Zechariah 4:10, commentary and pictures

The vision of a golden lampstand fed with oil by two olive trees shows that God's work is finished not by human might or power but by His Spirit giving light and guidance to His people. The plummet in Zerubbabel's hand means he would carry the temple building from its small beginning through to completion, so that those who had despised that beginning would rejoice to see its progress and end. The seven are the eyes of the Lord running to and fro through the whole earth, showing that the work stands under His constant oversight and care. God's way is to make the day of small things the beginning of the triumph of truth and righteousness, so apparent feebleness is no cause for discouragement and pompous human beginnings come to nothing. The golden oil is the Holy Spirit, which God's ministers and churches as golden lamps must continually receive from Christ through His anointed ones in order to have any light themselves and to pass light, love, and power on to the world.

Vision and Historical Setting

Zechariah 4:10 belongs to the vision of a golden lampstand supplied with oil from two olive trees through pipes, picturing God's Spirit giving light and guidance to His people. The heavenly agents represented by the two olive branches communicate grace to God's people, enabling God's word to guide them. The golden oil flowing from the trees is the Holy Spirit, whose continual supply ministers need in order to serve the church. Victory comes through that Spirit with inward purity, cleanness of heart, and holiness, for the work is finished not by human might or power but by the Spirit of the Lord.

Together with the preceding chapter, this vision must be carefully studied as essential for the last days, giving encouragement that all connected with God's sacred work have a strength not of their own. It was first given when the Jews rebuilding after the exile feared that permission to rebuild might be withdrawn. The series of visions was meant to encourage and sustain those advancing God's work, assuring them of His compassion and care.

Plummet and Seven Eyes

The plummet seen in Zerubbabel's hand marks him as the one who would measure the work and carry the temple building forward to its completion, and those who had despised its small beginning would rejoice to see its progress and its finishing. The smallness of the beginning or scale was no reason to despise the rebuilding, for the work begun would be completed and its completion would bring rejoicing. The assurance given was that the hands that laid the foundation would also finish the house, and this finishing would prove that the Lord had sent the builders. That promise was fulfilled when the Jews completed the temple.

The seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro and range throughout the whole earth, showing that the progress of the work is under His constant oversight. They mean that God's people work under the eyes of the heavenly host, for the eyes of the Lord are heavenly messengers who cooperate with every unselfish worker. There is a Watcher in the midst who inspects all that is planned and carried on. He Himself sees all misunderstandings and misjudgments and interposes to forbid wrong plans, while the angels of Satan work to confuse judgment and put stumbling blocks in the way of those God would bring to understand the truth.

Triumph from Small Beginnings

God's way is to make the day of small things the beginning of the triumph of truth and righteousness, even the glorious triumph of truth and righteousness. He may train His workers through disappointment and apparent failure so that they learn to master difficulties. Small and apparently weak and feeble beginnings with limited resources are therefore no cause for discouragement, just as an apparently prosperous beginning is no cause for pride or elation.

This is opposite to the world's way, for work begun by the world with pomp and show and boasting and exalting of human agents comes to nothing and will come to naught. God's purposes for His chosen people are firm and immovable and enduring like the eternal hills, and He Himself is riches and fulness and power to His people, so that following His directions brings life. Human power and human inventions neither established the church nor will destroy her. The Holy Spirit keeps everyone who in faith and trust is committed to His charge, and the overflowing fountain of life makes God's servants more than conquerors, victorious over all opposition.

The vision together with the preceding chapter must be carefully studied because it is essential for the last days. In figure it teaches everyone connected with God's sacred work that they have a strength not of their own, for the work is done not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. It shows God's love as morning light in the midst of the militant church, feeding each lamp with the golden oil of His grace and His love. His commandment-keeping people, precious as the apple of His eye, have distinct privileges through faith in God and living connection with Him, with the Lord as their shield and strength and sufficiency and with God in the midst of her so she shall not be moved, while waiting and watching for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven.

Spirit Supplying the Church

The golden oil flowing from the two olive trees is the Holy Spirit, and God's ministers need its continual supply in order to serve the church. Victory comes not by human might or power but through the Spirit, inward purity, cleanness of heart, and holiness. The Spirit is imparted from the Holy Ones who stand in God's presence to those consecrated to God's service, enabling them to give light.

The churches are golden lamps and bowls that hold the treasure of oil and spread the light, yet a lamp has no light of itself but must receive oil and fire from Christ. The Lord's messengers and anointed ones must first receive the golden oil of sacred truth themselves in order to present the truth with fervency and importance. When they empty themselves through the golden pipes, the oil flows into the bowls and lamps, representing truth nourishing the churches. This is the work of every true, devoted servant to receive the heavenly supply and minister it to others so the flock is fed with the bread of life.

Divine light, love, and power flow from those who stand in God's presence to God's people, who are to pass them on to the world as channels of light, joy, and refreshment. The light comes from the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of the whole earth, emptying themselves through golden pipes into golden bowls to flow forth into the lamps, which are the churches. By this provision God gives light to His people and empowers the church to work in unity for sharing truth and saving perishing souls. The workers are to keep their lamps trimmed and serve in unity with Christ.

To receive and pass on this supply, workers must be emptied of self, selfishness, self-sufficiency, and ambitious devising, and be controlled by the Holy Spirit. They must press forward by being emptied of all self and supplied with that golden oil, which is God dealing with them through grace and providence as obedient children chosen from eternity, sanctified through obedience to the truth by the death of His Son. They must keep the channel of the heart unobstructed so they constantly receive the oil from the two olive branches. When so emptied and united with Christ, the Lord enables them to do a work that advances His truth.

The oil must fill the heart to make workers meek, tender, and lowly, so words of truth reform without exasperating or poisoning, and bitterness is not aroused in hearers. Those who let the heavenly supply flow through grateful praise and loving deeds become channels through whom needy souls are refreshed and strengthened, protected and guided as consecrated agents. The golden oil revives the Spirit of God in human hearts and introduces a Christlike principle like leaven, and through the inspiration of the Spirit satanic agencies that would deprave human nature are overcome. Entire conformity to the will and character of God is the only remedy and safety from Satan's machinations for institutions, churches, families, and individuals.

The vision therefore raises the searching question whether those entrusted with God's work are receiving this heavenly supply and faithfully passing the light to others. Shepherds who have not been ministered to by the anointed ones have no dew and rain of heaven in their words. Their long discourses made up of anecdotes leave the sheep starving, move feelings to tears at most but do not touch and break hearts, and what they bring into the pulpit cannot be approved as anything but cheap fodder.

Faithfulness in Small Duties

The prohibition against despising small beginnings applies directly to personal duty, for responsibilities, talents, opportunities, and even cents are entrusted according to ability and must be faithfully used in humble daily service. A person is accountable only for what has actually been given, not for talents never received, and service is accepted according to what one has rather than what is lacking. God expects a return in proportion to what He entrusts, so a small gift or service wholly devoted to His glory is as acceptable as a greater one, while neglecting it is neglecting a moral responsibility. What is small, when exercised with unwearied diligence, perseverance, and tireless faithfulness, is blessed and increased, so that one talent wisely used can return two and prepare the worker for more intelligent and better service. Even after doing all that can be done, the worker remains dependent on divine grace and has no ground for pride.

God's way of doing a great deal of good is by little things accomplished through individual, constant, united effort rather than by attempting something great and wonderful to reach the loftiest heights at once. Steady progress in a good work through frequent repetition of one kind of faithful service is of more value in His sight than the doing of one great work. Such steadfast faithfulness, true to divinely appointed duties through evil as well as good report and instant in season and out of season, wins a good report, gives character to the effort, forms good character, and brings the reward of success.

The day of small things also warns against small sins and slight departures from clear requirements, which must not be treated as unimportant. Such turnings aside dull sensitivity to sin and erode godliness, and a path that begins with a small retreat can lead down to ruin with no one knowing where the end will be.

Applications to God's Work

The day of small beginnings must not be despised, for the work begun by Zerubbabel will be completed, and its progress stands under the Lord's oversight by the seven eyes that range throughout the earth. Applied to Queensland, this means believers are to sanctify themselves and move forward together, and then the difficulties raised against the work will give way.

The same rule governs God's institutions: a small or struggling beginning, or a house fallen into decay, must not be left to languish but is to be carried forward with courage. Those with greater means should help restore it, even though delay has made the needed repair take greater effort, and there will be rejoicing to see the plummet carried forward to completion. Despising the day of small things includes neglecting to arise and build God's house, or building it on hired money while thinking much of selfish interests. Churches burdened with debt dishonor God and show wrong management from beginning to end, so interest must no longer be allowed to swallow means that should pay the principal, but sacrifice and donations should free church buildings from debt.

Humble beginnings illustrate the promise, for a small poor company of believers can build up substantial interests for God's kingdom. The small beginnings of the work east and west of the Rocky Mountains became a large work, showing that God had brought about its growth. The sanitarium's humble beginnings in Australia, when everything was new and the work had to start with the basics, grew through God's blessing on the people's donations and on the wisdom and understanding given to the workers into a work praised throughout the earth. A modest first step in following God's plan to correct selfishness and unfair dealing in the publishing work could likewise have led Him to purify the institutions, restore the work, and bring many souls to the truth. Such a small beginning can represent the work the Lord desires to see done throughout the world, so what is done should reflect that larger purpose. Work begun amid difficulties and disappointment can grow until it is established, and God requires continued growth in every good work.

Human wisdom must not make hasty changes in God's work, for men are not gods. Those eager to remove faithful workers and condemn them for supposed evils make mismoves that do lasting injustice, but the hands that laid the foundation shall finish the house, proving the Lord sent them, and there will be rejoicing when the plummet is seen in the hand of Zerubbabel. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth, so He Himself sees all misunderstandings and misjudgments and interposes to forbid wrong plans. Strength for the work comes by God's Spirit and not by human might or power, so God needs men of intense spiritual life who let God in to make His combinations and arrangements. The seven eyes mean God's people work under the eyes of the heavenly host, with a Watcher in their midst inspecting all that is planned and carried on, while God reveals Himself as a God of judgment. This calls God's commandment-keeping people to be one with no separation in the work, joining preaching of the kingdom of God with healing the sick and casting out devils in the name of Jesus. Too much time and means must not be given to work carried forward too earnestly in one direction, and Satan's devices to break up and separate those God is seeking to make one must be resisted. The verse is to be read with Zechariah 3 as further instruction about repentant sinners who confess their sins and receive pardon from God while Satan and unrepentant men seek to reproach and accuse them.