"Make a lampstand of pure gold. Make its base and its shaft of hammered gold; its decorative flowers, including buds and petals, are to form one piece with it.

Each of the six branches is to have three decorative flowers shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals.

There is to be one bud below each of the three pairs of branches.

Make seven lamps for the lampstand and set them up so that they shine toward the front.

Use seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and all this equipment.

The capitals were shaped like lilies, 6 feet tall,

They made ten gold lampstands according to the usual pattern, and ten tables, and placed them in the main room of the Temple, five lampstands and five tables on each side. They also made a hundred gold bowls.

"What do you see?" he asked. "A lampstand made of gold," I answered. "At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks.

There are two olive trees beside the lampstand, one on each side of it."

Then I asked him, "What do the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand mean?

He asked me, "Don't you know?" "No, I don't, sir," I answered.

I turned around to see who was talking to me, and I saw seven gold lampstands,

and among them there was what looked like a human being, wearing a robe that reached to his feet, and a gold band around his chest.

Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars that you see in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands.