Light in the Darkness

At the time of Jesus’s ministry, there were two specific events that happened during the joyous celebrations of the Feast of Booths (Sukkot, Feast of Tabernacles). One was the water libation ceremony (I wrote about this here: Rivers of Living Water on February 20). The second part was known as the illumination of the temple.

During the Feast of Booths four golden lampstands 75 feet high stood in the Court of Women of the temple complex. At the top of each lamp were four golden cups that held oil. Each night of the feast, priests-in-training climbed to the top and filled the cups with oil and placed a new wick that was made from the priests worn out clothing. When the towering lampstands oil cups were lighted each night of the feast, magnificent music was performed by the Levites, and men of great skill danced bearing torches. The festivities continued all night until dawn.

Light from these sixteen oil lamps 75 feet above the temple illuminated nearly all of Jerusalem. It was said that in every courtyard of the city there was enough light in the darkness that women could see to sift wheat. Light from these lampstands must have been an incredible sight to see in a day when small oil lamps were the only way to see in the dark.

The illumination ceremony carried with it great symbolism. The Jews looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come and illuminate Israel with light. Light like the Shekinah glory of God when He led the Israelites through the wilderness by the pillar of fire by night, and pillar of cloud by day.

It was with this backdrop of the Feast of Booths—with the illumination of the temple that pointed to the day when the Messiah would come and bring light, that Jesus announced:

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Those who heard the words of Jesus understood exactly what He was saying:

I AM the light.

I AM the Messiah.

There in the crowd was Jesus, the Son of God. The Messiah. The one they were waiting for. The one to whom every feast pointed. The one to whom every article in the temple pointed. The one whose presence was the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud for their ancestors in the wilderness.

His words still echo through the centuries. Jesus is the Light. His light banishes darkness.

His followers don’t walk in darkness, but in His light. Just as those lampstands illuminated every corner of Jerusalem, the Light of Jesus illuminates every corner of a believer’s life.