Asanctuary lamp,chancel lamp,altar lamp,everlasting light, oreternal flame is a light that shines before the altar of sanctuaries in manyJewish andChristian places of worship.[1] Prescribed inExodus 27:20-21 of theTorah, this item has taken on different meanings in each of the religions that have adopted it. The passage, which is part of prescriptions for theTabernacle, states:
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. (KJV)
In Judaism, the sanctuary lamp is known as aNer Tamid (Hebrew, “eternal flame” or “eternal light”), Hanging or standing in front of theark in every Jewishsynagogue, it is meant to represent themenorah of theTemple in Jerusalem, as well as the perpetual fire kept on theAltar of Burnt Offerings (mizbe'ah) of the Temple.[2]
The eternal light is central to one of many stories behind the celebration of the Jewish festival ofHanukkah. When the ancientMaccabees rebelled and reclaimed theTemple in Jerusalem, they rekindled the eternal light. However, there was only enough oil to keep the flame burning for one day, and it took eight days to bring new oil. Miraculously, according to the narrative in theTalmud, the flame continued burning until new oil arrived.
Modern Jewish celebrations of Hanukkah include lighting aHanukkah menorah (hanukkiyah), which has nine branches. This includes theshamash used to light the other eight flames (candles or oil wicks), evoking the story.
In the United States, theBoy Scout Jewish religious emblem, a medal earned by scouts for meeting certain requirements of religious activity and education, is called theNer Tamid.[3]
Some Christian churches have at least one lamp continually burning before thetabernacle, not only as an ornament, but for the purpose of worship. TheGeneral Instruction of theRoman Missal of theCatholic Church, for instance, states (in 316): “In accordance with traditional custom, near the tabernacle a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should be kept alight to indicate and honor the presence of Christ.” The sanctuary lamp, also called a chancel lamp, is placed before thetabernacle oraumbry inRoman Catholic andOld Catholic churches as a sign that theBlessed Sacrament isreserved or stored.[4] It is also found in thechancel ofLutheran churches to indicate the presence of Christ in the sanctuary, as well as a belief in theReal Presence of Christ in the Eucharist; in Lutheran churches with a tabernacle or aumbry, it further indicates that the Eucharist isreserved.[5][6] Depending on thechurchmanship of the congregation,Anglican churches may have a chancel lamp to indicate the presence of Christ in the church or in churches that practice it, it may indicate that the Eucharist has been reserved in a tabernacle or aumbry. When used inMethodist churches, it indicates the presence of Jesus in the church.[4] The sanctuary lamp may also be found inEastern Orthodox Churches. OtherChristian denominations burn the lamp to show that the light ofChrist always burns in a sin-darkened world. A main influence fromJudaism in theOld Testament is when God instructedMoses to have a lamp with pure oil perpetually burn in the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:20-21). This is the precedent for the Catholic custom of burning a candle before the tabernacle, which should be immobile and locked to prevent theft andHost desecration, and such a candle is also brought along when transporting the Sacrament anywhere.[7]
Such sanctuary or tabernacle lamps are most often coloured red, though this is not prescribed. This serves to distinguish this light from various othervotive lights within the church. In the Catholic Church, red is widely used despite the preference for white expressed byFortescue.[8] The custom of multiple lights in odd numbers (i.e., three, five, seven, or more) in place of a single lamp has become rarer, though it is still seen in some older Catholic churches and in Eastern Christianity. The lamp may hang by rope or chain over the tabernacle or near the entry of the sanctuary, or affixed to a wall; it may also be on a ledge or thealtar gradine right beside the tabernacle, or on its own nearby stand placed on the floor, as seen in the image ofSt. Martin's Church, Kortrijk, Belgium, in the articleChurch tabernacle. Oil lamps or candles may be used, while electric ones are seen.
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Sanctuary lamp: A candle suspended from the ceiling or mounted on the wall near the Lord's table and constantly burning throughout the week, also referred to as an "eternal light." In Roman Catholic usage it signifies the presence of Christ in the reserved sacrament; in Protestant usage it signifies Christ's presence in the church.
Occasionally there is a sanctuary lamp over the altar, its pulsating red light symbolizing a belief in the Real Presence, and not necessarily indicating the reserved host, as is properly supposed.
There is, as he also notes, no authority whatever for the glass of the sanctuary lamp being other than white
