Ten Gold Lampstands

2 Chronicles 4:3-7 – Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit. The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths. He then made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing. He made ten gold lampstands according to the specifications for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

Ezekiel 48:35 – “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there.”

Exodus 25:37,40 – “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it…See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Zechariah 4:2-3,6 – He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”… So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Application:

• ·         THE LORD IS THERE was the great decisive word concerning the holy city.
• ·         Twelve bulls was possibly symbolic of the 12 tribes, which also encamped three on each side of the tabernacle during the wilderness journeys.
• ·         Oil for the lamps was to be supplied by the people; the light from the lamps represented the glory of the Lord reflected in the consecrated lives of the Israelites—Israel’s glory answering to God’s glory in the tabernacle.
• ·         In any event, the bowl represents an abundant supply of oil, symbolizing the fullness of God’s power through His Spirit, and the “seven…seven” represents the abundant light shining from the lamps.
• ·         The two olive trees stand for the priestly and royal offices and symbolize a continuing supply of oil. The two olive branches stand for Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel from the royal house of David. These two leaders were to do God’s work in the power of His Spirit.
• ·         The angel encouraged Zerubbabel to complete the rebuilding of the temple and assured him of the Spirit’s enablement.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV