Zechariah 4 - Lampstands and olive trees

The imagery seems strange to us and our immediate reaction is just “get to the point”. So what is it all about? Well, let’s remember the situation. Rebuilding work has been going on, but very falteringly, with much opposition and general discouragement. The point of this vision is to encourage the workers, to remind them that they are engaged on a divine task. They are not just working in their own strength, but have God’s power with them.

The vision was of seven lamps around a bowl. The bowl was the supply of oil. The olive trees would supply the oil. The Lord is showing Zechariah that He has everything catered for. So often we think that God has forgotten some vital fact, or has overlooked some need. We can be completely confident that God has everything under control.

Symbolically the olive trees represent Joshua and Zerubabbel, the priest and the ruler.

Verse 6 is addressed to Zerubabbel. Now why does God give this word to him? Imagine the situation he is in. Once Jerusalem was a great city, it had had great kings like David and Solomon. Now it was a ruin and he was trying to lead the rebuilding. Yet he was not even a king, just a governor. He must have felt totally inadequate and overwhelmed by the task. So the Lord is reminding him, or revealing to him, that it is “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” that things are accomplished. We need to be careful what we put our trust in.

The task ahead of Zerubbabel seemed insurmountable, yet before Zerubbabel the mountain would become nothing. The obstacles would include the opposition to the building and the unwillingness of the people to persevere. Remember that Jesus spoke of us being able to tell mountains to throw themselves into the sea if we had faith (Matt 17:20). So see how things work here. It is by the Spirit that things are achieved, yet before Zerubbabel that the mountains will become level ground. When the Spirit works He gives authority to men. If you look at the whole of the Bible from beginning to end we see the Lord giving authority to men.

Zerubbabel completing the work would show that Zechariah had been speaking the word of God.

“Do not despise the day of small things”. At this stage the progress seemed insignificant, there seemed to be no hope of great things. We must not despise small beginnings. Why? Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the situation.

The two olive trees are now explained. They are two appointed by the Lord to serve Him. Indeed, anointed as well as appointed. The immediate application of this was Zerubbabel and Joshua. Revelation 11 also contains two witnesses. The servants of God are the means by which the oil of the Lord is supplied. God works through people.