Zechariah 4:1-5:11
“And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou?
And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be?
And I said, No, my lord.” (Zechariah 4:1-5)
In his vision, the angel awakened Zechariah, who saw a candlestick or lamp with a central reservoir and tubes carrying oil to seven lamps. An olive tree stood on each side of the candlestick. While he knew they must be important Zecharaiah had no idea what they represented and asked the angel.
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:6-10)
Zerubbabel had led the group from Babylon to Judah about almost twenty years before and started building the temple. He had been forced to stop during Ahasuerus’ day, but had resumed construction under Haggai and Zechariah’s encouragement. Now the neighbors were demanding he stop construction and people were getting discouraged. God reminding them with the candlestick that the power did not come from their efforts.
It is similar to the vision John saw in Revelation 1:12-20, where the seven candlesticks represented the churches of God and the seven stars the leaders responsible for overseeing them. These seven lamps or candles are described as the eyes of the Lord overseeing the work, just as they were earlier in this prophecy in Zechariah 3:9.
“Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:11-14)
The two olive trees used golden pipes to drain the oil from themselves into the central reservoir which supplied all the lamps. They represent the archangels, Michael and Gabriel, who act for God to protect his people and hold back Satan’s power, according to Daniel 10.
“Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
And he said unto me, What seest thou?
And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.” (Zechariah 5:1-4)
Next, Zechariah saw a giant scroll which the Angel describes as being the curse by which people will be judged. Galatians 3:10 warns. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” In Matthew 5:18-19, Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
While Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,” his sacrifice does not free those who don’t believe. They are still under that curse.
“Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
And I said, What is it?
And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.” (Zechariah 5:5-11)
Then Zechariah saw an ephah, or measure for grain. Instead of grain is about seventy pounds of lead which he describes as a woman sitting in it. The angel describes her as wickedness, and two women with wings, similar to the modern pictures of angels carry it to build a place for it in the land of Shinar, the region where Babylon is.
Revelation 17 and 18 give more detail about this vision, of an organization centered in Babylon who is dominates and is used by the world rulers, and the anti-Christ to control the world. It will be a focal point for the evil of that day, and a burden to the entire world.
“And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou?
And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be?
And I said, No, my lord.” (Zechariah 4:1-5)
In his vision, the angel awakened Zechariah, who saw a candlestick or lamp with a central reservoir and tubes carrying oil to seven lamps. An olive tree stood on each side of the candlestick. While he knew they must be important Zecharaiah had no idea what they represented and asked the angel.
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:6-10)
Zerubbabel had led the group from Babylon to Judah about almost twenty years before and started building the temple. He had been forced to stop during Ahasuerus’ day, but had resumed construction under Haggai and Zechariah’s encouragement. Now the neighbors were demanding he stop construction and people were getting discouraged. God reminding them with the candlestick that the power did not come from their efforts.
It is similar to the vision John saw in Revelation 1:12-20, where the seven candlesticks represented the churches of God and the seven stars the leaders responsible for overseeing them. These seven lamps or candles are described as the eyes of the Lord overseeing the work, just as they were earlier in this prophecy in Zechariah 3:9.
“Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:11-14)
The two olive trees used golden pipes to drain the oil from themselves into the central reservoir which supplied all the lamps. They represent the archangels, Michael and Gabriel, who act for God to protect his people and hold back Satan’s power, according to Daniel 10.
“Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
And he said unto me, What seest thou?
And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.” (Zechariah 5:1-4)
Next, Zechariah saw a giant scroll which the Angel describes as being the curse by which people will be judged. Galatians 3:10 warns. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” In Matthew 5:18-19, Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
While Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,” his sacrifice does not free those who don’t believe. They are still under that curse.
“Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
And I said, What is it?
And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.” (Zechariah 5:5-11)
Then Zechariah saw an ephah, or measure for grain. Instead of grain is about seventy pounds of lead which he describes as a woman sitting in it. The angel describes her as wickedness, and two women with wings, similar to the modern pictures of angels carry it to build a place for it in the land of Shinar, the region where Babylon is.
Revelation 17 and 18 give more detail about this vision, of an organization centered in Babylon who is dominates and is used by the world rulers, and the anti-Christ to control the world. It will be a focal point for the evil of that day, and a burden to the entire world.
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