The Oil for the Light

“Oil for the light” (Exod. 25.6). “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually” (Lev. 24.2). In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 25.1-13 we see that we must keep our vessels filled, and our lights burning, as we wait for the coming of the Bridegroom. (Compare also Luke 12.35-36.) In Romans 8.9 we read: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His”, and in Ephesians 5.18 we are commanded to be “filled with the Spirit”.

When we are saved and redeemed through the grace of God, we come into a new family — the family of God. In that family, only those who have the life of the Lord Jesus Christ are members. Every one who is called a Christian is not necessarily a member of that family. You may have been born a Christian, and you may have been baptized; you may even be working as a Pastor, Preacher or Bishop, but unless you are ‘born again’ of the Holy Spirit, you are not a member of that heavenly family. And what we are saying concerns only those who are members of that heavenly family. It is up to you to find out whether you are a member of that family or not. It is only by having the experience of eternal life, that we become members of that eternal family; otherwise, we are not true members.

That heavenly family has a double divine service— service upon the earth, and service in heaven—and we have to prepare on earth for a fuller service in heavenly places. We can learn much about that service upon earth or in heaven from the details of the Tabernacle. We have seen that in the Holy place, the outer portion, there were three pieces of furniture. On the south side was the golden candlestick having seven branches, on the north side the table of shew-bread, and in the centre the golden altar for incense. Incense had to be burned upon the altar day and night. The light had to be kept burning day and night. The shewbread was kept there continually, being renewed every Sabbath. These three articles composed the furniture of the Holy Place. We will now spend some time on the golden candlestick.

Please read first the full description of the candlestick in Exodus 25.31-40. Then turn to Zechariah 4 and read carefully the whole chapter. There you will see how beautifully God has revealed from the beginning our whole service upon earth. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear can understand.

In this chapter Zechariah was made to see in a vision a golden candlestick being fed continually with oil from two living olive trees (verses 2, 3 and 12). Then the angel of God said to him: ‘These seven branches of the candlestick tell of the power by which I have saved the world. My work cannot be done by human minds or human power, but only by my Spirit’ (verse 6).

Thus; through the seven lamps burning day and night in the Sanctuary, God was saying to His people: ‘My work can be done in one way only: not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit’. How clearly and beautifully God was speaking. Yet how often we think that God's work can be done with human strength, wealth and intellect. Why do we see such spiritual barrenness among Christian people now-a-days? There is spiritual barrenness everywhere, even though we think we are so strong. The total population of the world is 2,400 millions or 240 crores; out of that one quarter are Christians by name. We may say that Christians are in the majority in the world; but how many are ‘born again’ out of that number? Only one out of one hundred! Numerically we may be strong, but spiritually, we are barren and weak. Outwardly we are very rich, very grand, but in our pockets we have nothing.

My parents used to send me money while I was at College in England, and I used to send them false accounts. Every thing was so expensive in 1930! I used to wear grand clothes, good ties and expensive suits, but I had nothing in my pockets. That is the condition of many these days. There are grand buildings, schools and colleges, but how much spiritual life can be seen among the Padres, Preachers, Bishops, Missionaries and others. We are backward spiritually, having no real life in us. Why is that? Because our Leaders are depending upon their money and their wisdom for God's work, and God has said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit”. God says— ‘Remember! I have made you to be like candlesticks of pure gold, that My light should shine upon all people, that men may know My greatness and glory’. We have become very educated, cultured and fashionable, but have lost everything of the Spirit. If there is a graduate in your village he can argue for hours together, yet he may not be able to pray a few words when asked to do so. He says he is a graduate, but does he know his Bible or the truth about God and the Lord Jesus Christ?

How many so-called Christians are falling into sin every day, without victory over temptation, and filled with lust, because those who have taught them thought they could do God's work with human wisdom. God's message to such is: ‘You are Christians only in name, but have no life’. That is the message of the golden candlestick.

On either side of the candlestick, Zechariah saw an olive tree, and he questioned the angel: ‘Who are these olive trees?’ ‘These are two anointed ones of God’ the angel replied, and Zechariah asked again: ‘Who are these two?’

In Revelation 11.4-11 we have a description of the last days—an account of the last three and a half years of tribulation when there will be great sin everywhere, and darkness and blindness. At that time God will raise up two witnesses, who will prophesy for 1,206 days. These are the two olive trees, even two faithful witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Anti-Christ will try to stop them by force from prophesying, but they will go on saying what God tells them. Then the beast, the Anti-Christ, will make war with them and finally they will be defeated and killed; but the third day God's Spirit will enter into them and they will come back to life and begin preaching and prophesying again, and no power will be able to stop them.

So these two olive trees speak of a faithful, loyal and true testimony. People do not want the truth these days. They want anything but the truth, and those who teach seek to change the Word of God into lies and falsehoods, because people do not like the truth. Preachers make false prophecies and give false messages, changing and twisting the Bible to suit their own needs. This is the condition of the last days. People want only stories, lullaby stories, baby stories to make them laugh. They do not want the Bible. They want words of men. This is what the Bible prophesies, so we cannot be surprised when we see these things happening everywhere. But those who are true Christians will continue to shine like golden candlesticks, their light burning day and night, and no power on earth can change their testimony.

But why was the olive tree chosen? If you look in the Book of Genesis, you will have the mystery explained, for the Bible gives an answer to every question. If you will read Genesis 8.11 and Psalm 52.8, you will see that the olive tree speaks of God's mercy and grace. In Genesis 8 we are told how, by the Hood, the whole earth was covered with water, even every hill and mountain. There was water everywhere, speaking of God's judgment and terrible wrath, because sin abounded and every imagination and thought of man was evil continually (Genesis 6.5). That is why God sent the flood to destroy the whole earth, and no hope was left for any man again. Noah saw water everywhere, telling of God's judgment upon all.

But one morning a dove brought to him a small leaf of an olive tree in its beak. That tiny bit of the olive tree brought new hope to Noah. He was surely wondering: ‘Now the whole earth is destroyed, the houses are fallen down, and every man has been killed. What shall be the condition of this earth again?’ But the dove came with the small leaf in its beak, and that tiny leaf of the olive tree brought a new joy and hope to Noah, because he understood God's mercy in a new way. Even though God was judging the earth, God's nature of mercy and grace could not change. God may punish and judge us, yet He loves us. He hates sin, but loves the sinner. So that olive leaf was a symbol of God's mercy.

Beside the golden candlestick there were two olive trees, and, through them, God was saying to Zechariah, ‘Go and proclaim my message of grace everywhere. Even though I must judge sin, my mercy and grace must never fail or change’. See again Zechariah 4.7: “Grace, grace.” This is God's message which we have to proclaim. We have got to go and show the grace of God. By the vision, Zechariah was greatly cheered, because God was saying that His temple would be builded again.

In Nebuchadnezzar's time Jerusalem was ruined, and since then the temple had long lain desolate, because of God's judgments upon His sinning people. Zechariah had seen the ruins of God's House and was wondering: ‘How can I build such a building by myself?’ God answered him: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” God was saying: ‘Do not go to any king or any wealthy man and beg for money. You will see mountains becoming plains by the power of My Spirit alone. Zechariah, you obey My Word, give My message to My people and let them know the heavenly plan for My House. Be a true witness unto Me’.

What God has revealed, must be declared; what God has shown, must be conveyed to the people. That was the ministry of the Apostles at the beginning. You will remember how, in Acts 4.18-21, these Apostles were brought forth before the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin and were told not to mention the name of the Lord Jesus Christ or they would be punished and go to jail. But the Apostles said, “e cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Do you know that in many so-called Christian schools and colleges they have given up praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? In the year 1939 we were in a certain place for special meetings. There was a large Christian College for boys and a High School for girls — both big places. The Principal had commanded the teachers not to use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer. I met that Principal one day and asked him, ‘Please tell me why you do not use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, and why have you given an order in your College to Professors, not to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ?’ The Principal then told me, 'We have many Hindu and Mohammedan boys in the College and we do not want to offend them. If we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ they might get angry, and that is why we only pray for “Thy Name's sake”. So I told him, ‘Your prayers will not be heard in heaven. You may shout, but God will not hear your prayers. Every brick of this College has been builded with money given in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and now you are ashamed of Him.’

The Apostles did not act in this way. They were commanded, with threats, not to use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ any more, but they replied: “We cannot help but speak the things which we have seen and heard”. That is our ministry. What we have seen and heard of God, we must proclaim. Whether you receive it or reject it is not our business, but we must declare what we have seen and heard. God commanded Paul, in Acts 22.15, that what he had seen and heard of Him he must go and testify, whether they received it or not; and God has given us the same command. The golden candlestick burning day and night was declaring that message. It is our example.

But to-day we do not see such witnesses. Preachers say one thing on weekdays and preach something else on Sundays. Men and women are outwardly good and righteous, but inwardly they mock God. On Sunday morning you may pray beautifully, sing cheerful songs and look good and pious for about one hour. But when you go home, do you practice what you have seen and heard? Do you carry with you the light of God into your business and into your shop? Can people see God's glory shining upon your face? If they cannot see that, can they see the marks of sin upon your face?—the marks of money and ambition?

Some have even told me: ‘We do not preach, we do not like to preach, but people can see from our lives that we are Christians, and they can also become Christians’. Yes! but what can they see from the lives of many of you? Beedies, cigars, cigarettes, worldly saris, and arms full of bangles up to the elbow. Can people see from such lives that you are Christians? Take a mirror and look at your face, and you will see the marks of sin. How many are living in adultery these days! Can people see by your fornication that you are Christians? You deceivers! mocking God, trying to leave the Bible out of your teaching; trying to leave prayer out of your lives. By looking at you, will anyone become Christian? Never! They will not come near God. Do not be deceived by these wrong ideas. Unless you shine like golden lamps, burning beautifully day and night, you will never be able to manifest God's glory. That was the main message of the candlestick.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” saith the Lord. Can you pray in the Spirit? Do you sing in the Spirit? Do you preach in the Spirit? Do you walk after the Spirit? Are you led by the Spirit? Are you possessed by the Spirit of God? Only thus can God's work be done. Not by money, not by buildings, not by education, not by human love. Some may give much money for God's work; but how much sin are they hiding in their lives? It is only by the Holy Spirit that God's work can go on. God is concerned only with golden candlesticks, and only those who shine are worthy to be called God's candle -sticks. You may be very poor, yet the light of God can shine out from you, if the Holy Spirit is working in you daily. That is how God's work can be done. That is the heavenly vocation of God's people upon earth. We are to shine as lights of God, burning with the living oil of God's Spirit. All the seven lamps were of one piece, and speak of true oneness among God's children. When that is so, then God's message will go out. “Ye are the light of the world.” Can you say that very truthfully? Can you say, ‘The light of God, not the light of men, shines out from me?’ The olive oil which was burning in the lamp speaks of the Spirit of God. Only those who have received and are walking in the Spirit can shine with the light of God.