Many church traditions include lighting candles during prayer. The candlelight helps us focus on the Lord and has major symbolism. Christ said, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). And Jesus is that light that is life, “In Him was life,and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5). Then in the Apocalypse, we see Christ surrounded by lamp stands, “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest,” (Revelation 1:12-13), and His eyes are ablaze with fire, “The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ” (Revelation 1:14). Candles serve as good bridge of the divine and human qualities of our Lord. For instance, there is wax in all people’s ears, and the fire is what the Lord calls himself, “for our Lord God is a consuming Fire.” (Hebrews 12:29); “To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain,” (Exodus 24:10), and God’s fire did not destroy the burning bush, “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”” (Exodus 3:2-4); which menorah lamp stand harkens to the burning bush, “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.” (Exodus 25:31-37). The menorah or lamp stand also harkens to Jesus being the light of the world (John 1:4-6, John 8:12) and the vine (John 15:5). However, when the Lord God Jesus returns He will consume this wicked world in fire, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10).
Thus a lit candle symbolizes Christ well, for He became flesh and body which has wax in the ear, but is God who is a consuming fire represented by the fire on the candle! For on Pentecost the Holy Spirit of the Godhead descended like fire, “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:3-4).
Building on that symbolism we know Jesus Christ is our sole mediator, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the Son of Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5), and that He intercedes for us daily, “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us,” (Romans 8:34) and “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (1 John 2:1-2). The candle with its wax and flame perfectly symbolizes the two natures of Christ, “concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh (body) and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:3-4) and reminds us that He is our light and salvation that has drawn us from depths of darkness. The warmth that comes from the candle symbolizes the compassion and care that Christ our Lord has for us and that He promises us abundant life (John 10:10), and will take care of us, and what better than warmth from fire to represent these promises.
Praying with candles need not be an exclusive practice of Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Churches. All Christians can enjoy candles during prayer and use them for devotions, especially at Christmas Time. For the wax represents Christ’s humanity and the fire His divinity. Amen.
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