The Lampstand Magazine

Bombardier beetles are remarkable creatures, truly deserving the attention they have received. The term “bombardier” originates from 16th century French and military history, specifically referring to a soldier who managed cannon, mortar, or bomb firing. Since this beetle is able to make ti...

The Gospel of the Perfect Priest Introduction “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seem...

2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. Before reading this article, look at your mobile phone. You might have some stickers on the back. A search of the internet shows that a range of p...

Ecuador, a small country on the west coast of South America, quietly played a significant role in offering refuge to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. When nation after nation closed its doors to them, Ecuador provided an unexpected sanctuary for those attempting to escape Hitler’s persecution. Al...

Marcus Aurelius is quoted as having said, “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it”. Good advice, but how often is it not followed when it involves personal information about someone? So often gossip is not true, but even if it is true, it should not be said if it i...

Of All Men Most Miserable One of the most remarkable aspects of the crucifixion story is the complete unravelling of Jesus’ disciples in its aftermath. Despite all the preparation Jesus gave them, his repeated warnings about his suffering, and his promises that he would rise again, they were co...

Boaz and the Nearer Kinsman The following morning, Boaz went straightway to the gate of Bethlehem (Ruth 4:1). The gate was the most important place in a city (Deut 16:18; Josh 20:4; Job 29:7) and many people would pass through it each day. Boaz knew he was likely to see the nearer kinsman her...

Throughout our series we have highlighted the unique place of the book of Chronicles in Holy Writ. It is important to note that Ezra was not seeking to rewrite history or ignore the earlier record of the book of Kings; his purpose for writing was different. Under the Spirit’s guidance, he assemble...

Dear Brothers and Sisters Earlier this year, my wife and I were travelling in the remote and rugged far north of Western Australia. We enjoy exploring out-of-the-way areas, where there are fewer people and wide, open spaces. On this particular day, we turned off the main highway onto a less trave...

In the first part of this editorial, we had a glimpse of this remarkable man, Apollos, together with his interesting background. We saw that the record was drawing a parallel between John the Baptist’s work in Judea and the work of his 12 disciples in Ephesus. The fact that we find discipl...

Mark’s style and diction Mark writes to impress upon his readers the rapid, ceaseless energy of the Servant. One can almost feel exhausted after reading Mark, so quickly does the action seem to occur. As one writer said: “It is sometimes said of a story that “it marches”, but Mark’s ...

Job 37:10 “By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the water is straitened.” To set the scene before reading this article, you might like to get a cold drink and add some ice cubes. The NKJV translation of Job 37:10, quoted above, is a bit easier to understand: “By the breat...

Song four—14:1-5 The saints are now portrayed standing on Mount Zion. The throne of David in Zion has been established and the command for nations to submit is about to be issued (v6-7).  In this song there is a focus on the attributes and the qualities of character found in this select...

Have you ever noticed the unusual way the Truth came to Ephesus? Firstly, Luke describes Paul’s initial encounter with the city as a short stopover visit on his way from Corinth to Antioch (Acts 18:18-21). Whilst he reasoned with the Jews briefly in the synagogue there, there is no record of an...

The deep ocean is widely considered the ‘final frontier’ for human exploration on earth. Despite covering over 70% of the planet’s surface, more than 80% of the ocean remains entirely unmapped and unseen by humans. The deep sea, in particular, is a vast, largely unknown expanse, potentially ho...

Introduction “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…” Thus, Mark commences writing his account of the life of the Lord. “The Son of God” is a title which will shape the narrative which follows. In the first chapter, we see the One over whom the heavens were re...

Iran’s Revolution woes On 28 December 2025, protests erupted in Tehran, Iran’s capital city. They followed a year of economic freefall and spiralling devaluation of the rial, Iran’s currency, which had lost more than 40% of its value since Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June 20...

Keen Bible readers and students give close attention to the text of Scripture. They know that as God’s inspired Word it “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”. God...

Psalm 8:3 asks us to consider the heavens: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained”. If you’ve got a pair of gloves available, you might like to grab hold of these before reading this article. In P...

“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and the honour of my majesty?” This arrogant remark brought Nebuchadnezzar to his knees and his great Babylon has since become a heap of ruins. Today we live in a bustling world bent on the pur...

In Ezekiel Of all the biblical accounts of the cherubim, Ezekiel’s visions give us the richest picture of their appearance and activity. The prophecy opens with a vision of the cherubim that was so awesome it caused Ezekiel to fall upon his face. What was it that Ezekiel saw and what did it sig...

The law of servitude release  Let’s examine another dimension of release in Deuteronomy 15:12-18, one operating on individual rather than national timing. Unlike the sabbatical debt release, this freedom-giving operated seven years from when service began: “If your brother, a Hebrew man ...

Naomi’s Plan for Redemption Things are now turning positive for Ruth. It required faith and commitment to leave Moab, dedicating herself to Israel’s hope, and labouring to glean barley in strenuous conditions, but ultimately, this wonderful faith was rewarded as Boaz’s grace extended toward...

Sometimes the Scriptures instruct us powerfully by a negative example, just as they do by a positive one. Truly, the “righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked, for God overthroweth them” (Prov 21:12). This is particularly true of the Chronicler’s presentation of the early histo...

We can’t overestimate the relevance of the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, or the ‘unfolding’ or the ‘revealing’. In 1:1 we learn that it is a book uniquely written for God’s servants—those who know and understand the One True Gospel. It was not written for the biblically uninf...

The temple of Diana of the Ephesians was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was the largest building in the Greek world, supported by 127 striking columns, surpassing even the Athenian Parthenon, and was the first monumental structure built entirely of marble. It is not surprising ...

During October 2025, world attention again was focused on Israel as the geopolitical landscape saw a flurry of activity in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump brokering a peace deal between Israel and Gaza. This agreement garnered international attention and sparked both optimism and sce...

In the Tabernacle and Temple (cont’d) The faces of the cherubim Having considered the relationship between the cherubim, the mercy seat and the ark, we now turn our attention to the most captivating feature of the cherubim—their faces (Exod 25:20). In Exodus we’re not given any details o...

A New Worship Christ instituted the memorials of the New Covenant during the Passover meal in the upper room (Luke 22:15-20). He replaced the Old Covenant offerings and feast days with a simplified system of worship. This change was practical, for the gospel would be preached throughout the ...

“It hath fully been shewed me” Having been informed of Ruth’s impressive application to gleaning, Boaz finally meets her in Ruth 2:8. The fact he addresses her as “my daughter” indicates a generational age gap; Naomi also calls Ruth “my daughter” in Ruth 2:2. It is therefore likely ...

On 22 different occasions in the book of Deuteronomy, it is recorded that Yahweh would choose out a place in which to put His name. The identity of this location would be made clear once Israel had conquered its enemies and was at rest in the land (Deut 12:9-10).  Year after year p...

The roles of our Lord Jesus Christ as intercessor and mediator are foundational truths that shape both our faith and daily walk. Yet, too often, the deeper implications and practical outworkings of these roles are overlooked in our spiritual lives. Let us, then, turn to the Scriptures and ask: What ...

The twelve disciples were carefully selected by Jesus out of a range of several hundred men. Our Lord spent all night in prayer before making his choice, and we can be sure that the disciples who were handpicked had all the necessary qualities the Lord could work with. One of those men was Thomas...

In the Tabernacle and Temple For how long the Edenic cherubim remained in the garden we don’t know. At most it would have been until the flood. From the flood to the inauguration of the tabernacle was a period of at least 800 years. During that period God’s operations in the earth centred aro...

A New Priesthood While Christ’s kingdom is a restoration of God’s kingdom of old, much of it will be new—and far superior. Not only will the new temple be superior to the Mosaic temple, but the priesthood will also be superior to the Mosaic priesthood. The implications of this are far-reach...

Gleaning in Boaz’s Field Chapter 2:1 introduces us to Boaz: “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz”. It is interesting that the record introduces us to Boaz at this point, as it is before Boaz has met Ruth,...

As we turn our attention from 1st to 2nd Chronicles in our series, the prevalent theme of “The Acts Left Out” continues. Unfortunately, the humanly inserted division between the books disrupts the wonderful synergy between David and Solomon in the construction of the Temple of God. Ori...

I am sure we are all very familiar with the record in Exodus 34:5-7 when God proclaimed the name of Yahweh before Moses and said, “Yahweh, Yahweh El, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,...

We are probably all very familiar with the dramatic transformation of Israel as described in Zechariah 12:10-14. Verse 10 puts it this way: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom th...

You may never have heard of salps, but recent research has highlighted the importance of these unique sea creatures. Basically, salps are barrel-shaped ‘tunicates’, that is, they are invertebrate animals that possess a backbone and dorsal nerve cord. They live in salt water and are filter f...

How is Israel “dwelling safely”? We are all probably familiar with the words of Ezekiel 38:8 concerning Israel in the latter days: “After many days thou (Gog) shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many...

The text used by the translators The “English Standard Version” (ESV) and the “King James Version” (KJV) are both versions of the Bible. Yet they are based on different foundations. The KJV New Testament (NT) was translated from the Received Text (Latin: Textus Receptus – (TR)...

The sixth seal (cont.) The Caesars – Summary “The sixth seal opened to provide a picture of the political and religious revolution that followed the ascension of Constantine to sole rule over the world…On his elevation to power in the West, and drive for power with the aid of ‘Christia...

War with Hamas has created an unprecedented health and medical crisis for Israel. But there is a positive aspect to the situation. There has been an upsurge in rehabilitation innovation that promises to improve healthcare worldwide. The day after Hamas invaded Israel’s south on 7 October 2023, ...

The Times of Israel reported on 16 July 2025, that Israel and the US are advancing a strategic initiative to create a joint science centre for artificial intelligence and quantum innovation at an investment of $200 million. The centre will serve as a hub to promote technology-driven cooperation and ...

The mountains behind our home are inhabited by rattlesnakes. Every year people hiking in the foothills are bitten. Most of the bites are on the hands, then the legs and feet. Why would that be? Rattlesnakes cannot bite hands unless the hands get close to their fangs. Even in the Garden of Eden God t...

A New House Christ will usher in an age like no other. Nowhere shall we see the differences more than in Jerusalem and the house that shall be built there. Christ’s rejection of the Mosaic temple Before his sacrifice “without the camp”, Christ cast out those that sold and bought in th...

In Eden The effect of sin Prior to disobeying God and being driven from the garden, Adam and Eve enjoyed face to face communication with the Elohim. The Elohim educated them about natural and spiritual things. When Adam and Eve sinned they experienced a mental, moral, and physical change. I...

Arrival in Bethlehem After Ruth’s emphatic pledge to accompany Naomi, and her exemplary desire to commit to the Hope of Israel, the two women complete the rest of the journey to Bethlehem. Their likely route would involve taking the King’s Highway to the river Jordan, passing westwards throug...

When David’s offering was accepted by fire from heaven at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (1 Chron 21:26), the king was confirmed in his long-held understanding that this site would be the place for the temple. Without a stone yet laid, he proclaimed, “This is the house of Yahweh Elohi...