HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1216
ZEC H A RI A H 4
10 “And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to
sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”
A Lampstand and Two Olive Trees
Then the angel who had been talking with
me returned and woke me, as though I had
been asleep. 2 “What do you see now?” he asked.
I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand
with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl
are seven lamps, each having seven spouts
with wicks. 3 And I see two olive trees, one on
each side of the bowl.” 4 Then I asked the angel,
“What are these, my lord? What do they mean?”
5 “Don’t you know?” the angel asked.
“No, my lord,” I replied.
6 Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord
says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by
strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty
mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it
will become a level plain before him! And when
Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in
place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it!
May God bless it!’*”
8 Then another message came to me from
the Lord: 9 “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the
foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies has sent me. 10 Do not despise
these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to
see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
(The seven lamps* represent the eyes of the
Lord that search all around the world.)
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two
olive trees on each side of the lampstand, 12 and
what are the two olive branches that pour out
golden oil through two gold tubes?”
4
• Faithfulness
Z E CH A R IA H 4 :1 0
Many of the older Jews were disheartened when they realized this new
Temple would not match the size and
beauty of the previous one. But God
was thrilled with this beginning because
it signified a new start in the people’s
faithfulness to him. God desires sincere
hearts. What you do for God may seem
insignificant at the time, but God rejoices
in what is right, not necessarily in what is
big. Be faithful in the small opportunities.
Begin where you are, doing what you
can, and accept God’s pleasure over your
smallest steps in the right direction.
page 846
13 “Don’t
you know?” he asked.
“No, my lord,” I replied.
14 Then he said to me, “They represent the two
anointed ones* who stand in the court of the
Lord of all the earth.”
A Flying Scroll
I looked up again and saw a scroll flying
through the air.
2 “What do you see?” the angel asked.
“I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to
be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.*”
3 Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the
curse that is going out over the entire land. One
side of the scroll says that those who steal will
be banished from the land; the other side says
that those who swear falsely will be banished
from the land. 4 And this is what the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse
into the house of every thief and into the house
of everyone who swears falsely using my name.
And my curse will remain in that house and
completely destroy it—even its timbers and
stones.”
5
A Woman in a Basket
5 Then the angel who was talking with me came
forward and said, “Look up and see what’s
coming.”
6 “What is it?” I asked.
He replied, “It is a basket for measuring
grain,* and it’s filled with the sins* of everyone
throughout the land.”
7 Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the
basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it.
8 The angel said, “The woman’s name is Wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket
and closed the heavy lid again.
9 Then I looked up and saw two women flying
toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings
like a stork, and they picked up the basket and
flew into the sky.
10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked
the angel.
11 He replied, “To the land of Babylonia,*
where they will build a temple for the basket.
And when the temple is ready, they will set the
basket there on its pedestal.”
Four Chariots
Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. 2 The first chariot was pulled by red horses,
the second by black horses, 3 the third by white
horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray
horses. 4 “And what are these, my lord?” I asked
the angel who was talking with me.
6
4:7 Hebrew ‘Grace, grace to it.’ 4:10 Or The seven facets
(see 3:9); Hebrew reads These seven. 4:14 Or two heavenly
beings; Hebrew reads two sons of fresh oil. 5:2 Hebrew
20 cubits [9.2 meters] long and 10 cubits [4.6 meters] wide.
5:6a Hebrew an ephah [20 quarts or 22 liters]; also in 5:7,
8, 9, 10, 11. 5:6b As in Greek version; Hebrew reads the
appearance. 5:11 Hebrew the land of Shinar.