“Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
In the book of Zechariah, we find an angel of God wakening him from sleep, then asking him, “What do you see?” Zechariah’s response was very simple and clear: “I am looking and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.” (Zech. 4:2) This vision is given to Zechariah to reveal to him, as well as to the then known world, that the rebuilding of the temple was the will of God, indeed an act of God which He would accomplish through Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and the remnant of the people. It was to be what the lampstand, with the seven lamps, filled with “golden oil,” would reveal. That revelation was not primarily about the lamp, but that which the lamp(s) gave forth, Light to the world. The golden oil would speak of the Spirit of God, and the corresponding light would speak of Christ, the revelation of God to men. This light, like that which was to come into the world when Christ came, was singular, divine, the very opposite of darkness. It carried with it the great testimony of God, and that was that this light was LIFE, the very life of Christ revealed.
During the ministry of Jesus, several times He declared very clearly, and powerfully: “I AM the light of the world,” more specifically saying: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (Jn. 9:5) Why was Christ so specific about this matter, and the time that He would be the light of the world? It was because there would come a day when His words to His disciples would be fulfilled in greatest measure: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt. 5:14) After the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Christ was not only present with the disciples by the Spirit but dwelling IN them. The Light of life that He was while ministering before His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, would now be communicated to His disciples, the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the life. The disciples became good receivers of that Light of life, not to hide it, or refrain from speaking of it, but to first KNOW it, then communicating it to lost souls bound in darkness. Christ was the light of life. Now the disciples had been given this “treasure in earthen vessels,” the very life of Christ by the Spirit, Christ dwelling in them “the hope of glory,” and also, manifesting His life in and through them to a lost and dying world. The “lamp,” or vessel containing the oil, was the believer. The golden oil was the Holy Spirit. The mandate to every believer possessing such a treasure was to “…give light to all who are in the house,” letting that light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14,15,16)
In the book of Revelation, there are seven churches mentioned, who received seven individual messages from God. Every church is symbolized by a golden lampstand. The purpose of the church is to receive the golden oil, so that, the light of Christ’s life should shine forth as a testimony to the world that Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. The Ephesian church had a problem in that she, in the eyes of God, had been blessed with great knowledge of God and His ways, but was found completely fallen. She had, in her zeal and knowledge, neglected the first and most important thing, the powerful and private, individual communion with God, in the secret place, where she could worship the Father in Spirit and truth. The witness of Light in her depended upon communion with Christ.
Dear Father, Keep us consistently abiding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.