Zechariah 04: (I encourage you to read this chapter in your own Bible first.) Reading #854 The candlestick vision Soon after Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel, the prophet received a message regarding the work of Zerubbabel the governor (they did not have a king). While rebuilding the temple, the people had faced many difficulties, for the surrounding nations (with their religions) were against them, but the LORD had given them the courage to stand through this, even when orders came from a king to give up. But now they required some more encouragement, and a greater understanding of what they were needed to do. Zechariah 4: 1 And the angel that talked with me came again [soon after], and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep [and is drowsy, like the ten virgins of Matthew 25], 2 and said to me, What see you? [In this new vision.] And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a [large] bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes [from the bowl] to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. To those who were at home with with the sanctuary which was built in the wilderness, the candlestick or lamp-stand in this vision was quite familiar, and Zechariah would have been one of them. Moses had been told: Exodus 25: 31 And you shall make a [one] candlestick [a lampstand] of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his [main] shaft, and his branches, his bowls [decorations], his knops [knobs], and his flowers [almond blossoms], shall be of the same [lump of gold]. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it [the main shaft]; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side. 33 [And there shall be] three bowls [cup shaped] made [fashioned] like to almonds [blossoms, on each branch], with a knop [knob] and a flower [i.e. petals] in [on] one branch; and three bowls made like almonds [blossoms] 1
in the other branch, with a knop [knob] and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick [the main shaft] shall be four bowls [decorations] made like to almonds [blossoms], with their knops [knobs] and their flowers. 35 And there shall be a knop [knob] under two branches of the same [where they join the main shaft], and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. [One for each of the three double branches and one on the top of the main shaft.] 36 Their knops [knobs] and their branches shall be of the same [piece of gold]: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And you shall make the seven lamps thereof: and they [the priests] shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it [towards the centre of the room, for there were no windows in the building. It stood about chest-high on a man. See note 1.] (Solomon s temple, however, had ten candlesticks! 2 Chronicles 4:7. He liked to enlarge on God s word and had employed a half-worldly man to oversee the building, so it was somewhat different to the wilderness sanctuary. Read chapters 2 and 3 as well. The furniture had all been removed at the beginning of the exile but one candlestick had been returned for the second temple. The ark (throne) of God was never returned, for Jeremiah had hidden it in a cave outside of Jerusalem and it is there to this day. See notes 2-3. The second apartment of this temple was therefore empty of furniture!) Why the emphasis on the almond shapes? In another place, and to another person, God explained: Jeremiah 1:11-12. Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what see you? And I said, I see a rod [made] of an almond tree. Then said the LORD to me, You have well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it. The almond tree, a native of Israel, was known for its ability to produce blossoms before its leaves appeared. It was a fast grower! In Ecclesiastes 2
12:5 it is used to illustrate how quickly time seems to move when old age catches up on us! When there was a contest over who was being led by God, Aaron s rod that budded was made from an almond tree and it blossomed and fruited overnight. Numbers 17:8. But in Jeremiah s and Zechariah s visions God used the almond shapes to show us that He would do His work in us quickly. In our reading, He means us to see that those who accept the ability to overcome temptation and sin (in the right way), will make a short work of it. [Consider Romans 9:27-28.] We do not need to agonise long over temptation, or wait for deliverance for years, once we have accepted His power. But Zechariah was puzzled: Zechariah 4: 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said to me, Know you not what these be? [That s surprising!] And I said, No, my lord. There was something about this picture which was different. It had two trees standing beside the lampstand and a large bowl on the top of it. But the angel interpreter concentrated first on the general meaning of the vision. Which was: Zechariah 4: 6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by [human] might, nor by [man s] power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts [shall things get done]. [The candlestick in the sanctuary represented the Light of the Spirit, just as the table of showbread represented the Son of God as the Bread of Life. The only other item of furniture in the room was the golden altar on which the incense was burnt. When this was mixed with the prayers of God s people, a nice smell representing the righteousness of Christ was wafted over the curtain into what would have been the presence of God.] 7 [The angel continued] Who are you, O great mountain [of difficulty]? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain [easy to walk over]: and He [the Spirit] shall bring forth the headstone [the Cornerstone ] thereof [while you will respond] with shoutings, crying, Grace [a gift], grace [a gift] to [deal with] it. 3
The exercise of living faith is what is needed faith that hears and works by love. Galatians 3:2. And the Spirit is the foundation of that faith. There are those who tell us that we are to exert every energy of the soul in the work of overcoming, and then to look to Jesus to do what we could not do of ourselves. But think about that for a moment. Should we try to overcome temptation first, and THEN look to Jesus? Is that the faith and works spoken of by the apostle? (James 2:17.) Is it not first OUR works, then He makes up the deficiency? That sounds good, but it won t work!! We cannot battle with temptation, or the devil, so we need to ask Christ to save us from trying to be independent! Then He will show us what to do, and we will do His works in His strength. So the battle is with ourselves with our choices and not with sin. If we make the right choice, the following battle will be easy. In this case, there was still the possibility of giving in to discouragement, for as we saw in last week s reading temptation is continuous, and this is the greatest temptation of all, so this vision was given to Zechariah, and to us. Zechariah 4: 8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet [the plumb-bob] in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven [eyes on the stone]; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth [through His workers]. The rebuilding of the temple was a picture of us erecting the doctrines of truth brick by brick, and establishing a character in which the Son of God can be seen. (See note 4.) The way of the world is to start with great pomp and boasting, but God s way is to start small. How many want to become a great warrior for the LORD when what He desires is someone who will listen. So sometimes He trains us by disappointments or apparent failures, for it is His purpose that we should learn to overcome our normal choices. The victory is NOT over the difficulties, but our choice of what to do about them! To fight or be saved? Often we are tempted to falter before the perplexities and obstacles that confront us. But if we will hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast 4
unto the end, God will make the way clear. Success will come to us as we struggle against our choices. Before the intrepid spirit and unwavering faith of a Zerubbabel, great mountains of difficulty will become plains; and he or she whose hands have laid the foundation, even his hands shall also finish it. He shall bring forth the Headstone [Christ his Saviour] thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace [it is a gift], grace [it is a gift] unto it. Human power and human might did not establish the church of God, and neither can they destroy it no matter how much Satan tries. Not on the rock of human strength, but on Christ Jesus, the Rock of Ages was the church founded, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it as it progresses. Matthew 16:18. It is the presence of the Son of God that gives stability to His cause. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man [humanity], is the word that comes to us. Psalm 146:3. In quietness and in confidence [Sabbath rest] shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15. God's glorious work, founded on the eternal principles of right, will never come to nothing. It will go on from strength to strength, not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. The promise, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it, was literally fulfilled. The elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo [who was also a prophet. Zechariah 1:7]. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus [537BC], and Darius [520BC], and Artaxerxes king of Persia [457BC]. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar the twelfth month, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. Ezra 6:14-15. The decree issued later by Artaxerxes restored full religious rights and laws to the Jewish nation. But what about the trees? Zechariah 4: 11 Then answered I, and said to him [the angel guide], What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 12 And I answered again, and said to him, What be these two olive branches [on the trees] which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? In Zechariah's vision the two olive trees which were added to stand before God are represented as emptying the golden oil out of themselves through golden tubes into the topmost bowl of the sanctuary, which, of course, 5
represents Christ. From this the individual lamps of the sanctuary were being fed, that they might give a continuous bright and shining light. The source of the oil is shown as two living trees to underline the fact the supply will never run short, or fail. So from the anointed ones that stand in God's presence the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to His people, that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing. They are to become channels through which divine instrumentalities communicate to the world the tide of God's love. You are the light of the world, Jesus said. Matthew 5:14. We all need to study as never before the parable of the ten bridesmaids. (Matthew 25:1-13). Five of them were wise (and were translated), and five were foolish (and died). What made the difference? The wise took extra oil in their jars with their lamps. This is the holy oil represented in Zechariah 4. This symbolism is of the highest consequence to those who claim to know the truth. But if we do not practise the truth, we have not received the holy oil. The oil is received into vessels prepared for it. Which means that it is the Holy Spirit in the heart which works by love and purifies the soul. The dispensation in which we are now living is to be, to those that ask, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, the second Pentecost. We need to ask for His blessing, for to us is committed the arduous, but happy, glorious work of revealing Christ to those who are in darkness, and to proclaim the special truths for this time. For all this the presence of the Spirit is essential. We should pray for His manifestation now, for the LORD expects us to ask Him, and then it will morph into the latter rain, the final outpouring, without any extra effort. The former rain only leads to the grave. It seems that Zechariah still did not understand, so the angel gave another clue: Zechariah 4: 13 And he answered me and said, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth. In the last days, God also says: 6
Revelation 11: 3 And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1260 days, or 3 ½ years], clothed in sackcloth [feeling sad]. [As we have seen, prophecies often have three meanings, a local (historical), a continuous one, and a future application.] 4 These [witnesses] are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth [the law of Moses and the prophets: or, the Old Testament and the New; i.e. the voice of God to men]. 5 And if any man will [try to] hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies [by reflection]: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed [for we have been told that those who live by the sword will die by it]. 6 These [witnesses, who are also God s people operating through the Old and the New Testament prophecies] have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will [as often as they are set out in the Scriptures]. 7 And when they shall have finished [are near the end of] their [world-wide] testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit [Satan and his hordes] shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them [make their witness of no value]. 8 And their dead bodies [the books rejected and unread] shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our LORD was crucified [Jerusalem]. [Sodom illustrates active sinners, Egypt those who speak against the truth, and Jerusalem is a picture of the professed Christians.] 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations [all the world] shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves [the books are around but not read]. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented [criticised] them that dwelt on the earth. 11 And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they [the rejecters] heard a great voice from heaven saying to 7
them [the words of God], Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them [gave them the recognition they deserved]. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The purpose which God seeks to accomplish through His people today is the same that He desired to accomplish through Israel when He brought them forth out of Egypt. By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in the church (not the denomination, but the people), the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the most sinful people of the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people on the earth. The LORD has His eye upon every one of His followers; He has His plans concerning each. It is His purpose that those who practice His holy precepts shall be a distinguished people. To them today as well as to ancient Israel belong the words written by Moses through the Spirit of Inspiration: You are a holy people to the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6. [See also 1 Peter 2:9-10.] Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land where you go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding [sympathetic] people. For what nation [church] is there so great, who has God so nigh to them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:5-8. Even these words fail of expressing the greatness and the glory of God's purpose to be accomplished through His people. Not to this world only, but to the universe are we to make manifest the principles of His kingdom. The apostle Paul, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says: To me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable [never-ending] riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery [an unexplained or unseen truth], which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now to the 8
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Ephesians 3:8-10. However, we may have long followed the narrow path, but it is not safe to take this as proof that we shall follow it to the end. If we have walked with God in fellowship of the Spirit, it is because we have sought Him daily by faith, therefore the golden oil flowing through the golden pipes has been communicated to us from the two olive trees via the large bowl. But those who do not cultivate the spirit and habit of prayer (talking with, and listening to, God) cannot expect to continue to receive the golden oil of goodness, patience, long-suffering, gentleness, love, and the power of persuasion. The vision of God to Zechariah shows where the holy golden oil comes from, and how its bright light which the LORD kindles in the chambers of the soul gives light through good works to the world. Satan will work furiously to quench the light God has for every soul, by casting his shadow across the pathway to intercept every ray. He knows that his time is short. We must stay close to God, else we will lose our bearings. If we cherish hereditary and cultivated traits of character that misrepresent Christ, while claiming to be His disciples, we will be as the man coming to the gospel feast without having on the wedding garment (Matthew 22), and by the foolish virgins which had no oil in their vessels with their lamps. We must stick to that which God pronounces to be truth, though the whole world may be arrayed against it. Bye for now, RonP In this reading the old-fashioned words of the KJV have been modernised, and in some instances, the manmade punctuation has been altered for greater understanding. Some of the comments are adapted from books in my library. No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own. Some of these readings are available as PDF files at http://ancient-sda.com/readings_pdf/books_index_pdf.html Note 1: Easton's Illustrated Dictionary In the temple erected after the Exile there was again but one candlestick, and like the first, with seven branches. It was this which was afterwards carried away by Titus to Rome [in 70AD], where it was deposited in the Temple of Peace. When Genseric plundered Rome, he is said to have carried it to Carthage (A.D. 455). It was recaptured by Belisarius (A.D. 533), and carried to Constantinople and thence to Jerusalem, where it finally disappeared. 9
Note 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/apocrypha The respect accorded to apocryphal books varied between Protestant denominations. In both the German (1534) and English (1535) translations of the Bible, the apocrypha are published in a separate section from the other books, although the Lutheran and Anglican lists are different. In some editions (like the Westminster), readers were warned that these books were not to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings. A milder distinction was expressed elsewhere, such as in the argument introducing them in the Geneva Bible, and in the Sixth Article of the Church of England, where it is said that the other books the church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners, though not to establish doctrine. [5] According to the Orthodox Anglican Church: On the other hand, the Anglican Communion emphatically maintains that the Apocrypha is part of the Bible and is to be read with respect by her members. Two of the hymns used in the American Prayer Book office of Morning Prayer, the Benedictus es and Benedicite, are taken from the Apocrypha. One of the offertory sentences in Holy Communion comes from an apocryphal book (Tob. 4: 8 9). Lessons from the Apocrypha are regularly appointed to be read in the daily, Sunday, and special services of Morning and Evening Prayer. There are altogether 111 such lessons in the latest revised American Prayer Book Lectionary [The books used are: II Esdras [aka Ezra], Tobit, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Three Holy Children, and I Maccabees.] The position of the [Anglican] Church is best summarized in the words of Article Six of the Thirty-nine Articles: In the name of Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church... And the other Books (as Hierome [St. Jerome] saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine. Note 3: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+maccabees+2&version=gnt 2 Maccabees 2 Good News Translation (GNT) Jeremiah Hides the Tent of the Lord's Presence 1 We know from the records that Jeremiah the prophet instructed the people who were being taken into exile to hide some of the fire from the altar, as we have just mentioned. 2 We also know that he taught them God's Law and 10
warned them not to be deceived by the ornamented gold and silver idols which they would see in the land of their exile. 3 And then he urged them never to abandon the Law. 4 These same records also tell us that Jeremiah, acting under divine guidance, commanded the Tent of the Lord's Presence and the Covenant Box to follow him to the mountain where Moses had looked down on the land which God had promised our people. 5 When Jeremiah got to the mountain, he found a huge cave and there he hid the Tent of the Lord's Presence [the old tabernacle], the Covenant Box [the ark of the covenant], and the altar of incense [the censer?]. Then he sealed up the entrance. 6 Some of Jeremiah's friends tried to follow him and mark the way, but they could not find the cave. 7 When Jeremiah learned what they had done, he reprimanded them, saying, No one must know about this place until God gathers his people together again and shows them mercy. 8 At that time he will reveal where these things are hidden, and the dazzling light of his presence will be seen in the cloud, as it was in the time of Moses and on the occasion when Solomon prayed that the Temple might be dedicated in holy splendor. Note 4: From my library: In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the abode of the divine Presence, was designed to be an object lesson for Israel and for the world. From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph [top angel] to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the 11
significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the Divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart, defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy thoughts. In cleansing the temple from the world's buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin, -- from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver. Malachi 3:1-3. 12