Zechariah 4

ANd the angel that talked with me Christ, who for some time had left Zechariah, and bestow'd some time on new dressing and cleansing, and adorning Ioshua, the High Priest., came again This is the fourth time of Christs revealing his mind to this Prophet by Vision., and waked Either roused him out of a drousie fit, and bodily sleep, or out of an extasie, or wonder, that surprising him, he was as if asleep, or shaked him out of a sluggish negligence, or an observance of these things. me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

And said unto me, What seest thou What dost thou discern, of that thou didst before half asleep, half awake see, but didst not observe.? And I said, I have looked Since awakened and rowzed; I have very diligently viewed, and observed, and I see., and behold, a candlestick By Gods appointment there was a candlestick to be made, as a Utensil and Ornament of the Temple, Exod. 25.31. all of gold So was the candlestick to be for the Temple, all of pure Gold, Exod. 37.17,, with † a bowl h upon the top of it On the highest part of the candlestick, on the top of the candlestick on the top of the shaft, or on the head of the candlestick., and his seven lamps thereon, and ‖ seven pipes One pipe to each Lamp, the mouth of which pipe joined to the Bowl or Basin, and received oyl from it; the other end of the pipe fastned to the lamp convey'd oyl into the Lamp. to the seven lamps So each of the seven Lamps had a pipe reaching from it to the Bowl or Basin., which are on the top These Lamps were so set as to stand somewhat higher than the Body of the candlestick. thereof. Or Basin, or round, and large oyl cruet, capable of so much oyl, as would suffice to feed all the Lamps in the Candlestick. Either so many, because the Temple candlestick had just so many, or because of some perfection supposed to be in this Septenary Number.

And two olive trees Some say Branches; better Trees, which well rooted, will continue, and perpetually supply the Bowls, and that will supply the Lamps. by it, one Not more, or fewer than two. upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So placed that the candlestick stood between them, and each Tree stood at distance from the candlestick, on the right, and left hand thereof; that they might distil their oil into the Basin or Bowl. All which is an Emblem of the Church, both what it is made of, pure Gold; what made for, to be light in the World; to shine as Lamps that continually burn, maintain'd with pure oil, distilled from the Olive Trees, not pressed out by man but continually, freely, and abundantly dropping or flowing from these olive Trees.

So After that I had seen and discerned. I answered See chap. 3. ver. 4. let. z., and spake to the angel that talked with me i, saying, What are See chap. 1. ver. 9. let. h. these my lord? See chap. 1. ver. 19. let. a. and chap. 2. ver. 3. let. i.

Then When the Prophet had enquired into the meaning of these emblems. the angel that talked with me See chap. 1.19. let. a. answered, and said unto me, Knowest thou not 'Tis not a question either to upbraid the Prophet as an Ignoramus, Christ does not reproach his for not knowing deep, and dark mysteries at first sight of them. Nor is it the question of one that was uncertain about the thing enquired into, Christ knew the Prophets ignorance though he ask the question, but 'tis to excite him to attend and learn. what these be? And I said Zechariah freely confesseth he knew not, he pretends not to know what indeed he did not know., No, my LORD He owns the greatness and sovereignty of Christ..

Then So soon as Zechariah had owned his Nescience. he Christ. answered and spake unto me, saying: This is the word Or this word of the Lord is to Zerubbabel, 'tis particularly designed to him, and in an Emblem prefigureth what a Church, how precious as Gold, how full of light, how framed, how maintained it should be by God himself. This Hieroglyphick is a representation of what the Church should be. of the LORD unto Zerubbabel The Governour, on whose hand much of the care and trouble of building the Temple did lie; yet let him not be discouraged, for this work lyeth on God., saying, Not by might Or by an Army, as the word bears, Heb. you may think you shall need an Army to defend you in carrying on this Building, which ill will of Neighbours about you hindereth, but I tell you there is no need of an Army., nor by power Courage and Valour, all which make Armes considerable, no need of this neither. Or might and power here may be of the same impor and added only for elegancy and assurance of the thing., but by my spirit Which garnished the Heavens and can beautifie the Church, which moved upon the darkness in the Creation, and brought forth a beautiful and mighty structure, and can do as much now; by spirit we may understand either the Third Person of the Trinity engaged in Building the Church, with the Father and the Son; or by Spirit you may understand the power of God. Either is encouragement enough, and secureth the future effect, and promiseth a future State of the Church, pure and precious as Gold, full of knowledge in the Doctrines of God, as this Candlestick with seven Lamps full of Holiness from abundant measures of Grace, persevering in it by continued supplies from the Spirit of Grace in Ordinances, &c., says the LORD of hosts.

Who art thou, O great mountain The Angel having resolved the question about building the Temple, either himself does deride all the power of opposers, or the Prophet does triumph over it who art thou? Sanballat and Confederates, or Satan, or Babylon, or all put together what are you all? compar'd with the power of God the Lord of Hosts who by his Spirit will finish this work?? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Thou standest in the way of my Servant, and thinkest his weakness, and poverty cannot remove thee, but if he cannot surmount thy height I will bring it down and make thee as a plain, and my servant shall as easily go on with my work as a Traveller goeth over a way plain'd before him., and he Zerubbabel as the Servant of Christ. shall bring forth the head stone Shall, as is usual, assist at the laying of the last finishing stone, as well as he saw and assisted when the first foundation stone was laid thereof of the second Temple. with shoutings With loud acclamations the signs of great joy, and satisfaction in the thing done.: crying, Grace, grace Praying, and wishing all prosperity, and a long continuance of it, to the Temple and those that are to Worship God in it, as Grace and favour of God began, and finisht, so may the same grace ever dwell in it, and replenish it. unto it.

Moreover Either at another time, or else at the same time was added what now Zechariah declares., the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

The hands Perhaps (as is customary) he did lay the first stone with his own hands, or rather his direction, and command, and under his conduct. of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation In the second year of Cyrus perhaps fourty years agone, likelier seventeen, but be those years more or less, he shall finish it, thus the Prophet expresly promiseth from the Lord, both continuance of Zerubbabels Life, Care and Power, as also his success in this work to encourage both him, and the Jews. of this house, his hands shall also finish it; and thou Whoever thou art, that dost hear me, both Zerubbabel and all among the Jews shalt know Shall be fully assured, and certainly know that the LORD God of Truth and Mercy, our God from our Fathers who remembers his Covenant, of hosts has sent me commanded me to preach these things. unto you Returned Captives, and poor builders of this stately and magnificent house..

For who And now for those that despised small beginnings, who they are is well known, and to them I say, and promise what they expected not. has despised the day of small things Of which Haggai 2.3.? for Or but, not withstanding they so much undervalued the meanness of the second Temple, yet when finisht they shall with many others rejoice in it. they shall rejoyce, and shall see the plummet The perp ndi ular with which Zer babel shall try the finished work, or the work near finishing. in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven In subordination to, and co-w rking wi h the Divine Providence exprest emblematically by the seven w re on that stone, of which chap. 3.. Though were prudent in managing all the affairs of Jews, Ierusa em, and the Temple, yet not his prudence, but infinite wisdom of God gave success, and when the success app ars in the finishing of the Temple then shall it be acknowledged an admi able work of the Divine Wisdom, and the Jews shall conf s th the eyes of the Lord which run to, and fro through the whole have been upon them in this work for good, and that God has showed himself on their behalf., 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? In the eleventh verse the Prophet proposeth a question to which no answer is given, but he does immediately proceed to ask one more question, though somewhat, yet not much different from the former, and in the answer to this latter question the Prophet acquies eth. The explication of the 11th. verse you have ver. 3. of this chapter.

And I answered I went on to discourse, which is the signification of the Heb. phrase here used. again Heb. a second time and said unto him The Angel that talked with the Prophet., What be these two olive-branches Two principal branches one in each Tree, fuller of berries, higher then the rest and hanging over the golden pipes., which through the two golden pipes These were fastened to the golden bowl, on each side one with a hole through the sides of the bowl, to let the oyl tha distil'd into them from those Olive-branches, un into the owl, and out of that bowl it was through so many golden pipes conv d into the seven L mps empty Fre ly without any viol e offered, drop the oyl out of themselves, yet so that still they are ull of oyl f r perpetual supply to the Lamps. the golden Because of its or from its colour. oyl out of themselves A supernatural work and emblem of supernatural grace, these branches filled from the True Olive-tree, ever empty themselves and are ever full, so are the Gospel Ordinances filled by Christ, always filling his members true Christians, and even full for all Believers.?

And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Vid. ver. 5. let. z. a. b.

Then said he, These are the two anointed ones Not Enoch and Elias, nor the two witnesses, nor Peter and Paul, nor the two Churches of Jew and Gentile. Nor principally Zerubbabel and Ioshua, though perhaps the exposition may gla ce upon them, and the two Orders Magistracy and Mininistry, in them; as these are Types of Christ in his two Offices, King and Priest, or Christ and the Comforter, in this I determine nothing., that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.