Message 94
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Scripture Reading: Exo. 25:31-40; 40:4, 24-25
As we consider the various types related to the tabernacle, we shall pay more attention to the aspect of experience than to the aspect of doctrine. In the past many books have been written on the furniture of the tabernacle. For the most part, these books concentrate on doctrine. Reading these expositions of the tabernacle does not afford much help on the experiential side. Throughout the years I have learned that these types are not only for doctrine, but also for our experience. Furthermore, this experience should not be general Christian experience. Rather, it must be the experience of Christ.
The title of this message is “The Lampstand — Growing, Branching, Budding, and Blossoming to Shine the Light.” Here we have six matters: growing, branching, budding, blossoming, shining, and light. In order to have the shining of the light, we must first have the growing, the branching, the budding, and the blossoming. Only when we reach the last step, the step of blossoming, can there be the shining, for we shine by blossoming. We blossom in order to shine. Then the light, of course, comes out from the shining.
The lampstand portrays Christ. However, the Christ pictured by the lampstand is not simple; He is the all-inclusive Christ. We may even say that, in a positive sense, He is a complicated Christ. This Christ is portrayed by a lampstand with one stalk, six branches, and seven lamps.
In the foregoing message we pointed out that the lampstand is actually a tree; hence, it is a tree-stand. On this golden tree we have the calyxes (the knobs), the buds, and the blossoms. Only something organic and living is able to bud and blossom. Thus, as we consider the lampstand with its branches, calyxes, buds, and blossoms, we have the definite impression that this golden lampstand is a tree.
Verse 35 is written in a very unusual way: “And a knob under two branches of it, and a knob under two branches of it, and a knob under two branches of it, for the six branches going out from the lampstand.” The repetition in this verse related to the knobs and the branches indicates growth. Hence, the central stalk of the lampstand is something living and growing. As the stalk grows, the branches grow also. First, two branches grow out of the lower part of the stalk. Then as the stalk continues to grow, two more pairs of branches grow out, one pair out of the middle section and another pair out of the upper section of the stalk. Furthermore, knobs, buds, and blossoms appear on all the branches. With the full growth we eventually have the budding and the blossoming to produce flowers. The buds produce petals, and the petals are parts of the blossom. First we have the growing, then the budding, and finally the blossoming. This blossoming produces the shining of the light. For this reason, in this message we speak of growing, branching, budding, and blossoming to shine the light. The branching is implied in the growing. The shining of the light is the issue of the four steps of growing, branching, budding, and blossoming.
On the lampstand there is a total of twenty-five knobs, or calyxes. There are three knobs under the pairs of branches, one knob under each pair; three on each of the six branches; and four on the upper part of the stalk, making a total of twenty-five. The number twenty-five is composed of five times five. In the Bible five is the number of responsibility. This can be illustrated by our hand with its four fingers and thumb. The number five in the Bible is composed not of two plus three, but of four plus one. The number four signifies the creature, the creation, and the number one signifies God the Creator. Furthermore, the fact that five is the number of responsibility is indicated by the dividing of the ten virgins into two groups of five, five wise and five foolish, and the engraving of the Ten Commandments in two groups of five on two tablets of stone. The twenty-five knobs indicate five times the number of responsibility.
Although there are twenty-five knobs, there are only twenty-two buds, for the three knobs holding the three pairs of branches do not have any buds. That there are twenty-five knobs for responsibility and only twenty-two buds for blossoming and shining indicates that with the lampstand the matter of responsibility for growth is greater than the matter of budding, blossoming, and shining. This means that growth is basic. It shows that we need more growth, even growth multiplied twenty-five times.
As a type of Christ, the lampstand portrays Christ as the resurrection life growing, branching, budding, and blossoming to shine the light. We have seen that the lampstand is a growing entity. Since the lampstand typifies Christ, it indicates that Christ is the One who is growing. Remember that the lampstand is not made up of only one branch and one lamp. On the contrary, as the central stalk grows, it produces three pairs of branches. Moreover, all the branches are growing and have knobs, buds, and blossoms. As the stalk of the lampstand begins to grow, it produces the first pair of branches. Then as it continues to grow, it produces the second pair and finally the third. Eventually, the stalk itself grows to its full measure. All this indicates that Christ is growing.
Christ grows first in Himself and then also in us as the branches. Apparently it is the branches that are growing. Actually, it is the stand that is growing through the branches and within them. This indicates Christ’s growth in us. We are not growing — Christ is growing in us. As the central stalk, Christ grows in Himself, by Himself, and with Himself. But in the six branches He grows in us, by us, and with us.
This matter of Christ growing both in Himself and in us is not merely a doctrine; it is a vision which applies to us in our experience with the Lord. We have pointed out that there are six branches on the lampstand. Man was made on the sixth day; hence, six is the number of man. This number is composed not of two plus four, but of three plus three. The number three in the Bible indicates the Triune God in resurrection. Although as those created on the sixth day we are the number six, we nonetheless have the Triune God in resurrection. This means that we are created men who are now in the Triune God in resurrection. This is the significance of the number six composed of three plus three.
As the stalk, Christ is growing in Himself and with Himself; but He is also growing in us as the six branches. This is why we say that the lampstand does not portray a simple Christ, but rather a complicated Christ, the all-inclusive Christ.
The lampstand also implies two other matters — the wick and the oil. If the lampstand did not have a wick and if it was not supplied with oil, it would be impossible for it to burn and give light. The wick was made of material from plants and thus signifies humanity. The oil, a symbol of the Spirit, signifies divinity. When humanity is burned in divinity, there is the shining of light. However, if our wick becomes too long, smoke will be produced instead of light. Whenever there is too much wick and too little oil, there is smoking instead of shining.
There is no mention in Exodus 25 of either the wick or the oil. But if we consider the picture of the lampstand given in this chapter, we shall realize that both the wick and the oil are implied. How could the lampstand shine if it did not have a wick and a supply of oil? Thus, the wick and the oil are implied. Furthermore, the wick must be of the right length, in proper proportion to the lampstand, and there must be an adequate quantity of oil. Then the wick and the oil will work together to produce the burning, the burning will cause the shining, and the shining will give forth light. However, this burning and shining result from the growing, branching, budding, and blossoming.
The lampstand shines in the Holy Place; that is, it shines in the church. Today Christians argue with us and ask, “Why do you say that you are the church? Are we not the church just as much as you are?” There is no need to quarrel about who is the church. If you are truly the church, then you are the church. But if you are not the church, then you simply are not the church. For example, I am a man. This is a fact no matter what others may say. Since I am a man, there is no need for me to advertise the fact. Likewise, if we are the church, there is no need for us to argue the fact. If we are the church, then the shining of the lampstand will surely be among us.
In the foregoing message we pointed out that with the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies there are three kinds of light. In the outer court we have the natural light, the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars. Since the outer court is in the open air, it has this kind of light. However, both the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies are completely covered. This covering makes it impossible for the light of the sun, moon, and stars to penetrate. If it were not for a particular kind of light in the Holy Place, it would be like a dungeon full of darkness. But the Holy Place is full of light because it is enlightened by the shining of the lampstand with its seven lamps.
Whenever a priest left the outer court and came into the Holy Place, he could see the shining of light from the lamps on the lampstand. The shining of the lampstand was proof that this place was indeed the Holy Place. Without the lampstand shining, that place would have been a dark dungeon. But the shining of the lampstand proves that it is the Holy Place. The principle is the same with the church today. How can we discern who is the church and who is not the church? We can determine this by discerning whether in the meetings there is darkness or the shining of light from the lampstand. Whether or not a particular group of believers is the church depends on whether or not there is the shining of the lampstand among them.
Before we came into the church life in the Lord’s recovery, many of us attended other Christian gatherings. But we did not see the shining of the lampstand until we came into the genuine church life. In the meetings of the church we behold something shining. I can testify that I was first in fundamental Christianity and then with the Brethren assemblies. With the denomination there was darkness, and with the Brethren assembly there was only a small amount of light. But when I came to the church in the Lord’s recovery, I was not only in the light, but was even immersed in the light. This light is not a natural light, the light of the sun, moon, or stars; it is the light of the lampstand.
Psalm 73:16 and 17 say, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” The psalmist was bothered, perplexed, and puzzled about a particular situation. When he thought about it, it was painful to him. Thinking about the matter was unbearable. But when he went into the sanctuary of God, the Holy Place, he received understanding. This means that he was enlightened by the light in God’s sanctuary. Many of us can testify that we have been troubled and perplexed about certain things. But when we came to a meeting of the church, we were enlightened, and the matter became clear to us.
How much light there will be in our meetings depends upon how much we have of the growth of Christ. If we have more growth of Christ, we shall have more light. Suppose the lampstand in the Holy Place was not fully grown or had grown in an unbalanced way. The lampstand would still shine, but it would not shine adequately or properly. If the lampstand did not have the opportunity to grow in full, the light in the Holy Place would likewise not be full. For this reason, we sometimes sense that the light in a particular church meeting is not very bright. Yes, there is light, but there is not the full, complete shining. How much light there can be in the church depends on the extent to which Christ has a way to grow in us and through us. If we all give the Lord a free course to grow within us day by day, there will be the adequate shining of the light whenever we come together. Only when there is the full growth of Christ within us can there be the full shining of the light.
It is crucial for all the branches to give the lampstand a free way to grow in them and through them. The more the lampstand grows in the branches, the more it will blossom and shine, and the more light there will be. Then when we come together in the church meetings, the light will gradually become brighter and brighter. Many of us can testify of having been enlightened in the church meetings. Certain things related to us that were covered or hidden were exposed by the light. This light comes from the Christ who grows not only in Himself as the central stalk, but who also grows in us as the branches of the lampstand.
The shining of the lampstand directs us to enjoy Christ as our life supply. When we come into the Holy Place, the light shines upon us. Because we are not in darkness, we know what is in the Holy Place, and we also have direction. The light directs us to the table where we have the bread of God’s presence for our life supply. This is the reason that in the church meetings, when we are under the shining of the light, we receive the life supply.
Only priests were qualified to enter into the Holy Place. The nourishment on the table was for them alone. After they were nourished at the table, the priests would go to the lampstand and carry out their duty of snuffing the charred wick and supplying fresh oil. When we enjoy Christ as our life supply on the table and are nourished by Him, we also come to the light and trim the old, charred wick. From our experience we know that in the church life the light shines upon us and directs us to the nourishment of Christ. Then after we have been nourished by Him, we snuff, cut, trim, the wick. We do not trim others’ wick; we trim ourselves. When we have only the natural light, the light in the outer court, we may criticize others. But when we come into the Holy Place to receive nourishment and enlightenment, we snuff ourselves. Instead of criticizing others, we trim our own wick. I can testify that often after enjoying Christ as my nourishment, I have snuffed myself.
The issue of the snuffing is a brighter shining of the light. In experience this means that the life supply received at the table turns out to be the light of life to us. The more life we enjoy, the more shining there will be.
The shining of the lampstand not only directs us to enjoy Christ as our life supply, but also leads us to enjoy Christ as the fragrant incense of resurrection in the prayer of fellowship with God. First we enjoy Christ at the table as our nourishment, and then we enjoy Him at the incense altar as the fragrant incense of resurrection. The resurrection life is the incense offered to God in prayer.
What is difficult to understand doctrinally can be understood in the light of spiritual experience. When we are in the outer court, we are natural, and our thoughts and concepts are natural because the light in the outer court is a natural light. But after we come into the Holy Place, we are no longer natural, for we are ushered to the threshold of the spirit. In the Holy Place Christ as our life supply deals with our natural life, and the snuffing cuts away the natural life. To trim the wick is to cut off the charred natural life. Then the light burns brighter and leads us to the resurrection life at the incense altar. Thus, we enjoy Christ not only at the table, but also at the incense altar with the resurrection life as the fragrance offered to God. When we reach this point, it is difficult to determine whether we are in the Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies. The Bible does not locate the incense altar with certainty. We are not sure from reading the Bible whether the incense altar is within the veil or outside the veil. Sometimes it seems to be in the Holy Place, and at other times in the Holy of Holies. This points to the fact that in our experience we may either be absolutely in the spirit or on the threshold, the border, of the spirit.
The light from the lampstand also guides us into the Holy of Holies to enjoy Christ as the testimony of God with the throne of grace. The throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) is the propitiatory cover of the ark. The ark is the testimony of God, and the propitiatory cover is God’s throne. Both the ark as a whole and the cover in particular are Christ.
In the Holy of Holies we enjoy Christ to the uttermost. After we enjoy Him as our life supply at the table and as our resurrection life at the incense altar, we enjoy Him as God’s testimony and as the throne of grace in the Holy of Holies. This is both the deepest and highest experience of Christ. When we enjoy Christ as God’s testimony and as the throne of grace where God meets with us, we can commune with God, and He can infuse us with Himself.
When we experience Christ in the Holy of Holies and enjoy Him there to the uttermost, we no longer need the shining of the lampstand. The shining light now becomes the shekinah glory for our closest fellowship with God. The shekinah glory in the Holy of Holies equals the light from the lampstand in the Holy Place. This means that the light from the lampstand and the shekinah glory are synonyms and both refer to God Himself.
Although both the light and the glory are God Himself, there is a difference between them. At the lampstand, God shines, but on the throne of grace, God appears. God’s appearing is different from His shining. God’s appearing is always in glory. In the meetings we often have the sense that God is shining and that the meeting is full of light; however, there may not be much of God’s glory in the meeting. However, at other times we have the sense not only of light shining, but also of glory dawning.
The difference between light and glory can be illustrated by the difference between electricity and lightning. Through electricity we have the shining of light. But this shining is not the appearing of electricity. The appearing of electricity is lightning. We may sit peacefully under the shining of a lamp powered by electricity, but when lightning appears, we may be terrified.
Because the appearing of God’s shekinah glory can be awesome and frightening, we need the redeeming blood sprinkled on the propitiatory cover, the throne of grace. Apart from the sprinkling of the redeeming blood of Christ, no one can withstand the appearing of the shekinah glory. Whenever the glory of God is manifest to our sight, we immediately sense the need for the blood. This experience, along with all the others described in this message, comes by means of Christ as the lampstand shining through us, with us, and in us in the church life.
