For so many years, I thought the Menorah was only a cute little candelabra that all the Jewish kids would take out at Christmas--err, Chanukah--time. I had no idea of its profound symbolic impact on Judaism. Even after coming to faith in Jesus, it was years before I understood the profound impact this symbol has had throughout the centuries on the Messianic faith.
The Menorah, as most of you know, was a seven-branched candelabra that burned constantly in the Tabernacle. It was the only source of light in the Holy Place--the section of the Temple in which the priests entered into fellowship with God and intercession for His people. It was a work of extraordinary beauty, so much so that God commanded that only the most highly skilled craftsmen anointed by the Holy Spirit should make it. It was to never stop shining. It was a constant reminder that God was continually with His people, and that He alone was to be their guiding light.
There are two things in particular about the Menorah that fascinate me:
1. Its material. The Menorah was one solid piece of gold. It weighed about 90 lbs--and therefore would be worth about $600,000 in today's money. But not only was it gold--it was beaten gold. And gold, as many of you know, represents the result of perfection through suffering (see Job 23:10 and Revelation 3:18). So in its material, we see a picture of the priceless worth of Messiah's suffering on the cross and subsequent resurrection.
2. The source of its light. The Menorah was light with pure olive oil. And the olive oil was made out of olives that had been beaten and crushed. So in this we see a picture of the priceless worth of God's chastising in our lives--resulting in a broken and submissive heart that will reflect God's light to a dark world (see 1 Peter 1:7). As well, we see in the oil a picture of the work of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) in and through us.
The Menorah had 7 candlesticks. The Chanukiah (the Menorah that is lit at Chanukah) has 9. Why the difference? Simply to commemorate the great victory of the Maccabees over the Greek army (see last week's article for more on that)--a celebration that lasted eight days in honor of the Feast of Sukkot (the climactic of all of God's commanded feasts--and one they couldn't celebrate in the years of the Greek occupation). Of course, even the number 9 points to the Holy Spirit in terms of the number of His fruit (Galatians 5:22) and His gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
So there you have it. The Menorah is more than a pretty little decoration. It is a symbol of enormous eternal meaning.
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