The candlestick, also known as the menorah, was a vital element of the Tabernacle, serving both a practical and symbolic purpose. Crafted from a single piece of pure gold, the menorah was designed with exquisite detail, featuring a central shaft with three branches on each side, making a total of seven lamps (Exodus 25:31-37). This sacred object was placed in the Holy Place, opposite the table of showbread, and was the only source of light within the Tabernacle, symbolizing the divine presence and guidance of God among His people.

The command for the menorah to burn every night is found in the instructions given to Moses. In Exodus 27:20-21 , the Lord commands the Israelites: "And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps from evening until morning before the LORD. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites throughout their generations."

The responsibility of maintaining the menorah was given to Aaron and his sons, the priests, who were to ensure that the lamps were kept burning from evening until morning. This duty was a perpetual ordinance, signifying the continuous presence and watchfulness of God over His people. The use of pure olive oil, a symbol of purity and consecration, further emphasized the sacred nature of this task.

The burning of the menorah every night held deep theological significance. It represented the light of God's truth and His eternal covenant with Israel. The menorah's light was a reminder of God's guidance, illuminating the path of righteousness and holiness. In a broader sense, it foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, who declared Himself to be the "light of the world" (John 8:12), fulfilling the symbolic role of the menorah by bringing spiritual illumination to all who follow Him.

The menorah's design and function also reflect the order and beauty of God's creation. The seven lamps can be seen as a representation of completeness and perfection, a recurring theme throughout Scripture. The menorah's continuous light served as a constant reminder of God's unchanging nature and His unwavering commitment to His people.

In summary, the candlestick of the Tabernacle, burning every night, was a profound symbol of divine presence, guidance, and covenant. It was a daily reminder to the Israelites of their unique relationship with God and their calling to be a light to the nations.Exodus 27:20,21
And you shall command the children of Israel, that they bring you pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
Nave's Topical Index

At the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple.
... to feed for one day the Sacred Candlestick, but by a ... inmate of the home, so that,
if ten burned on the ... according to which the making of the Tabernacle had been ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv at the feast.htm

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
... it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light ... The two divisions of the
Tabernacle, thus separated by the ... 30.Twice a day sweet incense was burned on it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the copies of things in.htm

The Blood of the Testament
... May he teach it to us so that the lesson shall be burned into our ... 2-5. For there
was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 58 1912/the blood of the testament.htm

The Golden Lampstand
... there, all through the night, it burned, the one ... Now, this Inner Court of the Tabernacle
or Temple ... reappearance, not of the one golden candlestick or lampstand ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the golden lampstand.htm

A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... was always a table, a bed, and a candlestick in the ... When the tabernacle was pitched
in the wilderness, what was ... Her bush burned in the olden times, but was not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a mystery saints sorrowing and.htm

Scriptural Types.
... John 1:4. Between the golden candlestick and the ... of incense, on which the priests
burned sweet incense ... a king's court; in which the tabernacle represents the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

Book 3 Footnotes
... of the mystical meaning of the Jewish tabernacle and its ... the seven branches of the
temple-candlestick, with their ... only one of the seven lamps burned in the day ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 3 footnotes.htm

Constant, Instant, Expectant
... with his fellow sufferers and there burned quick to ... alter, and the laver, and the
candlestick, and the ... sprinkled everywhere in the Jewish Tabernacle, and thus ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/constant instant expectant.htm

A Sight of the Crowned Christ
... night heard by Samuel, the flooding of Tabernacle and Temple ... Calvary lets us see
the love that burned in the ... The Church is the light-bearer, the candlestick. ...
/.../quiet talks on the crowned christ of revelation/iii a sight of the crowned.htm

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
... renders Psalm 74:8, "They have burned up all ... the lintels"commonly the seven-branched
candlestick, or perhaps ... the Temple, or, perhaps, even of the Tabernacle. ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 16 synagogues their origin.htm

What are the seven candlesticks / lampstands of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Candlestick: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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