Zechariah 4

Then the angel who had been talking with me came back and woke me up. I had been thinking deeply, as though I had fallen asleep.

He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a lampstand made completely of gold. It has a small bowl for olive oil at the top, and seven lamps around the bowl, with seven channels going to each of the seven lamps that are on top of it.

I also see two olive trees beside it, one olive tree on the right side of the bowl and one olive tree on its left side.” \*

I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what do these things mean?”

The angel replied, “You really should know what they mean!” I answered, “No, sir, I do not know.” \*

Then the angel said to me, “This is the message that God has for Zerubbabel, ‘You will not accomplish this by being strong or by your own efforts. Instead, my Spirit will accomplish it,’ says God, the commander of the heavenly armies.

Every great difficulty that stands in front of Zerubbabel will disappear! He will set the final stone of the temple in its place, and all the people will shout, ‘How beautiful! May God bless it!’ \*

Then God gave me another message.

He said, ‘Zerubbabel began the work of rebuilding this temple, and he will finish it.’ When that happens, you will know that God, the commander of the heavenly armies, sent me to you people.

No one should think that the small beginnings of a big project are unimportant. People will be happy when they see Zerubbabel holding the plumb line as he checks the walls. Those seven lamps represent how God watches over everything that happens on the whole earth.”

Then I asked the angel, “What do the two olive trees on each side of the lampstand mean? \*

In particular, what do the two olive branches that are beside the two gold pipes that pour out olive oil mean?”

He said to me, “You really should know what these things mean!” I replied, “No, sir, I do not know.” \*

So he said, “They represent the two people whom God has anointed to serve the Lord who rules over the whole earth.” \*