For Christian Prayer

    Remembering that we are the temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), erected for service. First, we serve God in Christ, and are thereby empowered to Secondly, serve others in the good news. One born again Christian touches one lost soul for the cleansing of sin. This one caring Christian, having been made perfectly holy by blood sacrifice, serves another one of God’s creatures. Service is done in the flesh world by way of spiritual processes God chose to illustrate in His tabernacle design.

    (In) the ancient tabernacle, the Holy Place, (this) was carried out in the physical world by the priest. Today, by application, it is our spirit that is the workman represented as an antitype of this priest. The historical Hebrew Levite and priest would minister for the supplicant, assisting in the sacrifice, and ensuring that the sacrifice pleased God. Today, it will be helpful if we view the three major furnishings—the table of showbread, the golden lampstand (menorah), and golden censer (incense bowl)—as the spiritual offices where creature-to-creature ministry takes place.

    The menorah was a complicated structure of seven wick-fed oil lamps that were to be kept burning during the day. ...the oil symbolizes the work of the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, illuminating God’s Word...the light of the world. Aaron trimmed the lamps every morning, first thing in the morning. So should we also, every morning, let our light shine unto the Father in willing praise, sacrifice, and offering.

    The light in the Holy Place was one stem with three pairs of branches, making seven candles total. One can see a parallel between these three pairs and the three pairs of gifts in Isaiah 11:2, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (Christ Jesus), the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” These three pairs, John tells us in Revelation, are in Christ’s right hand.

    "The Holy Place (sanctuary) is where the spiritual work of Christ conforms the pairs to God’s will, creature to creature. Today,

our hands reach into the lives of others helping to conform them by sanctification, thus becoming more like Jesus...

(1 Corinthians 15:45)' The primary flame of Isaiah 11:2, the “Spirit of the Lord” flame—the one in the middle of the golden

lampstand, this primary lamp is not just a shadow and not just a type of a heavenly article. It is not even just the obvious

instrument to light a room in an old tent. We are face to face with the power of God come by His divine purpose, that you

and I may experience oneness with Him.'"

    If you could not read, as was the case with most of our early Orthodox or Catholic brothers and sisters, the way to the

Father would still be there for you to see, touch, and wonder at its amazing statement in the Menorah Icon. (Remember that

almost all the early believers in Christ were defined as either Orthodox or Catholic—members of communions that, still to this day, maintain a strong iconographic tradition, Without reading skills, the image was and still is powerful to convey the message.

                                 John reminds us of his spiritual understanding of Christ’s control of the church, the Menorah lamps afire as if they were

                             Spiritual couplets within the hands of men, prefiguring “cloven tongues” of God’s Spiritual power upon the affairs of men

                             acted out by our hands within this realm. We remember the cloven tongues of fire resting upon the disciples at Pentecost,

                             or the two wings of the Dove descending upon the Savior’s head as He rose up from baptism.

 

                                       When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you         Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of

                                       from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from    the Lord is risen upon you (Isaiah 60:1).

                                       the Father, He will testify of Me (John 15:26).                                                                             

                                    

                                                              "...'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining

                                                              on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'” —John 1:33

 

    We might say that the menorah is a spiritual device, within a physical creature, enacting spiritual tasks upon another physical creature, spiritually. How, I do not know! Yet in and through whom, this I know; and it is illustrated in fire - Holy Spiritual fire. The framework of this activity is the human body, its precise local -  the torso. The Tabernacle and temple are types illustrating this truth and their realities are called antitypes. Further more, evidence is found in the Bible and the Tabernacle book.  Click on the "man on fire," to find out more!