(6) Regulations Concerning the Lampstand and the Showbread

 

(6) Regulations Concerning the Lampstand and the Showbread

Leviticus 24:2-4 “Command the children of Israel to bring to you pure olive oil, pressed to light the lamps continually. Aaron shall keep the lamps set before the LORD from evening until morning, outside the curtain of the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle. This is a perpetual ordinance for your generations. He shall keep the lamps on the pure lampstand before the LORD always.”

The first part, spanning verses 1–4, concerns the eternal ordinances regarding the lamps inside the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the place of God's presence. It was divided into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. In the Holy Place were the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense, all made of pure gold; in the Most Holy Place, there was the Ark of the Covenant, upon which were the cherubim and the Mercy Seat. First, it was commanded that the lamp in the Holy Place must not be extinguished. In the Bible, oil signifies the Holy Spirit, the Messiah, and Christ, which can be confirmed in the meaning of "the anointed one." In the Old Testament era, workers set apart for God, such as priests, kings, and prophets, were anointed.

Thus, being anointed symbolically demonstrates the presence of God, signifying that He is with him. Therefore, keeping the lamp filled with oil burning without letting it go out means living one's life every day (from evening to morning) in God's presence. Today, the temple of God refers to the saints. The Kingdom of God (the temple) is established within the hearts of the saints, and they encounter God in the Holy of Holies. The lamp filled with oil signifies the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Leviticus 24:5-9 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, each weighing two-tenths of an ephah, and set them out in two rows, six in each row, on the pure table before the LORD. You shall also place pure frankincense on each row as a memorial offering to the LORD. You shall set these loaves out before the LORD every Sabbath; this is for the children of Israel, and it is an everlasting covenant. These loaves are to be given to Aaron and his descendants, and they are to eat them in a holy place, for they are to be given to him from the LORD’s burnt offerings, and they are most holy. This is an everlasting statute.”

The second ‘eternal ordinance’ is found in verses 5–9 and concerns the holy bread.

The bread symbolizes the resurrected Christ. Since it was commanded to be placed on a pure table in two rows, with six loaves in each row, there are a total of twelve loaves of showbread. It was commanded that these twelve loaves be made fresh and placed every Sabbath. The twelve loaves of showbread symbolize Israel. The message is that every time the bread is newly placed on the Sabbath, the people should realize that they are a people who have not rested. Therefore, it is a call to contemplate the bread for eternal rest.

In John 6:48, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." This bread refers to the same bread found in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. The five loaves, or the five words, represent the Pentateuch; in other words, they refer to the Law. The five barley loaves held by the child represent the Pentateuch (the Law). The word for fish is *ichthous* in Greek, and it encompasses the statement, "Jesus Christ is my salvation." The fish represent the sign of Jonah. The sign of Jonah signifies the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His death. The mention of two fish refers to the First Coming and the Second Coming. After eating the five loaves, twelve baskets remained; the phrase "twelve baskets remained" implies that although Israel (the twelve tribes) heard the Word, they did not know the truth.

In addition, pure frankincense was placed on each row of the bread arranged in two rows. Frankincense was one of the three gifts the Magi brought when they knew that Jesus would be born. When placed over a fire and burned, frankincense emits a fragrant scent. Offering frankincense as a burnt offering signifies the fragrance of Christ, who feeds on God's word and lives according to it. The fragrance of Christ refers to the smoke of the sacrifice of Christ who died on the cross. The smoke produced when the offering is burned is described as a fragrance. Therefore, that fragrance is the fragrance offered through death.