And six branches shall come almonds, with a knop and a flower out of the sides of it; three branches one branch, and three howls of the candlestick out of the one side and three branches of the candlestick out of the other sideede * 133 Three bowls made like unto dirot idgword bas, (doroy (7777) babbud || orad sis made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flowerso in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 9dT elliq i Josqrotai ytiminenu oldedremo noqu 2 oft es vindel douz and busted einer heads, the one in reference to the typical purport of the Lights, the other, that of the Candlestick viewed as a whole composed of its shaft and branches, of bobust please gobi to quit The GOLDEN CANDLESTICK, THE As the Candlestick of the Tabernacle forms a constituent part of a system preeminently symbolical and typical, no good reason can be assigned why it should not Kketne other sacred things with which it is connected, possess a.)The Lights As our grandmob. meaning suited to the economy of which ject in this part of the investigation it formed a part! Its adaptation to its is, to obtain the unequivocal sanation primary of material uses is evident; of the Scriptures themselves for the soand equally obvious, if we mistake not, lution which we propose to give to the Will appear its fitness to the spiritual symbol before us, we are naturally relehas which it was intended to answer.ferred to those passages where an exIn the attempt to ascertain and settle press mention of the Candlestickoëthese upon satisfactory grounds, it will cursor which contain such àllusions be important to draw largely upon vari. to its mystical import as will serve to ous portions of holy writ, through which guide us to correct conclusions. Several The light of the Tabernacle lamps shines such places may be eited from which more or less distinctly, and from the it will appear that Light, in its most concentrated fays of which we are to genume usage as a symbol, stands for dedace its ultimate scope The inquiry knowledge,1of rather that kinds of sdnaturally divides itself into two dis- | cred intelligence of Möra? İillumenatión t 34 And in the candlestick shall | monds, with their knops and their be four bowls made like unto al- flowers. of light, yet we see a peculiar propriety and felicity in their being symbolised by the lamps or lights of the golden Candlestick. This will appear more strikingly evident by recurrence to the mystic scenery of the Apocalypse. In the opening vision of that book, chap. 1. John, hearing a voice behind him turns and beholds seven golden candlesticks and in the midst of them one like unto the Son of Man clothed with a long priestly tunic or robe, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle. This indicated that the charácter in which he now appeared was a priestly character, and that the action which he performed was a priestly action. What this action was and what it was designed to shadow forth, will be easily inferred from the circumstances of the vision. The scene of it is undoubtedly laid in the outer room or holy place of the Tabernacle, where the priests were wont to officiate, and where among other things it was the duty of some one of the number to see to the lighting, trimming, and snuffing the lamps of the golden Candlestick, which was done just as it began to grow which has for its object the things of God, and for its author the Holy Spirit, the great fountain of all spiritual light. The remarks of Pres. Edwards in his 'Notes on the Bible' may be pertinently cited in this connexion. In the golden Candlestick that stood before the throne, on the left side was a representation both of the Holy Spirit and of the Church. The pure oil olive that fed the lamps is indisputably a type of the Holy Ghost; and it is evident, from Rev. 4. 5, compared with chap. 1. 4, and v. 6, and Zech. 3. 9, and 4. 2, 6, 10. The burning of the lamp represents that divine, infinite, pure energy and ardor wherein the Holy Spirit consists. The light of the lamps filling the Tabernacle with light which had no windows, and no light but of those lamps, represents the divine, blessed communication and influence of the Spirit of God, replenishing the church and filling heaven with the light of divine knowledge in opposition' to the darkness of ignorance and delusion, with the light of holiness in opposition to the dark'ness of sin, and with the light of comfort and joy in opposition to the dark-dark in the evening. Imagine the aposness of sorrow and misery? tle then, about the hour of twilight, As this light however is communi-standing without, near the entrance of cated for the most part through the in- the holy place, and looking in to the tervention of certain agencies set apart further end of the room, and there befor that purpose, it is quite natural that holding the Great High Priest of the it should be symbolically exhibited in Christian Church occupied about the concentrated form, in those artificial lights of the seven distinct golden canluminaries with which all men are fa- dlesticks into which the one large capmiliar. The light of the Tabernacle delabrum of the Tabernacle is multianswers to the light of the church; and plied under the New Testament econothe light of the church is the light of my. These lights thus seen from a disthe Spirit of God dispensed through such tance in a room otherwise dark would media as it has pleased infinite wis- have very much the appearance of stars, dom to adopt. Of these the sacred minis- and it would be scarcely a stretch of try is perhaps the chief; and though language to say that the person emthe ministers of Christ shine with a bor- ployed in trimming and dressing the rowed lustre, merely reflecting, like lamps, with his hand passing to and fro mirrors, the rays of the great fountain from one to the other, held the stars in hës (rights hande / Suck at any rate we | guishing graces, both of the pastors and doubt not was the imagery presented to people of those churches, which from the entranced perception of the seer, being embraced in the number of uniand as the action was unquestionably versality (seven) appear to have stood as gymbolie, our next objecti is to ascer, representatives of all Christian churches taliw its meaning]; But to this we have down through the successive periods of aluminous clue in the words of the di- time to the era of his second coming. vine hierophant himself v. 19, 20, Write This work, therefore, put forth by John the things which thou hast seen, and the in the name of Christ upon the churches things which are, and the things which by these epistles, was the very/work shall be thereafter the mystery of the which was symbolically represented by seven stars which thou sawest in my the action of the Savior in trimming right hand, and the seven golden candle and dressing the lamps of the golden sticką. The seven stars are the angels candlesticks. Each epistle was the ap of the seven churches and the seven plication of the symbolical snuffers to candlesticks which thou sawest are the each of the churches; but in a more essévén churches. Here then we learn pecial manner to the ministers or teachthat the seven stars are the seven angelsers of the churchesel : lo gained lofathe seven churches, while the seven We gather from this explanation, the Candlesticks are the churches them clearest evidence of the truth of our velves: o But the angels of the churches main position, that the material lights ate, insymbolical diction, the ministers, of the Candlestick represented the spirthe elders, the collective pastarship, of|itual lights of the church. The same the churches and as we have shown the view of this symbolical fabric applies stars and Tthe lights (qr¿lamps too be to the object presented under some cirequivalent symbols, it follows that the cumstantial varieties of form and aspect dights/set upon the respective Candle--in the vision of Zechariah, ch, 4., 1--3, sticks made the spiritual teachers, the And the angel that talked with me gnoralveluminaries, appointed to impart came again, and waked me, as a man spiritual and moral light to the churches. that is wakened out of his sleep, and Wiewed in connexion with this; how said unto me, What seest thou? And -striking is our Savior's language, Mat. I said, I have looked, and behold a can51ājas applied to ministers of the gas- dlestick, all of gold, with a bowl upon Ipeb to whom it was, no doubt primar--the top of it, and his seven lamps there. sidy intended to apply, Neither do men lgbtu/candle and put it under a bushel, bist on a candlestick ; and it giveth light to all that fare in the house.' But the -Apocalyptic visionings referred to re-the left side thereof.The candlestick quireystill farther explication/John seen by the prophet differed from that not only saw thés Emblematic objects made by Moses by being surmounted by and action described, but he received a a bowl, out of which, as from a reservoir, command also whith disclosed the drift the oil was conducted through golden of the whole whewas ordered to ad-pipes to each of the lamps and this dress) in the name of Christ, seven epis--bowl was moreover supplied by oil that Itles to the seven Asiatic Churches filled flowed sina speculiarì manner, through with reproofs, counsels, admonitions, two branches of two olive trees standand urgent exhortations, the design of ing on either side of the Candlestick, (which was to revive the decaying light, ov.1114.This part of the vision espe sore in other words to quicken the lan- cially attracted the curiosity, and ¡ in on, and seven pipes to the sevem lamps, which are upon the top thereof, and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon *01 the two candlesticks is here expréssty asserted by the Holy Ghost: How vaid then must be every attempt to settle the significancy of these mystic agents of the Apocalypse without first determin ment imagery here depicted? This we terest of the prophet?"Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive-trées' upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof And Tanswered again, and said unto him, What be these two oliveing the genuine import of the Old Testa branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of them selves?And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, mye förd. Then said he, These se are the two anointed ones (Heb. "sons of oily, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth? These variations from the Mosaic model" are certainly very remarkable, still in general sig. mficancy we have no doubt the symbol in each case is the same!! The Candle stick with its branches and its lighted tamps, represents the church in its mul tiplied unity, as a medium for shedding abroad the beams of revealed truth amidst the darkness of a benighted || world. But as the natural light of lamps is sustained by oil, so spiritual light is sustained by truth Truth is it's appropriate and genuine pabulum; and in the imagery of the vision before us, the obvious design is to represent the manner in which the churches are furnished with the nourishment of truth.|ledged manner the exercise of their susIs not this from the Scriptures of truth and are not the Old and New Testaments strikingly and adéquately shadowed forth by the two olive trees out of which the mystic oil was elabor-upon the resources of history! But this ated and conveyed to its golden recep- process we must necessarily leave to be tacles? Here then we have the true followed out by others. It constitutes élue to the oʻtwo witnesses of the Re the appropriate province of the expositor élation, Schu11. 3,4,And I will give of the Apocalypse.mont paiboogong Ils power unto my two witnesses, and they To the reader who would desire shall prophesy a thousand two hundred more full expansion of the idea here adand threescore days, clothed in sack vanced respecting the typical import of cloth These are the two olive trees, the Lights of the golden candlestick, and the two candlesticks standing be. we have great pleasure in recommendfore the Gode of the earth:{[The two ing "Stonard's Commentary on the Vil witnesses are two kinds of witnesses, sion of Zechariah, Eand: 1824, an1abl "one (of) each, but most intimately re-stract of which will be found in Robin Jated to each other, and their symbolical son's edition of Calmet, under the article identity with the two olive-trees and Candlestick? This work exhibits one pended functions. This is undoubtedly the great truth which the imagery was intended to shadow forth, and for the verification of this truth we are thrown of the most admirable specimens of the | yet more conspicuously, when they were sober and scriptural interpretation of planted in the land of Canaan and spread prophetic symbols to be found in the over it, presenting to view many conEnglish or any other language. The gregations of religious persons, spiritGerman treatise also of Bähr, entitled ually united in one general community, 'Symbolik des Mosaischen Cultus,' will The unity thereof was sufficiently guardbe found an important auxiliary in this ed by the unity of the tabernacle, and field of Biblical exposition. It is ex- afterwards of the temple in 'the place, ceedingly desirable that both these which God had chosen to put his name works should be made accessible to the there.' At the same time, there were mass of English readers of the Scrip- doubtless many synagogues scattered tures. Our own conclusions, however, over the whole country, somewhat in the have been arrived at by a process con- nature of our parish churches, wherein ducted for the most part independently the several congregations met to celeof either. brate divine worship and receive reli(2.) The Candlestick. To the sym-gious instruction. The Jewish church bolical purport of the Candlestick, considered more particularly in reference to its construction with ornamented shaft and branches, we have already obtained a clue in the express declaration of the Savior to John; 'The mys, tery of the seven candlesticks is the seven churches.' Since then a candlestick in general is the scriptural symbol of church, a candlestick with seven branches must be the symbol of the universal church, spread abroad through all its numerous particular congregations, each one in its allotted station, shining through both its members and ministers, and giving light to the world. For the number seven being used by the sacred writers to denote not merely an indefinite multitude, but totality and perfection, the seven branches are doubtless to be understood as denoting all the various and dispersed congregations of the great spiritual body; while their all proceeding from one shaft plainly implies, that all those congregations are united in the one body of the universal church. In this character,' says Stonard, the church began to show itself, when the children of Israel, grown into a numerous people, were first collected and incorporated into a regularly formed body of believers in the true God, obeying, serving, and worshipping him according to his known will; and still more completely answered to this symbol, on the return from the Babylonian captivity, when in almost all cities, towns, and populous villages, synagogues were erected and numer ous congregations assembled, professing the belief, service, and worship of the true God, reading, teaching, preaching, and hearing his holy word; and that not within the narrow bounds of Palestine only, but through almost every part of the civilized world. But doubtless the real, proper, perfect antitype of the Candlestick is to be found in the Christian church, when the gospel was published and its light diffused among all the nations of the world, illuminating its dark corners with the knowledge of truth and salvation.' As to the material of this remarkable fabric, it is described to be of pure gold in all its parts and appendages; and in the vision of Zechariah the oil by which its light was supplied is termed 'golden oil,' from its perfectly pure consistency, which resembled it to liquid gold. Now it is well known that gold is the most beautiful and precious of all metals, and no one needs to be reminded of the happy adaptation of this substance to represent the church, that object which of all others that the earth contains, is beyond comparison the most excellent, precious, and glorious in the sight of |