Meditation on the fifth night vision of Zechariah (Zechariah 4)
1. Introduction
The prophecies of Zechariah relate to the period of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. A group of exiles had returned from Babylon under the leadership of Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel the prince, and they faced the enormous task of rebuilding the temple. Against this background, we must understand Zechariah’s prophecy about the golden lampstand that is fed by two olive trees.
Of course, our situation is different from that of the temple rebuilding period. But we will see that there is still much for us to learn from this vision, especially if we try to draw lessons regarding how we are to be a church in this world.
2. The vision
In his vision, Zechariah sees a golden lampstand, a menorah. Although the Hebrew text is not entirely clear, the most likely translation is that this menorah had seven oil cups, and that each cup had seven spouts for wicks. Such oil cups have indeed been found by archaeologists. In this respect, this menorah differed from the one in the temple, which had only one spout per cup. Beside the lampstand stood two olive trees, from which the lampstand was supplied with oil—probably through channels rather than tubes, as some translations suggest. Unlike the menorah in the temple, it was therefore not necessary to refill the oil cups to prevent the light from going out.
3. Through God’s Spirit
As an application of this vision, God says: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.’ This expression also appears in Ezra.
The Samaritans in Israel wanted to stop the work on the temple and sent a letter to the Persian king Artaxerxes. He then ordered the work to cease, and the Persian officials in Israel ‘let them stop with might and power’ (Ezra 4:23). The Hebrew expression here is the same as in Zechariah.
What is striking is that God does not promise that He will ensure that people can withstand the might and power of their enemies, nor that they will be stronger in the struggle. Opposite the might and power of the opponents stands the Spirit of God. The presence of that Spirit will ensure that the project of rebuilding the temple will be brought to a successful conclusion. This teaches us not to rely on our own ability to fight using the means of the world around us, but to trust in God’s Spirit.
We live in different times, but the same applies to us: we live in a world that is hostile to faith and are constantly confronted with spiritual struggle—a struggle that today is carried out in very different ways, such as through (social) media. We can try to engage in the struggle in pursuit of views, followers, or ‘likes.’ Then there is the risk that we are building God’s Kingdom in the wrong way, with the wrong intentions, as if it depends on our own efforts.
Some people interpret this text in the opposite extreme. They wait until they see God’s Spirit at work and do not act until then. But in that case, they have a poor understanding of the Bible. In Nehemiah we read: ‘From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction while the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and armor, and the rulers were behind all the people of Judah. Those who were building on the wall, those who carried loads, and those who lifted them, worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other. Every builder had his sword at his side while building, but the trumpet blower stayed with me’ (Neh. 4:16-18). The Jews, too, were prepared for battle, but trusted that the work would succeed through God’s Spirit.
For us, this means that we, too, realize that we live in the world and can make use of the tools the world uses, but with a different intention—guided by God’s Spirit.
4. Through ordinary people
In the vision, two individuals occupy a special position, namely Joshua and Zerubbabel. It is important to read the vision carefully. They are not the source of the olive oil, but the channel through which it flows. God is the source, for it is about the Spirit of God.
Two people in a special position, yet still ordinary people. In the previous vision, we see Joshua wearing filthy clothes and receiving clean clothes. Joshua, too, is a sinful human being. In Haggai, we read how the prophet urges Joshua and Zerubbabel to begin the work of rebuilding the temple. They had not started because they did not yet consider the time ripe (Hag. 1:1-2). In short, two ordinary people in special positions.
I want to draw three lessons from this.
a) Respect
God uses ordinary people in special positions, and that is no different today. This means that we must show respect for people whom God wants to use. ‘Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and teaching’ (1 Tim. 5:17). This goes against the spirit of this world, in which we increasingly find it difficult to accept authority, but this is how God intended it. For this reason, it is also important for Christians to be connected to a church, so that God can work through this as well.
b) Responsibility
Those whom God has placed in positions of responsibility carry a great responsibility to listen to God’s voice. I am thinking in particular of those who are entrusted with delivering God’s Word in worship services. They have the specific task of ensuring that the Gospel is proclaimed accurately. As Paul says: ‘But continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:14-17).
If a speaker wants to lead a service on Sunday but does not devote themselves to studying God’s Word to the best of their ability and capacity, one may question their motivation. I have come to the conviction that, as a rule, only speakers with sound theological training should be allowed on the platform to explain and apply God’s Word. God wants to give pure olive oil, liquid gold. This is very different from yet another speaker proclaiming their own opinion, supported with randomly selected Bible verses presented in an apparently arbitrary order, and explained in a way that makes anyone with some theological knowledge cringe.
When it comes to the preaching of God’s Word, we must not act as if it is only about God’s Spirit and not also about God’s Word. God’s Spirit cannot be obtained separately. The foundation of the work of God’s Spirit is God’s Word, and to discern whether something we hear is truly from God, we must take the Bible as our starting point.
c) Testing
Christians are also called to a responsibility. God speaks to us in many ways. But in all cases, Paul’s rule applies: ‘Test everything; hold fast to what is good’ (1 Thess. 5:21). My great concern is that, in selecting speakers, more attention is given to presentation and the pleasantness of the message than to whether the preaching is truly biblical. Sometimes it seems that in certain circles—especially evangelical ones—everything must be pleasant to read, enjoyable to hear, and attractive to see, with the Bible playing at most a decorative role. Such an environment is only possible if we, as readers, listeners, and spectators, accept everything uncritically and do not take the trouble to examine for ourselves—to test it against the Word of God.
In Acts, we read that the Jews in Berea were ‘more noble-minded’ than those in Thessalonica because they examined whether what Paul said was true. It does not say they were noble because they simply accepted Paul’s teaching, but precisely because they tested his words. This is how the Holy Spirit works: it is through processing and testing what we hear that it becomes clear what God wants to say to us.
In my view, the greatest threat to the church today is the ‘feel-good faith.’ The belief that God accepts everyone as they are, that He is always present, and that you can always bring all your problems to Him. Is that true? Certainly, but it is only half the truth. God loves us too much to leave us as we are, and He also calls us to obedience and to fight against everything that can lead us away from Him. Half a gospel is a complete false teaching—a false teaching that is rising today, gaining ground when we rely solely on our feelings and do not take the Bible as the basis for our judgment.
This does not mean that we should immediately question someone’s intentions—that is not our role. But we must examine and test what is being said.
5. Foundation
In the previous vision, we saw how the temple is founded on a special stone: ‘For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, there are seven eyes’ (Zech. 3:9). In this vision, there is again mention of these seven eyes of God. These eyes symbolize the presence of God. And they rejoice. Therefore, God Himself will ensure that the project succeeds, despite the fact that its beginning is still small.
This is what it is all about. If the foundation lies in the presence of God, then the work in God’s Kingdom will succeed—despite all the shortcomings of us humans, despite the resistance of others, and despite the fact that it seems small and insignificant in our eyes. If the foundation is firm, God will ensure success.
6. Small start
In Ezra 3:10-13, we read about the mixed feelings of the people. On one hand, there is joy at beginning the rebuilding; on the other, there is sorrow over the enormous task that lies ahead: “And the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from the sound of the people weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away” (Ezra 3:10).
It is a feeling we can relate to. As mentioned earlier, we live in a world where everyone seems to be chasing views, followers, “likes,” and clicks. And when it comes to churches, we are often tempted to look with a somewhat envious eye at (very) large congregations—because bigger seems to mean more successful. Yet the curious fact is that in countries where the church is growing, there are no megachurches. And in countries with megachurches, Christianity is not growing. Research even shows that megachurches often thrive by absorbing smaller congregations, and members of megachurches are generally less involved in their local church than members of smaller congregations. So, what does success really mean in God’s eyes?
The question we must ask ourselves is what foundation the church is built on and whether it is truly fed by the pure, flowing gold of God’s Spirit. If our goal as a church is simply to grow larger at any cost, the temptation to make choices that hinder the work of God’s Spirit becomes very strong.
That does not mean I do not long for many thousands in my region to join our congregation. But this can only be meaningful if, as a church, we remain founded on God’s foundation and fed by His Holy Spirit. A church that seeks growth merely for the sake of size falls into many temptations—such as the temptation of the “feel-good faith” that currently nourishes Christians like fast food.
7. Final remarks
The vision of Zechariah carries a clear message. God wants to nourish the work in His Kingdom through His Spirit. But this promise from God comes with a responsibility: to actively seek the pure olive oil, the flowing gold that God desires to give.
Paul gives the following warning: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking” (2 Tim. 4:3). I believe the time Paul speaks of has already arrived.
Bas Krins