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Then the angel who had been talking with me woke me, as though I had been asleep.

“What do you see now?” he asked.

I answered, “I see a gold lampstand holding seven lamps, and at the top there is a reservoir for the olive oil that feeds the lamps, flowing into them through seven tubes. And I see two olive trees carved upon the lampstand, one on each side of the reservoir. What is it, sir?” I asked. “What does this mean?”

“Don’t you really know?” the angel asked.

“No, sir,” I said, “I don’t.”

Then he said, “This is God’s message to Zerubbabel:[a] ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’ Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple[b] with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone.”

Another message that I received from the Lord said:

“Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. (Then you will know these messages are from God, the Lord Almighty.) 10 Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. For these seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that see everywhere around the world.”

11 Then I asked him about the two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, 12 and about the two olive branches that emptied oil into gold bowls through two gold tubes.

13 “Don’t you know?” he asked.

“No, sir,” I said.

14 Then he told me, “They represent the two anointed ones who assist the Lord of all the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:6 to Zerubbabel, Governor of Judah, who was given the responsibility for rebuilding the Temple. See Haggai 1:1; 2:23, etc.
  2. Zechariah 4:7 Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple, literally, “he will bring forth the capstone.” declaring that all was done by grace alone, or “with mighty shouts, ‘How beautiful it is!’” or “‘The Lord bless it!’”

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(A) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(B) He asked me, “What do you see?”(C)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(D) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(E) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees(F) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.(G)

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(H) ‘Not(I) by might nor by power,(J) but by my Spirit,’(K) says the Lord Almighty.

“What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(L) Then he will bring out the capstone(M) to shouts(N) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(O) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(P) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(Q) to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day(R) of small things,(S) since the seven eyes(T) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(U)

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(V) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed(W) to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
  2. Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and

And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

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:

And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

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.

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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.

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.

11 Then answered I, and said unto him, 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 unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou 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.