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Zech. 4:1-4 — “And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 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 has seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my Lord?”

The illustration here exhibited, you note, is an exact reproduction of Zechariah’s symbolism.  In order that our study be simplified and vivid, we shall study the chapter along with the illustration.

Now let us hear the angel’s explanation of this symbolism.

Zech. 4:5, 6 — “Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be?  And I said, No, my Lord.  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.”

The angel disclosed two things: First he made known that the symbolism is concerning the Word of the Lord (the Bible) to the servants of God; second, that His Word is revealed, not by man’s might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

Plainly this symbolism as a whole represents the system by which the Lord transmits His revealed Word to His people.  That we might have a thorough understanding of this Divinely designed system, we need to know what each component part of the illustration stands for.  The Spirit of Prophecy gives the clue.

In The Great Controversy, page 267 is explained that the “olive trees” represent the “Old and New Testaments;” Testimonies to Ministers, page 188, says that the golden oil represents the Holy Spirit; and on page 337 of the same book, along with Revelation 1:20, says that the seven lamps represent the church, and that the seven tubes (the ministry) convey the oil to the churches.

Now study the illustration itself as you would study any cartoon.  First of all, the trees represent the Word of God (the Bible — both Old and New Testaments — two trees).

Here is seen that the whole symbolical set up is for the purpose of depicting the accomplishment of but one thing — of keeping the seven lamps (the entire church membership) supplied with spiritual oil (Bible Truth) so that it might give spiritual light all round about, that the church might lighten the world with the revealed Word of God.  And since the ministry’s duty is to feed the church with spiritual food, the fact is that the seven tubes represent the ministry at work, taking the oil (revealed Truth) from the bowl to the seven lamps, the churches.

Now the truth that in the illustration the tubes (the ministers) do not take the oil directly from the olive trees (the Bible), it positively indicates that the bowl in which the oil is deposited represents the container or the store in which the compilations of Inspired Bible interpretations are stored, and that from it, not from the olive trees, the ministers help themselves with oil and carry it to the seven lamps (to the church).

The two golden pipes, therefore, can be only a representation of the inspired channels which are capable to extract the oil (light of Truth) from the trees (from both Testaments) and store it in the bowl (books) for the tubes (ministers) to convey it to the candlestick (to the churches).

The symbolism, therefore, points out the system which Heaven has ordained for dispensing the Word of the Lord to His church: that the Spirit of Prophecy at work is the only remedy against isms in the church and in the world.

Those who do not avail themselves of the golden oil, and those who continue ever to hunt for some kind of oil, or whoever try to extract their own, will, of course, drop into the pit when the earth opens her mouth to swallow up the flood.  Then it is that ism-breathers and ism-seekers shall forever pass away.

Zech. 4:13, 14 — “And He answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be?  And I said, No, my Lord.  Then said He, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

From the angel’s information it is now clearly seen that the symbolism depicts the system of interpreting the written Word of God, and of transmitting It to the church.  The time of which is in the New Testament era, when both trees are in existence.

Let us now summarize the lesson by the aid of the illustration.  Here we see a candlestick (a church) all of gold, the finest of all candlesticks (no “tares” in it).  It constitutes the remnant (those that are left after the sinners are done away with) which indeed keep the commandments of God, and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 12:17; 19:10).

This fine candlestick is fully trimmed and burning.  The two golden pipes (God’s inspired interpreters) store the golden oil in the golden bowl (Spirit of Prophecy publications).  And the seven tubes (the entire ministry) convey from the golden bowl the golden oil to the seven golden lamps (to the entire laity).

Under this perfect system of preparing, and dispensing the Word of God, “meat in due season,” to His people, there need be no fear that the reservoir will run dry, or that the lamps will grow dim.  This is the only system, moreover, that can make the church perfect, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing — a people without guile in their mouths, all seeing eye to eye, all saying the same thing.  Truly “a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like.” Joel 2:2.

This beyond doubt is the mighty power that lightens the earth, it is the Loud Cry.  Indeed this symbolism reveals the church at the time she is endowed with the Spirit of Prophecy and with the righteousness of Christ.

Obviously, the system of Bible interpretation, described by Zechariah, is the Lord’s only system.  It is the only remedy for isms and discord among Christians.  Thus it is that His “watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Isa. 52:8.  (Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 14 , p.16-23)

The above was selected portions of  Victor Houteff’s  sermon , Nov. 9. 1946, concerning God’s inspired way of transporting Truth from Scriptures down to the laity. The two pipes, as the prophet indicated represent the two interpreters, who are the ones rightly inspired to take the clear message and prophecies from the Scriptures, and put them in the bowl (books), so that we as laity can really know what the mysteries of the Bible mean! Those two inspired interpreters are none other than Ellen White (SOP) and Victor T. Houteff (ELIJAH MESSAGE). May the Lord be glorified for such revealing of His end time truths to us!

This entry was posted on July 12, 2014 at 3:51 am and is filed under Elijah Interpretations, Proper teachings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.