What does the Bible say about olives?
The first reference to the olive is to the leaf (Genesis 8:11). By seeing the leaf, Noah knew that he could now establish a race in the “new earth”. The olive tree does not become very tall and lives for up to one thousand years producing fruit during its long life.
What do olives represent spiritually?
Traditionally, the Olive tree is a symbol of peace and friendship, this association began in ancient Greece, as early as the fifth century. Legend has it that Zeus proposed a contest between Athena and Poseidon for the control of Athens.
What does olive Press mean in the Bible?
As one stands in this Garden of the olive press—the setting for the Atonement—it is sobering to visualize the purgation of the olive and the intense, seemingly unending pressure which caused the precious oil to flow. Indeed, the symbolism of the place is inescapable. Another holiness, a holiness of time.
Where is olives mentioned in the Bible?
First mentioned in the Bible as the “ascent of the Mount of Olives” (2 Samuel 15), it is referred to in the book of Zechariah in the prophecy of the end of days (Zechariah 14). The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament.
Did they eat olives in biblical times?
Fruit was an important source of food for the Israelites, particularly grapes, olives, and figs. Grapes were grown mostly for wine, although some were eaten fresh at harvest time, or dried as raisins for storage, while olives were grown exclusively for their oil, until the Roman period.
What does the two olive trees represent in the Bible?
In Revelation 11:4, we read about two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before Jesus. The two olive trees symbolize the Holy Spirit’s endless supply of anointing, meant to keep the witnesses empowered and lit for the world to hear the Lord’s message. The lampstands symbolize Churches.
Why did Jesus go to the Mount of Olives?
Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to his disciples (Matthew 24–25), including the Olivet discourse, returning after each day to rest (Luke 21:37, and John 8:1 in the additional section of John’s Gospel known as the Pericope Adulterae), and also coming there on the night of his
What does the olive branch symbolize in Christianity?
The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace in the modern world.
What does the name olive mean?
olive tree
Olive is a feminine given name of English origin meaning olive tree. The name is associated with peace because of the symbolism of the olive branch. An olive wreath has traditionally been worn by champions as a symbol of victory. It has also been seen as a symbol of fruitfulness. Olive.
Why are olives pressed?
An olive press works by applying pressure to olive paste to separate the liquid oil and vegetation water from the solid material.
Does Gethsemane mean olive Press?
The Garden of Gethsemane is a small grove consisting of eight ancient olive trees located at the foot of the Mount of Olives just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Its name derives from the Aramaic word gat semãnê, which means ’olive press’ and suggests the presence of a mill in ancient times.
How was olive oil pressed in biblical times?
The olives were then washed and crushed to remove the pits. The remaining pulp was placed into woven bags or baskets, and the baskets themselves were then pressed. Hot water was poured over the pressed bags to wash out any remaining oil, and the dregs of the pulp was washed away.
What is the difference between the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane?
Gethsemane, also called Garden of Gethsemane, garden across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives (Hebrew Har ha-Zetim), a ridge paralleling the eastern part of Jerusalem, where Jesus is said to have prayed on the night of his arrest before the Crucifixion.
What was Jesus favorite food?
bread
The short answer: a lot of bread. Bread was a staple in the typical daily diet in the first-century Greco-Roman world, supplemented with limited amounts of local fruits and vegetables, oil, and salt.
What foods are forbidden in the Bible?
Prohibited foods that may not be consumed in any form include all animals—and the products of animals—that do not chew the cud and do not have cloven hoofs (e.g., pigs and horses); fish without fins and scales; the blood of any animal; shellfish (e.g., clams, oysters, shrimp, crabs) and all other living creatures that
What is so special about an olive tree?
INDESTRUCTIBLE – The root system of the olive tree is so robust that it’s capable of regenerating itself even when the above-ground structure of the tree is destroyed by frost, fire or disease. In Tuscany in 1985 a severe frost destroyed many productive and aged olive trees, ruining the livelihoods of many farmers.
What is an olive shoot?
It is construed in Psalm 128 with olive, hence the rendition “olive shoots” as a simile for the children of the God-fearer depicted in our text.
Is the olive tree a symbol of Israel?
Gnarled and ubiquitous, a symbol of peace and longevity, the olive tree has been crowned Israel’s national tree. Winning nearly 33 percent of some 148,000 votes cast online, the olive was declared a national symbol on Thursday, which marks Tu Bishvat, known as the Jewish arbor day.
Does the Mount of Olives still exist?
Today, the Mount of Olives is used as a Jewish cemetery and has been for over 3,000 years, it holds some 150,000 graves. In fact, it has been used as a burial location for Jews since biblical times, including the burial location for some of the most prominent biblical kings.
Why do we use olive oil to anoint?
So why is olive oil used? Anciently, oil pressed from olives was considered the cleanest, clearest, brightest-burning, longest-lasting of all animal and vegetable oils. It was also the purest of oils and was thus appropriate for holy anointings.
The Word tells us that God wants our joy to be full, and so we need olives and grapes in our life. Olive oil was used to make one’s face shine (Ps 104:15) and it became a sign of joy and gladness (Num 6:25-25). Wine was also a symbol of joy , which is also found in Ps 104:15. But in spite of the Word, there are far too many of the bride of Christ that come up far short of His great grace. There are many who know all the fundamental doctrines and are saved, but they don’t have His fullness of joy.
Think for a minute about olives and grapes in the natural sense. They are both fruit, which produce oil and wine but they are not oil and wine themselves. If they are left on the vine or the tree they shrink and shrivel up, their richness having evaporated. They are better than nothing but they aren’t substitutes for oil and wine.
The question for us is, are we satisfied with just olives and grapes in our lives? Are we happy with just the fruit and no joy or gladness? Too many are living that way and it’s not the way God intends for us to live. If we want to shine with joy and fill our world with gladness then we need to be “crushed.”
As His bride we have been given the fruit, the olives and the grapes. We are rooted and grounded in Jesus and we can bring forth His fruit. But making oil and wine is another matter. We must become completely dissatisfied with just producing olives and grapes in our life. Producing the work, tending the olives and grapes, is just the second step in the process. But producing the fruit by itself will never bring joy and gladness. To truly experience the fullness of joy, the olives and grapes need to be crushed.
First the Lord plants the seeds within us, then He works in our life to grow the fruit. But the final part of the process is the “pressing,” which brings out the oil and the wine in us so that our lives are shining and glad examples of His life in us. It’s all part of His process, a process that involves Him growing His olives and grapes and pressing out His oil and wine that give us a shining face and and a joyful heart. It’s His process…
Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: KJV
His process is miraculous because it isn’t natural for us to undergo pressing (suffering) and patiently endure it. And, sadly, there are many Christians who spend all their time crying out in the midst of adversity just like those in the world around them. As His bride, however, we are to face our trials with the calmness His Spirit provides us, knowing that God means our suffering for good, and out of it will come rejoicing afresh in Him.
Yes, Jesus will complete the work He has begun in us, but it won’t get done unless we cooperate with the process. We can’t afford to settle for olives in the tree and grapes on the vine. They are only symbols of what “can be.” They are the fruit that we need to allow God to mature in us, and as part of that process we will become spiritually mature in Him. But that won’t happen if we don’t allow Him to take us into “presses” of life in order to bring out the very best of what He has placed within us.
It’s all a part of “Resting” in Him, standing in faith that He has our best interest always before Him, even if we can’t see it at the time. That’s why Paul said that we are to glory in tribulation (Rom 5:3). The Greek word for “tribulation” is thlipsis, which means pressing together. Just remember, when those times of pressing come, they are always followed with overflowing gladness and joy, so the Lord can share them with those around us.
John 18:1-2 tells us, "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples"(NIV).
Jesus often met in the shadow and shade of the olive tree.
The olive grove mentioned above is the Garden of Gethsemane. In this garden is where Jesus, just before his arrest said to Peter, James and John, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," (Mark 14:34, NIV).
Jesus knew the crushing-heart feeling. He felt it. He wrestled with it. He carried it.
And I don't think it was a coincidence the olive tree was there in this moment of deep sorrow for Jesus.
The olive tree is such a picture of why our hearts must go through the crushing times.
The crushing times are necessary times.
First, in order to be fruitful the olive tree has to have both the east wind and the west wind. The east wind is the dry hot wind from the desert. This is a harsh wind. So harsh that it can blow over green grass and make it completely wither in one day.
The west wind, on the other hand, comes from the Mediterranean. It brings rain and life.
The olive tree needs both of these winds to produce fruit ... and so do we. We need both the winds of hardship and winds of relief to sweep across our lives if we are to be truly fruitful.
The crushing times are processing times.
Another thing to consider about the olive tree is how naturally bitter the olive is and what it must go through to be useful. If you were to pick an olive from the tree and try to eat it this month, its bitterness would make you sick.
For the olive to be edible, it has to go through a lengthy process that includes:
washing,
breaking,
soaking,
sometimes salting,
and waiting some more.
It is a lengthy process to be cured of bitterness.
If we are to escape the natural bitterness of the human heart, we have to go through a long process as well ... the process of being cured.
The crushing times are preservation times.
The final thing I want to consider about the olive is not just how bitter it is, but also how strong and hard it is when picked straight from the tree. If you are harvesting olives for oil, you must pray for a soaking rain to come if you hope to get oil from the olives. It needs a hard rain of at least two to three hours so the water can make it all the way up the roots, through the tree and to the olives.
Then the olives can be picked and preserved.
And the best way to preserve an olive for the long run? Crush it and extract the oil from it.
The same is true for us. The biblical way to be preserved is to be pressed. And being pressed can certainly feel like being crushed.
But what about our key verse, 2 Corinthians 4:8, where it says we are "pressed ... but not crushed"? Let's read verses 8 and 9 in the King James Version: "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ..."
This was one of the biggest "aha" moments for me standing in the shadow of the olive tree: crushing isn't the olive's end.
Crushing is the way of preservation for the olive. It's also the way to get what's most valuable, the oil, out of the olive. Keeping this perspective is how we can be troubled on every side yet not distressed ... pressed to the point of being crushed but not crushed and destroyed.
But here's the thing I must remember as I think back about my time with the olive tree:
When the sorrowful winds of the east blow, I forget they are necessary.
When I'm being processed, I forget it's for the sake of ridding me of bitterness.
And when I'm being crushed, I forget it's for the sake of my preservation.
I forget all these things so easily. I wrestle and cry and honestly want to resist every bit of this. Oh, how I forget.
Maybe God knew we all would forget.
And so, He created the olive tree.
In biblical times there were three pressings of olives during this process, each with a unique application:
- First Pressing Oil – Used in lamps of the temple to provide light (Exodus 27:20), the anointing oil (Exodus 30:24, James 5:14), and for meal offerings (Leviticus 2:4-10),
- Second Pressing Oil – Used as a medicine for healing (Isaiah 1:6, Luke 10:34),
- Third Pressing Oil – Used to make soap, by mixing with an alkali, for cleansing (Job 9:30. Jeremiah 2:22. Malachi 3:2).
Typological Meaning of Olive Oil in the Anointing
Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. Next he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and so anointed the altar, all its vessels, and the wash basin and its stand to consecrate them. He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him. (Leviticus 8:10–12 NET) Aaron the high priest, when he was sanctified, getting ready to be a high priest, had olive oil poured on his head. That pictures the Holy Spirit being poured out upon Aaron the high priest. Furthermore, it pictured more than the Holy Spirit being poured out upon Aaron the high priest, for it symbolized the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Lord Jesus Christ and upon the Church. That is, the anointing oil represents the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the pure oil energizing the head of the Church, Jesus Christ, and the body of the church composed of Jew and Gentile Christians. (4)
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.” (Luke 3:21–22 NET)You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” (Hebrews 1:9 NET)Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, (Luke 4:1 NET)”So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Luke 4:13 NET)Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:16–19 NET)with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:38 NET)This is the way that Jesus Christ did His work: in the power of the Holy Spirit. And what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful lesson it is for us, that the very same power that Jesus Christ used in His life is available to all Christians! And the very thing that caused Jesus to be a bright and shining light, and caused Jesus to be the light of the world, causes us to be the light of the world. Hallelujah!
Furthermore, the branches abiding in that central shaft that produce light are covered with buds and flowers, and fruit. That is, just as we abide in Him, and we bear light, when we abide in Him, we bear fruit.
Jesus said,
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 ESV)Jesus also said,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me - and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. (John 15:5 NET)And that is all: that is the only business we have in the world is to bear light and to bear fruit. We are not generators producing light. We just bear light – that is all. And we are not the vine; we are just the branch. We don’t produce the fruit; we just bear the fruit. (1) And so there is only one thing necessary for us to do – and that is to abide in Jesus. Jesus is our Lord, our Life, and our Light! (4)
On the Day of Pentecost (1), when the Holy Spirit (1) was poured out, there sat upon every man’s head what? Cloven tongues of fire. You see, the Lord, when He poured out the oil, He lit the fire (Matthew 3:11). That is what it is all about, that we are to be the light of the world. We are those six branches, now unified with that one central branch, making perfection. And so all you have to do, dear hearts is to abide and shine; all you have to do is abide and bear fruit. You never saw a lamp trying to burn; it just burns. You never saw a branch trying to bear fruit; it just bears fruit, when it abides in the vine. Jesus said, “You abide in me, and I in you, and then you’re going to bring forth much fruit” (John 15:5). (4)
If this had been a candle, the candle will burn itself out in a while. And the candle gives of its own waxy substance, but the lampstand burns the oil. Is it not time we started burning the oil and stop trying to be a candle? You see, you will not make nearly as much smoke, and you will burn a lot longer. What a beautiful fire it will be when you stop burning the wick and start burning the oil! Again, the oil is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. (4)
Typological Meaning of Olive Oil in the Meal Offering
Olive oil was also used in the Hebrew sacrificial and offering ceremonies.
The bread dough for a Meal Offering (1) was to be mixed with olive oil, beaten and pounded (1) into the desired shape, and then baked in an oven.
If it was an unleavened “cake,” it was to be “mixed with oil”. If it was an “unleavened wafer”, it was to be “anointed” with oil.
- “Mixed with oil” is a picture of Jesus who was born without sin and filled to all fullness with the Holy Spirit.
- Smeared with oil is a picture of Jesus “anointed with oil,” upon coming up out of the waters after being baptized by John. At that time, The Holy Spirit rested ON HIM (poured over Him as oil) without measure!
You love justice and hate evil. For this reason God, your God has anointed you with the oil of joy, elevating you above your companions. (Psalm 45:7 NET)You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” (Hebrews 1:9 NET)And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52 NET)The very same force that energized Jesus and gave Him life can energize us and give us life; the very same force that caused Jesus to be fruitful can cause us to be fruitful, as long as we abide in the vine and receive the oil. What a wonderful wonderful lesson! (4)
Olive trees are mentioned all throughout scripture. They are used symbolically as peace, prosperity, beauty and the relationship between God and His people.
- “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I will trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.”—Psalm 52:8
- “For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”—Romans 11:24
The olive tree roots grow deep and they surprisingly thrive in the desert. Thus, making the desert bloom! This blossoming desert is a promise from God that Israel’s restoration is at hand.
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”—Isaiah 35:1
When we look at the olive tree as a beautiful symbol of our relationship with God, a deeper meaning of the plant in scripture is revealed. God’s holy “root” is planted within our hearts when we accept Yeshua as our Messiah, and we are grafted into His family. His Spirit, taking root within us, enables us to be His light to the world!
The olive tree’s emblem of peacespeaks volumes to those who are exposed to it. At My Olive Tree, the symbolism of olive trees run deep within our hearts. Watching the Lord’s hand at work in blooming the desert, providing economic growth in the Promised Land, and producing peace is truly humbling.
Believers holding the olive tree as a symbol of relationship and restoration with God and His people begin to understand the enormity of God’s plans for humanity. At My Olive Tree we believe that biblical prophecy about the restoration of the land spoken of by the ancient prophets will come to pass no matter our involvement. Our choice to be involved in the process is because of our love for the nation of Israel.
Acts 3:20, 21 states, “Jesus Christ… whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” The process of this fulfillment is in progress.
We can stand together as Believers to be a part of this amazing opportunity, as a picture of peace to the nation of Israel. Would you believe that with the act of planting a single olive tree over 10 years ago, restoration has begun to wash over this precious land?! Jobs have been created… there has been a boost the economy through the harvesting of the trees… and the tree’s reminder of peace is seen by the soldiers, giving them hope as they work along Israel’s borders.
The Making of Pure Olive Oil , the Menorah and the Believer’s Life
Let’s discuss how this pure olive oil prepared, and how this a picture of the redeemed believer. This is an enlightening subject!
Olive oil is made by crushing and pressing ripe olives. Whole olive fruit consists of 10 to 40 percent oil, and the fruit pulp is 60 to 80 percent oil. Producers use hydraulic presses to squeeze the oil out of the fruit under low pressure. This technique, called cold pressing, generates little heat, and so the oil retains its flavor, color, and nutritional value.
Cold-pressing commonly is carried out in several stages, with only some of the oil being extracted at each stage. The process remains basically the same throughout, but the quality of the oil declines with each pressing. In most cases, olives are cold-pressed at 40 °F (4 °C).
The first pressing gives the highest quality oil, which is usually called virgin olive oil. Virgin olive oil is more expensive than other vegetable oils, so it often is considered a gourmet item. The lower-quality oils from later pressings are often blended in small amounts with such refined oils as soybean or cottonseed oil. Olive oil that comes from the final pressing is inedible. This oil, called olive residue or olive foots, is used in cosmetics, detergents, soap, medicines, and textiles.
The olive fruit may be oval or oblong. As it matures, it turns from green to yellow to red to purple-black. It has a smooth skin, and its flesh surrounds a hard pit. Both the flesh and the seed in the pit contain oil, which makes up 10 to 40 percent of the mature fresh fruit’s weight. Fresh olives contain oleuropein, a bitter substance that makes them unpleasant to eat before processing. During processing, this substance is largely or entirely removed.
The olive tree’s bark and leaves are a soft gray-green, and its trunk becomes gnarled as it ages. Olive trees live longer than most other fruit trees. There are olive trees in Israel that may be more than 2,000 years old.
A mature olive tree may have as many as 500,000 small flowers. Most of the flowers are imperfect, and fruit cannot grow from them. They give off pollen, which is usually carried from flower to flower by the wind. Most varieties of olive trees bear a large crop one season and a small crop the next.
Cultivation of new olive trees occurs through takingcuttings off from an olive tree and rooting them. The trees will grow in many types of soil but need good drainage. To produce large fruit, the grower must irrigate and prune the trees, and thin the fruit. Fertilizers that add nitrogen to the soil can increase yields. The olive tree will grow where the climate is hot and dry. But for bearing good fruit, the tree needs a moderate supply of water. The fruit matures from October to January and is injured if the temperature falls below 26 °F (-3 °C).
Harvesting olives requires careful handling. Olives grown for their oil may be mechanically harvested. Olives grown for eating must be picked by hand. Workers place the fruit in small boxes and haul it to the processing plant.
Most green olives are prepared by the Spanish process. In this process, unripe, yellowish-green olives are placed in lye solution. The lye removes most of the bitter taste of the oleuropein. The olives are washed and then fermented in brine.
Adam Clarke, in his biblical commentary, says regarding Exodus 27:20 that the very ripe and oil-filled olives, after having been picked, when slightly bruised or pressed (before being crushed by mortar stones in a mill) will express the purest, most flavorful and highest quality oil. This oil that flows spontaneously with little or no application of force is called the mother drop.
According to The Stone Edition Chumash, only the purest oil could be used for the lamp (menorah)—the purest of the pure! This was obtained by slightly pressing the very ripe olives, but without crushing them. A minute quantity of oil would be squeezed out—only a drop or so—from each olive. This oil was more pure than any of the other oil subsequently obtained via crushing.
Spiritual Parallels
The word oil in Hebrew is shemen (INA). In the ancient Paleo-Hebrew letters, the letter shin A is shaped like a tooth and pictographically means“to consume, to destroy.” The letter mem n resembles water and means “liquid, massive, chaos.” The letter nun B or I is shaped like a fish and means “activity, life.”Therefore, the word oilin light of Hebrew word pictures means “to destroy chaos [resulting in] life.” What does this have to do with you and me? In other-words, the olive in its natural state is useless and bitter, but when that bitterness is destroyed, or when the olive is crushed to extract the oil it becomes a source of life (nutrition) and light. Is this not the case with men? With you and me? Elohim needs to crush or refine us so to squeeze out of us the bitter residue of the old man so that the spiritually regenerated and born-from-above-man, which is the image of Messiah—the Living Torah, may radiate and flow from us to the glory of Elohim.
Here are some other parallels between an olive tree and its oil and a child of YHVH:
- In their unrefined state both the olive fruit and man are initially bitter. Olives are bitter because of a substance called oleuropein, and man is bitter because of his indigenous sin nature. Olives need to be washed with lye (the main cleansing ingredient in soap) to be acceptable to the eater, man needs to repent of his sin and be washed in Yeshua’s blood to be acceptable to Elohim.
- Both the olive tree and man are difficult to grow and temperamental when it comes to producing fruit; they both require careful attention. Many factors are involved and great care must be exercised on the part of the cultivator to ensure a good crop yield.
- The olive fruit and man needs to be crushed to bring out the precious oil. A stone mortar or mill was used in times past to crush olives to produce oil. Similarly, Scripture likens Messiah to a stone who must crush all who come to him (Luke 20:18; Matt 21:44).
Our time on earth is but a proving ground where Elohim is trying, testing, crushing, refining and purifying his chosen vessels in preparation for them to be his kings and priests to rule with him during his earthly, millennial kingdom. This process involves crucifying the flesh, dying to self with its lust, pride, covetousness, fear, hatred, envying, bitterness, strife, selfishness and everything else that is of the world, flesh and the devil and that is contrary to the character, nature and Spirit of YHVH.
Matthew Henry says in his biblical commentary on Exodus 27:20 that the pure oil signifies the gifts and fruits of the Set-Apart Spirit which all believers receive from the Messiah (Heb. Mashiach meaning “one smeared with [olive] oil or the anointed one”), who is literally the oil Anointed One. The Messiah is the vine to which we are attached, for we are the arms and branches (John 15:1–2) and the branches are attached to the sustenance-carrying vascular system of the main trunk (as pictured by the hollow-tubed seven-branched gold menorah). Only when this occurs will we be Messiah’s spiritual lights shining into the darkness of men’s lives as Yeshua commanded (i.e. be like menorahs on a hill).
The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash goes on to say about Exodus 27:20 and the following verses that the instructions regarding the oil is followed by YHVH choosing Aaron’s sons to minister as priests in the mishkan (tabernacle). This underscores the fact that the priests were to be absolutely pure (without admixture of any foreign substance) and were to remain pure and separate from the rest of the nation—reserved for YHVH’s very special and set-apart service.
With regard to the pressing of the olives to produce the purest oil, it must be noted that our Heavenly Father prefers to use a light touch or hand on us rather than a heavy one, to motivate us to do his will and to achieve our highest potential and fruitfulness in his kingdom. For example, a loving parent doesn’t spank their children the moment they do something wrong when a quiet word of correction will suffice. However, if they fail to obey the parents gentle correction, then it may be necessary use a stronger form of discipline (see Ps 32:8–9 and Isa 30:21). Similarly, if a slight pressing or crushing of the olive doesn’t achieve the results in us for which our Father is looking—the expressing out of us of the pure drops of fine and pure oil, he will be forced to begin crushing us more vigorously—pits, skins and all (our body, soul and spirit). The oil from the full crushing will contain some sediment which will later have to be filtered out (through the trials, adversities and refining fires of life). This oil will be of a lesser quality.
Please read and prayerfully meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:6–18 and Colossians 3:1–10.
Exodus 27:20–21, They shall bring pure oil.Olives, olive oil and the olive tree are very significant ancient biblical symbols. Most notably, olive oil was used for anointing and for burning in the seven-branched menorah—a picture of redeemed Israelite believers comprised of many different congregations (Rev 1:12–13). This olive oil was pure and the olives were beaten or pressed to produce oil for light (Exod 27:20).
How does this relate to the believer’s life, so that one can be the light of the world that Yeshua commanded us to be? (See Matt 5:14–16 cp. Acts 14:22; Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Pet 4:12–14; Jas 1:2–3.)
The priests attended to the menorah to keep it burning continually from evening till morning. This reminds us of Yeshua’s Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1–13), where Yeshua’s exhorted his disciples to be like the wise virgins who kept their lamps trimmed and full of oil as they were watching and waiting for their bridegroom to come.
In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the level of oil in each virgin’s lamp was the factor that determined whether they would be allowed entrance into the bridegroom’s wedding or not. Therefore, what is the significance of olive oil (the fuel for the lamps) scripturally? There are several.
- Olive oil was used in consecrating kings and priests for YHVH’s service (see 1 Sam 16:13; 1 Kgs 1:39; Lev 8:12).
- Olive oil symbolizes YHVH’s rich blessings on one’s life, and was used for consecrating the tabernacle and its contents (Lev 8:10).
- Olive oil was a medicinal agent for healing (Isa 1:6; Luke 10:34).
- Olive oil is also a scriptural metaphor for YHVH’s anointing on one’s life (see Ps 23:5; 133:2; Zech 4:12–14).
- Olive oil is a biblical metaphor for gladness or joy (note Ps 45:7; Prov 27:9; Isa 61:3; Heb 1:9).
- Olive oil speaks of healing by the laying on of hands (read Mark 6:13; Jas 5:14).
- Olive oil is a symbol of prosperity (see Deut 32:24).
In Jewish thought, olive oil is also a metaphor for Torah, since it is a comfort to the head and body even as are the words of the Torah (Everyman’s Talmud, by Abraham Cohen, p. 134).
Oil in the Parable of the Ten Virgins oil is generally recognized to be a symbol of the blessing and anointing of YHVH’s Set-Apart Spirit functioning in one’s life. Let’s not forget that the anointing or influence of YHVH’s Spirit is the spiritual force leads one into YHVH’s Torah-truth (John 15:26; 16:13). The five foolish virgins’ lack of oil speaks of their lacking YHVH’s anointing and blessing, that their lives were not fully consecrated to him, that they were deficient in YHVH’s Spirit and were not walking in the fullness of his Torah-truth. Torah teacher, Dean Wheelock characterizes the foolish virgins’ lack of oil in this way:
The foolish squander their oil, their precious oil of Torah instruction, which tells them how to live their lives in a righteous manner. Meanwhile the wise hang on to their Torah learning, and thereby save their oil for that time when it is needed. And the time when it will be most needed is when Messiah arrives to take us to the wedding. Then we will need all of the Torah oil we can muster. That is what the “foolish virgins” were missing. They did not have an adequate supply of understanding of the Torah, they were not living a Torah-centered life, they had not prepared themselves adequately to be the wife of the Messiah Yeshua, the one who as the “Living Torah” when he walked the earth some two thousand years ago. (Hebrew Roots Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1997, article entitled “Oil For Our Lamps,” by Dean Wheelock, p. 10)
In the Scriptures, how is the lamp viewed metaphorically? (Read 2 Sam 22:29; Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23.) Believers are to be leading lives reflective of YHVH’s light and are to be lamps or lights shining in the darkness of this world (note Matt 5:14; Luke 12:35; Phil 2:15).
The ceramic lamps used in biblical times are an apt symbol of our physical lives, which the Scriptures describe as vessels of clay, which contain the Spirit of YHVH, for the spirit of man is the candle or lamp of YHVH burning inside of man (Prov 20:27) and, our lives are earthen vessels that contain YHVH’s spiritual light (2 Cor 4:6–7). At the same time, the pure gold menorah in the tabernacle shows us that although we may now be mere vessels of clay as we walk this earth, it is our spiritual destiny, upon receiving our glorified bodies at the resurrection to be spiritually like gold in that we will be like Yeshua—pure, transparent and incorruptible (1 John 3:2).
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