Zechariah 4: Unpanicked & Fed Spirit’s Oil by Twin Gold Lamp-Trees

Rev. William Foy, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Zechariah 4. Zechariah’s angel guide tells him to snap out of his daze—these visions are not meant for his personal enjoyment, but for preaching to the people! In chapter 4, Zechariah sees two golden lampstands. Each has an olive tree feeding a giant oil bowl on top. Each bowl is attached to seven lamps, which in turn have seven “lips.” However you draw it, the lamps look like extensions of the olive trees. God’s Spirit is the oil that lights the lamps of His people. Israel’s leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, are humble conduits. Like pastors, they simply pass along God’s own abundance. God was the one enabling the construction of the Temple, and God is the one who builds Christ’s church through the sacraments.