RETURN TO SYLLABUS
A STUDY OF THE TABERNACLE
LESSON #16
FURNITURE (THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST) –continued

• MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 8:12

• THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND EXO 25:31-40 ; 37:17-24 LEV 24:1-4
• THIS PIECE OF FURNITURE WAS LOCATED INSIDE THE HOLY PLACE OPPOSITE THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD.
• CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNIFICANCE:
• THIS WAS THE ONLY LIGHT IN THE TABERNACLE = 21 TIMES IN SCRIPTURE JESUS IS CALLED THE LIGHT. THE NEW JERUSALEM HAS NO SUN OR MOON, AS CHRIST HIMSELF IS THE ETERNAL LIGHT.
• THERE ARE MANY PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS THAT CLAIM TO HAVE THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OR THE TRUE LIGHT OF GOD. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE LIGHT THAT SHINES BRIGHTER THAN ANY OTHER. IT IS NOT A DOCTRINE, OR A PHILOSOPHY, OR EVEN A RELIGION. IT IS THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
• PURE GOLD = PURE DEITY IN ALL HIS GLORY. THEREFORE, IN THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST, ALL THINGS PALE IN COMPARISON. JESUS EMBODIES THE ONLY TRUE LIGHT, KNOWLEDGE, OR WISDOM OF GOD.
• REV 21:23 2CO 4:6
• OTHER PIECES OF FURNITURE WERE WOOD COVERED WITH GOLD, BUT THIS PIECE HAS NO WOOD.
• THEREFORE, ONLY CHRIST’S DEITY IS VISIBLE HERE.
• BEATEN GOLD = THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS
• NO DIMENSIONS ARE GIVEN FOR THIS PIECE = IMMEASURABLE GLORY OF CHRIST ABLE TO PENETRATE TO THE UTMOST DEPTHS OF DARKNESS.
• 7 LAMPS OR BOWLS = PERFECT OR COMPLETE LIGHT BECAUSE NUMBER 7 REPRESENTS THE COMPLETE NUMBER OF GOD.
• ALL BOWLS FILLED WITH OLIVE OIL = OIL IS A SYMBOL FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• IT REPRESENTS CHRIST FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• THE 7 BOWLS REPRESENT THE 7-FOLD ASPECT OF THE SPIRIT RESTING ON JESUS. ISA 11:2
• DECORATIONS OF 22 BLOSSOM CUPS (KNOP AND FLOWER)
• THESE WERE OPENED ALMOND BLOSSOMS WITH 5 PETALS EACH.
• THE ALMOND TREE BEGINS TO BLOOM BEFORE ALL OTHERS. THE SNOW-WHITE BLOSSOMS PROCLAIM NEW LIFE IN SPRING = THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS WITH LIFE AND FRUITFULNESS OCCURRED IN THE SPRING.
• THE CENTER SHAFT OF THE CANDLESTICK = JESUS AS THE CENTER OF THE CHURCH.
• THIS BRANCH HAS MORE BLOSSOMS THAN THE REST OF THE BRANCHES = JESUS IS THE MOST FRUITFUL OF ALL IN THE CHURCH.
• 6 BRANCHES = CHURCH REV 1:12-13
• 6 REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF MAN FALLEN ONE SHORT OF THE NUMBER 7 FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
• THE CANDLESTICK WAS MADE OF ONE PIECE OF GOLD = THE UNITY OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
• THERE ARE 66 TOTAL DECORATIONS = THERE ARE 66 BOOKS IN THE BIBLE THROUGH WHICH COME THE WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND LIGHT OF GOD.
• THE BOWLS ON THE LAMPSTAND WERE CLEANSED AND LIGHTED EVERY EVENING AND EVERY MORNING. (EXO 27:20-21)
• THE WICK = A LIFE TRIMMED AND KEPT SOOT FREE TO BURN BRIGHTLY. (LEV 24:1-4 EPH 5:8)
• READ MAT 5:14-16
• WHAT THINGS DIM OUR LIGHT?
• TAKING GLORY THAT BELONGS TO GOD.
• A SINFUL LIFE.
• NOT STAYING IN THE WORD & IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
• A STORY OF GOD'S JUDGMENT IN LIGHT OF THE LAMPSTAND
• READ DAN 5:1-5, 23-28
• THE WARNING TO US:
• READ 2TI 2:19-22
• WE ARE TO BE HIS SANCTIFIED VESSELS

• THE ALTAR OF INCENSE EXO 30:1-10, 34-38 ; 37:25-29
• THIS PIECE OF FURNITURE IS THE THIRD PIECE IN THE HOLY PLACE. IT WAS LOCATED AT THE FAR END JUST BEFORE THE CURTAIN THAT SEPARATED THE HOLY PLACE FROM THE HOLY OF HOLIES. IT IS THE LAST THING YOU COME TO BEFORE ENTERING THAT MOST HOLY ROOM.
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOCATION:
• ONLY AFTER WE HAVE COME BY WAY OF THE CROSS (BRAZEN ALTAR) AND ARE BORN AGAIN; ONLY AFTER WE HAVE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS AND CLEANSING AT THE LAVER, CAN WE ENTER INTO THE HOLY PLACE ; THEN WE CAN EXPECT GOD TO GIVE US THE LIGHT OF HIS WILL REGARDING A SITUATION, AND REVEAL TO US THAT WILL WHEN WE FEED ON THE WORD OF GOD. ONCE WE HAVE DONE THESE THINGS, THEN ARE WE READY TO PRAY.
• THEREFORE, THAT TELLS US THAT SIN MUST BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE WE ASK GOD FOR ANYTHING IN PRAYER. IT IS IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORD (THE LAMPSTAND), AS WE FEED ON CHRIST (THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD), WILL GOD REVEAL TO US HIS PERFECT WILL REGARDING OUR PRAYER REQUEST.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PIECE OF FURNITURE:
• INCENSE = PRAYER
• ALTAR = CHRIST OUR INTERCESSOR HEB 7:25
• THIS PIECE HAS 4 HORNS = STRENGTH, POWER, AUTHORITY, AND MERCY IN INTERCESSION.
• BOTH THIS PIECE AND THE BRAZEN ALTAR HAD 4 HORNS, SO THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SALVATION AND PRAYER.
• GOD PAYS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE PRAYERS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO HIM.
• ON THE ALTAR OF INCENSE LAY A GOLD PLATE DECORATED WITH A SURROUNDING WREATH = JESUS AS INTERCESSOR IS THE CROWNED ONE SITTING AT THE FATHER'S RIGHT HAND INTERCEEDING ON OUR BEHALF.
• THE KIND OF MINISTRY AT THIS ALTAR:
• THE PRIEST TOOK A CENSER FULL OF BURNING COALS OFF THE BRAZEN ALTAR AND MIXED IT WITH INCENSE BEATEN TO A POWDER. HE LAID THEM TOGETHER ON THE ALTAR OF INCENSE MORNING AND EVENING WHEN HE TRIMMED THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND.
• AS JESUS WAS A SWEET-SMELLING SACRIFICE TO GOD (EPH 5:2), SO ARE OUR PRAYERS. PSA 141:2
• THE GOLD RIM = OUR PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS BEFORE HIM, NONE ARE LOST OR GO UNHEARD PSA 56:8
• THE GOLD CROWN EDGE = CROWNED WITH JESUS' INTERCESSORY TOUCH
• THE INCENSE:
• EXO 30:34-38
• THE SIGNIFICANCE:
• GOD SAID TO USE NO (STRANGE) ARTIFICIAL INCENSE EXO 30:9
• IT HAD TO BE MADE OF PURE, SPECIFIED INGREDIENTS MADE IN THE WAY GOD PRESCRIBED.
• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
• OUR PRAYERS SHOULD BE SINCERE.
• OUR PRAYERS SHOULD BE TO GOD NOT TO MAN.
• OUR PRAYERS SHOULD NOT BE VAIN REPETITION.
• OUR PRAYERS SHOULD BE IN A SPIRIT OF TRUE WORSHIP, PLEASING TO GOD.
• WE SHOULD OFFER OUR PRAYERS TO GOD IN THE WAY HE PRESCRIBED…TO GOD, THE FATHER, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THE SON.

• A STORY OF WARNING:
• READ LEV 10:1-10
• THE STORY OF NADAB AND ABIHU, SONS OF AARON WHO WERE DRUNK.
• THEY OFFERED FIRE NOT FROM THE BRAZEN ALTAR AND THEY INVADED THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
• WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THAT?
• IT WAS NOT ACCORDING TO GOD’S PRESCRIBED WAY.
• IT DID NOT TAKE CARE OF SIN FIRST BEFORE MAKING A REQUEST.
• IT WAS NOT BASED ON THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICED ANIMAL.
• WE, AS CHRISTIANS, COME TO GOD BASED ON THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
• WHY WAS JUDGMENT SO HARSH?
• TO SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEAN AND UNCLEAN, HOLY AND UNHOLY, THE RIGHT WAY AND THE WRONG WAY, GOD'S WAY AND MAN'S WAY.

• APPLICATION:
• OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE SHOULD INCLUDE:
• READING AND STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD.
• REPENTANCE WHEN WE SIN AND PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS.
• IN OUR PRAYER LIFE, WE MUST TAKE CARE OF ANY SIN BEFORE WE MAKE REQUESTS TO GOD.

• MEMORY VERSE: 1TI 2:5