4 Then the angel who had been talking with me woke me, as though I had been asleep.
2 “What do you see now?” he asked.
I answered, “I see a gold lampstand holding seven lamps, and at the top there is a reservoir for the olive oil that feeds the lamps, flowing into them through seven tubes. 3 And I see two olive trees carved upon the lampstand, one on each side of the reservoir. 4 What is it, sir?” I asked. “What does this mean?”
5 “Don’t you really know?” the angel asked.
“No, sir,” I said, “I don’t.”
6 Then he said, “This is God’s message to Zerubbabel:[a] ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’ 7 Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple[b] with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone.”*
8 Another message that I received from the Lord said:
9 “Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. (Then you will know these messages are from God, the Lord Almighty.) 10 Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. For these seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that see everywhere around the world.”
11 Then I asked him about the two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, 12 and about the two olive branches that emptied oil into gold bowls through two gold tubes.
13 “Don’t you know?” he asked.
“No, sir,” I said.
14 Then he told me, “They represent the two anointed ones who assist the Lord of all the earth.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 4:6 to Zerubbabel, Governor of Judah, who was given the responsibility for rebuilding the Temple. See Haggai 1:1; 2:23, etc.
- Zechariah 4:7 Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple, literally, “he will bring forth the capstone.” declaring that all was done by grace alone, or “with mighty shouts, ‘How beautiful it is!’” or “‘The Lord bless it!’”