Zechariah 4:11-14 Then answered I, and said to him, What are these two olive trees on the right side of the candlestick and on the left side thereof?… Consider — 1. That by the two olive trees it is not clear to understand only the graces of God poured out on His Church. That is indeed signified by oil in such Scripture as Psalm 45:7. Here the resolution is concerning the trees that furnished the oil. Nor yet are we to understand them of a fountain of bounty in God; for there can be no reason given why that should be compared to two trees, and be said to "stand before the Lord." But by them we are to understand Christ anointed in His priestly (which includes His prophetical) and kingly office, who was chief in this work, and in furnishing all instruments; who furnishes His Church, and serves His Father in the work of redemption, and is cared for by Him. 2. That the angel, answering both the prophet's questions in one, leads us to understand the one by the others so far as is needful; and therefore we may conceive that either that of the branches is not touched as needless, or pointing out only the fit ways of communicating Himself to His people's capacity, the pipes not being able to receive the oil of the whole tree at once, or that branches only now furnishing, imported Christ's communicating Himself in a small measure in this typical work of building the temple in respect of what He had and was to communicate in the building of His Church under the Gospel; or if we will stretch it further, it may take in Joshua and Zerubbabel, the one anointed priest, the other a successor of their anointed kings, who, however, as instruments in the work, they were resembled by the burning lamps, getting furniture from the bowl, yet in respect of their office among that people, and their influence upon all instruments of building the temple, they were types of Christ, and so might be represented by two little branches, resembling Him, the great olive tree..."standing before the God of the earth," as being instrumental to keep in life in the Church when all power shall be opposite to her. (George Hutcheson.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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? |
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