Zechariah 4

1 Then the angel who had been talking with me returned, and he called to me as though I had been asleep.

And the angel that talked with me returned, and awakened me, as when a man is awakened out of his sleep.

2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a lampstand [made] completely of gold. There is a small bowl [for olive oil] at the top, and there are seven [small] lamps around the bowl, and a place for a wick on each lamp.

And he said to me, What see you? And I said, I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its bowl upon it, and seven lamps upon it, and seven oil funnels to the lamps upon it:

3 Furthermore, I see two olive trees, one at the right side of the lampstand and one at the left side.”

and two olive-trees above it, one on the right of the bowl, and one on the left.

4 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”

And I enquired, and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these things, [my] lord?

5 He replied, “Surely you know [RHQ] what they are?” I replied, “No, I do not know.”

And the angel that talked with me answered, and spoke to me, saying, Know you not what these things are? And I said, No, [my] lord.

6 Then he said to me, “This is the message that Yahweh [says that you should give] to Zerubbabel [the governor of Judah: ‘You will do what I want you to do, but it will] not be by your own strength or power. It will be [done] by [the power of] my Spirit, says the Commander of the armies of angels.

And he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying, Not by mighty power, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.

7 Zerubbabel, you [have many difficult matters to handle. They are like] high mountains [MET]. But they will [become easy to handle, as though] they will become flat land. And you will bring [to the temple] the final stone [to complete the rebuilding of the temple]. When you do that, [all the people] will shout repeatedly, “It is beautiful! May God bless it!”’”

Who are you, the great mountain before Zorobabel, that you should prosper? whereas I will bring out the stone of the inheritance, the grace of it the equal of [my ] grace.

8 Then Yahweh gave me [another] message.

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

9 He said [to me], “Zerubbabel [SYN] laid the first stone in the foundation of the temple, and he will put the last stone in its place. When that happens, the people will know that [it is I, the Commander of the armies of angels, who] have sent you to them.” And he said, “The seven bowls represent the eyes of Yahweh, who looks back and forth at everything [that happens] on the earth.”

The hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

10 No one [RHQ] should think that little things that are done at the beginning of a big project are unimportant. [When the temple is almost finished being rebuilt, ] Zerubbabel will use a (plumb line/string with a stone fastened to it) [to see if the walls they are building are straight]; so when the people see that, they will rejoice.”

For who has despised the small days? surely they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet of tin in the hand of Zorobabel: these are the seven eyes that look upon all the earth.

11 Then I asked the angel, “What is [the meaning of] the two olive trees, one on each side of the lampstand?

And I answered, and said to him, What are these two olive-trees, which are on the right and left hand of the candlestick?

12 And what [the meaning of] the two olive branches, one alongside each of the gold pipes from which [olive] oil flows to the lamps?”

And I asked the second time, and said to him, What are the two branches of the olive-trees that are by the side of the two golden pipes that pour into and communicate with the golden oil funnels?

13 He replied, “Surely [RHQ] you know what they are?” I replied, “No, sir, [I do not know.]”

And he said to me, Know you not what these are? and I said, No, [my] lord.

14 So he said, “They represent the two [men who have been] appointed [MTY] to serve the Lord who [rules] the entire earth.”

And he said, These are the two anointed ones [that] stand by the Lord of the whole earth.