The Lampstand Magazine

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, ...

In our last article, we examined the account of David bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 15. In the entire reign of David, there was no day or event so salubrious as the bringing of the ark into Jerusalem. David was profoundly in love with his God and knew the capital ...

What makes a person attractive to the source of all life? This question can be answered with a single word, faith. Why is faith more powerful than the Law when it comes to shaping attitude and behaviour? How can it result in a way a person lives so that God is glorified and not the person themselves...

Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 contain some of the most heart-rending descriptions we have on record concerning the Lord’s crucifixion. As we read these sections of Scripture, we can feel the despairing anguish of the Lord’s rejection coupled with the intense pain he endured whilst hanging on the cross....

The origin of earth’s metals has sparked great debates amongst geo-physicists. The prevailing theory is that an evolving earth was bombarded by a flood of elements spawned by the collision of neutron stars in deep space.  Neutron stars Neutron stars are stars that have come to the end o...

In this article, we turn our attention to the type of content and information that our minds process in the digital age—a stark contrast to the Word of God. Here, we examine social algorithms, their effects on our minds, and their ability to influence the way we think, feel, and act. To begin, ...

The sixth seal “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished li...

Biblical account In Genesis 35:19-20 we read. “And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.” However, in 1 Samuel 10:2 it is recorded that “Rachel’s sepulchre ...

Always at the cutting edge of new technology, Israel has installed a 100kW-capacity wave energy power plant at Tel Aviv-Yafo. The plant converts ocean wave motion into pressurised fluid, which drives turbines to generate clean electricity for coastal communities. Floating platforms with hydraulic...

There is an old saying about biting the hand that feeds us, and while this is not literally true in our case, we do have two new dogs at our house, who have not yet accepted us. Our dog died recently, and these two dogs were owned by an elderly lady, who passed away, and so we were asked to give the...

For an inordinately long period of time in Israel, the ark and the tabernacle had been separated. Divine worship could not therefore properly proceed under such circumstances, and David decided the time had long come to correct it. Having delivered Jerusalem from the hands of the enemy, he sought to...

Naomi’s Decision to Return Naomi is a truly remarkable woman in the book of Ruth. Without her faithful response to trial, she would not have returned to Bethlehem. Without her infectious character, her daughters-in-law would not have found the thought of leaving her so difficult. Without her lo...

Introduction: The Purpose of the Kingdom Age Some view prophecy as a spiritual sandpit where we can build, refine, or even demolish our prophetic ideas at will. It’s as if this ‘part’ of God’s Word is a plaything; somewhere we can display our own intelligence or spiritual prowess and conv...

A Paraphrase by Brother John Martin (5) Romans 4 v1. Let us go back before the Law. If we do not boast about our national distinctions, which the Law made amongst men, we certainly boast about our descent from Abraham. Look at his life. v2. Do you think that Abraham really did any...