Zechariah 4:1 - Meaning and Application

The prophet was first prepared for the message that was about to be shown to him. The angel who had been speaking with him came and woke him up, like a man waking from sleep (Zechariah 4:1). Even though he had been talking with an angel about matters of great public concern, he seems to have grown drowsy and fallen asleep while the angel was still speaking. The disciples were heavy with sleep when they saw Christ transfigured (Luke 9:32), and Daniel was in a deep sleep when he heard the angel’s words (Daniel 10:9).

The prophet’s spirit was ready to listen, but his body was weak. His body could not keep pace with his soul in these holy thoughts. Perhaps the visions themselves stunned him, or perhaps their sweetness gently lulled him to sleep. We will never be ready for close fellowship with spirits until we are free from these bodies of flesh. The angel seems to have let him lose himself for a little while, so he could be fresh for new revelations, and then woke him, to his surprise, as a person waking from sleep. We need the Spirit of God, not only to show us divine things, but also to help us notice them. He wakes us morning by morning, and he wakes our ears (Isaiah 50:4). We should ask God to awaken us whenever he speaks, and then we should rouse ourselves.

Next came the vision itself. The angel asked, “What do you see?” (Zechariah 4:2). The question drew the prophet’s attention, so that he looked carefully at what was before him. He saw a golden lampstand, like the one that had stood in the temple before. In time, the temple would again be furnished with something like it.

The church is like a lampstand, set up to give light to this dark world and to hold out God’s revealed truth. The lamp is God’s, and the church is only the stand that holds it. Yet the stand is made of gold, showing the great value and honor of God’s people. This golden lampstand had seven lamps, each one giving off light. The Jewish church had been one, and its scattered synagogues were like many lamps belonging to one lampstand. But under the gospel, Christ is the center of unity, not Jerusalem or any other single place. That is why seven churches are shown, not as seven lamps on one stand, but as seven separate golden lampstands (Revelation 1:20).

Above the lampstand was one bowl, a common supply, into which oil kept dropping. From there, seven hidden pipes carried the oil to the lamps, so they received oil as quickly as they used it, without needing any extra care. The bowl itself was also continually supplied, with no human labor or attention. Zechariah saw two olive trees, one on each side of the lampstand, so full and fruitful that they kept pouring oil into the bowl on their own (Zechariah 4:3). Through two larger pipes, that oil was then spread to the smaller ones and down to the lamps (Zechariah 4:12). No one needed to attend the lampstand or keep it filled with oil. The point is clear: God can easily accomplish his gracious purposes for his church by his own wisdom and power, without human skill or effort. He may use people as instruments, but he does not need them, and he is not bound to them.

Then the prophet asked what the vision meant, and he received a gentle rebuke for being slow to understand (Zechariah 4:4). He answered respectfully, calling the angel “my lord.” Those who want to be taught should honor the one who teaches them. Zechariah could see what the objects were, but he wanted to know what they meant. It is good to want to understand God’s messages, whether they come through his word, his ordinances, or his providences. Those who would know God’s mind must be eager to ask and learn.

The angel answered with a question: “Do you not know what these are?” This showed that, if Zechariah had thought it through and compared spiritual things with spiritual, he might have understood. He knew there had been a golden lampstand in the tabernacle, and it was the priests’ regular work to supply it with oil and keep it burning for use in the tabernacle. So when he saw a lampstand in the vision with lamps kept burning all the time, but no priests attending it, he could have seen the meaning. God had restored the priesthood, yet he was able to carry on his work for and among his people without depending on it.

We should feel ashamed that we are often so slow to grasp the meaning of God’s revelations. The angel asked in this way to draw from the prophet an honest confession of his dullness, darkness, and slowness to understand. Zechariah confessed at once, “No, my lord; I do not know what these are.” Visions had meaning, but they were often difficult and hard to understand, even for the prophets at first. Those who want to be taught by God must admit their ignorance and their need for instruction, and they must turn to him for it. We must ask the giver for the key to open what he has given. God teaches the meek and humble, not those who are proud and trust their own understanding.

The main purpose of the vision was to assure the prophet, and through him the people, that the good work of building the temple would succeed. It would be brought to a happy end by God’s special care and the direct help of his grace, even though the enemies were many and strong, and the friends and helpers were few and weak. When we explain visions and parables, we should focus on the main point and be content with that if it is clear, even when we cannot explain every detail. The angel told the prophet, in general, that this vision was meant to explain a word from the Lord to Zerubbabel, the Jewish governor, and to encourage him to keep building the temple.

Let him know that he is working together with God, and that this is a work God will support and crown.

God will carry this work forward and finish it, just as he had begun their rescue from Babylon. He will do it, not by outward force, but by secret work and inward influence on people’s minds. The Lord of hosts says this, and he certainly could do it by force, for he has armies at his command. Yet he will do it, not by human strength or power, but by his own Spirit. What the Spirit does is done with real power, but it stands against visible force.

Israel was brought out of Egypt and later into Canaan by might and power, and in both acts of deliverance there was great bloodshed. But they were brought out of Babylon, and later into Canaan the second time, by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts working on Cyrus’s spirit and moving him to proclaim their freedom. He also worked on the spirits of the captives, moving them to accept the freedom offered to them. It was the Spirit of the Lord of hosts who stirred and strengthened the people to build the temple. That is why they are said to have been helped by the prophets of God, because the prophets, as the Spirit’s mouth, spoke to their hearts (Ezra 5:2). The same Spirit inclined Darius’s heart to favor and support that good work, and confused the plans of its sworn enemies so they could not stop it as they intended.

This teaches us that God’s work often moves forward very successfully while seeming quiet, and without human force. The gospel temple is built, not by might or power, because the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. His work on people’s consciences is strong enough to tear down strongholds. In this way, the power clearly belongs to God, not to man. When human helpers fail, we should leave it to God to do his work by his own Spirit.

All the difficulties and opposition in the way will be overcome and removed, even the ones that seem impossible (Zechariah 4:7). “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.” Here the problem is pictured as a great mountain, steep, immovable, and impossible to pass. It is like a heap of rubble that must be cleared away or the work cannot continue. The enemies of the Jews are proud and hard like mountains, but when God has work to do, mountains in the way will shrink into molehills.

So these difficulties are also treated with contempt: “Who are you, O great mountain, that you should stand in God’s way and think to stop his work?” Who are you to look so large, threaten so much, and frighten so many? Before Zerubbabel, when he is acting for God, you will become a plain. Every difficulty will disappear, and every objection will be removed. Every mountain and hill will be brought low when the way of the Lord is prepared (Isaiah 40:4). Faith can remove mountains and turn them into plains. Christ is our Zerubbabel, the leader and restorer here in view. Mountains of difficulty stood in the way of his work, but before him they were all leveled. Nothing is too hard for his grace to do.

The same hand that began this good work will complete it. “He shall bring forth the headstone” (Zechariah 4:7). Again, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house” (Zechariah 4:9). This is said to his honor, perhaps because he laid the first stone with his own hands. Though the work has been delayed for a long time and still faces opposition, it will be finished at last. He will live to see it done, and his hands will finish it. In this, he is a picture of Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith. His being the author gives us assurance that he will also finish it, because God’s work is perfect. Has he begun, and will he not bring it to completion?

Zerubbabel himself will bring out the headstone with shouts and loud cries of joy from the people watching. The cry is not simply praise in general, but “Grace, grace.” That is the song of victory the church sings. It can be understood in two ways. First, it gives all the glory to free grace. When the work is finished, it must be freely and thankfully admitted that it was not done by our own wisdom or strength, but by grace. It was God’s goodwill toward us, and his good work in us and for us. “Grace, grace” must be shouted not only over the headstone, but over the foundation stone, the corner stone, and every stone in God’s building. From beginning to end, it is not of works, but of grace, and all our crowns must be laid at the feet of free grace. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us.”

Second, it is a prayer that free grace would continue for what still remains to be done. “Grace, grace” is the language of prayer as well as praise. Now that this building is finished, may all blessing rest upon it. Let peace be within its walls, and, in order to that, let grace be there. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon it. What comes from God’s grace may, in faith and on good grounds, be entrusted again to that same grace, because God will not abandon the work of his own hands.

This will also fully confirm the earlier prophecies about the Jews’ return and their restored life in the land. When the temple is finished, then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The exact fulfillment of Scripture’s prophecies is strong proof that they come from God. In this way God confirms the word of his servant, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built” (Isaiah 44:26). No word from God will fail, and not one part of it will fall to the ground. Zechariah’s prophecies about the coming day of deliverance for the church will soon prove themselves to be from God by their fulfillment.

This will also silence those who looked down on the beginning of the work (Zechariah 4:10). Where are they now who despised the day of small things and thought this work would never amount to anything? The Jews themselves looked down on the foundation of the second temple because it seemed far less impressive than the first (Ezra 3:12). Their enemies mocked the wall while it was still being built (Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:2, Nehemiah 4:3). But they should not do that. In God’s work, the day of small things should not be despised.

Even if the workers seem weak and unlikely, God often chooses such people to accomplish great things through them. Just as a great mountain becomes level before him when he chooses, so a little stone, cut from a mountain without human hands, can fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:35). Even if the beginning is small, God can make the end greatly increase. A mustard seed can grow into a large tree. So do not despise the first light of dawn, because it will grow brighter until full day. The day of small things is also the day of precious things, and it will become the day of great things.

This will give full satisfaction to all who truly care about God’s work. They will be glad to see that they were wrong to look down on “the day of small things.” Those who had given up hope of the work being finished will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. They will see him among the builders, giving orders and directions, and making sure the work is done carefully, so it will be both strong and beautiful.

This is a great joy to all good people. It is good to see civil rulers, that is, magistrates, being careful and active in building up God’s house. It is good to see the plumb line in the hands of those who have power to do much, if their hearts are set on doing it. We do not see Zerubbabel with the trowel in his hand, because that task belongs to the workers, the ministers. But we do see him with the plumb line, and that is no shame to him. In fact, it honors him. Magistrates should watch over the work of ministers and speak kindly to the Levites, the temple servants, who do their duty.

This also shows the great wisdom and care of God’s providence, his wise rule over all things, which is always working for the good of his church. Zerubbabel does his part, doing all that a human being can do to move the work forward. Yet he does it with the help of those seven eyes, the seven eyes of the Lord, mentioned in (Zechariah 3:9). He could do nothing unless God’s watchful, powerful, and kind providence went before him and stayed with him. Unless the Lord built the house, Zerubbabel and the others would labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).

These eyes of the Lord are the eyes that go back and forth through the whole earth, observing all creatures and all their actions (2 Chronicles 16:9), and guiding and stirring up all things according to God’s own purposes. We should not think that God is so taken up with his church that he forgets the rest of the world. Still, it is a comfort to us that the same all-wise, all-powerful providence that rules the nations is especially concerned with the church. Those seven eyes that move through the earth are fixed on the stone that Zerubbabel is setting straight with his plumb line, to see that it is laid well. And those who have the plumb line in their hand must look up to those eyes of the Lord, keeping a constant regard for divine providence, acting in dependence on its guidance and in submission to its will.