The lighting of the lamps by the priests in the Holy Place implies a great deal. As the fulfillment of the type of the tabernacle, the church today is the real tabernacle, God’s dwelling place. The Holy Place is within the church, and the church is God’s sanctuary. However, it is possible for a group of believers to come together to meet as the church, and yet these believers may meet in darkness. They may meet in a sanctuary, but that sanctuary is dark. I once attended that kind of Christian meeting. Because I had such an experience, I can give an experiential message on this portion of the Word.
For years I met with others in a dark sanctuary. All who came together for the meetings were genuine Christians. Nevertheless, there was no divine light. We met in darkness. In the meetings I sometimes had the sense that we were in darkness. At certain times, there was a kind of light in the meetings, but it was a natural light, the light of the sun, moon, or stars. This light was given off by those who talked about culture or philosophy. In addition to such natural light, there was sometimes a man-made light, a light that comes from someone’s concept. But although there was a natural light and a human light, there was no holy light. There was no light that comes out of Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God, with His humanity burning with the Spirit of Christ who has passed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection.
As we consider the scene of the lampstand in the Holy Place, we see the embodiment of God, the divine nature, the humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of God who is now the Spirit of Christ with incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Furthermore, the one who lights the lamps is a holy person, a priest, a person possessed by God, saturated with God, and living absolutely for God. Whatever such a person does in the Holy Place is the lighting of the lamps. He gives light in all he says and does. All his actions are the lighting of the lamps.
Whenever a group of believers comes together for a meeting without any who are holy priests, that meeting will be in darkness. Some may utter something according to the human concept, and others may speak according to natural thoughts. As a result, in that meeting there will be natural light or man-made light, but no divine light, no holy light.
Suppose when believers come together, everyone in the congregation is a priest. When they open their mouths to speak, that will be the lighting of the lamps. A young sister may give a short word of testimony, and in her testimony there will be the lighting of the lamps. The saints in the meeting may be surprised, and the meeting itself will be full of light. Then the gathering, the sanctuary, will be full of divine light. This light comes out of the embodiment of the Triune God, out of the divine nature, out of Christ’s humanity, and out of the Spirit of God becoming the Spirit of Christ with the elements of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. What we say and do in the meetings should always include these elements.
Certain elements must be involved whenever we experience the genuine lighting of the lamps in the meetings. These elements are the embodiment of the Triune God, the divine nature, the uplifted humanity of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ with Christ’s process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. If we have these elements, then whatever we say and do in the meetings will give forth light. This is the lighting of the lamps in the Holy Place.
It is easy to understand typology in a doctrinal way. According to this way, the types in the Old Testament are merely shadows of various matters in the New Testament. But to interpret the real significance of the Old Testament types requires much spiritual experience. More than fifty years ago, I heard teachings concerning the lampstand, the lighting of the lamps, and the oil used to produce light. However, I did not hear a word regarding the experiential significance of these things. As a result, those teachings did not have any effect on me. All they did was fill my mind with concepts. Furthermore, when I passed on these teachings to others, they were not affected either. There was no result in life. We thank the Lord that He has been merciful to us in that we are touching the experiential aspect. Now concerning the lighting of the lamps, we are covering the experiential matter of functioning as priests whenever we come together to meet as the church.