4:1-14 The Lampstand and the Olive Trees - Clover Sites



4:1-14 The Lampstand and the Olive Trees Vision four and five are the heart of Zechariah’s eight visions. Last week we studied vision four about the High Priest, Joshua. God removed his filthy garments and clothed him in clean garments. Now God turns and addresses vision five to his associate, Zerubbabel. As we saw in Haggai, Zerubbabel is the governor. He is the one overseeing the construction of the temple. He is the direct heir to King David’s throne. (Zec 4:1-14) And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “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?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he 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 forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’?” 8 Then 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 complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” The Message: “Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit” Last week’s vision was an endorsement of the High Priest, Joshua. This week’s vision is an endorsement of Zerubbabel, the governor. Zerubbabel and the people he leads are rebuilding the temple. God wants him to know that his mission will be successful. He will finish the temple. This encouragement is important. Before Zerubbabl is some kind of insurmountable obstacle. Verse 7 calls it a mountain, but it does not tell us what that mountain is. Maybe it was a lack of funds. Maybe it was an epidemic. It might have been persecution. It might have been internal dissension. Maybe it was exhaustion. We don’t know. But the text tells us that it was like a mountain before Zerubbabel, and that God was going to remove it. 6 Then he 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 forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’?” 8 Then 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 complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. This mountain-obstacle God will turn into a plain. God will give Zerubbabel grace to finish what he started. In the words of the angel, Zerubbabel will hold the plumb line. The governor will live to celebrate placing the capstone on the finished temple. However, here is the important point. It will not be by “might. Nor it by human power, but by my Spirit (Ruah, breath), says the Lord.” God will use human effort to finish the temple, but If God doesn’t blow with the breath of his power, the temple will not be finished. In other words, Zerubbabel and the builders are utterly dependent upon God. Conclusion? Zerubbabel is to work as if it all depends on him, but rest as if it all depends upon God. God has promised to ensure the completion of the building project. Two Supporting Signs Our text contains two supporting signs/symbols that confirm the dependence of both Zerubbabel and his helpers. They are the lampstand and the olive trees. The Lampstand An artist’s rendition of the lampstand is on the front of the bulletin. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” …Before answering Zechariah’s question, an interlude occurs (vs 6-10a). The angel conveys the main message to Zechariah, which we just read. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” Then, in the last half of Vs 10 he returns to the prophet’s question, and here is how he answers it. 10b “These seven (meaning the lampstand) are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” How should we interpret this answer? First, it can’t mean that the Lampstand represents God. Why? The lampstand is dependent on oil from the olive trees, and God is dependent on nothing. The best way to discern the meaning of the Lampstand is to let scripture interpret scripture. Let’s see what it represents elsewhere in scripture. The most important parallel occurs in Revelation. This should not surprise us. Revelation, like Zechariah, is apocalyptic literature. Most of Zechariah’s symbols reappear in Revelation, but usually in fuller detail. Turn to Rev 1:12, pg 1028. The apostle, John, is in prison. While worshipping on the Lords Day he has a vision—“12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. Verse 12 and 13 are a parallel description of Zechariah’s lampstands 600 years later. But Revelation gives us more detail than Zechariah. The Son of Man stands in the midst of the lampstand. Next verses 14-16 describe the Son of Man. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. John sees seven details. Each tells us something about the identity of the Son of Man. It closes by connecting the lampstand and the Son of Man. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Here is the big idea. The seven-sticked lampstand in Zechariah represents the church. The church is a lamp. Jesus referred to us as the light of the world. (Mt 5:14-16) 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. The lamp has seven candles because it represents seven, specific, local churches. Christ stands in the midst of the lampstand. In other words, he stand in the midst of his church. He stands as the omnipotent, all-powerful, sovereign King who says, “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” In other words, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” The concept that God applied to Zerubbabel and the exiles, the picture in Revelation applies to all believers everywhere. In summary, the lampstand represents the church in both Old and New Testaments. The church is “the light of the world.” Christ stands in her midst. That is why the church stands today. This is not baby Jesus in the manger. The One who stands in our midst is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the ancient of days, the one who judges the living and the dead, and the warrior who strikes down his enemies with the sword that proceeds from his mouth. This is who stands in our midst this morning. What about the two olive trees? Two Olive Trees The second object Zechariah sees are two olive trees positioned to the right and left of the lampstand. The ancients used olive oil to fuel their lamps. So a pipe runs from the Olive Trees to a bowl on the top of the lampstands. Olive oil flows from the trees, through the pipe, to the bowl and then downwards to fuel the seven brightly burning wicks. In verse 12 the prophet asks the angel to identify the olive trees. 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” An “anointed one” is someone soaked or drenched in the Holy Spirit. The literal Hebrew for “anointed one” is “sons of oil.” Olive Oil was a symbol of the anointing, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. God anointed the Old Testament saints with the power of his Holy Spirit to accomplish a specific mission. Samuel anointed David with olive oil when he called him to be King of Israel. The prophets were anointed with the Holy Spirit (1Kg 19:16). The priests were also “anointed” for their work (Ex 28:41). Jesus, as the fulfillment of the prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Testament, was anointed to perform the work of redemption. The title “Christ” or “Messiah” merely means “anointed one.”The two Olive Trees in Zechariah’s vision stand for the “two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.” Most commentators agree that the Olive Trees represent the High Priest, Joshua, and the Governor, Zerubbabel. In other words, the trees represent men raised up by God and equipped with the Holy Spirit to enhance the spiritual light that shines from God’s people. Through their ministries flows power to make the lampstand shine brighter. This interpretation becomes even more evident in Revelation 11. (Rev. 11:3-6, pg 1034) 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes [Elijah]. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying [Elijah], and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire [Moses]. In summary, in Zechariah the two trees are the High Priest, Joshua, and the Governor, Zerubbabel. But here the two trees represent Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, and Moses, the greatest Old Testament pastoral leader. In other words, twice these trees have appeared. In Zechariah they represent the priesthood and the kingship. In Revelation they represent the prophets and the shepherds of Israel. So what should we conclude? The Olive Trees represent God’s leaders throughout history raised up and anointed with his Spirit for various tasks. God anoints them with his Spirit. They become a means of grace to God’s people. The anointing oil flows through them to the Candlestick and the spiritual light intensifies. Conclusion: Here is the big idea: God wants Zerubbabel to know that he will finish the temple, but it will not be through human strength or ingenuity. God’s Spirit will complete the work and it will all be of grace. The mountain will become a plain. That has been the pattern throughout history. God supplies the anointed ones, (Spiritual leaders) with grace to make the churches light glow with great intensity. Application: Rest in God! “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit applies” just as much today as it did in 518 BC. It applies to everything we do. This truth equips us to work extremely hard, but from a position of rest. The opposite is an ugly control that says in desperation, “If I don’t do it, who will?” We will close with two points of application. Ultimately only Christ modeled this principle perfectly He is the ultimate “anointed one” who stands by the Lord of all the earth.” Remember, He is the Christ, the anointed One! He is the One to whom Zechariah’s vision ultimately applies. God gave his Son the Holy Spirit without measure. How did the anointing affect him? It made him completely dependent on the Father. It brought him into the rest of faith. It taught him to wait upon God and not take things into his own hands. He could do this because he believed that it was “Not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.” His faith equipped him to rest. Because Jesus believed this he was motivated and equipped to obey God. If God’s Spirit is the ultimate mover, then the most important thing we can do is please the Holy Spirit. This was Jesus’ confidence. It equipped Jesus to do the one thing that no one thought would make the lampstand shine. He went to the cross and died. In other words, his confidence in God freed him to use God’s means. Faith in this principle equipped Jesus to resist the temptation to attract people with minimal truth content or entertainment. These were not Jesus’ means. Those who share Jesus’ confidence will use Jesus’ means. In other words, they will accomplish God’s work with Gods’ tools. God’s tools are prayer, preaching, and obedience. So, for example, the only man that didn’t need to pray, Jesus Christ, spent whole nights in prayer. He spent all of his time preaching, and he preached truth that was exceedingly offensive. For example, in Matt. 23 he called the Pharisees “children of Hell,” “blind guides,” “Hypocrites,“ “whitewashed tombs,” and “serpents,” even ”a brood of vipers.” In Matthew chapter 4 the Devil tempted Jesus to use another means, he does that also to you and I. (Mt 4:8-10) "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Sometimes, on the short term, there is often little fruit for the one who uses God’s means. Jesus’ experience was dismal. Of the thousands to whom he ministered, only 120 remained in the Upper Room after his death. It didn’t matter. Jesus’ was convinced that “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit” was the key to God’s Kingdom. He knew that obedience was the key. God blesses the obedient with the power of his Holy Spirit. Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. He sat down at the Fathers right hand. On the basis of his atoning work he asked his Father for the Holy Spirit. He must have said something like this, “Father, you told Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit.’ I have believed this. I demonstrated that I was the ultimate “anointed one” by going to the cross. Now Father, give me your Holy Spirit. I want to pour it out on my church.” The Father said, “Yes!” On Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on the infant church. In other words, on the basis of his death and resurrection, Jesus, the anointed one, “anointed” his Bride, the church, with his Spirit. He became Zechariah’s Olive tree. The apostles were the pipes through whom the Holy Spirit passed into God’s people. The flame flickered and grew into a mighty blaze of moral and spiritual light. In Zechariah’s vision it took leaders working in tandem to produce oil for the lampstand’s light. One leader stood on either side of the Lampstand. But in Revelation chapter one Jesus Christ stands in the midst of the lampstand, and he stands there alone. His presence is sufficient to fuel the light of his people. God’s ultimate temple, the church, will not be built by human might. Human power is inadequate. The success and prosperity of the church will depend entirely upon the breath of God’s Spirit blowing on it. And God blows to the degree that we use his means. Everyone who has God’s anointing—the Olive Trees in Zechariah’s vision— imitate Jesus’ example. God builds his church with “anointed ones” that he sends. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mt 16:18) "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. How does Christ fulfill this commitment to build his church? In the words of Zechariah, how does Christ infuse the lampstand with oil? He does it giving the church anointed Leadership. The way you know they have God’s anointing is not miracles, large crowds, or great preaching. It is their willingness to imitate Jesus. Their life and work makes the churches light shine brighter. They imitate Jesus. God’s anointed build with God’s means. PrayerPreaching Biblical Fellowship Baptism and Communion Church DisciplineBecause they believe that it is not human strength that builds the church, but God’s Spirit, God’s leaders reject unbiblical means. What do unbiblical means look like? The first is prayerlessness coupled with a program-driven approach to church life. Another symptom would be reliance upon rational argument to win sinners instead of telling them the truth. A last symptom would be reliance upon parachurch organizations to the exclusion of the local church. Contrast these approaches with Paul. He was one of Zechariah’s anointed Olive Trees. Through him grace flowed to the church. He was convinced that it was not by might, not by power, but by God’s Spirit. (1 Co 2:1-5) "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."Closing Questions: Do you believe this?Are you willing to encourage the use of God’s means to build the church? Are you willing to rely upon God’s means to reach your children for Christ? Are you praying that God will raise up Olive Trees through whom the Holy Spirit can flow to the lampstand? “Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send out laborers into the Harvest.” Are you willing to rely upon God’s means to reach your lost friends, your relatives, your children, etc.? “Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord”HomeGroup Study QuestionsRead Zechariah 4:1-14. What is the main idea in this passage? (Hint: Verse 6) What did the Lampstand represent? (Hint: Rev. 1:20). What did the two Olive Trees that pumped olive oil into the lampstand represent? (Hint: Rev. 11:3-6). How did the relationship between the Olive Trees and the Lampstand amplify the main idea that it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit? How would your life change if you really believed that it is “not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit?” How would GCF, or any other church, change what we do if we really believed this? ................
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