The light emanating from the candlestick represents Christ, as He explains, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” for He is “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 8:12; 1:9).

As instructed, Moses “made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same” (Exodus 37:17).

This pure gold was associated with Divinity as our defense (Job 22:24, 25), which was beaten (reminiscent of Isaiah 53:3–5).

The candlestick was all one piece, signifying God’s desire for unity among His people. “Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold” (Exodus 25:36).

His prayer was: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Hence, He has oneness with the Father and He desires oneness between Himself and all His disciples.

The candlestick was divided into a main shaft with 3 branches coming out on each side, symbolic of Christ as the vine with His people as the branches (John 15:5). In the candlestick, each branch had 3 bowls in the shape of an almond, 3 knops and buds (flowers).

The almond tree was the first to blossom in the spring. The Jewish people welcomed it. To them it was a sign of new life, another spring had come. In the furniture of the sanctuary, the almond symbolized the first fruit (1 Corinthians 15:20) as in Christ new life begins (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The beautiful flowers depict Christ, as revealed in Song of Solomon 2:1 and Hosea 14:5.

Applying the candlestick to us personally, we should consider how we are to shine for the Lord. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

If no light is showing, something is wrong. “Like their Master, the followers of Christ in every age were to be the light of the world. . . . [Matthew 5:14–16 quoted.] This is just what Enoch, and Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses did. It is just what God designed that His people Israel should do.

“It was their own evil heart of unbelief, controlled by Satan, that led them to hide their light, instead of shedding it upon surrounding peoples; it was that same bigoted spirit that caused them either to follow the iniquitous practices of the heathen or to shut themselves away in proud exclusiveness, as if God’s love and care were over them alone.”1

Perhaps in some ways, yes—“in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses” (2 Corinthians 6:4). “Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:2, 3).

“The Lord disciplines His workers, that they may be prepared to fill the places appointed them. He desires to fit them to do more acceptable service. There are those who wish to be a ruling power, and who need the sanctification of submission. God brings about a change in their lives. Perhaps He places before them duties that they would not choose. If they are willing to be guided by Him, He will give them grace and strength to perform these duties in a spirit of submission and helpfulness. Thus they are being qualified to fill places where their disciplined abilities will make them of great service.

“Some God trains by bringing to them disappointment and apparent failure. It is His purpose that they shall learn to master difficulties. He inspires them with a determination to prove every apparent failure a success. Often men pray and weep because of the perplexities and obstacles that confront them. But if they will hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end, God will make their way clear. Success will come as they struggle against apparently insurmountable difficulties and with success will come the greatest joy.”2

The apostle exhorts us to “greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6, 7).

These fragrant, fruitful aspects of plants represent what the church is to be in this world. Yet, “many members of the church have been deprived of the experience which they should have had, because the sentiment has prevailed that the minister should do all the work and bear all the burdens. Either the burdens have been crowded upon the minister, or he has assumed those duties that should have been performed by the members of the church. Ministers should take the officers and members of the church into their confidence, and teach them how to labor for the Master. Thus the minister will not have to perform all the labor himself, and at the same time the church will receive greater benefit than if he endeavored to do all the work, and release the members of the church from acting the part which the Lord designed that they should.”3

“The sweet influences that are to be abundant in the church are bound up with [the] ministers of God, who are to represent the love of Christ. The stars of heaven are under God’s control. He fills them with light. He guides and directs their movements.”4

The prophet Zechariah was shown the candlestick in vision—and the angel that spoke to him explained the significance of it. The prophet asked: “What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:11–14).

“Workers in the Master’s vineyard must be imbued with the spirit of Christ in His love for souls. Divine influences and a strong, living, working faith are especial qualifications, in order for them to be colaborers with Jesus Christ. They must cultivate constantly the graces of the Spirit, repressing unbelief. Honor is to be given to the human powers by putting them to the very highest use in the service of God. Under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit, all may be colaborers with God. All whom God has blessed with reasoning powers are to become intellectual Christians. They are not requested to believe without evidence; therefore Jesus has enjoined upon all to search the Scriptures. Let the ingenious inquirer, and the one who would know for himself what is truth, exert his mental powers to search out the truth as it is in Jesus. Any neglect here is at the peril of the soul. We must know individually the prescribed conditions of entering into eternal life. We must know what is the voice of God, that we may live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth. We cannot allow these questions to be settled for us by another’s mind, or another’s judgment. We must search the Scriptures carefully with a heart open to the reception of light and the evidences of truth. We cannot trust the salvation of our souls to ministers, to idle traditions, to human authorities, or to pretensions. We must know for ourselves what God has said. We are laborers together with God, and we want to know, and must know, what conditions are resting upon those who are to be heirs of salvation, or we shall die in our sins. It is not to be our study as to what may be the opinion of men, or of popular faith, or what the Fathers have said. We cannot trust to the voice of the multitude, but we want to know what is the voice of God, what is His revealed will. He has left us His own statements, and we must search for the truth as for hidden treasures. We must put away all skepticism, all exaltation of our own ideas. We must humble our hearts by repentance and with contrition of soul, praying for true enlightenment. We must be diligent and thoughtful. We must be constant learners in the school of Christ, then we shall be meek and lowly of heart as was our Saviour. The Lord positively demands of every Christian an intelligent knowledge of the Scriptures. He must dig for the truth as he would dig for hid treasures. He must search the Scriptures, comparing scripture with scripture; for he must be a laborer together with God. Individually, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who works in us, and by us, and through us. God’s word is the sword of the Spirit, and with a knowledge of revealed truth, which is our spiritual weapon, we must go to work, laboring to pull down the strongholds of the enemy. The truth must be spoken in love. We must show that we are Christ’s followers and that we have learned of Jesus. We must approach the people in the spirit of kindness and affection.”5

There were seven lamps—the perfect number. The candlestick in the sanctuary service brings to mind some other interesting details:

“[The tabernacle’s] sacred apartments had no windows to admit light. The candlestick was made of purest gold, and was kept burning night and day, and gave light to both apartments. The light of the lamps upon the candlestick reflected upon the boards plated with gold, at the sides of the building, and upon the sacred furniture, and upon the curtains of beautiful colors with cherubims wrought with threads of gold and silver, which appearance was glorious beyond description. No language can describe the beauty and loveliness, and sacred glory which these apartments presented. The gold in the sanctuary reflected the colors of the curtains, which appeared like the different colors of the rainbow.”6

The seven lamps were to provide perfect, united lighting. In Christ’s prayer to His Father in our behalf, He declared: “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23).

“As we near the time when principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places will be fully brought into the warfare against the truth, when Satan’s deceptive power will be so great that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect, our discernment must be sharpened by divine enlightenment, that we may not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. The whole treasure of heaven is at our command in the work of preparing the way of the Lord. By giving us the cooperation of the holy angels, God has made it possible for our work to be a wonderful, yes, a glorious, success. But success will seldom result from scattered effort. The united influence of all the members of the church is required.”7

The Lord directed Moses, “thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always” (Exodus 27:20).

Thus the people were to cooperate in keeping the light alive.

Zechariah 4 speaks of the two witnesses, explained as follows: “‘These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.’ ‘Thy word,’ said the psalmist, ‘is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path’ (Revelation 11:4; Psalm 119:105). The two witnesses represent the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Both are important testimonies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both are witnesses also to the plan of salvation. The types, sacrifices, and prophecies of the Old Testament point forward to a Saviour to come. The Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament tell of a Saviour who has come in the exact manner foretold by type and prophecy.”8

“God wants us to receive the holy oil from the two anointed ones, ‘which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves’ (Zechariah 4:12). And as we receive the holy oil, we are to go forth for the saving of those who are ready to die.”9

“Let the message of Christ’s soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation; for we little know what is before us. Let ministers and lay members go forth into the ripening fields to tell the unconcerned and indifferent to seek the Lord while He may be found. The workers will find their harvest wherever they proclaim the forgotten truths of the Bible. They will find those who will accept the truth, and who will devote their lives to winning souls to Christ.”10

The mandate is clear: “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually” (Leviticus 24:2).

Let us be that consistent light!