Light for the Tabernacle

²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.

Pure Oil and Holy Bread

24 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. ³ This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.^[a] Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. ⁴ Aaron and the priests must tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand continually in the Lord’s presence.

¹¹ Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, ¹² and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?”

¹³ “Don’t you know?” he asked.

“No, my lord,” I replied.

¹⁴ Then he said to me, “They represent the two anointed ones^[a] who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.”

⁴ These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth.

Plans for the Lampstand

³¹ “Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. ³² Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. ³³ Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁴ Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁵ There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. ³⁶ The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. ³⁷ Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward.