Another reason for lighting the lamps in the Holy Place is that when there is light in the sanctuary, we can see the different items of furniture in the Holy Place. This means that we can see the different aspects of Christ in the holy sphere. Whenever we light the lamps in the church meetings, we can see some aspect of Christ. However, if instead of seeing an aspect of Christ, we see something common, natural, or worldly, there must be something wrong with the light. What we should see under the shining of the lamps in the sanctuary is Christ in His different aspects. By our singing, testifying, speaking, and sharing, the light must shine to present the various aspects of Christ. Furthermore, we see the way into the Holy of Holies. Our experience in the church meetings proves that whenever the lights are shining, we see Christ and we also see the way to enter the Holy of Holies.
According to 27:21, the priests were to set the lamps in order “from evening until morning.” Nothing is said here about the day. During the Christian life, we are in the night, not in the day. Because we are in the night, we need the light to shine until the day dawns. By the light shining in the meetings during this age of night, we are enlightened to see more of Christ and to see more clearly the way into the Holy of Holies.
Today many who come to the meetings do not know how to light the lamps. They need to learn how to light the lamps in order to enlighten the meeting. When we were in Elden hall in the years from 1969 to 1971, the lamps were lighted long before the announced time for the beginning of the meeting. But in some of the meetings today the lamps are not lighted until well after the announced time of meeting. Moreover, during those years in Elden hall, the saints prepared to light the lamps while they were still at home or while they were on the way to the meeting. During those years, the saints wrote many living songs and hymns, such as “Now Christ is the life-giving Spirit,” one that I especially like. This song brings in light. Many saints have been stirred in their spirit by singing it.
Lighting the lamps in the Holy Place is a serious matter. It requires certain basic things: the lampstand, the wicks, and the olive oil. Furthermore, in order to have the oil, it is first necessary to have the olive tree with olives. As we consider the picture of the lighting of the lamps with olive oil, we have a portrait of spiritual experience. If we would light the lamps, we need much experience. We need the experience of Christ as the olive tree in His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. These aspects of Christ’s process need to become our experience. This means that what is His must become ours. If we do not have the experience of Christ’s process, we do not have the olive tree with the olive oil. Then we shall be empty-handed when we come to light the lamps. We shall be short of olive oil. Therefore, we need the adequate experience of Christ. We also need the lampstand as the embodiment of the Triune God. We need this lampstand not merely doctrinally, but also experientially. Furthermore, we need the experience of dressing the lamps, that is, setting them in order, and also the experience of trimming them and filling them with oil. As we have pointed out, we also need the priestly robes, the expression of Christ.
Many who attend the meetings cannot light the lamps because they do not have the oil. They do not have the necessary experience of Christ, and they are lacking in the expression of Christ. They are not qualified to serve as priests to light the lamps in the Holy Place. By this we can see that the lighting of the lamps is serious and important.
Many years ago I was taught that the lampstand typifies Christ and that the oil signifies the Holy Spirit. But there was no emphasis on spiritual experience. Our understanding of the lighting of the lamps is not mainly doctrinal; rather, it is very much related to our Christian experience. In our experience we need to be priests, we need to have the lampstand with the wicks, and we need to have the oil. The oil is especially important. This requires that we experience Christ as the olive tree in His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Then we shall have the necessary substance for lighting the lamps. Only when we experientially have the lampstand, the wicks, and the oil are we qualified to light the lamps.
In addition to all these experiential matters, we need the further experience of the priestly garments. Only those who have these garments are qualified to light the lamps. If we do not have these garments, this means that we are lacking in the experience of Christ and in the expression of Christ. If we try to light the lamps without the proper expression of Christ in different aspects typified by the garments, we shall experience spiritual death in the Holy Place. This is not mere doctrine, but is actually the case in experience. When they come into the meetings, many saints suffer a spiritual killing because they are not clothed with priestly garments.
We have pointed out that when we light the lamps in the Holy Place, we see the furniture signifying different aspects of Christ: the showbread table, the lampstand, and the incense altar. By the proper vision under the lighting of the lamps in the sanctuary, we see the different aspects of Christ and also the way which leads into the Holy of Holies. Although we may not be in the Holy of Holies, we have the view and the expectation of entering into this inner place to touch the deeper things of Christ.
I hope that through these messages on the lighting of the lamps and the garments for the priesthood many of us will understand the real meaning of the gathering of the believers. The purpose of the meeting is to have the proper sanctuary 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.