The Temple of Solomon Portrayed, History · Chapter 9 · Section 3 · Part 7
The Golden Candlesticks.
The laſt things within the Sanctuary, were the Golden Candleſticks.(a)pag. 262.
Concerning the conſt…nt burning of their Lamps, Joſephus affirms, that they were enlightned foreign every day. In the (b)Exod. 13.7.morning Aaron was to burn Incenſe when he dreſſed the Lamps, and when he lighted the lamps at (c)verſe 8.even, he was to burn Incenſe: the Text thereby implying, that they were to burn day and night,(d)Lev. 24.3. from even to morning. And ſo Joſephus, citing Hecataeus, without any di…-reliſh of his relation in this particular,(c)p. 10.49. tells us that the golden Candleſtick had foreign, light unextinguiſhed night and day.
For the Lamps, there was provided ſome matter to help the conception or accenſion of flame, which was made of twiſted flax: To this poſſibly the Prophet alludes when he ſpeaks of our Saviour, that he ſhall not (e)Iſa. 42.3.quench the ſmoaking flax, which Text our Lord(f)Mat. 12.20. Martinii lexic. in linum fumig. applyeth to himſelf. For as the Prieſt when he came in the morning to dreſs the Lamps, and found any of them to glimmer and be obſcure, he ſnuffed them, pull'd up or applyed more wick to them g…ve new and freſh oyl: ſo will Chriſt not put out, but(a)Pſalm 18.23. enlighten our darkneſs. As darkneſſe is put for ſorrow, grief, obſcurity, and affliction: So light is rhe Emblem of joy and comfort, which Chriſt will bring to every poor afflicted ſoul: ſending out his (b)Pſ. 43.3.light and truth, thereby to guide us.
Oyl(d)Exod. 27.20. Lev. 24.2. Olive beaten was alſo provided for the Lamps.*Plut. in Alexandr. pag. 587. Oyl is the Emblem of joy as well as light. The pureſt alſo and ſweeteſt Oyl, was enjoyned. In Zachary there were(e)Ezek. 4.3. See Pemble. Olive-trees that emptied their Golden oyl, ſo called for preciouſneſs, becauſe paſſing through golden-pipes: We ſee there were no Tapers of wax in the Sanctuary, as no hony in Offerings.(f)Jerome ad Gaudentium. p. 100. or 104. Cerâ contempt…, quae mel…is hoſpitium est: oleum accenditur in Templo Dei quod de amatritudine exprimitur olivarum. The oyl noted the Spirit of God,(g)1 John 2.21. the Ʋnction of the holy One. In vain doth any man light the Lamp of Doctrine without the oyl of the Spirit: they muſt go together. With his aſſiſtance muſt Miniſters ſhine in the Doctrines of truth.
Of each Candleſtick there ſeems(a)Exod. 25.31 to be ſix parts: Its ſhaft, branches, bowls, knops, flowers, and lamps. That which we tranſlate ſhaft, is in the Hebrew foreign Arias femur ejus, its thigh. Junius, Scapus, the body of a pillar: the 70 foreign, its ſtalk, that part which aroſe out of the Baſis. The next is foreign Arias & calamus, its reed or cane: the 70 foreign its ſmall reeds: Junius, rami ejus, its branches, and ſo our tranſlation: by which we are to underſtand the 6 leſſer parts or branches that roſe out of the main ſtalk or ſhaft of the Candleſtick, 3 on the one ſide, and 3 on the other. The third is foreign Junius [& lauces] its little hollow plates, like ſcales of a Ballance: which word, unleſſe in this ſtory of the Candleſtick here, and in the 37th. Chapter of this book, is not found, that I have obſerved any where but in the ſtory of(b)Gen. 44.2, 12, 16, 17. Joſeph in Geneſis, and of the Rechabites in the Prophet(c)Jer. 35.5. from v. 34. Jeremy: In which places we have tranſlated it by Cups, but in this preſent ſtory by Bowls. The faſhion is conceived to have been like half an Almond-ſhell, as ſometimes drinking-cups were made in that form: and therefore the 70 turn it by foreign, drinking-cups for wine. The vulgar Lat. by Scyphi, others Calices, to the ſame import, and ſo they ſeem to have been cups, through the middle whereof the ſhaft and the branches did paſſe, (as the ſtalk of the Dipſacus, the teazle or Venus Baſon. the Cup being hollow, and encompaſſing each of the ſtalks to receive any filth that ſhould fall from the Lamps. Three of theſe Bowles like Almonds being in each Branch. The next word is foreign Arias, & poma ejus, and its Apples: the Vulgar, Sphaerulae, its little Spheres: and ſo the 70 by foreign. Junius, by mala oblonga, its knops like long apples, which doubtleſſe were for meer Ornament. The 5th. word foreign Arias and Pagnine, & flores, from foreign germinare, to bud forth. The 70 and the vulgar Lat. Lillies. Junius, & caliculi, Flowers blown out, which were alſo for Ornament. The ſixth and laſt is(d)Exo. 25. pag. 33. foreign Arias, & lucernas. The 70 foreign we render it, its Lamps: which Arias Montanus (e)Antiq. Judaic. pag. 82. Edit. 1593.conceives to have been in form and ſhape like a mans eye, at the one end a little ear or handle to hold it by: at the other end a hole to put in the oyl and wick, a little higher then the former. This Lamp he conceives was faſtened on the uppermoſt Lilly or flower of each Branch.
In brief, the whole Candleſtick with all it Appendancies was thus formed.
Firſt a Baſis or foot, which though not deſcribed is to be ſuppoſed: whether a ſolid maſſy piece or with three or four feet; its left to conjecture. Then iſſued upward the body or main Stalk of the Candleſtick, called for its greatneſſe,(a)Ar. Mont. ibid. pag. 81. a… lin. 40. The Candleſtick, pag. 34. &c. 37. v. 20.
Every Bowl had a knop and a Flower, which ſeems to be the true meaning of the 34 verſe, where its ſaid, that in the Candleſtick, that is, (by a Synechdoche) the ſhaft or chief part of the Candleſtick, there were to be 4 Bowles with their Knops and Flowers: that is, to each Bowl one.
Verſe 33.So then at ſome convenient diſtance from the foot began in the ſhaft its firſt Bowl, then a Knop and a Flower, and out of that firſt Flower iſſued forth two Branches: then in the ſhaft was made another Bowl, a knop and a flower,Verſe 35. ch. 37. v. 21. and then iſſued forth the ſecond pair of Branches, one on the one ſide, and another on the further ſide. After that another Bowl knop and flower, and thence aſcended the two laſt Branches on each ſide. And laſtly, a Bowl, knop and flower at the top of the ſhaft; in which laſt flower ſtood the Lamp, as Arias conceives. For we read of four of each in the body or main upright. Part of the Candleſtick, whereas the bending branches which aroſe up equally to the height of the main ſhaft had but 3 of each a piece, in the ſame Order with their Lamps at the top. Rivet ſayes in Exod. p. 1122. a. Ita ut unusquiſque calamus haberet tres Scyphos quorum unicui que adderetur Sphaerula cum flore, line 38.
This with ſubmiſſion I humbly conceive to have been the form of the golden Candleſticks, which I have here added, becauſe omitted in the former Deſcription.
There belonged likewiſe to the Candleſticks oyl-Veſſels: wherein the Prieſts did bring oyl to ſupply the Lamps with, tearmed(a)Num. 4.9. foreign and called foreign by the 70, Veſſels to carry Oyl in. The very ſame word which is uſed in the Parable of the(b)Mat. 25, 4. ten Virgins: It being not ſufficient to ſhine in profeſſion, but there muſt be ſupplyes of Oyl from Veſſels, or the Lamps will go out.
There were alſo(c)Exod. 25.38. Ver. 37.23. 1 King. 49.50, 51. 2 Chron. 4.21. Tongs and Snuffers of Gold, the former to put in or pull up the wick, the latter to take away the coal of the wick, or the burnt-part, ſerving for cleanſing and purifying work. In the 37 of Exod. The word for the Tongs in the former place is rendred, Snuffers, but to the ſame ſenſe.
Moſt certain it is, that this rare Utenſil did ſignifie and typifie ſome Evangelical Excellency, eſpecially the Lamps thereof. We read that Chriſt did walk among the(d)Rev. 1.20. and 2.1. 7 Golden Candleſticks: foreign properly is the golden Lamp; wherein the foreign or the Lychnus, the …int or wick is ſet and enflamed, to give light by the ſupply of Oyl: As there were ſeven Lamp-veſſels of Gold in the one Candleſtick in Moſes's Tabernacle: So our Lord, who was(e)Heb. 3.5.6. figured by Moſes, had in the firſt body myſtical of his Church, 7 famous Churches of Aſia: for the Candleſticks or the Lamp-veſſels are the Churches.
The ſeven Stars or ſhining Lamps (bright as Stars) were the(f)prov. 1.21. Angels of Miniſters of thoſe Churches. Wherewith do theſe Angels ſhine, but with the light of true Doctrine? John was a(g)Iohn 5.35. ſhining light. The Diſpenſation of the Goſpel by the Miniſtry is called the(a)Rev. 2.2. Candleſtick. They are the light of the World: our Lord(b)Mat. 5.14. enjoyns them to ſtudy to ſhine in truth and Holineſſe of life; Nay, thoſe that walk by the light, are ſaid to(c)Phil. 2.15 ſhine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of life, the Commandment is a (d)Prov. 6.23.Lamp, and the Law is a Light, ſaies Solomon. Thy word is a (e)Pſalm. 119.105.Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path, ſaith holy David. And in another place, The entrance of thy Words giveth(f)Ver. 130. Light.
The word in the two former places foreign is the ſame radically with that which is for the Lamp of each of the Branches of the golden Candleſtick. The word of Propheſie is alſo by the Apoſtle Peter compared to a(g)2 Pet. 1.19. Light ſhining in a da…k place: and 2 Cor. 4.6. a light ſhining.
The Candleſtick was of pure(h)See Riv. amply, pag. 1122. Gold, which our Lord parallels to the Churches: to ſhew how golden and pure their lives ſhould be, who live under the ſhining Rayes of the Goſpel: Such a life according to the word, is more to be deſired then(*)Pſalm 19.10. much fine Gold.
The(i)Rev. 4.5. ſeven Lamps ſignifie the various gifts of the Spirit: many are the Sevens in Scripture, of which Cyprian (k)Cypr. adv. Jud. pag. 265.ſpeaks at large; and ſo likewiſe the Account of this Number was of great value among the(l)Alexand. Tab. Hiae. p. 13. 24, 42. Heathen Ancients.
The trimming of the Lamps might hint the purity of Doctrine, or the great care that Miniſters ſhould take in their Diſpenſation of the Word: that it be not dim or fuliginous and dark: men are led away by dark and ſmoaky preaching.
Snuffers & Tongs ſay ſome,(m)Ribera, p. 136. did note, Diſputations & Explications about the Word: Nay, the Snuffers muſt be of Gold, to ſhew, that thoſe who correct and Diſcipline the Church in truth; muſt be very pure: and therefore thoſe who reprove others, muſt be pure and holy themſelves.
There were ten Candleſticks, wherein as to the number I cannot conceive any Pythagorean myſterie: ſuch as Plutarch explains by that Number as a Number of perfection in his(a)De Ei apud. Delphos. Morals, and Meurſius in his Denarius Pythagoricus. But rather the multiplying of light and knowledge in the latter dayes, which ſhould not only cover the earth as waters do the Sea: but as Lamps did fill the Sanctuary: Here were ten times ſeven. I will not ſay, it hinted the 70 Diſciples whom Chriſt ſent forth by two and two. It would be to draw nigh to a nicety: but rather, the fulneſſe of Light and Grace in the Churches in Chriſt, might be thereby denoted.