Every nation has a building or sculpture that represents that nation: the Statue of Liberty in America, the Eiffel Tower in France, and the Coliseum in Italy, etc. If the Jewish people were asked to speak on what represents Israel, they would immediately choose the golden lampstand (Hebrew-language: Manorah). If foreigners were asked on what comes to their mind when they hear, “Israel,” many would choose the Wailing Wall. Ironically, the golden lampstand and the Wailing Wall, which are symbolic icons of Israel, are located very close to each other, a walking distance of 5 minutes away. 

The golden lampstand

Among the many holy objects that appear in the Bible, the golden lampstand was probably the most difficult to make. The challenges were not limited to adjusting the balance or symmetry of the golden lampstand or to performing such meticulous craftsmanship: the structure could not be made by assembling small parts. One talent of pure gold (which would be worth about 4.5 billion won today) is flattened to a circular shape with a hammer, and then meticulously carved with a sharp tool into a single, intact object. This work probably required the best craftsmanship of the time. God called Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah for this special mission (Exodus 31:2, 35:30; 1 Chronicles 2:20; 2 Chronicles 1:5). He was a man filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom (chokmah: creative ability), in understanding (tebunah: problem-resolving ability), in knowledge (daath: experience and skill for work), and in all kinds of craftsmanship (melakah: comprehensive skill of giving a concrete form to an ideal; Exodus 31:3). He completed the golden lampstand according to the pattern which God had shown Moses (Exodus 37:17-24; Numbers 8:4). This golden lampstand was placed in the tabernacle. Solomon’s temple was furnished with ten golden lampstands (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chronicles 4:7), of which only one remained in the reconstructed Zerubbabel’s temple. In 70 AD, when Roman soldiers destroyed Herod’s temple, various temple instruments as well as the golden lampstand were plundered and carried away to Rome.

On May 14, 1948, the reconstructed Israel occupied eastern Jerusalem through the Third Middle Eastern War of 1967 and began restoring the major remains. In 1969, the year when the war ended, Rabbi Ariel dreamed of restoring the golden lampstand that had been in the temple. He met Chaim Odem, a master goldsmith who resided in Russia, and continuously researched for 20 years. At last, they began reconstructing the golden lampstand in 1991, and completed it 5 years later, in 1996. This reconstructed golden lampstand is displayed in downtown Jerusalem, in a bulletproof glass that can even withstand an armor-piercing bomb.

Just by glancing at the photograph, we cannot but marvel at the vivid capture of the golden lampstand, in the exact image of that illustrated in the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series, The Mystery of the Wondrous Glory: the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. However, as we thoroughly compare the two lampstands, we can discover differences in two areas. Conclusively speaking, the reason for such differences is that the Rabbis referred to the biblical references along with various traditional references, whereas Reverend Abraham Park, the author of the History of Redemption series, referred only to the Bible and perseveringly reproduced it strictly according to the Hebrew original text. 

What are the differences between the golden lampstand in Jerusalem and the golden lampstand in the History of Redemption series?

1. The positions of the bulbs are different.
First, both lampstands are different in terms of the position of the bulbs. In the golden lampstand that was restored in Jerusalem, its branches come out directly from the bulbs on the shaft. However, in the golden lampstand in the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series and in the illustration book, its branches come out above the bulbs. Exodus 25:35 states the following about the position of the bulbs.

Here, Hebrew word for “coming out” is mimenna , which is in the form of a third person suffix added to the word min meaning “come out from” or “separated.” This expression refers to a pair of branches coming out from the shaft. Also, tachath, which translates to “under,” means “at the bottom of.” This means that the bulb’s position on the shaft is right below where the two branches and the shaft meet. The bulbs are shaped like almond blossoms. Since almond blossoms are known to be one of the fastest flowers that bud from hibernation, its name derives from shaqad, which means “to stay up all through the night” or “to guard,” symbolizing “awakening,” “protection,” and “hope.” Just as these bulbs support the shaft so the golden lampstand can stand, we are reminded that the priests who come into the Holy Place of God must be spiritually awake (1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

Therefore, the bulbs of the golden lampstand restored in Jerusalem differ from the specifications in the Bible. Reverend Abraham Park’s 9^th book of the History of Redemption series presents the bulbs in precise accordance with the Bible.

2. The lamps face different directions.

Second, the facing directions of the lamps of the two golden lampstands are different. The lamps of the golden lampstand in Jerusalem face its center and only the middle lamp faces the front. However, the lamps of the golden lampstand in the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series and the illustration book face the front. The direction of the lamps is explained in Exodus 25:37 and Numbers 8:2-3.

The Hebrew for “to shed light on the space in front of it” of Exodus 25:37 is al-eber paneha, in which the word paneh means “face.” Therefore, it means, “for the light to shed facing the front” or “to be face to face.” This reveals that God commanded the lamps to shed light toward the bread table that was on the opposite side of the lampstand (Exodus 40:22-25).

Photo caption ?

The lamps of the golden lampstand in the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series face the front.

The lamps of the golden lampstand in Jerusalem face the center lamp.

The phrase “in the front of” in Numbers 8:2-3 is el-mul in Hebrew, which means, “the front and opposite side,” and does not indicate the top. Furthermore, this verse means to mount the lamps of the golden lampstand facing the bread table that was in front of it (Exodus 40:22-25). The 12 loaves of bread that are set on the bread table symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel, and the light of the lamps that faces the bread table symbolizes the Lord’s light that illumines Israel, reminding that God’s light is on all of Israel and blesses them (ref. Numbers 6:25-26). The lamps that always face the bread table teach us that the Word and prayer must always be together.

3. The time when the seven lamps are lit is different.

The decisive difference is revealed in the time frame when the lamps of the golden lampstand are lit. We must note a simultaneous usage of the plural form of dor, which means “generations,” and huqqat olam, which means “perpetual statute,” in Exodus 27:21 and Leviticus 24:3. This strongly emphasizes that putting the lighted lamps in order “from evening to morning” is crucially important to prevent the lights from being extinguished in the temple.

To observe this statute, the priests stayed up all night in the tent of meeting and had to keep the lamps in order (Exodus 27:21). Here, “in order” is arak in Hebrew, which means “to arrange in order” or “to put in order.” Doctor Kang Shin-taek translated this as “the priests had to keep the lamps in order (for them to burn continuously) before the Lord from evening to morning.”
When night passed and morning dawned, the priests trimmed the lamps and burned fragrant incense (Exodus 30:7). Here, the phrase “when he trims”?with the Hebrew usage of yatab meaning “to make a thing good,” “do well,” or “to dress”?does not mean to extinguish the lamp, but to make it ablaze even more. The lamps were also to be trimmed at twilight (Exodus 30:8). Here, “to trim” is alah in Hebrew, which means “to go up” or “to gradually ascend to the top,” meaning to make the lamps that have already been lit to burn even brighter. Based on the meanings of these Hebrew words, the statute of tending the lamps can be summarized as follows.

As seen above, the lamps, which were made to ablaze more fervently at night, were thoroughly tended from evening to morning by none other than the priests. In the morning, the priests made the lamps burn even more brightly to prevent it from burning out during the day. In other words, in contrast to the assertions of the theologians and that of Josephus, all the seven lamps brightly burned at all times and luminously glistened the tabernacle.

Especially, burning fragrant incense while the seven lamps shined brightly in morning and evening (Exodus 30:7-8) shows that the prayers of the saints must be done only in Jesus Christ, who is the True Lamp. It strongly teaches us that saints’ lives must be on the alert by praying regularly 24 hours a day.

Considering that all the articles of the tabernacle were designed by God Himself according to His administration in the redemptive history, we cannot regard these differences as trivial.

The shape of the reconstructed golden lampstand and the method of lighting up its lamps are different from the biblical descriptions. However, the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series presents the golden lampstand accurately according to the Bible. Approximately 2,600 years since the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC when the temple was destroyed and all the articles plundered, the golden lampstand has been reproduced through the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series.   

Without a thorough observation, these differences may seem as petty external differences that cannot be distinguished. However, considering that all the articles of the tabernacle were designed by God Himself according to His administration in the redemptive history, we cannot regard these differences as trivial.

Then why are there such differences in the outcome of 20 year-long research by the Rabbis?the most elite in Jewish population who thoroughly memorize the entire Bible from a young age? It is probably because the Jewish people desired to reconstruct the golden lampstand as just an article of tradition, while the 9^th book of the History of Redemption series reproduced it as a model to impart the redemptive-historical lessons. As God’s workmanship that perfectly depicts the path to reach Him through Jesus Christ, the tabernacle conveys the redemptive truth in every corner. Therefore, accurate interpretations are possible only when the articles of the tabernacle are viewed in light of God’s administration in the history of redemption.

Just as the lamps of the golden lampstand were never quenched, today’s saints (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9), who are called into a royal priesthood, has the mission to cast out the darkness through awakened prayers that light up the lamps daily (Exodus 27:20-21; 1 Samuel 3:3). The golden lampstand that has been reproduced after approximately 2,600 years is crying out to saints today who are living in the end times, “Now is the time to keep the seven lamps burning brightly and pray!”

Article_Jerusalem= Special coverage by True Peace