“And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 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; and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So 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 be? And I said, No, my lord. 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. 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. Moreover the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; and his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto you. 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. 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? 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? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
In this chapter the symbols seen by the prophet are a candlestick all of gold, with a golden bowl at the top, seven lamps, or branches, and seven pipes leading to each branch (see Revised Version), two olive trees and two pipes connecting them with the golden bowl of the candlestick.
The Bible is its own interpreter. The symbols of any portion of scripture must be explained by other scripture. Therefore it is necessary to seek some clew which, traced through the Bible, will give us an understanding of the figures here introduced.
In verse 10 of the chapter we read: “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.” The only set of seven brought to view in this chapter is the seven branches with the pipes and lamps. These must therefore be referred to in this verse and spoken of as “the eyes of the Lord.”
In Rev. 5:6 we read: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, 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.” Again, in Rev. 4:5 the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne are said to be the seven spirits of God.
The number seven is used in Scripture to denote fulness or completeness. From these statements we conclude that not the branches of the candlestick represent the Spirit of God, but the lamps of fire. Seven lamps then signify all the fulness of the light-giving power of the Spirit of God; for “this is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” It also represents the Holy Spirit in all the fulness of its purifying power; “for He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver, to purify the sons of Levi.”
When spoken of as seven eyes it represents the searching power of God’s Spirit in all its fulness. The eyes said to be walking to and fro through the earth indicate universality of this property of the Spirit of God, for there is nothing hid from Him; for, says the psalmist: “From His throne His eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men;” and the writer of Hebrews tells us that, “Every thing is open and naked before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” As a horn is a symbol of power, so the seven horns represent all the fulness of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hence we conclude that the seven lamps represent the Holy Spirit, God’s representative sent into this world to carry forward His work. In harmony with this we read in the last part of verse six in the chapter under consideration, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Next, let us consider the candlestick with the seven branches. A candlestick is not the light, but simply holds that which gives the light. Since the Holy Spirit is the light, the authorized agent for communicating this Spirit to the world will certainly be represented by the candlestick.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” This was true of Him because he was baptized with the Holy Ghost. He came to impart the Holy Spirit to all who would receive it. This same commission He gave to His followers, when he said, “Ye are the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Then the candlestick is certainly Christ and his followers. The golden bowl at the top, Christ, the head and source of supply for His body, the church. The candlestick of pure gold is Christ and His true church. The seven branches are not seven divisions of the true church, for God’s church is a unit. We have seen that the seven spirits denote all the varied manifestations of the Spirit, so the seven branches denote all the varied conditions of the church to which the Spirit adapts itself in its manifestations. In harmony with this idea we find that John sees in vision seven golden candlesticks, and Jesus moving about among them. In explanation of this the angel said, “the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.” Rev. 1:12, 13, 20. The second and third chapters of Revelation farther explain that these seven churches are simply different conditions of the church to which the spirit adapts its instruction.
So far as we have examined these symbols we see that they represent the agents by which God carries on his work here in the world, namely, the candlestick—Christ and His body, the church; the oil running through it all and the light over it all—the Holy Spirit.
But we find two olive trees, one on the right hand and the other on the left of the candlestick. The angel speaking of these, in verse 14, says, “These are the two anointed ones, or sons of oil” (see marginal reading). The purpose of the olive trees must be to furnish the oil for the lights. This is indicated by the statement that there are golden pipes connecting each of the trees with the golden candlestick. Then we conclude that these two trees are a source from which both Christ as head of the church and his followers the body of the church, or candlestick, draw a supply with which to work while communicating light and truth to the world.
John speaks of the two olive trees in the following language: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” Rev. 11:3–6.
There is but one thing that has power to smite the earth with plagues and that is the Word of God. That Word in the mouth of Moses, turned the waters of Egypt to blood. That same Word through the prophet Elijah stayed the heaven that there should be no rain throughout the days of their prophecy, to-wit, for three and one-half years. By this same Word the earth will be smitten with the seven last plagues, and by it fire will devour all the enemies of God.
But when we examine this Word we find it divided into two parts, the Old and New Testaments. They stand one on either side of the Lord of the whole earth. These are the two olive trees, called also the two witnesses because they testify that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. One speaks of a Saviour to come, the other of a Saviour who has come. They are also spoken of as the two candlesticks, because they hold light for all the people of the earth. As the candlestick is represented as drawing oil from the two olive trees with which to give light, so the church, as the body of Christ, should always draw from the Bible the material with which to work in the world. The amount of light given will be measured by the purity of the oil used or by the amount of the Word spoken to the world. O, if all the ministers and teachers who name the name of God, and all the professed members of the body of Christ, would only speak and live the Word of God, instead of teaching and living fancies and follies, how soon this world would be flooded with light!
The Building of the Temple.
Zerubbabel was the head, or master builder, in the work of rebuilding the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem. In view of great obstacles to be overcome, this work, in the eyes of the builders, looked like a great mountain. But God assures them that before the master builder it shall become a plain; but “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.” He tells them that there shall be no change in the master builder; for as Zerubbabel had laid the foundation, his hands should also finish it; and they shall rejoice to see the plummet in the hands of Zerubbabel, and to see him directed by the eyes of the Lord and supported by his people.
The building of that temple was a type of the3building of a spiritual temple, which seems a great mountain before us; but we must remember that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. In this work as in that, there shall be no change in the Master Builder; for He (Christ) who has begun a good work in us is able to finish it to the end. We rejoice to see the plummet, or measure, (that is, the law) in the hands of the Master Builder. By it every stone must be hewed, squared, and laid into position; and when the headstone shall be placed, it will be done with shoutings. Since this headstone is Christ, when the work is completed and the shoutings are heard, they will be, “Grace, grace unto it;” for every one will realize that it is by His grace that all has been accomplished.
Thus we see that while trying to encourage the Jewish people in building the temple at Jerusalem, he set before us in symbols, the instrumentalities by which He will prepare all the living stones for the great spiritual temple. When these are all placed, the time of rejoicing and shouting will come. Shall we not so submit to the work of God’s Spirit, as He by His law and Gospel measures and chisels and hews and polishes us day by day, that we may then be found to be stones in that glorious temple, and our hearts be thrilled by the notes of that glorious song of praise in which we shall be permitted to have a part?
[The next article is “The Flying Roll and the Woman and Ephah.” Chapter 5.]
