Eventide

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Category: General | Jul 1993

Yes, it was eventide when Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu were in the holy place of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. In the sacred dwelling were seven golden lamps resting upon the golden lampstand which had been made precisely to God's plan. Each lamp came alive with light, in turn, as flame was applied to the wick. On the morning of that day the lamps had all been cleaned and trimmed and filled with oil. Now seven clear, clean flames burned brightly through the hours of darkness. And, so, on every day during Israel's memorable wilderness journey. In the process of lighting the lamps there was revealed in the holy place a table of shewbread, a reminder of God's provision for His people; and an altar of incense, a

fragrant symbol of the prayers of His holy nation ~

Centuries pass, and the aged apostle John reveals to us that a lampstand speaks to us figuratively of a church of God (2) He tells of seven golden lam~ stands in his day, and their lamps appear to have been neglected. The evening and morning care, in a spiritual sense, may have been overlooked. Demands from other directions in daily living may have crowded Out this needed regular routine, and lights from some lamps had grown dim; other lampstands had been removed. Scrutiny which revealed this came not from the priestly family; it came from the Lord Jesus who is Great Priest over the house of God, which from Pentecost is seen in Scriptures consist-

mg of churches of God united in visible testimony. He walked in the midst of those seven lampstands, those seven churches. A piercing light, brighter than any from a lampstand, came from His eyes like a flame of fne to reveal things displeasing and commendable. "I know ... I know ... I know . .." He says with divine authority. Then He pleads: "...hear what the Spirit saith ... fear not ... be thou faithful... to him that overcometh will I give of the hidden ~ ... a new name... the morning ~tar" (3)

Days of spiritual crisis are revealed by John to the extent that one church is warned of the danger of its lam~ stand being removed. How solemn and frightening this is to read! Other churches needed corrective action, while Landicea appeared to be unconscious of the fact that communion with the Lord had been broken. He was outside their domain. That is how serious things may become (4) The Lord reveals the facts and the remedies and pleads for open doors, open hearts. Response, action, rests with the saints individually and collectively; each lamp on each lampstand is involved in a basic, practical way.

Each saint in a church of God depicts a golden lamp. What a pleas-

ant awakening this should be to us that we are something of such great value to the Lord and to each other. Have we each realized our privilege in being chosen to adorn the golden lampstand as a golden lamp? Let us quietly ponder the magnitude of this, and set a value on our place and service in the church of God where we are located.

The priestly family of Israel cared for the lamps on the Tabernacle lamp~ stand in a very meticulous way. They cleaned each lamp, trimmed its wick and replaced the oil with regularity each morning as decreed by God. The lamps were filled to give light during hours of darkness, and the oil can be to us a symbol of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Paul counsels us to "be filled with the Spirit" (5), and the Lord desires us to "become sons of light"

(6) To be light-givers Godward and manward we must care for our lamps, and help in the caring of each other's lamp. Trimming can be accomplished by the application of Scripture to our lives privately, publicly, by exhortation, reproof, teaching; all done in longsuffering and love (7).

(1) "V. 24:14. (2) Rev. 1:20. (3) Rev. 2:7,1O,17,2& (4) Rev. 3:20. (5) Eph~ 5:1& (6) Johpi 12:36. (7)2 Ti~ 4:2.

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Jul 1993
General