What be these two olive-branches, &c.— This passage may be rendered, What are the two orderers of the olive-trees, which through two golden spouts drain off the gold from them? I am inclined to suppose that by הזיתים שׁבלי shibbalei hazzeithim, were meant two beings, probably in human shape, who were seen by the prophet employed in arranging the fruit of the olive-trees, and giving it a direction for its juice to flow into those channels, through which it might be conveyed into the body of the lamps, there to serve for food and nourishment of their light. Nor is it any objection to this more than to any other hypothesis, that they were not enumerated before among the objects of vision. They might not perhaps have presented themselves to the prophet's view till the very instant when he had asked the question concerning the two olive-trees; and their sudden appearance may account for the immediate change of it to another, before he had received an answer to the first. This answer being thus superseded, we are left without any direct information as to the meaning of the olive-trees; but we may fairly presume them to be no other than the two dispensations of the law and the Gospel, under which were communicated the precious oracles of divine truth, which illuminate the soul, and make men wise unto salvation. Of course the orderers and directors of these dispensations must be Moses and the Lord Jesus Christ, the two sons of oil, or anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, fulfilling his will, and executing his commands. Of the latter of these it is expressly said, Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, &c. Nor do I conceive that any other can be meant by the two witnesses appointed to prophesy for a certain time clothed in sackcloth, Revelation 11:3 the next verse plainly shewing that an allusion is there made to this prophesy of Zechariah concerning the candlestick and olive-trees, though it is not cited word for word: These are the two olive-trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth; Revelation 11:4. See Dr. Blaney
The golden oil— It should be rendered the gold: there is no word for oil in the original. Archbishop Newcome proposes to read oil instead of gold, saying the sense requires it. But in the Hebrew copies there is not the least vestige of such a reading, and all the ancient versions concur in expressing gold at the end of this verse. There is no doubt but that the liquor drawn from the olive-trees must be oil; but it is here intended to represent what for its precious quality may be denominated gold; that being considered is the most valuable of all material substances, but yet of far less worth than the word of divine truth: More to be desired, says the Psalmist speaking of it, than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Psalms 19:10. And again: The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver; Psalms 119:72. In this sense then the original word may be used here for oil, and perhaps from the resemblance between the appearance of gold in a state of fluidity and oil.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Overcome, probably, with the glorious visions that he had seen, the prophet's spirits failed him, and he sunk down in sleep; but he is awakened and strengthened by the Lord Jesus, to behold other visions and revelations of the Lord.
1. On his awaking, a question is put to him, What seest thou? And he looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, &c. like, in some respects, to that in the temple of old, the figure of the church of Christ; of gold, denoting its excellence and purity: the bowl upon the top of it full of oil implies that fulness of grace in Jesus, of which all genuine Christians have received; (see John 1:16.) The seven lamps may signify all believers in general, or the ministers of the Gospel particularly, who are burning and shining lights; and, being kindled by the fire of divine grace, are fed with constant supplies of oil from the two olive-trees, Christ and the Comforter, or the two Testaments, through the seven pipes, the various means of prayer, meditation, sacraments, &c. which Christ hath instituted as channels of conveying to us the constant influences of his grace. See the critical notes.
2. The prophet humbly inquires into the meaning of what he saw. What are these, my lord? And the angel, to reprove his dulness, or quicken his attention, answers, Knowest thou not what these be? He replies, with an humble confession of his ignorance, No, my lord: very graciously, therefore, this angel condescends to explain the vision to him; This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, an illustration of what God had spoken to him before, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. As the lamps were supplied with oil, without any human assistance from the olive-trees that poured the oil into the bowl, which thence was communicated to them through the seven golden pipes, so should Zerubbabel be supplied with strength from on high, for the work in which he is engaged: and thus is every faithful soul made more than conqueror, not through any natural sufficiency of man, but by the power of divine grace.
It is promised here concerning Zerubbabel,
[1.] That he shall overcome all difficulties in his way. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. Whatever opposition he met with from the Persian monarchy, or from Sanballat, and the Samaritans, it should be easily surmounted. Note; In the eye of sense, mountains unpassable obstruct the way to glory; but faith looks up to Jesus, the great Zerubbabel; and as he hath put all enemies under his own feet, so will he put them under ours, if we perseveringly cleave to him: and thus the mountain becomes a plain.
[2.] He shall see the completion of the work that he hath begun. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it, rejoicing and praising God for the ability which he hath supplied for finishing his temple. And herein, (1.) He is a type of Christ, who on the cross finished the great atonement for the sins of the world: or it may refer to the day when he shall rejoice over all his faithful saints in glory with joy and singing, Zephaniah 3:17. (2.) Of every faithful saint of God; who, when God shall have brought him happily to the end of his labours, shall stand forth before his throne, ascribing the whole of his salvation to rich and boundless grace, and join his voice with ten thousand times ten thousand others, shouting, Grace, grace unto it.
[3.] Zerubbabel shall hereby be fully convinced, with all the Jews, of the divine mission of the prophet; or rather this may be referred to Christ, who will make his faithful people know by blessed experience, that he is indeed the Saviour of the world, and that him hath God the Father sent.
[4.] The enemies of Judah shall be confounded, and those, among themselves, who at first were disheartened, shall rejoice, when they see the work brought to so happy an issue. For who hath despised the day of small things? San-ballat, and many even of the Jews, despised the mean beginnings of the temple; but they shall quickly change their mind: for they, the Jews, who at first despaired of being able to finish the work, shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, the building rising fast and beautiful under his direction, with those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth; supported by the divine providence, and instructed by divine wisdom, he shall be enabled to complete the glorious work. Note; (1.) The work of God in the soul begins with a day of small things; the light but glimmering, the graces weak; yet these are not to be despised, for in the end, if we be faithful, they shall have great increase. (2.) Instead of being discouraged because our labours have but little success, we must be thankful for that little, and trust in him who giveth the increase. (3.) It is a great joy to all pious people to see ministers and magistrates exerting themselves in the cause of God and truth. (4.) They who are under the guidance of these seven eyes of God's providence and grace need never despair, whatever difficulties are in their way.
2nd, Since he had found such favour in the eyes of the Lord, the prophet continues his inquiries, not to gratify his curiosity, but to furnish himself with matter for the good of his people.
1. He begs information concerning the two olive-trees, and what the two branches signify that emptied their oil into the golden bowl through the two golden pipes; and, being interrogated as before, Knowest thou not what these be? he again acknowledges his ignorance.
2. He is told what the olive-trees and branches signify. These are the two anointed ones, or the sons of oil; which some interpret of the gifts and graces of the Spirit; some of Christ and the Holy Ghost; others of Christ in his two natures, or in his offices of priest and king, from whom the golden oil of grace is poured forth; that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, God the Father, who governs the affairs of the world and the church in and by his Son, to whom all power is committed; and by the Holy Ghost, which proceeds from them both, and is the quickening Spirit in the hearts of all that believe. But see the critical notes.