撒上三2~3　一日，以利睡卧在自己的地方；他眼目已经昏花，不能看见。神的灯还没有熄灭；撒母耳睡卧在耶和华的殿中，那里有神的约柜。

　　在有的地方召会里，……只有一点点的光。……撒上三章记载，当撒母耳还是童子的时候，他在以利面前事奉耶和华。当那些日子，“神的灯还没有熄灭……。”（3）意思是神的灯就要灭了。为什么呢？因为祭司老以利太弱。

　　出埃及记说，圣所的灯是祭司来点的。祭司早晨收拾灯、黄昏点灯的时候都要烧香。……烧香是祷告。……灯所以不明亮，原因就在于那个事奉、那个祭司体系、那个烧香没有了。……祭司的职事弱，像老以利一样。……所以灯光的明与不明，和祭司体系的事奉有绝对的关系（李文集一九七七年第三册，二九一至二九二页）。

　　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)

　　每一个地方召会，都应该明亮到这一个地步，人一进来，一切的光景全都暴露，叫他们不能不说，“神真在你们中间了，因为我的隐情都在你们灯光之下照耀得透彻。这个光比任何透视的光还能透视。”

　　召会是圣所，召会是灯台，召会是灯台在圣所中。不仅如此，召会里还有祭司体系，有烧香的人。……祭司体系，每一个人都有分。我们都是君王，我们都是祭司，个个都要学习尽职烧香。点灯的时候就要烧香。……晚上要祷告，早晨要祷告，叫神的灯光在你们中间明亮，明亮到一个地步，这个灯光就变作神的行动。灯光的照明变作了神的行动，变作了神的行政，变作了神在宇宙中的管理，变作了神今天在地上的经纶。这不是一件小事。

　　火灯的点着不光是为着照耀和焚烧，乃是为着推动。……这个宝座前七盏火灯点着，推动你。你也许说，“李弟兄啊，我不会作。”你越不作就越不会作。这是圣经上的一个原则：凡有的，还要给他；没有的（不用的），连他所有的，也要从他夺去（太二五29）。就是因为你不作，所以你才不会作。……我越作得多，我越会作（李文集一九七七年第三册，二九二至二九三、二九九至三○○页）。

　　每当神的话语来了，神的子民就得着光。因此，在祭司以利的时代，耶和华的言语稀少，圣所里的灯快要熄灭（撒上三1~3）。召会中有神的说话时，神子民中间的光才明亮的照耀。

　　民数记八章二节……不是说到一盏灯，乃是七盏灯；七盏灯都向灯台前面发光。事奉的祭司借着灯台的光，就能事奉并行动。不仅如此，七盏灯的光都朝同一方向照亮，表征各人的职事虽有不同，但方向一致，他们的职事乃是一个职事。譬如，保罗有保罗的职事，彼得有彼得的职事，雅各有雅各的职事，约翰有约翰的职事；但他们的方向都是向着基督；他们一同为基督作见证。他们的光是从基督照耀出来，也是向着基督照耀；因此，他们的职事乃是一（民数记概论上册，一九九至二○○页）。

　　参读：金灯台的终极意义，第四篇；民数记概论，第三、十五篇。

　　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