February 17, 2019

Zechariah 4 Meaning: Verses 8-14

46 minutes

Zechariah 4 Meaning: We’ll be studying the second half of Zechariah’s 5th prophecy today. So, let’s turn our attention to Zechariah chapter 4 – the fourth chapter of the Old Testament minor prophet Zechariah.

Last time we studied the first seven verses of this chapter.

And so, let’s just try to recover some of the things we saw in those verses.

First, Zechariah needs to be awakened by the angel that’s

guiding him through these visons. And I said that this is probably because

receiving visions is apparently a fairly exhausting process – as we see in the

life of the prophet Daniel.

Well, then the angel asks Zechariah what he sees in this new

vision.

Zechariah answers that he sees a golden candlestick or in

Hebrew he sees a menorah. And this

menorah is a little difficult to picture.

It seems to me that there’s a column in the middle with the

bowl on top to receive the oil for the lamps. That’s the easy part.

The layout of the lamps is the kind of controversial part.

Are there three lamps on each side of the column with the seventh lamp somehow

in the middle, making seven lamps? Or are there seven lamps on each side of the

column for fourteen total lamps? I’m not sure – but it’s got to be one of those

arrangements.

Also, this menorah is like the ones that would have been

used in the temple that the Jews were rebuilding at this point in their

history. So, there’s a reason that God is showing Zechariah a menorah for that

prophet to go and talk to and encourage his people to go rebuild his temple.

Then Zechariah saw two olive trees – one on either side of

the menorah. We don’t know why they’re there yet, but that should become clear

in these last seven verses today.

This sight prompts Zechariah to inquire about the meaning of

these things – this menorah and the two olive trees.

The angel then expresses some amazement that Zechariah

doesn’t understand the meaning intended by these objects in this vision and

asks Zechariah if he really doesn’t understand. Zechariah replies humbly that

he in fact does not understand the meaning of this vision.

So, the angel explains that this vision is meant to

communicate that the rebuilding of the temple won’t happen by human might or

power – but it will happen through the Lord’s Spirit helping his people do the

work. And we saw that the Lord’s Spirit used the Lord’s prophets to encourage

the people to do God’s work.

The Lord then compares the task of rebuilding the temple to

a mountain. But he maintains that the governor of the Jews, Zerubbabel, is

going to flatten that mountain, as it were, and bring out the capstone to the

temple – the last stone to be laid – joyfully exclaiming about the Lord’s grace

that has led the whole process.

So, that gets us through verse 7 of this chapter.

Let’s read verses 8-14 and then study the details of the

rest of this vision.

[Read Zec 4:8-14]

Zechariah 4 Meaning: Message Continued

So, the message that the Lord had started in verses 6 and 7

is continued in verse 8

8 [Moreover/Also/Then/And] the word of the LORD came [unto me, saying,/to me, saying/to me as follows/to me]

So, here’s something else that the Lord wants to communicate

to his people – and especially to their governor Zerubbabel – through the

prophet Zechariah.

And it has to do once more with the rebuilding of the

temple.

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the [foundation/foundations] of this [house/temple];
his hands [shall/will] [also/and x] [fin

...more

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By Paul

February 17, 2019

Zechariah 4 Meaning: Verses 8-14

46 minutes

Last time we studied the first seven verses of this chapter.

And so, let’s just try to recover some of the things we saw in those verses.

First, Zechariah needs to be awakened by the angel that’s

guiding him through these visons. And I said that this is probably because

receiving visions is apparently a fairly exhausting process – as we see in the

life of the prophet Daniel.

Well, then the angel asks Zechariah what he sees in this new

vision.

Zechariah answers that he sees a golden candlestick or in

Hebrew he sees a menorah. And this

menorah is a little difficult to picture.

It seems to me that there’s a column in the middle with the

bowl on top to receive the oil for the lamps. That’s the easy part.

The layout of the lamps is the kind of controversial part.

Are there three lamps on each side of the column with the seventh lamp somehow

in the middle, making seven lamps? Or are there seven lamps on each side of the

column for fourteen total lamps? I’m not sure – but it’s got to be one of those

arrangements.

Also, this menorah is like the ones that would have been

used in the temple that the Jews were rebuilding at this point in their

history. So, there’s a reason that God is showing Zechariah a menorah for that

prophet to go and talk to and encourage his people to go rebuild his temple.

Then Zechariah saw two olive trees – one on either side of

the menorah. We don’t know why they’re there yet, but that should become clear

in these last seven verses today.

This sight prompts Zechariah to inquire about the meaning of

these things – this menorah and the two olive trees.

The angel then expresses some amazement that Zechariah

doesn’t understand the meaning intended by these objects in this vision and

asks Zechariah if he really doesn’t understand. Zechariah replies humbly that

he in fact does not understand the meaning of this vision.

So, the angel explains that this vision is meant to

communicate that the rebuilding of the temple won’t happen by human might or

power – but it will happen through the Lord’s Spirit helping his people do the

work. And we saw that the Lord’s Spirit used the Lord’s prophets to encourage

the people to do God’s work.

The Lord then compares the task of rebuilding the temple to

a mountain. But he maintains that the governor of the Jews, Zerubbabel, is

going to flatten that mountain, as it were, and bring out the capstone to the

temple – the last stone to be laid – joyfully exclaiming about the Lord’s grace

that has led the whole process.

So, that gets us through verse 7 of this chapter.

Let’s read verses 8-14 and then study the details of the

rest of this vision.

[Read Zec 4:8-14]

Zechariah 4 Meaning: Message Continued

So, the message that the Lord had started in verses 6 and 7

is continued in verse 8

8 [Moreover/Also/Then/And] the word of the LORD came [unto me, saying,/to me, saying/to me as follows/to me]

So, here’s something else that the Lord wants to communicate

to his people – and especially to their governor Zerubbabel – through the

prophet Zechariah.

And it has to do once more with the rebuilding of the

temple.

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the [foundation/foundations] of this [house/temple];
his hands [shall/will] [also/and x] [fin

...more

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Zechariah 4 Meaning: Verses 8-14

Zechariah 4 Meaning: Verses 8-14