The Golden Lampstand
The Golden Lampstand is also known as the Menorah. It had a central shaft, three branches with lamps rising up and out from the two sides, and was shaped like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden (Exodus 25:32). It was placed at the south side of the Holy Place so that it would illuminate the area in front of it (Exodus 25:31-40; Leviticus 24:1-4; Numbers 8:1-4).
The Golden Lampstand represents the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, who brings the Fire of revelation and impartation to His people. The Priests would go in daily to clip off the wick's burnt area, put in fresh oil, and light it afresh. The only light in the Holy of Holies was from the Golden Lampstand.
"And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy."
(Acts 2:17-18 ESV)
The light it provides continues to be a reminder to God's people that they are called to be "Light to the nations" and as a powerful symbol of bringing His Glory, truth, and holiness into this dark and sinful world (Isaiah 42:6; Zechariah 4:6 ESV).
The Golden Lampstand also speaks of eternal life with God for those He calls His bride only made available by the blood of the Messiah, Jesus. He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 ESV). Jesus is the tree, and only those found in Him can eat from it, live a spiritually pleasing life, and produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22; Revelation 22:1-5,14).
"God is light and in him is no darkness at all." (John 1:5 ESV)
In the same area of the Brazen Alter where offerings were made, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12,20 ESV). He was standing close to the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Shewbread, which was a prophetic shadow of the coming Messiah as the Bread of life and the ultimate light of God. Light is God's shadow! Every Born-Again Christian is called to represent Jesus by bringing His light to the world.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give Glory to your Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)
Altar of Incense
The Alter of Incense was placed before the Veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 30). The top was square, 18 inches per side, and the Altar was 36 inches high. It was made of Acacia wood and overlaid with gold. It had four "horns," one at each corner, similar to the Brazen Altar in the Courtyard (Exodus 30:2). Rings of gold were built into it so it could be carried with Acacia wood poles that were slipped through the rings.
The Priests burned only a particular incense on the Altar, "most holy to the Lord," each morning and at twilight as an offering to God (Exodus 30:7-10). The Fire used to burn the incense was taken from the Brazen Altar (Leviticus 16:12). On the Day of Atonement, only the High Priest was to put blood on the horns of the Altar to cleanse it and create a cloud of incense that concealed the Ark of the Covenant, God's throne in the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:13).
The cloud emphasized the invisibility and inaccessibility of Heaven and God Himself (Leviticus 16:13). The smoke and fire combination filled the Holy Place and reminded the Priest that He was entering a sacred place and drawing near to the very presence of God. The continued presence of the Shekinah Glory of God was made visible in a cloud that entered visibly into the Holy Place (Exodus 19:16-25; 24:15-17; 33:18-34:8; 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8:10-13; 2 Chronicles 5:13).
Throughout the Bible, incense is often associated with prayer (See Psalm 141:2; Luke 1:10). John the beloved saw the Elders around the throne of God "holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people" (Revelation 5:8; 8:3).
The Altar of Incense is a prophetic symbol of our prayers ascending to God just as the smoke of the sweet-smelling incense ascended in the Holy Place. We should continuously offer our prayers upon the Altar just as the incense was always burning (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). The blood of Jesus applied to our hearts makes our prayers holy, acceptable, and pleasing to God. We offer our prayers upon the altar, trusting in Jesus, our eternal, perfect, and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 10:19–23).
The Fire of God
"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24 ESV)
The love of God is "a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). Fire often appears as a symbol of His presence, the Shekinah Glory, as well as a sign of His power (Exodus 3:2, 14:19; Numbers 9:15-16; Ezekiel 1:4; Judges 13:20; 1 Kings 18:38). Fire represents the presence of the Holy Spirit (Exodus 3:2; 13:21; Acts 2:3-4).
God showed His presence to the Israelites by spreading the Tabernacle with Fire over them (Numbers 9:14-15). His fiery presence provided light and guidance (Numbers 9:17-23). His Fire was required for burnt offerings as sacrifices to God. The original Fire on the Altar was ignited directly by Him (Leviticus 9:24). He commanded the Priests to keep His Fire lit (Leviticus 6:13). No other source of igniting the Fire was acceptable (Leviticus 10:1-2).
The Fire of God's Glory was significant in leading His people through the wilderness, the tent Tabernacle, and the Temple. When Solomon finished his prayer of dedication, Fire came down from Heaven and consumed the sacrifices. The Glory of the Lord filled the Temple (2 Chronicles 6:12-7:3). Elijah prayed, and the Fire of God fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).
On the day of Pentecost, tongues of Fire fell upon the heads of the Disciples, and "all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:3-4 ESV). Jesus will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 ESV).
The Fire of God is the Holy Spirit, who indwells the spirit, mind, and body of the Born-Again Christian (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:15-17, 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:1,6:16). It gives us passionate love for God and His Word. It helps us surrender to His will for our lives completely. Just as with the Old Testament sacrifices to God, we are called to offer our bodies as "living sacrifices" to be consumed by the Fire of the Holy Spirit on the Altar of His Glory (Romans 12:1; Matthew 3:11).
The Holy Spirit brings the Triune God's presence, passion, protection, and purity into our lives so that we can have a fiery passion for Jesus in our hearts and share the Gospel in power (Luke 24:32; Acts 4:31). He comes daily to positionally sanctify, cleanse, and refine to remove sin from us (Psalm 66:10; Proverbs 17:3; Titus 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 12:5-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2). He "refines" our trusting-faith "by fire" so that it results "in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7 ESV – also Zechariah 13:9).
The Fire of God's Glory is His refining fire in the Born-Again Christian revealing and refining them. It is the "spirit of burning" that helps to eliminate the daily stain and darkness of sin and its binding effects by purging it away (Isaiah 4:4 ESV). When the Fire of God falls on you, it will expose and reveal those hidden areas of brokenness and strongholds of victim-hood
"And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning." (Isaiah 4:3-4 ESV)
The Most Holy Place
The Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant
The Most Holy Place is the Holy of Holies, God's throne room. Just as Moses alone could go to the top of the mountain, the High Priest could only go into the Holy of Holies where the visible manifestation of God's presence and Shekinah glory was (Exodus 19:16-25; 24:15-17; 33:18-34:8; 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 7).
Within the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, also called the Mercy Seat and the throne from which God reigns (Numbers 7:89; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; Psalm 80:1,99:1; Isaish 6:1,37:16). Two gold Cherubim were attached to the ends, and their faces were turned toward each other, leaning downwards and their wings were outstretched.
The Ark of the Covenant was the only furniture in the Holy of Holies. The stone tablets God wrote the Ten Commandments were stored inside it. A jar that contained Manna, Aarons Rod, and the Book of the Law were held by the Ark (Exodus 16:33, 30:36; Numbers 17:10; Deuteronomy 31:26; Hebrews 9:4)
The Ark was the most sacred object expressing God's holiness, presence, and power. It was made of Acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold inside and out (Exodus 25:10-22). It was a rectangular chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. It had a molding of gold around its four sides and four short feet to keep it from resting directly on the ground. Each foot was fixed with a gold ring through which poles of Acacia wood overlaid with gold could be placed to carry it (Numbers 4:6).
The top of the Ark was covered with a solid slab of pure gold, the same length and width. The top was also known as the 'Mercy Seat' (Heb: 'kapporeth,' which means a covering that includes the idea of propitiation). There were two golden Cherubim on it. Jesus is "the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2 ESV). On the Day of Atonement, blood was to be sprinkled on it (Leviticus 16:14).
The Temple of the Holy Spirit
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
God no longer lives with the Tabernacle made of human hands. He lives within the spirit, mind, and body of the one who has become Born-Again by repenting of their sin and receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Two Greek words in the New Testament are translated as "temple." They are 'naos' and 'hieron.' The word used to describe the body as a "temple" of the Holy Spirit is the word 'naos,' which is also used metaphorically in the Bible to describe the physical body of Jesus.
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19 ESV)
The other word translated as Temple in the New Testament is 'hieron,' which signifies the entire building or the numerous outer courts in Herod's Temple to which all people had access. This is the area where Jesus taught His lessons.
The human body houses the eternal spirit and the mind. The spirit dwells in the body, and the Holy Spirit dwells in the spirit, mind, and body. The word soul, often used interchangeably with "spirit," means the mind, will, and emotions. The body, every cell, tissue, and organ, is the very shrine - the Holy of Holies - where the Spirit of God dwells. The Born-Again Christian is "the temple of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:16b ESV). The most Holy Creator God of the Universe lives in them, and He "is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:1-5 ESV).
Heaven is God's true eternal dwelling place. The Tabernacle was a copy of it (Hebrews 8:5; 9:24; Acts 7:44; Revelation 15:5). It was designed to foreshadow things to come (Hebrews 10:1). The access to God's divine presence was limited (Hebrews 9:7). The regulations God gave were temporary, and the sacrifices were insufficient (Hebrews 9:9,10:1-4).
The magnificence of the Tabernacle was a reflection of the Shekinah Glory of God who dwelt there. His majestic beauty was displayed in its grandeur, and His holiness was expressed in the restrictions on access to it. The sacrificial system shows that people can only come to God on His terms and by the only provision He made to atone for sin - Jesus.
Jesus is the permanent Tabernacle - the Temple (John 1:14). He gave the Holy Spirit to dwell within every Born-Again Christian who are now the Temple of His holy presence. When we meet in a church, it is also the Temple of God with Jesus as the chief cornerstone, and His presence dwells within to empower and bless His Bride (Ephesians 2:20).
Jesus offered Himself as a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12-14,26). He has entered the heavenly sanctuary not made with human hands and opened a "new and living way" into His presence for all people (Hebrews 8:2, 9:11, 6:19,10:19-22). Every Born-Again Believer can now approach the Ark of the Covenant, the "mercy seat," with the confidence that they will obtain the mercy and grace needed to carry the fire of God into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Hebrews 4:16). The consummation of God's divine plan will be reached when Heaven, eternal the Tabernacle of God, comes to Earth to dwell forever with His Bride (Revelation 21:3).
