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Zechariah 4

The Vision of the Lampstand

1The angel who had been speaking to me came again and roused me as if I had been sleeping. 2“What do you see?” he asked.

“A lampstand made of gold,” I answered. “At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks. 3There are two olive trees beside the lampstand, one on each side of it.” 4Then I asked the angel, “What do these things stand for, sir?”

Notes for verses 2–41 entry

Cross-references

5“Don't you know?” he asked me.

“No, I don't, sir,” I replied.

Notes for verse 51 entry

Text notes

  • Zechariah 4:5 Verses 10b–14 are moved here from the end of the chapter in order to retain the natural order of the narrative. View in passage

The angel said to me, “The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the LORD, which see all over the earth.”

Notes for verse 1 entry

Cross-references

11Then I asked him, “What do the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand mean? 12And what is the meaning of the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes from which the olive oil pours?”

Notes for verses 11–121 entry

Cross-references

13He asked me, “Don't you know?”

“No, I don't, sir,” I answered.

14Then he said, “These are the two men whom God has chosen and anointed to serve him, the Lord of the whole earth.”

God's Promise to Zerubbabel

6The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the LORD: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit. 7Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you. You will rebuild the Temple, and as you put the last stone in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful, beautiful!’ ”

Notes for verses 6–71 entry

Cross-references

8Another message came to me from the LORD. 9He said, “Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them. They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad.”

CopyrightGood News Translation® with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Anglicisation © The British and Foreign Bible Society 1976, 1994, 2004 Additional material © The British and Foreign Bible Society 2017 The copyright for the derivative work of Anglicisation pertains only to the text within the Good News Translation (GNT) that British and Foreign Bible Society adapted for British literary usage, consistent with Section 103(b) of the United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 103(b). Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.