What the Bible says about Lamps as Metaphors
(From Forerunner Commentary)
God's Word is a lamp, a light that illuminates the darkness. If a person walks through the woods at night, he is well served to have a flashlight with him to shine it on the ground in front of him so that his feet do not trip over a snag in the path, or his shins do not encounter a boulder or fallen log. That is what light does: It illuminates or reveals.
God's Word illuminates the path of our lives. If we keep God's Word shining along the way, then we will be far less likely to trip. We will not be easily deceived. Because we are following the light, we will see what the light reveals in the path ahead of us. It is only when we turn the light off (before we have actually arrived at our destination) that something could spring up in the dark and trip us. Therefore, if we keep the light of God's truth shining brightly ahead of us, then we have a greater chance of avoiding deception.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Preventing DeceptionRelated Topics: Deception | God's Word | God's Word as Light | God's Word is Truth | God's Words as Light | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Light | Light and Darkness | Light as a Symbol | Light as Metaphor of Truth | Truth | Word of God
God's Word lights the way to go, so that he does not trip or wander, so that he stays in the way.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Two)Related Topics: Lamp Image | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Light | Light and Darkness | Light as a Symbol | Light as Metaphor of Truth | The Way | Truth
The symbolism of light or a lamp is used to show direction or instruction received as a result of understanding of God's Word. In other words, the person can walk, live his life, because light, truth, is given to him.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Truth (Part 3)Related Topics: Lamp Image | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Light | Light and Darkness | Light as a Symbol | Light as Metaphor of Truth | Truth
Matthew 25:1-4 shows all the virgins have the same beliefs, represented by the lamps they carry with them. The lamps represent the Word, the laws, and the statutes of God. Five of the virgins are foolish and five are wise, showing that the end-time church is composed of two types of members. The foolish have the Word of God but lack a sufficient level of His Holy Spirit, which opens the converted mind to understand and live God's way of life. The wise are actively using God's Spirit to enhance their understanding and have sufficient amounts of it to last them.
Staff
Y2K: You-2-the-KingdomRelated Topics: End-Time Church | Foolish Virgins | God's Holy Spirit | Holy Spirit | Lamp Image | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Law and Prophets | Law and Prophets, Reading of | Law, Prophets, and Writings | Parable of the Ten Virgins | Spiritual Preparedness | Virgins | Wise Virgins | Word, God's | Word, The
Because of its abundance of well-known symbols, the Parable of the Ten Virgins is perhaps the easiest to understand in a prophetic light. The Bridegroom, of course, is Christ. Virgins are often symbols of churches or individual Christians, most likely the latter in this case. Lamps are vessels that contain oil, a common symbol of God's Spirit, thus they represent our minds, which, when filled with the Holy Spirit, provide illumination for the path to the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 2:10-16). The wedding refers to the marriage of the Lamb to the church (Revelation 19:7).
Jesus flatly states that this parable deals with conditions just before His second coming (verse 13). It does not take much interpretation, then, to understand what will happen - maybe has happened in part. All of God's people will go to sleep spiritually, but only half of them have enough spiritual strength to prepare for Christ's return. When He does return, our Savior shuts the door on the other half, proclaiming that He has no relationship with them (compare Revelation 3:7, 20). The warning to us is to draw close to God now because we do not know when Christ will come back.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables and ProphecyRelated Topics: Bride of Christ | Bride/Bridegroom Analogy | Christ as Bridegroom | End Times | End-Time Church | Foolish Virgins | God's Holy Spirit | Lamp Image | Lamps as Metaphors | Marriage Supper of the Lamb | Oil | Oil as Analogy | Oil as Metaphor | Oil as Symbol | Oil Imagery | Parable of the Ten Virgins | Parables, Prophetic Nature of | Spiritual Lethargy | Spiritual Preparedness | Vigilance | Virgins | Wise Virgins
This verse tells us that these two are the two olive trees and the two lampstands "standing before the God of the earth." Why are they described as "the two lampstands"? Timing is vital to understanding this. Revelation 10 and 11 are internally chronological. At this time, the seven thunders have ceased, and the Two Witnesses have been raised up. They are the sole effort God has going as far as witnessing, preaching, and proclaiming His way on the earth.
What does a lamp do? It gives light (Matthew 5:14-16). What are the Two Witnesses doing at this time? Revelation 11:4 says that they are the two lampstands that stand before the God of the whole earth. What are they doing? They are lighting the whole house, as it says in Matthew 5. What is the house? Who comprises the house of God? The church! The two olive trees put their oil in the reservoir, and it feeds the whole church - to do what? To make light! At this time, though, the church is hidden in a Place of Safety, and not even Satan can get to them, as far as we know. We know that certainly no men can get to them.
So, we could say that the church's light is at that time under a basket. Who is left to be light to the world? The Two Witnesses! They are, at this point, the two lampstands. All the eyes of the world will be drawn toward these two prophets. They are the only ones that will be doing good works at that time; they are the only ones that will be publicly glorifying God in heaven.
That is why they are called the two lampstands. They are the only ones remaining to shine spiritually during Jacob's trouble and the Day of the Lord. They will be, in effect, raising Cain all over the world. The whole world hates them, and they will rejoice when these two are dead - because they cannot stand the fact that these two shine so brightly for God.
At this point, the seven churches are out of the picture, so the lampstands cannot represent churches. They picture these two bright lights for God. Not only will they be supplying the church with oil, but they will also be shining brightly as witnesses to the world as a result of the good works that they do.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Two Witnesses (Part Five)Related Topics: Lamp Image | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Light | Light as a Symbol | Light as Metaphor of Truth | Light of the World | Oil | Oil as Analogy | Oil as Metaphor | Oil as Symbol | Oil Imagery | Two Lampstands | Two Olive Trees | Two Witnesses | Witness | Witnessing for God