Chapter VII
The Lampstand, continued
The lampstand consisted of one main stem or shaft, and six branches. These seven lights formed one lampstand, and gave forth one light; therefore, we have unity in these seven lights. This unity clearly speaks to us of the unity of Jesus Christ with His church. The stem or shaft expresses Christ as the stem of Jesse, (Isaiah 11:1) or the root out of a dry ground, (Isaiah 53:1, 2) and also as the true vine in John 15:1, 5. His unity with the church can be seen in Hebrews 2:12-13, which includes both the main stem and the branches: Saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sin praises unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Therefore, His brethren do not walk in darkness. (John 8:12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Thus, we see in Christ our Savior, the manifestation of God’s light.
In the account of the event on the Mount of Transfiguration as recorded in Matthew 17:2, we read, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. On this occasion the Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured before His disciples, and they saw all the fullness of the glory of God in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was no manifestation of a mere outward glow, but the very glory of God in Christ as He revealed this glory to Peter, James, and John. Later, Peter wrote in his epistle of this event as still dear to his heart. (2 Peter 1:16 -18)
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
Looking closer at the stem or shaft we see that it stood taller than the rest of the other branches indicating that, He was made like unto His brethren, yet superior. A man in the midst of men, yet fairer than the children of men. Yes, the chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely one. In this lampstand and shaft we have oneness, and yet pre-eminence, similarity, and yet superiority, in the midst of His fellows, yet, anointed with the oil of gladness above them.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9)
We have the same thought expressed in Psalm 45:7, but in it’s prophetical meaning. He was man in submission to Deity, the GOD-Man.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:6)
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7)
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)
Yes, He was obedient to God the Father unto death; yet, scripture tells us that He is equal with God, and that in Jesus Christ was the Deity of God. Jesus Christ had all the divine character, thus all divine worship is due Him. In Hebrews chapter one, we read that the angels of God worshiped Him, showing forth His complete Deity — for God would never allow His angels to worship (or even us to worship) anyone except Himself. Yet, God declared in Hebrews 1 that the angels should worship the Son of God. He had all the attributes of God — Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence — from the manger to the grave, from resurrection to ascension in glory. Jesus Christ was God in the likeness of flesh, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” (Romans 8:3)
Revealed also in this shaft is the pre-eminence of Christ in His resurrection. Not only does Christ have pre-eminence in the church, (Colossians 1:18) but He also has pre-eminence in the resurrection. He has ascended on high and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The branches flowing from the side of the shaft on the golden lampstand speaks of that side which was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, and out from the side of Christ flowed the church. As the branches gave off their light on the lampstand so too, the church is a light in the world. “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you,” (John 14:20) so we are partakers of that light. The Lord Jesus Christ indwells us and we are in Him as He is in the Father, so we are in the Father. We are the branches flowing from the lampstand, and giving forth the light of our Savior into a dark world. Are you letting your light shine forth into this dark world?
©Copyright 2007, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. “Freely ye have received, freely give”
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)