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In this post we are going to take a look at the menorah in the Bible - the lamp stand that Scripture speaks of frequently. Did you know that when the Bible mentions lamp stands or even lights, it often alludes to the menorah that was built for the Tabernacle and was later used in the Temple of Solomon? The menorah has historical and spiritual significance that we will look at.
Menorah design in the Bible:
In Exodus 25:31-40, God gives specific instructions about how the menorah should be made. The Bible details how to make a seven-branch menorah, it essentially looked like a candelabra with three branches on either side of one central branch for seven lights in total. For the Tabernacle, it was made from one piece of pure gold that weighed about seventy five pounds! The cups where the oil burned were made to look like almond blossoms. It took true artisan craftsmanship to build, as the first time the Bible mentions someone being filled with the Holy Spirit was in Exodus 31:1-3, when God tells Moses that he has filled a man named Bezalel with the Spirit so that he had the skill and wisdom to work with gold, silver, and other materials for the Tabernacle.
It's important to note that the nine-branch menorah that is seen at Hanukkah is not the same as the one the Bible describes.
Biblical menorah meaning:
What's significant about the menorah is that it was used in the Tabernacle to exemplify God's presence. Menorahs were the only source of light in the Tabernacle and Temple, so without them the Levitical priests would not have been able to see to do their duties. The spiritual meaning of the menorah is a reminder of God's presence and that he is light.
Jesus and the menorah:
Since most Bible believers don't see the menorah symbol in their homes or places of worship, it's easy to miss that this symbol would have been incredibly familiar to the Messiah. This was an unspoken cultural detail in the Old and New Testaments. The priests would have seen the menorah when they served in the Temple and the Messiah and the Disciples would have seen its light. It was often nearby when Jesus spoke. It was there when the cleansed the Temple. Many people would have heard his teachings while looking at the light of the menorah. When he told his followers that they were the light of the world, everyone would have pictured a menorah, and knew that he meant that he was saying they were called to represent God's presence.
The menorah in the Bible:
The menorah is significant enough to YHWH that he had it put in the Tabernacle and weaved the significance of seven and light throughout his word. The Messiah spoke of it often as well. Let's see some of the Biblical references to the menorah.
15 Places we see Menorahs in Scripture:
1. Exodus 25 is where YHWH first orders a menorah to be made and described what it looked like. Can you imagine how beautiful that must have been? Made from one piece of gold with details of almond blossoms on it. This provided the light for the priests in the Holy Place.
2. The first sentence of Scripture
goes like this in Hebrew, Beresheet bara
Elohim et hashamayim va'et ha'aretz. The phrase is seven words and contains
a beautiful picture. The first three words refer to YHWH (the one who was in
the beginning, he created), and the last three refer to earth (the heavens and
the earth). If you picture these words taking either side of the menorah, you
are left with the word et in the middle as the main branch that brings them
together. What is the word et? In Hebrew it is simply spelled aleph-tov, the
first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Most of us are familiar with the
Alpha and Omega translation of this word that is used as a title for the Messiah. When we pair each word of the first sentence of Scripture to the branches of
the menorah we can see that Jesus is what connects us to YHWH.
3. Luke 4:16-21 - When Jesus read the prophecy of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue something very significant happened that modern readers don't see. The tradition of synagogues in that day was to have three elders on other side of the reader. So when the Messiah began to read, "The Spirit of YHWH is upon me," the picture in front of those in attendance was that of a human menorah, where once again the Messiah was in the center.
4. Revelation 1:4 - Did you know that there are seven spirits of God, not just one? This verse tells us that he has seven spirits standing before his throne. It's not a far leap to see the parallel of the seven spirits in Heaven where the seven lights of the menorah were in the Tabernacle.
5. John had a vision of seven menorahs in Revelation 1:12, and Jesus decoded this for us. The seven menorahs that you saw are the seven Israelite congregations.
There's a heavy significance to the Savior using the symbol of the menorah to
represent his people and that connects back to his words that we are called to be the light of the world.3. Luke 4:16-21 - When Jesus read the prophecy of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue something very significant happened that modern readers don't see. The tradition of synagogues in that day was to have three elders on other side of the reader. So when the Messiah began to read, "The Spirit of YHWH is upon me," the picture in front of those in attendance was that of a human menorah, where once again the Messiah was in the center.
4. Revelation 1:4 - Did you know that there are seven spirits of God, not just one? This verse tells us that he has seven spirits standing before his throne. It's not a far leap to see the parallel of the seven spirits in Heaven where the seven lights of the menorah were in the Tabernacle.
6. Revelation 2:5 - I will remove the menorah from you unless you repent.
If we don't repent he takes the symbol from the faith from us. That is an alarming statement in a world that is sorely lacking in seven-branch menorahs.
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7. Jesus said that he walks in the midst of menorahs in Revelation 2:1. We can see the allegorical sense of his presence with his congregations, but we shouldn't stop it there. Yahusha surrounded himself with menorahs the many times he visited the Temple and has menorahs before him in heaven.
8. The Seven Feasts of YHWH can also be seen as a menorah. If you take their chronological order, Shavuot falls in the center. Significant events that occurred at this feast are the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Another picture of Heaven connecting with earth like in Genesis 1:1.
9. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold menorah with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it."
Zechariah 4:11 - God showed two menorahs to Zechariah in a vision to teach him
the deeper truth of the two houses of Israel.
10. John 8:12 - Jesus said, "I am the light." There are two significant pieces here. Firstly, the root of the word Torah is or, meaning light in Hebrew. I can't help but think he made a little play announcing that he is the living Torah. And second, the Greek word that is used here is phos, which of course means light but also speaks of the lamp that is emitting said light. Now if he said that he was the lamp that emits the light, which lamp do you think he had in mind? There was and is no light of more significance than the menorah. Could he have been saying, "I am the menorah,"?
11. The Messiah did many things in sevens. The book of John contains seven instances where Jesus said, "I am." Scripture records him healing seven times on the Sabbath.
12. When Jerusalem is sieged by King Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonians carried off many temple items including the menorahs, in Jeremiah 52:19. Made of solid gold these were incredibly valuable (millions of dollars each in today's money), but the spiritual loss was more devastating for the people of Judah who had disobeyed YHWH. This happened again after the fall of Jerusalem around AD 71. On the Arc de Triomphe in Paris you can see a carved depiction of Babylonians carrying off the menorah from Herod's temple.
13. Revelation 11:4 - The two witnesses in the last days (houses of Judah and Ephraim) are likened to menorahs before the Creator.
14. Isaiah 11:2 - Attributes seven spirits to the Messiah. Of YHWH, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of YHWH.
15. Matthew 5:15 - A parable hidden in good advice. You wouldn't put a menorah under a basket. The Messiah using this terminology shows us that he expected his followers then and now to be familiar with what a menorah is.
There is a lot to be learned from each of these Scriptures but what really gets me is that last one. The Savior intentionally spoke in ways that could be understood by those in his day as well as for the next thousands of years. His agricultural allegories show us this. We can understand the Parable of the Sower because gardening and food production more or less still works in the same way. Him using the menorah in a parable shows us that he didn't want us to get rid of them. And he communicated to John in Revelation he sees his people as menorahs. This symbol comes up expressly over forty times in the Bible, and is alluded to many more. The menorah mattered to the Messiah.
10. John 8:12 - Jesus said, "I am the light." There are two significant pieces here. Firstly, the root of the word Torah is or, meaning light in Hebrew. I can't help but think he made a little play announcing that he is the living Torah. And second, the Greek word that is used here is phos, which of course means light but also speaks of the lamp that is emitting said light. Now if he said that he was the lamp that emits the light, which lamp do you think he had in mind? There was and is no light of more significance than the menorah. Could he have been saying, "I am the menorah,"?
11. The Messiah did many things in sevens. The book of John contains seven instances where Jesus said, "I am." Scripture records him healing seven times on the Sabbath.
12. When Jerusalem is sieged by King Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonians carried off many temple items including the menorahs, in Jeremiah 52:19. Made of solid gold these were incredibly valuable (millions of dollars each in today's money), but the spiritual loss was more devastating for the people of Judah who had disobeyed YHWH. This happened again after the fall of Jerusalem around AD 71. On the Arc de Triomphe in Paris you can see a carved depiction of Babylonians carrying off the menorah from Herod's temple.
13. Revelation 11:4 - The two witnesses in the last days (houses of Judah and Ephraim) are likened to menorahs before the Creator.
14. Isaiah 11:2 - Attributes seven spirits to the Messiah. Of YHWH, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of YHWH.
15. Matthew 5:15 - A parable hidden in good advice. You wouldn't put a menorah under a basket. The Messiah using this terminology shows us that he expected his followers then and now to be familiar with what a menorah is.
There is a lot to be learned from each of these Scriptures but what really gets me is that last one. The Savior intentionally spoke in ways that could be understood by those in his day as well as for the next thousands of years. His agricultural allegories show us this. We can understand the Parable of the Sower because gardening and food production more or less still works in the same way. Him using the menorah in a parable shows us that he didn't want us to get rid of them. And he communicated to John in Revelation he sees his people as menorahs. This symbol comes up expressly over forty times in the Bible, and is alluded to many more. The menorah mattered to the Messiah.
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I very much enjoyed your thoughts on the menorah! Several points expanded my understanding and now I will "keep my eye out" for even more. On Shavuot in Acts 2:3 cloven tongues of fire sat on each of the believers. To me this could look like a picture of lit menorah branches. We also love lighting our menorah on the Sabbath and High Days as well as on the first of the month. Thanks for letting your light shine!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that image! Thanks for sharing and your words of encouragement!
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