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Matthew Henry |
Z E C H A R I A H.
CHAP. IV.
In this chapter we have another comfortable vision, which, as it was
explained to the prophet, had much in it for the encouragement of the
people of God in their present straits, which were so great that they
thought their case helpless, that their temple could never be rebuilt
nor their city replenished; and therefore the scope of the vision is to
show that God would, by his own power, perfect the work, though the
assistance given to it by its friends were ever so weak, and the
resistance given to it by its enemies were ever so strong. Here is,
I. The awakening of the prophet to observe the vision,
II. The vision itself, of a candlestick with seven lamps, which were
supplied with oil, and kept burning, immediately from two olive-trees
that grew by it, one on either side,
III. The general encouragement hereby intended to be given to the
builders of the temple to go on in that good work, assuring them that
it should be brought to perfection at last,
IV. The particular explication of the vision, for the illustration of
these assurances,
| The Vision of the Golden Candlestick; The Building of the Temple Encouraged. | B. C. 520. |
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1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me,
as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
2 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:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the
bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me,
saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me,
Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9 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.
10 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.
Here is,
I. The prophet prepared to receive the discovery that was to be made to
him: The angel that talked with him came and waked him,
v. 1.
It seems, though he was in conference with an angel, and about matters
of great and public concern, yet he grew dull and fell asleep, as it
should seem, while the angel was yet talking with him. Thus the
disciples, when they saw Christ transfigured, were heavy with
sleep,
Luke ix. 32.
The prophet’s spirit, no doubt, was willing to attend to that which was
to be seen and heard, but the flesh was weak; his body could not keep
pace with his soul in divine contemplations; the strangeness of the
visions perhaps stupefied him, and so he was overcome with sleep, or
perhaps the sweetness of the visions composed him and even sung him
asleep. Daniel was in a deep sleep when he heard the voice of the
angel’s words,
Dan. x. 9.
We shall never be fit for converse with spirits till we have got clear
of these bodies of flesh. It should seem, the angel let him lose
himself a little, that he might be fresh to receive new discoveries,
but then waked him, to his surprise, as a man that is wakened
out of his sleep. Note, We need the Spirit of God, not only to make
known to us divine things, but to make us take notice of them. He
wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear,
Isa. l. 4.
We should beg of God that, whenever he speaks to us, he would awaken
us, and we should then stir up ourselves.
II. The discovery that was made to him when he was thus prepared. The
angel asked him, What seest thou?
v. 2.
When he was awake perhaps he would not have taken notice of what was
presented to his view if he had not thus been excited to look about
him. When he observed he saw a golden candlestick, such a one as
was in the temple formerly, and with the like this temple should in due
time be furnished. The church is a candlestick, set up for the
enlightening of this dark world and the holding forth of the light of
divine revelation to it. The candle is God’s; the church is but the
candlestick, but all of gold, denoting the great worth and excellence
of the church of God. This golden candlestick had seven lamps
branching out from it, so many sockets, in each of which was a burning
and shining light. The Jewish church was but one, and though the Jews
that were dispersed, it is probable, had synagogues in other countries,
yet they were but as so many lamps belonging to one candlestick; but
now, under the gospel, Christ is the centre of unity, and not
Jerusalem, or any one place; and therefore seven particular churches
are represented, not as seven lamps, but as seven several
golden candlesticks,
Rev. i. 20.
This candlestick had one bowl, or common receiver, on the top,
into which oil was continually dropping, and from it, by seven secret
pipes, or passages, it was diffused to the seven lamps, so that,
without any further care, they received oil as fast as they wasted it
(as in those which we call fountain-ink-horns, or
fountain-pens); they never wanted, nor were ever glutted, and so
kept always burning clear. And the bowl too was continually supplied,
without any care or attendance of man; for
(v. 3)
he saw two olive-trees, one on each side the candlestick, that
were so fat and fruitful that of their own accord they poured plenty of
oil continually into the bowl, which by two larger pipes
(v. 12)
dispersed the oil to smaller ones and so to the lamps; so that nobody
needed to attend this candlestick, to furnish it with oil (it tarried
not for man, nor waited for the sons of men), the scope of which is to
show that God easily can, and often does, accomplish his gracious
purposes concerning his church by his own wisdom and power, without any
art or labour of man, and that though sometimes he makes use of
instruments, yet he neither needs them nor is tied to them, but can do
his work without them, and will rather than it shall be undone.
III. The enquiry which the prophet made concerning the meaning of this,
and the gentle reproof given him for his dulness
(v. 4):
I answered and spoke to the angel, saying, What are these, my
lord? Observe how respectfully he speaks to the angel; he calls him
my lord. Those that would be taught must give honour to their
teachers. He saw what these were, but asked what these
signified. Note, It is very desirable to know the meaning of
God’s manifestations of himself and his mind both in his word and by
his ordinances and providences. What mean you by these services,
by these signs? And those that would understand the mind of God must be
inquisitive. Then shall we know if we follow on to know, if we
not only hear, but, as Christ, ask questions upon what we
hear,
The angel answered him with a question, Knowest thou not what these
be? intimating that if he had considered, and compared spiritual
things with spiritual, he might have guessed at the meaning of these
things; for he knew that there was a golden candlestick in the
tabernacle, which it was the priests’ constant business to supply with
oil and to keep burning, for the use of the tabernacle; when therefore
he saw, in vision, such a candlestick, with lamps always kept burning,
and yet no priests to attend it, nor any occasion for them, he might
discern the meaning of this to be that though God had set up the
priesthood again, yet he could carry on his own work for and in his
people without them. Note, We have reason to be ashamed of ourselves
that we do not more readily apprehend the meaning of divine
discoveries. The angel asked the prophet this question, to draw from
him an acknowledgment of his own dulness, and darkness, and slowness to
understand, and he had it immediately: “I said, No, my lord; I
know not what these are.” Visions had their significance, but often
dark and hard to be understood, and the prophets themselves were not
always aware of it at first. But those that would be taught of God must
see and acknowledge their own ignorance, and their need to be taught,
and must apply to God for instruction. To him that gave us the cabinet
we must apply for the key wherewith to unlock it. God will teach the
meek and humble, not those that are conceited of themselves and lean on
the broken reed of their own understanding.
IV. The general intention of this vision. Without a critical descant
upon every circumstance of the vision, the design of it is to assure
the prophet, and by him the people, that this good work of building the
temple should, by the special care of divine Providence, and the
immediate influence of divine grace, be brought to a happy issue,
though the enemies of it were many and mighty and the friends and
furtherers of it few and feeble. Note, In the explication of visions
and parables, we must look at the principal scope of them, and be
satisfied with that, if that be clear, though we may not be able to
account for every circumstance, or accommodate it to our purpose. The
angel lets the prophet know, in general, that this vision was designed
to illustrate a word which the Lord had to say to Zerubbabel, to
encourage him to go on with the building of the temple. Let him know
that he is a worker together with God in it, and that it is a work
which God will own and crown.
1. God will carry on and complete this work, as he had begun their
deliverance from Babylon, not by external force, but by secret
operations and internal influences upon the minds of men. He
says this who is the Lord of hosts, and could do it vi et
armis–by force, has legions at command; but he will do it, not
by human might or power, but by his own Spirit. What
is done by his Spirit is done by might and power, but it stands in
opposition to visible force. Israel was brought out of Egypt, and into
Canaan, by might and power; in both these works of wonder great
slaughter was made. But they were brought out of Babylon, and into
Canaan the second time, by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts
working upon the spirit of Cyrus, and inclining him to proclaim liberty
to them, and working upon the spirits of the captives, and inclining
them to accept the liberty offered them. It was by the Spirit of the
Lord of hosts that the people were excited and animated to build
the temple; and therefore they are said to be helped by the
prophets of God, because they, as the Spirit’s mouth, spoke to
their hearts,
It was by the same Spirit that the heart of Darius was inclined to
favour and further that good work and that the sworn enemies of it were
infatuated in their councils, so that they could not hinder it as they
designed. Note, The work of God is often carried on very successfully
when yet it is carried on very silently, and without the assistance of
human force; the gospel-temple is built, not by might or power (for
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal), but by the Spirit
of the Lord of hosts, whose work on men’s consciences is mighty to
the pulling down of strong-holds; thus the excellency of the power is
of God, and not of man. When instruments fail, let us therefore leave
it to God to do his work himself by his own Spirit.
2. All the difficulties and oppositions that lie in the way shall be
got over and removed, even those that seem insuperable
(v. 7):
Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become
a plain. See here,
(1.) How the difficulty is represented; it is a great mountain,
impassable and immovable, a heap of rubbish, like a great mountain,
which must be got away, or the work cannot go on. The enemies of the
Jews are proud and hard as great mountains; but, when God has work to
do, the mountains that stand in the way of it shall dwindle into
mole-hills; for see here,
(2.) How these difficulties are despised: “Who art thou, O great
mountain! that thou shouldst stand in God’s way and think to stop
the progress of his work? Who art thou that lookest so big, that thus
threatenest, and art thus feared? Before Zerubbabel, when he is
God’s agent, thou shalt become a plain. All the difficulties
shall vanish, and all the objections be got over. Every mountain and
hill shall be brought low when the way of the Lord is
to be prepared,”
Faith will remove mountains and make them plains. Christ is our
Zerubbabel; mountains of difficulty were in the way of his undertaking,
but before him they were all levelled; nothing is too hard for his
grace to do.
3. The same hand that has begun this good work will perform it: He
shall bring forth the head-stone
(v. 7);
and again
(v. 9),
The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house,
be it spoken to his honour (perhaps with his own hands he laid the
first stone), and though it has been long retarded, and is still much
opposed, yet it shall be finished at last; he shall live to see it
finished, nay, and his hands shall also finish it; herein he is
a type of Christ, who is both the author and the finisher of
our faith; and his being the author of it is an assurance to
us that he will be the finisher, for, as for God, his work is
perfect; has he begun and shall he not make an end? Zerubbabel
shall himself bring forth the head-stone with shoutings, and
loud acclamations of joy, among the spectators. The acclamations are
not huzzas, but Grace, grace; that is the burden of the
triumphant songs which the church sings. It may be taken,
(1.) As magnifying free grace, and giving to that all the glory of what
is done. When the work is finished it must be thankfully acknowledged
that it was not by any policy or power of our own that it was brought
to perfection, but that it was grace that did it–God’s good-will
towards us and his good work in us and for us. Grace, grace,
must be cried, not only to the head-stone, but to the foundation-stone,
the corner-stone, and indeed to every stone in God’s building; from
first to last it is nothing of works, but all of grace, and all our
crowns must be cast at the feet of free grace. Not unto us, O Lord!
not unto us.
(2.) As depending upon free grace, and desiring the continuance of it,
for what is yet to be done. Grace, grace, is the language of
prayer as well as of praise; now that this building is finished, all
happiness attend it! Peace be within its walls, and, in order to that,
grace. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon it! Note, What
comes from the grace of God may, in faith, and upon good grounds, be
committed to the grace of God, for God will not forsake the work of his
own hands.
4. This shall be a full ratification of the prophecies which went
before concerning the Jews’ return, and their settlement again. When
the temple is finished then thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts
has sent me unto you. Note, The exact accomplishment of scripture
prophecies is a convincing proof of their divine original. Thus God
confirms the word of his servant, by saying to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be built,
Isa. xliv. 26.
No word of God shall fall to the ground, nor shall there fail one iota
or tittle of it. Zechariah’s prophecies of the approaching day of
deliverance to the church would soon appear, by the accomplishment of
them, to be of God.
5. This shall effectually silence those that looked with contempt upon
the beginning of this work,
Who, where, is he now that despised the day of small things, and
thought this work would never come to any thing? The Jews themselves
despised the foundation of the second temple, because it was likely to
be so far inferior to the first,
Their enemies despised the wall when it was in the building,
But let them not do it. Note, In God’s work the day of small things is
not to be despised. Though the instruments be weak and unlikely, God
often chooses such, by them to bring about great things. As a great
mountain becomes a plain before him when he pleases, so a little stone,
cut out of a mountain without hands, comes to fill the earth,
Though the beginnings be small, God can make the latter end greatly to
increase; a grain of mustard-seed may become a great tree. Let not the
dawning light be despised, for it will shine more and more to the
perfect day. The day of small things is the day of precious things, and
will be the day of great things.
6. This shall abundantly satisfy all the hearty well-wishers to God’s
interest, who will be glad to see themselves mistaken in despising
the day of small things. Those that despaired of the finishing of
the work shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of
Zerubbabel, when they see him busy among the builders, giving
orders and directions what to do, and taking care that the work be done
with great exactness, that it may be both fine and firm. Note, It is
matter of great rejoicing to all good people to see magistrates careful
and active for the edifying of the house of God, to see the plummet in
the hand of those who have power to do much, if they have but a heart
according to it; we see not Zerubbabel with the trowel in his hand
(that is left to the workmen, the ministers), but we see him with the
plummet in his hand, and it is no disparagement, but an honour to him.
Magistrates are to inspect ministers’ work, and to speak comfortably to
the Levites that do their duty.
7. This shall highly magnify the wisdom and care of God’s providence,
which is always employed for the good of his church. Zerubbabel does
his part, does as much as man can do to forward the work, but it is
with those seven, those seven eyes of the Lord which we read of
He could do nothing if the watchful, powerful, gracious providence of
God did not go before him and go along with him in it. Except the Lord
had built this house, Zerubbabel and the rest would have laboured in
vain,
Ps. cxxvii. 1.
These eyes of the Lord are those that run to and fro through
the whole earth, that take cognizance of all the creatures and all
their actions
and inspire and direct all, according to the divine counsels. Note, We
must not think that God is so taken up with the affairs of his church
as to neglect the world; but it is a comfort to us that the same
all-wise almighty Providence that governs the nations of the earth is
in a particular manner conversant about the church. Those seven
eyes that run through the earth are all upon the
stone that Zerubbabel is laying straight with his plummet, to see
that it be well laid. And those that have the plummet in their hand
must look up to those eyes of the Lord, must have a constant
regard to divine Providence, and act in dependence upon its guidance
and submission to its disposals.
| The Vision of the Olive-Trees. | B. C. 520. |
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11 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?
12 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?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these
be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand
by the Lord of the whole earth.
Enough is said to Zechariah to encourage him, and to enable him to
encourage others, with reference to the good work of building the
temple which they were now about, and that was the principal intention
of the vision he saw; but still he is inquisitive about the
particulars, which we will ascribe, not to any vain curiosity, but to
the value he had for divine discoveries and the pleasure he took in
acquainting himself with them. Those that know much of the things of
God cannot but have a humble desire to know more. Now observe,
I. What his enquiry was. He understood the meaning of the candlestick
with its lamps: It is Jerusalem, it is the temple, and their salvation
that is to go forth as a lamp that burns; but he wants to know
what are these two olive-trees
(v. 11),
these two olive-branches?
v. 12.
Observe here,
1. He asked. Note, Those that would be acquainted with the things of
God must be inquisitive concerning those things. Ask, and you shall be
told.
2. He asked twice, his first question having no reply given to it.
Note, If satisfactory answers be not given to our enquiries and
requests quickly, we must renew them, and repeat them, and continue
instant and importunate in them, and the vision shall at length
speak, and not lie.
3. His second query varied somewhat from the former. He first asked,
What are these two olive-trees, but afterwards, What are
these two olive-branches? that is, those boughs of the tree that
hung over the bowl and distilled oil into it. When we enquire
concerning the grace of God, it must be rather as it is communicated to
us by the fruitful boughs of the word and ordinances (for that is one
of the things revealed, which belong to us and to our
children) than as it is resident in the good olive where all our
springs are, for that is one of the secret things, which
belong not to us.
4. In his enquiry he mentioned the observations he had made upon the
vision; he took notice not only of what was obvious at first sight,
that the two olive-trees grew, one on the right side and the other
on the left side of the candlestick (so nigh, so ready, is divine
grace to the church), but he observed further, upon a more narrow
inspection, that the two olive-branches, from which in
particular the candlestick did receive of the root and fatness of
the olive (as the apostle says of the church,
did empty the golden oil (that is, the clear bright oil, the
best in its kind, and of great value, as if it were aurum
potabile–liquid gold) out of themselves through the two golden
pipes, or (as the margin reads it) which by the hand of the two
golden pipes empty out of themselves oil into the gold, that is,
into the golden bowl on the head of the candlestick. Our Lord
Jesus emptied himself, to fill us; his precious blood is the golden oil
in which we are supplied with all we need.
II. What answer was given to his enquiry. Now again the angel obliged
him expressly to own his ignorance, before he informed him
(v. 13):
“Knowest thou not what these are? If thou knowest the church to
be the candlestick, canst thou think the olive-trees, that supply it
with oil, to be any other than the grace of God?” But he owned he
either did not fully understand it or was afraid he did not rightly
understand it: I said, No, my Lord, how should I, except some one
guide me? And then he told him
(v. 14):
These are the two sons of oil (so it is in the original), the
two anointed ones (so we read it), rather, the two oily
ones. That which we read
a very fruitful hill is in the original the horn of the son
of oil, a fat and fattening soil.
1. If by the candlestick we understand the visible church, particularly
that of the Jews at that time, for whose comfort it was primarily
intended, these sons of oil, that stand before the Lord of
the whole earth, are the two great ordinances and offices of the
magistracy and ministry, at that time lodged in the hands of those two
great and good men Zerubbabel and Joshua. Kings and priests were
anointed; this prince, this priest, were oily ones, endued with
the gifts and graces of God’s Spirit, to qualify them for the work to
which they were called. They stood before the Lord of the whole
earth, to minister to him, and to receive direction from him; and a
great influence they had upon the affairs of the church at that time.
Their wisdom, courage, and zeal, were continually emptying themselves
into the golden bowl, to keep the lamps burning; and, when they are
gone, others shall be raised up to carry on the same work; Israel shall
no longer be without prince and priest. Good magistrates and good
ministers that are themselves anointed with the grace of God and
stand by the Lord of the whole earth, as faithful adherents to
his cause, contribute very much to the maintaining and advancing of
religion and the shining forth of the word of life.
2. If by the candlestick we understand the church of the first-born, of
true believers, these sons of oil may be meant of Christ and the
Spirit, the Redeemer and the Comforter. Christ is not only the Messiah,
the Anointed One himself, but he is the good olive to his
church; and from his fulness we receive,
John i. 16.
And the Holy Spirit is the unction or anointing which we have
received,
From Christ, the olive tree, by the Spirit, the olive
branch, all the golden oil of grace is communicated to believers,
which keeps their lamps burning, and without a constant supply of which
they would soon go out. They stand by the Lord of the whole
earth, who is in a special manner the church’s Lord; for the Son
was to be sent by the Father, and so was the Holy Ghost, in the time
appointed, and they stand by him ready to go.
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