Eternal Light

Exodus 27

In our sanctuary on the wall near the altar is a red glass candle holder and within it is a 7-day candle.  This is the lamp that is spoken of in chapter 27, verses 20-21.  Ours is lit only during Worship for fear if left burning 24/7 it could be a fire hazard.  The candle we read about was to be lit, depending on who is interpreting these verses, either during the darkness of night or eternally, thus the name eternal light.  One interpretation has these verses to mean that the candle was to be filled at sundown to insure that it would not go out overnight.  There were people around during the day to make sure that it did not go out then.  Think about those curtains used for walls in the tabernacle.  Find any windows?  The lamp was meant to give light to the sanctuary so that people could see.  It was functional. 

We have windows in our sanctuary so there is light most of the time.  Although, if you've ever been in our sanctuary about midnight turning out the lights, you will find it very dark, indeed.  The stained glass windows do a good job of blocking out any dim light that might enter through them at night.  We do have electricity, most of the time.    And the few of us who have had occasion to be turning out lights in the middle of the night, maybe sitting in the dark praying, know that sanctuary so well that we can certainly maneuver in it without the aid of lights. 

There are those who liken this lamp to the light of Christ, but the light of Christ is a light to the world.  It's what we're suppose to be carrying with us when we leave the sanctuary.  The eternal light we read about in this chapter is meant to give us light so that we can see while we are in the sanctuary.   This light, at least in my mind, if it is to symbolize anything, more aptly symbolizes the work of the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see before we bring the light of Christ out into the world.   The pure olive oil used to light the lamp, too, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit (we'll get more into that in a future book/chapter.. interested now? do some surfing in your Bible).

Since, so many of us Christians tend to think that we only need to see only once or twice a week :) then I guess there is no need to keep this candle lit in our sanctuary except on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings, after all.  We might want to change the name of it, though...