Mining the Minors: Zechariah (7)

Wikipedia says, “A perpetual motion machine is a hypothetical machine that can do work infinitely without an external energy source. This kind of machine is impossible, since its existence would violate either the first or second law of thermodynamics, or both.”

In the real world, systemic failure is inevitable. The most sophisticated humanly devised machinery eventually breaks down and grinds to a halt.

The concept of a device that continues to operate in perpetuity without human intervention is intriguing even if nobody has been able to invent one yet. In chapter 4, Zechariah saw a vision of a perpetually self-sustaining lampstand. Unlike the lampstand in the temple or tabernacle, this one required no priests to service it and no regular replenishment of oil.

That was all built into the design.

I. Eight Visions and Explanations (continued)

5/ The Golden Lampstand

Zechariah 4:1-3 – The Vision

“And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.’ ”

Imagining the Lampstand

Dozens of artist’s conceptions of Zechariah’s vision of this lampstand exist online. I’ve reproduced one of the better ones above. It has the virtue of not putting candles in the lamps, which would be an anachronism. Ancient lampstands burned oil directly, without wax or tallow. Nineteen out of twenty artists imagine the lampstand [Hebrew: mᵊnôrâ] as a traditional seven-branched Jewish candelabrum with a big golden bowl on top, but few of these include the golden pipes Zechariah mentions extending down from the branches of the olive trees, which are an important feature of the vision. Only one has the lamps equally spaced around and below the rim of the bowl, which is how I picture it, the seven extended “lips” of the lamps receiving oil from the bowl. (The menorah has become the modern state of Israel’s official emblem.)

Regardless of how it’s drawn or painted, it seems evident the intention of the vision is to show a light source that, like a perpetual motion machine, is self-sustaining. The olive trees naturally produce oil, the branches and pipes direct the oil to the bowl and the bowl disperses oil to the lamps.

The History

Lampstands similar to the one Zechariah saw (without the olive trees and bowl) were common to both tabernacle and temple service from the time of Moses onward. God gave the original design to Moses at Sinai. A Judean named Bezalel crafted the first one. The priests consecrated the lampstand with a special anointing oil and considered it most holy. It was positioned on the south side of the tabernacle outside the veil that divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy, fed with pure oil from beaten olives and kept lit from evening to morning “that a light may be kept burning regularly” during the night. Tending the lampstand was the job of the high priest. Later, Solomon had ten lampstands made for the first temple.

The obvious improvement of the lampstand in Zechariah’s vision over the original is that its lamps are alight in perpetuity. Once lit, the lamps would remain lit not just from evening to morning but forever. Unlike the cleansing of the priesthood in Zechariah’s previous vision, regular service by human beings was not required at all.

The lesson? In God’s spiritual economy, the second law of thermodynamics does not apply.

Zechariah 4:4-10 – The Explanation

“And I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.’ ”

Building the Temple

The task of building the second temple in Jerusalem loomed before the Jewish governor Zerubbabel like a great mountain. In fact, the rubble from the destruction of King Solomon’s temple may have been the size of a small mountain. Though the new design was much smaller and humbler than the original temple, the governor may still have wondered if the immense task of building it was beyond the abilities of his small group of exiles returned from Babylon. In verse 10, the Lord refers to those who had “despised the day of small things”. Older Jews who remembered Solomon’s temple looked at the task before them as unworthy in comparison to glories of the previous temple. Perhaps they also felt it would never happen. God says, “Not so.” He promised even the most sceptical among the people of Judah would rejoice at the completion of the project.

Zechariah’s vision provided assurance to the governor and the faithful Jews working obediently on the new temple’s foundation that God himself was thoroughly committed to the project. It might be human hands at work with hammers, saws and chisels, but divine energy maintained their commitment to accomplish the work. The Spirit of the Lord to aid the workers in their labors was in bottomless, perpetual supply.

The Great Mountain Becomes a Plain

The angel who interpreted the vision to Zechariah continued with the Lord’s own word: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ’’ The daunting task would be accomplished “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The Lord of hosts promised it. Not only would the work get done, it would be completed in the governor’s lifetime. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.” The plumb line in the hands of Zerubbabel as he checked the completed construction against its design was the evidence the vision would come true.

Fleshly energy accomplishes nothing useful in God’s service. Only when the Spirit of God works through his people does the story end with the cry of “Grace to it!” or the modern equivalent. The book of Ezra tells us Zechariah’s vision came true. The temple was finished within four years from foundation to capstone, and dedicated in 516 BC.

These Seven

“These seven,” said the angel, “are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” Which seven? The only “sevens” in this vision are the seven permanently lit lamps filled with the oil symbolizing the Spirit of God.

I mentioned last week that when the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, is seen glorified in Revelation 5, he appears with seven eyes, “which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth”. Likewise, the stone in Zechariah’s previous vision had seven eyes. The seven lamps that never go out symbolize the same truth, except Revelation applies it to the Lord Jesus explicitly: God is active everywhere and observing everything that happens.

Jesus may be a localized manifestation of the Godhood, the Word made flesh, but he has all the awareness possessed by God enthroned in heaven. During his time on earth, he proved that repeatedly. Whether he gives his assurance that a mountain will become a plain or a temple built from nothing, he does it with all possible divine authority and accuracy.

The Eyes of the Lord

The expression “the eyes of the Lord” used here first appears in Genesis 6 in connection with Noah. First, the Lord examined the earth and found that the wickedness of man was great upon it. Then we read this: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” In examining the entire planet, God did not overlook the deeds of a single righteous man.

Concerning the eyes of the Lord, the psalmist writes that they are “toward the righteous”. Solomon says they are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. He adds that the eyes of the Lord “preserve knowledge”. They are the means by which God keeps his records. All in all, the anthropomorphism occurs in scripture 22 times, pointing out that the Lord was watching the deeds of not just David, but also Asa, Omri and Ahab. Good and bad, God observed and took note of everything they did.

That is a scary prospect for the wicked, but a great source of comfort to those who serve the Lord and need his assurance he is present with them. It’s as true of those who serve him today as it was true of the obedient Jews building the temple in 520 BC.

The first part of the vision is relatively easy to interpret, though we should note that these last two sentences are subject to a variety of translations and interpretations. These include that the rejoicing when they “see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel” is not the rejoicing of those who despised the day of small things, but that of “the seven”. That’s certainly one possibility, though it doesn’t change the positive tone of the overall message.

The rest of the chapter is a little more difficult.

Zechariah 4:11-14 – Two Olive Trees

“Then I said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?’ And a second time I answered and said to him, ‘What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?’ He said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.’ ”

Two Anointed Ones

Zechariah asks about the meaning of the olive trees and receives no answer. Then he asks a more specific question about the two branches from which the oil drips into the pipes that fill the golden bowl and power the lamps. The angel tells him these are the “anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth”. Given their prominence throughout Zechariah’s visions and prophecies, it’s reasonable to assume the “anointed ones” Zechariah saw were Zerubbabel, symbolizing the continuity (if not the royal power) of the Messianic line, and Joshua, symbolizing the priesthood. The Spirit of God was working through both offices.

But these two men are only branches on trees. Other branches have stood before the Lord and other men will in days to come, including the two witnesses of Revelation 11, who are called “the two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the whole earth”, unmistakably a reference to Zechariah. It’s also possible that Moses and Elijah served a similar purpose as witnesses along with the apostles to the transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

The expression “anointed ones” is literally “sons of new oil”, those men through whom the Spirit is working in their day. The point is not that everyone who stands before the Lord is either a priest or king. The oil in the lamps was not the oil of anointing. The sacred anointing oil was a unique recipe reserved for the job, not fresh olive oil from the tree. These “sons of new oil” are instrumental in the ongoing work of the Spirit in the world. It is probably unimportant which, if any, office they occupy.

Standing Before

Standing before the Lord means occupying a place of confidence and trust, as Abraham did when he stood before the Lord on behalf of Lot, privileged as a friend of God to participate in the Lord’s deliberative process concerning Sodom. Joseph stood before Pharaoh in a similar capacity, one of trust and service. The “sons of oil” are the Lord’s agents and confidants, a privileged position indeed.

___________________________
Original art courtesy Jw.org, CC BY-SA 4.0