Our Hebrew Heritage Series
Menorah: God’s Lamp, Man’s Light
September 9, 2012 FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A The church has been robbed.
1 We have lost out on our Hebrew heritage.
a When we understand that our faith is traced back to Israel, Hebrews, Judaism we will have a better understanding/more complete knowledge of Jesus, our Jewish Lord.
b We have been depraved our biblical legacy, Hebraic foundation of our faith
2 We will explore our Hebrew Heritage over the next four weeks.
a Monarah, Shofar/Tashlich, Jesus in the Feasts/Passover, Sabboth
b 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. Romans 11:16-18 (NASB)
B Pray
I The Menorah is the only piece of tabernacle/temple that God totally designed Himself.
1 In Exodus (37.17-24) God told Moses to build a golden lamp stand upon which seven (7) lamps were to be positioned.
17 Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it.18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it;19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.20 In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers;21 and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.22 Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold.23 He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold.24 He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. Ex 37:17-24 (NASB)
a The almond tree is featured in the design of the monorah used in the Tabernacle & Temples.
aa Leaves, flowers, & fruit, perhaps reminded Jews of Aaron’s almond tree rod.
bb Num. 17.8, Aaron’s rod was used by God to perform a miracle (His rod bore leaves, flowers & almonds overnight.)
8 Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Num 17:8 (NASB)
b Flavius Josephus described the menorah as . . .
“Over against this table, near the southern wall, was set a candlestick of cast gold, hollow within, being of the weight of one hundred pounds, which the Hebrews call Chinchares; it it be turned into the Greak language, it denotes a talent. It was made with its knops, and lilies, and pomegranates, and bowls (which ornaments amounted to seventy in all); by which means the shaft elevated itself on high from a single base, and planets, including the sun among them. It terminated in seven heads, in one row, all standing parallel to one another; and these branches carried seven lamps, one by one, in imitation of the number of planets. These lamps looked to the east and the south, the candlestick being situate obliquely.”
aa He is reporting that the design of the menorah in the Tabernacle represented the sun & the planets.
bb Early man thought there were only seven planets in our solar system: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth/Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.
cc Also, days of the week named for these 7 planets. (Sunday/Sun, Monday/Moon, Tuesday/Mars, Wednesday/Mercury, Thursday/Jupiter, Friday/Venus, Saturday/Saturn)
2 In the tabernacle, it stood facing the Table of Shew bread in the Holy Place.
a Its light would shine like a million diamonds reflecting on the gold inner walls of the sanctuary.
b Tradition says the seven lamp lampstand had six lamps all facing the center candle.
aa The center candle is called “Ner Elohim” (The lamp of God)
bb AKA: “Shamash” (Servant Lamp).
c Every morning, a priest would service the lamps that had burned through the night.
aa The Shamash was left burning day & night and refilled in the evening.
bb Stories of the Shamash burning for a day longer on the same amount of oil (Miracle of the menorah)
3 What happened to Moses’ Menorah remains hidden within the mystery of history.
a One interesting story is that when the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem/destroyed Solomon’s Temple (587 BC) that an angel hid it (and other Temple items) underneath Mt. Moriah.
b When the Third Temple is built in the future the angel will return to open the chamber & retrieve the Temple furnishings.
c It is likely that the menorah used in Zerubbabel/Nehemiah Temple was one from Solomon’s Temple.
B In 168 BC, The Syrian General Antiochus Epiphanes sacked Jerusalem and stole the Menorah (& the rest of the Temple treasury)
1 Josephus tells us the following of General Epiphanes razing of the Temple . . .
“So he left the temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks, and the golden altar of incense, and table of shewbread, and the altar of burn offering; and did not abstain from even the veils, which were made of fine linen and scarlet. He also emptied it of its secret treasures, and left nothing at all remaining.”
a Epiphanes built a pagan altar in the Holy of Hollies & sacrificed a swine to Jupiter, whom he thought he was the incarnate of.
aa Daniel prophesied this event as the “abomination of desolation.”
bb Three years (25 Kislev) after Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the Temple a Jewish patriot (Judas Maccabaeus) staged a successful campaign to take back the Temple Mount.
cc The Maccabees drove the Syrians away, replaced the Menorah, alter, Table of Shewbread & other furnishings.
b Josephus tells us . . .
“When therefore he had carefully purged it, and had brought in new vessels, the candlestick, the table, and the altar, which were made of gold, he hung up the veils at the gates, and added doors to them. He also took down the altar of burnt offering, and built a new one of stones that he gathered together, and not of such as were hewn with iron tools. So on the five and twentieth day of the month Kislev, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick, and offered incense upon the altar, and laid the loaves upon the table, and offered burnt offerings upon the new altar.”
2 The Hammer (Judas Maccabaeus) found only one day’s oil supply for the menorah (Usually took 8 days to produce another batch.)
a These lamps burned 8 days on one days supply of oil.
b To commerate this miracle the priests established the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah/AKA Feast of Lights) Hanukkah Menorah
C The menorah used in Herrod’s Temple was probably one that had been built by Judas Maccabaeus.
1 In 70 AD, Herrod’s Temple was razed, sacked, destroyed by the Romans.
a A stone relief of the parade of soldiers with their Temple booty is on the Arch of Titus (near the Forum in Rome).
b According to Jewish tradition the “miracle of the Servant Lamp” stopped about 40 years before the Romans burned the Temple.
aa The Jewish Encylopedia says the Servant Lamp went out upon the death of “Simeon the Righteous, who was high priest in those days.”
bb Luke 2.25-36, Is this the same person? (Circumcision ritual, he didn’t go tell the High Priest about Messiah because he was the High Priest)
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ .27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 A Light of Revelation to the Gentiles , And the glory of Your people Israel."33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, Luke 2:25-36 (NASB)
2 God supernaturally delayed Simeon’s death until he could see Messiah.
a 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 A Light of Revelation to the Gentiles , And the glory of Your people Israel." Luke 2:30-32 (NASB)
b Simeon called Jesus the Servant Lamp of the Menorah.
aa Interesting that the miracle of the Servant Lamp stopped as Jesus entered into His earthly ministry.
bb Perhaps the cessation of the Servant Lamp miracle took place because of calvary.
D The Menorah is often called the “Jewish” candlestick.
1 It is featured on Israel’s shield.
a Most churches/Christians dismiss it, cast it w/ nonchalance into obscurity.
b 1 Sam. 3.3, “The lamp of God . . . in the Temple of the Lord.”
3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, 1 Sam 3:3 (NASB)
aa Not just a Jewish candlestick, Tabernacle lampstand, Temple Candelabra.
bb The menorah is the lamp of God!
c Because it is God’s lamp it belongs to all of God’s people (Jews & Christians)
aa It represents God bringing light into the world, hearts of men.
bb His Lamp gives us power to see, chase off darkness by the means of His world.
2 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalms 119:105 (NASB)
a “Lamp” is ner, specifically the menorah in Ex. 27.20; 1 Sam. 3.3
20 "You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light , to make a lamp burn continually. Ex 27:20 (NASB)
b His WORD gives us insight/light into our lives.
aa When God’s Word isn’t made manifest we lack vision, fall down a slippery slope of sin.
bb His Word dispels the darkness, confusion, ignorance, fear, superstition
E There are many types of menorah like structures in Scripture.
1 The Jewish feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, PENTECOST, Rosh Shoshanah, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles), Days of the Week, Seven year tribulation, Seven Spirits of God, etc.
a The first time I see the menorah structure is in Genesis 1.1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
aa In the Hebrew this is a seven word sentence.
bb Bereshit (In the Beginning) barah (created) Elohim (God) eht (Word of Creation) hasamayim (the heavens) vaeht (and) haeretz (the earth).
b The fourth word EHT (pronounced as ‘eight’) seems to represent the shemash/servant candle.
aa Aleph & Tahv (first & last letter in Hebrew Aleph-Beit); equivalant of A & Z in English;
bb Rev. 1.8, Greek . . . Alpha Omega!
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Rev 1:8 (NASB)
2 Jewish tradition says the Shemash didn’t go out (Burn 24 hours on what the other lamps would burn up in 12).
a 12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12 (NASB)
b 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket , but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matt 5:14-16 (NASB)
aa He is the source of our light . . . we just reflect Him.
bb He never dims, dulls, goes dry.
c Sometimes we fall away, slip into sin . . . we need to get re-lit, fresh oil!
Conclusion:
THE PURPOSE OF THE LIGHT
"There is an old story about a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline. Once a month he would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light burning so that ships could safely sail near the rocky coast. One night, though, a woman from a nearby village came and begged him for some oil to keep her family warm. Another time a father asked for some to use in his lamp. Another man needed to lubricate a wheel. Since all the requests seemed legitimate, the lighthouse keeper tried to please everyone and grant the requests of all.
Toward the end of the month, he noticed his supply of oil was dangerously low. Soon it was gone, and one night on the light on the lighthouse went out. As a result, that evening several ships were wrecked and countless lives were lost. When the authorities investigated, the man was very apologetic. He told them he was just trying to be helpful with the oil. Their reply to his excuses, however, was simple and to the point: "You were given oil for one purpose, and one purpose only - to keep that light burning!"
A church faces a similar commission. There is no end to the demands placed on a church’s time and resources. As a result, the foundational purposes of a church must remain supreme."
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