Zechariah 4:7

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. WHO ART THOU, O GREAT MOUNTAIN? BEFORE ZERUBBABEL THOU SHALT BECOME A PLAIN - all mountain-like obstacles (; ) in Zerubbabel's way shall be removed, so that the crowning topstone shall be put on, and the completion of the work be acknowledged as wholly of "grace." Antitypically, the Antichristian last foe of Israel, the obstacle preventing her establishment in Palestine, about to be crushed before Messiah, "the stone cut out of the mountain without hands," is probably meant (it is foreshadowed by Babylon, the "destroying mountain," ;...

Here the angel pursues the same subject which we have been already explaining — that though the beginning was small and seemed hardly of any consequence and importance, yet God would act in a wonderful manner as to the building of the temple. But as this was not only arduous and difficult, but also in various ways impeded, the angel now says, that there would be no hindrance which God would not surmount or constrain to give way. He compares to a mountain either the Persian monarchy or all the hosts of enemies, which had then suddenly arisen in various parts, so that the Jews thought that their return was without advantage, and that they were deceived, as the event did not answer to their wishes and hopes. We now then perceive the design of the Holy Spirit: as Satan attempted by various artifices to prevent the building of the temple, the angel declares here that no obstacle would be so g...

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...

Verse Zechariah 4:7. _O GREAT MOUNTAIN?_] The hinderances which were thrown in the way; the regal prohibition to discontinue the building of the temple. _BEFORE ZERUBBABEL - A PLAIN_] The sovereign power of God shall remove them. March on, Zerubbabel; all shall be made plain and smooth before thee. I have given thee the work to do, and I will remove all hinderances out of thy way. _HE SHALL BRING FORTH THE HEADSTONE_] As he has laid the _foundation stone_, so shall he put on the headstone: as he has _begun_ the building, so shall he _finish_ it! WITH _SHOUTINGS_] The universal acclamation of the people. _GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT._] How beautiful is this structure! May the favour of God ever rest upon it, and be manifested in it!...

WHO ART THOU, O GREAT MOUNTAIN? BEFORE ZERUBBABEL THOU SHALT BE A PLAIN - The words have the character of a sacred proverb; “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased” Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14. Isaiah prophesies the victories of the Gospel in the same imagery, “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain” Isaiah 40:4. And in the New Testament Paul says, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”

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

WHO ART THOU, O GREAT MOUNTAIN?.... This is said in reference to those who opposed the building of the temple, as Sanballat, and others; or the Persian monarchy, and Babylon the capital of it; a mountain being a symbol of a kingdom, or capital city; so Babylon is called, Jeremiah 51:25 hence the Targum paraphrases the words thus, "how art thou accounted a foolish kingdom before Zerubbabel!'' and may denote the opposition made to Christ, and to the building of his church, both by Rome Pagan and Rome Papal; Rome is signified by a burning mountain cast into the sea, Revelation 8:8 and may include all the enemies of the church and people of God, as sin, Satan, and the world; who, though they may look like high and great mountains, and make much opposition, and throw many difficul

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....

O GREAT MOUNTAIN? Add, by supplying the Ellip sis (App-6), "[that standest in the way of Zerubbebel?]...