Zechariah 4

Zec 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Truly the rebuilding of the temple and restoration of Jerusalem was by the power of the Lord. There have always been so many hindrances to the work of God by the enemy that it takes the power of the Spirit to overcome. That is still true today. Just as Israel could not have become a nation again without the power of the Lord we cannot be victorious in our Christian walk without the power of the Lord. We must depend upon the Holy Spirit to make it. There is no way we can live a victorious Christian life without daily depending upon the Holy Spirit. There is only one stronger than our enemy and that is God. We cannot make it on our own strength, our own power or our own might but by the Spirit of the Lord. We honor great generals and military leaders when they bring victory in war. The truth is though that it may be a mother's prayer that brought about their victory. No war can be won without the Lord allowing it no matter how great the army is. Look at the way the Lord helped Israel in the days they fought the Canaanites. By faith one could put a thousand to flight. Darius 1 ordered the work on the temple at Jerusalem to stop. That was nothing in the presence of the Holy Spirit. No matter how great evil rulers get upon the earth, they are nothing compared to the Power of God. Who are they to reply against the almighty God?

Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

The mountain was the hindrance to the rebuilding of the temple. Darius 1 represents this great mountain standing in the way of the rebuilding of the temple. Who is he though compared to the power of God? God is greater and mountains can be removed. The headstone or chief cornerstone was and shall be again laid in place and nothing shall hinder.           

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

Here is a prophecy that was fulfilled literally and will be fulfilled again in the latter days. The temple in Jerusalem will again be rebuild in the latter days. When the word of God says something will happen, it will. Sometimes we see delays and hindrances but that is just minor details that will be overcome by the power of God.

Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Things may seem small and weak but by the Spirit of God they shall prosper and be powerful. The rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple seemed impossible and an impractical weak idea, yet it did come about by the Spirit of the Lord.
The same is still true. Many churches have started as a storefront building in a poor neighborhood with little or no money. Many hindrances sometimes occur when a new work of God is getting started. If the Lord is in the work though and faith is exercised in the Lord for His help and anointing, nothing shall stop the true work of God. The only thing that can stop it is our unbelief. If we believe and trust in God no matter who or what comes against us, it will prosper and come to pass. God is greater than all mountains.

Zec 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Many bible scholars believe that the two olive trees represent two witnesses who were once translated without dying and is in the presence of God now not having gone through physical death. There are only two recorded men who have been translated that way, although there could have been more. They are Enoch and Elijah. These two olive trees represent two such men. These may be the two witnesses who come in the days of the great tribulation to Israel and help them against the anti-christ. They are eventually killed and not buried. After three days they rise again bringing fear upon the earth. This is just my own speculation here so do not take it as a fact. Others say the olive trees are Moses and Elijah.  Some even say that John the apostle didn't die and one is him.  However, if two olive trees were seen here, John was not yet born.  Moses could be one but we know from the Old Testament that Moses literally died a natural death. 

Revelation 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

This part of Zechariah's prophecy is yet future. This has not taken place yet to my knowledge. How would it be possible for many people of different nations and languages to see this happen and rejoice? In John's day is would have been impossible unless many were gathered in Jerusalem as they were on the day of Pentecost. Now, however, we know that it is possible by way of satellites and television sets and even later computers and Internet service.  By the resurrection of the two witnesses, God gives the world a definite sign of the power of the resurrection so that we are without any excuse for rejecting Jesus Christ. 

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