The purpose of the vision of the golden lampstand is to show the people that the Lord would, by His own power complete the rebuilding and replenishing of Jerusalem though the assistance given to the project by its friends even though they were weak, and the resistance to the project even through it is very strong.
The vision begins with an awakening of Zechariah. It seems, though he was in conference with an angel about matters of great and public concern Zechariah became tired and fell asleep. It is also possible the angel let Zechariah rest for a while so that he might be fresh to receive new discoveries.
In our service for the Lord there are times when we need to take a break. There are times when we grow weary. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. It is in times like these we need the Holy Spirit to come and awaken us. We need Him to renew us.
The angel asked Zechariah, “What do you see? Zechariah said, “I see a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” Zechariah saw a golden lampstand like the one that was in the temple before it was destroyed and will stand in the temple being rebuilt. This golden lampstand has seven lamps branching out from it and each was a burning and shining light. The lampstand had
one bowl or common receiver, on the top of it into which oil was continually dropping, and from the bowl the oil was fed into the lamps. They received oil as fast as it was burned up and they never wanted, nor overflowed. They were always kept burning without any care or attendance of man.
The two olive trees were so fruitful that of their own accord they continually poured oil into the bowl, which by two larger pipes (v. 12) dispersed the oil into the bowl and from the bowl the oil was dispersed to the lamps, so that nobody needed to attend this lampstand or furnish it with oil.
The purpose of this vision of the golden lampstand is to show the Lord can easily and often does accomplish His gracious purposes concerning His people by His own wisdom and power, without any labor of man and He uses men as instruments in accomplishing His goal for humanity, yet He neither needs them nor is tied to them, but can do His work without them rather than let His purpose be unfulfilled. The Lord will do what He has said He will do regardless of spiritual and
physical resistance.
Zechariah doesn’t understand what is the meaning and purpose of the vision, he does what we should do when we encounter situations in this life we don’t under-stand. He asked the angel who was speaking with him., “What are these, my lord?”
Note if you will how respectfully Zechariah speaks to the angel, he calls him “my lord.” We need to remember, something that has been lost in this present age, those that want to be taught must give honor to their teachers. Zechariah saw there was something important in what he sees and he desired to know the meaning of what was being revealed to him. If we want to understand what the Lord is doing in our lives and the world we live in we need to ask questions. If we do the Lord will answer them.
The angel did what we are often told we should not do. He answers Zechariah’s question with a question, “Do you not know what these are?’ And Zechariah said, “No my lord.’” The angel asked Zechariah this question, to draw him from his own conclusions.
Visions have their own purpose and often are hard to understand. The prophets often found it hard to
understand what the Lord was revealing to them. But those that would be taught of the Lord must first acknowledge their own ignorance, and their need to be taught, and must seek instructions from the Lord. If we do this the Lord will teach us. The Lord will always teach the meek and humbled not those that are conceited and depend on their own understanding. We need to remember, man’s ways are not God’s ways.
Without an explanation of every element of the vision the purpose of the vision is lost. The good work of building the temple and Jerusalem must by under the special care of the Lord. It is important Zechariah and the people understand this. Men do not build the kingdom of heaven.
The builder is the Lord. He uses men to build His kingdom. We need to remember the enemies of the King are many and mighty. The friends and workmen are few and feeble.
In the explication of visions and parables, we must look at the principal purpose of them. Too often men take the visions and parables and twist and turn them to fit their purpose. Although we may not be able to explain every situation in a vision or parable or make it fit our purpose in life or what is happening in the world. Like the angel who let Zechariah know, in general what was the purpose of this vision, the Holy Spirit will often give us an explanation of a vision or parable that will enable us to understand something we may encounter in the future. The purpose of this
vision was to encourage the people and their leaders to go on with the building of the temple. Let them know they are working together with the Lord in the building of the temple. The Lord will carry on and complete this work, as He had begun their deliverance from Babylon, not by external force, but by internal influences upon the minds of men. He who makes this claim will do it not by human might or power, but by His own Spirit. What is done by the Holy Spirit is
done by might and power, but it stands in opposition to visible force. Israel was brought out of Egypt, and into Canaan, by might and power. But they were brought out of Babylon, and into Canaan the second time, by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts working upon the spirit of Cyrus, and inclining him to proclaim liberty to them, and working upon the spirits of the captives, and causing them to accept the liberty offered them. It was by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts that the
people were moved to rebuild the temple. It was by the same Spirit that the heart of Darius was moved to favor and further the good work that the sworn enemies of it could not hinder it.
The work of God is often carried on very successfully when it is carried on silently, and without the assistance of human force. The true church was not and is not being built by might or power, because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts whose work on the minds of men is mightier then the pulling down of strong-holds. All the difficulties and oppositions to the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem will be defeated, even those that seem insurmountable.
The enemies of the Jews are proud and hard as great mountains; but, when God has work to do, the mountains that stand in the way of it shall dwindle into mole-hills. All the difficulties shall vanish, and all the objections be overcome. Every mountain and hill shall be brought low when the way of the Lord is to be prepared (Isaiah 40:4). The same hand that has begun this good work will finish it. The hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the temple and though the
completion of the building has been long delayed and is still under opposition it shall be finished and Zerubbabel will live to see it finished. He will be involved in the finishing of the rebuilding of the temple. He will bring forth the head-stone with shoutings and loud acclamations of joy, among the spectators.
When the work is finished it must be thankfully acknowledged that it was not by any power of our own that it was brought to perfection, but that it was grace that did it. The Lord’s good-will towards us and his good work in us and for us. Grace must be applied not only to the head-stone, but to the foundation-stone, the corner-stone, and indeed to every stone in the Lord’s building, from first to last it is nothing of works, but all of grace, and all our crowns must be cast at the feet of free grace.
Grace is the language of prayer as well as of praise; now that this building is finished, all happiness attend it! Peace be within its walls. Let the beauty of the Lord be upon it! What comes from the grace of the Lord, may in faith, and upon good grounds, be committed to the grace of the Lord, for the Lord will not forsake the work of his own hands.
This shall be a full ratification of the prophecies of the Israelites’ return to the promised land and their settlement again in the land. The exact accomplishment of the prophecies is a convincing proof of their divine original. The Lord confirms the word of His servant, by saying to Jerusalem, you shall be built (Isaiah 44:26). No word of God shall fall to the ground, nor one iota or tittle of it. Zechariah’s prophecies of the approaching day of deliverance to the people shall effectual silence those that looked with contempt upon the beginning of this work.
The Israelites who had returned to Judah and Jerusalem despised the foundation of the second temple, because it was likely to be so far inferior to the first (Ezra 3:12). Their enemies despised the wall when it was in the building Nehemiah 2:19; 4:2-3). In the Lord’s work the day of small things is not to be despised. Though the instruments be weak and unlikely, the Lord often chooses them to bring about great things. As a great mountain becomes a plain before Him when He pleases, so a little stone, cut out of a mountain without hands, comes to fill the earth (Daniel 2:35). Though the beginnings be small, the Lord can make the end greatly increased; a grain of mustard-seed may become a great tree. Let not the dawning light be despised, for it will shine more and more to the perfect day. The day of small things is the day of precious things, and will be the day of great things.
Those that despaired the finishing of the work began shall rejoice when they see Zerubbabel busy among the builders, giving orders and directions and seeing to it that the work be done with great exactness, that it may be both fine and firm. It is a matter of great rejoicing to all good people to see their leaders careful and active in the building of the Lord’s house. To see a shovel in the hand of those who have power to do much more than being a laborer. The people do not see Zerubbabel with a trowel in his hand but see him with a shovel in his hand, and he considers it an honor to do what he can in the rebuilding of the temple. Zerubbabel does his part, does as much as man can do to forward the work, but he could do nothing if the watchful, powerful, gracious providence of the Lord did not go before him and go along with him in it. Except the Lord had built this house, Zerubbabel and the rest would have labored in vain (Psalm 127:1).
We must not think that the Lord is so busy with the affairs of His church He neglects the world. But it is a comfort to know that the same all-wise almighty Lord that governs the nations of the earth is concerned about the church. Those seven eyes that run through the earth are upon the stone that Zerubbabel is laying to see that it is properly laid. And those that have a part in the building of the church must look up to the eyes of the Lord and submit to His plan for the building of the church.
Enough is said to Zechariah to encourage him, and to enable him to encourage others, with reference to the building of the temple which was the principal intention of the vision. But he still questions that need to be answered. He understood the meaning of the lampstand with its lamps, but he wants to know what are these two olive trees.
The angel didn’t answer Zechariah’s first question so he asked the angel a second time what was the meaning of what he saw. If satisfactory answers are not given to our enquiries and requests we renew them, and repeat them. Zechariah’s second question varied some-what from the first. He first asked, “What are these two olive trees?” In the second he asked, “What are these two olive branches that hung over the bowl and distilled oil into it. When we enquire concerning the grace of the Lord it must be rather as it is communicated to us by the word of the Lord which is given to us and to our children rather than as it resides in the Lord where our grace springs from,
because that is one of the secret things that does not belong to us.
If the lampstand is a symbol of the visible church that is to be the source of light that comes from
above and the two branches represent the two anointed ones who receive direction from the Lord that are to be given to the people, they represent the office of priest and king. Their wisdom, courage, and zeal, were continually emptying themselves into the golden bowl, to keep the lamps burning; and, when they are gone, others shall be raised up to carry on the same work.
If the lampstand represents the true believers in Christ. The two anointed before the Lord of the whole earth represent Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Redeemer and the Comforter. From Christ and by the Holy Spirit all the golden oil of grace is poured out into those who are true believers in Christ. This is what keeps their lamps burning, and without a constant supply of which they would soon go out. The Son and the Holy Spirit stand by the Father ready to be sent out in the time appointed.
