Scripture Reading: Exo. 27:20—28:5; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:9-10
Ⅰ
In typology lighting the lamps in the sanctuary of God signifies the proper way for us to meet as Christians—Exo. 27:20-21:
A
The tabernacle was a place both for God's dwelling and for the meeting of the children of Israel—Exo. 25:8; 40:2, 34; Lev. 1:1:
１
Whenever we come together to meet as the church, that meeting is God's dwelling place—Matt. 18:20; Eph. 2:21-22.
２
It is the gathering which is the sanctuary; thus, our meeting is a sanc- tuary, the Holy Place—1 Cor. 1:2a; 3:16; 14:26.
B
The proper way to meet is to light the lamps, that is, to give off light; everything we do in the meetings should cause the holy light to ascend—Luke 11:33.
Ⅱ
The lighting of the lamps is a priestly service, a service of the priests—Exo. 27:21:
A
There is the need for holy persons to light the holy lamps in the Holy Place.
B
A priest is a person who is absolutely for God, who is fully possessed by God, and who lives and has his being wholly for God; in every respect and in every way, his unique interest is God—1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:9-10.
C
The one who lights the lamps is a person who is possessed by God, who is saturated with God, and who lives absolutely for God:
１
Whatever such a person says and does in the Holy Place is the lighting of the lamps; all his actions are the lighting of the lamps.
２
When the holy priests speak in the church meetings, the light ascends, and the sanctuary is full of light—1 Cor. 14:19; Matt. 5:15-16; Mark 4:21.
Ⅲ
The light in the Holy Place is neither a natural light nor an artificial light—it is a divine light, a holy light, the real light, which is God Himself—John 1:9; 1 John 1:5; Rev. 21:23-24a:
A
Today's Christians are divided by many kinds of natural and artificial light—Isa. 50:10-11; 2 Cor. 11:14.
B
For the building up of the Body of Christ, we need to live and walk under the unique and genuine light, the light of our redeeming and shining God—Rev. 21:23; 1 John 1:5, 7; Eph. 5:8-9.
C
The purpose of the gathering of the believers is to have the sanctuary of God with the lighting of the lamps by qualified priests so that we may have a vision of the different aspects of Christ and see the way to enter into the depths of Christ with God—Exo. 25:23, 31; 30:1.
Ⅳ
Certain elements must be involved whenever we experience the genuine lighting of the lamps in the church meetings—the embodiment of the Triune God, the divine nature, the uplifted humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ—Col. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:4; Rom. 1:3-4; 8:9:
A
The light in the Holy Place issues from the lampstand, which signifies the embodiment of the Triune God—Exo. 37:17.
B
The light comes out of the gold, that is, out of the divine nature of Christ—John 1:1; 8:12.
C
Christ is golden (divine), but it is His humanity, signified by the wick, that burns with oil.
D
The oil signifies the Spirit of God, who has passed through a process to become the Spirit of Christ—Rom. 8:9:
１
Oil comes from olive trees, and the olive tree signifies Christ—Rom. 11:17; Judg. 9:9; Psa. 104:15.
２
Just as olives pass through a process to produce olive oil, so the Spirit of God has passed through a process involving incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection to become the Spirit of Christ—Rom. 8:9.
３
Whatever we utter in the meetings must be with the pure oil of the olive tree—1 Cor. 2:12-13:
ａ
We need the experience of Christ as the olive tree in His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection; this means that the aspects of Christ's process need to become our experience.
ｂ
We need the cross to work in us so that we may have the pure olive oil—oil that has passed through incarnation and crucifixion and has entered into resurrection—2 Cor 1:8-9; 4:10-12; Phil. 3:10-11.
Ⅴ
The qualification for the priests to light the lamps in the Holy Place is the expression of Christ, signified by the priestly garments—Exo. 28:1-5:
A
The priestly garments are "for glory" and "for beauty"—v. 2:
１
"For glory" means to express Christ's divinity, and "for beauty" means to express Christ's humanity.
２
It is a life that expresses Christ with the divine glory and the human beauty that qualifies us to be the priesthood—1 Pet. 2:5, 9.
B
The expression of Christ signified by the garments is actually a building; therefore, if we would express the divine glory and the human beauty, we must be built up in the Body of Christ—Exo. 28:15-20; Eph. 4:16.
Ⅵ
"Meeting together to light the lamps in the sanctuary comprises every aspect of our spiritual experience in the Christian life" (Life-study of Exodus, p. 1318).