The Lampstand Magazine

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...

When David fled from Absalom, he thought he had an ally in Ahithophel, a wise and trusted counsellor. Ahithophel often gave advice to David and such advice was considered as if it was the oracle of God (2 Sam 16:23). Such would not be the case as David would find out when he left Jerusalem to flee f...

Both Matthew and Luke record the events surrounding the birth and early life of the Son of God in great detail. But how different these accounts are in tone and purpose. Luke’s gospel highlights the role of John as the Lord’s forerunner. He describes the faith of Mary and the significance of ...

You may be intrigued to know that clouds are alive with microbes. They contain more than just water vapour. There are hints that microbes become airborne or ‘aerosolized’ and take flight in the clouds. But how many are there? What types regularly inhabit cloud droplets? How do they survive, and ...

The antichrist From a scriptural perspective, the long line of popes is styled by the Apostle Paul, “that man of sin…who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thes...

Introduction In this final article of our three-part series, we turn our gaze outward to the global consequences of social media algorithms. Part 1 explored our personal call to holiness, and Part 2 examined how algorithms frustrate that pursuit. Now, Part 3 widens the lens: How are these same sy...

The sixth seal (cont.) Is Revelation 12 about the same event? Why do we see, in Revelation 12, an embellished repetition of the overthrow of pagan Rome in the vision of the woman and the dragon, when this has already been given in chapter 6 in the message of the seals? The Revelation was no...

The search for Noah’s Ark and evidence of a world-wide flood has been the subject of speculation over many years. Much of the debate has lacked credible evidence or rigorous analysis. But now scholars from Istanbul Technical University, Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, and Andrews University in the ...

Have you ever watched a bear begging for peanuts at the zoo? Have you observed the endless pacing back and forth of the caged tiger? Have you ever wondered what the monkeys think about as they see us crowded around their cage while they go through their antics?  Surely we are impressed with ...

Introduction Synopsis The subject of the cherubim is thematic, spanning from Genesis to Revelation. That indicates its importance in Scripture and worthiness of our attention. As we trace this subject through the Old Testament, we’ll discover the thread that links the many and varied depicti...

A New Kingdom Just think. The great Creator of all is going to set up His own kingdom on the earth! This kingdom will rule over all others and shall eventually be the only kingdom on the earth (Dan 2:44-45; Rev 11:15; 21:1). This is not an unbelievable prospect. God has already had a kingdom o...

Romans 5 v1-4. Brethren, we are justified and are being justified by our faith. We have entered into a marvellous relationship. We have peace with God. The Law did not result in peace. The Law brought wrath upon us, the wrath of God. But we have peace with God, and that has been achieved thr...

Ruth’s Confession of Faith In examining Ruth’s delightful confession of faith in Ruth 1:16-17, we will see a huge contrast between Ruth and Orpah, one which is somewhat reflected in the meanings of their names. Ruth Ruth means ‘friendship’ and her name appears 12 times in the book, ...