THE MENORAH (EXODUS 25:31-40)

One of the most puzzling things about the Old Testament is the seemingly inordinate amount of space allotted to descriptions of the tabernacle or temples (see Exodus 25-31; 35-40; I Kings 6-7; II Chronicles 3-4; and Ezekiel 40-43). These passages are generally treated by readers in one of two opposite ways: quickly skipped over as being extraneous or pored over to glean symbolic meaning out of. But those trying to make sense out of these descriptions run into three problems.

The first difficulty is in attempting to picture exactly how the buildings and fixtures were put together since although some details are given, others are completely omitted. For example, Ezekiel's temple vision gives the horizontal dimensions for each of the rooms but leaves out the heights entirely. And we once had a visiting speaker at our home Bible study who had looked at the description of the curtains that surrounded the Holy of Holies, which was only entered by the high priest once a year. He deduced that since no obvious opening to the curtains was designated, the priest must have miraculously been allowed to pass right through them yearly.

The second problem with descriptions is that they contain many technical terms for the fabrics, metals, and architectural features present, and some of these Hebrew words have disputed meanings. Years ago, I visited a Sunday school class on Exodus which was covering the symbolic meanings of the details of the tabernacle and later temple. Unfortunately for the teacher, every time he would mention something like the specific animal skins used in construction, someone in the class would pipe up and say, “That isn't at all the way my translation goes.” It is really impossible to assign a symbolic meaning to a detail in the tabernacle if you don't even know for sure what the literal meaning of that detail is.

But even if you manage to pass both those hurdles, there still remains the problem of deciding the symbolic meaning. As D. Freedman states, “It follows from the fact that the tabernacle was built to God's design that it had symbolic significance for its own times. How far its symbols were also types of spiritual realities revealed to us is disputed. Doubtless, the extravagant interpretations that from the early centuries have been placed upon the subject have brought it into disrepute. But the New Testament explicitly says that the tabernacle was a 'copy and shadow of heavenly things', 'a parable', 'like in a pattern to the true (tabernacle) (Heb. viii.5, lx 9,24).'”

As just one example, I would like to concentrate on the lampstand which stood on the south side of the interior of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24; 40:24). Nixon describes it as follows: “Three branches ending in flower-shaped lamp-holders protruded from either side of the main stem, which also supported a lamp-holder. Representations on certain Maccabean coins and a relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome supplement Hebrew descriptions. Ten similar lampstands were made for Solomon's Temple.”

The first question regarding the lampstand, or menorah, is the method of construction. Hartley says, “The fact that it was made all of one piece suggests that sheet gold or gold foil was used and shaped by a rubbing process over a wooden form. Wenham specifically contrasts the gold plating of the ark with the menorah, which was formed from a solid gold sheet.” (Hess) Thus, the solid construction using this precious metal may be an indication of the great importance attached to the object. But what was that importance?

Here I am indebted to Hartley for briefly summarizing some of the most common figurative and symbolic interpretations of the menorah. They are listed below with some comments from other scholars:

1. The seven branches represent the sun, moon, and the five planets known since antiquity.

This is probably the least likely of the explanations listed here since the Jews were not particularly noted for their great interest in astronomical observations or astrological speculation.

2. The lampstand stands for the life-giving power and light of God's presence.

“The lampstand's design was evidently patterned after an almond tree. The almond is the first tree of spring in southwest Asia, awakening sometimes as early as the middle of December. Before leafing, the tree bedecks itself with radiant white blossoms. The lampstand likely symbolize the fertility that came from Yahweh...” (Hostetter)

3. The menorah symbolizes the people of Israel shining with divine truth.

Beale and McDonough in commenting on Revelation 1:12 state that the seven golden lampstands have their “general background in Exod. 25:37; Num. 8, but which is drawn more specifically from Zech 4:2,10...The 'seven lampstands' represent the church (cf. 1:20). In Zech. 4:2-6 the lampstand with its seven lamps is a figurative synechdoche by which part of the temple furniture stands for the whole temple. This by extension also represents faithful Israel (cf. Zech. 4:6-9), which is required to live 'not by [earthly] might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD' (Zech. 4:6). The lampstand in the tabernacle and temple was placed directly in front of the holy of holies...Likewise, the lamps on the lampstand in Zech. 4:2-5 are interpreted in 4:6 as representing God's presence or Spirit, which was to empower Israel...to finish rebuilding the temple...So the new Israel, the church, as a 'lampstand' is a part of the temple and is to draw its power from the Spirit, the divine presence, before God's throne in its drive to stand against the resistance of the world.”

4. The seven-membered construction stands for perfection.

It is well known that the number seven is quite ubiquitous throughout the Bible, figuratively indicating perfection or completion. Jenson rehearses the symbolic importance of the number seven, especially “as a fundamental time structure in the created world...The priestly traditions develop this to an extraordinary degree, so much so that it becomes an integrating and unifying theme between creation, history, and worship.”

5. It may have symbolized the fertility that comes from God, possibly in the form of a sacred tree.

“Some have also identified the golden lampstand of the tabernacle as a representation of the tree of life. With its vertical shaft, its three branches on each side and its cups 'shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms (Ex. 25:34)'; it gives Edenic imagery within the tabernacle and temple.”

6. Of course, since the divine prohibition against visually portraying objects on earth was interpreted by the Jews as applying to animal and human forms only, that left plants as an obvious source of inspiration.

As Walker says, “Trees or their parts provided ideas for decoration.” For example, the representation of pomegranates is also common in the temple paraphernalia. If this simple explanation is true, then perhaps we should not be looking for any particular meaning behind the shape of the menorah.

7. Finally, Kruger says, “The earliest explanation of the symbolic significance of this object is given in Zech 4:2-14. In a vision the prophet say 'a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights (v. 2). The seven lights represented 'the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth' (v. 10b).”

And these possibilities are not necessarily exclusive of one another. For example, Explanation #2 really encompasses two different symbols at once. And Sanderson could be said to embrace both possibilities #2 and #5 when he says, “The seven-branched lampstand, depicted as a stylized tree of life, is to illumine the interior of the holy place (Exodus 26.35; 30.7-8; 37.17-24; I Kings 7.49).”