And the angel that talked with me, he who acted as the interpreter of the Lord in making known the message concerning the future, CAME AGAIN AND WAKED ME, AS A MAN THAT IS WAKENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP, out of his state of exhaustion. The angel had evidently left the prophet for a short while and now ret... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VISION OF THE CANDLESTICK AND OF THE TWO OLIVE-TREES. After the prophet had been a witness of the first four visions, he was so overwhelmed by the revelations vouchsafed him that he fell into a trancelike condition, somewhat like Peter and his companions on the Mount of Transfiguration. Cf Luke... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto me, What seest thou? thus calling the prophet's attention to a new vision, whereas in the other instances Zechariah had asked for information. AND I SAID, I HAVE LOOKED, he was even then observing very closely, AND BEHOLD A CANDLESTICK ALL OF GOLD, WITH A BOWL UPON THE TOP OF IT, a rou... [ Continue Reading ]
and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side thereof, this being a new feature, indicating the source of the oil for the lamps.... [ Continue Reading ]
So I answered, the prophet having meanwhile recovered to some extent from his dazed condition, AND SPAKE TO THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME, SAYING, WHAT ARE THESE, MY LORD? He could not quite grasp the significance of it all.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? He was surprised that a man of Judah, and he of priestly descent, should not find some meaning in the vision of such a candlestick. AND I SAID, NO, MY LORD.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, that is, the force of armies, NOR BY POWER, namely, that of any earthly agency, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS. The candlestick of the Tabernacle was a type of the congregation... [ Continue Reading ]
Who art thou, 0 great mountain? the building of the Temple being thus represented. BEFORE ZERUBBABEL THOU SHALT BECOME A PLAIN, he would easily overcome all the difficulties connected with the completion of this momentous work; AND HE SHALL BRING FORTH THE HEADSTONE THEREOF, the uppermost stone of i... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,... [ Continue Reading ]
The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, this having been done some sixteen years before; HIS HANDS SHALL ALSO FINISH IT, as they did some four years later; AND THOU SHALT KNOW THAT THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT ME UNTO YOU, whence it follows that the entire situation has a deep... [ Continue Reading ]
For who hath despised the day of small things? It seemed indeed that the days in which Judah was then living were days of insignificant things, when the entire nation was living in deepest poverty and contempt; yet these days were the forerunners of the most momentous period in the history of the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Then answered I and said unto him, anxious to get some further information on this most interesting point, WHAT ARE THESE TWO OLIVE-TREES UPON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANDLESTICK AND UPON THE LEFT SIDE THEREOF? The candlestick was in the center with its arms extended on either side, and next to these... [ Continue Reading ]
And I answered again and said unto him, What be these two olive-branches, literally, "ears," because they were bunched to resemble ears of grain, WHICH THROUGH THE TWO GOLDEN PIPES, special spouts, or funnels, placed under them, EMPTY THE GOLDEN OIL OUT OF THEMSELVES? so that the oil was fed directl... [ Continue Reading ]
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, literally, "the two sons of oil,". THAT STAND BY THE LORD OF THE WHOLE EARTH, as His servants. They were symbols of Zerubbabel and of Joshua, the temporal and the spiritual leader of the people, respectively, anointed by God for the performance of the w... [ Continue Reading ]