The Menorah

In a couple of my previous posts I have made the assertion that the Menorah in the Jerusalem temple probably represented Moses' burning bush from Exodus 3. This afternoon I have come across a source that agrees that was probably the case. For my own benefit I am posting it here so that I can look it up quickly if the need ever arises.

The source is Jeffrey M. Bradshaw's commentary on the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price entitled: In God's Image and Likeness: Ancient and Modern Perspectives on the Book of Moses and is found in volume 1 page 163. It reads:

"It should be emphasized that the Tree of Life does not represent eternal life merely in an abstract sense, but rather as a symbol of embodied deity. Thomas explains that 'most often in scripture... the tree is an anthropomorphic symbol. A tree serves well as such a symbol because it has, after all, limbs, a circulatory system, the bearing of fruit, and so forth. Specifically, scriptural trees stand for Christ and his attributes.' Wyatt concurs, noting that: 'The trees are... messianic symbols. The Menorah is probably what Moses is understood to have seen as the burning bush in Exodus 3.' Thus, Jehovah, the pre mortal Jesus Christ, was represented to Moses as one who dwells in the midst of the burning glory of the Tree of Life."

Here are the references Bradshaw cites in the excerpt:

M. Catherine Thomas: Jacob's Allegory: The Mystery of Christ
Nicolas Wyatt: Space and Time in the Religious Life of the Near East