The form of the Lamp Stands workmanship was beautiful; picture it if you would, a fruit (a pomegranate) and then a flower, following successively one after another up the main shaft, and likewise out and up the various branches, this represented the True Church as being both beautiful and fruitful from first to last, These branches three on one side and three on the other represent the consecrated, they had no base of their own but rather relied upon the support of the main central shaft for support, just as we have no standing, no foundation of our own but are reliant upon the merit of Christ which supports us or gives us a standing before God.
As these branches represented the consecrated it would be noted that their course upward was not straight from the start, but rather was parallel to the world, but gradually their course would change upward until they ran parallel to the main central shaft. What this pictures is that at the beginning of our consecration our course was not so very different from what it had been before; we still followed many earthly things, but as we grew in the grace and in the knowledge of the truth our course bent more and more upward until at last if we are faithful, at the end of the course, we will be going in the same direction as our blessed Master.
Now it will be noticed that some of the branches were longer than that of the others (remember there were three levels of branches extending out from the central shaft), yet even so they all held the same amount of oil in their lamps and all gave out the same light.
So you see pictured first (the top branches) are those who have fewer character flaws and weaknesses to overcome and thus are making quicker progress than others, that is turning from the course of the world upward, likewise those pictured in the second level of branches, would have greater weaknesses to overcome and so their upward journey would take even longer to reach, and lastly those on the bottom, these are they who are heavy laden with sins and weaknesses, these spend a lot more time running parallel with the course of the world before making the turn upward, but the point is, through perseverance, they eventually make that turn, and just as those who’s journey upward is a little more easier and comes sooner, these too can hold just as much of the Lords spirit as the they and can shine just as brightly.
So then Dear Brethren do not allow your failings and weaknesses to dishearten you, stay the course, your turning point upward is just ahead if you will only continue to trust the Lord for assistance.
We will continue in our next post.
