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ZERUBBABEL THE TYPICAL BUILDER

I. QUAR., LESSON V., JAN. 29, ZECH. 4:1-10

Golden Text—”Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.”—Verse 6

This, like the vision of the preceding lesson, was doubtless intended to encourage the Israelites living at the time it was given; but, like

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it also, its chief lesson belonged not to them, but to us.—1 Pet. 1:12.

The golden candlestick (literally, lamp) with seven branches (or burners) is the same as that which, in the typical Tabernacle and Temple, shed the only light of “The Holy.” The same seven lamps in one are brought to our attention in the Book of Revelation (1:20), and there explained to symbolize the Church of Christ during the present time. The seven represents perfection or completeness; hence as a whole the lamp-stand represents all the true saints or light-bearers in all the various phases of the Nominal Church development.—Rev. 2:1,5.

The oil represents the holy spirit which, burning in the true believers, causes the illumination of the sanctified in Christ Jesus.

The two olive trees from which the olive oil proceeds to the seven lamps we understand to be typical of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments—God’s two witnesses. The holy spirit is “the spirit of the truth;” and God’s Word is truth! God explained this to Zerubbabel (verse 6), saying, “Not by an army nor by force but by my spirit [the spirit of the Truth—the spirit or influence of God given through his exceeding great and precious promises, etc.—the olive trees—(2 Pet. 1:4) the Word], saith Jehovah of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? Thou shalt become a plain, and he shall bring on the headstone with shoutings of, Grace, grace unto it.”

A mountain symbolizes a kingdom; and the one here represented as an obstruction before Zerubbabel typifies Satan’s kingdom—the dominion of evil under the Prince of this world. Zerubbabel typifies Christ. His name signifies “a shoot [or sprout] out of Babylon.” Literally, he was a son or shoot out of David and Jesse (as our Lord also is called), and secondly, as a sprout out of Babylon [confusion], he was a further type of Christ, who was out of, and yet separate from, sin and all mixture of evil. Undoubtedly the people of that day understood Zerubbabel to be the branch or shoot mentioned in the vision of Chapter 3:8, not realizing that Zerubbabel and Joshua were but types of Christ, in whom the two offices of King and Priest would be combined.

VERSES 9,10 blend the type and the antitype. Zerubbabel had begun the rebuilding of the literal Temple, and the people understood that it would be completed by him. They might not then despise the humble beginning of the work, but rejoice to see it progress under his direction—realizing that the seven eyes (i.e., the perfect wisdom of God which holds survey of all the earth) were superintending the work.

The real application of these verses is to Christ, who began the construction of the true Temple of God—”which temple ye are.” His earthly ministry and the work of his followers have all along seemed small and weak, and far from what might be expected by any respecting so great a Temple for so grand a purpose. But those who realize the situation from God’s standpoint can rejoice in the outcome, realizing the Lord’s promise that “the day of small

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things,” the day of suffering, the day of trials, will soon give place to the Millennial Day of joy, perfection and blessing. The despised “little flock,” whom the world knows not, even as it knew not its Master, will soon be glorified with him, and share his Kingdom. The poor, rich in faith, and those that are nought, and that are despised, and that are foolish according to the wisdom of this world, are soon to be gloriously manifested as the Sons of God, the body of Christ and the embodiment of divine wisdom and power and love, that as his Kingdom they, with Christ their Lord and Head, may, as the “Sun of Righteousness,” shine forth in blessing and life to the groaning creation—already redeemed by the precious blood.

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— January 1, 1893 —