Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. [3] Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. [4] He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.
Leviticus 24:2-4 KJV
God called Moses up a mountain to Him to see the way the heavenly tabernacle functioned. It was based on this that God asked Moses to instruct the people of Israel to build a tabernacle that He may dwell among them, Exodus 25:40. The actual heavenly tabernacle, which is a description of His church is described throughout scriptures. One of the rituals and ordinances performed in the tabernacle was that Aaron was to ensure that the menorah or the candle stick was to burn continually in the Holy place. The menorah was a candle stand that had seven candle sticks, one middle and three pairs branching out of the centre candle stick.
What does the Menorah signify today and what does it mean that the lamp should never go out? Revelation 1:20 shows Jesus holding a lamp stand that had 7 candle sticks and also 7 stars, which he called the seven churches and the seven angels in these churches. In Revelation 3:1, He is also said to be holding the seven stars, but also having the seven Spirits of God shown in Isaiah 11:1-4. The command to let the candle stick burn perpetually was an instruction to the church that there should always be sufficient expression of the seven spirits of the Lord in the church.
For the lamp to burn continually, the children of Israel were to bring pure oil from beaten and crushed olives for light in the lamp stand. For the lamp to burn, the wick is soaked in oil, so that as the fire comes on it, the oil is aflame. That wick is the Humanity and the oil is the Holy Spirit. Once the oil is dry, the wick will begin to produce smoke. Since the Church has both an individual and a cooperate expression, this instruction applies to both individuals and a local assemblies of believers. There is an oil, an anointing that comes upon the head of every believer once they get saved. Yet this oil alone was not meant to sustain them to the end, but to give them a kickstart. This was why the wise virgins in Matthew 25:1-12 had to buy extra oil to endure the wait for the bridegroom.
The phrase “go ye rather to them that sell” in the parable of the wise virgins in Matthew 25:1-12 implies that there is an exchange that occurs in order to get oil. The price is simply giving up ourselves and taking up Himself. Our humanity is meant to be overshadowed by His Spirit. This is how to live the normal christian life. Zechariah 4:1-8 shows a picture of the Menorah and two olive trees and and pipes. The oil flowed from the trees to the menorah for light. When Ezekiel asked what this meant, the angel said “This is Word of God to Zerubbabel saying, not by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of the Lord”. In essence, The tree here signified the Word of God which is Christ and the menorah was Zerubbabel who as the ruler of Jerusalem at that time. The pipe was allowing the free flow of the oil, the Spirit of Grace from the tree to Zerubbabel. This was how all obstacles before Zerubbabel would be destroyed. This is how we are meant to face every situation, both individually and as a cooperate assembly.
In Summary, we were meant to face life not by our power or by might, but living by the Holy Spirit. If you notice mountains before you, check again and make sure that there is oil in your lamp. It is written of Jesus that a smoking flax He will not quench, Isaiah 42:3. This means that even if there is no oil in your lamp to create light for you and those around you, you can run to Him. Remain connected to God today by praying and by the Word of the Lord and there He will make you among the two witnesses in Revelations 11:3-4 that stand before the God of the whole earth, burning as lamp stands perpetually.
Prayer for today:
Father impart me with the Spirit of the Lord today in wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; that I will be of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and shall not judge after the sight of my eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of my ears. Then, with righteousness I shall judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. I will be a true witness for you and a light that cannot be hidden. Amen.
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