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The arched shape was inspired by an ancient form derived from the Bible. In addition to the traditional Jewish symbolism, the author also intended to convey universal, cosmological, and metaphysical meanings. The painting has the shape of an hourglass consisting of water in the lower section and clouds in the upper one. Symbolically, it represents a candle made of water whose wick, made of clouds, is lit by the heavenly fire. The resulting smoke is like the materialization, the creation of the Kingdom by the Absolute ascending and returning to the Absolute itself (Keter, the tenth Sephirot). The shamash is represented by the central candle from which the other eight flames originate in a descending line.