INTRODUCTION.
We are continuing our exploration of the prophecies of Zechariah.
We are looking, at the moment, at the visions that God gave Zechariah, and are recorded in chapters 1 to 6. This time we are looking at the fifth vision: The Golden Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees.
These visions were given by God to Zechariah to bring hope to an oppressed people; a future when all seemed lost and hopeless.
They also teach that God is control, even when all seems to be going wrong. In fact, God uses the nations of the world to fulfil His will and His objectives in creation.
1. The Vision.
The Jews, who had returned from exile in Babylon, were building a replacement temple. It replaced the one destroyed as a punishment for their rebellion.
Compared with the one that had been destroyed, this temple was going to be a small and modest affair.
This vision is an encouragement to the people, and its leaders. They should not be discouraged because God often works His will through the ordinary, the small, and the unpretentious.
Remember, when the people of Israel wanted a king, as the people around them had kings. God’s anointed was amongst the sons of Jesse; but the anointed one was not the obvious: the first born, the mature, or the strong – His anointed was the young shepherd boy David. David was used by God to build Israel into a great and wealthy power in the region.
God uses the ordinary things of life. He uses the ordinary people to work out His will.
What did Zechariah see? He saw a lampstand with a large bowl on top. We are probably tempted to have a picture of what we think of as a traditional seven pillared candlestick holder. This would be wrong. It is more likely to have been a tall column, like a tree trunk, with a bowl on the top. At this point the Hebrew is not so clear. It could be that there were seven lips on the edge of the bowl into which wicks could be inserted, or that there could have been seven extension bowls with seven lips with wicks inserted. Whatever the actual picture was does not really matter. What we can understand is that this lampstand was a very powerful source of light, being made entirely of gold and very large. From the detail in which it has been described, it is even possible that Zechariah was involved in its design or construction.
On each side of the lampstand stood an olive tree, with their branches stretching out over the bowl of the lamp. These two olive trees, with their branches, puzzled Zechariah. "What are these?" (verse 4, 5). The angel delays answering the question.
As so often happens in life, we need some more information before we can understand an answer. When leading academic discussions, and a student asks a question, it is often necessary to explain or even discuss a series of related matters, before giving the answer -- otherwise the answer does not have its full and true meaning.
This is the same with God. The Christian life is a mystery. So many things happen in our lives which we cannot understand. We ask God for the answer and wonder why he does not give us the answer. Could we cope with the answer, or fully understand it if it were given?
Take God’s answer to sin, the sacrifice of his Son whereby the Blood of the Lamb washes away all traces of our sin and guilt. No, we do not fully understand it. So much we have to take on faith, accepting that God knows what he’s doing. We just have to accept the fact that Jesus died to save us and that our acceptance of this wonderful gift, taking Jesus as our Saviour, is our way back to the kingdom of heaven. A wonderful mystery, which will not be fully understood until after we have come together on that Judgment Day.
So what are these two olive trees? Move forward to vv11-14. Note that they are pouring out "golden oil” into the lamp bowl. The angel tells us that they are the "anointed". I believe that it means that God will continue to pour out His blessings upon His people when they are faithful to Him. The "anointed" are the two anointed rulers, Zerubbabel (the civil leader) and Joshua (the High Priest).
God will use mere men and women, even those who consider themselves to be weak and insignificant, to fulfil his will and purposes. It is not by the might or power of people that God will accomplish his wonders, is through the powerful, supernatural working of his Holy Spirit.
2. The Oracle.
This is the explanation piece, which gives full meaning to the vision.
“’Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (V6)
"What are you, Oh mighty mountain?" (v7)
Only a small band of exiles had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. With the surrounding people in continual opposition, they would have felt intimidated. Also, they had returned to build a temple to the Lord. A gargantuan feat, have they bitten off more than they could chew? Also, though such a great feat, the temple they were building was insignificant compared with the one that been destroyed.
The message to Zerubbabel and to us now is twofold:
1. God can work through the week and insignificant (V6), because he is not relying upon our strength or our abilities. He is working through us and empowering us with his Holy Spirit. It is God working in us that accomplishes his wonders. It is also God working in us that means that we can accomplish all that we need to do. As Paul reminds us, (1 Cor 3:16) “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” We are the temple of the living God. He indwells us in His full might and majesty.
2. There are no problems that are too big (v7). Building the temple may have seemed a gargantuan task. The people may have felt demoralised in the face of this task; many were giving up on this impossible task. "Why not just get on and enjoy life? Why spend so much time, effort and resources on building something that cannot be done?"
Keep on going. It is God’s task it will be accomplished. There was a news item only this week of the Christian lady who had gone out to help the children of the poor in India. There are so many millions of poor, so many hundreds of thousands of children being abused by their alcoholic parents. These parents had come to rely upon their children to bring in the money so they could buy more alcohol, to feed their misery. What could one woman do in the midst of so much misery and poverty? God used her. The children she has helped are now growing up, and those children are now planning to set up their own support centres for the abused children of the alcoholic parents in India.
Keep on going, because God or will bring joy (V7). When the capstone is laid, when the finishing touches are put in place, there will be a heavenly outcry of “God bless it! God bless it!" (V7).
There has been a heavenly outcry of joy over one capstone. The capstone which is a stumbling block to the nations. Jesus. When Jesus arose from the grave and then ascended into heaven, there was a great outcry of joy as the seemingly impossible mountain of our sin was levelled into a plain for ever.
The encouragement for the people of Jerusalem was that Zerubbabel would lay the capstone to the temple. The seemingly impossible task would be achieved. For us, Jesus is the capstone who has been laid as the finishing touches to the plan of our salvation.
(v10) "Who despises the day of small things?" Do not despise the small or insignificant. Through the Spirit of God they can be the means of great things being accomplished.
v10 refers to a "plumbline" in the hands of Zerubbabel. This is probably incorrect; it more probably means "the stone that separates" or "stone of separation". When the people see the capstone in the hands of Zerubbabel they will be seeing the stone that separates the believers and the unbelievers; the followers of God and the enemies of God. In the same way Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, those who accept him and those who reject him. Those who will be part of the kingdom of God and those will be separated from God for all eternity.
3. The Messiah for us.
(v10) "the day of small things" God was also warning the people of Jerusalem to look for their Messiah who was to come from a lowly source, in a surprisingly unpretentious manner.
The two olive trees represented Joshua and Zerubbabel; the priest and the Davidic prince; they were, together, going to be God’s vessels for bringing hope to a community which felt small, insignificant and not up to the task.
Through the high priest the people gain forgiveness of sins and access into the presence of God. Through the prince the temple is finished and the light from a glorious lampstand is able to shine out God’s glory into all the world. Neither was complete without the other.
The Jews were looking the two messiahs, one priestly and one Davidic. God was here warning them that not only would the Messiah come from a humble and unpretentious background, but that he was also going to bring the two into one. This happened in Jesus where the two messiahs were brought together into the one Christ.
CONCLUSION.
What do we see here for us today? Most importantly I believe we see that with God the impossible becomes possible.
It was the breath of God that worked in creation (Gen 1:2). It was the breath of God that opened and closed the Red Sea so that the people of Israel could escape from the Egyptians. It was the breath of God that brought life to the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision, bringing dead people back to life.
It was God’s intention for the rebuilding of the temple to be a task that was too great. The work, the way it was done, the provision of the materials and the completion of the building were all to be a witness to God.
Only if His Spirit governs every detail of our lives can our service be glorifying to him.
But remember, when we are in service to him, nothing is too great, nothing is too difficult. He will provide all that we need.
(V6) "’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Today, are you living in and relying on God’s Holy Spirit, or are you trying to rely on your own might and power?
