Zechariah 4

Chap. IV. Ver. 1—14. The vision of the golden candlestick and two olive trees.—The Prophet, overpowered by his last vision, is roused by the angel to behold another, intended farther to assure Joshua and Zerubbabel of their success in finishing the temple; that they should surmount every obstacle, and at length, by the good providence of God, bring forth the topstone, amidst the joyful acclamations of the spectators. It is plain that the golden candlestick is the Jewish state; the oil, the spirit or power of God, in opposition to human efforts; and the two anointed ones, Joshua and Zerubbabel, the sole appointed instruments of the great work in hand. Neither was the high priest, nor the temporal governor, endowed with coercive authority or human strength; but they were assisted by “the eyes of the Lord, ((Zechariah 2:9).) which run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him.” ((2 Chronicles 16:9).) The application of this prophecy (in its typical red [reference] to the Messiah, is, like that of the preceding ones, plain and obvious. Jesus Christ unites in palace both the kingly and priestly offices. He is anointed with the Spirit above measure, ((John 1:4, 9);) and by his union with the divine nature, possesses an inexhaustible fund or supply of every thing necessary to fulfil his different offices as “a priest upon his throne,” as represented in (Zechariah 6:13).