Almonds – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word

Numbers 17:1-13 The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

Ato Barnes — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:30:21 +0000

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Numbers 17:1-13 The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

[Study Aired August 28, 2023]

Num 17:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 17:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
Num 17:3 And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
Num 17:4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Num 17:5 And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
Num 17:6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
Num 17:7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
Num 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Num 17:9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
Num 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
Num 17:11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
Num 17:12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
Num 17:13 Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

Introduction

Chapter 17 deals with who has the right to rule with Christ. Our brothers and sisters in Babylon think they represent the Lord’s elect and therefore have the right to rule with Christ. Their eyes have been blinded to understand spiritually the difference between a Levite and a priest in the Old Testament. As we shall see in chapter 18, the Lord emphasized the role of a Levite and that of a priest to make us know who is to inherit the kingdoms of this world. As we saw in chapter 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, who represent Babylon, thought they had the right to rule the Lord’s people and therefore rose up against Moses and Aaron. Chapter 17 is there to make clear whom the Lord has chosen to rule with Him.

Throughout the Bible, the right to rule has been contested by many. For example, when David was about to die, his son Adonijah felt that he had the legitimate right as a son to the throne, but in the final analysis, he was not chosen.

1Ki 1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
1Ki 1:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.
1Ki 1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
1Ki 1:8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
1Ki 1:9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:
1Ki 1:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

1Ki 1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
1Ki 1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
1Ki 1:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

What we need to know is that it is not our desire or decision to rule that counts. It is all about the Lord’s mercy, as He has already chosen us, His elect in Him, before the foundation of the world to rule with Him. It was therefore not about the number of sheep or oxen slaughtered on the altar by Adonijah that was important, it was the fact that David had made a promise to Bathsheba many years before the issue came up that her son Solomon would become king. It was therefore not what Solomon had done that mattered.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Adonijah represents Babylon whose sacrifice of love to the Lord is obvious for everyone to see in this world as shown by the number of sheep and oxen that he slaughtered as sacrifice to the Lord. In 1 Kings 1:6 it was stated that he was very handsome and that his father David had not displeased him at any time. Outwardly, Babylon looks very beautiful, and because she is not being judged in this life (the father had not displeased her), she thinks she is called and chosen and therefore has the claim to rulership. This brings to mind the story of the prodigal son’s brother who thought that because his father had not rebuked him, he was destined to inherit his father’s possessions. He was therefore displeased to see the other son being rewarded by the father.

Luk 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
Luk 15:27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’
Luk 15:28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
Luk 15:29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
Luk 15:30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
Luk 15:31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

The older brother being in the field means that he was of the world and that is where Babylon is. The man telling his older son that “all that is mine is yours” does not mean that Babylon will also inherit the promise. What it means is that everything the Lord has created will be enjoyed by all humanity in the fullness of time. It has nothing to do with rulership.

In this study therefore, we shall look at the assurance and the signs the Lord has given in His words that we are chosen instead of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, to reign with Him.

We need to understand that it was the leaders of the various tribes who were requested to bring a rod. So, this whole controversy is about who has the right to rulership. That is, who will lead the people of the world represented in this case by the people of Israel. As we are aware, the whole world is groaning for the right kind of leaders to lead them. As the end of this age is approaching, countries all over the world are crying out about the bad leadership they are having which has brought untold hardships to the people. It is therefore the manifestation of the sons of God for which the world is waiting, but they are not aware of it.

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The sons of God here in these verses refer to the Lord’s elect, but our brothers and sisters in Babylon think it is referring to them. The manifestation of the sons of God will come when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

To write one’s name on the rod as shown in verse 3 is the same as identifying with the rod or being represented by the rod just as those who are called and chosen have Christ’s name written on their forehead which means that we are representing Christ. This means that we are the rod.

Rev 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

In verse 4, the rods of the leaders are required to lie before the Lord in the tabernacle of the congregation. We represent the tabernacle of the congregation. What we are being told is that we are all manifested before the presence of the Lord and therefore all things are naked and opened before Him of whom we must give an account.

Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

It is instructive to note that the Lord chose a rod to show to His elect and our Babylonian brothers and sisters who are chosen to rule with Him. In the Bible, a rod is used to signify a chastening rod for correction, a scepter for ruling or a walking stick, that is, a support for our walk with Christ. Here are the verses that show the different usage of a rod in the scriptures:

As a Chastening Rod for Correction

Psa 89:32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

Pro 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Lam 3:1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

As a Scepter for Ruling

Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

As a Support for our Walk with Christ

Exo 4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

Exo 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

Exo 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

What all of this means is that the one chosen and destined to rule is the one who is under the rod of correction (being judged) in this life and is being dragged to the finish line by Christ as his/her support. As stated in verse 5, the end result of being corrected with a rod and being supported by Christ is a life that blossoms to produce the fruit of righteousness. It is through the fruit of righteousness that we produce fruits, which will let people know that we are indeed chosen to rule with Christ. A dead wood (rod) cannot germinate and therefore cannot produce fruit. It is those who are spiritually alive who can produce the fruit of righteousness.

Isa 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Num 17:6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
Num 17:7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
Num 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

As indicated in previous studies, this age is regarded as one long night. The twelve rods lying before the tabernacle of witness spiritually signify our walk before the Lord in this vessel of clay, which is the temple of God or the tabernacle of witness. If we are called and chosen, then we shall not be dead wood (rod) before the Lord in this life, but will be a branch (rod) to the vine tree and therefore will surely bear the fruit of righteousness.

Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

The fruit that we are to bear is almonds which represent the fruit of the spirit, which is born out of a life of walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gen 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

As stated above, one of the best fruits is almonds. In the tabernacle of the congregation, within the veil, symbols of almonds were engrafted on the branches and the stem of the candlestick before the Lord.

Exo 37:19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
Exo 37:20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:

As the word of God says, the candlestick represents the assembly or the church of the elect. The bowls fashioned like almonds on the branch of the candlestick seem to suggest that it is in the assembly of the elect that we are able to bear fruit of the Spirit through what every joint supplies. The fact that there are three bowls on a branch means that it is through the process of judgment (suffering) that we become spiritually mature as we produce the fruit of the Spirit (almonds). On the candlestick itself, there were four bowls made like almonds, which means that the whole of the elect of every generation is required to bear fruit of the spirit, signified by almonds.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The fact that the candlestick is within the veil of the temple means that it is only the priests who see the almonds on the candlesticks. What this suggests is that in this age, it is only the elect (priests) who see the fruit of the spirit (almonds) that we are bearing. It is when tomorrow or the morning came that the whole of the people of Israel saw that it was only Aaron’s rod that budded and bore the fruit of almonds. In a similar pattern, it is in the dawn of a new Age characterized by the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ that the whole world, signified by the people of Israel, will see the Lord’s elect who will rule with Christ as our rods have budded and produced the fruit of the Spirit.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Num 17:9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
Num 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

Every man taking his rod in the morning signifies that at the dawn of a new age, our brothers and sisters in Babylon, together with the whole world, will come to know who are the elect and therefore accept their fate that they are not the elect. That is the same as the five foolish virgins who came to the five wise virgins to ask for oil as their lamps had gone out, but the wise responded that they should go and buy oil for themselves. Their lamp going out means their rods never budded and therefore could not subsequently produce almonds (the fruit of the Spirit). The five virgins telling them to go and buy oil for themselves is the same as the leaders of Israel taking their rods which never budded.

Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

That will be the time when our brothers and sisters in Babylon will know that the Lord loves us, and they will come and worship before our feet.

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Aaron’s budded rod was brought back before the Testimony to be kept as a token against all those who rebel against the leadership of the Lord’s elect. Later, Aaron’s budded rod became one of the items embedded in the ark which represent Christ.

Heb 9:4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

As indicated earlier, each of the staff or the rod has a name on it which means that the rod represents the one whose name is on it. Aaron’s rod represents the elect. The rod being part of the ark means being part of Christ as we are His body. This means that when Christ comes in His glory, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, we shall be with Him to rule the earth as the whole world will see who is called and chosen to rule the world.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Psa 37:12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Psa 37:13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

Num 17:11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
Num 17:12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
Num 17:13 Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

It is when our brothers and sisters realize they are not destined to rule with Christ when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ that they will know they are spiritually dead and are perished, as shown in verse 12 and 13 when the people of Israel spoke to Moses that they shall die and perish. This is all because of the false doctrines they have imbibed which say that God will burn forever all those who are not part of the elect. They forget that our Lord is merciful and His mercy endures forever. In addition, the Lord’s elect will show mercy to all humanity as a result of the mercy that they have received from the Lord.

Psa 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

What the people of Israel went through when they realized they were not chosen is what took place during the time that Joseph was made king in Egypt. His brothers, representing Babylon, also thought that Joseph would seek revenge on them, and that they would perish or die just like the people of Israel said to Moses. They were not comfortable with Joseph until the father’s death. This mental suffering is all part of what our brothers and sisters in Babylon will go through to learn righteousness during the lake-of-fire age. As we can see, both Moses and Joseph were merciful to their brethren. Both Moses and Joseph represent the elect who will show mercy to our brothers and sisters in Babylon during the lake of fire age.

Gen 50:15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Gen 50:16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
Gen 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
Gen 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

May the Lord continue to drag us to Himself so we do not lose our crown to rule. Amen!!

Awesome Hands – part 94: “The making of the tabernacle – recap”

iwwbadmin — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 20:28:07 +0000

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Awesome Hands – part 94

“The making of the tabernacle – recap”

January 13, 2015

The latest group of studies in the Awesome Hands series have been covering the tabernacle as instructed to be built by the Lord to Moses and the Israelites.

Since this part of the series started at the beginning of October 2015, I thought this would be a good point to do a recap on the various parts of the tabernacle that have already been covered so that we can start our next study from where we left off.

Recap

In Awesome Hands part 88, we started the studies on the tabernacle which themselves start in chapter 25 of Exodus.

Often times I ask myself how do scriptures which were pinned thousands of years ago apply to me today. After all, the world will tell you as a Christian that the bible is just a collection of stories written by sheep herders and superstitious neanderthals.

So when I dive into the topic of the tabernacle and what is means for me today, given that it is no longer physically around, I have to consider what the world thinks (and by extension what most naturally comes to my mind too) and what we know as being Holy Spirit inspired writings. After all, it does take Faith to believe and of the bible.

Having arrived at our first verses covering the commandments of the tabernacle, we read:

Exo 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

In this first study, we covered what it means to willingly offer to the Lord. Given that we know that freewill is a false doctrine according to scripture, we covered various scriptures that show that it is the Lord Himself who places a thought or action upon the hearts of those He is going to work with.

Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Act 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

Here in Acts, Stephen expounds on what the tabernacle meant for the children of Israel even though they had no clue what was happening except for what the PHYSICALLY could relate to.

As a result of simply leaning towards their own understandings and the desires of their carnal hearts, this is how they reacted to Moses and how WE react to those God sends our way. Anyone we are sent to will have the SAME reaction.

Act 7:35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
Act 7:36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
Act 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Act 7:39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
Act 7:40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Act 7:41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Because we all rejoice in the works of our own hands, we know that this series of studies we are covering about the tabernacle are telling us how the tabernacle is one of WITNESS to and for us.

Act 7:44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

The other major point that was brought out in the first study covering the tabernacle is that Stephen looked stedfastly into heaven instead of how the KJV says that he looked “up”. This is an important distinction because it shows us that Stephen, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, was able to see the heavenly things versus only being able to see physical things.

Truly, the tabernacle that we are talking about and that Stephen emphasized to those gathered to accuse him of being blasphemous against the law is of one witness against them. This was what Stephen was caused to “willingly” do as an angel/messenger of God and it is the same for us today.

Act 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

The purpose of studying the witness of the tabernacle

We all need to understand the spiritual significance of what the tabernacle, which God is building with His hands, means to us today and in our lives directly. This was the focus of the second study in this covering of the tabernacle.

After all, we are the temple of God where God dwells and when folks desire to “see God” they have this desire because God has sent them to you in your lives for your and their benefit. Likewise, we are always on display as the temple for all of those we interact with everyday.

Like Stephen, we will be questioned and ridiculed for what and why we believe what we do. Our job is NOT to worry and answer their criticisms because THEY HAVE NO FAITH which can only be gifted by God. Rather, we are to be a WITNESS to those around us.

We are who God would have WORSHIP Him and how do we worship God?

Act 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
Act 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Act 7:1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
Act 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Joh 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

See, Jesus comes on a cloud of great witnesses who worship in spirit and truth. We have Faith to know and believe the Truth.

Our worship is to be a witness to this and that is what the tabernacle is all about.

The items within the tabernacle are placed there to witness to us who it is we are to the Lord. There are various chambers or rooms, various components with those chambers and they all have spiritual significance.

In the second part of the series covering the tabernacle we studied the connection what God telling us what we must do as working for the tabernacle and what that Love would look like.

We saw that God will call teachers to teach and bear fruit of the Truth of the Word of God, but that we all in some capacity have been called to teach to those sent our way. There are certainly “callings” which tell us how to act in certain situations, but we all have been given the capacity to teach the Word of God in deed and example.

There are men who have been called to teach when the church is gathered, there are women who have been called to teach the younger women and children. Men have been called to rule their homes well and women have been called to teach their children the ways of the Lord. We all have been given a capacity and role to teach.

This is the willing offering of our service to the Lord, but within that offering there are fine details that reveal to us the mind of the Lord on the importance of the place He dwells spiritually.

The example and shadow of heavenly things

The third study covered the various items of gold, silver and brass and specifically the differences with some items being made of solid gold while others are overlaid with it.

The spiritual significance of an item being overlaid with gold versus simply being beaten out of solid gold is that the same word used as “overlay” in Hebrew, H6823, is mentioned as “probably rather identical with” H6822 overlay or “tsaw-faw”.

H6822
tsâphâh
BDB Definition:
1) to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch
1a) (Qal) to keep watch, spy
1b) (Piel) to watch, watch closely
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1950
H6822
tsâphâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 38
watchman, 14
2Sa_18:24-27 (5), 2Ki_9:17-18 (2), 2Ki_9:20, Isa_21:6, Eze_3:17, Eze_33:2, Hos_9:6-8 (3)
watch, 5
Gen_31:49, 2Sa_13:34, Isa_21:5, Hab_2:1 (2)
watchmen, 5
1Sa_14:16, Isa_52:8, Isa_56:10, Jer_6:17, Mic_7:4
look, 2
Psa_5:3, Mic_7:7
looketh, 2
Pro_31:27, Son_7:4
watching, 2
1Sa_4:13, Lam_4:17
behold, 1
Psa_66:7
beholding, 1
Pro_15:3
espy, 1
Jer_48:19
waited, 1
Job_15:22
watched, 1
Lam_4:17
watcheth, 1
Psa_37:32
watchman’s, 1
Eze_33:6
well, 1
Pro_31:27

A watchman COVERS the thing he is watching with the concept of “I am covering your back” or I am “looking out for the city”.

The watchman covers the city with his ability and the safety net of covering the city with a watchful attendance to said safety.

The significance of items being overlaid is that they show us that we are watchmen for the things concerning the temple of God, the tabernacle where He dwells. Our service is to serve in this capacity by worshiping in spirit and truth.

The ark is overlaid with gold while the mercy seat and cherubim are of solid beaten gold.

Hearken to the sound of the trumpet

The item that we covered in the fourth study was the table of shewbread. Like the ark, this is a table made of wood but overlaid with gold.

Given what we learned with the connection of overlaid gold being directly rooted in watchmen, this table of bread takes on an important spiritual significance to us.

The table we are concerned with is not the physical table overlaid with gold in the physical tabernacle that is being setup with Moses, but we are concerning ourselves with what the table represents to us in the Spirit.

Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

There is the “table of the Lord” we must all be aware of. At this table, we partake of the cup of the Lord with the Lord, so like any table we have fellowship at (since that is what eating a meal at a table is all about – fellowship with family, friends, peers and loved ones) we must know the “manners” which are expected.

When eating at the Lord’s Table we must recognize the table we have been seated at. Here is what is on the table.

Lev 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
Lev 24:7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 24:8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
Lev 24:9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.

We studied that before we can ever consider eating at the table of the Lord, this spiritual table of shewbread, we must deal with the “devils” that desire to sit with us at this table.

1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
1Co 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

The bread we break is the COMMUNION of the body of Christ. Since we are focusing on doctrines of devils within this 4th study, we must also recognize that as watchmen we watch the gate of “that great city”.

Whenever we allow someone to worship false idols and false spirits, i.e. false doctrine WHOM we consider a brother or sister in Christ, then we are allowing the polluted bread to sit on this table the Lord has covered with His gold.

How does the gold “overlaid” on the showbread table have anything to with doctrine? Remember, we are at the gate COVERING the protection for the city called JERUSALEM.

We are the watchmen of the gate and MUST keep the sanctuary holy by doing what the Lord commands. Our duty as watchmen is to tell God’s people to listen to the trumpet of the Lord!

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The golden candlestick

In the fifth study we covered the golden candlestick and how it was made. The candlestick itself was very important in that it has many details which can easily be read over and missed if not looked into.

For one, there are almond shaped blossoms on each of the branches and on the stem multiple times.

Almond trees which produce these blossoms do so as one of the first trees in the spring to blossom.

What we can learn spiritually will add to this knowledge that the almond tree is among the first to “do something”.

The Hebrew word H824 used as almonds in the verses we are covering on the tabernacle is a denominative word form H8247 meaning “almond”. This Hebrew word (H8247) has a root of H8245.

H8245
shâqad
shaw-kad’
A primitive root; to be alert, that is, sleepless; hence to be on the lookout (whether for good or ill): – hasten, remain, wake, watch (for).
Total KJV occurrences: 12
H8245
shâqad
Total KJV Occurrences: 12
watch, 6
Ezr_8:29, Psa_102:7, Isa_29:20, Jer_5:6, Jer_31:28, Jer_44:27
watched, 2
Jer_31:27-28 (2), Dan_9:14
hasten, 1
Jer_1:12
remain, 1
Job_21:32
waketh, 1
Psa_127:1
watching, 1
Pro_8:34

What was very significant about the almonds who are all over the candlestick of LIGHT, is that they are also connected to the watchmen.

Ezr 8:29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
Psa 102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

In order to solidify the connection of “watching” with the almond and almond tree, here is what the Lord gave to Jeremiah to admonish us with:

Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

The word used in verse 12 here in English is “hasten”, but it is the only time that the translators of the King James used “hasten”. If you look at the Strong’s list I posted above, you see this is the same word H8245 meaning “watch”.

(ASV) Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.
(BBE) Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well: for I keep watch over my word to give effect to it.

The last connection we covered with the golden candlestick was its connection to Zechariah 4 and the two olive trees which provide the oil for the light.

Without recovering that entire study here, I’ll just say that oil is connected with the spirit of the Lord and the anointing of the Spirit.

Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

The two anointed ones stand by the Lord and pour out the oil which they themselves have been anointed with.

As can be seen by those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the Holy Spirit has revealed that gold, almonds (watching) and olive oil (Holy Spirit and power of God the Father) are VERY important to our Christian lives today. We are the priests who are being trained up first on how to handle the items of the sanctuary and to do the duty of a priest which is to keep His commandments faithfully.

The splendor of the tabernacle

The last study that has been completed before this recap study was on the beginning of chapter 26 of Exodus.

We talked about the various layers of the covering of the tabernacle and how they represent different aspects of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him.

There are layers of fine linen, goats skins and rams and badgers skins.

The blue, purple and scarlet colors are all important to show us the progression we make in our walks with the Lord and what we are being called to.

We have a war of the flesh and spiritual happening daily, and as this war rages on, we have a progression happening from fleshly carnally minded “red” to heavenly minded “blue”.

The layer of fine linen, in particular, is the only part of the covering of the tabernacle that is referred to as “the tabernacle” whiles the other layers are those which are seen on the outside.

The splendor of what was seen on the inside of the tabernacle was not something that could be seen from the outside because what was seen on the outside was the basest layer of “flesh”.

Someone “passing by” would never know all these gold items and wonderfully made linen coverings and curtains were hidden inside.

This is equivalent in many spiritual types to what is held on the inside of us since we know where the spirit of God is and it is in His kingdom.

In the next study, we are going to pick up with the second part of Exodus 26 and continue covering the fine details of what the Lord has given us in order to help us understand our calling in Him and our relationship with our Lord.

Awesome Hands – part 92: “Golden candlestick”

Steven Crook — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 01:02:30 +0000

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Awesome Hands – part 92

“Golden candlestick”

November 25, 2015

We’ve been studying the various items and instruments required to be made by Moses and the Israelites for the sanctuary of the Lord.

In today’s study, we are going to cover the golden candlestick and some of the spiritual applications and meanings for God’s people.

While there are many applications to how we are the candlestick in the sanctuary, I will only be covering a few examples of how we are used in God’s temple.

Candlestick of pure gold – almonds

The verses were going to be focusing on for the study today are Exodus 25:31-40:

Exo 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
Exo 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
Exo 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
Exo 25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
Exo 25:35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
Exo 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
Exo 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
Exo 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
Exo 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
Exo 25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

There are various items mentioned which make up the aesthetics of the candlestick. However, these items are not just mentioned so that the person creating the design of the candlestick could make something pleasing to the eye. After all, there weren’t very any people who were going to see these items.

As with all scripture, the details of what is being said gives us a clearer understanding of what the Lord is revealing to us about Him and our relationship to Him.

First off we know this is a candlestick so the number one purpose of this item is to provide light. The other details will all support this idea. The shaft, branches, bowls, knops, and flowers will all be sub-details of this purpose for the candlestick.

The first description of this candlestick is that it is of a beaten work. Just like the cherubim being of a hammered work, so too is the candlestick beaten so that it can be an instrument used properly in the sanctuary of God.

The next descriptive detail about the candlestick, and a description made to stand out, is that there are going to be almond shaped blossoms on each of the branches and on the stem multiple times.

Exo 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

If you are curious like to me why they are almond shaped, then we do not need to look any further than scripture and nature to tell us why the Lord chose almonds.

“Almonds”, as mentioned in its English singular and plural forms, are only used in a few verses in scripture.

H8246
shâqad
Total KJV Occurrences: 6
almonds, 6
Exo_25:33-34 (3), Exo_37:19-20 (3)

H8247
shâqêd
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
almond, 2
Ecc_12:5, Jer_1:11
almonds, 2
Gen_43:11 (2), Num_17:8

What we know physically and naturally about almond trees is that they are among the very first trees to bloom after winter and signifying spring is here and they are also very pretty to see.

What we can learn spiritually will add to this knowledge that the almond tree is among the first to “do something”.

Almonds mentioned here in Exodus 25 are denominative from H8247.

H8246

shâqad
shaw-kad’
A denominative from H8247; to be (intensively make) almond shaped: – make like (unto, after the fashion of) almonds.
Total KJV occurrences: 6

H8247 has a root.

H8247

shâqêd
shaw-kade’
From H8245; the almond (tree or nut; as being the earliest in bloom): – almond (tree).
Total KJV occurrences: 4

H8245

shâqad
shaw-kad’
A primitive root; to be alert, that is, sleepless; hence to be on the lookout (whether for good or ill): – hasten, remain, wake, watch (for).
Total KJV occurrences: 12

Where have we seen H8245 being used?

H8245
shâqad
Total KJV Occurrences: 12
watch, 6
Ezr_8:29, Psa_102:7, Isa_29:20, Jer_5:6, Jer_31:28, Jer_44:27
watched, 2
Jer_31:27-28 (2), Dan_9:14
hasten, 1
Jer_1:12
remain, 1
Job_21:32
waketh, 1
Psa_127:1
watching, 1
Pro_8:34

A few examples of “watching” are:

Ezr 8:29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.

Psa 102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

In order to solidify the connection of “watching” with the almond and almond tree, here is what the Lord gave to Jeremiah to admonish us with:

Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

(ASV) Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

(BBE) Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well: for I keep watch over my word to give effect to it.

Bringing this all back around to why the Lord has chosen to make almonds a prominent item on the candlestick is because of what the candlesticks purpose is for the sanctuary of the Lord.

The almonds represent those who go first and keep the watch over what the Lord is doing in the sanctuary. They are those that are beaten into shape and created so that they can be light in a very dark place.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

We have no better example of almonds representing those that are chosen to go first than that which can be seen in Jesus Christ. How are almonds connected in this way to Jesus Christ?

After the rebellion of Korah and the 250 renowned men of the congregation against Moses and Aaron, the Lord used a very powerful example of what almonds represent in their positive application.

Num 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Num 16:2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

Num 17:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 17:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
Num 17:3 And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
Num 17:4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Num 17:5 And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
Num 17:6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
Num 17:7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
Num 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

See, no one who is used of God actually chooses for themselves the role of being God’s priest, but that does not stop those who are rebellious against God to accuse God’s priests of exercising Lordship over them. That is what they accused Moses of.

Num 16:13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

We know that the Lord does the choosing because this is exactly how He chose Aaron and caused Aaron’s rod to blossom and to produce almonds. Likewise, this is how Jesus Christ was chosen and all those who are being raised up as kings and priests in Jesus Christ.

Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
Heb 5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

Aaron’s rod blossoming almonds overnight is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ blossoming in newness of life from the cross which was also only a dead piece of wood.

Candlestick of pure gold – light

We now can see that almonds being created as a part of the candlestick had a huge meaning for who it is that the candlestick ultimately represents. However, light is what the candlestick provides for the service of the sanctuary.

We know from Christ that the light of the body is the eye. This candlestick is made of one single piece of gold. Therefore, with this single piece of gold the light can be seen as coming from one place.

Luk 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Luk 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

The sanctuary itself did not have windows. During the day, there would have been light from daylight but that wouldn’t have necessarily made it bright enough to do the work of the sanctuary and it is obvious that light would have been needed at night.

Therefore, light was provided for by the candlestick but oil was needed to be the fuel of the light.

The Word of Life is that oil and power source!

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We have the Word of Life dwelling within us, so we have the power of God, the oil which is needed to be the lights of the world.

If you notice the shape of the menorah, there is one main stem in the middle and 3 branches on either side. It’s not hard to see the Christ is the vine and we are the branches in this setup.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Vines, branches and fruit all indicate that there is a connection to trees and that’s why the almond tree is a beautiful example given to us by the Lord in the making of the candlestick or lampstand as some translations call it.

There is a well-known story of the candlestick being given to Zechariah in a vision in Zechariah 4.

Zec 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Here in Zechariah we see a direct connection to the oil being represented as the Spirit of God. The new testament has familiar examples as well.

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

(ASV) 1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.
1Jn 2:20 And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

Notice, that it is two olive trees which are connected to having oil poured OUT OF them into the golden pipes.

Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Zec 4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Zec 4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Zec 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zec 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

The two anointed ones stand by the Lord and pour out the oil which they themselves have been anointed with.

In our next study, we are going to continue with Exodus 26 and see how the various linens are used in the sanctuary and how they too have a direct spiritual application to our lives today.