“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning." Exodus 27
“At that time the kingdom of
heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom." Matthew 25
While the ten virgins might not have been carrying menorahs in the Matthew 25 parable, the similarity to the passage in Exodus is still striking.
For several years I have been puzzled by the menorah. We see it pictured in both Zechariah and Revelations. In the study below I show how the 2 witnesses are also pictured with it in the prophecies. I posted most of this study originally back in 2012, but have added some new thoughts at the bottom.
The seven branched menorah is replaced with a nine branched menorah for Hanukkah. Scripture (Old and New Testament) shows a seven branched lampstand change into a nine branched lampstand. The two witnesses make it so!
In Zechariah and in Revelations two visions are given showing how the seven branches become nine by the addition of the two witnesses who stand on either side of the traditional 7 branched menorah. In fact the two witness are described as lampstands in Revelations.
Zechariah 4:
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”
12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”
13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I said.
14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”
Revelation 11
3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”
Notice that the two witnesses are called LAMPSTANDS. Zechariah says they stand on either side of the 7 branched menorah. The addition of the 2 witnesses (lampstands) makes a 9 branched menorah! The 9 branched menorah is ONLY used during Hanukkah!
IF we go up at Hanukkah, then that must be when the 2 witnesses come down because they are presently standing before the Lord. Immediately after they come down, they will have 1,260 days to complete their mission.
Also consider this further puzzling bit of information about how the light of the menorah failed around the time of the crucifixion. Source http://bethaderech.com/the-hidden-primordial-light-chanukah/
The lamps of the
menorah were lit daily, "from evening until
morning," starting from the central lamp (the
shamash) and then moving right to left (Shemot /
Exod. 27:21). According to the Talmud (Shabbat
22b), while all the lamps received the same amount
of olive oil, the "westernmost" lamp (according to
Rashi, the center lamp, due to its orientation)
miraculously never ran out of oil, even though it
was kindled first in the sequence. In other words,
when Aaron would rekindle the lamps every evening,
he found the shamash still burning, so he simply
refilled it with oil and trimmed its wick. This
miracle is also said to have occurred during the
Temple period, though it abruptly ended about 40
years before the destruction of the Second Temple
(c. 30 AD), after the death of our Rabbi Yeshua
the Messiah, the true Servant and Branch of
HaShem. As it is attested in the Talmud: "Our
Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before
the destruction of the Temple the lot ['For the
Lord'] did not come up in the right hand; nor did
the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did
the westernmost light shine" (Yoma 39a).
One of the most important miracles that happen in
the Beit HaMikdash after our Rabbi Yeshua
HaMashiach left this earth (waiting now to bring
the final geula “redemption” sent by the Father at
the appointed time) was the Menorah in the Beit
HaMikdash (Temple) went out, and would not shine.
Every night for 40 years (over 12,500 nights in a
row) the main lamp of the Hekal menorah went out
of its own accord, no matter what attempts and
precautions the priests took to safeguard against
this event!
A final thought concerning the menorah....
Lastly, I wanted to show you a picture that I tried to cobble together which placed a blood moon over the top of each menorah branch, but I'm afraid I couldn't get it to paste in. I took the following blood moons... 8/1/08 (1st of Av), 7/22/09 (1st of Av), 7/11/10 (1st of Av), 4/15/14 (Passover), 10/8/14 (Sukkot), 4/4/15 (Passover)
and placed them on top of the menorah because they seemed to fit. You might ask why I tried to combine the picture of the menorah with the blood moons. First of all, it's a picture that leapt into my mind as I gave further time over to the study of the menorah. Secondly, as we look forward to to the coming tetrad of blood moons this picture also gave inclusive placement to the blood moons which recently occurred in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
I can't claim with certainty that it has any special significance at all, but I find it interesting.
Just my thoughts.
YBIC
Bruce Baber