Zechariah 4:2, commentary and pictures

Zechariah was shown a candlestick all of gold with a bowl on its top and seven lamps fed by seven pipes, flanked by two olive trees standing one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left. The vision was the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel to encourage the Jews in rebuilding, that His work is finished not by human might or power but by His Spirit. The golden oil emptied from the olive trees through the pipes into the bowl and thence into the lamps is the Holy Spirit, the grace and love of God received from heaven by faith. The candlestick and lamps are the churches and individual believers, with the heart as the inner lamp, having no light in themselves and wholly dependent on continual supply from Christ, the great central Light. That supply is received through consecration, emptying of self, and daily prayer, and is given to be imparted, so that those filled with divine light and love shine amid moral darkness and kindle light in others.

Vision's Form and Setting

What is seen is a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof. By it stand two olive trees, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side of it. The bowl receives golden oil from the two olive trees, emptied out of themselves through golden tubes and pipes into the bowl, and from the bowl the lamps of the sanctuary are fed to give a bright, continuous light. The figure thus plainly sets forth the features of the work in which believers are engaged.

It is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. It was given after the vision of Joshua and the Angel, as one of a series of visions meant to encourage and sustain the Jews when they were anxious that permission to rebuild Jerusalem might be withdrawn. The oil flowing from the olive trees through the pipes represents the Spirit imparted from the holy ones in God's presence to people consecrated to serve Him.

The chapter belongs with Zechariah 3 as further instruction on the same experience of Joshua the high priest. That experience is the pardon of truly repentant sinners accused by Satan and by unrepentant men, now being acted over while professed believers refuse to humble the heart and confess sin. The vision presents what God has prepared, revealing heavenly realities to spiritual sight, with the following explanation identifying the two olive branches and golden pipes with the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Much in chapters 3 and 4 is essential and needs to be carefully studied in the last days, belonging to the figure that presents encouragement that strength not of our own may be had.

The meaning of the golden candlestick, its bowl, seven lamps, and seven pipes must be sought from God with patient, repeated inquiry and prayerful study. Understanding and receiving it leads to work for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, advancing the work forward and upward.

What the Symbols Mean

The golden oil in the vision is the Holy Spirit, the holy oil which is the grace of the Spirit of God. It flows from the two olive trees through golden pipes into the bowl on top of the candlestick all of gold, and from the bowl into the seven lamps to feed them so they give a bright, continuous light in the sanctuary. That flow pictures the Spirit imparted from the holy ones who stand in God's presence to human agencies consecrated to His service, and to preachers of the Word in particular. It is heavenly grace that alone can make God's Word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, reviving the human heart, introducing a Christlike principle like leaven, and overcoming satanic influence. Ministers of righteousness must therefore be continually replenished with it so they can impart greater strength and efficiency to the church and meet wrestling doubt, despair, and the soul's great need, obtaining victories not by might nor power nor mere outward manifestation but by the Spirit through inward purity, cleanness of soul, heart piety, and holiness which is wholeness to God.

The same oil is heavenly grace and love, the dew and rain of heaven, grace and truth as it is in Jesus. It is received from heaven and flows into those united to God by faith, feeding each lamp of the golden candlestick and keeping believers spiritually alight through the Holy Spirit and God's messages, so that without this supply evil would gain control. God's love is thus shown as light in the morning in the midst of the church militant, sensed through faith and living connection by His commandment-keeping people waiting and watching for the Son of Man to come in the clouds. People cannot make themselves light-bearers or originate this gift by human skill; God supplies it, and they become channels through whom His love and grace reach others in good works and heartfelt service, with love preserved in speech and conduct keeping the light shining. Each consecrated vessel is filled with the oil of grace in order to be emptied into other vessels, for a Christlike life is possible only by receiving to impart, and as light is shed on souls in darkness new light is imparted to the giver.

The golden oil is also the message of sacred truth, the Word that gives light. It represents untold resources of precious truth, a mine of precious ore hitherto possessed by very few, coming into possession through careful and thorough digging of the Bible instead of skimming over the surface, and then shared to enrich others. When the Lord's messengers first receive that oil they present the truth with all fervency to make its importance appear, and when angels empty the golden oil of truth into the heart of him who teaches the Word the application of truth becomes solemn and serious. The Word is the preacher's light, and the oil emptying from the heavenly olive trees into the bowl makes the lamp of life flash with a clearness and power that all discern, giving new perception of truth instead of stale, oft-repeated ideas and kindling inner life and the fire of God's love in susceptible hearers.

The candlestick all of gold with its bowl, seven lamps, and seven pipes is the heavenly channel for supplying the churches, picturing the churches of God and individual believers. The inner lamp represents the heart, which must receive heaven's supply through heaven's messengers for its light to endure. A lamp in itself is not light but only the instrument and vessel from which light is dispersed, holding the treasure of oil and dispersing the light only after it has received both oil and fire before it can shine. A church of itself has no grace, no fire of God's love or His glory, but is wholly dependent upon Christ as the Source of all light, and receiving from Christ the golden treasure of oil and the fire it can shine forth in distinct rays amid moral darkness to pass light on so people in darkness can hear the saving message. The bowl and the golden bowls are those churches and the cleansed vessels prepared for reception, receiving the golden oil emptied out of the olive trees through the golden tubes and pipes in order to let the light shine forth in glorious brightness to supply light, comfort, hope, and love to those in need. These vessels must be emptied of self and of the treasures of truth, bringing out things both new and old, to impart what is received to living agencies.

The two olive trees and olive branches by the bowl, one on the right and the other on the left, are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth and stand in God's presence. They are understood as holy ones, holy messengers, heavenly messengers, His witnesses, and true messengers of heaven.

How the Oil Flows

The two olive trees standing in the presence of God empty the golden oil out of themselves through golden tubes and pipes into the bowl on top of the candlestick all of gold, and from that bowl the seven lamps of the sanctuary are fed through the seven pipes to give a bright, continuous light. The bowl receives the supply and the lamps receive from the bowl, so that the golden oil flowing through the golden pipes into the golden bowls and then into the lamps is the channel for supplying the churches. That golden oil is the Holy Spirit, the grace of the Spirit of God, imparted by heavenly messengers and by the holy ones that stand in God's presence to preachers of the Word and to human instrumentalities consecrated to His service. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate that heavenly grace which alone can make the Word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, and from them the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to the people that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing. When the anointed ones have not ministered to the shepherds their sermons are destitute of heavenly power and the sheep starve for the bread of life, but ministers of righteousness must be continually replenished so they in turn impart greater strength and efficiency to the church and meet wrestling doubt, despair, and the soul's great need.

A lamp in itself is not light but only the instrument and vessel from which light is dispersed, holding the treasure of oil and dispersing it only when it has received both oil and fire. The lamps have no light in themselves and cannot replenish themselves, but are supplied by holy appointed ones, with heavenly fire making them burning and shining lights. Without continual replenishment by the golden oil and the abiding love of God the flame goes out, and without this supply of God's grace through the Holy Spirit and God's messages evil would gain control. Every church needs that oil, for lamps are going out when they should burn bright and clear to penetrate the moral darkness covering the world like a funeral pall, and the anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth are needed now to give this supply. Hearts can reflect light only through a vital connection with heaven, which sustains steady, unselfish love for Jesus and for those He has redeemed.

Christ is the source of this oil of grace, emptying Himself to fill believers with His Spirit for power and efficiency. He is the Lord's appointed center from which light is to shine forth in distinct rays to the world, the great central Light and Sun of Righteousness from whom all the church's light comes, so that the church has no light of its own and must receive that light from God and spread it to people in darkness. Mistakes and failure come from not placing a proper estimate on that center and from continuing in unbelief, while earnest prayer and living and working by faith and first receiving grace and strength from Christ open the heart to receive the bright beams and to impart light and courage to others. Those with a special work need a large supply to be a strength to the church, with wisdom, courage, zeal, self-mastery, and guarded, wise speech. Receiving light without sharing it as required turns a person into a receptacle of darkness, while receiving and diffusing it makes it burn brighter.

Angels receive the holy oil and pour it into prepared vessels, helping prepare hearts so that Christ may be all in all. Two olive branches pour golden oil through the pipes into cleansed vessels, supplying light, comfort, hope, and love to those in need, and Christ's co-workers are to be emptied of self so they can receive from Him and impart to others. The holy oil reaches people through consecrated workers who keep receiving by imparting it in word and action to meet others' needs. Giving does not exhaust this supply; imparting keeps the capacity to receive alive, and fresh supplies are needed every day, with lasting fruit when Christ abides in the worker and divine fullness flows through that person to others. Christ's true followers have their lamps filled with holy oil from the divine altar and use their knowledge to make others recipients of His grace, going forth to give light to those in darkness so that many souls turn to the Lord, while new truths continually unfold to them as they receive and impart.

The golden oil is heavenly help given in answer to sincere, believing prayer, with heavenly messengers supplying it so the lamps can burn brightly and enlighten others, and believers must remain with Jesus and keep receiving it to sustain their light. That emptying is a continual process from receiving the golden oil, which is heavenly grace and truth as it is in Jesus, to communicating the same to others. That communicating happens by spoken words, by unconscious influence felt around the soul even when no words are meant, by a word spoken as seed sown, and by a tract or paper that impresses the heart, so that reader or hearer thirsts for the water of life. When every believing soul ministers to others by precept and example, the Holy Spirit empties itself of the holy oil, which is received by the golden tubes and conveyed by God's servants as channels to the world till all are tested and proved.

Not by Human Power

The golden candlestick with its bowl on top and its seven lamps fed by seven pipes was shown as the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, with two olive trees standing by it that empty the golden oil out of themselves through golden tubes into the bowl so the lamps give a bright, continuous light. Its meaning is that power and efficiency are not in believers themselves but are received from a higher source, for the work is accomplished not by human might nor by power but by God's Spirit. From the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth and stand in God's presence the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to His people that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing, and those thus enriched are to enrich others with the treasure of God's love while remaining pure and holy. The same oil of grace is that which the wise virgins took in their vessels with their lamps.

The image portrays the provision made for the work God has given His people to complete. His work is watched over and supplied by heavenly agencies, with the oil flowing from the olive branches through the pipes as a continual supply of life and light to be received as spiritual life and then imparted to others. That supply is to be used to sustain the work in practice, even to the supporting of struggling institutions with means so the Lord's work can go forward.

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts, is the strength of every child of God and the privilege of the church of God in every age. It is the only power that can heal, that gives success to human plans when they are placed in right relation to God, and that causes the church to advance when she puts her trust in God. Service that springs from selfishness bears no fruit to God's glory, for the work is carried forward by His Spirit and not by human might or power.

Entire conformity to the will and character of God is the only remedy and safety for institutions, churches, families, and individuals against Satan's machinations to deprave human nature and assimilate it to his corrupt principles. The two olive trees are His witnesses, emptying the golden oil from themselves through the golden tubes into the golden bowls, which are His churches, and hence to the burning lamps, which also represent His churches. That golden oil, which is the Spirit of God, revives the human heart, introduces a Christlike principle like leaven, and through its inspiration satanic agencies are overcome. Success in preaching does not come from any one man, for God has given a variety of gifts and appointed work to different ministers, and He Himself works behind the human agents, gives the increase, and makes the impression by the Holy Spirit taking the things of God and showing them, so ministers must unite, mingle their talents, and share the preaching rather than leaving the burden chiefly on one man.

Churches as Burning Lamps

The churches of God are the golden candlestick, whose golden lamps hold the treasure of oil and disperse the light, yet a lamp in itself is not light but only the instrument and vessel from which light is dispersed. A lamp must receive both oil and fire before it can shine, and a church of itself has no grace and no fire of God's love or His glory, but is wholly dependent upon Christ as the Source of all light and the Lord's appointed center from which light shines forth in distinct rays to the world. Receiving from Christ the golden treasure of oil and the fire, the church can shine forth in distinct rays amid moral darkness, for all its light comes from Christ the great central Light and Sun of Righteousness and must be received from God and spread to people in darkness. That golden oil is the message of sacred truth borne by the Lord's messengers and the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit needed in every institution, supplied as the heavenly olive trees empty themselves into golden tubes to fill the golden bowls of the candlestick, and when the messengers first receive that oil they present the truth with all fervency to make its importance appear. Mistakes and failure come from not placing a proper estimate on the Lord's center and from continuing in unbelief, while earnest prayer and living and working by faith and first receiving grace and strength from Christ open the heart to receive the bright beams and to impart light and courage to others.

God's love is shown as light in the morning in the midst of the church militant, feeding each lamp of the golden candlestick with golden oil which is His grace and His love, sensed through faith in God and a living connection with Him by His commandment-keeping people waiting and watching for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven. Every church needs that golden oil, poured by heavenly messengers through golden tubes into golden bowls, for their lamps are going out when they should burn bright and clear and burn brightly to send light into the world's moral darkness. When believers empty themselves of selfishness, self-sufficiency and ambitious devising and are controlled by the Holy Spirit, the Lord enables them to do a work that advances His truth. Filled with the oil, the lamps send forth a shining light that penetrates the moral darkness covering the world like a funeral pall, and the anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth are needed now to give this supply.

Without that oil God's people are asleep like the foolish virgins with no oil in their lamps, while the wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps, holding the oil of grace. The vision means Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts, which is the strength of every child of God and the privilege of the church of God in every age, the only power that can heal, that gives success to human plans when placed in right relation to God, and that causes the church to advance when she puts her trust in God. Receiving light without sharing it as God requires turns a person into a receptacle of darkness, while receiving and diffusing the light makes it burn brighter. One person turned to God through the Holy Spirit's work with a human agent becomes a fresh instrument for passing on the truth received through divine and human agencies, and kept burning, that one lamp lights many others.

Receiving to Give Light

God's servants must first receive heavenly truth and spiritual life from the anointed ones before they can pass it on to others, for the golden oil flowing through the golden pipes into the golden bowls and then into the lamps is the dew and rain of heaven to be ministered to the churches. When the anointed ones have not ministered to the shepherds, their sermons are destitute of heavenly power and the sheep starve for the bread of life, and though a minister lavish learning and exhaust moral energy he accomplishes nothing and sends hungry, thirsty souls away empty. Angels are present when a man enters the pulpit, and when they empty the golden oil of truth, the message from heaven and tidings of joy and hope drawn from the refreshing life-giving stream, into the heart of him who teaches the Word, the application of truth becomes solemn and serious and sin is expelled from the heart, unless the door of the heart is padlocked and Christ refused admission. A minister who receives the golden oil has life with no stagnation or dwarfed experience but constant growth unto the full stature of Christ, a deep growing experience in heavenly things, walking with the Lord as Enoch did, earnest prayer for the heavenly anointing, refusal of Satan's propositions, and power to distinguish the heaven-born right from the common, and therefore amid the perils of the last days preaching must be short, spiritual, elevated, and full of the Word of the Lord. Those entrusted with the work must receive that heavenly supply and communicate its light so that people in darkness can hear the saving message, for God gives His favored people the place of being channels for that flow, but when they walk away into forbidden paths and separate from Him He cannot use them.

Ministers of righteousness must be continually replenished with the holy oil imparted by heavenly messengers so they in turn impart greater strength and efficiency to the church and meet wrestling doubt, despair, and the soul's great need and longing. They are dependent on the grace of God represented by the holy oil, and obtain victories not by might nor power nor mere outward manifestation but by the Spirit through inward purity, cleanness of soul, heart piety, and holiness which is wholeness to God. From the anointed ones that stand in God's presence the fullness of divine light and love and power is imparted to His people that they may impart to others light and joy and refreshing, and those thus enriched are to enrich others with the treasure of God's love. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate that heavenly grace which alone can make God's Word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, showing how the Spirit is imparted from the holy ones to human instrumentalities consecrated to His service. Christ is the source of this oil of grace, emptying Himself to fill believers with His Spirit for power and efficiency, and those with a special work for God need a large supply to be a strength to the church, with wisdom, courage, zeal, self-mastery, and guarded, wise speech.

The Word is the preacher's light, and the golden oil flowing from the heavenly olive trees into the bowl makes the lamp of life flash with a clearness and power that all discern. This divine supply gives a new perception of truth instead of stale, oft-repeated ideas, and when hearts are susceptible to the Holy Spirit's influence those sitting under such a ministry feel an inner life and have the fire of God's love kindled within them. The oil supplies divine power to bring clear light and an understanding of God's purposes to others. It enables words that reform without exasperating, so truth must be spoken in love rather than mixed with harshness or self, and its influence is shown in words that soften and subdue the heart and bring spirit and life. It makes an editor's words gracious rather than sharp and thrusting, and it represents the worship and prayer by which Christ received strength for His ministry, for the lamp must be filled with holy oil before its light can shine in moral darkness.

Workers are to trim their lamps with holy oil communicated through the two golden pipes by the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth, and the church's light and ministry are joined to the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing sinners to new birth. Truth spoken in love can influence people for good when the golden oil is poured into a prepared vessel for sharing the treasures of God's Word. Christians are living channels through whom God pours grace and Christ's love to the world, and the Spirit's indwelling brings light and peace seen in heavenly love flowing through consecrated people to bless others.

Consecrated Life and Service

The golden oil is received only through soul consecration and purification from all selfishness, pride, self-sufficiency, ambitious devising, and impurity, by being emptied of self and cleansed from littleness and cheapness of self, for even the most splendid service is not accepted without it. To press forward to the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, believers must be thus emptied of all self and filled with that golden oil, which is God's grace and providence choosing from eternity to make obedient children, giving His Son to die that they might be sanctified through obedience to the truth, controlled by the Holy Spirit, conformed to His image to represent the beauty of holiness and perfect a Christlike character without which none enter the city of God. Each person has one lamp to keep burning, kindled from the divine altar and filled with heavenly oil, and emptied of self and prepared to receive the holy oil each can bring light to a sinner's path and guide the wanderer. Such personal, consecrated work can do more good than an impressive display or a showy procession of torches or lights.

The inner lamp is the heart, which must be converted and consecrated with motives right before God, with self laid upon the altar as a living, consuming sacrifice. Those who labor in business lines and in teaching must exercise every precaution against error through wrong principles or methods, and teachers and students need this heavenly oil and the Spirit's control to meet their responsibilities. When the inner lamp is thus supplied with what flows from heaven through the golden tubes into the golden bowl, the Lord's communication never comes in vain, and the root being holy there is sound, healthful fruit which alone is acceptable to God. Each consecrated vessel is filled with the oil of grace in order to be emptied into other vessels, receiving daily so as to pour into others in word and action to meet their needs. Giving does not exhaust this supply but keeps the capacity to receive alive, so fresh supplies are needed every day and a Christlike life is possible only by receiving to impart. As light is shed upon the pathway of souls in darkness and sin and knowledge is used to make others recipients of grace, new light is imparted to the giver, many souls turn to the Lord, and new truths continually unfold as they receive and impart.

Everyone who kindles his taper from the divine altar holds his lamp firmly, with holy fire kept burning day and night by the power of God and not common fire, always trimmed by the very hand that lit it. Such are never placed in a position for which God has not made provision, and receiving the heavenly supply with Jesus makes them cheerful, courageous, hopeful and joyous, yet weighted with the Word as bread of life to bear to hungry, thirsting souls. They carry sunlight wherever they go and lift up the Man of Calvary higher and still higher with the message of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The professed commandment-keeping people must awake and arouse, trim their lamps, and receive the holy oil from the two olive branches through the pipes into vessels prepared for its reception. Those who receive it will feel they have a work to do and will let their light shine in unity with Christ to save perishing souls, will see that God will not accept a wrong example in the home, and, the soul thus cleansed and made ready, will bring out of the treasures of truth things both new and old.

When those who bear the vessels of the Lord are clean and self-seeking gives place to unselfish love and labor, divine influence imparted by holy angels impresses minds, circulates through every institution, and carries the influence of heaven in every word and work. Then the lives of workers expound sacred truths, love and peace pervade every department, character wrought through divine power receives light and glory from heaven as a witness pointing to the throne of the living God, the work moves forward with solidity and double strength with new efficiency, men learn the reconciliation from iniquity the Messiah brought by His sacrifice, the last message of warning and salvation is given with mighty power, and the earth is lightened with the glory of God. This calls for using means to support struggling institutions so the work can go forward, and for building and maintaining church buildings without neglect or selfish use of resources and without letting borrowed money and consuming interest eat up means needed to free them from debt. God gives His favored, privileged people the place of being channels for that flow through the golden tubes into the golden bowl to keep the lamp burning to enlighten the world, but when they walk away from the light into forbidden paths and separate themselves from Him He cannot use them as channels. Hearts can reflect light only through a vital connection with heaven, for lamps have no light in themselves and cannot replenish themselves, and without continual replenishment the flame goes out; preserving love in speech and conduct keeps that light shining and sustains steady, unselfish love for Jesus and for those He has redeemed. The heart must be prepared to receive the golden oil, with the lamp's oil poured into the mind so believers can work with heavenly agencies, sustaining faith, love, and patience and keeping their lights shining ready for the Lord's coming.