In Jeremiah 1:11, Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I
said, I see a rod of an almond tree. This chapter is significant in that it speaks of Jeremiah's
calling as a prophet--Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of
the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5) V. 1 of Jeremiah makes the statement that he was the son of
priests so it seems like Jeremiah is something like a prophet like John the Baptist who took on the prophet mantle rather than the priestly mantle.
Now, let's keep this image presented to Jeremiah at the start of his calling as a prophet...
Look at Numbers 17:7-8
And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
This scripture came after rebellion (Korah and company-Numbers 16) and murmuring against Moses and Aaron. Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran "into the congregation" (Numbers 16:47) and "made an atonement for the people" and "stood between the dead and the living". (Num. 16:48)
Now, let's look at the description of the lampstand of the tabernacle in Exodus 25:33-34.
Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
Now, if I understand this correctly, the Jewish menorah of Hanukkah (Chanukah) would be like this lampstand. This would be a total of 10 "bowls" like almonds.
I checked in the Temple library and looked in some Hebrew/Jewish dictionaries and encyclopedias and could not find anything on the significance of almonds. Anyone know anything about this in relation to the tabernacle, the authority of Aaron as High Priest and Seer, and the calling of Jeremiah?
Now, let's keep this image presented to Jeremiah at the start of his calling as a prophet...
Look at Numbers 17:7-8
And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
This scripture came after rebellion (Korah and company-Numbers 16) and murmuring against Moses and Aaron. Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran "into the congregation" (Numbers 16:47) and "made an atonement for the people" and "stood between the dead and the living". (Num. 16:48)
Now, let's look at the description of the lampstand of the tabernacle in Exodus 25:33-34.
Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
Now, if I understand this correctly, the Jewish menorah of Hanukkah (Chanukah) would be like this lampstand. This would be a total of 10 "bowls" like almonds.
I checked in the Temple library and looked in some Hebrew/Jewish dictionaries and encyclopedias and could not find anything on the significance of almonds. Anyone know anything about this in relation to the tabernacle, the authority of Aaron as High Priest and Seer, and the calling of Jeremiah?
