Beacon

A beacon in the biblical sense was a pole or mast (to'ren) erected on a mountaintop or prominent point as a signal, rallying standard, or warning (Isaiah 30:17; 33:23; Ezekiel 27:5). The term is related to the word for a ship's mast. Isaiah 30:17 uses it in a warning that Judah's army will be reduced to so few that the survivors will be as conspicuous and isolated as a solitary beacon on a hilltop—a stark image of defeat and desolation. Beacons of fire were also used across the ancient Near East to send rapid military communications.