Zechariah chapter four – is it prophetic of the Lord’s Church?

I’m posting three topics up here, and then NO MORE. I will consider all correction, refute, rebuke of anything I say, and I will abide by any decision of the moderators with regard to these three topics – but after these three topics, I’m done here – that’s a promise! Andrew.

Is the following verse prophetic of Jesus Christ building His Temple after HE HIMSELF laid its foundation?

“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. 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.” (Zech.4: 9-10).

Zerubbabel, the governor, had laid the foundation of the (second) temple, and he was being assisted in its building by Joshua, the High Priest.

In Zechariah 4: 6, Zechariah is told that the temple would be built “Not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of the LORD of hosts.”

Jesus is both King and High Priest of Israel.

In this passage, Zerubbabel and Joshua (Biblical types of Jesus) are symbolized by TWLIVE TREES; and Zechariah sees these two olive trees on either side of A LAMP-STAND with seven lamps, supplying oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) to the lamp-stand.

The Olive tree is one of the three Biblical symbols for Israel (the Fig- tree, the Olive-tree and the Vine – see also Rom.11: 17).

The seven-branched lamp-stand with seven lamps which stood in the Old Covenant temple is a Biblical type of the Church; and the seven lamp-stands (or candlesticks) in the Apocalypse symbolize the seven churches (plural) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev.1: 20).

In Zechariah 4: 14, Zechariah is told that the TWLIVE TREES and the LAMP-STAND with seven lamps represent “THE TWO ANOINTED ONES, THAT STAND BY THE LORD OF THE WHOLE EARTH.”

In Revelation 11: 4, we are told that THE TWO WITNESSES of Jesus are “THE TWLIVE TREES AND THE TWO LAMPSTANDS STANDING BEFORE THE GOD OF THE EARTH.”

1 They are the witnesses of Jesus, and their power is from Jesus.

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of TWO WITNESSES, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be made sure.” (Deu.19:15).

The apostle Paul taught that the Gentiles who believe in and follow Jesus are grafted into Israel (“the Olive tree”) AMONG the remnant of the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who also believe in and follow Jesus (Romans 11: 1-5, 17).

God said to Israel:

“You are My witnesses, says the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me no God was formed, nor shall there be after Me...I, I am the LORD; and there is none to save besides Me.
I have declared, and have saved, and I have shown, when there was no strange god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the LORD, that I am God.
Yea, before the day was, I am He; and no one delivers out of My hand; I will work, and who will reverse it?” (Isa.43: 1-13).

In the above verses (Isa.43: 10-13), God is saying that His witnesses are witnesses to the fact that He is God because of God's work of salvation among them – it has nothing to do with our works – but it has everything to do with the works of God – God's witnesses are His witnesses by virtue of God's saving work in them:

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph.2: 8-10).

 

In Rev.19: 10c we read that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”.

In Rev.11: 3a Jesus says, “And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy...”

It is “Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the LORD of hosts” (Zech.4: 6) that “the two witnesses” prophesy.

It follows that “the fire” that proceeds from the mouth (singular) of “the two witnesses” of Jesus Christ (Rev.11: 5) is the Spirit of the LORD of hosts – THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, against Whom the arguments of evolutionists, atheists, agnostics, and the arguments of all who would oppose the Word of God – cannot stand.

The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is symbolized as “waters from heaven” in Biblical scripture (in Hebrew this is “mayim mi shamayim” – “waters from heaven”); and the Holy Spirit IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. “The two witnesses” have authority to shut up the heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy.” (Rev.11: 6).

In Rev.16: 4-6 (the third bowl of God's WRATH) we read,

“And the third angel poured out his vial ON THE RIVERS AND FOUNTAINS OF WATERS, AND THEY BECAME BLOOD. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Righteous is the Lord, who is, and was, and who will be, because You have judged these things, SINCE THEY HAVE POURED OUT THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS AND PROPHETS; and You gave them blood to drink, for they were deserving.” (Rev.16: 4-6).

“The two witnesses” of Jesus have authority over waters to turn them to blood (Rev.11: 6b).

“...and they (the two witnesses of Jesus) have authority to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.” (Rev.11: 6c).

Any period of general aspostasy from sound Christian doctrine among Christians is a period of (SPIRITUAL) plague.

“... And when they complete their testimony, the beast coming up out of the abyss will make war against them and will overcome them and kill them.” (Rev.11: 7).

When the king of Babylon had erected his golden image and commanded that anyone who refuses to bow down and worship it would be cast into “the burning, fiery, furnace”, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow down and worship before it.

“One like the Son of God” was with them in the midst of the furnace, and after Nebuchadnezzar saw that they had remained unharmed by the flames, he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, you servants of the Most High God, COME OUT AND COME HERE...” (Dan.3: 26).

“And they (the “two witnesses” of Jesus who had been martyred by the beast ascending from the bottomless pit) heard a great voice from Heaven saying to them, COME UP HERE. And they went up to Heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.” (Rev.11: 12).

“And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come? And I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones WHO CAME OUT OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION and have washed their robes, and have whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev.7: 13-14).
“And the seventh angel sounded. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev.11: 15).

The above verse (Rev.11: 15) is sandwiched between (on one hand) the verses describing the martyrdom of “the two witnesses” of Jesus and their subsequent resurrection and removal into heaven (Rev.11: 7-14), and (on the other hand) the wrath of God being poured out upon the world (Rev.11: 16-19).

Whenever the book of Revelation speaks of the judgment of God coming upon the world, the word it uses to describe this judgment is WRATH (not “tribulation” or “great tribulation”).

The three woes and the martyrdom of “the two witnesses”

The book of Revelation speaks of three “woes” after the sounding of the fourth trumpet (Rev.8: 12-13). The first “woe” is linked by the book of Revelation with the events symbolized by the fifth trumpet (Rev.9: 12), the second “woe” with the events symbolized by the sixth trumpet, and the third “woe” to the events symbolized by the seventh and final trumpet (Rev.11: 14).

But the second “woe” is also linked with the martyrdom of “the two witnesses” (Rev.11: 7-14), which means that the millions and millions of horsemen slaying a third part of men as described in the sixth trumpet (Rev.9: 12-21), is describing the martyrdom of “the two witnesses” of Jesus!