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The Tabmuicle 0 ~ l~!e, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him (James 1:12). "When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). These verses and many others like them give the mes- sage of the trimming of the lamps of the golden candle- stick. Twice each day the high priest, with "tongs ... and snuffdishes ... of pure gold," trimmed the wicks that the lamps might burn more brightly. Who did the cutting and trimming? None but the high priest. And at the same tin1e he poured in the pure olive oil! When the aged John saw the risen Lord on the Isle of Patmos, he beheld Him in His long, High Priestly robe, wearing a golden girdle. He was "in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ... which ... are the seven churches" in Asia (Rev. 1: 12-20). These seven local churches, in what we call Asia Minor today, or modern Turkey, repre- sented this entire church age. What John saw was a prophetic picture of the conditions that would prevail in professing Christendom from apostolic times until the church is translated to be with Christ. This history, writ- ten by the Holy Spirit before it came to pass, is recorded in the second and third chapters of Revelation. And just before it is given, we get the picture of the risen Son of Man in glory, standing in the midst of His church. What is He doing, as, before "the throne of grace," He intercedes for His own? He is trimming the lamps and pouring in the oil of the Holy Spirit, that the Gospel may be sent forth through the lamps of testimony from His redeemed. He has no other plan for the saving of souls! The seven golden candlesticks which John saw were not in heaven; they were in Asia-in a heathen, sin-darkened world. As their Great High Priest in heaven trimmed their
197 The Tabernacle lamps, they shed abroad the light of His redemption to a guilty people. For some of his lamps He had praise; for others rebuke; but He was watching over them all. And He was verily "in the midst." Surely Aaron, the high priest in Israel, who alone could trim the lamps of the golden candlestick, was but a picture of Jesus, our Great High Priest, who uses the tongs and snuffers, that our feeble lights may burn all the more brightly. Thank God! There was no extinguisher in Aaron's hand; and the light of our redemption shall never go out! Our Great High Priest has promised that, and His Word is forever «settled in heaven"! He may have to send trials and afilictions, in order to draw us closer to Him, in order that our lamps may send forth a clear, shining light. He may have to let sorrow or trouble teach us the sufficiency of His grace, that the world may know, from our testimony, that He is able to give «songs in the night." But even as He trims our lamps, He pours in the oil of His own Holy Spirit, to com- fort and teach and guide us on our pilgrimage from "Egypt to Canaan," from the wilderness of this godless world unto the New Jerusalem, which is our Home. It may be some unconfessed sin that needs cutting away; it may be some rising of self-will, some duty neg- lected. But whatever it is, in His loving hands the tongs and the snuffers will surely trim only the things that would mar the beauty of our shining for His glory. That is why we love to read His Word of comfort and assurance concerning trials: "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8: 18). "For our light aftliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4: 17).
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