Scripture Reading: Num. 8:1-4; Exo. 27:20-21; Rev. 1:4; 4:5; Psa. 73:16-17

DAY 1 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 2 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 3 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 4 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 5 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 6 Outline　MorningRevival

«　WEEK 9　DAY 1　»

　　Num. 8:2-3 Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand. And Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

　　Rom. 13:12 The night is far advanced, and the day has drawn near. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the weapons of light.

　　When God's people consecrated an item to God, they needed light. Although many details regarding the Tent of Meeting were omitted in Numbers 8, God specifically instructed Aaron to dress the lamps (vv. 1-4). Lighting the lamps for the light to shine in the Tent of Meeting was a crucial matter. Without the shining of the light, the children of Israel could not move, much less fight for God. Therefore, as soon as they consecrated something to God, they immediately lit the lamps in order for light to shine.

　　If God's people consecrate something to God, He will shine among them, and they will have light. We need to pay attention to the sequence of the record in Numbers; every account does not merely relate historical facts but contains a type. In the beginning of Numbers 8, God mentioned only the lighting of the lamps. This is not coincidental or meaningless; it shows that in order for God's people to become His army, they must have light in order to fight. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," p. 57)

　　After the offering of the twelve tribes of Israel and the speaking of God, God instructed Moses to light the lamps. Numbers 8:1-2 says, "Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand." In these verses God gave only one command: the lamps were to give light in front of the lampstand. Not only did the lamps need to be bright; the direction of the lamps needed to be proper. This portion of the Word does not mention other furnishings in the tabernacle, such as the table of the bread of the Presence, or speak concerning the burning of the incense or the offering of the sacrifices; instead, it only speaks of the lighting of the lamps. This indicates that the unique purpose of lighting the lamps was for offering, fighting, and moving. Offering, fighting, and moving all require light.

　　First Samuel 3:1-3 says that at the time of Eli the priest, "the word of Jehovah was rare in those days; visions were not widespread....[Eli's]...eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see. And the lamp of God had not yet gone out." These verses show that when God's word was rare, the lamp in the Holy Place diminished and was about to go out. According to Numbers 7 and 8, God's word came forth from between the two cherubim, and the lamps had to be lighted to shine brightly and face the proper direction. This signifies that in the formation of God's army and service there should be light in order for God's people to fight, walk, and serve.

　　According to Numbers 8, not only were the lamps to shine brightly; the direction of the seven lamps also was to be the same and proper. This signifies that in the church not only should the light shine brightly, but the direction of the light should also be proper. This kind of shining comes only after we have been numbered, have encamped, have ministered, have been dealt with by God to remove defilement, have been sanctified, have been blessed by God, have offered to God, and after God has spoken to us. Only then will there be light in our midst and will the direction of the light be the same and proper. Only when we have the same and proper light are we able to offer, fight, and move. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," pp. 93-94)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," ch. 1; Life-study of Numbers, msg. 13

«　WEEK 9　DAY 2　»

　　1 Sam. 3:2-3 And at that time Eli lay in his place, and his eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see. And the lamp of God had not yet gone out. And Samuel lay in the temple of Jehovah, where the Ark of God was.

　　In certain local churches...there is only a small amount of light. In 1 Samuel 3, when Samuel ministered to Jehovah as a child before Eli, "the lamp of God had not yet gone out" (v. 3). This means that the lamp was about to go out because old Eli the priest was too weak. Exodus says that the lamps in the Holy Place were lit by the priests. The priests had to burn the incense when they dressed the lamps in the morning and when they lit them in the evening. To burn the incense is to pray....The reason that the lamps are not bright is that the service, the priesthood, and the burning of incense are absent....The priestly ministry may be weak, like that of Eli....Whether or not the light of the lamps is bright is absolutely related to the service of the priesthood. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," p. 226)

　　Each local church should be so bright that once people enter in, all their situations are fully exposed so that they cannot help saying, "God is indeed among you, because my secrets have been thoroughly revealed under the shining of your light. This light is even more penetrating than an x-ray."

　　The church is the Holy Place, the church is the lampstand, and the church is the lampstand in the Holy Place. Not only so, in the church there is also the priesthood for the burning of the incense....Each one of us has a share in the priesthood. We are all kings and priests, and we all have to learn to fulfill our duty of burning the incense. When we light the lamps, we have to burn the incense....We have to pray at night and in the morning so that the light of God may shine brightly among us. The light should be so bright that the illumining of the light becomes God's move, His administration, His government in the universe, and His economy on earth today. This is not a small matter.

　　The burning of the fiery lamps is not only for shining and burning but also for motivating....Before the throne are seven burning lamps of fire for impelling us. Perhaps some would say that they cannot do it. The more we do not do something, the more we cannot do it. This is a principle in the Bible. To everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall abound; but from him who does not have, that is, who does not use what he has, even that which he has shall be taken away from him (Matt. 25:28-29). We cannot do it simply because we do not do it....The more I do it, the more I can do it. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," pp. 226-227, 231)

　　Whenever God's word comes, His people receive light. Thus, during the age of Eli the priest, when the word of Jehovah was rare, the lamps in the Holy Place were about to go out (1 Sam. 3:1-3). Only when there is God's speaking in the church can light shine brightly among God's people.

　　[Numbers 8:2] speaks not of one lamp but seven; all seven lamps gave light in front of the lampstand. The ministering priests were able to minister and move because of the light of the lampstand. Moreover, the seven lamps giving light in the same direction signifies that even though each person has a different ministry, their direction is the same and their ministries are still one ministry. For example, Paul had his ministry, Peter had his ministry, James had his ministry, and John had his ministry; nevertheless, their direction was toward Christ; they testified for Christ together. Their light shone out from Christ and shone toward Christ; hence, their ministries were one. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," p. 215)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," ch. 4; CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," chs. 3, 15

«　WEEK 9　DAY 3　»

　　Exo. 27:20-21 And you shall command the children of Israel to bring to you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall maintain it in order from evening to morning before Jehovah; it shall be a perpetual statute to be observed throughout their generations by the children of Israel.

　　The olive tree signifies Christ (cf. Rom. 11:17), and the oil of beaten olives signifies the Spirit of Christ produced through Christ's process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45; Rom. 8:9...). (Exo. 27:20, footnote 1)

　　[To make the lamps burn continually means literally to] cause the light of a lamp to ascend. The lampstand, signifying Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God, was made of pure gold (Exo. 25:31), but the wicks that burned to give off the light were of the plant life. In order to burn so that light would shine, the wicks had to be saturated with oil. The wicks signify the uplifted humanity of Christ, which burns with the divine oil to shine out the divine light. (Exo. 27:20, footnote 2)

　　The light in the Holy Place was a particular light,...not a natural light, that is, a light that comes from the sun during the day or from the moon and the stars at night. Neither was the light in the Holy Place a man-made light....It was a light that came from the golden lampstand....The light comes out of the gold. This indicates that the light in the Holy Place comes purely out of the divine nature of Christ.

　　The lampstand is the embodiment of the Triune God. With the gold we have the nature of the Father, the divine nature; with the form, the shape, of the lampstand, we have the Son; and with the lamps of the lampstand, we have the expression of the Spirit. Therefore,...the light in the Holy Place issues from the Triune God. With this golden lampstand, there is no mixture. With the exception of the wick, everything is golden.

　　The light of the lampstand comes from the burning of the wick....The wick signifies Christ's humanity. Yes, Christ is divine, golden. But it is His humanity, signified by the wick, that burns with oil. If the wick had not been saturated with oil, it would give off smoke instead of light. This is the reason Exodus 27:20 speaks of bringing "pure oil of beaten olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually."

　　In the center of the lamps there were the wicks. These wicks were not of gold; on the contrary, they were of the plant life. Because gold does not burn, it cannot give light. It is the wicks that burn to give light. However, in themselves it is very difficult for the wicks to give off light. Instead of giving off light, they give off smoke. This is the reason it is necessary to saturate the wicks with oil in order to have light.

　　In typology oil signifies the Spirit of God. Oil comes from olive trees, and the olive tree signifies Christ. In the sight of God, Christ is the real olive tree.

　　Within the lamps are the wicks, and...the wicks signify Christ's humanity. The wicks burn with oil, and the oil signifies the Spirit of God. What we have today is not only the Spirit of God, but the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of God has become the Spirit of Christ. Just as olives pass through a process to produce olive oil, so the Spirit of Christ has passed through a process. For us today, the oil with which the wicks burn signifies the Spirit of Christ.

　　Putting all these matters together, we have the gold to make the lampstand signifying Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God; we have the wick, Christ's humanity burning with oil; and we have the oil signifying the Spirit of Christ. As the olive tree, Christ grew on earth and then passed through a process that included incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. When all these matters are put together, we have the coming forth of the light. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1309-1311)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 114

«　WEEK 9　DAY 4　»

　　Lev. 1:1 Then Jehovah called to Moses and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting...

　　Exo. 27:21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall maintain it in order from evening to morning before Jehovah; it shall be a perpetual statute to be observed throughout their generations by the children of Israel.

　　The tabernacle as the Tent of Meeting, the place where God met with His redeemed people and spoke to them (Lev. 1:1), typifies the meeting of the church. Thus, in typology the lighting of the lamps points to the proper way to meet. Everything done in the church meetings, whether praying, singing, praising, or prophesying, should cause the lamps to shine. (Exo. 27:21, footnote 1)

　　The lighting of the lamps always took place in the Tent of Meeting. The tabernacle was not only God's dwelling place; it also was a place of meeting. Hence, it was a place both for God's dwelling and for the meeting of the children of Israel.

　　Whenever we come together to meet as the church, that meeting is in God's dwelling place. It is very important to remember this. Our gathering is a sanctuary....No matter where we may meet, in a building or in the open air, our gathering is the Holy Place. For this reason, we should not meet in a natural way or in a secular way. Everything we do in the meeting—our speaking, singing, praising, calling, shouting, pray-reading—must cause the holy light to ascend. This is to light the lamps in God's sanctuary so that the light may swallow up the darkness.

　　Exodus 27:21...speaks of "outside the veil which is before the Testimony." The reason we still need the lighting of the lamps is that, for the most part, we are not yet in the Holy of Holies. Our gathering is in the Holy Place, not in the Holy of Holies. This means that the veil still separates the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. Behind the veil there is the Ark with the law, called the Testimony. The phrase "before the Testimony" means before the law in the Ark. Even though we have the light ascending in the Holy Place, we are still in the Holy Place, not yet in the Holy of Holies. But we are in the Holy Place with a view to entering the Holy of Holies. Even though we are still in the Holy Place, we are before the Testimony. We have the expectation that we shall enter the Holy of Holies. We are lighting the lamps before the Testimony, which is on the other side of the veil, hoping that the veil will be taken away. Therefore, whenever we come together to meet in the sanctuary of God, we light the lamps, causing the light to ascend before the Testimony, with the expectation of entering the Holy of Holies. Once we enter the Holy of Holies, the shekinah glory will replace the light we cause to ascend in the sanctuary. This is to light the lamps with the qualifications of the priesthood. We need to have these qualifications in order to be before the Testimony with the expectation of coming into the Holy of Holies. By lighting the lamps we can see the way leading into the Holy of Holies, the way leading into the depths of Christ within God.

　　Another reason for lighting the lamps in the Holy Place is that when there is light in the sanctuary, we can see the different items of furniture in the Holy Place. This means that we can see the different aspects of Christ in the holy sphere. Whenever we light the lamps in the church meetings, we can see some aspect of Christ. However, if instead of seeing an aspect of Christ, we see something common, natural, or worldly, there must be something wrong with the light. What we should see under the shining of the lamps in the sanctuary is Christ in His different aspects. By our singing, testifying, speaking, and sharing, the light must shine to present the various aspects of Christ. Furthermore, we see the way into the Holy of Holies. Our experience in the church meetings proves that whenever the lights are shining, we see Christ and we also see the way to enter the Holy of Holies. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1317, 1320-1322)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 115

«　WEEK 9　DAY 5　»

　　Exo. 28:2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

　　Rev. 1:6 And made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen.

　　As those who are part of the priesthood, we need to know what these priestly garments are and to have the reality of these garments in our experience. Exodus 28:4 says, "And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a girding sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons that he may serve Me as a priest."...The significance of the priestly garments is the expression of Christ in the priesthood. This means that the garments signify Christ lived out of the priesthood. We have not only Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God, the divine nature of Christ, the uplifted humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ with all the steps of Christ's process, but we have also the expression of Christ.

　　If in our daily living we do not have the expression of Christ, then whatever we do in the church meetings will be hypocrisy....If we do not have the priestly garments, we are not qualified or equipped to light the lamps. The qualification for a priest to light the lamps in the Holy Place is the expression of Christ.

　　Furthermore, we may not have the oil of the Spirit of Christ. Instead, we may try to light the lamps with something other than olive oil. Sometimes in the pray-reading of certain saints and in their calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, there is no olive oil. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1314-1315, 1319)

　　In our gatherings we should cause the divine light to shine so that the darkness may vanish and that we may be brought into the light with the expectation of stepping into the Holy of Holies, where the Testimony of God is. Perhaps we are still in the Holy Place. Nevertheless, we are very close to the Testimony, and we have the expectation of coming into the Holy of Holies.

　　As we consider the scene of the lampstand in the Holy Place, we see the embodiment of God, the divine nature, the humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of God who is now the Spirit of Christ with incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Furthermore, the one who lights the lamps is a holy person, a priest, a person possessed by God, saturated with God, and living absolutely for God. Whatever such a person does in the Holy Place is the lighting of the lamps. He gives light in all he says and does. All his actions are the lighting of the lamps.

　　Whenever a group of believers comes together for a meeting without any who are holy priests, that meeting will be in darkness. Some may utter something according to the human concept, and others may speak according to natural thoughts. As a result, in that meeting there will be natural light or man-made light, but no divine light, no holy light.

　　Certain elements must be involved whenever we experience the genuine lighting of the lamps in the meetings. These elements are the embodiment of the Triune God, the divine nature, the uplifted humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ with Christ's process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. If we have these elements, then whatever we say and do in the meetings will give forth light. This is the lighting of the lamps in the Holy Place.

　　According to Exodus 27:21, the priests were to set the lamps in order "from evening to morning." Nothing is said here about the day. During the Christian life, we are in the night, not in the day. Because we are in the night, we need the light to shine until the day dawns. By the light shining in the meetings during this age of night, we are enlightened to see more of Christ and to see more clearly the way into the Holy of Holies. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1321, 1312-1313, 1322)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 115

«　WEEK 9　DAY 6　»

　　Rev. 4:5 And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

　　Psa. 73:16-17 When I considered this in order to understand it, it was a troublesome task in my sight, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.

　　God's throne is present at the very beginning of Revelation [1:4]. In the universe God has a center of administration, which is His throne. Revelation 4:5 says that lightnings and voices and thunders come forth out of the throne. Lightnings, voices, and thunders are a sign, a symbol, signifying that God is administering and moving from His throne to execute His eternal policy. The throne of God is the center of His administration, and upon His throne He executes His eternal policy and eternal purpose. Here, God has His move, administration, management, economy, and eternal operation. Verse 5 also says that "the seven Spirits of God" are "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne." The speaking in the Bible is very economical, and there are no wasted words. The seven lamps on the golden lampstand are the seven lamps of fire before the throne of God. This signifies that the seven lamps are absolutely related to God's administration, economy, and move. God's move depends on these seven lamps. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," p. 220)

　　In the tabernacle it was dark, having neither sunlight nor moonlight. However, in the Holy Place there was a golden lampstand, which had not only one lamp but seven lamps shining and illuminating....The light of the seven bright lamps dictated all the actions of the priests in the tabernacle. This is the way of God's administration, government, and economy.

　　In Psalm 73 the psalmist saw a situation that puzzled him and was difficult to comprehend. The more he looked at it, the more it was unclear to him; the more he analyzed it, the more it did not make sense and the more he became befuddled. Eventually, he said, "When I considered this in order to understand it, / It was a troublesome task in my sight, / Until I went into the sanctuary of God; / Then I perceived their end" (vv. 16-17). This shows us that when he went into the sanctuary, the Holy Place, he understood. Likewise, many among us can give such a testimony: "Until I came into the church, then I understood." Very often we face problems, and we remain perplexed after much pondering over them. Nevertheless, once we come to the meetings, immediately we understand....Why is this? It is because in the Holy Place there is the shining of the seven lamps.

　　As long as we come into the realm of the church, all we have to do is sit in the meetings, and meeting after meeting we will become clear inwardly. We will receive a thorough understanding of human life, and we will become completely clear about God's will. We will be crystal clear about God's economy, and we will know the age that we are in today. This is due to the light in the Holy Place....This is because in the Holy Place is the throne, the One who sits on the throne, and the presence of God, and before the throne of God is the shining of the seven burning lamps of fire. Once we enter into this realm, immediately we are clear. We know God's eternal purpose, His heart's intention, and His economy, and we also know which path we should take for the journey before us. This is due to the light in the Holy Place. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," pp. 221-225)

　　God exalted the man Jesus...as the highest Leader, the Prince, the Ruler of the kings to rule over the world (Rev. 1:5; 19:16), and the Savior to save God's chosen people. Leader is related to His authority, and Savior to His salvation. He rules sovereignly over the earth with His authority that the environment might be fit for God's chosen people to receive His salvation (cf. Acts 17:26-27; John 17:2). (Acts 5:31, footnote 2)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1977, vol. 3, "The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand," ch. 4