INTRODUCTION:

            We have already learned that throughout Israel’s history the offices of priest and king were separate.  No king could be a priest, and no priest could be a king.  The line of priests and kings came from two different tribes, the priests from the tribe of Levi, and the kings from the tribe of Judah.  The priests were the ones entrusted with the law of Moses and were to teach it to the people, but they did not have the authority of the king.  The kings took part in the temple service, providing whatever might be needed by the priests to carry out their work, but the kings did not offer sacrifices themselves, that was a work reserved for the priests alone.  An example of this was when king Uzziah entered the temple and attempted to burn incense as a priest before God, the Lord struck him with leprosy.  King Uzziah thought he could draw near to God as a priest.  The Lord responded by rejecting him and turning him into an outcast.  He was a leper the rest of his life and that leprosy was a vivid reminder of how strictly God kept those two roles separate.  Even in their proper roles as priests or kings they never perfectly fulfilled their respective roles.  As sinners, they were finite and fallible.

            Throughout the Old Testament there was a hope that there would one day be One who would perfectly fulfill both of these roles.  God’s intention that His Messiah would be both king and priest was made known early on when Abraham met the godly Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20.  One of the distinguishing traits of this Melchizedek is that he was both a king and a priest of God Most High.  Though he was only mentioned in a couple of verses, he was not forgotten.  Later on, in Psalm 110:4 David records these words, “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’ ” (Psalm 110:4, NASB95)[1] The LORD or Yahweh was speaking of the Messiah, He was speaking of His Son and declared that He would be a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  The Messiah would be both a priest and a king.  Only He would be worthy and capable of perfectly fulfilling both offices.

            Israel’s future and the future of the entire human race depend on the Messiah’s ability to do what no one else can—to be both the ultimate King and the great High Priest.  This messianic role is illustrated for us in the end of this fifth vision of Zechariah.  The Messiah alone is able to mediate the glorious presence of God to the world.  As King, He can represent God to men, as High Priest He can represent men to God.  As Zechariah takes a final look at the vision of the lampstand, the vision ends on a majestic note of messianic hope, declaring that Christ would fulfill the Priest-King role that no one else could.

--LET’S PRAY--

 

SCRIPTURE:

            Turn in your Bibles this morning to Zechariah 4:11-14.  I debated doing a Palm Sunday message this morning but decided to finish up chapter 4 and the fifth vision before entering into the Easter weekend.  And because this passage focuses on the Messiah, I thought it was appropriate for Palm Sunday.  Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.

     Zechariah 4:11-14,

            “Then I said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?’  And I answered the second time and said to him, ‘What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?’  So he answered me, saying, ‘Do you not know what these are?’  And I said, ‘No, my lord.’  Then he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.’ ” (Zechariah 4:11–14, NASB95)[2]

TWO QUESTIONS (Zechariah 4:11-12)

            No doubt Zechariah was feeling a little overwhelmed by this vision and the messages he was to deliver to the governor.  But before leaving this vision, there is one thing that has not been explained, one thing that he did not understand.  Zechariah is not going to leave this vision alone until he understands it all.  He writes, “Then I said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?’ ” (Zechariah 4:11, NASB95)[3] He already understood the meaning of the lampstand which symbolized God’s glorious presence.  And he understood the oil which flowed from the bowl through the seven spouts to each lamp, signified the work of the Holy Spirit who would empower His people and ultimately the Messiah.  But no explanation had been given for the two olive trees.  This first question asked by the prophet did not have much detail, as when he had described the lampstand earlier he had noted two olives trees one on the right of the lampstand and one on its left.  Again, this is all the detail he gave in this first question.

            Even though his question was simple and straightforward, Zechariah did not receive a response from the interpreting angel.  Because of this, Zechariah was forced to inquire a second time about the olive trees.  To ask a question a second time is highly unusual in prophecy and only found in Zechariah’s visions.  Why was the angel silent?  I believe the angel wanted Zechariah to look again and be more specific about the details involving the olive trees.  By focusing on the olive trees the prophet was able to reword his question more precisely.

            As Zechariah examined the two olive trees again, he noticed more detail and used this detail to reword his question.  He wrote, “And I answered the second time and said to him, ‘What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?’ ” (Zechariah 4:12, NASB95)[4]  Zechariah had already observed that the olive trees provided the lampstand with an unending supply of oil.  But the angel did not want him to stop there.  The prophet needed a more intense focus on the flow of oil from the olive branches to the lampstand.  This was important because it was the means by which the lampstand’s supply of oil was replenished.

            In Zechariah’s reworded question we learn that the flow of oil to the lampstand involved several elements: two trees, two branches, and two pipes.  The two olive trees were mentioned in verse 11, now in verse 12 the prophet specified not just the trees but two olive branches which are beside the golden pipes.  This word translated branches described a cluster of olive-ladened boughs woven together to form the conduit by which the oil dripped into the pipes going into the bowl of the lampstand.  The word “pipes” is different in Hebrew from the word “spouts” that we read of earlier.  This just distinguishes that these golden pipes were distinct from the spouts, but they also were used for the transfer of oil to the lampstand.  It is important to understand that the number two is repeated here to emphasize the presence of two olive trees, with two branches, and two pipes, and to add to that Zechariah had to ask two times.  The emphasis on two is important because it set the stage for a theological truth to be shortly revealed.  Just as the oil poured from two branches through two pipes into one lampstand, so God would merge two realities into one.  God will show how He will merge the two offices of priest and king into the one Person of the Messiah.  He alone would be able to fulfill these two offices at the same time and fulfill them perfectly.

            Another major emphasis in Zechariah’s second question concerning the lampstand and the olive trees is its golden material and color.  The pipes that carried the oil from the branches to the lampstand were golden, complimenting the entire lampstand which we learned two weeks ago was made of gold.  Zechariah even described the oil as golden oil.  The golden brilliance of this lampstand is a symbol of God’s divine presence and glory; the golden oil is a fitting description since the Holy Spirit is associated with the oil and anointing that is described in Scripture.  Everything about the lampstand was golden and the golden oil flowed perfectly through the golden pipes to the golden lampstand illustrating for us that the One who mediates God’s presence must be perfectly divine.  While many kings and priests represented God’s presence and power in the past, none of them fulfilled it perfectly because they were sinful humans.  Only the incarnate Messiah could achieve the perfection required, since He is both truly God and truly Man.

            Zechariah observed that the olive branches empty oil from themselves to supply the lampstand.  This detail repeated the main point of the vision, focusing on how the lampstand was fueled, thus illustrating the theology symbolized by the lampstand would be fulfilled.  According to His perfect plan, God would mediate His glorious presence to the world through the Messiah, His Son, the only One who can be both King and High Priest.

 

TWO OFFICES (Zechariah 4:13-14)

            As earlier when Zechariah asked for an explanation of the vision, the interpreting angel responded with a question, “Do you not know what these are?” (Zechariah 4:5b, NASB95)[5] and here again we read, “So he answered me, saying, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’ ” (Zechariah 4:13, NASB95)[6] Zechariah again answered in the negative humbly acknowledging his ignorance in understanding this complex vision and what each part represented or symbolized.

            Having admitted that he does not understand, the interpreting angel gives Zechariah illumination as he responds.  Zechariah writes, “Then he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.’ ” (Zechariah 4:14, NASB95)[7] The answer that the prophet was seeking revolved around “two anointed ones,” or more literally in the Hebrew “two sons of oil.”  In this case, the word used for oil is different from the one used earlier in the vision.  The word used here refers to oil that is not processed by anyone, but that is taken fresh from the tree.  Such oil is a highly appropriate symbol for the pure presence of God.  In Israel, the positions of king and priest were two major offices that involved being anointed with oil at the point of inauguration.  Both offices were given the task of mediating God’s presence to His people.  The kings represented God before the nation.  They helped construct or renovate God’s house, the temple, and they conveyed divine authority based on God’s Law.  By contrast, the priests represented the nation to God.  They maintained temple services, carried out the sacrificial system, and led Israel in worship before the Lord.  Simply put, the king brought God before the people, and the priests brought the people before God.  Both offices were primarily involved in mediating God’s presence, and both attempted to do so throughout Israel’s history.  The anointed ones represent these two offices, and it says that they are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.  These two—king and priest—were standing by the Lord of the whole earth in complete reliance on Him, trusting Him that He would accomplish what they could never do on their own.  The two anointed ones are a reference to two anointed and consecrated individuals.  They are Joshua and Zerubbabel in their official capacities as God’s channels through whom the Spirit of God shows forth His power and grace to the whole nation.  They represent in type the office of Priest by Joshua the High Priest and the office of king by Zerubbabel as governor and descendant of David.  Both individuals are types pointing to the ultimate King-Priest the Lord Jesus.  Just as the oil flowed from two branches and pipes into one lampstand, so these two anointed roles would come together in one Person—the Lord Jesus Christ.

            By representing these two offices it is important to understand that both of their functions were vital in fulfilling the theology of the lampstand, by representing the presence of God to His people.  By God’s design, no single person in Israel could be both king and priest.  No one could hold both roles of representing God to man and man to God.  As I already stated, the kings and priests came from separate tribes, Judah being the tribe of the kings and Levi being the tribe of the priests.  As I mentioned in my introduction, God strictly kept these two offices separated into their distinct roles.  King Saul, the first king of Israel, in 1st Samuel 13 attempted to offer sacrifices to God.  The result of this, he was punished for assuming a priestly duty he was not permitted to fulfill, God’s Spirit departed from him and the royal line was passed to David.  As I already stated, King Uzziah offered incense in the temple, as a result God made him a leper for the rest of his life for violating the priestly office.

            As I stated earlier, no Old Testament king or priest ever fulfilled his office perfectly.  If you look at the history of Judah’s kings and priests there were many who completely failed or even ignored their God-given responsibilities.  As a result, the nation fell under God’s judgment.  The prophet Ezekiel stated that God punished Israel’s royal line (Ezekiel 19).  Ezekiel also prophesied that God would negate the mediating role of priests, that their service would atone for no one (Ezekiel 14:12-23).  Jeremiah also prophesied that due to the sins of Israel, the LORD would devastate the office of priest and king (Jeremiah 20:1-6; 21:1-7; 22:24-30).  The collapse of leadership took place in Israel and Judah’s exile.  During the days of Zechariah, the effects of this punishment were still present.  While there were priests in Zechariah’s time, there was no king in Israel, only a governor.  Israel’s history demonstrated that no mere mortal man could carry the full mantle of leadership for the nation.

            However, the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would function as both the ultimate King and perfect great High Priest.  He will be a King a from David’s royal line and a Priest coming from the order of Melchizedek, a man who was both a priest and king.  While the Old Testament recorded Israel’s inability to fulfill these two distinct offices, it also held out hope that the Messiah would succeed where all the others had failed.  He would merge the two offices together in Himself and fulfill them perfectly.

            The Lord Jesus Christ is able and worthy to unite these roles, because He is the Lord of the whole earth.  While this title primarily expresses the Messiah’s sovereignty over everything that He has created, it was also reserved in the Old Testament to describe the unique dominion He will have when He returns and reigns in the millennial kingdom.  That is why the offices of priest and king depend upon Him.  He alone has the supreme sovereignty and perfect purity to unite these two offices.  This title, Lord of the whole earth, is also used in Scripture to describe the presence of God (Psalm 97:5; Micah 4:13) For example, Joshua 3:13 speaks of “…the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth…” (Joshua 3:13b, NASB95)[8]  Christ will not only fulfill the offices of priest and king but also the message revealed by the vision of the lampstand.  As Lord of the whole earth, He is the very presence and Light of God, and He will fill the whole earth with His glory.

 

CONCLUSION:

            Because this vision and the previous one were messianic in their focus, it becomes clear why they are placed in the center of Zechariah’s eight-night visions.  The prophet’s visions revealed God’s promises about Israel and the nations, and they depicted God’s presence, salvation, judgment, restoration, and reign.  They unveiled details about His activity in the past, the present, and the future.  But at the center of them all stands the Messiah because He is able to do what no other king or priest can do.  The conclusion of the vision of the lampstand powerfully reveals that the Light of the world is coming, and as the ultimate King and great High Priest, He will fulfill God’s promises to display His glory through all creation.

            Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday, which was the most public declaration that Jesus Christ ever made about Himself that He was the Messiah of Israel.  The people with Him hailed Him the King of Israel as He rode into Jerusalem but the words in their mouths never got into their hearts.  Jesus declared Himself to be the Messiah and they rejected Him. Praise God that they rejected Him because His rejection, humiliation and death is our salvation.  When He rose from the dead they tried to cover that up too, but they couldn’t because there were too many eyewitnesses.  Jesus Christ is coming again someday, and it will be very different than His first advent.  He will be the Light of the world, and He will establish His kingdom and reign as King of kings and great High Priest for His people and His glory will be displayed through all creation.  What a glorious future we have to look forward to.

 

[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.