"Who Art Thou, O Great Mountain?

Zechariah Ch.4 & Ezra Ch.5

1. THE MYSTERY REVEALED - v. 2 "And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:" i.e.

There would be:-

(a) The Restoration of the Temple - golden candlestick

(b) The Revelation in the Temple - 7 lamps

(c) The Recognition of the Temple - work of Joshua (priest) and Jeruabbel would be accepted before God

v. 9 & 10 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth."

2. THE MESSENGERS REVIVED - Ezra 5 v. 2 "Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them."

It was a day of:-

(a) Small Things - v. 10 "For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth."

There was a problem of :-

(1) Difficulty with the work - rubbish and rubble

(2) Apathy in the work Haggai 1 v. 4 "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?"

(3) Subtlety to the work - Ezra 5 v. 3 "At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?"

(4) Jeopardy of the work - Ezra 5 v. 4 "Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?"

(b) Significant Things - Ezra 5 v. 5 "But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter."

God wanted it Ezra 5 v 1 "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them."

God watched it - Ezra 5 v. 5 "But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter."

God worked it - "They could not cause them to cease"

There was:_

No distracting the work, no disturbing the work, no deserting from the work -

Why? "The eye of their God was upon them"

(c) Spiritual Things - Ezra 5 v. 11 "And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up."

They had a right conception of their place - "stewarts", of their power, of the God of heaven, of their purpose - "and build the house" i.e. of their prize - a dwelling place for God - Ezra 5 v. 2 "Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them." their provision - Zechariah 4 v. 6 "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

- not by physical might, nor intellectual power, but by spiritual anointing - "by my spirit"

(a) For Conviction - John 16 v. 8 - 11 "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

(b) For Conversion - regenerates - 1 John 1 v. 12 & 13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: