Intro
Zechariah 4 records this prophet’s 5th vision. As in the previous vision (chapter 3), God is addressing the concerns Zechariah and his companions had in their assignment to rebuild the temple and restore worship in Jerusalem. The concern dealt with in the previous visions was how can we be qualified to serve God considering all our sins and failures. That chapter revealed Christ, the Messiah, as the qualifier of his people. You are qualified to serve God because Christ has removed your filthy garments and given you a clean robe of righteousness. Through the cross, Jesus removed your iniquity in one day, exchanging his righteousness in the place of your sin. That is the good news of the gospel.i
But Zechariah and his companions had another concern: How will we get our assignment accomplished? How are we going to rebuild this temple? The obstacles seem insurmountable; we do not have the strength nor the resources to get the job done.
Zerubbabel was the representative of the Davidic kingly line in that context. He only functioned as a governor under the Persian rule. But he was the descendent of David God put there in Jerusalem at that time. Joshua, the High Priest, was the central figure in the previous vision. Zerubbabel is central in this vision.
Under his leadership, the foundation of the temple had been laid (Ezra 3). But building the temple was harder than expected. The opposition against the work was far more intense than expected. The laborers were few, and after a zealous start, they became discouraged: so discouraged that the work God gave them to do ceased for the next 16 years. It is being revived through the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 4).ii Encouragement came as Zechariah shared these visions with the people.
That is what God wants to do for us through this revelation. We have an assignment; we have been given work to do. But we also have opposition. We also don’t feel adequate for the task. We need to understand what God is revealing about his grace through these visions. We need renewed courage to take up the mantle God has given us and finish the task he wants us to do.
Zerubbabel, God’s assigned leader of this remnant, has laid the foundation, but will and the remnant with him be able to finish constructing this temple? It doesn’t look like they have what it takes to get the job done. The point of this vision is summarized in Zechariah 4:9. “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.”iii This 5th vision is a revelation of how that will happen. The plain answer is encapsulated in verse 6: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts.” It won’t get done by your strength or craftiness. That indeed is inadequate. It will get accomplished through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s read the whole chapter, Zechariah 4:1-14 with that in mind.
“Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep."
Who is “the angel who talked with me”? As you recall from previous messages, there is an angel who is specifically assigned to help Zechariah understand these visions. He is separate and distinct from “the Angel of the Lord” who is the preincarnate Christ. This angel is typically identified by Zechariah as “the angel who talked with me.” He first appeared in Zechariah 1:9 during the first vision. He temporarily left in Zechariah 2:3 during the third vision. Now he reappears to prepare Zechariah for this fifth vision.
Zechariah tells us he “and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.” There had apparently been a lull following the fourth vision. Zechariah was in a state of rest. The angel is stirring Zechariah’s attention for the next vision. A key word here is “as.” This is happening as a part of Zechariah’s supernatural experience. He is not literally asleep and awaken. But within this supernatural experience it like someone being awakened out of sleep. Mark Boda puts it this way: “The prophet is awakened from sleep, but only ‘as’ a normal awakening, for he does not awaken into the real world but into a visionary one.”iv
Verse 2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left." 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts. 7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" 8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." 11 Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees — at the right of the lampstand and at its left?" 12 And I further answered and said to him, "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?" 13 Then he answered me and said, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 14 So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."
To interpret this vision, we need to understand the symbolism behind each element in the vision.
I. LAMPSTAND
Zechariah first reports seeing “a lampstand of solid gold” in verse 2. The Hebrew word translated lampstand is menorah. We first encounter this word in Exodus 25 as God instructed Moses for the furniture in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
Exodus 25:31-40:
"You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. 32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 33 Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower — and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. 34 On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 35 And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 36 Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. 38 And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”
We can’t take time to unpack that passage. It is enough for our purposes to know Zechariah, as a priest, would have immediately recognized this menorah as a part of the temple experience.
In broad terms, the menorah is symbolic of God’s manifestation of spiritual light. It points to Jesus as the light of the world. It is of pure gold, divinely constructed for God’s glory. During his first Advent, Jesus was the Father’s instrument for bringing light into this world. When Jesus came, he said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).v In John 9:5 he explained further: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
After Christ ascended and poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the church became God’s menorah—God’s instrument for manifesting his light to the world. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says to you and me, “You are the light of the world” and in vs 16 adds, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” So, there is an application of this for us today.vi
The lampstand is simply the instrument through which God gives light to the world. God is light and he overcomes the darkness by manifesting his light through his people. He expresses his light through his representatives on the earth.
In the Zechariah 4 context, the menorah represent Israel as the instrument through which God’s light would shine to the nations. God had called Israel to be a light to the nation—to manifest his love and truth to those in darkness.vii This will be realized in its fullness under Messiah’s leadership during the Millennium. Isaiah 60:1-3 describes that. There God says to Israel: “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.”
But in our text, Zechariah is promised a limited fulfillment of that under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. So, we understand the menorah In Zechariah as representing Israel. But in broader terms, it simply represents God’s people manifesting light to the world.viii
II. OLIVE TREES
Notice, in this vision, the imagery of the lampstand has 3 features that were not present in the tabernacle menorah.
(1) Verse 2 says there was “a bowl on top of it.” This bowl set above the seven lamps so that the oil could flow into it and then by gravity flow down to the seven lamps. (2) There are seven pipes or conduits through which the oil flows from the bowl to the lamps. The Hebrew actually indicates seven conduits for each of the seven lamps. So there are a total of 49 of these conduits. (3) There are two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl. These supply the oil through a pipe so that the oil flows from the olive trees to bowl above the lampstand. That is described in verse 12.
What are these additional features communicating? In his commentary, Merrill Unger gives us a credible answer to that question. He writes, “These three unique features of Zechariah’s lampstand differentiated it from the tabernacle candlestick and stressed its automatic and spontaneous supply of oil for lighting without human agency.”ix
The menorah in the tabernacle required a lot of human energy to keep the light shining. The priests had to collect the oil from the people, they had to trim the wicks, and continually pour the oil into the lamps. But in this vision, the oil flows directly from the source, the olive trees, into the bowl, then into the lamps naturally. The number seven indicates perfection. The pipes and lamps are completely adequate for the purpose.
When Zechariah inquired what all this meant, he was given the overall message of the vision. Look at verses 4-6. “So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’ 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’ 6 So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts.’” The lampstand will accomplish its purpose, not by might, not by human effort, but by the supply of “My Spirit.” In Scripture oil typically represents the influence of the Holy Spirit. For light to shine we must have this supernatural flow of the oil.x
What do the two olive trees represent? They are the source of the oil that keeps the light burning. In this immediate context, they are Joshua and Zerubbabel.xi One is the priestly leader, and the other is the kingly leader. Those are the two dominant people in visions four and five. In Scripture, trees are often representative of people.
When Zechariah inquired about these two olive trees, the interpreting angel told him, “These are the two anointed ones [individuals], who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth” (Zech. 4:14). The Hebrew translated “anointed ones” is literally “sons of oil”.xii
The Apostle John applies Zechariah’s revelation to the two witnesses in Revelation 11. In the last days, those two individuals will be anointed of God to supply truth that is resisted by the whole world. But they will fulfill their office by the grace of God. There we see the power of God at work as well. They accomplish their assignment, “not by might, nor by power,” but by the enablement of the Spirit. John’s application of Zechariah’s revelation indicates a broader understanding of the olive trees than simply two individuals in Zechariah’s day or two individuals during the tribulation period.
The two olive trees represent those leaders that God electively empowers with Christ-anointing to equip and strengthen God’s people. Christ is the Anointed One. The olive trees are “sons of oil,” or as Phillips puts it, “oily ones.”xiii It is the anointing of the Christ that enables them to fulfill their assignment.
So when we see Zerubbabel and Joshua,xiv or the two witnesses in Revelation 11, or Peter and John in Acts, or Paul and Barnabas, or Charles Finney and Daniel Nash,xv etc. empowering the people of God to let their light shine, we are ultimately seeing the Christ anointing. He is the only source of that anointing. He is the light of the world. But he manifests his grace through people like Zerubbabel and Joshua. Ultimately all the glory goes to Messiah Jesus. It is his anointing that breaks the yoke, regardless of who he is working through.
The details of this vision are not as important as the message being conveyed.
III. MESSAGE
The message had a immediate application for Zechariah’s context but is a timeless revelation with application for today.
How will Zerubbabel and his companions get their assignment done? How will you and I get our assignment done? The answer is the same in both situations. The answer is in the text:
(1) Zech. 4:6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.”
The Hebrew word translated might “is a general word for human resource,” such as physical strength or wealth. In Exodus 14:9 it is translated army. The word translated power is a close synonym. It also means human strength but can focus more on ability or efficiency.xvi The point being made is that the completion of the temple will not get done through human strength or ability. It will get accomplished through the enablement of the Spirit. Just as the flow of oil keeps the light shining in the lampstand, the supply of the Spirit is what will give you success in the endeavor.xvii
(2) The obstacles will be removed. Verse 7: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!” Remember what Jesus said about mountains? Mark 11:22-23, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” He was not suggesting the use of bulldozers and other earth-moving equipment. He was saying God will supernaturally remove the mountain. Some think the mountain in our text is all the rubble from the previous destruction of the temple. That may or may not be the case. It doesn’t matter. The principle is that God will remove the obstacles for his people.
(3) The assignment will get accomplished by the grace of God. The temple will get completed. Verse 7 concludes, “And he [Zerubbabel] shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" They will be joyfully declaring how beautiful it is.xviii
(4) And it will get accomplished in your lifetime. Zerubbabel laid the foundation, but he will still be there when the project is completed. Zechariah 4:8: “Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.”
(5) This all happens because God has promised it. Verse 9: “Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.” That ultimately refers to Messiah. But we do have here a fulfillment of God’s word in Zechariah’s day as well.
(6) Out of small beginnings, God will accomplish great things. Verse 10: “For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth."
Conclusion:
Take heart. You may be working with small beginnings. The greatest event in human history, began with a baby born in a barn. God is a master at accomplishing his purposes with the little we have. But it doesn’t get done by human strength and ingenuity. It gets done by the flow of the Holy Spirit. May we be vessels open to that flow. May God’s light shine through us to a dark and lost world.
ENDNOTES:
i “Grace, grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within Grace, grace, God’s grace Grace that is greater than all our sin.”
Julia H. Johnston, “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,” in Hymns of Glorious Praise (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1969), 200.
ii See part 1 of this series: “Zechariah: God Remembers.”
iii All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
iv Mark J. Boda, Haggai, Zechariah, The NIV Application Commentary, Terry Muck, gen. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 271.
v Cf. Isa. 42:6; 49:6; Luke 2:32; John 1:4; 12:46.
vi Cf. Rev. 1:12-13, 20; 2:1.
vii Cf. Gen. 12::3; Deut. 7:7.
viii A lot of debate about what the menorah represents could be put to rest if we simply understand it as symbolic of God manifesting spiritual light through his representatives on the earth—whether it be Israel in the Old Testament, or Jesus when he was on earth, or Christians today, or the nation of Israel during the Millennium.
ix Merrill F. Unger, Zechariah: Prophet of Messiah’s Glory (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 71.
x “The oil is indubitably that which God supplies in order to enable the lamps to give light. That is without doubt His Sprit. In the Scriptures oil regularly typifies the Holy Spirit, not so much as He works moral results [that was addressed in Zechariah’s fourth vision in chapter 3] but rather as to physical achievements, cf. on the general thought Isa. 60:1; Luke 4:18, 19; Acts 10:38.” H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Zechariah (Grand Rapids: Baker Book, 1978) 85.
xi Boda understands the two olive trees as representing Haggai and Zechariah. But the vision being interpreted was not about Zechariah, and the injection of Haggai into the interpretation seems even more forced. Mark J. Boda, Haggai, Zechariah, The NIV Application Commentary ()274-276.
xii “The original Hebrew reads, ‘These are the two sons of oil,’ which we might almost translate ‘oily ones.’ The ESV interprets this rightly, that these two are the ones who were anointed for office.” Richard D. Phillips, Zechariah, Reformed Expository Commentary, R. D. Phillips and P. G. Ryken, eds. (), 111.
xiii Phillips, 111.
xiv In Zechariah 3:8 Joshua is told that they are a sign of something greater. “Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant
the BRANCH.” Joshua, the priest, and Zechariah, the kingly figure, are types that represent the coming BRANCH, the King-Priest Messiah Jesus.
xv See J. Paul Reno, “Daniel Nash 1775-1831 – Prayer Warrior for Charles Finney,” Hope-Faith-Prayer.
Accessed at Daniel Nash 1775-1831 – Prayer Warrior for Charles Finney | HopeFaithPrayer.
xvi Unger, 75-76.
xvii The Hebrew word used in this passage for oil (yishar) indicates “fresh oil, shining pure oil” (Strong’s # 3323) or as Meyers and Meyers put it: “fresh new oil of olives.” They then labor to deny the anointing connotation in the text, choosing to emphasize prosperity instead. They writes, “Had the prophet wished to indicate unequivocally that the two figures were anointed, officially inducted into two offices—presumably those of high priest and king, for which the anointing with oil was practiced—he could well have chosen šemen (‘oil’), which designates the liquid of anointment. . . or mašîah, ‘anointed one’ (BDB 603).” Carol L. Meyers and Eric M. Meyers, Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, The Anchor Bible, W. F. Albright and D. N. Freedman, eds. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1987) 258. While the technical precision of Myers is appreciated, one must not lose sight of the overall meaning given in Zech. 4:6. The emphasis of the message is that human resources are not the answer, it is the supply of the Spirit that will accomplish the purposes of God. Certainly, that included the anointing for Jesus (Luke 4:18) and the early Church (Acts 1:8; 4:33; 1 Thess. 1:5). That anointing/empowerment of the Spirit is essential for us as well (1 Cor. 2:4-5; 4:20) and this is the central meaning of the vision. It is probable that Zechariah used the word yishar to simply emphasize the freshness of the oil proceeding from the olive trees. Richard Phillips correctly associates the ministry-anointing concept in the term “anointed ones” as do most translations. The message of the vision focuses on the flow of the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the oil) as the way the lampstand fulfills it’s function of supplying light.
xviii Unger, 77.
