From Dusty Relics to Living Truths

From Dusty Relics to Living Truths: Artifacts That Preach

Throughout history, artifacts have been boxed into museum displays ancient scrolls, rusted tools, and cracked pottery deemed irrelevant by many. Yet, for those who walk in faith, artifacts are not just remnants of the past; they are sermons carved in stone and whispers from the divine. They speak, not in words, but in symbols eternal messages echoing through time. In 2021, this truth came alive again when fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Israel’s Cave of Horror. Amidst the bones of martyrs, Scripture still breathed Zechariah and Nahum, calling out that even in the darkest places, God’s Word still shines.

Among the many biblical artifacts, the lampstand stands out not as simple décor in a temple, but as a deeply spiritual symbol, both literal and prophetic. Across the Bible, the lampstand appears in five distinct places: in the building of the Tabernacle in Exodus, the design of Solomon’s Temple, Zechariah’s prophetic vision, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and John’s apocalyptic Revelation. This repetition isn’t accidental; it’s divine. When God revisits a symbol multiple times throughout Scripture, He’s revealing a thread, a deeper pattern meant to teach us something vital about His nature and our purpose.

In Revelation 1:12–20, John gives us the clearest picture of what the lampstand represents. Turning to the voice of Jesus, he sees seven golden lampstands and among them, the risen Christ walking. Jesus’ presence among the lampstands, with eyes like fire and a voice like rushing waters, is awe-inspiring. He declares, “The seven lampstands are the seven churches.” This revelation reframes everything. The lampstand is not a past relic it is us. The Church. It is not the light source but the bearer of divine light. Christ, as High Priest, doesn’t abandon His Church He inspects it. He empowers it. He warns it. And when a church loses its light through disobedience or complacency, He says, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand.” A church can maintain its programs and presence, but if the light is gone, it’s no longer what God intended.

To truly grasp the significance of the lampstand, we return to its origin in Exodus 25:31–40. God gives Moses detailed instructions to craft it from a single piece of pure gold hammered, refined, precise. Its design includes almond blossom shapes, branches extending from a central shaft, and seven lamps to light the Holy Place. Almonds were the first to bloom in spring, symbolizing new life. This imagery links to Aaron’s rod that budded, affirming divine selection and pointing to Jesus as our eternal High Priest. Every detail its unity, purity, fruitfulness is deliberate. The lampstand lit the holy space just as the Church is called to shine in a dark world. This wasn’t artistic freedom; it was obedience to a divine pattern. As Hebrews 8:5 reminds us, the tabernacle and its furnishings were shadows of heavenly realities, ultimately pointing us to Christ.

Zechariah’s vision in chapter 4 adds another layer to the lampstand’s significance. He sees a golden lampstand with a bowl on top and two olive trees feeding oil directly into it. When Zechariah asks for meaning, the angel responds, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord. The olive trees represent two anointed leaders of the time: Zerubbabel, a governor, and Joshua, a high priest symbols of Spirit-empowered leadership. This vision clarifies that the lampstand’s light doesn’t burn from human strength or political influence, but from divine supply. The oil God’s Spirit sustains the flame. It is a reminder that churches and believers don’t thrive through effort alone but through surrender and spiritual filling. God doesn’t seek our perfection; He seeks vessels willing to carry His flame.

Jesus echoes this call in Matthew 5:14–16 during the Sermon on the Mount. Speaking to ordinary people fishermen, tax collectors, outcasts He proclaims, “You are the light of the world.” Not, “Try to be,” but “You are.” Our job is not to generate the light, but to lift it high. Just as a lamp isn’t placed under a bowl, believers are not meant to hide their faith. Our families, workplaces, and communities are our lampstands platforms not for our glory, but His. Jesus didn’t call us to blend in. He called us to shine so brightly that others would see our good deeds and glorify the Father.

This call to be lampstands becomes especially personal in real life. Like many, I’ve experienced “church hurt.” A pastor once wounded me deeply, and it nearly wrecked my walk with God. But through the grace and wisdom of a friend, I was reminded that people even pastors are human. God still chooses and uses imperfect vessels. That experience didn’t disqualify the pastor or me. It refined me. Just as gold is refined by fire, God uses hardship to shape our light-bearing vessels.

Being a lampstand isn’t about church attendance or doctrinal precision. It’s about whether the light of Jesus shines through our lives. Too often, “church” becomes a performance programs, preferences, and polished appearances. But lampstands don’t perform; they reflect. They don’t seek comfort; they illuminate darkness. Real Christianity is messy, bold, forgiving, and otherworldly. It says, “Not my way, but His.” It lifts up grace that confuses the world, unity that transcends culture, and love that changes everything.

We must decide: will we be spectators in church or lampstands in the world? Churchgoers want their needs met, but lampstands serve others. Churchgoers cling to tradition, but lampstands welcome the uncomfortable. Churchgoers judge broken people, but lampstands know that without grace, we’d all be lost.

We don’t shine because we’re perfect. We shine because Jesus is. He walked into dark places. He designed us to shine in them. He fills us with His Spirit to stand firm in them. The lampstand was never meant to be hidden. So, let’s not hide our faith under bowls of fear, bitterness, or apathy.

Let us be refined gold. Let us stand in unity. Let us bear fruit in a barren world. Let us burn with holy fire. Because when the world sees our light, may they not see us but Jesus.

And when they ask what it is, we’ll say, “Go that way to the Cross. That’s where the Light comes from.”