Zechariah, Prophet to the Returned Exiles
First in a Sixth-Part Series
by Karen Thompson
Zechariahs’ Fifth Vision: The Golden Candlestick and Two Olive Trees
Now let’s look at Zechariah chapter four which tells us about the vision Zechariah had about Zerubbabel being anointed to do his job as governor, the civil authority in Jerusalem. The elements we saw in the previous chapter about Joshua are also present in this chapter about Zerubbabel. Like Joshua, we see Zerubbabel being anointed to do his job as governor. Like Joshua, Zerubbabel also faces adversity and that adversity receives a rebuke. Like Joshua, Zerubbabel receives an encouraging word from the Lord. Like Joshua, Zerubbabel also has the element of “seven eyes.” And like Joshua, Zerubbabel also has the element of a stone in the construction of a building. And like Joshua’s exhortation, Zerubbabel’s exhortation contains a prophetic word about Messiah’s two-fold calling as both king and priest.
The Golden Candlestick
Zec. 4:1 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.
The chapter begins with Zechariah saying the angel came again. This indicates there was a certain amount of time that went by after the last vision. At this point, it seems Zechariah had fallen asleep. The angel awakened him and asked him to describe the vision he was seeing. Zechariah said he saw a golden candlestick. (Note: When it says candlestick, it’s not referring to wax candles like we are familiar with today; a better name would be lampstand.) The lampstand had a bowl on top of it with seven lamps, or lights, on it. There are seven pipes to the seven lamps; the pipes are filled with oil. And there are two olive trees attached to it. One olive tree is on the right side, and the other olive tree is on the left side of the lampstand.
Identity of the Candlestick and the Seven Eyes
Zec. 4:4 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.
Upon seeing the lampstand, Zechariah asked the angel, “What are these?” The angel answered Zechariah’s question with a question: “Don’t you know what these are?” The angel seems to think Zechariah should know what the vision’s symbolism means. The angel then gave Zechariah the interpretation of the vision of the lampstand: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” The message is clear. The Lord is saying the temple won’t be accomplished by man’s might and power; it will, instead, come about “by my spirit”—the Holy Spirit that is.
When the angel said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts,” he was referring to the third member of the Trinity Godhead. If you recall, we just read in Zechariah 2:8 how God sent Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, on a mission to subdue the nations: “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; after the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you….” Now we see how the Holy Spirit was going to help this small group of beleaguered returnees to rebuild the temple in the midst of turmoil and tension created by their neighboring nations.
So you might be asking, “What does the vision of the lampstand have to do with the Holy Spirit?” Although it’s not readily apparent, the seven-lighted lampstand symbolizes the Holy Spirit. In the book of Revelation, we see confirmation that the lampstand with seven lights is, indeed, symbolism for the Holy Spirit. First in Revelation chapter one, John writes a greeting from the triune Godhead to the seven churches: “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:4–5).
We see God the Father in the phrase “from him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” We see Jesus in verse five: “…from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead…” And we see the Holy Spirit in verse four in the phrase “…and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne.” Bible scholars agree that the seven Spirits symbolizes the Holy Spirit.22
Then in Revelation chapter four, we see another witness for the Holy Spirit symbolized as lamps. John was brought to the throne room of God, and the first thing he saw was the Triune God. In verse two, John saw God the Father: “…behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Then in verse five, John described the Holy Spirit as the seven lamps of fire: “…and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Here in this verse, we see the seven Spirits before the throne of God are also referred to as “seven lamps.” Seven lamps like Zechariah’s lampstand with seven lamps.
Lastly, John then described seeing Jesus symbolized as the slain Lamb: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne … stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:6) Here we see the Lamb of God with seven eyes on Him. Then we’re told the seven eyes on the Lamb are the seven spirits of God, those same seven spirits that John said were before God’s throne. So we see that in addition to being called the seven lamps, the seven spirits are also called seven eyes.
At this point, it’s important to note that these verses are not saying the Holy Spirit is seven entities. Ephesians chapter four tells us there is only one Holy Spirit: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:4–6). Zechariah saw only one lampstand representing one Holy Spirit, but there were seven lights, or eyes, on the lampstand. Eyes are a symbol of knowledge or wisdom. It’s important to note that the lampstand has seven eyes. The number seven symbolizes complete, full, or perfection. So when the Holy Spirit is portrayed as seven eyes, it’s telling us the Holy Spirit has complete and perfect knowledge.
The seven horns, the seven eyes, and the seven lamps all symbolize the Holy Spirit, and the fact that the Lamb is seen with seven horns and seven eyes is symbolism to mean the Lamb, who is the Messiah, is anointed with the Holy Spirit of God. This is confirmed in scripture in a number of places. Acts 10:38 talks about how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power. John 3:34 says God had given the Holy Spirit to the Messiah without measure. The great prophet Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah that “the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord…” (Isa. 11:2). Many try to use this scripture to claim the seven spirits of God are symbolic for seven titles of the Holy Spirit (yet there are only six titles: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear). Isaiah also prophesied, “Behold my servant [speaking of Messiah], whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him…” (Isa. 42:1). And the most famous reference that even Jesus Himself quoted, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings…” (Isa. 61:1).
Zechariah’s vision of the lampstand also refers to the seven lamps as eyes. Zechariah 4:10 says, “…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.” It says “Zerubbabel with those seven.” What is the phrase “those seven” referring to? It is referring to the seven lamps on the golden lampstand. The seven lamps are being referred to as “the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” The Holy Spirit’s ministry is on the earth. That’s why the “eyes of the Lord” run “to and fro” throughout the earth.
This is the exact phrasing we just read in Revelation chapter five: “…a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Both the Lamb, who is Jesus, and Zerubbabel have the seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. What this means is that both the Lamb and Zerubbabel were anointed with the Holy Spirit! Zechariah’s vision of the golden lampstand is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, having the seven spirits, also referred to as lamps, also referred to as eyes, all symbolizing perfect knowledge, wisdom, and insight.
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