Chapter Four

Fifth vision: 1–5. The prophet’s vision of a lampstand and two olive trees. 6–10. The word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. 11–14. The meaning of the two olive branches explained.

Zechariah 4:1. Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a man who is awakened from his sleep. From Zech 4:1 it is clear that a second series of revelations begins here, set apart from the first by an interval during which the interpreting angel withdrew, or the prophetic inspiration left the prophet.

Zechariah 4:2. And he said to me: “What do you see?” And I answered: “I see a lampstand all of gold, and a bowl for oil on top of it, and seven lamps upon it, and seven tubes for the lamps that are on top of it; According to Keil’s interpretation, the seven lamps represent the image of the chosen people, which shines before the Lord with the light of their knowledge of God and illuminates the darkness of pagan ignorance of God. The lampstand itself, in this case, signifies the external structure of the Old Testament Church; and the oil, which sustains the burning of the lamps and the light flowing from them, are symbols of the Spirit of God. The lampstand seen by the prophet has special arrangements so that the light of its lamps would never go out for lack of oil, symbolizing the spirit of God that sustains the Church. In its essential features, according to Holy Ephrem, “the golden lampstand... signifies the royal dignity, on which everything rests; the lamp on top of it signifies the priesthood. Two olive trees, one on the right side of the lampstand and the other on the left, signify two rulers of the people of Judah—Joshua and Zerubbabel, one of whom was anointed for kingship and the other for priesthood. Under the seven lamps, Holy Ephrem understands three post-captivity prophets and persons mentioned in Zech 6:10 the book of Zechariah (p. 223–224, cf. Theodoret 86).

Zechariah 4:6. Then he answered and said to me thus: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by an army, and not by force, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:7. “Who are you, O great mountain, before Zerubbabel? You shall become a plain, and he shall bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace upon it!’ Zechariah 4:8. And the word of the Lord came to me: Zechariah 4:9. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. Zechariah 4:10. For who disdains the day of small things? Yet these seven—they are the eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout all the earth. All this vision relates not to the condition of the Old Testament Church as it existed before the time of Zechariah, but principally to its future glory. The Levitical Church will be restored, and the rebuilding of the temple is the beginning of this restoration, which is necessary for the conduct of Old Testament worship. The Lord, having determined to restore Israel, will now use not external force, as was done, for example, at the exodus from Egypt, but the force of the Spirit; no difficulties can overcome this force. Before Zerubbabel stands what seems to be a great mountain of insurmountable obstacles in the construction of the temple and the restoration of the society that returned from captivity. But this mountain will become a plain. Zerubbabel, who laid the foundation of the temple, will also complete the construction; he will bring out the capstone, or, according to some, set (Vienna Vulgate) the stone that crowns the entire building, amid universal expressions of goodwill. Let those who doubt the successful completion of the undertaken enterprise and look with contempt upon the newly built temple as inferior in its splendor and richness of ornament to the pre-captivity temple, abandon their doubt and give way to the assurance that glory awaits the temple which does not promise to be magnificent outwardly. The appearance of Zerubbabel as builder of the temple should therefore call forth universal joy.

Zechariah 4:14. And he said: “These are the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of all the earth. The anointed ones are Joshua and Zerubbabel, representatives of priestly and royal power.