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Bible teachings
Golden candlestick is
for oil and fire
When John was on the island, which name is Patmos so he
saw there a revelation, which God gave him on that island. John was in
the Spirit and heard behind of him large sound, like sound of
trumpet. To John was told: "What thou seest, write in a
book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and
unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and
unto Laodicea. And he turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having
turned he saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the
candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. And his head
and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a
flame of fire; and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had
been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a
sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength"
John saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the middle of those candlesticks
was Jesus Christ. In Rev 2:1 is told that these seven golden candlesticks are
seven congregations. Golden candlesticks describe congregation and the members
of the congregations.
When John watched that revelation, so he saw Jesus Christ.
That was enormous fine revelation. Jesus Christ is in the middle of His
congregation, because without Him, we are as little babies without love of
his/her mother. Jesus was in this revelation before John full of love and
glory. John saw whole glory of Jesus Christ and after that he watched every
detail, which he saw in Jesus Christ. Jesus was wearing garment of
righteousness, because Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus was girded with
golden girdle, because He gave himself for the sin offering for the sake of
whole world. Through faith in Christ, we can take participant of the glory,
which is in Jesus Christ. Hair of Jesus is white as white wool, because He is
clean and sinless. Voice of Jesus is as the voice of many waters, because in
His words are the Spirit and the life and the truth. In the hands of Jesus
were seven stars, because when He touches a man to whom He has saved. Then
that saved person starts to shine bright light by the same way as stars
brightly shine on the dark sky. From the mouth of Jesus came out sharp
double-edged sword, which is word of God, which purpose is separate carnal and
spiritual from one another and give to the spiritual people good and healthy
heavenly nutrition. Through these healthy nutrition believers start to grow in
a healthy way in Jesus Christ. Face of Jesus is like sun, which warms its
beams hearts of small men and get each heart pulse to beat to Jesus Christ.
If you will watch Jesus Christ in the light of the
Holy Spirit, so you see Jesus Christ in the same way than John saw Him.
This revelation must be the revelation of the whole congregation. If
this revelation conquers for the hearts of congregation, so the congregation
can win souls from the world to heavenly sheds. Now we will go to look
over in the light of the Bible to it that what is the purpose of golden
candlestick, and for what reason it has made?
Golden candlestick
Golden candlestick was made from the
gold, which was made of pure gold. The gold was heated and melted and in this
way they got away from the gold all waste products. After this processing, the
gold was indeed effulgent bright. The gold becomes now so bright, that the
handler of the gold can now see his own face from this fused and cleaned gold.
In the same way also God makes for us. He melts and clean our hearts, so that
we can shine His glory in this dark world.
Golden
candlestick was set in the tabernacle to holy place, which was dark, for that
reason this candlestick brought a light to the holy place. Golden candlestick
shone its light straight ahead to table of shewbread. Table of shewbread is
picture from Christ and from the word of God. Mission of the congregation is
in accordance with its example indicating and shines a light to this world,
which is in the darkness. This light is Jesus Christ and the word of God, and
it is in us if we want that in our lives can happen will of God.
Unity
The gold was made from the one talent
of a gold and golden candlestick have to indicate to this world Jesus Christ
and word of God, what is meaning of this?
It is a picture from
unity, and by way of Christ and the word of God in the
Spirit congregation can shine glory of God to this world. God has
only one congregation not two and not three or more. Congregation comes to
live as unanimous and to love one another, so that glory of the Lord can
shine to this world, that's the reason why candlestick was made gold from the
one talent of gold. That word one describes the unity of God and also
the unity of the congregation.
Division and loveless of congregation are
hindrance for gospel to going forward and to winning of the souls from the
world. The congregation must so be one and to love one another.
However, mere golden candlestick didn't alone is enough,
there was needed oil, so that it can shine and to indicate to the dark world
Christ and word of God.
Oil of the Holy Spirit
To
the golden candlestick was taken oil from the olive tree. The olives were
collected from the olive tree, but they were quite hard and for that reason
the olives must break before to them can have out oil. In this crushing of the
olive was used various ways for instance a flat stone shaped like of the
cylinder, whose upper part was engraved a low pool for olives. From the olives
which had crushed were formed an olive mass, and that mass processed and were
changed to be an oil.
This is a picture that flesh of the
men has to die; in this way we can carry good fruit to God. There is
also in teaching of the Bible, that the Spirit will bring a death to our
flesh. Spirit of God brings death to our carnal deeds, so that we can
live life, which is influenced by the Holy Spirit. From
the believer doesn't come perfect in this world, but he starts through
faith grow towards perfection. God changes a man likeness of His image
by the Spirit and word of God. Only in this manner you can shine glory
of Christ. Christ is in us the hope of the brightness.
The oil describes so the Holy Spirit
and without oil in other words the Holy Spirit golden candlestick can't shine
light of the Christ. Your lamp needs the fuel, oil in the Holy Spirit.
Give God fill you with His Spirit, so that you can indicate in the Spirit
Jesus and word of God to this dark world.
Priest must take care that fire burnt
all the time in the golden candlestick of holy place. The fire must burn for
night and day continuously in the holy place. This is a picture for us,
that we will live all the time in the Holy Spirit and our altar of heart
would burn the fire of God.
Now
you have been taken ahead of so large revelation that you know certainly your
own smallness and weakness. Many think that this life in the Spirit can't be
possible, because we are only weak people. Therefore, we are weak and that's
why God is graceful and loving. Exemplary temple service from the word of God
continues gracefully for benefit of a small man.
Removal of the sin
Priest had for care of the lamp snuffdishes and snuffers, which were
made from pure gold. There comes little by little dirt and slag to the golden
candlestick, which begins to harm burning of the lamp. Priest's must gently
and skilfully remove dirt and slag from the lamp, because lamp didn't get to
extinguish, but it has to burn all the time. This again describes, that during
wandering of believers that every kind of dirt easily comes to our heart, but
Jesus however leniently and skilfully remove away that dirt from our hearts,
that our lamp don't extinguish. Often believers whip one another for such a
kind of way that somebody’s lamp can be extinguished. Too often another
believer goes to another believer and try with his own dirty or rusty forked
sticks forcibly clean another believer. But the result is not cleaning of the
lamp, but it extinction. If you see believer who has sin in his life, so ask
love and influence of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ can gently through
you take away all dirt from your sister or your brother heart. Jesus has clean
and golden forked sticks, which only can carry out cleansing so leniently,
that lamp does not extinguish and guarantees 100% full cleanliness.
Like this way golden candlestick can
continue its mission to spread light of the Christ and indicate word of God
to this dark world. Pray that you could be such lamp, which agrees
receive golden forked sticks cleansing work of Christ.
This kind of fire is God's fire, which
is reserved His congregation, fire of the Spirit.
Finally short inspection from oil and
how it was used in the ordinary life during the time of the Bible, could it
speak to us something spiritually?
The
Olive tree is extremely useful, because the whole olive tree is necessary and
there is nothing that needed to throw away. Steam of the tree can use for
example to making of the furniture. From the fruits of the tree were squeezed
oil, and also commonly oil was used in preparation of the food. The oil was
used also in the golden candlestick and in the holy place it lighted by the
power of the oil. In the old covenant man was dedicated to God by anointment
of the oil. From the oil was made also soap. Leaves of the olive tree were
used to the medicinal purposes.
We concentrate on to a next olive tree,
and it's roots, which describe Jesus Christ. The Olive tree describes God's
holiness, which is in Jesus Christ. God is only holy. Man who by faith is
grafted to Christ, he gets the Holy Spirit, which oil describes. Golden
candlestick, which is in the holy place, is picture from congregation. Golden
candlestick burnt from the power of the oil and shone and indicated directly
its light in holy place towards a table of shewbread. Table of shewbread
describes Christ and the word of God. Without the Holy Spirit believer can't
shine glory of God and not preach the word of God such as it is written. The
oil was squeezed and after that it was pressed, so only after this process it
could use to be fuel of the golden candlestick. In the same way, the Holy
Spirit brings the death to the flesh and gives a man power to live righteous
life. When the flesh of the man is pressed for empty, so then start real
anointment of the Holy Spirit. On the soap, which had made from the oil,
people wash themselves to be clean; the same way also the Holy Spirit cleans
heart of the believers. Leaves of the olive tree were used as the medicine,
also same way the Holy Spirit medicates those wounds, which are inside of the
heart of believers, which sin have caused, but now the Holy Spirit will clean
and remove all the sin in our hearts.
Is it enormous serve such God, my
heart says Amen to God and His works, what about your heart?
Petri Paavola from Finland
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