Pillars have always inspired me.
Two of my favourite verses in the Bible both mention pillars.
Revelation 3:12 talks about being made a pillar in the temple of God.
1 Sam 2:8 talks about God setting the poor out of the dust among the pillars of the earth.
Here are both verses in the KJV translation:
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.
In addition, using my Bible Search software (the MySword phone app), in the KJV it gives me 77 verses for the word pillars (in the plural), and if you don’t think that’s interesting, read my Bible proof page about the number 7.
The main purpose for pillars is to support a structure, and the main things that comes to my mind when I think about pillars is both strength and beauty.
It’s interesting to note that often the most visible part of a structure that has remained in several ancient buildings are the pillars.
2Ki 23:3 Perhaps it is was on purpose that Josiah stood by a pillar when he made a covenant before the Lord.
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
Twelve pillars also represented the twelve tribes of Israel in Exo 24:4.
Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
In Exodus 13:21-22 God became a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night for His people.
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
It matches Song 3:6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
In this imagery, Solomon depicts Christ, the God of the Old Testament, as the King. (I explain more here.)
In the modern era, the church should be the pillar and support of truth. Unfortunately, most modern churches tend to be anything but that. See 1 Tim 3:15… but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
In Genesis 31:52 we see that a pillar can be a witness, and that adds a little substance to my speculation about the ‘two witnesses’ of Revelation here.
If I’m wrong about that, no worries.
Pillars are still significant in the Bible.
Without the main pillars, columns or posts supporting them, most traditional houses will fall. Read Judges chapter 16 for the story of Samson, and how he pushed over the two main pillars supporting the pagan temple of Dagon, the god of the Philistines.
Jdg 16:26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.”
Samson, although blind (which reminds me of the blind Laodiceans), was still able to do an incredible work for God.
Christians are supposed to be God’s temple, not a pagan one.
2 Cor 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
And the Bible says, The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.
One last verse:
Proverbs 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her SEVEN pillars.
This is a little quirky, but 7 x || || = 77
The 77 verses about pillars in the KJV Bible really do seem to back this up!
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