Zechariah 4:11, commentary and pictures

The prophet is asking what the two olive trees standing on the right and on the left of the golden lampstand are. They are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth, holy messengers appointed to minister in His presence. The golden oil emptying from the trees through the pipes into the bowl and lamps is the Holy Spirit, which is also God's grace and love and sacred truth. God's work is carried forward to completion not by might nor by power nor by human planning and activity, but by His Spirit. His workers, who in themselves are empty vessels with no light of their own, must continually receive that supply in cleansed and consecrated hearts in order to impart light and life to others.

Vision's Setting and Imagery

The verse is the prophet's question asking what the two olive trees are that stand upon the right side and upon the left side of the candlestick or lampstand. The inquiry concerns one tree on each side, on the right and on the left of the golden candlestick.

The vision shows a golden candlestick with a bowl at the top, two olive trees with two olive branches, and two golden pipes or tubes. Through those pipes the trees empty golden oil out of themselves into the bowl, and from the bowl the oil passes into the lamps. In this way the lamps are supplied so as to give a bright, continuous light to the sanctuary.

These symbols were given when the Jews feared they might lose permission to rebuild. They were meant to encourage them by revealing God's compassion and support for the work of restoring His people and the temple.

The fourth chapter is to be read and carefully studied together with the third chapter about Joshua the high priest, with Satan standing to resist him, the taking away of filthy garments, and the removal of iniquity. This study is essential for the last days, because the sacred work is accomplished not by human might nor by human power but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. What is described is as yet only a faint picture, but it will become a living reality.

Identity of Olive Trees

The answer given in the following verses is that the two olive trees with their branches are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, also called the Lord of hosts. The question is what the two trees are, one on the right side of the candlestick and one on the left side thereof. Their olive branches supply golden oil through two golden pipes or tubes into the bowl of the lampstand, to keep its lamps supplied with a bright, continuous light. The lamps themselves have no light in themselves and cannot refill themselves, but must receive this continual supply or the flame goes out.

They are holy ones standing in God's presence, from whom the Holy Spirit and heavenly grace are imparted to consecrated human servants so that God's word can give light. They are heavenly messengers, God's witnesses standing before His throne, whose work is to empty the golden oil out of themselves through the golden pipes. The two olive branches send precious holy oil to be dropped directly into human vessels, and they are appointed to minister and are needed now to supply every church whose lamp is going out when it should be bright and clear.

In the imagery the burning lamps are His churches, holding the treasure of oil and dispersing it as light amid moral darkness. The golden bowls into which the oil flows are the hearts of God's living messengers and the churches that receive the supply, that the churches may let the light shine forth in glorious brightness and distinct rays to the world. When the anointed ones minister through the pipes to ministers, those ministers can minister to others, for every true devoted servant and every believer has a lamp to be filled and kept shining with holy, unselfish love.

Meaning of Golden Oil

The golden oil emptying out of the olive trees through the golden pipes into the bowl that feeds the lamps of the sanctuary is the Holy Spirit, with whom ministers must be continually supplied in order to impart Him to the church. It is the richest impartation of the Holy Spirit, flowing from the holy ones who stand in God's presence into cleansed, prepared human vessels consecrated to His service, that spiritual teachers may be anointed to act as Christ's representatives. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit with fire, whose work brings unbelievers to conviction and meets the deepest needs of the soul which no human power can satisfy. It is holy oil to burn with holy radiance upon the altar of the soul, kindling a sanctified ambition that gives glory to God, loves the right because it is right, tests feelings and impressions in the light of the Word, and turns away from misdirected ambition that ends in sorrow.

It is also God's grace and love, sacred truth with the fire of God's love and glory received from Christ the Source of all light, the gracious utterances of the Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with His wisdom, revelation, rich blessings, and untold resources of truth as a mine of precious ore. It is the Holy Spirit in the heart, received into vessels prepared for it, working by love and purifying the soul, kindled by the Lord in the chambers of the soul to shine to the world through good works. Only those who practice the truth receive it, for to talk of the Word while keeping Christ out of the heart and to hear without doing is not to receive the holy oil, and to such the work of the Holy Spirit seems strange. The Lord's messengers bear this golden oil as their message and must first receive it themselves in order to present truth with fervency and make its importance appear, and every soul-winning worker laboring from house to house, reasoning from the Word, explaining the Word, and travailing for souls without yielding to obstacles, receives it daily while teaching, for as he seeks to explain the Scriptures the Spirit works with his mind and heart and educates him to clearer understanding. Those with a special work for God need a large supply of this oil of grace for wisdom, courage, zeal, strength, power and efficiency, and especially those who point out and correct wrongs need it so that self is subdued and the spirit softened, that they speak guardedly and wisely with victory over self and never unadvisedly, receiving it from Christ who emptied Himself of His glory to fill His believing ones with His Spirit.

A lamp in itself is only a vessel with no light in itself and cannot refill itself, but must receive both oil and fire before it can shine amid moral darkness. The holy oil must flow into the heart every day, and the lamp of the soul must be kept trimmed and burning by a continual, daily supply, for without that replenishment the flame goes out and the lamp is going out when it should be bright. Received in this way it enables praise to God and, by looking to Jesus and receiving the light of His righteousness, removes defects of character and changes the character. Its light is effective as it is shared, by reflecting light upon the path of others.

From the holy ones standing in God's presence this Spirit and heavenly grace are imparted through the golden pipes to workers consecrated to His service, and that alone can make His Word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path that gives light amid moral darkness. As the oil was emptied into the bowl of the candlestick and thence into the lamps that gave a bright, continuous light to the sanctuary, so divine light, love, and power are given to God's people that they may pass on light, joy, refreshment, and God's love to others. God imparts light through His appointed means, and the church must be ready to receive that supply as it works in unity with Christ to save souls.

Work by God's Spirit

Joined to the word spoken to Zerubbabel, the question about the two olive trees shows that God's cause moves forward unto perfection and completion through opposition, not by might nor by power nor by devised plans, activity, hurry and bustle, but by His Spirit. The oil from the trees is the Holy Spirit flowing from God into cleansed, prepared human vessels, so that spiritual teachers receive this anointing to serve as Christ's representatives and the work in the church is carried forward by the Spirit rather than by human talent, with success coming because God is behind the worker. This defines the features of the work now being done, in which power and efficiency are not in human might or power but are received from a higher source by the Spirit of the Lord. Those who attend council meetings must therefore follow Christ into solitude and follow His example, working with all humility of mind, cooperating with God, working out salvation with fear and trembling, seeking soul-purification, and faithfully following God's directions, for judgment is according to faithfulness shown, not according to activity. Strength is not of self, for the sacred work is accomplished not by human might nor by human power but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, a lesson all who have any connection with that work must learn, which is why Zechariah 3 and 4 must be carefully studied as essential for the last days.

Those joined to God must be pure and holy, hear the Word of the Lord and do it with exactitude in order to receive the seal of the living God, receiving the holy oil from the heavenly messengers and imparting it to fellow men while events on earth are watched in heaven as human beings are tested and proved. God's commandment-keeping people are to be one with no separation in His work, joining preaching of the kingdom of God with healing the sick and casting out devils in the name of Jesus, and resisting Satan's devices to break up and separate those God is seeking to make one. They work under the eyes of the heavenly host, with a Watcher inspecting all that is planned and carried on, and God revealing Himself as a God of judgment.

Entire conformity to the will and character of God is the only remedy for institutions, churches, families and individuals. The two olive trees are God's witnesses, His appointed channels to empty from themselves the golden oil through the golden tubes into the golden bowls, which are His churches, and hence to the burning lamps, which represent His churches to enlighten the world. Without this work no one is safe for one moment from the machinations of Satan, who would deprave human nature and assimilate it to his own corrupt principles. The golden oil revives the Spirit of God in the human heart and introduces a Christlike principle like leaven, and through the inspiration of the Spirit satanic agencies are overcome. God gave His people exalted privilege and light so they could serve as channels for that oil to the world, but when they walked away from the light into forbidden paths and separated themselves from Him, He could not use them for that work, and the same lukewarm, covetous, self-righteous and impure hindrances that discouraged Christ still hinder that work, yet truth must triumph and Satan is not always to triumph.

Receiving and Imparting Supply

God's workers must first receive from heavenly agencies in order to impart, for the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth empty the golden oil out of themselves through the golden pipes into the golden bowls and thence into the lamps, which are the churches, so that ministers thus ministered to can pass spiritual life, truth and light on to the churches. When the anointed ones minister to preachers that they may minister to others, the churches let the light shine forth in glorious brightness, and workers united with Christ receive what they need to keep their lamps burning and minister in saving souls. Shepherds who have not been ministered to by the anointed ones leave the sheep starving for the bread of life, for their long discourses and anecdotes may move feelings to tears while hearts are not touched or broken because their words are destitute of the dew and rain of heaven. The same receiving in order to impart applies to stronger institutions helping struggling sister institutions.

Receiving requires being emptied of self, with the holy oil flowing from God into cleansed, prepared human vessels through soul consecration purified from all selfishness, pride and impurity, humility, taking Christ's yoke and learning from Him, sincere believing prayer, looking to Jesus and receiving the light of His righteousness, repentance and faith, practicing the truth, keeping the heart channel unobstructed, and seeking counsel from God with far less dependence on human wisdom. Only those who practice the truth receive it, for going with talk of the Word while keeping Christ out of the heart and hearing without doing means not receiving the holy oil, while the oil is kindled by the Lord in the chambers of the soul to give light to the world through good works and flows forth through consecrated human channels to others. Like the oil of the wise virgins it cannot be passed from one person to another, but each person must prepare his own soul. It is bestowed because Jesus with His own blood appears in the presence of God as Intercessor and Advocate for the guilty, His death as perpetual propitiation cleansing from all sin, blotting out sin, and securing acceptance of the prayers of penitent believers who accept Him as personal Saviour.

When received the oil burns with holy radiance upon the altar of the soul, keeps hearts reflecting heaven's light and burning with holy unselfish love, and without that continual replenishment the flame goes out since lamps have no light in themselves and cannot refill themselves. It removes defects of character and brings change of character as it is poured into the heart daily, giving an ambition sanctified by the Holy Spirit that brings glory to God, loves the right because it is right, and tests feelings and impressions in the light of the Word. Those with a special work for God need a large supply of this holy oil for wisdom, courage, zeal, strength, power and efficiency, and those who point out and correct wrongs need it so their spirit is softened and subdued and they speak guardedly, wisely, and with victory over self. When received it clothes words with melody and softness and makes them smooth as oil, removing cross words, hardness, sharpness, harshness, sourness and loud tones, and gives more of Christ and much less of self to those who speak from the desk and to fathers and mothers in the home and in business, especially when speaking to children, so that all around are made happy. It alone can make His Word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, flowing out in kind, tender, loving words, good works and heartfelt service, with capacity to receive increasing as it is given out and those who enrich others themselves enriched until the earth is lightened with God's glory.

The image guides workers' pens and tongues to be shaped by the Spirit with caution, wisdom and restraint, without stirring violent passions or blocking the truth from reaching people who need it. It reproves building on hired money without sacrifice and neglecting to arise and build or to make donations to free church buildings from debt, for being burdened with debt dishonors God and shows wrong management when year after year passes with very little sacrifice while interest swallows up the means that should pay the principal. It shows the living connection of God's commandment-keeping people with Him as they wait and watch for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven, with His love shining as light in the morning in the midst of the church militant and feeding each lamp with the golden oil of His grace and His love.