God's Law, as it was given through Moses, was to be a light to the Israelites. It would show them the path they must take to be a separate nation, pleasing unto Him.
The prophets pronounced God’s words and wrote them down for us to see and understand what God was, and is, doing.
Both the Law and the prophets continued to rule and govern the lives of righteous men and women until the time of John the Baptist (Luke 16:16) — and then began the teachings of repentance and the kingdom of Heaven.
The Law was the light that shone for a way into God’s presence. King David stated that the Law, the word of God, was a lamp and a light to him for his daily journey. The prophets were the Word, revealing and witnessing of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to come.
Jesus also stated that He came not to get rid of the Law or the prophets, but to fulfill the Law and the prophecies concerning His coming.
When John, the Revelator, began his presentation of the Gospel, He stated that Jesus was the light (the Law) and the Word (prophets) revealed in one. Jesus became the light by which all mankind might be saved. He was also God's Word made flesh.
In Zechariah 4, the prophet envisioned a lamp stand that was continually fed by two branches of the olive tree that continue to yield their oil for this lamp to be lit.
I believe that these two branches represented the Law and the prophets, which stand before God at all times, the very principles by which He sent His only Son to die so we could become pleasing to Him.
They feed the Gospel today, and have allowed us as Gentiles to be grafted into the vine and share in His Word and His goodness.
Next week, we will go a little deeper and explore more of the symbolism and importance of this vision of Zechariah's. May God bless you.
The Rev. Richard Helms serves at Miracle Acres Ministries, 3187 E. James Lee Blvd., in Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HELMS: Analyzing the law, prophets and the light