20131126 Tuesday, November 26 2013
Numbers 08: The Seven Lamps Of The Lampstand

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

The English rendering "Menorah" is from the Hebrew word pronounced men-oh-raw. The Menorah was the seven-branched lampstand that was originally made for use in the Tabernacle (see Exodus 26: The First Christian Tabernacle), according to command of the LORD God (Who was and is Jesus Christ; see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) as given to Moses.

The King James Version translates the word as "candlestick," even though it had olive-oil lamps, not candles. The Revised Standard Version more-accurately translates it as "lampstand," while the Complete Jewish Bible uses the English rendering of the Hebrew word, "menorah."

"25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same." (Exodus 25:31 King James Version)

"25:31 "And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it" (Exodus 25:21 Revised Standard Version)

"25:31 You are to make a menorah of pure gold. It is to be made of hammered work; its base, shaft, cups, ring of outer leaves and petals are to be of one piece with it." (Exodus 25:31 Complete Jewish Bible)

The Menorah was made for the purpose and the responsibility of the High Priest (see Leviticus 8: The Prophecy Of The Blood Upon The Anointed One) and the Levites (see Numbers 3: When Were The Levites Set Apart? and Numbers 4: The Levite Clans) who served in the Tabernacle.

"8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8:2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

8:3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 8:4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick." (Numbers 8:1-4 KJV)

The ceremonial observances that were given to the Levites were all Christian in purpose and prophecy (see Leviticus 23: The True Christian Holy Days and the Fact Finder question below).

"8:5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8:6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 8:7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8:8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering. 8:9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: 8:10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: 8:11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.

8:12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. 8:13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

8:15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 8:16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 8:17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 8:18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 8:19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

8:20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. 8:21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. 8:22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

8:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8:24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 8:25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 8:26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge." (Numbers 8:5-26 KJV)

Fact Finder: What does the Menorah have to do with Christianity? What happened to the original Lampstand of the Tabernacle?
See The Menorah: Lighting The Way and The Temple Vessel Prophecies Today