Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?

VISION#5: the gold lampstand and the two olive trees

This next vision in this series of night visions given to the prophet Zechariah seems more complicated and difficult to figure out so I turned to the Message, an up to date paraphrase of the Bible, to help me out.

The Messenger-Angel again called me to attention. It was like being wakened out of deep sleep.

Angel: What do you see?

Zechariah: I see a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top. Seven lamps, each with seven spouts, are set on the bowl. And there are two olive trees, one on either side of the bowl.

What does this mean, sir?

Angel: Can’t you tell?

Zechariah: No, sir.

Angel: This is God’s Message to Zerubbabel: ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. ‘So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you’re nothing but a molehill. He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!’

Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!

The seven lamps are the eyes of God probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights.

Zechariah: And the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand? What’s the meaning of them? And while you’re at it, the two branches of the olive trees that feed oil to the lamps—what do they mean?

Angel: You haven’t figured that out?

Zechariah: No, sir.

Angel: These are the two who stand beside the Master of the whole earth and supply golden lamp oil worldwide.  Zechariah 4:1-14

Zechariah is woken up to engage in conversation with with the angel. He’s making it clear this is more than just a dream. In a dream, we observe what’s going on, however surreal it is, without asking questions. We enter into the moment without making sense of it all. It’s only when we wake up that we question the content of our dream and see it for what it is.

There’s a lot here that Zechariah doesn’t understand but he’s determined to find out.

Firstly, the gold lampstand with seven lamps and seven bowls. The light of the world. The light of great worth created out of purity (of pure gold) and made perfect in every way (seven is the perfect number). The light of God, the ‘eyes of God’ probing into all the dark corners of the world. He shines a light into the darkness. He sent Jesus as the light of the world and ‘the darkness can never put it out’ (John 1:5). He calls us to be a light in the world, bringing his light into the dark places that we come across.

And then the olive trees. The olive trees provide the oil to fuel the lamps. They are what keeps the flame burning, that sustains the light forever. The suggestion is that these two trees are Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel the king: both in place to serve the God of light until the ultimate priest-king comes: Jesus himself.

This vision serves as an encouragement to Zerubbabel. It’s addressed directly to him. He’s the one leading the rebuilding of the temple, this massive undertaking. Rebuilding and restoration take such a lot of vision and energy at a time when the people are defeated and weary and have no vision at all.

When faced with a massive undertaking. here are the reassurances (for us as well as Zerubbabel).

‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit.’

It’s all about trusting in God. In His ways and His timing. It’s about not needing to have everyone figured out before stepping out into the unknown. It’s about trusting God to provide and protect every step of the way. Relying on His spirit for insight and inspiration, for courage and clarity. It may seem crazy to rebuild a temple that has been completely destroyed. But God knows what He’s doing. He holds the future. Sometimes that’s exactly what God calls us to do: to stay and rebuild, even when it seems the craziest thing to do.

Yes! Yes! Do it!

There will be voices of encouragement along the way. Others who believe in us and will support us. I remember very clearly a conversation with our good friends Campbell and Ruth before we put ourselves forward to adopt our youngest two. They talked through every angle of what a family of five kids might look like for us and stood with us in our decision. And have stood with us in the living out of that decision for the last fifteen years. There’ll be plenty of negative voices along the way too. There have been for us: within our own heads and from others, questioning our ability to do this thing or whether this is what God really wanted for us. We can choose to let the negative voices drag us down and erode our confidence in ourselves and in God, or we can take life one day at at time, with no idea what is to come, but trusting that God will always be there and never abandon us and with Him, and only with Him, this thing is possible.

Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?

I love this line. You have to start somewhere and most often, that means starting small. Laying the foundations of a temple takes a huge amount of time and energy and resources and there is nothing to show for it at ground level. But getting those foundations right is key. We want our lives to feel significant, to look impressive, and sometimes they feel anything but. They feel mundane and uninteresting, hardly setting the world on fire…but it’s about practising the presence of God in every moment, in every mundane task, being faithful in the small things.

Who knows where any of this will lead?

Only God.