Numbers 8:1-4 & Revelation 1:12

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

– Numbers 8:1-4

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

– Revelation 1:12

Devotion

Books such as Leviticus and Numbers can be overlooked as unimportant at times by Christians due to their Jewish flavor, but they are actually key to interpreting the New Testament. For instance, the interpretation of the lampstands in Revelation is impossible without an understanding of the seven lampstands in Numbers.

The lampstands were located inside the tabernacle, within the holy place, near the very presence of God which rested above the mercy seat. The purpose of the lampstands was to cast light into the holy place and illuminate the interior of the tent while the High Priest approached the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people. The lampstands were beautiful and extremely precious. They were made by a master craftsman and composed of one talent (approximately 75 lbs.) of gold. In today’s terms, this lampstand would be worth $1,452,720.00!

The lampstands in Revelation are explained to represent the seven churches of Asia. This imagery shows that the role of the church in Revelation is to shine light upon the Son of Man who is the true High Priest who atones for the sins of the nations. The church is extremely precious and ministers before the very presence of God on behalf of the nations.

The Big Question

As members of the church, in what ways do we shine our light to illuminate the work of Jesus Christ among those who we come in contact with?

Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.