Lesson: Haggai 2:20-23; Zechariah 4:5-14
Golden Text: “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” (Zechariah 4:6).
I.
INTRODUCTION.
Biblical prophecy isn’t only about the future.
God doesn’t tell us about the future through prophecy just to satisfy our
curiosity about what is going to happen. He tells us about the
future so that we can live better in the present. The two
prophets, Haggai and Zechariah prophesied at the same time (see Ezra
5:1). Near the end of the Captivity when King Cyrus ruled Persia
which had conquered the Babylonians, God prompted him to send many of the
Israelites back to their homeland to do two things: reestablish worship by
rebuilding the temple, and to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. As
they attempted to rebuild the temple, they faced opposition. As
the Lord so often does in times of crisis, He sent His servants to speak to His
people. This week’s lesson contains prophetic messages to the
returning exiles from Haggai and Zachariah. If the people were
going to have any hope for the future, they needed to listen to God’s servants
and put into practice what they were commanded to do.
II. A
FURTURE FOR ZERUBBABEL (Haggai
2:20-23).
Last week’s lesson ended with
the people finally committing to obey God and continuing to rebuild the temple
by first re-laying the foundation (see Haggai 2:18). As a result,
God said that from that day forward He would bless them (see Haggai
2:19). This week’s lesson is a continuation of the passages from
last week. The first portion of our lesson reveals the fourth
message given by Haggai to the people of Judah (see Haggai 1:1; 2:1,
10).A. The message to Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:20-21).
1. (vs. 20). This verse says “ And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying.” The term “again” indicates that this was the fourth time that “the word of the Lord came unto Haggai.” This fourth message came to Haggai on the same day as the third one which was “the four and twentieth day of the month” or the 24th day of Chisleu, which was the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar (see Haggai 2:10).
2. (vs. 21). The message begins in this verse as Haggai is told to “ Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth.” This fourth message was addressed directly to “Zerubbabel, governor of Judah.” As mentioned in the previous lesson, as governor, Zerubbabel was the civil or political leader in Judah, appointed to that position by King Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1-5; 2:1-2). As a leader of God’s people, Zerubbabel had the responsibility of overseeing the rebuilding of the temple. Just as the people would need encouragement to rebuild God’s house, Zerubbabel would also need encouragement to lead them in that effort.The Lord began His message of encouragement to Zerubbabel by declaring “I will shake the heavens and the earth.” This refers to a future day of judgment that will no doubt begin with the Great Tribulation. God gives more information about this time of shaking in the next verse.
B. Zerubbabel chosen by God (Haggai 2:22-23).
1. (vs. 22). Still speaking of the shaking of the world that He will do, God in this verse says “And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.” This verse describes how some of the destruction will take place at the battle of Armageddon following the Great Tribulation (see Zechariah 14:1-3, 13; Ezekiel 38: 21-23; Revelation 16:14-16; 19:11-21). At that time, God will destroy the “thrones of kingdoms” and the “strength (or power) of the kingdoms of the heathen (the unbelieving Gentile nations).” In other words, all world leaders and their armies shall be overthrown. The phrase “every one by the sword of his brother” means that when the nations of the world come together to oppose God and His plans for mankind, they will be completely destroyed and end up killing each other. Note: Armageddon is the Greek word for the Valley of Meggido, and is found only in Revelation16:16. Armageddon is the ancient hill and valley of Meggido west of the Jordan in the plain of Jezreel between Samaria and Galilee. It’s the site of the final battle of this age where the armies of the beast and false prophet will be destroyed by Christ’s descending to earth in glory (see Revelation 19:11, 15, 19, 21). No opposition will stand against Jesus Christ.
2. (vs. 23). This verse says “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.” God stated that as the “Lord of hosts” or Lord of armies, He chose Zerubbabel and made him to be like “a signet.” This was a ring used to guarantee the authority or authenticity of a document. It was a seal that served as a signature when pressed in soft wax on a written document. God was reaffirming and guaranteeing the promise of a Messiah through David’s line (see Matthew 1:12). For Zerubbabel, knowing the future would help him live in the present and finish God’s work. The phrase “In that day” refers to the future messianic kingdom when God’s promise to make Zerubbabel “a signet” will be fulfilled in Jesus, the Supreme Authority and Ruler of the world.
III. THE INFLUENCE OF ZERUBBABEL (Zechariah 4:5-10 ). As previously mentioned, Zachariah and Haggai both ministered to the remnant that returned from the Babylonian Captivity (see Ezra 5:1). While Haggai’s ministry was one of rebuke and encouragement, Zechariah’s ministry was one of hope and encouragement. Zachariah was given eight visions and chapter 4 contains the fifth vision. With the fourth vision in chapter 3, Zachariah encouraged Joshua, the high priest and with the fifth vision which covers the next portion of our lesson, he encourages Zerubbabel the governor of Judah. This fifth vision began with an angel arousing Zechariah as one would wake a man from sleep (see Zechariah 4:1). The angel then asked Zechariah what he saw. The prophet replied that he saw “a candlestick all of gold” and went on to describe what else he saw in verses 2-3. After describing the vision, Zachariah asked the angel what was the meaning of it all (see Zechariah 4:4). This is where the next portion of our lesson begins.
A. A question for Zechariah (Zechariah 4:5). This verse says, “Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.” After describing what he saw in the vision, and asking the angel what did it all mean, the angel asked Zechariah “Knowest thou not what these be? The angel’s question implies surprise that Zechariah needed an explanation of what he saw. Therefore, this question could be read as “Don’t you know what these things mean?” The prophet didn’t know what it all meant so he replied “No, my lord.”
B. A word for Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:6-7).
1. (vs. 6). This verse says “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.” Here, the angel clearly stated that this “word” or vision from the Lord was specifically for Zerubbabel who as the overseer of the rebuilding of the temple needed encouragement. When Solomon built the first temple, he had an army of workers available (see I Kings 5:13-18; II Chronicles 2:2, 17-18). There were only about fifty-thousand people who returned to Judah with Zerubbabel from Captivity (see Ezra 2:1-2, 64-65). When compared to the human resources Solomon had the resources available to Zerubbabel seemed quite inadequate. So, to encourage Zerubbabel the Lord’s word to him was “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Just as the oil was constantly supplied to the lampstand to give light in Zechariah’s vision without any human help, in the same manner the temple would not be completed by human effort alone. This is what the Lord meant by “Not by might, nor by power.” God’s work couldn’t be accomplished by the political, military, intellectual, moral, physical, or social strength of men. The Lord said His will would be accomplished “by my spirit.” God’s Spirit would do the work through the people. The word “spirit” here should be capitalized since it refers to the Holy Spirit. Through Haggai God had earlier reminded Israel “My spirit remaineth among you” (see Haggai 2:5). Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Scripture (see I Samuel 16:13; Isaiah 61:1) and now the olive oil supplied to the lampstand from the two olive trees in Zechariah’s vision was teaching the same truth, that God would be with Zerubbabel as he led the people in rebuilding the temple. Note: The constant and abundant flow of oil in the vision, representing the Holy Spirit, confirms that Zerubbabel would successfully complete the work of the temple through an abundant supply of God’s Spirit not in the power or might of men.
2. (vs. 7). In this verse, using figurative language, the Lord revealed what the Spirit’s power would do for Zerubbabel as He said “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” The phrase “O great mountain” refers to the seemingly insurmountable difficulties Zerubbabel and the Jews were facing. Many of the difficulties were caused by their neighboring enemies (see Ezra 5:3). However, the opposition and obstacles would not prevail for God said “before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain.” In other words, the seemingly formidable “mountain” or opposition would be flattened, making the way clear for the temple to be completed. It’s ironic that those who oppose God’s work, who seem so formidable because of their power, really have no power except what’s given to them by our Divine Ruler (see Proverbs 21:1). Once God’s Spirit has removed all obstacles, God said that Zerubbabel “shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” This pictures Zerubbabel, the governor bringing the final stone, here called the “headstone,” to the temple so that it can be set in its proper place. Great joy would accompany this act as seen in the word “shoutings.” This refers to wild shouts and cheers to celebrate the completion of God’s house. The people would be shouting or crying “Grace, grace unto it.” The word “it” may refer simply to the final stone being laid, but more likely refers to the completed temple. The term “Grace” can be understood here in two ways. One is the desire that the grace of God should rest on His house. The other is to take “grace” to mean gracefulness, expressing the idea, “What grace or beauty it has!” Either interpretation would be appropriate.
C. A completed work by Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:8-10).
1. (vs. 8). In this verse Zechariah continued to say “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.” This statement introduces what the Lord said next.
2. (vs. 9). The next word from God in this verse was “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.” The Lord now plainly promised that just as Zerubbabel had supervised the laying of the foundation of the temple, so “his hands shall also finish it.” This declaration stressed that the completion of the temple was certain to happen. The same person who had laid the foundation would also with his own hands finish the structure. In other words, the laying of the headstone by Zerubbabel (see verse 7) would be the finishing touch to the temple reconstruction. This had to be great encouragement to Zerubbabel and the workers who may have thought that they wouldn’t live to see the fruits of their labors. Once the temple was completed, the Lord said “thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.” This means that God, through His Spirit would use Zerubbabel to build the temple, but God Himself would receive the glory. Whenever the Holy Spirit works, we must be sure that God gets the glory.
3. (vs. 10). Zechariah continues to say in this verse “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, 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.” The prophet was asking a rhetorical question when he said “For who hath despised the day of small things?” There may have been some who would think that since this temple was not as great as Solomon’s was, their work was a small thing. However, like us they needed to realize something. There are days and times when what we do for the Lord seems unimportant, but those same days and times are important in God’s plans. If we have “despised” or scorned such times and considered them unprofitable, we would be making a great mistake. Note: Many of the older Jews were disheartened when they realized this new temple wouldn’t match the size and splendor of Solomon’s temple. Bigger and more beautiful isn’t always better. What we do for God may seem small and insignificant at the time, but God delights in what is right not necessarily what is big. We should begin where we are and do what we can and leave the results to God. We should never despise small things or accomplishments because God often starts a great work in a small way. God loves to use events and persons that others despise or downplay in order to demonstrate His power through them (see I Corinthians 1:25-29). This verse went on to say “for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven.” The term “plummet” refers to a plum line which is a device used by builders to get perfect right angles for construction. The presence of the “plummet” in Zerubbabel’s hand would cause the people to rejoice along with God because it showed that Zerubbabel was busy overseeing the construction. The phrase “those seven” is explained as “the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” In Scripture, the number “seven” indicates completeness or perfection. Therefore the seven eyes of the Lord refer to how He perfectly sees everything. The fact that His eyes, which is an anthropomorphism (which means using human qualities to describe God), roam all over the earth, reveals that He has the whole earth in view at all times.
IV. THE POSITION OF ZERUBBABEL AND JOSHUA (Zechariah 4:11-14)
A. Zechariah’s question about the two olive trees (Zechariah 4:11-12).
1. (vs. 11). In this verse Zechariah says “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 our commentary on verse 5, we noted what Zechariah saw in the vision from verses 1-3. In his description of the vision, among other things, Zechariah said that he saw two olive trees. This was the one feature of his vision that he had questions about. In verse 3 he asked the question “What are these my lord?” which appeared to be a question about the whole vision. Now in this verse, still not sure what the two trees represented, Zechariah asked the angel a specific question: “What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?” Before the angel could answer, in the next verse Zechariah asked another question that was connected to this one hoping to gain more insight into what he saw.
2. (vs. 12). Here we have the additional question that Zechariah asked in order to get more information. This verse says “And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?” In essence, Zechariah was asking about the two branches from the two olive trees that were dripping oil through two golden pipes into the bowl that fed the lights on the lampstand. He wanted more information probably because he sensed that this vision had a significant message for Zerubbabel and he wanted as much understanding of it as the angel could provide.
B. An explanation about the two olive trees (Zechariah 4:13-14).
1. (vs. 13). This verse says “And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.” The angel responded to Zechariah’s question in verse 12 the same way he had before (see verse 5): “Knowest thou not what these be?” In other words, again the angel was asking “Don’t you know what these are?” The words “what these be” most likely refer to the two trees and the two branches feeding oil into the bowl above the lampstand (see verse 12). In response to the angel’s question, Zechariah answered “No, my lord” just as he had before (see verse 5).
2. (vs. 14). Our final verse says “Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” The phrase “These are the two anointed ones” refers to the two branches from the two trees that supplied the oil to the lampstand. They represent the two people who are “anointed” or set aside to “stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” The expression “stand by” implies doing service and waiting on one’s master. Simply put, the explanation given to Zechariah by the angel was that the two branches refer to the anointing of priests and kings. In Zechariah’s day, the two men fulfilling this capacity were Zerubbabel, the political governor (Israel had no king) and Joshua, the high priest. According to the vision, these two men were the “two anointed ones, that stand by (or serve) the Lord of the whole earth” by bringing God’s benefits to the struggling Jewish remnant. As the anointed ones for Israel at this time, Zerubbabel and Joshua represent the offices of king and priest that are combined in the Messiah, Jesus Christ (see Psalms 110:1-4; Zechariah 6:12-13; Hebrews 5:6: 6:20).
V. Conclusion. Many people believe that to survive in this world a person must be tough, strong, unbending and harsh. But God says “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The key words are “by my Spirit.” It’s only through God’s Spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. The returned exiles were indeed weak, harassed by their enemies, tired, discouraged, and poor. But actually they had God on their side! As we live for God, let’s determine not to trust in our own strength or abilities. Instead, let’s hope for a new day and depend on God and work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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