{"id":3398,"date":"2021-08-05T09:23:56","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T08:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/?p=3398"},"modified":"2021-08-05T10:33:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T09:33:00","slug":"the-priest-in-the-order-of-melchizedek-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/the-priest-in-the-order-of-melchizedek-5\/","title":{"rendered":"The priest in the order of Melchizedek (5)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this fifth study about the priest in the order of Melchizedek, life in the Holy Place<\/strong> of the tabernacle and the symbolism contained in the lampstand <\/strong>is discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review of the plan of the tabernacle:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Place of the tabernacle:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Place<\/strong> of the tabernacle was a closed space without windows, where everything was made of gold. It contained the lampstand<\/strong>, the table of the bread of the Presence <\/strong>with the loaves and the altar of incense<\/strong>.
In this seclusion, a symbol of an intimate life with God as a trinity<\/strong>, the priest in the order of Melchizedek meets Jesus Christ as the Word<\/strong>.
With the symbols of Light <\/strong>on the lampstand and Bread <\/strong>on the table of the bread of the Presence, the priest\/disciple learns to understand who Jesus really is<\/strong> and what it means to him\/her when He said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whoever has my commands <\/strong>and keeps (pays careful attention to, lives up to)<\/strong> them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them<\/strong>. (John 14:21)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jesus phrased this elsewhere as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who loves me will obey (pays careful attention to, lives up to)<\/strong> my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home<\/strong> with them. (John 14:23)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If you remain in me and I in you<\/strong>, you will bear much fruit; \u2026 (John 15:5)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Because that is what Jesus wants, as Paul writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 so that Christ <\/strong>may dwell in your hearts<\/strong> through faith. (Ephesians 3:17)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In this <\/strong>study we will first consider what the significance of Jesus, as the Light <\/strong>on the lampstand, is in this respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lampstand:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God gave Moses the commandment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a lampstand (menorah)<\/strong> of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. Six branches<\/strong> are to extend from the sides<\/strong> of the lampstand – three on one side and three on the other.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Then make its seven lamps<\/strong> and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it.<\/strong> (Exodus 25:31-32 and 37)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
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The Hebrew word for lampstand, menorah, is used both for the one-armed lampstand, also called a lampstand, and for a lampstand with extra arms.
The only source of light<\/strong> in the Holy Place<\/strong> was a lampstand\/menorah with a total of seven arms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Made of pure gold:<\/span><\/strong>
The lampstand was made of refined gold<\/strong>. Refined, pure, because the gold of the lampstand should not be defiled. As a picture of holiness<\/strong>, it had to be perfectly pure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lampstand did not consist of several separate parts that were attached to each other, but it had to be made<\/strong> as a whole<\/strong>, from one talent of pure gold (about 30 kilograms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven arms:<\/span><\/strong>
The lampstand <\/strong>in the Holy Place consisted of the shank, or shaft in the centre, with six arms projecting from its side, three times two each, one on the right and one on the left.
There was one lamp on the shaft and on each arm.
There were therefore seven lamps<\/strong> in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven lamps borne<\/strong> by the lampstand as the sole source of light for the Holy Place.
In a manner of speaking, one light for each day of the week<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is the Light:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lampstand served to bear the lamps, so that the light would be better diffused, as Jesus said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither do people light a lamp <\/strong>and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand<\/strong>, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:15)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the tabernacle, the lampstand served as a stand <\/strong>to lift the oil lamps <\/strong>up, so that the light would be diffused and the Holy Place better lit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lampstand <\/strong>itself is not <\/strong>the image of Jesus.
The light<\/strong>, diffused through the lamps, held up by the lampstand, is the symbol <\/strong>of who Jesus <\/strong>is, as He said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am the light<\/strong> of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jesus <\/strong>as high priest and as Light<\/strong>, illuminates the life of the priest\/disciple every moment of the day, seven days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almond blossom:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

The arms of the lampstand were decorated with almond blossoms, according to God\u2019s command:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three cups shaped like almond flowers<\/strong> with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches<\/strong> extending from the lampstand. (Exodus 25:33)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The almond tree is the fruit tree that blooms first in Israel, at the beginning of spring.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


The almond blossom has 5 petals<\/strong>.
In the Bible 5 refers to the books of Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, also called law <\/strong>or teaching<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fact that almond blossom<\/strong> (shaqad) is a verb in Hebrew, conjugated as a participle, indicates that the law <\/strong>as education is not static, but dynamic<\/strong>, not bound by time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Shaqad\u2019<\/strong> could therefore be understood as: flowering almond (tree)<\/strong>, not a rapidly fading blossom on an almond sprig in a vase therefore.
However, whenever someone sees almond blossoms, he\/she imagines a blooming almond tree.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is remarkable that the Hebrew for almond blossom (shaqad)<\/strong> has the meaning of keeping watch <\/strong>in another conjugation of the verb.
That sheds light on a statement made by God to the prophet Jeremiah, when He asked him: What do you see Jeremiah? To which he replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see the branch <\/strong>of an almond tree<\/strong>, \u2026 (Jeremiah 1:11)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To which God answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have seen correctly, for I am watching <\/strong>(shaqa<\/strong>d) to see that my word<\/strong> is fulfilled.\u201d (Jeremiah 1:12)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The almond blossom<\/strong> with five petals is thus a picture of keeping watch<\/strong> and the Torah<\/strong>.
When God watches over His Word<\/strong>, this will refer primarily to the teaching <\/strong>of the Torah<\/strong>.
The fact that He does not mention the Torah gives the impression that God is interpreting the almond blossom more broadly here than just as the five books of Moses.
This is like when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He mentioned and remarked upon love for God and our neighbour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Law and the Prophets<\/strong> hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:40)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This means the teaching of the entire Tanakh, the entire Old Testament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that three almond blossoms were incorporated into each arm<\/strong> of the lampstand indicates that not only God<\/strong>, but the divine Trinity <\/strong>watches over the Word<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three times two arms:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three times two<\/strong> arms emerged from the shaft<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three <\/strong>again refers to the divine Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Two <\/strong>arms, one arm on the right and one on the left, signifies that the testimony of the Father and <\/strong>the testimony of the Son and <\/strong>the testimony of the Holy Ghost are true<\/strong>, because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A matter <\/strong>(the Hebrew dabar: word<\/strong>) must be established<\/strong> by the testimony of two or three<\/a><\/strong> witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Established<\/strong>, the Hebrew word \u2018quwm\u2019<\/strong> is translated by the OLB<\/a> as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n