A Lampstand and Olive Trees

Zechariah 4:1-14 

1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, "What do you see?"

So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left." 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "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?"  And I said, "No, my lord."

6 So he answered and 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 forth the capstone
With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

9 "The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

10 For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the LORD,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth."

11 Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?" 12 And I further answered and said to him, "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?"

13 Then he answered me and said, "Do you not know what these are?"
And I said, "No, my lord."

14 So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."

Here is a vision of a lampstand and of olive trees shown to Zechariah for us to consider in historical and prophetic ways.  The angel shook the prophet awake to see these things and to explain them to a point, leaving some mystery for us to fathom looking back in view of fulfilled prophecy and further understanding by the coming of Jesus and His apostles afterwards to explain some things further.  The angel began by asking what Zechariah saw when presented with the vision set before him.  He observed the lampstand with seven lamps and a bowl on top.  On either side stood an olive tree to supply the oil to burn to keep the lamp lit (Exodus 25:31-32, 27:20-21) continually to keep the worship of the LORD ongoing as a never ending reminder.  The trees standing to each side meant the supply was always nearby.  The question was asked as to what these were, what did it all mean.  The answer was not exactly what Zechariah might have expected; he was told that the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel made it clear that all was done by God’s Spirit and not according to the efforts of man’s strength or rule.  In other words, all was in the hands of the Omnipotent Sovereign LORD who alone made history by raising and taking down kingdoms.  This Zerubbabel was a type of Christ to come as absolute ruler who would not just rebuild an earthly temple, but construct a heavenly one of Himself for us to worship in by His light as an eternal lamp in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23).  The shouts of that work would resound through all time with, “Grace, grace to it!” as the grace of God’s work in Christ according to His Word.  This Zerubbabel pictured Christ as the one to lay the solid foundation (Luke 6:48, 1 Corinthians 3:11) and He alone would finish that work to build His house for eternal worship (John 19:28-30, Philippians 1:6), both corporately and individually.  This is how we know that God sent and spoke through the prophets, that these things have come true.  The plumb line was given to the man Zerubbabel as a picture of Christ to measure what is straight and stands true.  The seven lamps are also used to represent the angelic messengers as His eyes going throughout the whole world to observe (2 Chronicles 16:9) which seem to correspond to the seven angels mentioned in Revelation as well who look over the hearts of men in action to see who follows the LORD faithfully.  The two olive trees are then more fully explained as being anointed ones who stand beside God Himself as mentioned later in Revelation 11:4 in the judgment to come.  This all assures us that God is Sovereign and is working to build not only an earthly temple, but His eternal house of worship and praise for His work of saving grace and that He tests our hearts and observes our faithfulness.  His plan is certain and has been laid out from the beginning to end.  We can trust and hope with certainty in all these things.