Isaiah 42:3Exodus 25:6Judges 7:16John 18:3

A golden lampstand with three branches extending from either side of the central tier was placed in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40 ). Each branch may have had a seven-spouted lamp (Zechariah 4:2 ), as do some individual lamps found in Palestine. This seven-branched candelabra (menorah), supporting seven lamps, continued in prominence through the first and second Temple periods, and later became symbolic of the nation Israel. Surrounding nations also employed multitiered and multilegged lamps and lampstands.

Lamps (lights) were used symbolically in the Old and New Testaments. Light depicted life in abundance, divine presence or life's direction versus death in darkness (compare Psalm 119:105; 1 John 1:5 with Job 18:5; Proverbs 13:9 ). Jesus is depicted often in John as the light of the world (John 1:4-5 ,John 1:4-5,1:7-9; John 3:19; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 11:9-10; John 12:35-36 ,John 12:35-36,12:46 ). Jesus' disciples are also described as the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16 ). See Light, Light of the World

Dennis Cole