaks of Apostolic Fullness and Government.
Sixty-Six – When the knops, bowls and flowers on the branches and shaft are
totaled, it adds up to sixty-six ornaments.
Sixty-six speaks of the 66 books of the Canon (Bible).
The Canon is the sixty-six books of the bible recognized as God Breathed
and written under Divine inspiration.
Several very stringent guidelines and standards were put into place to
determine, out of thousands of manuscripts dating back to the Old Testament and
New Testament era, which ones were God Breathed. Only sixty-six of the writings met the strict
criteria and were included in the Canon, or known today as the Holy Bible.
It is God's will that no one should perish (end up in hell), but that ALL should come to repentance.
For God so loved this world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.
The thief (Satan the devil) comes only for to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus has come to give us life, and life more abundantly, until it overflows.
I urge you to come to the Cross today and receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He will wash away all your sins and make you as clean and white as fresh snow.
Just pray this prayer and mean it with your heart:
Dear Lord Jesus (if you are not able to call him Lord yet, then just say "Jesus")
I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I give my life over to You. I believe that You died and rose again, and that if I call on the Name of the Lord I shall be saved.
I accept you into my heart right now, and confess that You are Lord and have risen from the dead and forever live to make intercession for me.
Thank You for washing my heart pure and clean and making me whole, and for giving me peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Thank You that now I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. The old has gone and the new has come.
And there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (carnality and sin), but walk after the Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, I believe you got born again and are now heaven bound and will be with the Lord forever and have eternal life. Your sins are now forgiven. You are accepted in the Beloved.
I would encourage you to find a good Bible based local church to help you grow in your faith, to learn the Word of God, to praise and worship Him, and to have fellowship with the saints.
Serving Christ is the best decision you will ever make.
God bless you!!!
