Zechariah 4:3

And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. AND TWO OLIVE TREES BY IT - supplying oil to the bowl. The Holy Spirit is meant, who fills with His fullness Messiah (the anointed, the "bowl"), from whom flow supplies of grace to the Church. The Holy Spirit supplies with His infinite fullness Jesus the "bowl," or fount at the head of the Church, for the two-fold function (answering to the two olive trees) of bringing to man the grace of atonement, as our great Priest, and the grace of sanctification and glorification, as our King. BY IT, [ `aaleyhaa (H5921)] - literally upon it - i:e., growing so as somewhat to overtop it. For the explanation of the "two," see Zechariah 4:12;...

We must now then enquire the meaning of the vision. Many understand by the candlestick the Church; and this may be allowed. At the same time I think that God here simply testified to the Jews, that in having commanded them to set up a candlestick, he did not appoint an empty, or a deceptive, but a real symbol. God no doubt represented by the lamps the graces, or the various gifts of his Spirit; yet the idea of a sevenfold grace is a mere fancy; for God did not intend to confine to that number the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the variety of which is manifold, even almost infinite. Hence the number seven designates perfection, according to the common usage of Scripture. God then intended by placing the candlestick in the midst of the temple, to show that the grace of his Spirit always shines in his Church, not of one kind only, but so that there was nothing wanting as to its perfection. Some...

1-7 The prophet's spirit was willing to attend, but the flesh was weak. We should beg of God that, whenever he speaks to us, he would awaken us, and we should then stir up ourselves. The church is a golden candlestick, or lamp-bearer, set up for enlightening this dark world, and holding forth the light of Divine revelation. Two olive trees were seen, one on each side the candlestick, from which oil flowed into the bowl without ceasing. God brings to pass his gracious purposes concerning his church, without any art or labour of man; sometimes he makes use of his instruments, yet he needs them not. This represented the abundance of Divine grace, for the enlightening and making holy the ministers and members of the church, and which cannot be procured or prevented by any human power. The vision assures us that the good work of building the temple, should be brought to a happy end. The diff...

EXPOSITION ZECHARIAH 4:1 § 7. _The fifth vision: the golden candlestick._ ZECHARIAH 4:1 THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME. The interpreting angel is meant. CAME AGAIN, AND WAKED ME. It is thought that the angel, who is said (Zechariah 2:3) to have gone forth, now rejoined the prophet and renewed his colloquy with him. But the expression in the text is probably only equivalent to "aroused me again" (comp. Genesis 26:18; 2Ki 1:11, 2 King

AND THE TWO OLIVE TREES BY IT,.... Which are explained in, Zechariah 4:14: ONE UPON THE RIGHT [SIDE] OF THE BOWL, AND THE OTHER UPON THE LEFT [SIDE] THEREOF; in Zechariah 4:11 they are said to be on the right and left sides of the bowl or candlestick, which is the same; for the situation of them was alike, with respect to the one and the other: according to Fortunatus Scacchus, these two olive trees did not arise out of the earth, and the top of the candlestick; but out of the base of the candlestick, one on the right hand of the bowl, which hung in the middle of the candlestick; and the other on the left o, of which he has given the figure. o Ibid. (Sacer. Elaeochrism, Myrothec. l. 1.) c. 12. p. 62....

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The fifth night vision (Zechariah 4:1) _ 2. The questions of the prophet answered (Zechariah 4:11) Zechariah 4:1. There was a rest for the prophet between the fourth and fifth night vision. He had fallen into a deep sleep. He may have been overcome by the grand and important visions, and is now awakened by the angel with the question, “What seest thou?” The new vision is a very striking one. A golden candlestick appears before the seer. An oil receiver is seen on top, from which the oil flows to the seven lamps of the candlestick through seven pipes. Two olive trees stand alongside of the candlestick and hang their fruit-laden branches over the golden bowl, filling it wit

THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND. Zechariah dreams that he is aroused by the interpreting angel who shows him a golden lampstand. This section has suffered somewhat in transmission. In Zechariah 4:2 read with LXX. behold, a lampstand all of gold, and a bowl upon the top of it, and seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the lamps, etc. Two insertions have been made. The former (Zechariah 4:6 _b_ - Zechariah 4:10_ a_), which is a general encouragement to Zerubbabel, is probably due to some scribe's blunder; the second (Zechariah 4:12) appears to be a fragment of a similar allegory by some other writer....

The Fifth Vision. _The Golden Candlestick_, Zechariah 4:1-14. Roused by the Interpreting Angel from a sleep or stupor, into which he appears to have fallen, Zechariah 3:1, the prophet sees a golden candlestick or lamp-stand. Like that originally placed in the Tabernacle, it has seven lamps, but they are fed by a bowl placed above them, from which the oil is conveyed into them by pipes, Zechariah 4:2. The bowl itself is supplied with oil by two olive-trees, standing one on either side of the lamp, which empty their oil into the bowl, each through a golden tube, Zechariah 4:3;...

CHAPTER XXXI A VISION OF A MENORAH AND OLIVE TREES ZECHARIAH, CHAPTER Zechariah 4:1-14 RX. And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the 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. And 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 are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power

THE FIFTH VISION The prophet's thoughts now turn to the civil ruler Zerubbabel. The purpose of the fifth vision is to encourage him in the difficult task of rebuilding the Temple, 1-5, 11-14. The golden candlestick (i.e. the returned exiles) receives its supply of oil (i.e. the divine grace) through two channels ('pipes,' Zechariah 4:12), viz. the spiritual and the temporal leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, through whose united efforts the prosperity of the nation would be accomplished. These are the two olive trees. 6-10 is an encouraging address to Zerubbabel; weak though he is, yet by the help of God's Holy Spirit he will finish the great work....