«　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