lamp stands

December 29, 2017

The questioning of Zechariah (Zech 4:4-4:5)

“I said to the angel

Who talked with me.

‘What are these?

My lord!’

Then the angel

Who talked with me

Answered me.

‘Do you not know

What these are?’

I said.

‘No!

My lord.’”

Zechariah questioned the angel who had been talking to him.  He wanted to know what did this vision meant.  The angel then responded to Zechariah by asking him the same question.  He seemed bewildered that Zechariah did not understand this vision about the lampstands and the olive trees.  However, Zechariah was very respectful by calling the angel “lord.”

December 11, 2016

Remembering the first captivity (Jer 27:19-27:20)

“Thus says Yahweh of hosts

Concerning the pillars,

The sea,

The stands,

With the rest of the vessels

That are left in this city,

That King Nebuchadnezzar

Of Babylon

Did not take away,

When he took into exile

From Jerusalem

To Babylon

King Jeconiah,

The son of King Jehoiakim,

Of Judah,

With all the nobles

Of Judah

As well as Jerusalem.”

Yahweh talked about the other holy vessels still in Jerusalem, including the Temple pillars, the sea structure outside the Temple, the various lamp stands in the Temple, as well as the other sacred vessels in the Temple. These were all left behind when the first captivity took place in 598 BCE, when King Zedekiah or King Mattaniah (598-587 BCE) was put on the throne by King Nebuchadnezzar. King Jeconiah or King Coniah or King Jehoiachin (598 BCE) was only on the throne for a few months before he was taken into exile. His father, King Jehoiakim or King Eliakim (609-598 BCE) had been favored by the Egyptians. King Zedekiah was the brother of King Jehoiakim and the uncle of King Jeconiah. In other words, there was a dispute between Egypt and Babylon and the kings of Judah changed on who was in charge, Egypt or Babylon. Clearly Jeremiah and Yahweh favored Babylon.

December 14, 2014

The golden works (2 Chr 4:19-4:22)

“King Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God. He made the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, the lamp stands, and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed. He made the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of purest gold. He made the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple, the inner doors to the most holy place and the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.”

As in 1 Kings, chapter 7, almost word for word, King Solomon made all the golden vessels. This is very reminiscent of Exodus, chapter 25, when they got ready the sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant. Everything had to be gold plated, the altars, the lamp stands, and all the small utensils. He made the golden altar for the bread as well as the golden lamp stands. All the utensils were gold. Everything was gold plated including the doors.

December 14, 2014

King Solomon finishes the Temple (2 Chr 4:7-4:10)

“King Solomon made ten golden lamp stands as prescribed. He set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north side. He also made ten tables. He placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left side. He made a hundred basins of gold. He made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court. He overlaid their doors with bronze. He set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.”

This is a summary of the work in 1 Kings, chapter 7, about furnishing the Temple. The 10 golden lamp stands are the same with 5 on the south side and 5 on the north side. The 10 other tables are to the right and left rather than south and north. However, there was no mention of 100 golden basins since most of the basins were made of bronze in 1 Kings. The court of the priests was in the interior of the Temple reserved for priests only. The doors were overlaid with bronze. The bronze sea with its 12 bulls holding it up was on the southeast corner of the Temple.