Zechariah

Chapter 4
{Note: Chapter four is the candlestick and the mountain. Historical background to the chapter: 536 BC, decree from Cyrus the Great permitting the Jews to go back into the land. But Jews going back into the land never terminates the 5th cycle of discipline. It is the reconstruction of the temple which indicates the end of the 5th cycle - 2 Chronicles 36:22-27; Ezra 1:1-5. 535 BC, rebuilding of the temple began. Under the 5th cycle of discipline the nation Israel is never recognized by God.

In 539 BC, the neo-Chaldean empire was destroyed. This was the night of the handwriting on the wall - Daniel 5.

In 535 BC, there was opposition to the construction of the temple by the Samaritans (Orientals in the land who had mixed Jewish blood now).

The work was stopped for about fourteen years; 521 BC, the new Persian king, Darius Hystaspes. He was apparently a born again believer and apparently encouraged renewal of the work on the temple. Haggai's ministry was solely concerned with resumption of work on the temple. 516 BC, the temple was completed. The Jews started the 4th cycle of discipline in 721 BC and this took them to 585 BC. During that time they were minus doctrine, as described in Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6. They were going into the 5th cycle of discipline because they were minus doctrine.

In 520 BC, the ministry of Zechariah faced a great mountain of opposition - which is going to be leveled by Bible doctrine and the ministry of the Spirit. Afterward would be a fantastic period of prosperity.}

{Verses 1-7: Restoration of Testimony}
1~~And the angel who talked with me
came again {the teaching angel again},
and woke me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

{Note: This verse is saying that Zechariah is exhausted. His exhaustion is based on mental fatigue. This is the result of the first three chapters of learning, of categorizing, of studying. Not only must he get these things himself but he must communicate these things - "waked"; exhausted - "sleep," deep sleep which comes from exhaustion. If the body is fatigued the mind does not generally function too well. There is a relationship between body and soul. The body demands rest so that the mind can work.}

2~~ And {the teaching angel} said unto me,
"What do you see?"
And I {Zechariah} said,
"I see and have beheld a lampstand all of gold,
with its bowl {reservoir of oil for fuel}
upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon,
and seven spouts belonging to the seven lamps,
which are on top of it."

{Note: The lampstand here is the same as the lampstand in the tabernacle which is described in Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24. The tabernacle lampstand was manufactured in a most unusual way. It was beaten out of a lump/talent of gold that was softened with heat. It was the only light permitted in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle.

a. The central branch represents the Lord Jesus Christ. While the six branches joined to it represents born again believers, seven is the number of completion. Six is the number of man in the Bible. When we are in union with Christ we are complete in phase two, with all of our problems, failures, difficulties; which means that God has provided for completed people to be complete, but it requires point of doctrine. The first thing learned from the lampstand is the principle of relationship. This means of course that we are not dealing with religion. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God.

b. The central branch has a light, it represents Christ as the Light of the world - 1 John 1:5; John 8:12. It represents the principle of God revealed to man. Christ is the revealed member of the Godhead, John 1:18. Concept: revelation of salvation is available to all. The gospel is available to all.

c. Each of the six branches has a light representing believers as witnesses. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14: "Ye are the lights of the world" (see Ephesians 5:8).

d. The oil in the central branch represents the Holy Spirit in sustaining Christ during the incarnation.

e. The oil in the other branches represents the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer - amplified by 4:6.}

{Principal of Separation of Spiritual/Church and State}
3~~Also two olive trees beside it,
one upon the right side of the bowl
  {represents civil Government - Zerubbabel - political leader},
and the other on the left side of the bowl
  {represents spiritual side - Joshua}.

{Note: See Revelation 11:4. Here the two olive trees are Zerubbabel and Joshua who will rebuild the temple. In the Tribulation, the two olive trees will be Moses and Elijah.}

4~~Then I {Zechariah} spoke to the {teaching} angel
that talked with me, and said,
"What are these, sir/'my lord' { 'adown}?
  {this is a word showing a sign of respect for his teacher}

5~~Then the {teaching} angel that talked with me
answered and said,
"Do you not know what these mean?"
And I said, " No, sir/'my lord'."

6~~ Then he {the teaching angel} answered
and spoke unto me, saying,
"This is the word of Jehovah/God to Zerubbabel, saying,
'Not by might, nor by power,
  {No energy of the flesh production has value - no human abilities or
  talents}
but by My Spirit { ruwach}
  {only via energy of the Spirit, is divine production generated},'
said Jehovah/God of the armies/hosts."

7~~"What are you, O great mountain?
  {this is a 'mountain of opposition' against the rebuilding of the
  temple}
Before Zerubbabel . . . {the mountain will become}
a plain {opposition flattened!}.
And he will place the headstone {in the wall}
with shouts, "Grace, Grace to it".

{Note: The mountain represents all the obstacles placed in the way of the Jews rebuilding the temple. Interference from the Samaritans, and then by other authorities, on and on resulted in the temple started by not worked on for 14 years. Satan is the mountain and the ultimate source of the interference.}

{Note: When the foundation was created, the last stone placed is called the 'cornerstone'. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. When that stone was placed a great cry went up mixed with the cries of the older 'legalists' (who said this temple was not as big as they remembered the original temple of Solomon was). This prophecy says Zerubbabel will complete the walls by placing the 'headstone'. Zerubbabel and his generation became a great 'can-do' generation. The way most great generations are - they failed, failed and failed again. Then picked themselves up, confessed their sins, forgot them, and kept on trying to do God's will better!}

{Verses 8-10: Restoration of Temple}
8-9~~Also the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar}
of Jehovah/God came unto me, saying, 9~~
"The hands of Zerubbabel
have laid the foundation of this house {BC 536}
  {means he personally laid the first stone of the foundation -
  the foundationstone - Ezra 3:8-13};
and his hands will finish it {BC 516}
  {means he personally will lay the last stone - gablestone - that
  finishes it also}.
And you will know
  {greatest virtue in the Christian life is knowledge of doctrine}
that Jehovah/God of the armies/hosts
has sent Me {Jesus Christ} to you."

10~~"For who has despised the day of small things?
  {the foundation of the second temple was smaller then the
  foundation of the one Solomon built and the 'wept' when it was laid
  - superficiality}
For they shall rejoice, when they shall see
the plummet-stone/gable-stone in the hand of Zerubbabel
  {the last stone making the building complete}
{present . . .} those seven . . . the eyes of Jehovah/God,
  {idiom meaning 'discerning' because the eyes are windows to the
  soul}
which run to and fro through the whole earth
  {Jesus Christ protected the city from enemies before the walls of
  the city were built}."

{Note: Seven represents a perfect number representing a perfect person - Jesus Christ - see also Zechariah 3:9, Revelation 4:5, and Revelation 5:6.}

{Verses 11-14: Restoration of Leadership}
11~~Then answered I and said unto him,
"What are these two olive trees
on the right side of the candlestick
and on the left side thereof?"

12~~And I answered again, and said unto him,
"What are these two olive branches
  {Zerubbabel and Joshua}
which through the two golden spouts
empty the golden liquid out of themselves?"
  {the golden liquid coming from then is bible doctrine}

{Note: From 516 to 323 BC will be the 'golden age' for Jerusalem. Both the political and spiritual leaders are strong and support God and the teaching of His Word.}

13~~And he {the teaching angel} said to me,
"Do you not know what they are?"
 And I said, "No, 'sir'/'my lord'."

14~~Then said he {the teaching angel},
These are the two 'sons of oil'
  {means 'anointed ones' - leaders - referring to Joshua and
  Zerubbabel}
who are 'standing by'/representing the Lord/ 'Adown
on the entire earth.

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