One of the most challenging portions to pronounce, b'Haalot'cha (b'HA-a'lo-t'CHA) is almost always translated, "In your kindling" [the lights of the Temple Menorah]. The portion is directed to Aharon, whose mission as Kohen Gadol (High Priest) is to light the light that shines through the darkness and illuminates the Holy Place that God has established on earth in the midst of the nations.

But a literal translation of the word b'HA-a'lo-t'CHA tells us far more about the spiritual process of "ascending" into the living Presence of the Almighty. After all, this word contains the same root (ayin-lahmed-hay) as the words used for olah (ascent offering, more commonly called a burnt or whole offering), oleh (immigrant, one who goes up), aliyah (to ascend to Israel), and El Elyon (G-d, Most High).

The Torah portion instructs Aharon on the matter of lighting the Menorah and bouncing the light that radiates from burning the pure, translucent olive oil in the Holy Place. Aharon is instructed on how to position the lamps, each containing a wick that floats in its own bowl of olive oil. Each lamp must be pointed forward, northward, to shine light upon the Golden Altar and upon the Table of Showbread in the Holy Place. Lighting these lights is one of the ways that Israel "tends the light" throughout the night and lives its priestly calling as a "covenant people" and a "light to the nations" (Is. 42:6). Of course this story continued on when Messiah "tabernacled among us" and "brought the [spiritual] light that darkness could not comprehend" (Jn. 1:5). But, back to the Tabernacle in the days of Aharon.

Come morning, the priest's first duty was to pluck a burning coal from the daily olah (ascent offering that was left to burn on the altar all night at the close of the previous day's service). Next, the priest would throw that part of the olah, glowing with divine fire, to the ground, stoke the altar with a new day's supply of wood, and then prepare five of the seven lamps of the Temple Menorah (by adding new oil and fresh wicks to each of the five bowls). Thereafter, the priest would burn incense at the golden altar and then finish preparing the other two wicks and bowls, so that the Temple Menorah was set for burning in the afternoon. Thus finished, and with incense ascending in the air, the daily offering (olat tamid) would be burned upon the copper altar as the first service (avodah) of the day. Now, individuals could bring up private offerings--because the nation had started the day with a corporate offering to God.

Thus, Aharon can be seen, "causing to ascend" the light (and then the incense and then the daily ascent offering, which burned day and night) to God in the highest heaven. In this way, the priesthood led the nation to praise, pray, and give its all to God.

But there's more! The name of this week's portion embeds a "causative" element in the verb--the "HA" part of the portion name, which is best translated as causal--"in your causing to go up/ascend." The priestly function is to "cause the light of the Menorah to ascend." This same idea plays out in Scriptures in some of the most powerful ways one can imagine:

(1) God "causes to ascend" His people from Egypt to the Promised Land (1 Sam. 8:8)

(2) Shlomo "causes to ascend" the ark when he brings it up to the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr. 5:2).

(3) God "causes to ascend" Elijah in a whirlwind to heaven (2 Ki. 2:1)

(4) Ezekiel prophesies that God will "cause to ascend" Israel from its graves in the Valley of Dry Bones (Ez. 37:13).

Thus, our journey as a people is protected, illuminated, and elevated by a loving God who has sworn that He will glorify HImself and His servants as well!

Note how the elements of the story line fit together--it will help us to get a handle on the same story line repeated in the Book of Revelation. God caused us to ascend from the graves of Egypt and from the graves of a world bent on genocide. God (through King Solomon) caused His Ark to ascend to the Temple, built in the Land of Promise, our inheritance among the nations. God caused Elijah to ascend as He raptured one of only two human witnesses ever to enter heaven alive (God also "took" Enoch). And the Book of Revelation completes the story line developed above. Note that a time is prophesied when God's twin witnesses will stand as human lampstands in Jerusalem (Rev. 11:4). It is clear that the portion's associated haftarah (note Zech. 4:1-7, which is also read as the portion of Hanukkah, when the light was re-kindled in the Temple) has come to pass and that the Menorah will never again suffer the failure of a priesthood that neglects to pour the olive oil into the Menorah and light the light: "Not by might nor by power but by My Ruach," says the Lord Almighty, as He sets up a Menorah supplied not by priests, but by two living olive trees (Zech. 4:6, and then read verse 3)!

This astounding truth has not been lost on the author of Revelation, who personifies both the lampstands and the olive trees, as God's two witnesses who are given power to shut up the heavens for three and one-half years. Alas, the witnesses are killed in Jerusalem and not buried for three and one-half days, as the world celebrates the defeat of God's power. But suddenly . . . the witnesses ascend from the dead and go up to heaven. I would venture that these witnesses are standing by the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple that can be plainly seen by all, directly above Jerusalem (Rev. 11:19). And then the seventh trumpet sounds! Herein the living spiritual story of "life from the dead" and "ascending on high" and "waiting for power to come from on high" come together. Here is where Yeshua's ascent to heaven from the Mount of Olives becomes a trail for many others to follow. Are you ready to ascend too??

God has called you to prepare yourself spiritually to ascend. You can abide in His light and produce fruits for eternity. Will you prepare yourself today to stand in God's Presence? Will you "let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and [raise their eyes upward to] glorify your Father in heaven?" Your spirit yearns to soar--so walk in the awesome faith of your calling. Strip your life to the barest essentials. Make more time for God and His calling on your life. Take a bold decision in prayer, and then let your life take flight!