The Menorah
by John Garr

The menorah has the distinction of being the only emblem in either Jewish or Christian worship and tradition that was designed by God himself. All other emblems represent man’s response to God’s call, symbols that recall or memorialize great events of history or serve as material objects needed to fulfill divine imperatives (e.g., the mezuzah fulfills in literal terms the commandment to write the Torah on the door posts of one’s house, while the tallit [prayer shawl] fulfills the commandment to append fringes to the corners of one’s garment). The seven-branched candlestick, however, was of divine design, with a heavenly manifestation that likely first appeared when God’s Word created the heavens and the earth. Though it was a significant implement in the tabernacle and temples, the menorah has become more motif than apparatus.

 The Heavenly Blueprint

In Exodus 25, the Eternal gave specific instructions to Moses, detailing the design of the menorah. When the comprehensive blueprint was completed, the prophet was commanded to "make all things according to the pattern shown to thee in the Mount" (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5). Apparently Moses was permitted to peer into the heavenlies and there to see the divine pattern for praise, worship, and service, the system employed by the heavenly hosts themselves from the time of creation. Hebrews 8:5 speaks of this event: ". . . who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." The seven-branched lampstand was one of the objects that Moses viewed, one of the living emblems of heaven itself that is of profound significance to those on earth who approach the Creator in worship.

 Centuries later, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, had a similar experience on the Isle of Patmos, a moving account of which is chronicled in the Revelation. First, the apostle viewed a spectacular manifestation of the resurrected Messiah standing in the midst of seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12, 13). When John subsequently viewed heaven itself, he observed seven flames of fire burning before the throne of God. John was told that these seven lamps were the "seven spirits of God" (Revelation 4:5) and that these "seven spirits" are "sent forth into all the earth" (Revelation 5:6).

 The heavenly throne was, no doubt, the source of Moses’ inspiration, the pattern according to which he was to build everything in the tent of meeting in general, but specifically the menorah. (The altar of incense was also patterned after the "golden altar" in heaven on which, according to John, the prayers of the saints are offered by the angelic host [Revelation 5:8; 8:3, 4]. The ark of the covenant with its mercy seat and two covering cherubim was patterned after the throne of the Almighty.)

 The design for the menorah was given in much detail in Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24. The lampstand that was to be the only light in the tabernacle was not to be a composite of several pieces joined together. It was to be carved of one solid piece of gold, "one beaten work," and it was the only appliance in the tabernacle that was to be of "pure gold" (Exodus 25:36). The menorah was to have seven lamps of fire atop seven branches that stemmed from one central shaft. The branches were to be richly embellished with almond blossoms formed like cups and with other decorations, including knops that were likely shaped like almonds. The flowers of the uppermost cups on each branch served as receptacles for the seven lamps.

The term candlestick used in some English translations is a misnomer, for the menorah was not a candle holder. Rather it featured oil lamps with wicks in the tradition of the ancient means of providing light. Probably the original menorah had bowls of oil atop its branches with a floating wick in each bowl. Later versions probably featured a channel through which the oil in the bowls was drawn to the wick. This would have allowed for the positioning of the lights in different directions.

 There has been much speculation as to the actual appearance of the menorah. Traditionally, it has been viewed as having three curved semicircular branches on both sides of a central shaft or lampstand. Each branch rose to the same level as the central shaft. This view is reinforced by the bas-relief on the Arch of Titus, which depicts the menorah among the various spoils from the temple which the Roman general brought to Rome following his conquest of Jerusalem. It is ironic that this design of the menorah memorialized as part of the booty of a conquered Israel is today employed on the official seal of the restored State of Israel. The semicircular design for the branches of the menorah is reinforced by many archaeological discoveries dating to pre-Christian times.

Various Jewish sages, most notably Maimonides, have suggested, however, that the menorah was comprised of a central shaft from both sides of which three straight branches emerged at acute angles to the shaft to reach the same height as the central lampstand. In his commentary on the Torah (Terumah 25:32), Rashi, the great eleventh century Jewish commentator, explicitly writes that the branches "extended upward in a diagonal." Indeed, the very Hebrew word used to describe the branches, kinim, implies a straight line. Maimonides’ son, Rabeinu Avraham, in his commentary to Terumah, noted that "the six branches . . . extended upward from the center shaft of the menorah in a straight line, as depicted by my father, and not in a semicircle as depicted by others."

Based on the carved reliefs on the Arch of Titus, it has been asserted that the menorah rested on a two-tiered hexagonal base. On the other hand, there is both archaeological evidence and rabbinic commentary to suggest that the base may have been triangular, shaped more like a tripod. The sages have suggested that the menorah had feet extending from its base, which would serve to support the tripod base theory (Menachot 28b). Others have suggested that both depictions may be correct, with the two-tiered hexagonal base added to the tripod to give additional support.

 Whatever the case may have been, there is no doubt that there was a lampstand in the tabernacle that featured seven branches with seven lamps and that this was the only light of the sanctuary. And, interestingly enough, the menorah is the only sacred symbol that has never been polluted or used for purposes of the ordinary.

 Israel, God’s Light to the Nations

When God chose the Jewish people, he established them to be a reflection of his light to the nations of the world. The Talmud encapsulates this concept in these words: "Israel said before God: ‘Lord of the Universe, thou commandest us to illumine before thee. Art thou not Light of the world, and with whom light dwelleth?’–‘Not that I require your light,’ was the divine reply, ‘but that you may perpetuate the light which I conferred on you as an example to the nations of the world!’ "

The Jewish people have long viewed the menorah as symbolic of their calling to be a light unto the nations (Isaiah 42:6). The sages emphasized the fact that light is not a violent force; Israel is to accomplish its mission by setting an example, not by using force (Zechariah 4:1-6). They also taught that the menorah is a "testimony to all the inhabitants of the world that the Divine Presence rests within Israel." The purpose of the menorah was not just to illuminate the sanctuary, but to spread its light throughout the entire world. This idea is underscored by the traditional design of the windows of the sanctuary which were narrow on the inside of the wall and wide on the outside of the wall, indicating clearly that the light of the sanctuary would expand outward.

Since light was God’s prime creation, man, who was formed in God’s image, was intended to dispel darkness. It is for this reason that the menorah’s lamps have spoken to Jewish believers for centuries of enlightenment, learning, understanding, and reason. And this light has not been restricted to an elite few with esoteric knowledge. It has been made the province of all men. Because light is seen as producing joy and happiness, the Jewish people’s worship services have never been characterized as somber or ominous.

Israel’s commission is to demonstrate to the nations that success is not achieved nor victories won by physical strength or military might. The light of the menorah symbolizes the spiritual illumination of a life inspired by insight from the Divine, a life that is consequently filled with meaning and substance. As the Psalmist declared, ". . . in thy light we see light" (Psalm 36:9).

Isaiah 60:1, 3 predicted that Israel will arise and shine and that "the Gentiles shall come to thy light." Isaiah 42:6 also declared, "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles." The prophecy of Isaiah 49:6 is also applicable to Israel: "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."

Simeon declared Isaiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 2:32). It was the Rabbi from Nazareth, who, through the agency of his congregation (the church), brought Israel’s light to the nations, thereby fulfilling God’s commission to his ancestors. And he still employed Israel’s metaphor: "Ye are the light of the world," a likely allusion to the menorah, for he implored his talmidim (disciples) to put the light on a "lampstand." This statement from the Sermon on the Mount was made around the time of the Festival of Tabernacles when the huge temple menorot were burning so brightly that all of Jerusalem was illuminated and when there was dancing in the streets of Jerusalem celebrating the majesty of the Eternal. The historical context of this statement also gives clarity to Jesus’ other metaphor for his congregation: "A city situated on a hill cannot be hid," for there was no concealing the city situated on Mount Zion, Jerusalem the Golden.

God’s Lamp–Man’s Light

Because of the fact that the menorah has been so closely identified with the Jewish people–and, indeed, has come to symbolize the nation of Israel–it has often been called the "Jewish" candlestick. Believing it to be a symbol of an antiquated religion, most Christian teachers have seen little significance in the menorah for the church and have cast it with nonchalance into obscurity. But, is the appellative Jewish menorah wholly accurate?

The truth is that the menorah is God’s lamp, a fact that is clearly set forth in 1 Samuel 3:1-3: "the lamp of God . . . in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was . . ." The menorah is not merely the Jewish candlestick or the tabernacle lampstand or the temple candelabrum. If a title is needed, it is "God’s lamp."

In that the menorah is God’s lamp, it belongs to all of God’s people, both Jews and Christians. Its rich symbolism is appropriate to both faith communities. It represents the bringing of God’s light into the world, the light that lightens every man. Since it was the only source of illumination in the tabernacle, the menorah represents the power of vision and insight that comes to believers in God, both Jew and Gentile, by means of God’s Word.

It was no coincidence, then, that David called God’s Word "a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). This Hebrew word for "lamp" in David’s observation is ner, the term used specifically for the menorah in Exodus 27:20 and 1 Samuel 3:1-3. That this lamp symbolizes the Word of God is further confirmed in Proverbs 6:23 where Solomon declared that the commandments (Hebrew: mitzvot) are a lamp (ner). It is likely that the "lamp" to which David and Solomon referred was the menorah, God’s lamp and man’s light.

Assuring as the light of a torch in an unfamiliar pathway on a moonless night, the Word of God gives vision and direction, illuminating the narrow pathway that leads to the gate of eternal life (Matthew 7:14). Without clear insight into the Word of God, people perish because they cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18). When illumination from God’s Word is not manifest, people lack vision, and when insight is not present, people slide down the slippery slope of deception and plunge often irrecoverably off the precipice of heresy. Because the Word of God is not predominant in their hearts, humans wantonly and profligately throw themselves into the vortex of unrestrained passion and as result reap the judgments of their lack of insight and devotion to the things of God. On the other hand, happy are they who keep God’s commandments (Proverbs 29:18).

The Word of God is like a light that shines in a dark place, clearly pointing the way. It channels the path of the just toward the "day star" that arises in the hearts of believers (2 Peter 1:19). The Word of God dispels the darkness, the confusion, the ignorance, the fear, the superstition, and the dangers of the human situation.

The menorah symbolizes the very salvation of God, for we are told by the prophet that God would not rest until the salvation of his people be manifest as a lamp that burns brightly (Isaiah 62:1). Since God was referring to salvation and to his own lamp, could it have been anything other than the menorah? Understanding the menorah and the One whom it represents is a vision of God’s salvation. Indeed, it is wisdom and knowledge in God’s Word that brings stability and strengthens salvation (Isaiah 33:6). Without the stabilizing element of God’s Word, the believer is left vulnerable to Satan’s deceptive devices and to the ever-changing winds of teaching (Ephesians 4:14). With the Word of God’s vision, the believer is grounded on a secure and stable foundation. Jesus declared that when one hears and does the Word of God ("these sayings of mine"), he wisely constructs his life on the bedrock of divine revelation and insight that will stand against every tumultuous circumstance life may bring (Luke 6:48).

It is the Word of God that causes the path of the just to be illuminated more and more until the day of completeness (Proverbs 4:18). The Word is the menorah that continues to dispel the darkness along the believer’s pathway until it brings him to the light of noonday. When one sees the menorah, whether he be Jew or Christian, he should immediately recognize the fact that God has ordained a lamp for his anointed ones, his chosen people, to direct their paths and keep them safely in his way (Psalm 132:17). If God commissioned his Word as a menorah to lighten David’s pathway, he will certainly do likewise for all believers.

The menorah is God’s lamp and man’s light because it is unique to God’s character to give illumination, and it is essential to man’s being that he have light. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). If believers walk in the light as God is in the light, they have fellowship with one another and their sins are forgiven (1 John 1:7).

Let Light Be!

The very first act in the creation of the present universe came with God’s spoken Word: "Let light be." Suddenly in the universal darkness, light sprang forth, overwhelming the void of the universe with the pristine brightness of the Eternal. The sages have observed that when God saw "the light," he identified it with the Hebrew phrase et ha-or. When the numerical equivalents of the Hebrew letters for this phrase are totaled, the sum is 613, the exact number of commandments in the Torah (the Pentateuch). The sages have suggested that the light that pervaded the universe for three of creation’s days before the formation of the sun, moon, and stars was the light of God’s Word, the Torah. With this fundamental Hebraic understanding, the Apostle John’s observations concerning the person and work of Jesus take on new significance: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). If Jesus was the person of the Word of God as John declares, it is simple to understand him as the Torah incarnate, the primordial light that was manifest when God first spoke his Word.

Many Bible-believing people conceive of the universe as a closed system that God set into motion in eternity past when he completed his six days of creation. The beginning of that creation was the spoken Word: "Let light be." The truth is, however, that God did not just make this proclamation millennia ago. He speaks this creative word continually. His Word is the means by which the universe is sustained as Hebrews 1:3 declares: "[Jesus] being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power . . ." He who eons ago said, "Let light be," is still making the same declaration so that all that exists is both created and sustained by the Word of God.

The fact that the Word of God and light are synonymous is confirmed in that both sound and light are of essentially the same energy. It is no mistake that many physicists now believe that all of matter was created from sound waves. Apparently the sound of God’s Word that created light, the stuff of the universe, was the basis of energy and matter’s substance. The instant that God separated from himself the essence that he called the Word (Logos), the creative process was set into motion in a dynamic that continues to the present time and will continue forever. The light of God is manifest from the life that is in the spoken and living Word.

The menorah is distinctive in that it represents this light, the essence of the Divine nature. One of the most frequently used metaphors that describe God in Scripture is light. John simply declares, "God is light" (1 John 1:5). Paul informs us that the Heavenly Father dwells in light to which no man can approach, a light that envelops him so that he is eternally unknown and unrevealed (1 Timothy 6:16). John tells us, moreover, that it is uniquely the function of the Son of God, who became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, to reveal the Father (John 1:18). This person who was made flesh and tabernacled among men was the Word of God, the life of whom was the light of men (John 1:4). In truth, Jesus was "the light of the world" (John 8:12).

A Messianic Portrait

In essence, the menorah can be seen as a perfect portrait of Jesus as Lord and Messiah. The Logos has historically been understood as an eternal light surrounding the throne of God. Is it any wonder, then, that when John viewed Jesus in his resurrected glory, he saw him in the midst of seven golden lampstands, which may have been either seven menorahs or one menorah of seven lamps (Revelation 1:12-13)? The Messiah was indeed the light enlightening every man. Paul succinctly encapsulates this truth in 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." God in his transcendent essence could not have been known except through revelation, as the Epistle of Hebrews 1:1-3 teaches us: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high . . ."

According to Daniel 10:6, the Messiah would be one whose eyes would be as "lamps of fire." John saw this Messiah as Jesus in the midst of seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-13) and later as the Lamb with "seven horns and seven eyes" (Revelation 5:6). Zechariah also envisioned this same Messianic character who would be manifest as both priest and king (Zechariah 6:13), the Person who was a stone with "seven eyes" (Zechariah 4:9-10). The seven lamps of fire manifest in the menorah, then, are emblematic of the eyes of the Messiah, the Stone that the builders rejected who became the head of the corner (Matthew 21:42).

The menorah, then, is a perfect portrait of the Messiah, both in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the Apostolic Writings. He is uniquely the Living Menorah, the one who brings the pure, pristine light of the Eternal Presence into the hearts of those men who believe upon him.

Why Seven?

The most obvious numerical quality of the menorah is seen in the seven lamps of fire atop the seven branches of the lampstand. The question that begs to be asked is, "Why seven?"

Seven in Holy Scripture is the number of both vision and power. This is seen in the Lamb of God in Revelation 5:6, who is described by John as having "seven horns and seven eyes," which are the "seven spirits of God." Horns are emblematic of power and authority while eyes are simply channels through which light is brought into the body. Zechariah describes these seven lamps of fire on the menorah as the "eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth" (Zechariah 4:10). The number seven, then, manifests both power and illumination for vision.

As a power motif, seven is seen in the seven shofarot (ram’s horns) that preceded the armies of Israel in their week-long daily circuit around the walls of Jericho. It is also seen in the secret of Samson’s phenomenal physical prowess, the seven locks of hair on his head. It is no coincidence that there are seven angels with seven shofarot, seven thunders, and seven bowls of wrath in the apocalyptic vision of John (Revelation 8:2; 10:3; 15:7). These seven angels are equipped and authorized to manifest the power of God in judgment upon the earth in the time immediately preceding the Messianic Age.

Both the Apocalypse and the book of Isaiah tell us that there are seven spirits of God. Isaiah 11:2 lists them: the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. In the Apocalypse, John served as an amanuensis for these seven spirits in conveying their personal messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Turkey). The concerns of these spirits in each of the churches help reveal their nature and function.

In reality, there is only one Spirit of God, just as there is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism; however, that one Spirit of God operates in relationship to the universe and especially to mankind through seven channels. It is these seven channels that bring vision and insight to the people of God. It is also these operations that manifest the power of God for the preternatural in the lives of believers.

The Jewish people have always seen in the menorah the number of perfection or completeness. The six branches extending from the shaft of the menorah are emblematic of the six days of creation, while the central shaft and its perpetual light symbolize the Sabbath. Everything stems from the Creator; therefore, say the Jews, value is imparted to men’s days from God’s day of refreshment, Shabbat (the Sabbath). Holiness and perfection are achieved, not from men’s days of work, but from the spiritual light emanating from God.

In a similar manner, the church has no righteousness, no splendor, no illumination except that which it receives from its attachment to the "Stem of Jesse," the Messiah. The church is the light of the world only to the extent that it is attached to Jesus and is imbued with his life and anointing. The fruit of life and light is found in the branches only as they are connected with the vine (John 15:1-5).

In Hebrew, the center lamp of the menorah is also called ner Elohim (the lamp of God) as well as shamash (helper). Both the central shaft and the center lamp are symbolic of God himself. Since the Scriptures teach that God is love, the center lamp may well represent the spirit of love. Love is the bond of completeness (Colossians 3:14); therefore, it is the element that maintains the perfection symbolized by the seven lamps.

More Significant Numbers

An analysis of the menorah’s structure also manifests other biblical numbers that are of significance to the believer. First, in the base of the menorah that was in the temple in 70 C.E., both the numbers three and twelve stand out. Rabbinic tradition and archaeology point to a tripod base. The number three represents the foundation of the Word of God, the TaNaKh–the Torah (Law), the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings)–the basis of Jesus’ teachings in his ministry (Luke 24:44). The number three is also important to Christians who understand the very foundation of all light as God, who is manifest in three personalities.

The Arch of Titus depicts a menorah base made of two hexagonal platforms, making a total of twelve surfaces on which may have been inscribed the signs of the twelve tribes of Israel. The number twelve is significant in that it is the foundational number for much of God’s activity among men. Twelve patriarchs were the foundation of the nation of Israel. Likewise, twelve apostles were the foundational pillars of the reformed congregation that is now called the church.

Secondly, in the various decorative elements of the menorah’s branches the number 72 appears. There were three knops, three bowls, and three flowers (nine in all) in each of the six semicircular branches (a total of 54). The central shaft had four knops, bowls, and flowers (a total of 12). Added together, these produce 66, the exact number of books in the Christian canon of the Holy Scriptures. An additional knop was said to be under each of the extended branches of the menorah (a total of six). These, added to the 66, make a grand total of 72. (Some have suggested that these knops were included in the aforementioned on the central shaft. If this were the case, the six branches themselves added to the 66 ornaments would also total 72.) The number 72 is significant in that there were 70 elders who received the impartation of Moses’ spirit by the laying on of hands and two who received the same spirit spontaneously in the camp (Numbers 11:16, 26). Interestingly enough, after Jesus had commissioned the twelve apostles, he also sent out 72 evangelists (prophets) before him (Luke 10:1).

In Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, seven priests led the way before the ark of the covenant, blowing shofarot announcing the fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses. The same occurred in the New Testament church when seven men were chosen to administer the church’s practical affairs. These were far more than "deacons" in the general sense of the word, for they included such powerful preachers of the Word as Stephen, whose profound apologetics resulted in the church’s first martyr, and Philip, who was called "the evangelist" (Acts 21:8). Is it possible that they were chosen to represent the "seven spirits of God" in the body of Messiah? That the menorah with its seven lamps is a revelation of the church is clear from Proverbs 9:1: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars . . ." It is no coincidence that the spiritual house of God, the church, rested on twelve foundational pillars (the apostles–Ephesians 2:20) and seven pillars of wisdom (Acts 6:3).

The menorah, then, contains the pattern for leadership that was manifest in the New Testament church, upon which all of subsequent Christianity has been built. There were 12 foundational apostles, 72 prophets who proclaimed the good news, and seven men of wisdom. Through the teaching and practice of these men, the entire world has been illuminated by the light of truth. The church, then, has indeed been the "light of the world," the living menorah that has brought the understanding of Israel’s God to the nations.

Trimmed and Burning

The daily lighting of the lamps of the menorah was a carefully-orchestrated function of the temple priesthood. In the tabernacle in the wilderness, the lamps of the newly constructed menorah were cleaned by the priests in the morning and lit in the evening with the consecrated fire from the altar. Later tradition says that the center lamp of the menorah burned continuously, both day and night. It did not require additional oil, for it burned for 24 hours on the same amount of fuel that the other lamps required for 12 hours. This miracle was said to have continued unabated until the death of Simon the Just, the notable high priest and the last of the men of the Great Synagogue, exactly 40 years before the final destruction of the temple. Interestingly enough, tradition also says that the scarlet cord tied to the scapegoat failed to turn white on the Day of Atonement beginning exactly 40 years before the destruction of the temple. Both of these events were contemporaneous with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Tradition from the days of the Second Temple suggests that the priests generally found two (according to the Mishnah) or even three (according to Josephus) of the menorah’s lamps burning each morning, the two eastern lamps and the westernmost lamp. (The menorah stood on the south wall of the temple sanctuary opposite the table of shewbread; therefore, its lamps were arranged from east to west.) It is said that the lamp atop the central shaft of the menorah was turned in a westerly direction. From this "western lamp," the priests relit the other lamps at dusk. (If the western lamp was extinguished during the night, it was considered a bad omen.)

From the western lamp that burned continuously day and night, rabbinic Judaism has developed the ner tamid, the eternal flame (or perpetual light) which even now substitutes for the menorah in synagogues around the world. This everlasting light is a symbol of the ever-present God of whom it is said, "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4). It also is a demonstration of uninterrupted worship on earth that parallels that which is practiced in heaven where the angelic hosts never cease exclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:3).

It is also said that the menorah was positioned in such a way that it illuminated the table of shewbread that stood on the opposite wall of the sanctuary. This offered a vivid contrast between man’s spiritual needs (light) and material needs (bread). It also demonstrated that the very Word of God (the bread of life) can be ingested and give sustenance to the human soul only when it is illuminated by the Eternal.

Pure Gold, One Beaten Work

The menorah was to be one solid ingot of pure gold that was carved and hammered into the delicate candelabrum that has become such a magnificent living emblem. Each of these qualities and construction techniques is rich with symbolism to the believer, both Jew and Christian.

That it was to be of pure gold demonstrates the fact that God demands purity wherever light is manifest. Among the Jewish people, purity of motive is considered essential to worship. This is manifest in the intensity and concentration on the Divine called kavanah. Lackadaisical attitudes and ambivalence are never enlightening. Likewise, mere mindless repetition of words and actions leads only to darkness. When the Eternal is worshipped with a meek and contrite heart, prayer is efficacious.

In order to acquire "pure gold" one must subject the precious metal to the refiner’s fire seven times. This underscores the fact that only those who will permit God to "turn up the heat" that causes the dross and impurities to rise to the surface where they can be removed will find themselves becoming the "pure gold" of which the living menorah must be constructed. This is that part of Israel and/or the church which the prophet predicted would be brought through the fire and refined (Zechariah 13:9). It is only by the trials of the Word of God and the testing that God allows to come to our lives (like Abraham’s testing) that purity is manifest in our hearts.

This is why Jews do not approach God thinking to impress him with the splendor of their dress or external appearance (as the Gentile cultures have done in worshipping their deities). The adornment of a meek and quiet spirit is far more impressive in the presence of God (1 Peter 3:3-4). They wear a simple white prayer shawl, which they see as a "garment of light." Complete focus on the majesty and holiness of the Eternal is the aim of worship among the Jewish people. These are the haredim, those who tremble in the presence of God. The central idea in Judaism is to "revere," not "understand" God. The goal is to "know" God, not "know about God." Worship is not worship without kavanah.

This truth was emphasized by Jesus: ". . . true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). It is manifest in the Hebrew and Greek words for worship, both of which mean to prostrate oneself in the presence of the King. It is the "pure in heart" who will "see God" (Matthew 5:8). Every man who has the hope of salvation "purifieth himself," even as God is pure (1 John 3:3). The wisdom that is from above is "first pure" (James 3:17). Those who seek God with kavanah find that they are processed by the Holy Spirit in the refiner’s fire that brings them forth as pure gold. God told Zechariah of a people whom he would "refine . . . as silver is refined" and whom he would "try . . . as gold is tried," so that when the process is completed, God will say of them, "It is my people" (Zechariah 13:9).

In the ancient world, gold was the most precious of metals, prized by people of power and prestige. Accordingly, gold was used in ancient Israel to symbolize the high value placed by Israelite society on personal and communal worship of God Almighty. The golden candelabrum is symbolic of the priceless nature of the enlightenment that God brings to those who fear him. We are commanded by Jesus to "buy the truth" and sell it not. There is always a price to be paid for truth, sometimes the ultimate price.

That the menorah was of one piece certainly stresses the idea of oneness, both in God and in the company of his people, Israel and the church. Paul stressed this truth: "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:5-6). In Romans 12:5, the apostle explained this oneness in the church: "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." The oneness of God’s congregation is a reflection of the oneness of the Eternal. The first and greatest commandment is the Shema: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, is one Lord." It was only proper, then, that Jesus’ final prayer was that his disciples would be "one" even as Jesus and the Father are one (John 17:21-22).

Just as the menorah featured many decorations and distinctive parts yet was made of one piece of gold, so the body of Christ is one, manifesting itself in a diversity of expressions. The unity of which the Holy Spirit is the agent (Ephesians 4:3) is the cohesiveness that binds the millions of atoms of pure gold together in the one ingot that, consequently, is fashioned as the light of the world, the pure, beaten, one-piece menorah.

Every microscopic particle of gold has the potential for being the light of the world. When believers are connected to the Word of God, to Jesus, who is God’s light, and when they permit the Holy Spirit to purify them and fill them with the oil of his gladness, then they will be lights in a world of darkness.

The Tree of Life

The parallel in appearance between the menorah and a tree is not coincidental. The shape of the menorah with its branches extending from a central shaft is clearly patterned after a tree. The Jewish people believe that the menorah originally represented the tree of life. The connection between the lampstand and the Word of God as David’s "lamp unto my feet," and the Torah as a tree of life is clear. Solomon declared that wisdom is a "tree of life" (Proverbs 3:18). Even in the Apocalypse, God says that they "who do his commandments" have a right "to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14).

The blending of tree and fire motifs is clearly seen in the profound burning bush incident, initiating the process that resulted in the establishment of the chosen people. Moses was called and commissioned by God himself by divine words spoken from a bush that was burning but was not consumed. Perhaps this was a preliminary manifestation of the rich symbolism of the menorah to the prophet who would liberate Israel. The fire of the Shekhinah was manifested in a bush, and from that fire came the Word of God. The menorah likewise appears as a golden tree from which fire is manifest to bring light and life through God’s Word.

It is no coincidence that the imagery employed in the design of the candlestick is that of almonds, the first trees to bloom and produce fruit in Israel in the spring. The flowers on the branches were almond flowers and the knops were almonds. Perhaps this motif is connected with the miraculous budding of Aaron’s almond rod when the question of divine right to priesthood arose (Numbers 17:6). In the dead, desiccated rod’s bringing forth new life is seen a symbol of the resurrection. The menorah as the tree of life symbolically brings life through the light of its lamps.

The Hebrew word for "almond" is from the root shakod, which also means "watching." This idea is set forth in Jeremiah 1:11-12 where the prophet was given a vision of an almond branch and was assured by the Eternal: "I am watching to see that my words come true." The juxtaposition of the words almond and watching is clear. Because the menorah is intrinsically tied with the almond tree, it is a symbol of God’s vigilance to provide eternal light for his people as well as an indication of their prevailing before him with unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The almond rods of the twelve leaders of Israel were also used in one instance to dig a well of water (Numbers 21:18). This, again, is a symbol of the manifestation of the water of life through the agency of the almond tree. It is also noteworthy that true biblical authority (leadership) is always manifest in the bringing forth of life (the water of the Holy Spirit).

The menorah is a symbol of arborescent Israel, the nation which was God’s family tree of salvation and covenant relationship. In Romans 11 Paul used the metaphor of the productive olive tree to describe ancient Israel. In Joel 1:7, Israel is likened to the fig tree. It is fitting, therefore, that the menorah has historically been the most prominent symbol of the Jewish people as a nation. Though the Star of David has been popular in the past two centuries, the menorah has remained the material emblem par excellence for the Jewish people.

It is no coincidence also that the two wooden dowels on which Torah scrolls are wound are called etz hayim (tree of life). The Torah is the record of God’s instructions that produce life when they are fulfilled. Walking in rebellion to the commandments of God encapsulated in the Torah tends toward death. Walking in faithfulness to the halachah that is established in the Torah is a life-giving exercise.

The menorah is also said to reflect the shape of the moriah plant in Israel, which naturally releases its fragrance in the heat of the day when the sun reaches its zenith and radiates the most intense light of the day. Light and fragrance were brought together in the menorah and the burning of incense in the temple.

The menorah is also a symbol of the arborescent Messiah, the long-expected ruler in Israel who would come from the stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) and be the Branch of the Lord (Zechariah 3:8). It has been suggested that the earliest believers in Jesus as Messiah were styled "Notzrim" because they were followers of the Netzer, the branch from the root of Jesse. It is quite appropriate that the glorified Jesus was seen by the Revelator in the midst of the menorah (seven golden lampstands). The Messiah is the Tree of Life, and the life that is inherent in his being is the light of men (John 1:4).

Even without its lamps of fire, then, the menorah per se is filled with rich significance, demonstrating the tree of life manifest in the Garden of Eden, but now revealed in the light of the world, the Word of God. It is of no small consequence that such an object, representing the tree of life that was first in Eden and finally appearing in heaven in the Bible’s last chapter, was placed in Israel’s tent of meeting and all subsequent sanctuaries. Only in the light of God’s Word is there eternal life.

Both Synagogue and Church Still Ablaze

In spite of widespread apostasy in the world today, a large number of believers who are biblicists stand squarely and unequivocally for the divine truth that is represented in the Word of God. In some cases, Jews outshine Christians when it comes to upholding biblical morality and ethics. One only need cite the example of Jewish students who recently challenged the requirements of formerly "Christian" Yale University that forced them to live in dormitories where fornication and other immorality were encouraged by the system and flaunted by their fellow students. There is also the case of the young Jewish girl who was so affronted by the lack of modesty at formerly "Christian" Princeton University that she created a media frenzy by insisting that modesty is preferable to outright lasciviousness.

On the other hand, there are millions of Christians in thousands of congregations around the world who have been labeled extremists by the secular media because they insist on believing and practicing the absolute ethics of the Ten Commandments rather than participating in the situational ethics of consequentialism promoted by an increasingly hostile, humanistic society and its governmental agencies. When evil abounds, grace is much more abundant (Romans 5:20). When darkness is at its thickest and most pervasive, light radiates forth as a beacon of hope to the lost and dying. Even the smallest flickering candle is enlightening in abject darkness. The age-old confrontation between the sons of light and the sons of darkness that so captivated the imagination of the Qumran community of first-century Israel is growing larger and larger.

Part of the strategy of the realm of darkness is an attempt to substitute darkness for light, bitter for sweet, and evil for good. Such was the lamentation of Isaiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" What is patently evil is championed as good, for liberated modern men and women must be free to do anything that their hearts imagine. But an even greater evil follows the same path as in Isaiah’s day: "[They] justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" (Isaiah 5:23). The right conduct spelled out in the Word of God is so disparaged that many begin to question it and eventually have it taken away from them by the challenges of evil and by their own fears of being ostracized as nonconformists.

Throughout history, however, millions of Jews and Christians have faced such challenges, refusing to compromise with the darkness that causes light to be extinguished. Their fiery passion for the Eternal cannot be quenched by even the most pervasive darkness and wickedness. They become living firebrands of the good news that God’s kingdom will ultimately triumph over all evil. These are the living menorahs, the living emblems of truth and righteousness who shine as lights in a wicked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15).

By My Spirit, Saith the Lord

When the men of Judah were confronted with the arduous task of rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple, they were given a divine word of encouragement and consolation by Zechariah the prophet: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). Accompanying this prophetic pronouncement was a magnificent vision, a panorama of symbols that the political and spiritual leaders of Judah readily understood. The prophet was shown a menorah that was burning brightly, abundantly supplied with oil from two olive trees adjacent to it. Though a great mountain of opposition stood before Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest, God’s promise was that it would become a plain. Perhaps the imagery was the same as Daniel’s prediction that the kingdom of God would be established when a stone hewn out of the mountain would crush the image of idolatry (Daniel 2:45).

The message is as clear now as it was then: it is not by military prowess or by the power of men that ultimate victory is achieved. It is only a result of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation in the midst of his people. It is the menorah’s light that crushes darkness, reducing the mountain of doubt and of human and demonic opposition to the dust of a plain. God will always have anointed vessels through whom he will provide the pure beaten olive oil that makes the menorah burn brightly. It is by God’s Spirit, not man’s strength.

This metaphor could not be more significant than at the present time, when preparation for the Messianic Age signals a time of restoration (Acts 3:20-21) very much parallel to that which was occurring in Zechariah’s day. Like Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, Joshua, Haggai, and Zechariah, today’s restorers are demanding the rebuilding of the ancient City of God, which a great King in Israel, Yeshua HaMashiach, established centuries ago (Ezra 5:11). Their identity is simple: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth." No egomaniacal jockeying for power, prestige, or perquisites here, no private agendas or personal kingdom-building, no dwelling in "paneled houses" while God’s house lies waste (Haggai 1:4)! The identity of these people is in bond-slavery to God, and their mission is simple: restoring the biblical congregation to be the City of God.

This restoration is encapsulated in the paradigm of the menorah–God’s lamp, man’s light. It is a work that even now is expanding exponentially as the Holy Spirit (". . . by my spirit, saith the Lord") summons the church to restore the ancient paths wherein are the good ways of God. The menorah is a living emblem that demonstrates to the church and synagogue that the pure olive oil of the Holy Spirit will bring forth the light of eternity to guide people on this planet until the time of the Messiah.

Restoration and rededication always produce light. This was the case when the Maccabees rededicated and restored the menorah following the idolatry of Antiochus Epiphanes and his planned Hellenization of Israel. When the menorah was rededicated, the remaining one-day’s supply of consecrated oil burned miraculously for eight days (the time required for new oil to be produced and consecrated). Is this not a paradigm for the church today? The oil that remains will burn miraculously when the church is dedicated to restoration. A simple axiom of history is this: "Dedication produces light."

Display in Home and Sanctuary

While there is a long-standing tradition in Judaism that does not permit the use of the menorah in public worship, there is no biblical prohibition regarding its use as a symbol and implement of faith. Rabbinic Judaism has substituted the "eternal flame" for the menorah in synagogues, and many Christian communions have followed this tradition in their sanctuaries (though most are likely unaware of its origin).

Many churches use candelabra of various sorts during ceremonies and worship, and these are certainly legitimate visual displays. The menorah, however, is a living emblem of profound and continuing significance to Christians. While the ancient menorah has been lost in antiquity, the emblem remains viable. The fact that Solomon constructed ten menorot and placed five on both sides of the entrance leading to the Holy of Holies is evidence that copies or models may be legitimately employed in worship services.

A parade of history’s tyrants has sought to destroy the menorah. First, Nebuchadnezzar may have taken the temple menorah along with other vessels when he looted Solomon’s temple. Then, Antiochus Epiphanes destroyed the menorah in his attempt to replace the light of monotheism in Jerusalem with Hellenism. The Maccabean menorah was likely made of some inferior material; however, the religious significance of that menorah was perhaps even greater than its predecessors, considering the miracle of light that occurred at its dedication (hanukkah). Later, in Herod’s grandiose attempt to supersede the splendor of Solomon’s temple, he constructed a new and glorious menorah, said to be six feet in height and three feet in width, with branches four inches thick. This menorah was probably part of the spoils of war that Titus deposited in Rome’s Temple of Peace. When the vandals subsequently plundered Rome, they carried the menorah to Carthage only to have it removed to Byzantium by Justinian. A Jew there convinced Justinian that the menorah should be returned to Palestine where it was kept in the custody of the Christian community. When the Persians later captured Jerusalem in the seventh century, they plundered the Christian sanctuaries. Since that time, there is no information as to the menorah’s whereabouts. Legends suggest that it was secreted away by holy men, much as tradition purports that the original temple menorah was hidden, perhaps by Jeremiah, before Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion.

It may well be that both temporal and spiritual "powers and principalities" have sought to deny believers the use of history’s greatest living emblem. It is the piety of the Jewish sages who insisted that nothing originally standing in the temple may be reproduced until it is needed for the Third Temple that has militated against the more frequent and open use of this living emblem. That it was a strong symbol in synagogues of Jesus’ time is clear from his own reference to the light of the world on a candlestick (Matthew 5:14) and from the Apocalypse’s imagery, both in the view of the glorified Messiah and in the positioning of the "lampstand" in the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:5).

Since each home is to be a mikdash me’at (mini-sanctuary), it would seem quite appropriate that believers should have a menorah in their homes to symbolize the divine light of the sanctuary. This living emblem would offer great spiritual insight and object lessons for devotion and study. The menorah should be more than a mantelpiece decoration, however. It should be an honored symbol, a material demonstration of Jesus the Messiah as the light of the world.

If the menorah was used in the Gentile church at Ephesus, it is certainly appropriate for use in the sanctuaries of all communions today. This is an excellent way to demonstrate the continuity of the church with the ancient congregation of God among the Jews. It is a means of clearly manifesting the roots of Christian faith in biblical and Second Temple Judaism.

If the lighting of the lamps in the tent of meeting and in all subsequent sanctuaries of Judaism was appropriate in demonstrating the Divine Presence among God’s chosen people, then it certainly should remain so today. After all, "Jesus Christ [is] the same, yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8).

This article is an excerpt from Restore! magazine, formerly located at "http://www.restorationfoundation.org/living.htm"

About the Author

John D. Garr, Ph.D. is the President of the Restoration Foundation,  "http://www.restorationfoundation.org/". The Restoration Foundation has been formed as an educational resource to the body of Messiah to bring together an interdenominational network of leaders who are committed to the task of restoring the church’s Hebrew foundations.

 Restore! is published by Restoration Foundation as a service to those in the Christian and Jewish communities who envision the restoration of Christianity's Judaic heritage and the eradication of Christian Judaeophobia and anti-Semitism.

 This article is used by permission of the author.