The Tree Pattern or Menorah-Trees
The existence of the Menorah-Tree patterns in Isaiah is supported both internally in Isaiah, and also by the existence of tree patterns throughout the Scriptures.
This webpage presents these Menorah trees to assist readers with a comparison of the structures.
There is strong evidence of a geographically related tree pattern or Menorah structure in Deuteronomy 12, 1 Kings 8:27-53 and 2 Chronicles 6:18-40, Isaiah 28 – 33, Isaiah 57:14 – 62:10, Ephesians 2:11-22, and also Revelation. Psalm 22 has a very similar structure with similar placement of “near” and “far,” and is also believed by this author to be a tree structure. While essentially obvious from Isaiah, the New Testament also attests that the structure in Isaiah is a tree. Key concepts are the following:
There is a high consistency in the geographical pattern found in all the Menorah-tree patterns. This pattern is defined by Deuteronomy 12 which is also known as the Altar law.
There is a high consistency in the topic discussed in the various branches of the Menorah-tree patterns. This is typically altar or purity of sacrifice related topics (or conversely impurity of sacrifice) in the inner branches, bringing of homage (or conversely not bringing homage) in the intermediate branches, and return from, or conflict with and then reconciliation with, surrounding nations in the outer branches.
Placement of the words “near” and “far” is very consistent in these structures with the words used as branch separators and/or in visually bracketing the tree structures by placement around the outer branches.
The passages are contextually related so that there is high confidence that the patterns are there and that this is not a case of data dredging.
This web page begins with a tree in Isaiah because that is the focus of this website. However, information on the other trees are found below.
If you would like to skip the information below (which is not recommended for individuals completely new to this topic) and see a terse presentation on all of this, Demonstration of the Menorah-Tree Structures in Isaiah, this presentation can be found in the Attestation page under the Resources tab.
Menorah-Tree Structure in Isaiah 28 - 33
In Isaiah, it is proposed that portions of the literary structure have correspondence to a Menorah-Tree structure. Interestingly, these branch-paired Menorah structures appear to be “visually” surrounded by stanzas containing the words “near” and/or “far.” That observation partially explains the focus of the Scriptures tab on the words “near” and “far.”
In Isaiah 28 – 33, the branches have correspondence to stanzas starting with the word “woe,” or “ah” in some translations.
Being aware of this structure has incredible value to readers because they will understand what pattern Isaiah was following as he wrote his scroll and then can also understand why the text jumps around in tone. However, the text of Isaiah is not random at all, it is highly structured. At this date of writing, this Menorah-Tree literary structure continues to be under review, and reaching consensus may of course take a very long time.
Menorah or tree structures have been proposed to occur in the literary structure of Isaiah.
This figure provides another view of how stanzas or verses have correspondence to branches in a Menorah pattern.
It has also been proposed Menorah structures occur in the literary structure of Isaiah, and that these Menorah structures are in some cases marked by the words “near” and “far” which “visually surround” the Menorah structures.
An initial concept is that specific verses or stanzas in the text of Isaiah have correspondence to the branch structure of a Menorah.
There is strong evidence for the tree structures from Scriptures written earlier than Isaiah, from internally in Isaiah, and from Scriptures written after Isaiah. However, further investigation is needed for both the Menorah structures, and Isaiah’s use of the words “near” and “far” in marking these structures.
The starting point in comparing these Menorah patterns is to observe the land regions defined by Deuteronomy 12. This is essentially defines a “near” location where the future temple would be built, regions that bring homage, and regions that are far and not in the covenant.
The pattern observed in 2 Chronicles 6 is very similar! Of interest here are the petitions of Solomon’s Temple Dedication prayer.
Psalm 22 has an exceedingly similar structure and is a worthwhile study for sure!
The Ephesians 2:11-22 structure is also highly similar to the earlier tree patterns. For information on this, the link below takes you to a two-page note on the correspondence of the Ephesians 2:11-22 structure to Deuteronomy.
In summary, all of the Scriptures are pointing to a tree, which is pointing to the cross of Christ!
Provided below is a link that will take you back to the main page, however, you are encouraged to go on and look at material specifically on Isaiah and how the Menorah-tree patterns are situated in the stanza structures of Isaiah.