Matthew Poole and continuators on Zechariah 4

1 ANd the angel that talked with me , came again , and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

Christ, who for some time had left Zechariah, and bestow'd some time on new dressing and cleansing, and adorning Ioshua, the High Priest.

This is the fourth time of Christs revealing his mind to this Prophet by Vision.

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.

2 And said unto me, What seest thou ? And I said, I have looked , and behold, a candlestick all of gold , with † a bowl h upon the top of it , and his seven lamps thereon, and ‖ seven pipes to the seven lamps , which are on the top thereof.

What dost thou discern, of that thou didst before half asleep, half awake see, but didst not observe.

Since awakened and rowzed; I have very diligently viewed, and observed, and I see.

By Gods appointment there was a candlestick to be made, as a Utensil and Ornament of the Temple, Exod. 25.31.

So was the candlestick to be for the Temple, all of pure Gold, Exod. 37.17,

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.

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.

So each of the seven Lamps had a pipe reaching from it to the Bowl or Basin.

These Lamps were so set as to stand somewhat higher than the Body of the candlestick.

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.

3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

Some say Branches; better Trees, which well rooted, will continue, and perpetually supply the Bowls, and that will supply the Lamps.

Not more, or fewer than two.

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.

4 So I answered , and spake to the angel that talked with me i, saying, What are these my lord?

After that I had seen and discerned.

See chap. 3. ver. 4. let. z.

See chap. 1. ver. 9. let. h.

See chap. 1. ver. 19. let. a. and chap. 2. ver. 3. let. i.

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered, and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said , No, my LORD .

When the Prophet had enquired into the meaning of these emblems.

See chap. 1.19. let. a.

'Tis not a question either to upbraid the Prophet as an Ignoramus, Christ doth 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.

Zechariah freely confesseth he knew not, he pretends not to know what indeed he did not know.

He owns the greatness and sovereignty of Christ.

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying: This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel , saying, Not by might , nor by power , but by my spirit , saith the LORD of hosts.

So soon as Zechariah had owned his Nescience.

Christ.

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.

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.

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.

Courage and Valour, all which make Armes considerable, no need of this neither. Or might and power here may be of the same impor[illegible: 1 letter] and added only for elegancy and assurance of the thing.

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.

Marginal references: Or, army.

7 Who art thou, O great mountain ? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain , and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings : crying, Grace, grace unto it.

The Angel having resolved the question about building the Temple, either himself doth deride all the power of opposers, or the Prophet doth 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?

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.

Zerubbabel as the Servant of Christ.

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

of the second Temple.

With loud acclamations the signs of great joy, and satisfaction in the thing done.

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.

Marginal references: Ezra 3.11, 13.

8 Moreover , the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Either at another time, or else at the same time was added what now Zechariah declares.

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you .

Perhaps (as is customary) he did lay the first stone with his own hands, or rather his direction, and command, and under his conduct.

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.

Whoever thou art, that dost hear me, both Zerubbabel and all among the Jews

Shall be fully assured, and certainly know

God of Truth and Mercy, our God from our Fathers who remembers his Covenant,

commanded me to preach these things.

Returned Captives, and poor builders of this stately and magnificent house.

Marginal references: Ezra 3.10.; and 6.15.; chap. 2.9, 1[illegible: 1 letter]. and 6.15.

10 For who hath despised the day of small things ? for they shall rejoyce, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven , they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

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.

Of which Haggai 2.3.

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.

The perp[illegible: 1 letter]ndi[illegible: 1 letter]ular with which Zer[illegible: 2 letters]babel shall try the finished work, or the work near finishing.

In subordination to, and co-w[illegible: 1 letter]rking wi[illegible: 1 letter]h the Divine Providence exprest emblematically by the seven [illegible: 1 span] w[illegible: 1 letter]re on that stone, of which chap. 3.[illegible: 1 letter]. Though [illegible: 1 word] were prudent in managing all the affairs of Jews, Ierusa[illegible: 1 letter]em, and the Temple, yet not his prudence, but infinite wisdom of God gave success, and when the success app[illegible: 1 letter]ars in the finishing of the Temple then shall it be acknowledged an admi[illegible: 1 letter]able work of the Divine Wisdom, and the Jews shall conf[illegible: 2 letters]s th[illegible: 2 letters] the eyes of the Lord which run to, and fro through the whole [illegible: 1 word] have been upon them in this work for good, and that God hath shew'd himself on their behalf.

Marginal references: Or, sith the seven eyes of the LORD shall rejoice.; Heb. stone of tin.; 2 Chron. 16.9. Prov. 15.3.

11 ¶ 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 doth 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[illegible: 1 letter]eth. The explication of the 11th. verse you have ver. 3. of this chapter.

12 And I answered again and said unto him , What be these two olive-branches , which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyl out of themselves ?

I went on to discourse, which is the signification of the Heb. phrase here used.

Heb. a second time

The Angel that talked with the Prophet.

Two principal branches one in each Tree, fuller of berries, higher then the rest and hanging over the 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[illegible: 1 letter] distil'd into them from those Olive-branches, [illegible: 1 letter]un into the [illegible: 1 letter]owl, and out of that bowl it was through so many golden pipes conv[illegible: 3 letters]d into the seven L[illegible: 1 letter]mps▪

Fre[illegible: 1 letter]ly without any viol[illegible: 3 letters]e offered, drop the oyl out of themselves, yet so that still they are [illegible: 1 letter]ull of oyl f[illegible: 1 letter]r perpetual supply to the Lamps.

Because of its [illegible: 1 word] ▪ or from its colour.

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, alwayes filling his members true Christians, and even full for all Believers.

Marginal references: Heb. by the hand.; Or, empty out of themselves oyl into the gold.; Heb. the gold.

13 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.

14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones , that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

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[illegible: 1 letter]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.

Marginal references: Rev. 11.4.; Heb. sons of oyl.; chap. 6.5.