After this Zechariah is,
as it were, awakened by God to see all the perfect order
of that which He was going to establish. Here also the
present grace furnishes the occasion for the revelation
of the ulterior purposes of God. The prophet sees the
vessel of the light of God on earth ordained in all its
perfection. The candlestick was one, but it had seven
branches. It was unity in the perfection of spiritual
co-ordination—perfect unity, perfect development in
that unity. Each thing was in its place as a means, and
the two sources of spiritual grace which fed the light,
were placed one on each side to sustain the light that
shone before Jehovah. These are, as it appears to me, the
royalty and the priesthood of Christ, which maintain, by
power and spiritual grace, the perfect light of divine
order among the Jews. The work was divine, the pipes were
of gold. The thing ministered was the grace of the
Spirit, the oil which fed the testimony, maintained in
this perfect order. But the Spirit first places Israel,
at the moment of the prophecy, in a very definite
position. It was not yet the time for the exercise of
outward power, or for Jehovah to put forth His might, and
establish His glory and His worship among His people. It
was His Spirit acting in the remnant of Israel, if they
would hearken, to bring them into relationship with God
morally, and in a worship that He would accept,
if—imperfect as it must needs be, since the nation
was not re-established by the power of God, but remained
still in bondage—this worship was rendered to God in
Spirit and in truth, according to that which He bestowed
on the people. And at the same time, outward providence
was exercised to accomplish all that was necessary for
the maintenance of the relationship with God, and that
God's grace had established for Israel, after their fall
and their deliverance from Babylon by the providential
interposition of God. The seven eyes which ran to and fro
throughout the earth should see with joy the house in
which the restored remnant would be in relationship with
God, completed by the hands of Zerubbabel.
This clearly defines the
position of the people, and the two orders of things set
before us in this prophecy. The present condition was
that of relationship with God, established in sovereignty
by His Spirit, through which He could accept their
worship, His Spirit being in the midst of the restored
remnant, and providential power being in exercise to
secure blessing, but no immediate government on God's
part. Government was left in the hands of the Gentiles.
That which was
prophetically in view, was the perfect order established
in Jerusalem as the vessel of divine light on earth,
maintained by the ministry of the two sons of
oil—the royalty and the priesthood—which stood
before the Lord [1]
of the whole earth. The God of Israel had had His throne
at Jerusalem. The God of heaven had bestowed the dominion
of the whole earth on the head of the Gentiles. Now the
Lord* of the whole earth would establish earthly order,
according to His will, at Jerusalem; and would there
maintain divine light by a royal priesthood in His
presence.
Zechariah 4 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
This clearly defines the position of the people, and the two orders of things set before us in this prophecy. The present condition was that of relationship with God, established in sovereignty by His Spirit, through which He could accept their worship, His Spirit being in the midst of the restored remnant, and providential power being in exercise to secure blessing, but no immediate government on God's part. Government was left in the hands of the Gentiles.
That which was prophetically in view, was the perfect order established in Jerusalem as the vessel of divine light on earth, maintained by the ministry of the two sons of oil—the royalty and the priesthood—which stood before the Lord [1] of the whole earth. The God of Israel had had His throne at Jerusalem. The God of heaven had bestowed the dominion of the whole earth on the head of the Gentiles. Now the Lord* of the whole earth would establish earthly order, according to His will, at Jerusalem; and would there maintain divine light by a royal priesthood in His presence.
[1] 'Adon.' Chap. 4:14; 6:5.